My youngest daughter (age 14) decided to come over and spend some time with me. We've been watching the Princess Bride. It is a great flick. It's got satire, adventure, silliness, drama, wit, and ancient folklore.
A storybook stableboy turns pirate and rescues his beloved, who is about to marry a dreadful prince. Directed by Rob Reiner.Cast: Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Christopher Guest, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Peter Cook, Carol Kane, Billy Crystal, Mel Smith.
Director(s): Rob Reiner.
Writer(s): William Goldman.
I've been watching and reading news reports about the atrocious treatment afforded to some Iraqi prisoners. What on earth were the six soldiers with the 800th Military Police Brigade thinking when they did what they did???!!! Are these morons too stupid to know that one of our objectives is to show the Iraqis the benefits of a free society???!!!! There's reports that the prisoners were actually under the control of intelligence officers. That's a pretty stupid way to gather intelligence. In any event the general in charge should face charges of dereliction of duties:
Article 92—Failure to obey order or regulation Text. “Any person subject to this chapter who—(1) violates or fails to obey any lawful general order or regulation;
(2) having knowledge of any other lawful order issued by a member of the armed forces, which it is his duty to obey, fails to obey the order; or
(3) is derelict in the performance of his duties; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.”
Elements.
(1) Violation of or failure to obey a lawful general order or regulation.
(a) That there was in effect a certain lawful general order or regulation;
(b) That the accused had a duty to obey it; and
(c) That the accused violated or failed to obey the order or regulation.
(2) Failure to obey other lawful order.
(a) That a member of the armed forces issued a certain lawful order;
(b) That the accused had knowledge of the order;
(c) That the accused had a duty to obey the order; and
(d) That the accused failed to obey the order.
(3) Dereliction in the performance of duties.
(a) That the accused had certain duties;
(b) That the accused knew or reasonably should have known of the duties; and
(c) That the accused was (willfully) (through neglect or culpable inefficiency) derelict in the performance of those duties.
ART. 93. CRUELTY AND MALTREATMENT
Any person subject to this chapter who is guilty of cruelty toward, or oppression or maltreatment of, any person subject to his orders shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
The Vietnam War is over. The Prez and Kerry did not do anything egregious and they exercised their rights as citizens. Kerry's war record speaks for itself and whatever he did as a civilian he had every right to do. If somebody wants to throw away their medals or ribbons, or somebody else's medals or ribbons; what's the big deal? At least they earned them in the first place. They have every right to do whatever they want to do with their ribbons or medals or whatever. This is America, remember.
On Nightline Ted Koppel read the names of those who perished in the Iraq war. There's nothing wrong with that. There's not anything necessarily right with it, either. I don't think reading the names of those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for their country is going to undermine the war. What I find outrageous is the producer saying he wasn't aware when "sweeps week" is. C'mon, give me a break. A producer who doesn't know when "sweeps week" is ..........
silly.
The Northeast Intelligence Network has a videotape of the explosion of a suicide bomber in Israel. The video can be found here.
Some things are just too bizarre to comment on.
DEA Agent Shoots Self During Gun Safety ClassPOSTED: 11:27 am EDT April 30, 2004
ORLANDO, Fla. -- A federal drug agent shot himself in the leg during a gun safety presentation to children and his bosses are investigating.
The Drug Enforcement Administration agent, whose name was not released, was giving a gun safety presentation to about 50 adults and students organized by the Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association, witnesses and police said.
He drew his .40-caliber duty weapon and removed the magazine, according to the police report. Then he pulled back the slide and asked someone in the audience to look inside the gun and confirm it wasn't loaded, the report said.
Witnesses said the gun was pointed at the floor and when he released the slide, one shot fired into the top of his left thigh.
I got my first rifle - a .22 over and under .410 shotgun - when I was ten. We lived in Roswell, New Mexico at the time out near the sticks. Before I got the rifle my father gave me gun safety lessons. He's licensed to do that.
Over the years I've had pistols and various rifles and I've practiced shooting for innumerable hours, both at gun ranges and out in the deserts around Roswell, and later, Tucson.
I've only had a gun go off accidently once. I've never accidently shot anybody and this is probably due to me never pointing any of my guns or rifles at anybody.