So far, I’ve shown you military video of M-16 magazine operation, the Rafaele Python, and a Bollywood musical weapons sales vid, but I’ve seen nothing…………………Nothing!!!!That compares in majestic scope to this simulation of a combat between a Chinese J-10 and the American F-22.
It is one for the ages.
This story is old, I saved it when I was visiting my Mother-in-Law’s, but my sense of this remains the same.
There was a snowball fight in Washington, DC, and some people threw snowballs at a Hummer driven by a Washington, DC police officer, who then drew his gun and threatened the participants.
If it hadn’t been caught on video, and posted to Youtube (included), and the police claimed that it never happened, until, of course the video, and the photographs showed up all over the web.
This is actually pretty standard: Until you have outrageous law enforcement misconduct on tape, the police deny that it ever happened, and so I have very little to say about this.
That being said, I do have something to say about the Washington Post‘s coverage of the incident.
You see, they took the original police story, “Nothing to see here, move along,” at face value, and they did so despite the fact that a Washington Post editorial staffer was at the event and reported what happened:
Washington Post editorial aide Stephen Lowman was at 14th and U on Saturday when the controversial snowball-fight-cum-police-indiscretion went down. He wasn’t there on assignment–he was just taking it all in.
And take it all in he did. He eye-witnessed the snowball fest and the cop waving around a gun, not to mention all the hubbub that ensued.
So Lowman got on the phone to the Post, to give the newsroom a heads-up. He says he was placed in contact with staff writer Matt Zapotosky. Lowman told Zapotosky about the confrontation and the gun. It was just after 3 pm.
………………
Two hours later, at 5:40 pm, the inexplicable takes place: The Washington Post files a post by Zapotosky and Martin Weilrefuting the photographic evidence already on the Web and taking the official position of the D.C. Police Department. Here are some key excerpts:
Assistant Chief Pete Newsham, who leads the department’s investigative services bureau, said it appears the patrol officer acted appropriately, and the worst the detective might have done is use inappropriate language in dealing with the snowball fighters.
So, what we have by the time that the Post covers the story is:
Now the folks at DC’s alternative paper, the Washington City Paper, whose link I am citing in the story, broke this. They had the pictures, they linked to the Youtube, etc., and they, or at least their reporter Erik Wemple, think that this is all about the WaPo not wanting to link to them, because they are a bunch of DFH’s* from the alternative weekly.
I think that they are wrong. I think that what is going on is far more malevolent.
I think that this has nothing to do with the Post dissing an alternative weekly competitor, and it has everything to do with being an upper middle class, and overwhelmingly white institution in a city that is majority black.
Simply put, they went with the police story, because the unspoken bias of the Washington Post editors is that they need to keep the N***ers down. They go with a blatantly false police account of the events for the same reason that they so so aggressively repeat and amply blatantly false Republican spin: They believe that the police and the Republicans are the best way to keep N***ers in their place in the District.
Then again, maybe I am just reading way to much into this, and it’s just a crappy and lazy reporter.
*Dirty F%$#ing Hippies.
Christmas Tree + 32 Estes D-10-0 Engines=
When he says the following about the underoos bomber™, “Even If The Bomb Works, There’s Gonna Be 72 Very Disappointed Virgins,” I nearly plotzed.
Republican Congressional Candidate Allen Quist has just said that it’s more important to fight Democrats than it is to fight terrorism:
“It’s because I, like you, have seen that our country is being destroyed. I mean, this is — every generation has had to fight the fight for freedom. This is our fight. And this is our time. This is it. Terrorism, yes — but that’s not the big battle. The big battle is in D.C., with the radicals. They aren’t liberals, they’re radicals. Obama, Pelosi, Walz — they’re not liberals, they’re radicals. They are destroying our country. And people all over are figuring that out.”
Well, it’s nice that at least one of them is telling the truth, that they find the quest for power is more important than the well-being of the nation.
Here is the video, you can see that statement at about the 3 minute mark:
Matthew Yglesias reports that retired USAF Lieutenant General Tom McInerney has just called for mandatory strip searches of all Muslims aged between the ages of 18 to 28 in an interview with (who else)Fox News.
This guy is bats%$# insane, but his insanity is endemic with the Air Force, as has been noted in a number of stories regarding a pervasive atmosphere of religious harassment at the Air Force academy.
(I’ve done a couple of posts on the problem generally.)
The problem here is not that he was in the Air Force. Any organization will have its share of crazies, criminals, and incompetents.
The problem is that he made it to 3-stars, despite being clearly unhinged, and there is way too much of that in the US air force.
In fact, in the video below, it’s clear that it’s so crazy that the interviewer on Fox feels the need to call him out on this, because of the hostility it would engender:
Bootnote: It looks like Al-Jazeerah is already covering it, so congratulations general, you just murdered a dozen or so US troops over the next few months.
So says, Representative Eric Massa (D-NY), and now I have to clean off my screen.
He also used the term “political Tourettes”, which is unfair to people with that disability, but it’s nice to see another Democrats with guts.
Brit Hume, who suggests the reason that a sports figure whom I will not name is cheating on his wife is because he’s a Buddhist, unlike those good, Chri$tian, right wing Republithugs like Larry Craig, Jojn Ensign, David Vitter, Newt Gingrich, David Livingston, Mark Sanford, Vito Fossella, etc.
So both he’s a moron and a bigot, which explains his success at Fox News.
[on edit] It appears that Atrios agrees.
The tan follower is the new magazine, and will be phased in as the older green followers are phased out. The black follower is to be removed from service immediately.
How the longer legs stabilizes feeding
Basically, it uses a more robust follower and a stronger spring to improve reliability:
The Army has begun fielding the new 5.56mm 30 round Improved Magazine that delivers a significant increase in reliability for the battle-tested M16 and M4 weapons systems. Bolstering the already high reliability ratings of the M16/M4 systems, the Improved Magazine effectively reduces the risk of magazine-related stoppages by more than 50 percent compared to the older magazine variants. Identified by a tan-colored follower, over 500,000 of the improved magazines have been fielded to units in Iraq, Afghanistan and in the U.S.
“With the improved magazines, we’re taking weapons reliability up another notch,” said LTC Chris Lehner, Product Manager Individual Weapons. “By incorporating a heavier, more corrosion resistant spring, along with a new follower design that does not tilt inside the casing, our engineers were able to develop a magazine that presents a round to the weapon with even greater stability. Increased magazine reliability results in overall improved weapon system performance.”
Note, however, that this only reduces magazine related stoppages, and does not address the issues with the M4/M16’s sensitivity to grime, etc. and issues related to its gas tube operation.
A video of an Mi-26 Halo recovering a Eurocopter AS 532 Cougar after it made an emergency landing following battle damage.
H/t The DEW Line
She hands the Republicans, and the sycophant access journalists who cover them, their asses.
Rick Sanchez has John Ensign on, when he bloviates about terrorism, and he quizzes him on his own little scandal, where he paid off the husband and children of his mistress, and Sanchez asks him about how he appears to have encouraged the illegal lobbying activities by former aide:
54 seconds from brake unlock, and this appears to be without the use of afterburners.
It appears to be one of the de-miled Su’s from those boys in Rockville, Illinois.
Color me impressed.
Of course if I got one, I’d need to get a pilot’s license too.
Franken and Lieberman again.
So, a DINO who said that he would not vote for Pelosi as speaker in 2010, Representative Parker Griffith (AL-5), just made it official and declared himself a Republican.
My guess is that he expects the ‘Phants to win in 2010, and in any case, he won a 52-48 bright red district, and so his reelection is easier.
The Democrats should run the ads that the Republicans ran against him in 2008……over……and over……and over again.
Now to get the rest of the Blue Dog coalition and New Democrats to leave the party……If only 1/3 of them lose reelection as ‘Phants, the Dems stay in control, and the party doesn’t have to deal with those reactionary corporatist whores.
[on edit]
It looks like the Republican running for the seat,Les Phillip, is staying in the race too, so expect a primary fight.
[another edit]It looks like the DCCC dropped $1,076,370 on this moron in 2008.
Seriously, nice job Rahm Emanuel and Chris Van Hollen, this one stinks almost as bad as spending millions to muscle out Christine Cegelis and run the hapless Tammy Duckworth up against Pete Roskam in 2006.
So, Virgin Galactic has unveiled its SpaceShipTwo space tourism ride.
You can see a cheesy video at the bottom.
Ever!!!!
That being said, this is a pretty good short (9:11) video on the relative merits of Keyenes and Hayek.
H/t naked capitalism
OK, we are in a period of some uncertainty in terms of the much delayed US Air Force tanker contract.
Basically, it all comes down to how the USAF will evaluate the bids.
If it simply says that that the cheapest plane that meets the specs wins, the the Boeing 767 wins, but if it includes total capability, basically dollars per pound of fuel offloaded at a giving distance from the airbase, then the Airbus A330 wins, because it is significantly larger and more capable, as well as being able to simultaneously carry cargo and fuel planes.
It appears that the request for proposals (RFP) is leaning in the former direction, because EADS/Northrop Grumman is threatening a no-bid, which would have Boeing doing the Air Force like a drunk Republican at a gay bar. (see also here)
EADS/Northrop Grumman has reportedly told the Pentagon that it does not intend to bid if the RFP remains the same as it did in the draft, though this seen as a ploy to pressure the USAF to change the requirements (paid subscription required), and Air Force Secretary Michael Donley has called their bluff, saying that there will be no major changes.
I think that there is a bit of a game of chicken going on, and Representative John Murtha, chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, is saying that the tanker bid “must” have a competition, implying that he may use the appropriations process to require multiple bidders which adds yet more drama to the entire process.
The Star Wars holiday special.
I actually saw this when it came out in 1978 or so **shudder**, so I’ve not watched this its entirety, just skipped through to ensure that it’s not pr0n.
Warning: May cause bleeding of the eyes, ears, nose, rectum, and neighbors.