Our Hearts and Prayers for Joplin

They got smacked so bad last night. 89 dead and the number’s expected to continue climbing.

A massive tornado that tore through the southwest Missouri city of Joplin killed at least 89 people, but authorities warned that the death toll could climb Monday as search and rescuers continued their work at sunrise.

City manager Mark Rohr announced the number of known dead at a pre-dawn news conference outside the wreckage of a hospital that took a direct hit from Sunday’s storm. Rohr said the twister cut a path nearly 6 miles long and more than a half-mile wide through the center of town, adding that tornado sirens gave residents about a 20-minute warning before the tornado touched down on the city’s west side.

Jeez louise. Brutal, just brutal.

(Video via Genghis at Ace’s)

Another “Great Disappointment”: So It’s Not the End of the World

…but close enough. Since we’ve been spared, I thought I’d share some thoughts on race in these United States from Adam Carolla.

…FOX411: Switching gears, you’ve said before you don’t believe, contrary to popular opinion, that America is a racist country.

Carolla: Well, it’s never going to be an issue that goes away as long as there are people who don’t want it to go away. So as long as there’s a group of folks that profit from it or believe to gain power and popularity from it or damage other people by calling them a racist, it’s never going to go away. We can have people say this is a racist nation, but we have a black president – the most powerful person. The richest person on television, Oprah, is a black woman, the second most powerful star on television or in the media is probably Will Smith, and he is a black man. The richest athlete on the planet, at least pre-divorce, is a black man – Tiger Woods. And the highest paid singer is Beyonce.
At what point do we get to stop calling ourselves a racist nation?

If we are [racist] we aren’t doing a very good job at it.

Really. What the homely white guy said.

See y’all on the flip of of…dare I say it?

Tomorrow.

G’night.

OMG Bibi Just Told Teh One

…to blow it out his ass.

Obama had his hand covering his mouth the whole time.

A thing of beauty.

Long live Israel!

UPDATE: And long live the Honey Bibi Badger!

Biting The Hand That Spanks Them

Boy, some people need to learn to be grateful

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) – Single mothers, former drug addicts and other beaten down young women who came to wealthy businessman Henry Allen Fitzsimmons for a chance to climb out of their financial hole knew his help came with a catch. In exchange for an allowance, a place to live and promise of a college education, they agreed to be spanked if they broke his rules.

At least six of the women say he his corporal punishment went too far, including one who says he sexually assaulted her, and the 54-year-old Virginia Beach restaurant owner faces felony charges.

The Killing of Cpl Guerena

The SWAT bunch has lawyered up and the police union attorney is holding press conferences schmaybe he shouldn’t.

…Now the attorney representing the AZCOPS police union says he’s telling the SWAT team’s story, after talking with team members involved in the May 5 incident.

Mike Storie also explained why he came forward.

“I’m shocked by the reckless statements made by the attorney for these folks, ” Storie said.

He’s referring to the attorney for the family of Jose Guerena.

…He said the SWAT team was told in a briefing before the operation, “That there is an organization that’s involved in drugs, home invasions, drug rip offs. Violent crimes.”

Storie said officers found what they were looking for, including weapons, body armor and a partial police uniform.

“That’s still be investigated, but there’s information that this organization would conduct home invasions while disguised as law enforcement officers,” Storie said.

As Operator Dan (from “This Ain’t Hell”) points out, the Sheriff’s Department spokesman had already acknowleged finding “things we were asking for”, but THOSE items were NOT in Guerena’s house and, most importantly, NONE of the items found during any of the searches were illegal.

[PimaCo]O’Connor: “We did find things that we were asking for in that. It may have been drug ledgers, narcotics paraphernalia, any other connecting material between the residences. Those things were found, in addition to a large sum of money. Somewhat larger that what you would expect to find in anyone’s home.”

Waldman: “Can you say if that was the residence where the shooting happened?”

O’Connor: “No, it was one of the four, but it was not that residence.”

Waldman: “In that specific residence, did you find anything related to drugs, drug money, in that specific residence.”

O’Connor: “We found information that was pertinent to this drug conspiracy case, yes. I’m not going to go into details on what those things were. But it was connecting material to the drug conspiracy.”

According to a lengthier report in the Arizona Daily Star, Storie offered more details about the shooting, as well:

…The other officers at the front door of the house also fired, striking Guerena.

All five SWAT members were shooting from just outside the home and never entered the house, Storie said.

After Guerena’s wife and son came out of the house, officers sent in a robot, and that’s when they saw Guerena had been shot and was unresponsive.

When asked why SWAT members did not rush in to render medical aid to Guerena, Storie said officers on scene “have to assume that there are other people with guns and that there are other people with body armor inside the residence.”

He said officers could not conclude Guerena was incapacitated because he fell into a room after he was shot and officers could not see him from the doorway.

Based on a photograph of a large bloodstain inside the home, Scileppi said, Guerena fell down in clear view of the front door and officers could see him.

The SWAT officers fired 71 shots, striking Guerena 60 times.

…While the SWAT team was at Guerena’s home, another SWAT team was serving a search warrant in a nearby home as part of the same investigation, and Storie said a man showed up during the search and said, “You shot my relative.”

Storie believes somebody called from inside Guerena’s home and alerted family members to the shooting.

Scileppi said he would not comment on those allegations until he “has all the facts.”

A portrait of Jesus Malverde, believed to be a “narco saint,” was found under Guerena’s bed, Storie said. He did not know if drugs were found in the home. Guerena’s wife denies having them in her home.

According to Storie, several days before the shooting undercover officers in an unmarked car drove by Guerena’s home to do surveillance, and 10 minutes after they drove by, they were alerted that their license plate had been run through the Motor Vehicle Division by someone they say followed the unmarked vehicle from Guerena’s home. That was considered countersurveillance on law enforcement, Storie said.

As Scileppi (Guerena family lawyer) also points out in the same report ~ they’ve had two weeks to get the FOURTH version of the story together. It’s getting pretty fantastical. Any minute now there’ll be black helicopters tailing that same Sheriff’s surveillance vehicle, Gen5.

To snag a line from Operator Dan, “4. Even if Cpl. Guerena was Tucson’s version of Pablo Escobar, this SWAT team is still totally unprofessional and incompetent.” And I want them to explain why they let him die.

Previous Post: Sheriff’s Department Pressures Local Media

Previous Post: Sheriff Dupnik’s Boys Can Burn in Hell If This Is True

In This WHOLE LONG REPORT On the Astonishing(!) Prices Used Cars Are Commanding

Got a halfway decent car in your driveway? You just might be sitting on a golden opportunity.

Used-car prices are up almost 30 percent from December 2008, fueled in part by people looking for more fuel-efficient cars. In April alone, prices for these vehicles rose 20 percent over what they had been in January.

…NOWHERE…

…even when they finally get around to causality…

…Supply is a big reason for the used-car revival. Americans bought 40 percent fewer new cars during the recession and held on to those cars longer.

…The earthquake and tsunami in Japan triggered a huge shortage of new cars and parts as well — even affecting U.S. plants — as did the 2008 financial crisis, when credit tightened and car companies cut back on leasing.

…again, NOWHERE do they mention “CASH for CLUNKERS“. Officially known as the “Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS)“, it was the brilliant stimulus spawn of the Obama Administration/Pelosi Democratic Congress which led to the VOLUNTARY utter and complete destruction of (per the abomination’s final report to Congress) HOW many functional vehicles again?

CARS Report to Congress
The CARS program achieved the objectives set out by Congress to increase automotive sales and aid the environment. In just a few short weeks of sales, nearly 680,000 older vehicles were replaced by new, more fuel-efficient vehicles. The nation’s economy benefited immediately from this stimulus program, which caused a distinct upward movement in GDP and created or saved tens of thousands of jobs at a very critical time in the recovery process.

Odd ABC doesn’t mention almost three-quarters of a MILLION vehicles removed from the marketplace in ONE FELL SWOOP? It might be those thousands of jobs/polar bears created/saved/still on ice floes that gave them ‘moral’ pause ~ I don’t know. But when you say, “Supply is a big reason for the used car revival” and blame everything but the guys you helped elect nose on your face, heh!

Somebody, SOMEwhere is gonna remember ALL those evening news videos you showed about the perfectly fine five year old Volvo’s insides being smoked to dog sh*t as the liquid glass was poured in, receiving it’s “DEATH” certiificate and then being hauled off to the scrap yard.

All for that gubmit $4000 check.

And now that $4 grand is tacked on to the price of that guy’s used pick-up you led the story with.

Weird how how a Democratic “good deal” bites you in the ass EVERY time.

Dang, I’m Foggy Headed This Morning

No dinner and only one teeny tiny glass of Dalwhinnie before bedtime will do that to a fella.

The Swilling Now Proudly Presents…

…the blogger who brought Liu down.

That was a close one.

Tatler has some more.

BREAKING NEWS

They are going to release La Grenouille DSK on bail ~ electronically tethered supposedly ~ with megabucks for bond.

We’ll see how long they can keep him in the country.

Right After Teh Present Gets Through With His “Changing teh Middle East Forever Because I Can” Speech **UPDATED**Again

…he needs to double check that “border safer than ever” part of his immigration schtick on TOTUS.

White House must act quickly to prevent a pullout within days
Guard set to start leaving AZ border

PHOENIX – The chief of homeland security may be promising to keep the Guard on the border beyond June 30.

But officials from the National Guard said Wednesday they have no such notice. And unless they hear otherwise, they plan to start removing soldiers within days.

“We have not heard anything,” said Capt. Valentine Castillo.

“Nobody tells me nuthin’“

UPDATE: And Israel? It’s UNDER TEH BUS FOR YOUSE!!!

Obama says Palestine must be based in 1967 borders

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is endorsing the Palestinians’ demand for their future state to be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, in a move that will likely infuriate Israel. Israel says the borders of a Palestinian state have to be determined through negotiations.

I hope they tell him to suck a stone and fuck off. Go play some golf with the rest of the boys.

GOD, this guy sucks hairy peach pits.

UPDATE REDUX: In his own update, Allah notes what the fuss is about (emphasis mine):

…While US plans for peace settlements have long been based on the 1967 lines, the US has until now not been specifically committed to those lines — so this does represent a significant change, at least in public commitments.

In the meantime, somebody got some ‘splainin’ to do…

…Netanyahu heads to the White House on Friday and said he would seek clarifications.

Somebody on Fox right now is trying to spin it as, “he’s saying to Israel, ‘We are staunchly behind you, BUT'”. Right.

I sure hope Bibi has a snack before he hops in the car Friday, because there’s a good damn chance he’s gonna get stiffed, lunch-wise. And I’d bring one of those Japanese disposable masks, because there’s just as good a chance he’ll get the Dalai Lama out-the-back-door-with-the-trash shuffle when his 3 minutes in teh Imperial Presence are over.

“Watch out for Bibi Bags!”

Can We ALL Move to South Carolina?

Because I’m sure Granny Fed’s going to make taking THEIR incandescent bulbs home across state lines some sort of freakin’ federal offense.

The Dangers of CFLs Even Greater Than Previously Known

Sheriff Dupnik’s Starting to Pressure

…the local media for reports like this.

What a surprise. The Sheriff’s Department released an accusatory, classic Dupnik statement yesterday…

Pima Co. Sheriff blasts media questions concerning SWAT shooting

…PCSD spokesman Deputy Jason Ogan released the following statement Wednesday morning:

“As a result of the need for information surrounding the shooting of Jose Guerena by members of the Pima Regional SWAT Team, the public has received misinformation and emotionally-charged speculation.

The investigation that lead to the service of the search warrants on May 5 is a complicated one involving multiple people suspected of very serious crimes. Sometimes, law enforcement agencies must choose between the desire of the public to quickly know details, and the very real threat to innocent lives if those details are released prematurely. Sheriff Dupnik has made it a departmental policy to be open and forthcoming with information released to the news media. When the decision is made to withhold information, as it has been in this case, there is a legitimate reason for that decision. The day the search warrant was served, we reported to the media that Mr. Guerena fired at SWAT officers. This is what was understood at that time. After a more detailed investigation, we learned that he pointed his assault rifle at SWAT officers, however, the safety was on and he could not fire. This is a clear example of erroneous information being provided without careful investigation. Rather than risking the release of further information, it is imperative that we complete all aspects of this investigation.

Complicating matters is the fact that multiple agencies were involved in this incident. The criminal investigation must be completed, in addition to the investigation by the County Attorney’s office, prior to any administrative review of the actions of the officers involved in the shooting. By mutual agreement, that administrative review will include officials from the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, the Marana Police Department, the Oro Valley Police Department and the Sahuarita Police Department. Each of these agencies had officers involved in the shooting as members of the Pima Regional SWAT Team.

Since the Sheriff’s Department has had such a long-standing practice of open and timely communication with members of the news media, it is understandable that questions are asked about when more information will become available. However, it is unacceptable and irresponsible to couch those questions with implications of secrecy and a cover-up, not to mention questioning the legality of actions that could not have been taken without the approval of an impartial judge. As a law enforcement professional with decades of experience, Sheriff Dupnik will make the decision to release the information when the investigation is completed, the danger to innocent lives has been mitigated, and all agencies involved have been given the opportunity to review the actions of their personnel.”

…that had KGUN-9 “apologizing” for any “misunderstanding”, while slyly suggesting Dupnik stick it in his ear:

On Wednesday the Pima County Sheriff’s Department issued an update on its investigation into the May 5 SWAT team raid that killed Jose Guerena. The update promised that more information will be coming soon, but also chided the media for what the statement called certain “unacceptable and irresponsible” questions – specifically, questions that contain “implications of secrecy and a cover-up, not to mention questioning the legality of actions that could not have been taken without the approval of an impartial judge.”

The statement did not specify which media outlets have been asking such irresponsible and unacceptable questions. KGUN9 News has been the most persistent in covering this story, as judged by the number of reports we have aired and posted on KGUN9.com. But other media outlets have done some reporting on the issue, too. In particular, on Wednesday morning The Arizona Daily Star printed an editorial pointing out that the public is waiting for answers, and urging the Sheriff’s Department to expedite them.

KGUN9 News has not accused the Sheriff’s Department of engaging in a cover up. Nor do we secretly suspect that any of its employees are doing so on the sly. We have not accused the Sheriff’s Department of doing anything illegal. There is no evidence to suggest that any such illegal activity took place. If anyone has taken any of our questions as an indication that we believe otherwise, let us set the record straight now and apologize for the misunderstanding.

Nor do we read anything in the Star’s editorial indicating that it believes any such thing, either. Perhaps the Sheriff’s Department was directing its criticism at some other media outlets.

Regardless of what news organizations the department had in mind when it issued those comments, it is true that there are many important questions yet to be answered. It’s a bit of a stretch for the department to say that an “impartial judge” approved the legality of what happened. Clearly, no judge could have foreseen that the raid would turn fatal. SWAT operations certainly are dangerous, and the public is entitled to assume that the judge knew that when signing the search warrant. But clearly the judge could not have anticipated everything that would happen when the warrant was served. The SWAT team’s actions may or may not have been fully justified, but whatever that finding turns out to be, the judge’s signature did not constitute pre-approval of the shooting.

In addition, in wagging its finger at the media, the Sheriff’s Department should understand that the media didn’t make these questions up. The family of the victim is raising them.

In KGUN9’s case, we interviewed the victim’s wife, Vanessa, as part of our journalistic mission (as stated in our Viewer’s Bill of Rights) to give voice to the voiceless…

We need more voices on this one.

UODATE: The Arizona Daily Star is pushing back HARD as well:

Our view: Press release sheds little light on 60 gunshots that killed ex-Marine in his home

Unanswered SWAT raid questions demand answers – from Dupnik

God bless ’em.

Pillow Talk Wisdom

My Bride and I were lying in our bower of bliss last night and as we often do before withdrawing under the veil of slumber we were talking about the day’s events, especially the very odd case of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the randy Socialist. Given the alleged details that have oozed out concerning his other “seductions” in the past this one, the one that may have well cooked his goose, seems so out of place. An immigrant hotel maid whose communication skills were probably marginal at best? Really? And my Bride, who is the wisest and savviest person I know, said “you know, given his money and lifestyle, I wonder if he had called for a prostitute and perhaps thought the chambermaid was her?”

Well lookee here

Dominique Strauss-Kahn hired prostitutes from the “Manhattan Madam” who infamously also served Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced former Governor of New York, she claimed on Wednesday night.

…Kristin Davis said she provided young women for the IMF chief in 2006, as he ran for the French Socialists’ presidential nomination, and that one complained about his “aggressive” behaviour.

“He was a client of my agency,” she told The Daily Telegraph. “When men abuse women I’m no longer going to protect their identities”.

In a related development I see that the Paco World News Daily has recovered the CCTV footage from the Sofitel from last weekend:

Song Of The Month

Tim watches Letterman so we don’t have to and brings us a wonderful song (which starts at about the 2:00 minute mark)

Sheriff Dupnik’s Boys Can Burn in Hell

…if ANY of this turns out to be true.

… Deputies said they were trying to serve a search warrant in a drug investigation. According to officials the SWAT team broke down the front door to find Guerena crouched in the hall, with an assault rifle pointed at them.

Authorities claim Guerena didn’t fire, but the SWAT team did. Seventy-one rounds were fired in about seven seconds. Nine On Your Side has learned that medical attention for Guerena was kept on hold for more than an hour before being sent away. Guerena died at the scene.

Guerena’s wife, Vanessa, was hiding in the closet with the couple’s 4-year-old child during the ordeal. She said the family initially thought they were the victims of a home invasion in the moments before SWAT broke down their door. She said when she emerged from the closet after the gunfire stopped, she saw that her husband was still alive, moaning in pain.

“I was going to touch Jose because he was [moaning],” she said. “And I saw his stomach, and all the blood on the floor. So then they [deputies] came and into my house and they get me.”

She told KGUN9 News she called 911 and pleaded with deputies to treat her husband’s wounds.

“The only thing that I told them was take him to the hospital,” Vanessa said. She added that since Guerena’s death, her son has asked if his father was a “bad guy.”

The fuckers LET HIM DIE.

He was a Marine who’d been in Iraq and had just finished the graveyard shift at the mines. His wife woke him up at about 9:30 a.m. when she saw someone at the bedroom window. And it was all downhill from there.

The Sheriff’s Department has changed their story several times already, most importantly to admit that, indeed, Cpl. Guerena never fired a single shot. Not one. In fact, his weapon was on safety. The SWAT also ransacked several neighbors’ houses, ostensibly because there was a bullet hole or two in each and they wanted to ascertain whether “someone else could’ve been wounded”.

Amazingly enough, Sheriff Dupnik, the believer in all things open and transparent, has clammed up tighter than DSK’s sphincter in Riker’s and sealed all the “warrants” they used to authorize the raid, all the “evidence” (if any and supposedly, there AIN’T none) they collected while Guerena lay dying on his own floor, and they aren’t doing interviews or releasing statements.

Isn’t that odd for a guy who couldn’t keep his blowhole shut when a young lunatic murdered people and a bloviating, rabid, accusatory Dupnik foamed at the mouth excoriating Sarah Palin and Republicans?

And the fuckers let Cpl. Guerena DIE.

Mother of God.

Laughing Wolf at BlackFive has a roundup, plus contact numbers and Jammie Wearing Fool is on the case as well.

Throw Momma From the Train

Only I would have done it a HELLUVA lot sooner.

In an epic incident of the pot calling the kettle rude, a Tigard, Oregon woman said she felt “disrespected” after police escorted her from an Amtrak train mostly because she refused to get off her cellphone — for 16 hours.

And she was in a “quiet” car, meant specifically to be cell-phone chitter-chatter free.

I woulda had her ass bouncing down the aisle toward the hatch all on my own in about two shakes, with her cell phone stuffed down her throat.

But I’m cranky that way.

Brain Tease!!!

YOU have to fill in the BLANK.

…The insider said: ‘_________ thought they would be married by now or at least finalising wedding plans.’

‘At this point, she’s completely baffled about their relationship.‘

I shouldn’t snicker.

It’s unseemly.

How To Win Gracefully And Joyously

Darren Clarke won his first tournament in 3 years on Sunday.

Instead of hopping on a private jet he took a commercial flight from Spain to Belfast…and bought a round of drinks for everyone

Golf star Darren Clarke bought an entire plane full of passengers a drink to celebrate his recent Iberdrola Open success.

Fresh from the competition in Majorca on Sunday, Mr Clarke declined his usual private jet, and boarded his first ever Easyjet flight from Palma to Belfast.

Not content to drink alone, he spent some of his €166,660 (£146,920) winnings on a round for everyone on board.

Cheers!

So, The Present’s on Air Force One and It Does a Go-Round

BFD, right? Apparently so, since Lisa Stark, then Tapper reported it and now it’s on Drudge.

YAWN.

However. The comments are another thing entirely.

To help our Fearless Leader regain maintain his ever-too-cool-for-words composure during his short, additional time in the air, I dedicate this fearless flying music to today’s Air Force One outing.

Highway to the danger zone, dude.

Shocking Discrimination Against Veterans

Yes, Dear Friends, it’s come to this

U.S. sues Starbucks for firing dwarf from barista job

Poor Gimli.

RECORD LOW AGAIN!! 51° Yesterday in Pensacola

Al was so pissed at further proof of his elaborate fraud scheme eroding, that he gave a MIGHTY, earthswiping, MANBEARPIG handchop…

… and was horrified to see the results of his selfish, juvenile venting.

How could he “blame the Warmerist DoubterDoubters NOW?”, he asked, after a quick call to his publicist. “Has anybody else seen this yet? How many more of these are there? Heard from Phil or Mike? What do I DO????”

“I’ll get back to you.”

Stay tuned. It was really cold here THIS morning. (Mobile’s already come in with a RECORD LOW of 44°…)

UPDATE: There we go!!

A record low temperature of 49 degrees was set at Pensacola
yesterday. This broke the old record of 51 set in 1945.

Dear Kids

Don’t piss me off

The descendants of Wellington R. Burt, who became fabulously wealthy in the age of the robber barons, will finally inherit his fortune — 92 years after his death.

Burt, who died in 1919 at age 87 in Saginaw, Mich., made his wealth in the lumber and iron industries. For reasons not described in his will, he stipulated that the majority of his fortune would be distributed 21 years after his last surviving grandchild’s death.

Love,

Dad

UNEXPECTED!!! OOPS!!!!

US Housing Starts Fall More Than Expected Down 10.6%, Consensus Called for Rise of 2.7% (click for more)

U.S. housing starts and permits for future home construction fell in April as an overhang of homes on the market discourages builders from taking on new projects, pointing to prolonged weakness in the housing sector.

The Commerce Department said on Tuesday housing starts dropped 10.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 523,000 units. March’s starts were revised up to a 585,000-unit pace from the previously reported rate of 549,000 units.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast housing starts rising to a 568,000-unit rate. Compared to April last year, residential construction was down 23.9 percent, the largest decline since October 2009.

I’d say somebody needs to talk about immigration again.

–“Help me! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!”

RECORD LOW of 54° Set in Pensacola Yesterday Morning

“Upsetting the warming apple cart” kinda painful news, isn’t it?

About That Whole, Liberal “Finally Having ‘An Intelligent Man As President'” Meme?

I should feel ashamed that Tony Bennett points these obvious truths out?

Pffft.

Oddly, enough, Ebola sent us something this weekend which covered that pretty succinctly.

Bitter clingers don’t need no old, fancy, Hollywood-type tellin’ who’s betteren us. Just takes yer own lyin’ eyes and anybody with ’bout half a brain kin do it. ‘Course, now, he might not have that much left a’ his.