rhaig

wmw999

What's interesting is that Garland has an active Muslim community, with a mosque and imam etc. They decided as a group to stay away and not protest or anything. But no one noticed that, did they?

"Local muslim community decided to do nothing." Doesn't make for good news.

grue

HOAs are the devil anyway. I hope that when the time comes for me to buy a home, I can buy one that doesn't give some group of uptight assholes the ability to tell me what I do with my property. Around here, though, it's kinda tough…

Our HOA, as shitty as they are about some things, declared they wouldn't cite people for lawn maintenance while we are in drought conditions. That started a few years ago. The way it's going, we might actually come off of watering restrictions for a month or two before we go back on them this summer.

Andy9o8

***
Is that what he told you he was thinking when he decided to assign that guy to attend those meetings?

...

In hindsight, it's also pandering. But he's a politician. I'd expect no less.

Quote

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/04/chuck-norris-warns-government-conspiracy-take-over-texas

'Texas Ranger' Chuck Norris warns of government plot to take over state

The actor, martial artist, and internet meme Chuck Norris has warned of a federal government plot to take over the state of Texas.

Writing on the right-wing website WND, or WorldNetDaily, Norris discussed the potential for Jade Helm 15, a US military training exercise planned for July and August, to turn into a full-scale occupation of his home state.

Exercises will be held in Texas and six other states during Jade Helm 15, across public and private land. The training has been the focus of rightwing conspiracy theories since a map published for the purpose of the simulation labelled Texas, Utah and California as “hostile”.

“The US government says, ‘It’s just a training exercise’,” wrote Norris, 75. “But I’m not sure the term ‘just’ has any reference to reality when the government uses it.”

Both the governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, and US senator – and 2016 Republican presidential candidate – Ted Cruz have been accused of pandering to conspiracy theorists with their reactions to Jade Helm 15. Abbott asked the Texas state guard to monitor the training exercise. Cruz said his office had “reached out to the Pentagon” to ask about the exercise.

So Chuck Norris thinks it's more than a training exercise... ok... Gov Abbott is still pandering... yeah. He's a politician.

This doesn't change anything.

maybe they should quit letting so much of their water run into the pacific

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2015/04/15/why-does-california-let-billions-of-gallons-of-fresh-water-flow-straight-into-the-ocean/

SkyDekker

******Is this the same Texas where the Governor has instructed the State Guard to spy on a Special Forces training exercise, because he is afraid it is really a ruse to take over the state by the Federal Government?

That Texas?

As some one else posted on Facebook, even the crazy is bigger in Texas.

Abbott basically sent a guy to meetings. He created a communication channel that is under his control.

Because Walmarts have been closed for 6 months to have them prepared to be used as detention centres.

A state government is worried about the federal government invading it.

Is that what he told you he was thinking when he decided to assign that guy to attend those meetings?

Because i have it from a friend in the TSG who works on the logistics & communications side of the house that this was planned long before the meeting in Bastrop County. This was planned because this is the first ever of it's size training event. It's taking place in public view with public interaction and in some cases without the public being informed of the when & where. That's just the nature of the training event. It seems prudent to have someone (retired military) sit in the briefings to inform the gov of anything that might be an issue from a citizens rights point of view.

In hindsight, it's also pandering. But he's a politician. I'd expect no less.

SkyDekker

Is this the same Texas where the Governor has instructed the State Guard to spy on a Special Forces training exercise, because he is afraid it is really a ruse to take over the state by the Federal Government?

That Texas?

As some one else posted on Facebook, even the crazy is bigger in Texas.

Abbott basically sent a guy to meetings. He created a communication channel that is under his control.

bigbearfng

***Let me say this first: The gunmen were completely in the wrong. I'm not saying what they did was OK.


That said... there is a certain amount of 'you must have expected this would cause massive trouble?' in my brain.

Take some of the deepest held beliefs people have and then publicly proface and risucule them... What did you think was going to happen? It is kinda like painting a bullseye on your own head.

There are better ways to address the issue I think.

So free speech should be set aside if someone will get offended?

way to miss the point.

Just because it's legal to be an asshole, doesn't mean it's safe to be one.

If being an asshole is so very important, than said asshole should expect repercussions.

rhaig

***I'm hoping that same-sex marriages leads to more polygamy.

You laugh, but the next thing you know, animals will be driving cars!!!




too late
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheDrivingDogs

SkyDekker

Yes I was asking. You offered that it can be difficult at a distance. Thanks for the answer, but it doesn't apply here. They would have had the knife in their hands. So is it still hard to identify when you are holding it?

a "switchblade" is generally defined as opening with the press of a button or other device. That button is usually pretty obvious once the knife is in hand. There is another class of knife referred to as a spring-assist open. Those are (depending on the definition in law) generally not considered a "switchblade". The blade on a spring-assist knife is pushed open with (usually) the thumb and once past a certain point, the spring takes over and opens the blade.

So while an officer might have thought a spring-assist knife was a switchblade, it (depending on law) might not be illegal. (assuming it was a spring-assist)

summary: usually no, once in hand, it's pretty obvious, though sometimes a spring-assist blade is misidentified or the legal classification is vague enough that it's thought to be a switchblade.

SkyDekker

Quote

As such it really can be difficult to establish the legality of a blade at a distance.

It wasn't at a distance.

He ran, they chased. Caught him, then frisked him. Found the knife and arrested him for possession of a switchblade. Prosecutor today says it was a legal knife.

How hard is it to tell the difference when you have the knife in your hands?

so when you asked the question above, you weren't asking a question... you were being intentionally obtuse. Ok. I won't offer any more info then.

SkyDekker

Does that totality of circumstances explain how some one get's arrested for a switchblade, which now apparently was a legal knife?

I can't say I am an expert on knives. Is it very difficult to establish whether the knife was legal or not?

I've been questioned by officers before after opening my knife in such a manner that they thought it was a switchblade. It was not. Depending on the knife, it's possible to open it in a way that makes it seem to be a switchblade.

Depending on the jurisdiction there are many things that can make a knife illegal to carry. Length, opening mechanism, number of sharpened edges, style of blade... all these can be factors in legality. As such it really can be difficult to establish the legality of a blade at a distance.

Andy9o8

************Everyone always says hitler was a bad guy. I don't think he was, I mean come on he did kill hitler.

He actually did a lot of good for Germany before he got greedy and wanted Austria. The rest went downhill pretty steeply.

You really think his evil was mainly in foreign policy?

No. But that's where it started. Then it "went downhill pretty steeply."

I typed that slowly so you could pick up on it this time. :P

No, Austria isn't where it started. Hitler became chancellor in 1933. Enactment of the Nazi era of German anti-Jewish laws also began in 1933... and onward from there. The Annexation of Austria took place in 1938.

I stand corrected. Was based on my memory of research done by a lazy 16 year old 30 years ago.

Andy9o8

******Everyone always says hitler was a bad guy. I don't think he was, I mean come on he did kill hitler.

He actually did a lot of good for Germany before he got greedy and wanted Austria. The rest went downhill pretty steeply.

You really think his evil was mainly in foreign policy?

No. But that's where it started. Then it "went downhill pretty steeply."

I typed that slowly so you could pick up on it this time. :P

Anvilbrother

It was I knew exactly where you were going with this when I read the title and saw it was from you. Thats 100% of the information I needed.

cock, balls

oh wait... wrong thread.

Anvilbrother

Everyone always says hitler was a bad guy. I don't think he was, I mean come on he did kill hitler.

He actually did a lot of good for Germany before he got greedy and wanted Austria. The rest went downhill pretty steeply.

BIGUN

I'm hoping that same-sex marriages leads to more polygamy.

You laugh, but the next thing you know, animals will be driving cars!!!

jclalor

As repugnant as the act may be, desecrating the flag is protected speech. I think what she did while in uniform was much more disgraceful.

(bolding mine)

Where did you read she was in uniform while doing this? I hadn't seen that.

And I agree with the first sentence above. As shitty a thing as it is to do, the douchebags who did it were allowed to do it.

JohnnyMarko

But if it makes sense, it won't work in the US

That makes sense

mpohl

Straight from the NRA Convention website, http://www.nraam.org

You need to get your facts straight, IDIOT!!!!
Before calling anyone or media a liar.

"During the 2015 NRA Annual Meeting & Exhibits, lawfully carried firearms will be permitted in the Music City Center with the proper license in accordance with Tennessee law. Bridgestone Arena prohibits the possession of firearms. When carrying your firearm, remember to follow all federal, state and local laws."

P.S.: I apologize for the harsh language. But it is time to call out the dimwits. Enough is enough!

***You do know that this thread is a giant lie right? They actually did not ban guns from the convention as it was portrayed by the NYT and yourself.

looking at your own post see the bolded bits above.

looking at the top of the page your claim to have pulled this info from
http://www.nraam.org/media/15671/2015_main-header.jpg
it clearly says that the event is at Music City Center

only thing worse than a dimwit is someone who doesn't do the research to find out if what they're saying is true.

turtlespeed

Quoting scripture to me is like playing fooseball with a baseball bat.

ineffective and violent, yet strangely satisfying?

billvon

California has a few laws to prevent that, primarily Prop 13. Prop 13 prevents property taxes from ever exceeding 1% of the value of the property. You also couldn't significantly change the valuation of the house unless it was sold. There are a few other propositions that (for example) cause the valuation to decline in a recession.

typical property tax runs around 3% here, but we don't have income tax.

Property declared as a homestead can't go up in appraised value more than 15% a year.

Property taxes here are all set and collected by the counties. The state sales tax is 6.25% with other municipalities able to add an additional 2%. If the municipalities were to rely on sales tax for their income instead of property tax, then based on my income taxes last year and estimated sales tax paid, they'd need to add 8% to the sales tax. This would seem outlandishly high, but there would be no property tax nor income tax.

It wouldn't likely trickle down to renters though... when was the last time anyone had their rent lowered? People would have to move to take advantage of lower rates, or at least threaten to move when their lease was up to get better rates.

turtlespeed

***Some people would like it, and some wouldn't. Just like everything else. There were people who are thrilled when a DZ closes, and others who aren't. What determines which ones are "right?"

If people can no longer afford to live on their neighborhoods, they lose community; often they also end up losing jobs that are now farther away and possibly no longer accessible by walking or public transit.

If the owners of the houses want to sell them, it's good. If they didn't, then it sucks. Which owner is more "right?"

Wendy P.

What about when they just hike up the property taxes because of the income availability of the new people and displace, by default, the lower income people. That isn't very community friendly, and disagrees with what we are led to believe that the liberals believe in. After all, we have to protect the minotrities and the less fortunate . . . Well, that is until it's inconvienient.
That's another thing the home owners of east austin on the edges of these areas are complaining about. The value of their property is going up and thus so are their property taxes. It's pricing them out of their homes that are paid for. They are effectively renting them from the state and if they can't pay the property taxes (rent) then they get kicked out.

There was a candidate for governor a few years ago who proposed abolishing property tax and raising sales tax. She turned out to be a nutcase for unrelated reasons. Though I'd completely support replacing property taxes with additional sales taxes.

Property taxes tax wealth. When the value goes up and you can't afford the taxes, you have to sell even if you didn't want to. If the sales tax is too high, then don't buy things that are taxed.

local take on it that I've heard is it's a protest of sorts. The gentrification of the neighborhood is pricing the locals (or former locals) out of being able to patronize those businesses.

normiss

Did you hear it's sounding like a sniper shooting?
Over 100 yards away?
WTF????


I wonder if once again outside influence is messing with this local community.
I guess I had assumed it was a crowd or drive by shooting.
Only somewhat less as disgusting, but a clear difference in the intent. Damn.

last I saw it was estimated to have been about 125yd with a .40cal pistol round

BillyVance

A Democrat even!

The operative word was "politician".

Plenty of greedy assholes on both sides.