This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Dave Hardin

  • When They Came For Kavanaugh’s Kid

    When They Came For Kavanaugh’s Kid

    The following was published by The American Conservative

    From editorial cartoonist Chris Britt. How can a man do this to another man’s child? How can editors allow this to pass? What corrupt and wicked hearts they have.

    UPDATE: For some reason, this image is being passed around to some people as if I approved of its message. If you’re going to send it around, please point out that I *abhor* this image.

    UPDATE.2: Still getting e-mails from people denouncing ME for drawing that cartoon. Wild.

    UPDATE.3:     WILL YOU RIGHT-WING IDIOTS WHO THINK THAT I, ROD DREHER, DREW THAT CARTOON AND/OR APPROVE OF IT PLEASE GET A FREAKING CLUE?!

    I’m closing comments on this thread, because I’m tired of dealing with these morons.

    UPDATE.4: This just came in from the publisher of the Illinois Times:

    There appears to be a great deal of confusion surrounding the recent Chris Britt cartoon featuring Judge Kavanaugh’s daughter. I saw that you shared it on your website and I know it has been shared on various other social media sites and attributed to our publication. However, we did not publish this cartoon, either in our paper or on our website. Chris posted it to his own Facebook page and tagged us in it, which we asked him to remove as soon as we became aware of it.

    Chris Britt is not an employee of ours, he is a nationally syndicated cartoonist. While we have published other cartoons of his, we had not seen this particular one and had no knowledge of it until the death threats and hate mail started pouring in. I saw it for the first time myself yesterday.

    I would be glad to speak with you about this situation if you would like to talk directly, but I am hoping that you will be willing to issue a clarification on your site. If people have issues with the cartoon, they can certainly take it up with Chris, but we had no knowledge of this cartoon and were not a part of promoting it. I happen to agree with you that children should be left out of political discussions.

    So stop writing to them about it. The fault is Chris Britt’s, not the newspaper’s.

    Death threats and hate mail…WTF did they expect?  We are much better than that here at TAH.    Please consider sending something like this instead.

  • A Republican Governor Shoots Himself in the Foot

    An article in the WSJ has me wondering what the requirements for claiming to be Republican are and what kind of hogwash is being sold by politicians.

    By Geoffrey Norman:

    For a small state, Vermont has a way of getting noticed. It was the first state to recognize same-sex civil unions and the first to experiment with a single-payer health-care system. Two Vermont politicians—Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Gov. Howard Dean—have sought the White House in recent years. This year, Vermont Democrats made Christine Hallquist the first transgender candidate for governor in any state.

    Ms. Hallquist’s Republican opponent, Gov. Phil Scott, has gone from being one of the nation’s most popular governors to one of its least liked. The reason? Guns. In the days following the February school shootings in Parkland, Fla., a Vermont boy threatened a similar massacre. In April, Mr. Scott signed legislation allowing guns to be taken from people who pose an “extreme risk” of violence and those arrested on suspicion of domestic violence. The law also expanded background checks, banned bump stocks and limited magazine capacity.

    Not long ago, this would have been unthinkable in Vermont. As a House candidate in 1990, Mr. Sanders—who even then called himself a “socialist”—managed to snag the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. He understood how rural Vermonters felt about guns. His opponent supported a ban on “assault rifles.” It cost him the election.

    Vermont has become more liberal as people from neighboring states settle here. Still, signing that legislation cost Mr. Scott his claim on the affections of old-time Vermonters. He has a background in the construction business, and he raced cars at a dirt track called Thunder Road. He gained popularity by promising to hold the line on taxes and focus on jobs so that children the state had spent lavishly to educate wouldn’t leave once they graduated.

    These were familiar themes. The number of students in Vermont’s schools has declined by some 20% since 1997. School spending has gone up 48%, and the ratio of teachers to students is among the lowest in the nation. The bill comes due in the form of property-tax rates that are more than 50% higher than the national average and climbing.

    The economy has been anything but dynamic. For years the labor force shrank as young people departed and their parents retired. There are 16,000 fewer people in the workforce than there were in 2009. Employers complain they can’t find qualified people to take jobs. The Scott administration will soon begin offering $10,000 payments to telecommuters who move to Vermont. It’s generous, but it may not be enough if the Legislature keeps raising taxes.

    A state-government shutdown was averted this summer when Mr. Scott opted not to veto a bill raising taxes. The Democratic-controlled Legislature insisted on a tax hike even though Vermont had a $55 million budget surplus for 2018. Were it not for the damage to his favorability ratings from the gun legislation, Mr. Scott might have had the political capital to stand up to lawmakers on taxes.

    Vermont governors serve two-year terms, and no incumbent has been defeated for re-election since 1962. But Mr. Scott was challenged from the right in the Republican primary. His opponent’s campaign was fueled by hostility to the gun bill and he got more than 30% of the vote with turnout exceeding expectations. Mr. Scott himself said he was surprised his opponent’s share of the vote wasn’t higher.

    So now Mr. Scott is running against a transgender candidate promising free college tuition, universal health care, paid family leave and a $15 minimum wage. Ms. Hallquist was equivocal when Mr. Scott pressed her in a debate on how she planned to pay for all of it. Perhaps, she said, the state could halve what it spends on its prison population. As for the possibility of a payroll tax, she said: “I’m not afraid of having a tax to be civilized and do those things but we’ll figure ways to fund things in whatever the best way possible is, but that is a collaborative decision. That’s why the governor should be working collaboratively with the Legislature to figure out how to do the right thing.”

    There once were some politicians who ran a campaign saying, “Everything that should be up is down and everything that should be down is up”.   I am not sure what defines a Republican or a Commie Pinko Hag anymore.

    The rest of the campaign promises to be similarly tedious. Though Mr. Scott has been wounded, he is generally expected to win. But, then, these haven’t been good times for expectations in American politics.

    Nor, particularly, for Vermont, which would like to pay people to come and enjoy its special “quality of life,” but where the malaise of the heartland manifests itself in the usual, depressing ways. According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2014 nearly 5% of women who gave birth in Vermont hospitals had opioid use disorder—the highest, by far, in America, with the national average at 0.65%.

    That’s not a first to be proud of.

    Mr. Norman is a writer living in Vermont.

    A Republican Gun Grabber and a Weiner Denier are who the people of Vermont have set their hopes and dreams upon?  They need someone who is proud of their penis or at least someone who likes peni.  I don’t think putting someone into office that will reach out and grab people by their Glock is a good idea.  Here is a good idea for example:

    It’s perfect for those pesky home invasion opioid zombies.  You can purchase a few HERE.  

    As always…please kill responsibly.

     

  • Wednesday feel good stories

    Wednesday feel good stories

    From Orangeburg, SC

    Orangeburg County deputies say a man shot at a suspect who was breaking into his home.

    Michael Rowe, 37, has been charged with second-degree burglary and breaking and entering into an automobile.

    Sheriff Leroy Ravenell said just before 8 a.m.., Rowe tried to break into a home in the area. The homeowner told officers he heard a noise, then found the suspect inside his house.

    The homeowner grabbed a gun, and Rowe starting trying to get away. Deputies say the homeowner fired three shots at the suspect, but none of them hit him. The homeowner then called 911.

    Responding officers were able to find Rowe about 500 yards from the home.

    “This individual is lucky to be in jail,” the sheriff said. “He could have been in the care of the county coroner’s office.”

    Rowe faces up to 15 years in prison for the burglary charge alone, if convicted of the crime.

    From Mobile, Al 

    There have been several instances of Mobile County homeowners recently standing up to intruders.

    A California mother held a burglar at gunpoint in her home until police arrived Sunday morning, and it was all caught on surveillance cameras.

    According to police, 25-year-old Aoreliorho Velasco snuck into Brittany Morse’s home in Taft and stayed there for three hours.

    “He approached our house around 6:19 in the morning. I didn’t find him until 9 a.m.,” Morse said.

    But the warning signs came early on.

    “We woke up in the morning and my kids were saying, ‘your laptop’s missing,’ and I was just on it the night before,” Morse said.

    While searching for her laptop, her seven-year-old daughter Aubrey first noticed Velasco their garage.

    “She opened the door, she sees him there and slams it shut–screaming, running back to me,” Morse explained.

    Morse shuttled her children into one room, then grabbed the gun she bought just two weeks ago. She cornered him from the doorway of the garage as she called 911.

    “I told the dispatch, ‘I believe he has a knife on him.’ And I told him, ‘you come near me, you take one step toward me, I will shoot you,’” she said.

    Taft police showed up in two minutes. In a news release, they said Velasco used the rear garage door to enter their home.

    The most valuable thing he took was Morse’s laptop. He also stole food.

    “He went through my purse. He didn’t take my credit cards; he didn’t take the money I had in my purse. He took bananas,” she said.

    Taft police say they haven’t seen a case like this.

    If he would’ve come in the house while me and my children were awake, I don’t know what he would’ve done. But I wasn’t going to sit there and find out,” Morse said.

    Taft police say Velasco was booked into Taft City Jail for first-degree burglary. He also has an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for possession of drug paraphernalia. He is due in court on Tuesday and Wednesday.

  • Reasons why we can not have nice things.

    JBLM soldier playing with handgun shoots girlfriend, police say

    A Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier playing with a pistol shot and wounded his girlfriend Tuesday in Lakewood, according to Pierce County prosecutors.

    The 21-year-old was charged Thursday with one count of third-degree assault and released on his own recognizance with orders to live on base.

    The soldier is a specialist within the 7th Infantry Division, division spokesman Lt. Col. Roger Cabiness said.

    According to charging documents:

    Police and West Pierce Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched Tuesday night to a report of an accidental shooting at an apartment in the 8100 block of 83rd Avenue Southwest.

    First responders found the solider applying pressure to a wound on the right side of his 21-year-old girlfriend of four months. She told police they had just returned to his apartment after getting dinner when she heard a gunshot and fell to the ground.

    He ran to her and began administering first aid and called 911.

    The woman told medics her legs were tingling and she could barely feel her toes, but the extent of her injuries are unknown.

    The man gave a brief statement at the scene, saying the couple had just gotten back to his apartment from dinner. He always has a pistol with him, and thought he cleared the rounds from it when they returned.

    He said he didn’t realize it was loaded until it went off and the bullet hit his girlfriend.

    He gave a more detailed interview later, admitting he was playing with the gun and pointed it at his girlfriend, joking he was robbing her. He pulled the trigger, thinking the gun wasn’t loaded.

    It was loaded, and the gun went off and shot his girlfriend, he said.

    I can not envision what would happen if I pointed a weapon at the Soviet.  There are several different things that make her legs tingle and there are even brief moments when she can barely feel her toes.  However, I never play “Point the Gun” with her.

  • 126,000 service members in crosshairs for separation as DoD’s ‘deploy or get out’ policy takes effect

    126,000 service members in crosshairs for separation as DoD’s ‘deploy or get out’ policy takes effect

    Army Command Sgt. Maj. Craig Owens, of the 200th Military Police Command, leads a team-building ruck march while wearing protective masks in Scottsdale, Ariz., Sept. 16, 2017, as part of a larger event to discuss ways to increase readiness to deploy. (Master Sgt. Michel Sauret/Army)

    The Pentagon’s hard line on troop readiness took effect Monday, and 126,000 service members now find themselves on a path to separation if they do not become deployable in the next 12 months.

    “Deploy or get out” was an early policy priority of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to improve the overall readiness of U.S. military forces. It was formalized in February and gave the services until Oct. 1 to be ready to begin holding troops accountable. Those intervening months also gave troops time to prepare, to get rid of administrative, legal or medical blocks that may have previously kept them in a non-deployable status.

    “Excluding trainees, approximately 6 percent (126,000) of the total force — active duty, National Guard and Reserve — were non-deployable as of Aug. 31, 2018,” DoD said in a statement to Military Times. “This includes temporary as well as permanent non-deployable service members. The reasons vary, but they are predominantly medical.”

    Of that 126,000 total, 66,000 are non-deployable due to illness or injury, DoD said.

    Of that 126,000 total, 24,000 are considered permanently non-deployable and were pending a disability evaluation that could lead to the service member’s transition out of the military, DoD said.

    The sick, lame and lazy should have been gone a long time ago.  Seems to be taking a long time to purge the non-hackers from active duty.  I am sure they are all victims of something or another.   The entire article is HERE.

     

  • Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II receives the Medal of Honor

    Army Staff Sgt. Ronald Shurer II receives the Medal of Honor

    “Today is a truly proud and special day for those of us here in the White House because Ron works right here alongside of us on the Secret Service counter-assault team; these are incredible people,” Trump told a crowded room filled with Shurer’s family, fellow soldiers and Army senior leaders.

    Trump then told the story of Shurer’s bravery as a Green Beret on a daring April 6, 2008, mission in the Shok Valley of Afghanistan to “hunt down a deadly terrorist, a leader in that world … [who] was in a remote mountain village.”

    “Ron was among two dozen Special Forces soldiers and 100 Afghan commandos who dropped off by helicopter into Shok Valley, a rocky barren valley, far away from reinforcements,” Trump said.

    The assault force encountered no enemy activity during the 1,000-foot climb to their objective, but as the lead element approached the target village, “roughly 200 well-trained and well-armed terrorists ambushed the American and Afghan forces,” he said.

    Shurer, the mission’s only medic, immediately began treating wounded. He then sprinted and climbed through enemy fire to reach several of his teammates who were pinned down on a cliff above.

    “There was blood all over the place,” Trump said. “It was a tough, tough situation to be in. Immediately, Ron climbed the rocky mountain, all the while fighting back against the enemy and dodging gun fire left and right. Rockets were shot at him, everything was shot at him.”

    After treating and stabilizing two more soldiers, Shurer was struck in the helmet by a bullet that had passed through another soldier’s arm. He was stunned by the blow but quickly bandaged the soldier’s arm.

    “He continued to brave withering enemy fire to get to [another] soldier’s location to treat his lower leg, which had been almost completely severed by a high-caliber sniper round,” according to the award citation.

    Shurer then helped evacuate the wounded down the mountainside so they could be loaded aboard helicopters.

    He rejoined his commando squad and “continued to lead his troops and emplace security elements” until it was time to leave the area, the citation states.

    “For more than six hours, Ron bravely faced down the enemy; not a single American died in that brutal battle thanks in great measure to Ron’s heroic actions,” Trump said.

     

    One hell of a hero, I will send him a free membership to the Dollar Shave Club.

  • Tuesday morning feel good stories

    Tuesday morning feel good stories

    From PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY, VA

    The man shot by a Pittsylvania County homeowner after officials say he tried to force himself into the person’s home on Sunday night has died, according to investigators.

    Staff at Carilion Hospital in Roanoke say that 22-year-old Nicholas Marlowe died shortly before midnight on Sunday night.

    Investigators say they returned to the scene Monday to talk with potential witnesses and to review the scene.

    According to officials, there are no criminal charges at this time, but the Commonwealth’s Attorney will be reviewing all evidence and witness statement before a final decision.

    Officials say an autopsy was performed on Monday morning to determine the cause and manner of death.

    ORIGINAL STORY

    A person who officials say was forcing himself into a home was shot by a homeowner in Pittsylvania County Sunday night.

    The Pittsylvania County Sheriff’s Office said they were called to the Penhook community in the 3800 block of Smith Mountain Road around 8:25 p.m.

    Deputies said an investigation revealed the homeowner shot the intruder as he was forcing his way into the home.

    The alleged intruder was taken to Roanoke Carillon Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

    No charges have been filed, but the incident remains under investigation.

    From SUITLAND, MD

    Detectives in Prince George’s County, Maryland are searching for a burglar who had some bad luck while trying to rob a carryout in Suitland last month.

    According to police, the bandit threw a brick or a large rock at the restaurant on Sept. 20, and successfully shattered the front glass window.

    After being hit in the head, the suspect fell to the ground and laid there for a few minutes before eventually getting up and leaving the business.

     

    From Brevard, FL

    Cocoa police say a private security officer shot and killed a masked gunman trying to rob a business.

    Investigators said Nathaniel Carter, 55, was trying to rob the Blue Diamond Arcade on US-1 in Cocoa. The attempted robbery happened Monday around 12:40 a.m, police said.

    According to police, the security guard confronted Carter immediately, telling him, “Don’t do this.”

    Carter and the security guard exchanged gunfire, police said.

    Investigators said the suspect was struck by a bullet and ran out of the building but only made it about 80 feet before he collapsed.

    Carter was pronounced dead at the hospital.

    Police said they reviewed surveillance video of the confrontation.

    “It’s clear that the security officer was well within the legal boundaries to shoot the suspect,” said Sgt. Doug Levine of the Criminal Investigations Division.

    No customers were inside the business at the time.

  • When they start pimping out the corpse of a dead veteran for votes…everyone should lose.

    When they start pimping out the corpse of a dead veteran for votes…everyone should lose.

    The corpse of Jason Simcakoski seems to be popular fodder for political grazing these days.  Jason died in 2014 while in the care of the VA.  Now,  Leah Vukmir and Tammy Baldwin are using his death in their respective campaign adds.

    The parents and widow of a Marine veteran who died at the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center appear in a pair of television ads that debuted Thursday praising Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin and calling attacks against her “shameful.”

    The spots are an attempt by Baldwin to counter one of the main criticisms of her lodged by Republican opponent Leah Vukmir and conservative groups. Vukmir has charged that Baldwin failed to respond quickly enough to the crisis at Tomah, where veterans were being over-prescribed opioids leading up to the death of Jason Simcakoski in 2014.

    Simcakoski’s parents are in one new Baldwin ad and his widow is in another. In both, they praise Baldwin for working with them to enact a law that toughened opioid prescription guidelines. They also call for attacks against Baldwin on Tomah to stop.

    “When I see these attack ads against Tammy Baldwin, using Jason’s death, I think it’s shameful,” his widow Heather says in one ad. “Tammy has literally been there with us every step of the way for three years. She’s the one helping us do right by our veterans.”

    It’s not bad enough that two politicians are using his death for political gain…now his widow and parents have jumped into the ring.

    In an ad released Wednesday, Vukmir attacked Baldwin over her response to the Tomah crisis. It was the latest in a series of spots by her and conservative groups that have spent millions attacking Baldwin on the issue.

    “You knew about the opioid crisis at the Tomah VA and you did nothing,” Vukmir said in the ad.

    Baldwin’s office heard from a whistleblower about concerns at Tomah in March 2014. It received a report in August 2014 about its 2½-year investigation into Tomah that cited concerns over the prescription of opioids at the facility, which is about 100 miles northwest of Madison.

    Simcakoski died the day after Baldwin’s office received the report.

    The family of Jason Simcakoski became effective activists and were instrumental in passing the  Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act.  They were also awarded $2.3 million.  The practice of treating veterans at “Pill Factories” needed to be addressed.

    Everyone is diminished when they are drawn into petty political fights.  Vukmir and Baldwin are political parasites feeding on the dead corpse of a veteran.  Shame on his family for jumping into this fight.  Vukmir needs to STFU and Baldwin lacks the dignity to ask this family to stay out of this petty fight.  The lawyers were all paid, the family was paid, even the doctor that was in charge of Simcakoski managed to get his back pay.  Now, these two political hacks seek to profit from his death.

    I hope my family has the dignity not to pimp out my corpse.    Maybe one day they will all find the dignity to let my brother rest in peace.