Political and Public Policy. Political discussions and politics. A discussion and lots of very pointed editorial comments on doings 'round the world; but especially in the USA.
17 December 2012
Police One dot com on shooters in schools
http://www.policeone.com/active-shooter/articles/2058168-Lt-Col-Dave-Grossman-to-cops-The-enemy-is-denial/
1. Denial — Denial is the enemy and it has no survival value, said Grossman.
2. Deter — Put police officers in schools, because with just one officer assigned to a school, the probability of a mass murder in that school drops to almost zero
3. Detect — We’re talking about plain old fashioned police work here. The ultimate achievement for law enforcement is the crime that didn’t happen, so giving teachers and administrators regular access to cops is paramount.
4. Delay — Various simple mechanisms can be used by teachers and cops to put time and distance between the killers and the kids.
a. Ensure that the school/classroom have just a single point of entry. Simply locking the back door helps create a hard target.
b. Conduct your active shooter drills within (and in partnership with) the schools in your city so teachers know how to respond, and know what it looks like when you do your response.
5. Destroy — Police officers and agencies should consider the following:
a. Carry off duty. No one would tell a firefighter who has a fire extinguisher in his trunk that he’s crazy or paranoid.
b. Equip every cop in America with a patrol rifle. One chief of police, upon getting rifles for all his officers once said, “If an active killer strikes in my town, the response time will be measured in feet per second.”
c. Put smoke grenades in the trunk of every cop car in America. Any infantryman who needs to attack across open terrain or perform a rescue under fire deploys a smoke grenade. A fire extinguisher will do a decent job in some cases, but a smoke grenade is designed to perform the function.
d. Have a “go-to-war bag” filled with lots of loaded magazines and supplies for tactical combat casualty care.
e. Use helicopters. Somewhere in your county you probably have one or more of the following: medivac, media, private, national guard, coast guard rotors.
f. Employ the crew-served, continuous-feed, weapon you already have available to you (a firehouse) by integrating the fire service into your active shooter training. It is virtually impossible for a killer to put well-placed shots on target while also being blasted with water at 300 pounds per square inch.
g. Armed citizens can help. Think United 93. Whatever your personal take on gun control, it is all but certain that a killer set on killing is more likely to attack a target where the citizens are unarmed, rather than one where they are likely to encounter an armed citizen response.
SO IF WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A “NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON GUNS,” HERE ARE SOME OPENERS:
Shamelessly swiped from Instapundit
• Why do people who favor gun-control call people who disagree with them murderers or accomplices to murder? Is that constructive? • Would any of the various proposals have actually prevented the tragedy that is the supposed reason for them? • When you say you hope that this event will finally change the debate, do you really mean that you hope you can use emotionalism and blood-libel-bullying to get your way on political issues that were losers in the past? • If you’re a media member or politician, do you have armed security? Do you have a permit for a gun yourself? (I’m asking you Dianne Feinstein!) If so, what makes your life more valuable than other people’s? • Do you know the difference between an automatic weapon and a semi-automatic weapon? Do your public statements reflect that difference? • If guns cause murder, why have murder rates fallen as gun sales have skyrocketed? • Have you talked about “Fast and Furious?” Do you even know what it is? Do you care less when brown people die? • When you say that “we” need to change, how are you planning to change? Does your change involve any actual sacrifice on your part? • Let me know when you’re ready to talk about these things. We’ll have a conversation. • Is your goal reducing the number of firearms owned by private citizens or reducing the number of people killed and injured by firearms? • If you believe these are the same, what’s your reason for thinking (sic) so? Which entity would you accept as having enough expertise to change your mind?
13 December 2012
So... I've got a commercial drivers license and get pulled over in a "recreational marijuana" state
If you pop positive, the state law will furnish no protection. One one level this makes sense: impaired driving is impaired driving. However, marijuana stays in the system for a LOONNNGGG time.
IOW, POTUS is going to stomp your ass if you get caught.
16 November 2012
Althouse: "Freedom From Religion Foundation sues IRS for not...
Money quote:
I, personally, thought he was talking about the co-president of FFRF's padded bra.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, co-president of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, says, "Everybody knows what he was talking about: Obama endorsing same-sex marriage."
I, personally, thought he was talking about the co-president of FFRF's padded bra.
08 November 2012
06 November 2012
Tired of Talking Green: Masters at Center of Commercial Pressures | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
Money quote:
“It is easy to suggest that crews are becoming less competent and that this is a significant contributor to greater safety risks, says Allan Schwartz, General Manager of Maritime Operations at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). “While this could be a contributor, it is equally likely that the intense commercial pressures placed on masters are contributing"
And the maritime bureaucratic world has one hell of an incentive to lay the blame on commercial pressures, because if the reason isn't commercial pressures then there's a chance that crews are becoming less competent and what does that say about STCW?
It says, STCW stands for "Stupid things the CoastGuard Wants."
05 November 2012
Reid says he can't work with Romney - Washington Times
Very pleased to see the Senate majority leader found time to get off his knees, wipe his chin, and speak coherently.
15 October 2012
Now try and keep a straight face...
There's a retired Coastie Captain by the name of Dennis Bryant. He has -- surprise -- a consulting business. AND he writes a newsletter which occasionally has assertions that would embarrass a White House Intern. Vide:
USCG - policy re STCW Convention The US Coast Guard posted a notice stating that it is making available three policy letters providing guidance to vessels and mariners subject to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW Convention). CG-CVC Policy Letter 12-05 provides guidance on hours or rest requirements. It includes for possible use the IMO/ILO model format for record of hours of work or hours of rest of seafarers. CG-CVC Policy Letter 12-06 provides guidance on issuance of endorsements for Vessel Personnel with Designated Security Duties (VPDSD) and vessel personnel requiring security awareness training. CG-CVC Policy Letter 12-07 provides guidance on issuance of endorsements and approval of training to meet the 2010 amendments to the STCW Convention. 77 Fed. Reg. 62434 (October 15, 2012). Note: As usual, the Coast Guard is working to minimize the inconvenience to the maritime community caused by the disparity between international deadlines and the cumbersome domestic regulatory process.The emphasis, need I say, is added. For the record, the presidents of the largest maritime unions and the Presidents/Superintendents of the seven maritime academies & colleges have written to "Big Sis", the Secretary of Homeland Security urging her to get the light-blue-suiters off the pot. Those who think this qualifies as working to minimize the inconvenience are hereby and herewith encouraged to stand up and wipe their chins!
02 October 2012
25 September 2012
The libertarian roots of the Tea Party -- CATO
whole buncha people were much more comfortable with those fundamentalist, bitter, clinging, woman-hating, gay-bashing pictures. Now, here comes Cato destroying all their fun
Libertarians led the way for the tea party. Starting in early 2008 through early 2009, we find that libertarians were more than twice as “angry” with the Republican Party, more pessimistic about the economy and deficit since 2001, and more frustrated that people like them cannot affect government than were conservatives.Angry with the 'phants? Yep, that's a good description.
21 September 2012
They're not reporters....
They're White House Interns with a byline!
Mickey Kause says, "Bring back beats" Money quote:
Mickey Kause says, "Bring back beats" Money quote:
Kay Hymowitz of Manhattan Institute argued fact-checkers typically just don’t know enough about the subjects they’re required to instantly check on. They’ve given the old “beat” system renewed appeal. Yes, “beat” reporters are reluctant to piss of their sources. But at least they tend to know the history and context of any dispute
20 September 2012
A once and -- I hope -- future guest speaker on buying medical coverage with a pre-existing condition
Megan McArdle has an autoimmune condition which knocks her out of the most common medical plans.
Like a lot of people, she assumed that she couldn't get insurance. Fortunately for her, she has a good friend who's a financial planner...
Read the rest here.
Instapundit uses the wrong title!
Quoth the maven:
"Too bad the legitimate press Democratic Party operatives with bylines didn’t report this stuff four years ago."I bet to differ. They're not Democratic Party operatives with bylines, they're White House Interns with bylines!"
19 September 2012
Chait: Looters & Moochers.
via Anne Althouse: quoting Jonathan Chait:
Althouse: The secret video reveals Romney as "the sneering p...: "... fully in thrall to a series of pernicious myths that are at the heart of the mania that has seized his party," says Jonathan Chait . [...
"It seems unavoidable now to conclude that Romney’s embrace of Paul Ryanism is born of actual contempt for the looters and moochers, a class war on behalf of his own class."Yikes. Do you really want the Romney/Ryan are attacking looters and moochers meme to settle in? Them what're frothing at the mouth over this video are -- pretty much universally -- going to vote to reelect POTUS44. If, with your aid, the Phants can convince independents that Obama voters are looters & moochers the swing states become a lot more problematic.
Althouse: The secret video reveals Romney as "the sneering p...: "... fully in thrall to a series of pernicious myths that are at the heart of the mania that has seized his party," says Jonathan Chait . [...
05 September 2012
The problem with the union reinvention—at least as captured by the Weingarten quote—is that it probably strikes many people as hollow. Why? Because they know that unions are run by normal people and represent normal people, and what they want first and foremost is not what’s best for kids or “fairness,” but getting as good a deal for themselves as possible.
USCG PROPOSES AMENDMENTS TO INLAND RULES
From the IMO. Snark alert: now there'sa recommendation.
The Coast Guard proposes to amend the inland navigation rules and their annexes in order to align the regulations with amendments made by the International Maritime Organization to the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, to which the United States is a signatory, and to incorporate recommendations made by the Navigation Safety Advisory Council (NAVSAC). These changes would harmonize domestic and international law by reducing and alleviating equipment requirements on vessels, addressing technological advancements, such as wing-in-ground craft, and increasing public awareness of the inland navigation rules. The changes would also make references to applicable requirements easier to locate by using the same format in domestic regulations as is used in the international convention. Comments and related material must be submitted on or before October 29, 2012. For more details on the proposed amendment and to submit comments view the federal register entry at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-08-28/pdf/2012-18364.pdf.
31 August 2012
Son of Satan?
The Weekly Standard is complaining about the front page picture the Noo Yawk Times ran after Congresscritter Ryan gave his speech. I have to admit, it's a trifle eerie!
But, Weekly Standard, why the hell are you surprised? When the media stalwarts are a-talkin' about POTUS44, they could give Monica Lewinsky lessons.
30 August 2012
If a Donk's lost Huffington....
From the Huffington Post. Moneyquote:
The Democratic brand has thus suffered more (down 39%) under Obama than the Republican brand suffered under either of George W. Bush's two terms (-16%, then -31%). Though George W. Bush did major harm to the Republican brand, Barack Obama is out-doing him, hurting even steeper the Democratic brand, which historically (until now) has always been higher-valued than the Republican brand, not just in these pre-convention polls, but for decades in Party-allegiance.
Kulaks raising their banners high
Yikes! I approve of the concept; however, Dr Jacobsen, "The banners high" rings a really horrible 20th century bell! N.B., "Die fahne hoch!" has been translated as both "The flag on high" and "The banner high."
Kulaks raising their banners high
Kulaks raising their banners high
“Criminalization” of Mariners Is Worrying Trend
from the August MM&P magazine. Wisdom from a very experience Maritime Lawyer: don't talk to the Coast Guard until you've talked to an attorney. Note how the Coast Guard has effectively squandered their reputation as waterfront professionals.
“
Criminalization” of Mariners Is Worrying Trend Twenty-four percent of ship masters have faced criminal charges for incidents involving their work, according to a survey conducted by Seafarers’ Rights International (SRI), a legal research group. The results were reported in the most recent edition of Nautilus Telegraph, the magazine of the UK-Dutch officers’ union. “That’s almost one in four, and it’s probably one of the highest rates of criminalization in any profession,” Nautilus says. SRI based its findings on a survey of almost 3,500 seafarers of 68 nationalities. “Criminalization of the maritime profession is not just an incidental issue, as evidenced by these survey results,” Nautilus points out. “It is a problem on an immense scale throughout the world, and it is on the rise.” Among unlicensed seafarers, almost 10 percent said they had faced criminal charges related to their jobs. Of that number, 90 percent reported that they had not been provided with legal representation by the authorities. Ninety-one percent said they had not been given needed interpretation services. What’s more, 89 percent of the original 10 percent said that no one had explained their rights to them, which might explain why 46 percent said they would be reluctant to cooperate with law enforcement officials in the future for fear of self-incrimination. Eighty percent of seafarers who faced criminal charges said they had been intimidated or threatened. Overall, more than four out of five seafarers who faced criminal charges said they felt that they had not been treated fairly. SRI conducted additional research to put the results into perspective, reviewing the reports of all criminal charges against professional mariners as published in Lloyd’s List, TradeWinds and Fairplay for the 12-year period from 2000 to 2011. The analysis showed that the criminalization trend is on the rise. There were 415 reports of “crimes” involving 1,580 seafarers during this period. The number of incidents deemed by authorities to be “crimes,” as well as the number of seafarers detained, increased every year during the period surveyed. Nautilus is calling on world governments to take action. “We hope that the results of this survey will provide momentum for increased efforts to ensure fair treatment of seafarers, whether innocent or guilty of a criminal charge,” said SRI Executive Director Deirdre Fitzpatrick, “and that from this survey, the faces and voices of the seafarers will be seen clearly and heard loudly.” – Article by Ashley Morrow, MM&P Communications Department
American Flagship Project Challenges Obama Administration | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
Title 11, for them what're fortunate enough not to know, provides U.S.-taxpayer backing for maritime-related construction, usually ships. If the ship makes money, the money is never expended. If the ship (or company) goes bankrupt, the U.S. taxpayer loses money. It is the same concept as a VA mortgage guarantee. In both cases, the projects are those which private lenders deem too risky.
Query: why should the taxpayer, making something like $50k/year, be underwriting a loan which the finance professionals won't touch?
American Flagship Project Challenges Obama Administration | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
And I'd be enthusiastically cheering this decision if this was an indication that POTUS44 was trying to lead the US out of these dunderheaded concepts. Unfortunately, this just means the administration doesn't like this particular concept; not the whole idea.
Interesting side-note: these jobs would almost certainly be unionized, so you'd think the administration would be anxious to play to an important part of its base. But nah...
Query: why should the taxpayer, making something like $50k/year, be underwriting a loan which the finance professionals won't touch?
American Flagship Project Challenges Obama Administration | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
And I'd be enthusiastically cheering this decision if this was an indication that POTUS44 was trying to lead the US out of these dunderheaded concepts. Unfortunately, this just means the administration doesn't like this particular concept; not the whole idea.
Interesting side-note: these jobs would almost certainly be unionized, so you'd think the administration would be anxious to play to an important part of its base. But nah...
28 August 2012
Leadership to change at Masters, Mates & Pilots
Courtesy of the SUP newsletter. I can remember the "Tim Brown Newsletter" circulating around the MMP-contracted fleet back in the late 70s. Fair winds, Captain Brown!
Captain Tim Brown, President of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) since 1991, announced in July that he had decided not to run for a seventh term. Prior to being elected to lead MM&P, Brown was a skipper with SeaLand Service Inc. Brown brought stability to a badly fractured Union and was a leader of maritime labor. Nominated and unopposed to succeed Brown is Don Marcus, the current MM&P Secretary-Treasurer. Other MM&P candidates are Steve Werse, Secretary-Treasurer; Don Josberger, Atlantic Ports Vice President; Wayne Farthing and Michael Welch, Gulf Ports Vice President; Dave Boatner, Pacific Ports, Vice President; George Quick, Pilots Group, Vice President; Mike Murray, Vice President United Inland Group; and Randall Rockwood, Federal Employees Vice President. The Masters, Mates & Pilots 90-day balloting will be mailed to members on September 14, and counted on December 13. The new administration will take office January 1, 2013.
New York Maritime College's Inaugural STEM Academy - with Baltimore & NYC Maritime Focused High Schools | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
BZ, Admiral Carpenter, Dr Hoffman, and Captain Fink!
SUNY Maritime College's Inaugural STEM Academy - with Baltimore & NYC Maritime Focused High Schools | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
SUNY Maritime College's Inaugural STEM Academy - with Baltimore & NYC Maritime Focused High Schools | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
15 August 2012
10 July 2012
Jon Kaskin Retiring
From Maritime Memos:
Anybody who's been involved with T-ships over the past 30-something years knows Jon Kaskin, the Navy's Director of Strategic Mobility and Combat Logistics, who retires tomorrow. The picture at the right shows him getting the Distinguished Civilian Service Award yesterday from Under-Secretary Bob Work. Read the story in the Bangor Daily News here. Jon understood both the technical issues and the business issues, knew how to handle politicians, admirals and shipbuilders, and never seemed to lose his cool. This is a rare opportunity to say "He'll be missed" and mean it. The Navy could use a few more like him. June 28, 2012.Jon is one of those extraordinarily rare individuals who never spoke behind others' backs. Consequently, he well and truly pissed off virtually everyone. Those that got mad at him rarely acknowledged that the Navy -- hell, all of the bluidy flippin' government needs someone to say: "OK, we need to buy this; can we buy it cheaper? Do we need this number?
USNS Guam Towed Out
On Saturday, MSC towed the USNS Guam, (ex-Huakai) from its lay-berth in Norfolk. Towed? She won't operate on her own power? What does that mean? They are taking her to Detyens, in Charleston, to modify her for service with III MEF in the Western Pacific. July 2, 2012.
P.S.: Apparently the Navy had to tow her to Charleston because our incompetent MARitime ADministration had allowed her documentation to expire. Detyens' primary task is to renew her USCG and ABS paperwork: the mods for her operation with the Marine Corps come later. July 6, 2012.
29 June 2012
Althouse: "The latest survey on the Supreme Court was conduc...
Althouse: "The latest survey on the Supreme Court was conduc...: "Overall, there were few differences in the topline results between the two nights. However, there were sizable partisan shifts. On Wednesda...
07 May 2012
26 April 2012
DAWN OF THE CONTAINER REVOLUTION
On 26 April 1956, the [Tankship] Ideal-X left the Port of Newark, New Jersey, bound for Houston, Texas. She carried 58 35-foot containers, along with her liquid cargo.
This ship was converted under the initiative of Malcolm McLean, a trucking magnate who saw the tremendous potential of containerization. In 1960, McLean founded SeaLand, a major container shipping line, which was purchased by Maersk in 1999.
The Ideal X carried containers until 1965, when she was scrapped.
29 March 2012
Will the maritime unions stay?
Money quote:
everyone remember when the unions tried to rally the troops in 1980?
The maritime unions, on the other hand, have a lot to think about. And, their leadership has a lot to explain to their membership should they decide to endorse the current administration for a second term. Would a pro-business GOP crew treat them any better?
everyone remember when the unions tried to rally the troops in 1980?
22 March 2012
Santorum’s lost message - TheHill.com
There is still a place for a straightforward fiscal conservative. Santorum's not it.
Quoth the Maven, "Said Brooks to the Honorable Rick"Money quote:
Santorum’s lost message - TheHill.com
Quoth the Maven, "Said Brooks to the Honorable Rick"Money quote:
Santorum’s lost message - TheHill.com
"Combined with his push for fewer business regulations and less taxation, Santorum’s message on ObamaCare was all he needed to win over enough Romney voters to close the gap and beat him. It was the key to his appeal to independent voters, and to those voters focused more on the economy than the social issues Santorum has built a reputation championing.
"But he strayed, and lost Ohio by 1 percentage point. Then he strayed again, decrying the dangers of porn, claiming the Obama administration “seems to favor pornographers over children and families” because it has “refused to enforce obscenity laws.” So this week he lost Illinois by more than 11 points. He won’t recover."
NOAA Prepares To Phase Out Navigation Response Teams | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
I can make the case that this is an old trick of the Bureaucracy known as closing the Washington Monument. Some years ago, the National Park Service's budget was threatened with a cut. NPS announced the cut would force them to close the Washington Monument to the public. To the surprise of no one -- probably including the legislators who directed the budget cut -- the funds were restored.
This is a cut in one of NOAA's more popular programs. Stand by.
NOAA Prepares To Phase Out Navigation Response Teams | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
This is a cut in one of NOAA's more popular programs. Stand by.
NOAA Prepares To Phase Out Navigation Response Teams | Maritime News | Maritime Executive Magazine
07 February 2012
05 January 2012
Nooze youze can youze: A Guide to the Presidential Candidates’ Proposals to Cut Spending – Tenth Amendment Center Blog
Money quote:
There are multiple ways to skin this cat, but I decided to put together a comparison table based solely on the content found on each candidate’s campaign website. I did not consider past statements or votes, the televised debates, or outside sources (unless linked to by a campaign’s website). The idea is that statements on each candidate’s website should offer the clearest indication of their intentions should they become president.A Guide to the Presidential Candidates’ Proposals to Cut Spending – Tenth Amendment Center Blog
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