http://tspwiki.com/index.php?title=2013
As always, Alex Shrugged's opinions are his own. Other people's work are their own. I include them here for the sake of completeness and to provide a second method of access to the material for the TSP history segment.
* Please Don't Shoot the Surfer Dude, Delivery Gal, Old Lady... Whatever! -- Contributed by Alex Shrugged
* Edward Snowden proves tinfoil hats are reasonable -- Contributed by Southpaw Ben
* Boston Blows it Big Time -- Contributed by Alex Shrugged
* Notable Births -- See below.
* This Year in Film -- See below.
* This Year in Music -- See below.
* In Other News -- See below.
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Please Don't Shoot the Surfer Dude, Delivery Gal, Old Lady... Whatever!
Contributed by Alex ShruggedLAPD Officer Chris Dorner has been fired after a hearing determines that he lied in a report against his training officer. Dorner is a black man with a big chip on his shoulder, so the LAPD is worried about what he might do next. He goes on a shooting spree. In Orange County, he murders the daughter of his lawyer. He sends a threatening manifesto to CNN's Anderson Cooper. In Corona, he shoots at two policemen and ambushes a patrol car in Riverside. Anyone familiar with Southern California roads knows that San Bernadino is next, but 25 minutes later he is reported in San Diego trying to steal a boat! (FYI, he would have to go 240 MPH non-stop to get there in that time frame.) Finally, Dorner's grey Nissan Titan is found burning on a remote trail near the vacation resort of Big Bear Lake in the San Bernadino mountains. Officers begin a house-by-house search. In the meantime, the LAPD has assigned protection teams to key officials. In the wee hours of the morning, a lone pickup truck comes creeping along the curb of the street. It stops briefly at each house as if looking for an address. The protection team has spotted the truck. It is obviously Dorner the mad assassin! SHOOT! SHOOT! SHOOT! Without warning, 102 bullets riddle the blue Toyota Tacoma. Emma Hernandez, 71, and her daughter, Margie Carranza, 47, are wounded, but they survive the onslaught. They deliver the newspaper every morning. A few minutes later the Torrence Police (same city) spot "Dorner" in a black Honda pickup. "Dorner" is a white male this time. The police cruiser rams the truck and officers fire a fusillade of bullets completely missing David Perdue on his way to do some early morning surfing. Dorner is everywhere. He's nowhere, and no one is safe... FROM THE POLICE! [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
My Take by Alex Shrugged
Looking back, it is easy to criticize. Dorner did try to steal a boat, but that was the day before. Reports came in fast, and out of order. He might have been anywhere. In the gray hours of the morning, mistakes happen which is why you make sure you are not shooting an old lady or a white man when you are looking for a very large black man with a rifle. BTW, if you look at a picture of the Tacoma, it is a miracle those ladies lived. No police officer was charged criminally. Dorner himself (the real Dorner) refused to give up. He car-jacked a white Dodge truck. (Everyone duck!) Fish and Game officers identified him correctly. (Hire them!) He shot at two San Bernadino sheriffs, killing one, as he barricaded himself in a cabin. Sheriffs fired tear gas into the cabin which started a fire. (I say intentionally, but they say not.) A single shot was heard. Dorner blew his brains out. Bye-bye.
Looking back, it is easy to criticize. Dorner did try to steal a boat, but that was the day before. Reports came in fast, and out of order. He might have been anywhere. In the gray hours of the morning, mistakes happen which is why you make sure you are not shooting an old lady or a white man when you are looking for a very large black man with a rifle. BTW, if you look at a picture of the Tacoma, it is a miracle those ladies lived. No police officer was charged criminally. Dorner himself (the real Dorner) refused to give up. He car-jacked a white Dodge truck. (Everyone duck!) Fish and Game officers identified him correctly. (Hire them!) He shot at two San Bernadino sheriffs, killing one, as he barricaded himself in a cabin. Sheriffs fired tear gas into the cabin which started a fire. (I say intentionally, but they say not.) A single shot was heard. Dorner blew his brains out. Bye-bye.
Edward Snowden proves tinfoil hats are reasonable
Contributed by Southpaw BenIn May, a NSA contractor takes leave and travels to Hong Kong allegedly to get treatment for his epilepsy. He meets with several members of The Guardian while there. On June 5, the first of many reports on the classified materials he has given them is published, revealing that over 120 million Verizon customers have had their phone records collected by the NSA. From this point on, the reports come one after another, showing just how far down the rabbit hole the NSA is. Among this information is evidence the NSA has been spying on Brazilian emails, and our European allies among other foreign nations.
My Take by Southpaw Ben
Many people in the liberty movement saw this as the proof they needed to get the American people to see how bad the government has gotten. While I completely agree that the NSA should not have been spying on US, many of the same people shouting the loudest over this were also complaining about the NSA spying on our allies. This is where I disagree with them. The NSA's job is to spy on potential threats to the US, which can include our allies. While I don't think the US should be meddling in other countries elections, collecting intelligence from them about what's going on behind closed doors should be expected.
Many people in the liberty movement saw this as the proof they needed to get the American people to see how bad the government has gotten. While I completely agree that the NSA should not have been spying on US, many of the same people shouting the loudest over this were also complaining about the NSA spying on our allies. This is where I disagree with them. The NSA's job is to spy on potential threats to the US, which can include our allies. While I don't think the US should be meddling in other countries elections, collecting intelligence from them about what's going on behind closed doors should be expected.
Boston Blows it Big Time
Contributed by Alex Shrugged- "When the smoke started to clear, I could see lots of bodies. [...] I could see a lot of mangled limbs, a lot of blood and shattered glass."
- -- Dave Abel, Boston Globe Reporter, 10 feet from the blast, apparently shielded by those closer to the explosion.
My Take by Alex Shrugged
They eventually found him in a parked boat under a tarp, but what really galled me was how docile the Boston public was in the face of government intrusion. The governor ordered a lock-down of the area. Police were armed to the teeth like it was Beirut. I'm as anxious as the next guy to help the police find a killer, but that is MY choice. The police ask for my cooperation. They don't tell me what to do unless they have probable cause and a warrant. If they are in hot pursuit then I'm flexible, but there was no hot pursuit. They didn't know where he was. When they found the guy in a boat they shot him several times. The Police Chief said that he was firing at police, but the guy was unarmed. They took him to the hospital. As of this writing he is sitting on death row, but initially, some people felt sorry for him probably because he had that little lost puppy look. Spare me! A lot of this was a dry run to see if the government could control the public... to see how citizens would react if their government imposed military rule over them at least temporarily. From the government perspective the public reacted well. I was appalled. [9] [10]
They eventually found him in a parked boat under a tarp, but what really galled me was how docile the Boston public was in the face of government intrusion. The governor ordered a lock-down of the area. Police were armed to the teeth like it was Beirut. I'm as anxious as the next guy to help the police find a killer, but that is MY choice. The police ask for my cooperation. They don't tell me what to do unless they have probable cause and a warrant. If they are in hot pursuit then I'm flexible, but there was no hot pursuit. They didn't know where he was. When they found the guy in a boat they shot him several times. The Police Chief said that he was firing at police, but the guy was unarmed. They took him to the hospital. As of this writing he is sitting on death row, but initially, some people felt sorry for him probably because he had that little lost puppy look. Spare me! A lot of this was a dry run to see if the government could control the public... to see how citizens would react if their government imposed military rule over them at least temporarily. From the government perspective the public reacted well. I was appalled. [9] [10]
Notable Births
None that I can find so far.--alexshruggedNotable Deaths
- Hugo Chávez (age 58, respiratory infection): (Socialist) President of Venezuela. His last words are: "Yo no quiero morir, por favor no me dejen morir" (I don't want to die. Please don't let me die). (He was a modern example of what socialism can do to a country.... good and hard.--alexshrugged) [11]
- Margaret Thatcher (age 87, stroke): Prime Minister of the UK. (I disagreed with her position on healthcare, but she was a great lady. I miss her.--alexshrugged) [11]
- Tom Clancy (age 66, undisclosed, likely heart-related): Author of "The Hunt for Red October" and video games like "Rainbow Six", "Ghost Recon" and many others. (My favorite author of thrillers. He came up with the idea of using passenger jets as flying bombs. See Debt of Honor.--alexshrugged) [11]
- Cory Monteith (age 31, heroin overdose): Finn in TV's Glee. He had entered rehab a few months earlier after the cast arranged an intervention. (A resumption of drug and alcohol use after a short period of abstinence IN ADDICTS AND HEAVY DRINKERS can cause death.--alexshrugged )
This Year in Film
- Frozen: Animated musical. Traditional story. (I didn't hate it.--alexshrugged) [13]
- The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug: (They are dragging the story out and thus ruining it.--alexshrugged) [13]
- And...: Star Trek Into Darkness, Man of Steel, and Lone Survivor (As I recall, Navy Seal Marcus Luttrell told the producers, "If you dishonor my friends I will kill you all," or words to that effect.--alexshrugged). [13]
This Year in TV
- Time Warner Cable refuses ads for firearms: This is in response to the Sandyhook murders and President Obama's push against so-called assault weapons. [14]
- Red Eye's Greg Gutfeld calls comedian Jim Carrey "the most pathetic tool on the face of the earth": Carrey's anti-gun video, "Cold Dead Hands" seems hypocritical since he plays superhero Colonel Stars and Stripes in Kick Ass 2 while using a gun. (Click here to see trailer, but only if you are over 40, or maybe 50.) [14] [17]
This Year in Music
- Blurred Lines: Robin Thicke featuring T.I and Pharrell. "I know you want it, but you're a good girl" (I cannot in good conscience provide a link to this music.--alexshrugged) [18]
- Thrift Shop: Macklemore with Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz. "I'm gonna pop some tags / Only got twenty dollars in my pocket / I - I - I'm hunting, looking for a come-up / This is f---ing awesome" (The music video has the virtue of being self-deprecating. What other virtues it has are lost on me.--alexshrugged) [18] [19]
- Locked Out of Heaven: Bruno Mars. "'Cause you make me feel like I've been locked out of heaven." (The music and vocals are good. The lyrics are are not obscene, but too direct, so no link.--alexshrugged) [18]
This Year in Video Games
- Grand Theft Auto 5: The game grosses $800 million the 1st day. It is criticized for torture and violence against women. Target pulls the game from the shelves. (It makes no difference.--alexshrugged) [20]
- The Last of Us: Survival-horror. Your mission is to get a teenage girl across a post-apocalyptic US while fighting off cannibals and whatever else comes your way. [20]
- The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds for the Nintendo 3DS handheld: 17th in the series. Link must restore peace to the kingdom after the sorcerer Yuga kidnaps Princess Zelda. (Blah, blah, blah. It is incredibly popular.--alexshrugged) [20]
In Other News
| Event | More Info | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| George Zimmerman is acquitted of all charges in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin. | Despite media attempts to paint Zimmerman as a Neo-Nazi, he acted in self defense. Florida's 2005 "Stand Your Ground" law says that he had no duty to retreat. [21] [22] [23] | (I've heard an extensive interview of Zimmerman, and I am convinced he acted correctly, if a little too enthusiastically at first.--alexshrugged) |
| The Chelyabinsk meteor explodes over Russia, injuring almost 1.5 million people and damaging over 4,300 buildings | It is the most powerful meteor to strike Earth's atmosphere since the Tunguska Blast. [24] [25][26] [22][27] | (You have to see the video. It is unbelieveable.--alexshrugged) |
| The Journal of Pediatrics confirms that there is no scientific link between vaccines and autism [28] [22] | The other top concern of parents is administering too many vacines in one day. | (Well... I'm glad that is all settled now.--alexshrugged) |
| The first 3-D gun is printed in Austin, Texas. | As with the Glock, the government is worried that plastic weapons might evade airport screening. [29][30] [22] | (They already can.--alexshrugged) |
| And a bunch of stuff that seems more important that the above. | (Only time will tell.--alexshrugged) |
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