(Hum along, my friends…)
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h/t bestman
Reader Tips
Tonight’s amusement en route to the Reader Tips is a video showing that a cop who is doing the right thing – arresting a drunk driver, in this case – may also be abusing her powers in an extrajudicial, although not strictly illegal, manner: here’s the infamous dash-cam recording of Deputy Sergeant Clementine Johnson making a series of increasingly unreasonable and unfair demands on a suspected drunk driver during a field sobriety test.
The comments are open for your Reader Tips.
Now Is The Time At SDA When We Juxtapose!
Globe&Mail, June 25th – Canada’s outspoken spy chief has unleashed a political furor by saying that a number of politicians are influenced by foreign states, comments that left his critics wondering whether he will survive as head of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.
New York Daily News, June 28th – Ten people have been arrested for allegedly serving as secret agents of the Russian government in the United States, the Justice Department said Monday. Eight of 10 were arrested Sunday for allegedly carrying out long-term, deep cover assignments in the United States on behalf of Russia.
h/t Stephen J.
Second Amendment Ruling
“Then we heard that a cop car was on fire at King and Bay…”
“This first approach was fairly tentative—largely nonviolent protesters dipping their toes into the water. Initially, the protesters were outnumbered by the cops, but then as more and more of them converged, they eventually outnumbered the police and started drawing closer and closer to the line: taking pictures, chanting, singing, screaming invective. “
More at The Torontoist (h/t subversible).
Not so related; “Sir, I’m going to ask you to move along. There’s really nothing to see here.” I’m staying off that particular bandwagon, but then again, I don’t pull over at the side of the road to rubberneck at accidents, either. In short, what appears to have started out as a police request to “move along” rapidly escalates into mockery and a overwhelming show of police non-violence.
“But civilian photographers will be rebuffed with a force in equal contradistinction to that not being applied to the rioters themselves.”
Except, you know, there was no force. They stuck around for 5 minutes and left under their own steam.
(By the way – who the hell picks a G20 weekend to hold their pro-Israel rally? I thought Jews were the smart ones?)
Is There Nothing That Obama Can’t Do?
I love it when a plan comes together.
Up to 1,000 jobs at Bucyrus International Inc. and its suppliers could be in jeopardy as the result of a decision by the U.S. Export-Import Bank, funded by Congress, to deny several hundred million dollars in loan guarantees to a coal-fired power plant and mine in India.
About 300 of those jobs are at the Bucyrus plant in South Milwaukee, where the company has 1,410 employees and its headquarters. The remaining jobs are spread across 13 states, including Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana.
On Thursday, the Export-Import Bank denied financing for Reliance Power Ltd., an Indian power plant company, effectively wiping out about $600 million in coal mining equipment sales for Bucyrus, chief executive Tim Sullivan said.
The fossil fuel project was the first to come before the government-run bank since it adopted a climate-change policy to settle a lawsuit and to meet Obama administration directives.
“President Obama has made clear his administration’s commitment to transition away from high-carbon investments and toward a cleaner-energy future,” Export-Import Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg said in a statement. “After careful deliberation, the Export-Import Bank board voted not to proceed with this project because of the projected adverse environmental impact.”
They say people get the government they deserve. And I’d say they’re getting it, good and hard.
Reader Tips
I’m going to kick off tonight’s Reader Tips thread with a video of recent speech delivered by the United States’ new top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. David Petraeus, honouring the brave men and women who have served in uniform over the years.
Excerpt:
They form an unbroken chain of heroes, who generation after generation have answered the call to serve, a long purple line characterized by courage, commitment and sacrifice. All of them know personally and deeply the terrible grind of constant combat. They persevered through long hard days of fighting, enduring crushing heat and withering cold; they suffered through the loss of their comrades in arms, the brother and sisters alongside whom they fought day after day and night after night, and they experienced what it is to lie in pain in a foxhole, atop a ridge, along a city street, bruised, bleeding, or broken as a result of their service to our country. So to all those who have demonstrated the courage, and made the sacrifice that the purple heart signifies, and to the families who supported them along the way, thank you – thank you – for what you did for our country, as you earned the badge of honour that is sought by none, but is respected by all.
You can see the integrity in the man’s face as he speaks. Here’s US General David Petraeus Honoring Purple Heart Veterans.
The comments are open for your Reader Tips.
Not Waiting For The Asteroid
Rate Your Professor
“Doesn’t particularly care about his students unless they are former political prisoners or attractive coeds”
Obama At The Bat
h/t John B.
Now Is The Time At SDA When We Juxtapose!
Toronto Mayor David Miller, June 26th – “This isn’t our Toronto.”
National Post, June 27th – Acting on a tip received last night, the police descended on the [University of Toronto] and discovered a number of “weapons of opportunity”…
The World Still Has Too Many Reporters
Canadian Conservatives: Not Rioting Enough!
Now is the time at SDA when we juxtapose!
Toronto Sun, June 25th – The latest disturbing development in McGuinty’s Ontario is the same unit of the Ontario Provincial Police charged with minimizing violence by highway-blockading native protesters and anti-G8/G20 radicals, is now phoning up and showing up at the homes of law-abiding, middle-aged rural folks opposed to wind factories.
Globe&Mail, June 26th – “Police maintained tight lines around the summit site, but largely did not intervene as marchers destroyed property.”
More here (link fixed) – ” It has been confirmed that Mike Crawley called up the OPP to initiate an investigation into a “possible” protest because he was “alarmed” at mounting opposition. Mike Crawley, the CEO of International Power Canada, also happens to be the recently resigned President of the Federal Liberal Party”
h/t Paul Sepe
Avertible Catastrophe
Is there nothing that Obama can’t do?
In sharp contrast to Dutch preparedness before the fact and the Dutch instinct to dive into action once an emergency becomes apparent, witness the American reaction to the Dutch offer of help. The U.S. government responded with “Thanks but no thanks,” remarked Visser, despite BP’s desire to bring in the Dutch equipment and despite the no-lose nature of the Dutch offer –the Dutch government offered the use of its equipment at no charge. Even after the U.S. refused, the Dutch kept their vessels on standby, hoping the Americans would come round. By May 5, the U.S. had not come round. To the contrary, the U.S. had also turned down offers of help from 12 other governments, most of them with superior expertise and equipment –unlike the U.S., Europe has robust fleets of Oil Spill Response Vessels that sail circles around their make-shift U.S. counterparts.
Why does neither the U.S. government nor U.S. energy companies have on hand the cleanup technology available in Europe? Ironically, the superior European technology runs afoul of U.S. environmental rules. The voracious Dutch vessels, for example, continuously suck up vast quantities of oily water, extract most of the oil and then spit overboard vast quantities of nearly oil-free water. Nearly oil-free isn’t good enough for the U.S. regulators, who have a standard of 15 parts per million — if water isn’t at least 99.9985% pure, it may not be returned to the Gulf of Mexico.
An excellent piece by Lawrence Solomon.
h/t Don B.
Reader Tips
When a pet is in distress and requires your assistance it can sometimes be difficult to pick up the signals. Cats tend to be rather stoic, while tortoises, I’m told, are functionally inscrutable. Dogs are widely considered the easiest animal to read, but in fact the only animal that will always let you know when it is in trouble, and in the clearest possible terms, is a goat, for a goat will not only loudly and repeatedly shout for help, but also – and this is the amazing part – call for you by your name.
I just found that out tonight. In the interests of pre-arming SDA readers with knowledge of what it sounds like when a goat needs your help – maybe it’s being arrested at a G-20 riot, for example – tonight I’m going to feature the sounds of a couple of goats letting their respective owners know that there’s an emergency, and that they must come quickly.
The comments are open for your Reader Tips.
Please Remain Calm
According to ABC News, this morning the earth passed through the shadow of the sun.
h/t
G20 Protest Media QOTD
“There goes your producer, Scott” – CTV host Marcia MacMillan to reporter Scott Laurie, as his producer is escorted away in handcuffs at the G20 protest.
First Runner-up : “These anarchists are much more organized than people realize.”
Dear Mayor Miller,
Any city that stands aside to photograph itself burning – deserves to.
Related: Police accused of inaction in face of criminal acts;
Police maintained tight lines around the summit site, but largely did not intervene as marchers destroyed property.
Citizens of Caledonia, ON – “Faster, please”.
G20 Summits: Not Hot Enough!
Now is the time at SDA when we juxtapose!
Globe&Mail, June 26th, 2010 – Sarkozy says his G8/G20 will cost one-tenth of Canada’s
RTÉ News, Jan.1, 2010 – Vandals have burnt 1,137 cars in France on New Year’s Eve.
Top Dogs Of Science
h/t Harry K.