Miami Police Decide 'US Citizen' = 'Terrorist'

Palm Beach Post: "Dorr said Miami-Dade police may get a permit to test a drone over an uninhabited area, such as the Everglades. But to use the drone in police work over an urban area - especially a busy air corridor such as Miami-Dade - it would need a permit, which will be hard to come by.

"We have a responsibility to protect the public, both people on the ground and other aircraft," Dorr said.

The drone that interests the Miami-Dade police is called the MAV - Micro-Air Vehicle - and it is made by Honeywell International. The radio-controlled unit weighs 14 pounds without fuel aboard and operates in the air like a helicopter.

"It can hover and go straight down or up, for example," police spokesman Villalba said.

According to Honeywell, the MAV can operate at a maximum of 10,500 feet and at a top speed of 50 knots per hour. It can be carried in a large backpack and be deployed in five minutes.

In September, a Honeywell official estimated that the MAV - including the aircraft and its ground control system - would cost about $250,000."

Terrific. So camera's on Red Lights aren't enough (besides for making money). Camera's on street corners aren't enough. Camera's in apartments are useless. So what else? Camera's in the air, of course!
So simple, I could have thought of it myself.

I've been tolerant of these things so far, figuring that as long as it's on public property, then it may be beneficial. But flying cameras? That's ridiculous. We use these things to fight terrorists, and to inefficiently watch the border criminals cross back and forth.

One side of my mine rationalizes this as analogous to a Helicopter used in high speed car chases and manhunts.
I think economics is certainly a factor it this, as it always is. The incentive for a police force to use a helicopter in those situations is obvious. Few, if any criminals are going to outrun a skillfully piloted helicopter, and the view from the top can be helpful in directing officers on the ground, and training/reviews later on.
But it's expensive to own and operate a rotary wing aircraft. In fact, the Kansas City PD spent $1,004,256 in 2006 on running a helicopter unit. So while it may be fun to police traffic with a helicopter, the incentive is no where near large enough to outweigh the vast cost and dedication of resources that would take. As such, we have never had to deal with active monitoring from the air by Police Departments. (Satellites excluded, but that's a different set of circumstances)

Not so with a drone. Requiring only 1 or 2 people to operate, and with a far lower cost, both on purchasing, training, fuel, and maintenance, it is now financially and technically feasible for active monitoring from the sky to take place on a regular basis.

Sure, right now it's only for Swat Operations.
2 years from now?
As the incentive to actively monitor from the sky grows in comparison with the cost, more and more departments will begin using aerial cameras to monitor us mortals, who deign to carry out lives while wishing for privacy.

Big Brother, eat your stale, crusty heart out.

"'Oranges and lemons,' say the bells of St. Clement's,
'You owe me three farthings,' say the bells of St. Martin's..

Best 5 seconds on the internet

...yeah. I'm getting sick of politics.

Hilary in Bosnia

Some quality journalism coming from CBS news, of all places.

Where and who?

Where is this:
And Who said this:
""If freedom loving people don't speak out against China's oppression of people in Tibet, we have lost all moral authority to speak out against any oppressed people.""

Oh, there you are John

Politico: "John Edwards is unlikely to endorse either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton before the nomination is decided, according to interviews with several members of the former candidate's inner circle.

At least three individuals who have recently spoken to Edwards expect that he will choose to stay out of the fight, though they warn that no one other than his wife, Elizabeth, can be certain of his thinking.

“My gut instinct, at this point: He’s probably going to remain neutral and sort of try to play on that Al Gore status as party elder,” said a former Edwards operative who is in regular contact with the former North Carolina senator and who asked that his name be withheld.

Fascinating how a candidate who has twice in a row been deemed as not the best contender can claim the mantle of 'elder statesman' in a party.

At least Al Gore has 'Former Vice President' and 'Inventor of the internet' to stand upon.
Edwards? He's good at chasing ambulances.

How did it come to this?

Where did the Democrat's primary season turn so sour?
How did the dream race of 2008 become so divisive and vindictive for the left wing party?

It started out great. A party united in it's hatred of Bush and the republican establishment, a virulent dislike of the ongoing war, a unified front on increasing spending, and a strong set of candidates for president.

Hilary Rodam Clinton: First serious woman contender, political heavyweight, and US Senator. A razor-sharp woman with experience on a wide variety of levels.
Barack Hussein Obama: First serious black contender, political idealist, and US Senator. A black man with a fresh face, charisma, and a European socialist agenda.
John Edwards: ...?

So after both the man and the woman beat down the old has been White Man from the South, the sky should have been the limit.
So what happened?

Obama and Clinton have similar policies, particularly on the domestic front. There are subtle differences, but by and large, they both sit well in the left field bleachers.

Where they do differ is on Forign Policy, particularly Iraq. As the surge works successfully in Iraq, it has faded as a news item, and a point of contention amongst the contenders. Thus, we are left with only one real difference, and it's a style of politics the dems are well practiced at.
Personal Politics, where the identity of the candidate matters more then the policies.

Obama is a rockstar, and carries himself like a president should, with dignity and honor fitting years of proud service. He's also a fresh face on the national stage. At this point, much of the national media seems to have joined his camp, which only adds to his image.
Hilary is beacon of hope flashing from the distant past of the 1990's, a reminder of the most recent glory days of the Democrat party. That, and the war machine of the Clinton's has some pretty deep roots, and has managed to salvage a poor campaign twice now.

So what's going to happen?
A convention battle for the ages. The 2 dream candidates of the past century, and the body blows will fall fast and furious in a desperate attempt to garner the super delegates.
I think Clinton wins it at the convention.


Lost in this shuffle is Edwards. Where did he mosey off to anyways?

Florida Voters: What is wrong with them?

AP: "Every vote counts. But what happens when there are no votes at all? That's the situation city officials in Tamarac are facing. No voters showed up Wednesday night to cast a ballot in an annexation referendum for an unincorporated Broward County community.

There are 68 registered voters in the 200-person Prospect Bend neighborhood. Tamarac officials have proposed annexing the neighborhood.

Details were mailed to registered voters. If just one voter had shown up, that one vote would have decided the neighborhood's fate.

The cost of keeping a polling site open for 12 hours with no voters: $2,500."

Whatever happens to that area, they get what they deserve. Not one person goes to vote... my, how the west has fallen.

Or, from another perspective: This didn't really matter, why were they voting on it?

A modicum of sanity remains

WNBC.Com ""I have acted in a way that violates my obligations to my family and violates my, or any, sense of right and wrong," Spitzer said.
"I apologize first and most importantly to my family. I apologize to the public, whom I promised better." "I do not believe that politics in the long run is about individuals; it is about ideas, the public good and doing what is best for the state of New York," Spitzer said.

"Spitzer's involvement in the ring was caught on a federal wiretap as part of an investigation opened in recent months, according to a law enforcement official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing inquiry.

The New York Democrat, identified in legal papers as "Client 9," met last month with at least one woman in a Washington hotel, the law enforcement official said. The prostitution ring, identified in court papers as the Emperors Club VIP, arranged connections between wealthy men and more than 50 prostitutes in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Miami, London and Paris, prosecutors said. Four people allegedly connected to the high-end ring were arrested last week."

When I read the pre-cursor to this story yesterday, I pretty much gave a mental shrug and moved to some economic news I found more interesting. I assumed no one would care. It's New York and he's a democrat, who cares?
Well, apparently there is far more sanity in the hearts and minds of my yankee brethren then I originally assumed.

The worst part about this story has got to be what is going on behind the scenes, the family matters we're not privy to. I point to three reasons:
1. His wife, Silda Spitzer and her reaction at the press conference. The pain she must be going through is understandable, and unlike Kobe's wife, it doesn't look like she'll be bought off by some fancy jewelry. Good for her.
2. The timing of this incident is ridiculous. The date mentioned for the hiring of the prostitute? February 13. One bloody night before valentines day. Simply despicable at any time, but the middle of February? Come on!
3. Spitzer made a campaign issue out of reforming the ethics of the government, and pointed to his record as a State Attorney, and several high-profile corporate cases as his record.
Well, how clean are we now?

My calls today

Hilary takes Ohio and the majority of Texas, I think this Obama momentum is over rated, as it was in New Hampshire.

McCain, sadly, wraps up his nomination today. Huckabee's put up a good fight, but I don't think it will be enough.

Finally, I agree with Hilary

Hillary mocks obama
by dollarsandsense123

""Let's just get everybody together. Let's get unified. The sky will open, the light will come down, celestial choirs will be singing and everyone will know we should do the right thing and the world will be perfect. Maybe I've just lived a little long, but I have no illusions about how hard this is going to be. You are not going to wave a magic wand and have the special interests disappear.""

I'm down, but not out

Hey, just to let you guys know whats going on.

I've been diagnosed pneumonia in my lower right lung right now. I haven't felt good in almost a month, but everything came to a screeching, painful halt saturday morning. I don't know when I'll be back to this blog, or anything of the online nature, but I'm looking at the end of this week as my target.

Thanks for reading,

Robert

America still works, and will in the future

Michael Lind: (Hat tip to Matt)"...even in more normal times there are three ubiquitous myths about America that make the country seem weaker and more chaotic than it really is. The first myth, which is mainly a conservative one, is that racial and ethnic rivalries are tearing America apart. The second myth, which is mainly a liberal one, is that America will soon be overwhelmed by religious fundamentalists. The third myth, an economic one beloved of centrists, is that the retirement of the baby boomers will bankrupt the country because of runaway social security entitlement costs.

America does, of course, have many problems, such as spiraling healthcare costs and a decline in social mobility. Yet the truth is that apart from the temporary frictions caused by current immigration from Latin America, the US is more integrated than ever. Racial and cultural diversity is in long-term decline, as a result of the success of the melting pot in merging groups through assimilation and intermarriage—and many of the country's infamous social pathologies, from violent crime to teenage drug use, are also seeing improvements. Americans are far more religious than Europeans, but the "religious right" is concentrated among white southern Protestants. And there is no genuine long-term entitlement problem in the US.

The US suffers from healthcare cost inflation, a problem that will be solved one way or another in the near future, long before it cripples the economy as a whole. And the long-term costs of social security, America's public pension programme, could be met by moderate benefit cuts or a moderate growth in the US government share of GDP. With a linguistically united, increasingly racially mixed supermajority and a solvent system of middle-class entitlements, the US will remain first among equals for generations to come, even in a multipolar world with several great powers..."

An absolutely brilliant analysis of the United States and it's future.
The numbers and thoughts on immigration are compelling and a breath of fresh air. The current and future state of the church is worrisome for a Evangelical Christian like me, but not terribly so.
Social security, while I disagree with it as a program, will still be ticking when I'm a grandfather.

Excellent read, one that dwells on the real situation, rather then the pessimistic view of the world that we find ourselves with, mostly because we live in the news cycle of the day.

(Under_the_mercy, I will be replying to your last comment soon, but not tonight. Thanks for being a civil and well versed blogger.)

The begrudging Case for Mike Huckabee

As I am now obligated to support Mike Huckabee for the Republican Presidential nominee due to Romney's departure, I will give some reasons why I believe that out of the three remaining contenders, Mike Huckabee is the preferred man.

I'd like to note, before I begin:
I started this primary year liking Ray McKinney, then Duncan Hunter, then Fred Thompson, and finally settled on Romney last week. Now that all of these fine men are out of the race, I am limited to Huckabee, McCain and Paul. Huckabee is the best of the three, limited though the selection may be.

I'll start with my three main issues.
1. War on Terror
As with all the republican contenders, with the exception of Ron Paul, Huckabee is strongly supportive of Bush's actions, and will likely continue taking the fight to the terrorists home turf. While Huckabee has little, if any experience running a war, he is a competent individual. While there is no battle ground similar to Iraq in '02 looming, action must still be taken against Islamic nazis. I trust Huckabee with this.

2. Economy
Admittedly, I have had my prior concerns about Huckabee's tax record. But when contrasted when McCain's past positions, particularly in regard to Bush's tax plan, I deem Huckabee worthy. His persistent campaigning on the Fair Tax is also a bonus, and I doubt he will deviate from that position in his first term, if elected.
Yes, Ron Paul has never raised taxes. But what's the deal with the gold standard? Our standard of living as a nation has only risen since we have switched to our current monetary policy in the early 20th century.
While Huckabee's support of subsidies on agriculture and alternative energies are hardly conservative, they could hardly do worse then what we've had now.

3. Immigration
This is what worries me most about Mike. His actions in Arkansas simply were not good. Still, what more harm could he do then the status quo is achieving?

All da rest (that I agree with Huckabee on):
Abortion
Like McCain and Ron Paul, Huckabee has always opposed the killing of babies.
How anyone wouldn't, I don't know. But this is the issue I trust Mike most on, defending the unborn.


2nd Amendment
Like most republicans, he supports the right to bear arms. He was the first govenor to push, and pass, a concealed handgun permit in the state of Arkansas, and strongly opposed the assault rifle ban.

There you have it. Huckabee is my favorite of the remaining three.
(Romney... I hardly knew thee)

Now we have 3...

Mitt Romney just jumped ship on us...
So I am now 0-4 in my candidate selection.

Who's left?
John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul.
McCain has by far the most delegates, and will likely win the nomination.

I now find myself in the akward position of supporting Mike Huckabee. Since my 3 least favorite contenders are all that's left, Huckabee is the best of them, in my opinion.

More on that later.

Mea Culpa

Ok, so I called yesterday all wrong.
Huckabee is far from finished, at least in the south. McCain, as expected was strong with the liberal states, california included.
Texas may become a king maker, which would be really quite interesting.

Boy was I wrong about Huckabee...

More later, school calls.

Tsumani Tuesday

Well, the voting has started today.

I don't think we'll have a decision on either party.
McCain and Romney will continue to battle through the weeks ahead, and I would hope Romney coming out on top.

Seeing as McCain is continuing his tradition of bashing conservative ideals, it is likely he will fizzle out in the coming weeks.

Huckabee will be finished by Friday, and Ron Paul will hang on until he doesn't get the nomination, in which case he will run as a libertarian.


For the democrats, they're going to bash each other all the way home, and then saddle up and run for office with Clinton in the lead.



Thats my predictions. We shall see what comes to pass.

The Regan Library Debate

First of all, CNN runs a debate terribly. The guy who hosted this does not know how to moderate.

First question:
Are we better off then we were 8 years ago?
Not one candidate says yes. What is wrong with these people??? Our economy has done nothing but grow in the past 8 years, and the standard of living has only increased.
Lets have a little truth, rather then some populist pandering to the lower class. That goes for all of them.

This makes no sense...
McCain takes a shot at Romney for being endorsed by the 'very conservative paper, like the Boston Herald', as a way of targeting his conservatism. But then he turns right around and starts bragging about working with democrats.

How did Rush Limbaugh get stuck into here???
Huckabee deftly handled the question, and then started firing his conservative record.
I do remember his 'tax me more fund' a few years back, I thought it was hilarious.

McCain's on global warming eco-nuts side.
Wow... and he's argueing that we're good enough as an economy to recover from burdensome regulations and move on, and even if there is no problem, we'll leave a cleaner atmosphere to our kids. THERE is the conservative McCain we know and love.
I do like we're talking nuclear power though.

Ron Paul on Environment:
Restore property rights. YES!!!
WHAT THE HECK!!! They just chopped Ron Paul off after 32 seconds, for some bloody highway questions.

Highways???
So if the bridge in Michigan had never fallen down, would these guys be acting like blithering idiots discussing 'infrastructure'??

Here's an interesting question: Is the republican party better off then it was 8 years ago?

Got it. Romney will not leave Iraq until we win. I never thought otherwise.

Ron Paul on forign policy.... I don't understand how he can get on stage and say with a straight face that Iraq had nothing to do with Al-queda, and we had no declaration of war. This lying is absolutly ridiculous.

Huckabee could come across as a whinner, but he really is not getting much screen time. CNN is doing a terrible job with this.


Ok. Ronald Regan is not a god, can we please stop talking about a president who was elected 30 years ago???


I really didn't like anyone on there. Romney will take my tenitive support, only because he is the least terrible of the 4.
Mr. Fantastic, there ya go.

...And then there were 4

So McCain has apparently taken the Florida Primary, much to my dismay and surprise.

Rudy is essentially out, his strategy of making a last stand in Florida just didn't pan out as his campaign expected. There are reports that he will drop out soon, and endorse, for what it's worth, John McCain.

So, we are now left to the choice of Mitt Romney, John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul.

I need some new news... I'm wearying of this election right now, and I don't think Super Tuesday will really decide anything for either party, other then John Edwards and Huckabee leaving the race.

In other news, police tasered a man on a bike for improper lighting.


EDIT:
Ok, so I've thought of some analogies for the current men in the republican race.
Mitt Romney:
Romney is Reed Richards, Mr. Fantastic. The leader of the group, the most successful in the corporate world, and considered cold and uncaring at times. He also has the fantastic ability to stretch/contort to any shape, much as Romney's positions have undergone serious changes.
John McCain:
McCain is Ben Grimm, the Thing. He is the strongest and most aggressive candidate, and the most willing to solve problems by fighting. At times a bit of a maverick, and usually in some sharp disagreement with the Human Torch, he is fiercely loyal to what he believes. He's also made of rock, which is cool. But the heavier they are, the harder they fall, which we may see happen with McCain.
Mike Huckabee:
Huckabee is much like Susan Storm, the Invisible Woman. He is considered the most compassionate of the group, and sometimes attempts to keep the arguments from becoming too angry. When necessary, he can disappear from the scene, only to reappear when the timing is right. The ability to deflect attacks and criticisms is also very useful, and force field projection helps immensely in this arena.
Ron Paul:
Paul is Johnny Storm, The Human Torch. The maverick of the bunch, a fiery presence who knows what he thinks, and is not afraid to speak it. He often soars far above the others, both in his idealism and his ideas. Capable of both sustained fighting with fire, and the ability to fly when things become impossible, he always comes back to fight another day.

Please note, that was meant to be in good fun. If you were offended by your candidates characterization, please leave a better one of your own.

State of the Primary

The Republican Presidential Contenders

Rudy Guiliani
Mitt Romney
John McCain
Mike Huckabee
Ron Paul
Tom Tancredo
Duncan Hunter
Fred Thompson
Ray McKinney
John Cox
Sam Brownback

So, the race has been significantly winnowed down from last summer.
Right now, there are 5 players in the race, and while I personally believe Ron Paul has little chance of winning, he is a rather significant player in this, so the count stays at 5.

Who's got the momentum? John McCain, or it is perceived as his momentum. Yet, as much as the media may appreciate the maverick, he isn't winning.
As much as Huckabee's populist campaigning is adored by the press, he isn't winning.
Rudy? Hah, he's got nothing yet. But it hasn't hurt him, nor will it hurt him in the end.
Ron Paul has his very dedicated base, but I believe he fell short on his best shot in New Hampshire.
And so that leaves...

Mitt Romney???
With little fanfare, and a well sustained beating from almost all quarters, Romney has stayed his course and conquered in the early political battles.
Sure, he lost Iowa to Huckabee. But he won Wyoming in the same week Sure, he lost New Hampshire to McCain. But he won Michigan in the same week
Sure, he lost South Carolina to McCain. But he won Nevada in the same week

So how do the delegate numbers break down?

• Mitt Romney: 72
• John McCain: 38
• Mike Huckabee: 29
  
• Ron Paul: 6
• Rudy Giuliani 2
  

My point is this: The most successful candidate is the most lampooned and caricatured candidate by the liberal media.
I think it indicates something. The left is afraid of him, because Romney is an articulate conservative with a clean background who has the proven capacity to reach across party lines.

I'll be honest with ya'll, now that my beloved Fred has left the race, Romney is now my primary choice, and followed in second by Rudy Giuliani.



Now, to look at the big picture.

Delegates Tallied as of 1/23/07: 156
Final number of Delegates: 1, 191

Yeah, we've got a ways to go before it's time to get really excited. Perhaps after Febuary 5, we'll know more.

New York Giants

Pack was awful today.
And thats all there was to it.