One Year Ago Today

This is me in ICU post-op from the liver transplant.  And they had the machine that goes "PING!"

I'm much better now!

READ THIS

Damn.  Just damn.  RTWT.

The Side-Takers by Tom Kendall.  Pullquote:

It took, as I recall, all of between two weeks and a month, for most of the Left in the country to make a decision— and they chose very wrong. Three generations of ongoing psychological warfare, agitprop and behind-the-scenes work to degrade our culture culminated in that moment, when the American Left decided that between standing by their country and standing by utopian idealism, it was utopian idealism all the way.

"Some People Did Something"

0847 Hours
BATTALION 1: Battalion 1 to Manhattan.
DISPATCHER: Battalion 1.
BATTALION 1: We just had a - a plane crashed into an upper floor of the World Trade Center. Transmit a second alarm and start relocating companies into the area.
DISPATCHER: Ten-four battalion 1.
BATTALION 1: Battalion 1 is also sending the whole assignment on this box to that area, K.
ENGINE 6: Engine 6 to Manhattan, K.
DISPATCHER: Engine 6.
ENGINE 6: The World Trade Center - tower number one is on fire. The whole outside of the building. There was just a huge explosion.
DISPATCHER: Ten-four. All companies stand by at this time.
UNKNOWN UNIT: Transmit a second alarm on that box immediately.
DISPATCHER: 10-4.
ENGINE 10: Engine 1-0 to Manhattan.
DISPATCHER: Engine 1-0.
ENGINE 10: Engine 1-0 World Trade Center 10-60. Send every available ambulance, everything you've got to the World Trade Center now.
DISPATCHER: 10-4, 10-60 has been transmitted for the World Trade Center, 10-60 for the World Trade Center.
LADDER 3: Three truck to Manhattan.
DISPATCHER: Three truck.
LADDER 3: Civilian reports from up here, a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center for your information.
DISPATCHER: 10-4 K.
LADDER 3: Three truck's available.

Never Forget

Voices:  Stories from 9/11 and Beyond.  Strongly recommended.

Annual Brexit Petition

"...demonstrable gibbering nonsense by circus clowns on stilts."

Not my content, but I HAD to share.  In response to the question "Why is there so much dishonesty in the gun debate?"  The question linked to this piece about the comparative levels of violence between the US and UK and how the UK's gun control laws made the UK "safer." Ah, no.  Quoran Alfred Montestruc left this devastating reply echoing Chief Inspector Colin Greenwood.

Your link seems a prime example of extreme dishonesty.

The issue is NOT whether the UK has more violent crime than the USA - which is all the link harps about.

This is not a tennis match, or any sort of national contest.

The issue is whether gun control has any utility whatever in practical control of violent crime.

The author of your link assumes — and never checks his assumption— that gun control laws as applied in the UK reduced violent crime in the UK.

That is demonstrable gibbering nonsense by circus clowns on stilts.

Gun Control Laws and the effect of them on crime in England & Wales in the 20th Century by Alfred Montestruc on Alfred Montestruc’s gun rights Blog

Prior to 1920 in the UK gun laws were more lax in the UK than in the USA if gun control was of any utility one might expect that prior to 1920, violent crime rates in the UK were staggeringly higher than after gun laws were enacted.

The actual case is rather the reverse.

Murder rates per the British office of National Statistics data. No consistent downward trend after gun laws.

VAP is a British Police term that means literal physical violence till they changed the definition in 1998, which is when I stopped tracking. Not going down is it?

The latter graph on rape & indecent assault is included as I was accused by an individual of confusing the two. The latter graph shows the dramatic upward trend continuing into the 21st century. Rape and indecent assault rates show no benefit (reduction) due to gun control laws.

The late 20th century robbery spike is so huge it drowned out important nuances of what happened to robbery rates early in the 20th century.

By the numbers.

Sixteen thousand seven-hundred eighty-three percent rise in robbery rate 1901 to 1998!!

If I took it from the 1915 minimum to the 1995 peak, it was over 50,000% rise !!

So you seem to be claiming that gun control is somehow useful in control of violent crime?

I see you have the nerve, the unmitigated GALL, to talk about “dishonesty”, — just — WOW!

Unbelievable!!

I wish I'd written this.  "Gibbering nonsense by circus clowns on stilts" is something I'm going to have to remember.

Health Update: IT'S ALIVE!!!

The new kidney is functional.  I was told today "no more dialysis"!!  The first night of getting up every 90 minutes to two hours to urinate was oddly satisfying.  The second night, not so much.  Apparently my bladder has shrunk to the size of an extra-large chicken egg.

I'm back to another six months or so of taking handfulls of pills morning and night, but I tolerate them well.  I have to stay up here at Mayo (on campus, but not in the hospital proper) for another four weeks, going in every other day for tests and consults, but things are going swimmingly. 

Hopefully no other major medical issues in my future (crossing my fingers.)