Dear Mayor Chávez-
We were awakened at 2:30am by a police helicopter swooping in
low over our house (this happens several times every month). It returned again less than an hour later. Now we have been besieged for
over 17 hours.
I understand the police believe these helicopters contribute to their safety and the public’s — I disagree with that
claim. Regardless of that claim, it is impossible to believe that having two police helicopters circling over this part of town for 12
hours has benefited anyone. One can only imagine the cost, but I don’t care about APD pissing away money. I care about my quality of
life which is shattered by this ceaseless noise. There is absolutely no reason for two helicopters to circle endlessly, especially
following a flightpath more than a mile in diameter, at times barely above houses.
From the police chief on down, there needs to be
some training in the effective use of resources. Pilots need some awareness of the havoc they wreck with their disregard of the public
peace. mjh
Category Archives: Mine
The Party of Lincoln
I heard Arnold Schwarzenegger tell the Republicans he is proud to be in ‘the Party of
Lincoln’ (they were quiet, then even hostile when he invoked ‘the Party of Teddy Roosevelt’ — Roosevelt, don’t we hate him? — but
finally cheered at ‘the Party of Ronald Raygun’).
The Party of Lincoln — yeah, I want to hear Georgian Zell Miller embrace the
Party of Lincoln (and Sherman, as y’all know). Best not to remind former Dixiecrats that this is the Party of Lincoln — that dog won’t
hunt. Only way folks have been able to stomach the Party of Lincoln is cuz it’s also not the Party of Civil Rights (delivering the rest
of what Lincoln promised). Sure would be nice to get Raygun on the $5 bill and get rid of ole Lincoln.
How did the Party of
Lincoln get a lock on the South? Where did all those voters who supported George Wallace go? If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
Just don’t ask Arnold, he was still groping iron when the Federal Government became the enemy of Jim Crow.
If you believe the
government is accountable to the people and not the other way around, you’re a Republican — according to Arnold’s script. BUllSHit.
From day one, this administration has embraced secrecy beyond even the paranoid Nixon. Secrecy is the key to avoiding accountability.
This administration supports countless measures that restrict individual freedom, making us all accountable to the government. This is
the Party of the Patriot Act, the Party of Free Speech Zones, the Party of Ashkraft.
Oh, but everybody loves Arnie. After the
Republicans, the Party of Thurmond, of Helms, of Lott, amends the Constitution to curtail freedom (but only of women and gays — at
first) and codify bigotry (er, I mean, to defend the sanctity of marriage, divorce, infidelity and spousal abuse between a man and his
woman), then they can amend it to allow foreigners to become President (well, white ones). mjh
Trip to San Mateo Mountains, New Mexico
We spent 5 days traveling in the San Mateo Mountains of central New Mexico. I
hope you’ll look at my journal and photos and let me know what you think. mjh
San Mateo Mountains, New Mexico – August 2004 (all Travels with Mark & Merri)
San Mateo Mountains, New Mexico — Photos (all Slideshows)
Sofort mit Ihren Papieren! (Give me your papers — now!)
CNN.com – Police stop Amtrak train in Newark – Jul 22, 2004
Police stopped Amtrak train 170 Thursday in Newark, New Jersey, for what Amtrak called “police activity” after a note was found in a
bathroom, an Amtrak official said.
The train was allowed to continue its Washington-to-Boston trip after a search. …
“The
passengers were kept on the train … and there was a check of passengers’ IDs,” Stessel said. “Because so many passengers on that
particular train use monthly passes, it was important that we understood exactly which passengers were on that train, and so when police
conducted their investigation, they wrote down the names and ID information of everyone onboard.” …
[An Amtrak spokesman] referred
to the police activity as a “routine sweep.”
A passenger on the train, Jeffrey Rodgers, told CNN that officers with dogs
came onto the car where he was riding. He said they also videotaped the car and its passengers. …
Amtrak said the train was
carrying around 800 passengers.
800 new records in the local and federal databases. mjh
Amendments to the Constitution
Article
[IV.]
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and
seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and
particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
”They who would give up an
essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security.” — Benjamin Franklin
Effing Great!
As of this writing, my blog entry is
number 5 out of 14,300 for queries to Google for dick cheney says go fuck yourself. Curiously,
that entry is only 85 out of 65,100 for ‘cheney go f yourself’. And my DumpBushBlog entry on this doesn’t get listed at all, as far as
I can see. mjh
Ridiculously Short Fiction
Results of The Alibi’s Ridiculously Short Fiction Contest have been
published. See the following link for all the entries. The next three links are to my entries (the first of which got one of the
Honorable Mentions — cool! Thanks, Alibi.) It is interesting to note the tone common to most of these short pieces. mjh
The Alibi’s Ridiculously Short Fiction Contest
mjh’s Blog: Thinking Today about
Tomorrow’s Museum of Yesterday
Blog: August Two Moons
Contest
No Contest
Once again, Mark Justice Hinton has won the
grand prize in the Alibi’s Ridiculously Short Fiction Contest. Mr. Hinton will receive $1,000,000 per week for the rest of his life.
Reached at his home in Tibet, Lord Hinton, as he prefers, said, ”I never imagined this.” Fans are reminded to dress warmly when
standing vigil outside his castle. Please don’t feed his pack of wolves. mjh
—–
Alibi Short Fiction Contest (Deadline is
Friday, June 11, at 5 p.m.)