The news thread

[Stavros]

House is left to burn, as owner did not pay $75 firefighter fee.

I am so glad I live in a country where this sort of thing seems horrific. The idea that you'd pay the fire brigade in this country is as alien as saying you'd pay the police to investigate your house being burgled.

[Venneh]

And this, kids, is why privatizing/not properly funding government services is a very bad idea. Cause if you don't pay, fuck you.

(Please note: this observation is fuelled by year of my right-wing family/family friends advocating this sort of thing in lieu of government funding. I do not know if this is necessarily the situation with this county's fire department.)

[MaxPower]

Eh, that's not that big a deal. People know that the fee is there, they obviously rolled the dice and this time it came up snake eyes. Sure you could argue the fire department is a gov funded service, but I guess they are segmenting their rates, so people know what they are paying for. And that guy offering to pay once the fire started, is like someone ringing up to pay car insurance after an accident.

Seriously, the guy even admits he thought they'd save him even if he didn't pay, so he's the kind of douche that just expects other people to pay for his way of life.

[SuaveStar]

And this, kids, is why privatizing/not properly funding government services is a very bad idea. Cause if you don't pay, fuck you.

(Please note: this observation is fuelled by year of my right-wing family/family friends advocating this sort of thing in lieu of government funding. I do not know if this is necessarily the situation with this county's fire department.)

Its basically the council saying, if you don't pay, you are fucked. The guy wanted to pay in the end, and I have read points from both sides. But at the end of the day, its like paying for boiler repair. Some companies offer monthly payments, where you pay X monthly, and don't pay call out fees to get it fixed. However, if you take your chances and your boiler breaks down, you are fucked and are going to have to pay those fees, usually a lot more than the monthly instalments. So, you are really taking your chances not paying the fee, and if it goes wrong, you're paying for your decision.

In this situation, it was more a, you didn't play by our rules, go fuck yourself, method. The man admitted he would pay call it fees, and the FD could do nothing for him, as they were told take no action, if the council were smart, they could have put out the fire, and made him pay through the nose in fees as a deterrent to others to say "You can either pay $75 a year for this service...or you can pay $1200 call out fee every time you have a fire. The choice is yours" But in this situation, it did almost seem like fear tactics, to warn off others from not paying the FD fee.

But they didn't, and are therefore paying for their PR fuck up.

I've never heard of a FD fee before, and had this story never broke, I probably never would have.

[Missy]

Eh, that's not that big a deal. People know that the fee is there, they obviously rolled the dice and this time it came up snake eyes. Sure you could argue the fire department is a gov funded service, but I guess they are segmenting their rates, so people know what they are paying for. And that guy offering to pay once the fire started, is like someone ringing up to pay car insurance after an accident.

This particular fire department isn't funded by taxes, hence the fee.

I'm not saying they should have let it burn. Quite the opposite, actually. I feel they should have saved the home, then fined the family (or their insurance) to recoup the cost of the labor, water, etc. There should be a penalty, but your home shouldn't be it.

[JackFetch]

If that fire department received any federal money he can sue on the grounds that he is covered since he pays federal taxes. Same goes for state taxes. Fire and police are basic services that everyone receives. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If his family were trapped in there, would they have sat there and watched it burn? I saw an interview with the guy where he said they let a barn full of horses burn because someone else didn't pay.

This particular fire department isn't funded by taxes, hence the fee.

All fire departments receive some federal and state money, and 911 is federally funded which is what they use to go on calls.

[KnightWing]

And this, kids, is why privatizing/not properly funding government services is a very bad idea. Cause if you don't pay, fuck you.

They were gonna pay either way, through taxes or other means. But since they were given the option, they chose not to.

That being said, I agree that the fire dept. should have put the fire out, THEN gone to work on the finance side of things. There should be a policy in place for that, much like the policy on drivers' licenses that requires you to render aid in case of an accident.

[KnightWing]

In other news...

The burqa has now been outlawed in France.

Found this interesting:

Clear majorities also backed burqa bans in Germany, Britain and Spain, while two out of three Americans opposed it, the survey found.

Wait a minute. I thought America was just made up of intolerant bigots. That's what the news keeps telling me, anyway. Now I'm so confused...

[Garfield]

In other news...

The burqa has now been outlawed in France.

Found this interesting:

Clear majorities also backed burqa bans in Germany, Britain and Spain, while two out of three Americans opposed it, the survey found.

Wait a minute. I thought America was just made up of intolerant bigots. That's what the news keeps telling me, anyway. Now I'm so confused...

Shows you can't beleive everything you hear.

[JackFetch]

A federal judge issued a worldwide injunction Tuesday stopping enforcement of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, ending the military's 17-year-old ban on openly gay troops.

U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips' landmark ruling was widely cheered by gay rights organizations that credited her with getting accomplished what President Obama and Washington politics could not.

"This order from Judge Phillips is another historic and courageous step in the right direction, a step that Congress has been noticeably slow in taking," said Alexander Nicholson, executive director of Servicemembers United and the sole named veteran plaintiff in the case along with the Log Cabin Republicans.

Servicemembers United is the nation's largest organization of gay and lesbian troops and veterans.

U.S. Department of Justice attorneys have 60 days to appeal. Legal experts say the department is under no legal obligation to do so and could let Phillips' ruling stand.

Phillips declared the law unconstitutional after a two-week nonjury trial in federal court in Riverside. She said the Log Cabin Republicans "established at trial that the Don't Ask, Don't Tell Act irreparably injures servicemembers by infringing their fundamental rights."

She said the policy violates due process rights, freedom of speech and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances guaranteed by the First Amendment.

"Furthermore, there is no adequate remedy at law to prevent the continued violation of servicemembers' rights or to compensate them for violation of their rights," Phillips said.

She said Department of Justice attorneys did not address these issues in their objection to her expected injunction.

Story continues below

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Before issuing her order, Phillips had asked for input from Department of Justice attorneys and the Log Cabin Republicans, the gay rights group that filed the lawsuit in 2004 to stop the ban's enforcement.

The Log Cabin Republicans asked her for an immediate injunction so the policy can no longer be used against any U.S. military personnel anywhere in the world.

"The order represents a complete and total victory for the Log Cabin Republicans and reaffirms the constitutional rights of gays and lesbians in the military who are fighting and dying for our country," said Dan Woods, an attorney for the Log Cabin group.

Government attorneys objected, saying such an abrupt change might harm military operations in a time of war. They had asked Phillips to limit her ruling to the members of the Log Cabin Republicans, a 19,000-member group that includes current and former military service members.

The Department of Justice attorneys also said Congress should decide the issue – not her court.

Phillips disagreed, saying the law doesn't help military readiness and instead has a "direct and deleterious effect" on the armed services by hurting recruiting during wartime and requiring the discharge of service members with critical skills and training.

Legal experts say the Obama administration could choose to not appeal her ruling to end the ban – but Department of Justice attorneys are not likely to stay mum since Obama has made it clear he wants Congress to repeal the policy.

"The president has taken a very consistent position here, and that is: 'Look, I will not use my discretion in any way that will step on Congress' ability to be the sole decider about this policy here," said Diane H. Mazur, legal co-director of the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California at Santa Barbara that supports a repeal.

Tracy Schmaler, spokeswoman for the Department of Justice, said the government was reviewing Phillips' ruling Tuesday and had no immediate comment.

Gay rights advocates say they worry they lost a crucial opportunity to change the law when Senate Republicans opposed the defense bill earlier this month because of a "don't ask, don't tell" repeal provision.

If Democrats lose seats in the upcoming elections, repealing the ban could prove even more difficult – if not impossible – next year.

Woods said the administration should be seizing the opportunity to let a judge do what politics has been unable to do.

The "don't ask, don't tell" policy prohibits the military from asking about the sexual orientation of service members but bans those who are openly gay. Under the 1993 policy, service men and women who acknowledge being gay or are discovered engaging in homosexual activity, even in the privacy of their own homes off base, are subject to discharge.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/12/dont-ask-dont-tell-judge_n_759960.html

[MaxPower]

Fighting the urge to post the video clip of In the Navy......

[dc20willsave]

Okay, my disdain for the Log Cabin Republicans is slightly lessened.

[MaxPower]

Just in case it hasn't gotten through yet: You ARE being monitored on the net

Yep, I have no words for the path society is headed...

Obviously I didn't mean this site is tracing us

Edited October 18, 2010 by MaxPower

[Missy]

Bob Guccione, the founder of Penthouse, has died of cancer.

[Dread]

At 80 years old, I wonder if he regrets all the sex and cocaine? Probably not...

[JackFetch]

I only know who he is from the Guns-n-Roses song Get in the Ring.

The song's reference to Bob Guccione Jr. includes a comment about his father (founder of Penthouse magazine) 'gets more pussy' than Guccione Jr. does. The younger Guccione actually responded in a letter to Axl Rose, saying that he accepted the challenge; however, no fight ever occurred.

Rappers weren't the only ones to feud using songs.

[SuaveStar]

Randy Quaid attempts to flee to Canada.

[ShaunKL]

That's.. ah... weird.

[slothian]

Trying to avoid prosecution is one thing - claiming that Randy Quaid is next in a string of assassinations following Heath Ledger and David Carradine is quite another.

[JackFetch]

He's turning into Cousin Eddie.

[Venneh]

My son is gay.

Posted: November 2, 2010 by Cop's Wife

Or he’s not. I don’t care. He is still my son. And he is 5. And I am his mother. And if you have a problem with anything mentioned above, I don’t want to know you.

I have gone back and forth on whether I wanted to post something more in-depth about my sweet boy and his choice of Halloween costume. Or more specifically, the reactions to it. I figure if I’m still irked by it a few days later, I may as well go ahead and post my thoughts.

Here are the facts that lead up to my rant:

1. My son is 5 and goes to a church preschool.

2. He has loved Scooby Doo since developing the ability and attention span to sit still long enough to watch it.

3. Halloween is a holiday and its main focus is wearing a costume.

4. My son’s school had the kids dress up, do a little parade, and then change out of costumes for the rest of the party.

5. Boo’s best friend is a little girl

6. Boo has an older sister

7. Boo spends most of his time with me.

8. I am a woman.

9. I am Boo’s mother, not you.

So a few weeks before Halloween, Boo decides he wants to be Daphne from Scooby Doo, along with his best friend E. He had dressed as Scooby a couple of years ago. I was hesitant to make the purchase, not because it was a cross gendered situation, but because 5 year olds have a tendency to change their minds. After requesting a couple of more times, I said sure and placed the order. He flipped out when it arrived. It was perfect.

Then as we got closer to the actual day, he stared to hem and haw about it. After some discussion it comes out that he is afraid people will laugh at him. I pointed out that some people will because it is a cute and clever costume. He insists their laughter would be of the ‘making fun’ kind. I blow it off. Seriously, who would make fun of a child in costume?

And then the big day arrives. We get dressed up. We drop Squirt at his preschool and head over to his. Boo doesn’t want to get out of the car. He’s afraid of what people will say and do to him. I convince him to go inside. He halts at the door. He’s visibly nervous. I chalk it up to him being a bit of a worrier in general. Seriously, WHO WOULD MAKE FUN OF A CHILD IN A COSTUME ON HALLOWEEN? So he walks in. And there were several friends of mine that knew what he was wearing that smiled and waved and gave him high-fives. We walk down the hall to where his classroom is.

And that’s where things went wrong. Two mothers went wide-eyed and made faces as if they smelled decomp. And I realize that my son is seeing the same thing I am. So I say, “Doesn’t he look great?” And Mom A says in disgust, “Did he ask to be that?!” I say that he sure did as Halloween is the time of year that you can be whatever it is that you want to be. They continue with their nosy, probing questions as to how that was an option and didn’t I try to talk him out of it. Mom B mostly just stood there in shock and dismay.

And then Mom C approaches. She had been in the main room, saw us walk in, and followed us down the hall to let me know her thoughts. And they were that I should never have ‘allowed’ this and thank God it wasn’t next year when he was in Kindergarten since I would have had to put my foot down and ‘forbidden’ it. To which I calmly replied that I would do no such thing and couldn’t imagine what she was talking about. She continued on and on about how mean children could be and how he would be ridiculed.

My response to that: The only people that seem to have a problem with it is their mothers.

Another mom pointed out that high schools often have Spirit Days where girls dress like boys and vice versa. I mentioned Powderpuff Games where football players dress like cheerleaders and vice versa. Or every frat boy ever in college (Mom A said that her husband was a frat boy and NEVER dressed like a woman.)

But here’s the point, it is none of your damn business.

If you think that me allowing my son to be a female character for Halloween is somehow going to ‘make’ him gay then you are an idiot. Firstly, what a ridiculous concept. Secondly, if my son is gay, OK. I will love him no less. Thirdly, I am not worried that your son will grow up to be an actual ninja so back off.

If my daughter had dressed as Batman, no one would have thought twice about it. No one.

But it also was heartbreaking to me that my sweet, kind-hearted five year old was right to be worried. He knew that there were people like A, B, and C. And he, at 5, was concerned about how they would perceive him and what would happen to him.

Just as it was heartbreaking to those parents that have lost their children recently due to bullying. IT IS NOT OK TO BULLY. Even if you wrap it up in a bow and call it ‘concern.’ Those women were trying to bully me. And my son. MY son.

It is obvious that I neither abuse nor neglect my children. They are not perfect, but they are learning how to navigate this big, and sometimes cruel, world. I hate that my son had to learn this lesson while standing in front of allegedly Christian women. I hate that those women thought those thoughts, and worse felt comfortable saying them out loud. I hate that ‘pink’ is still called a girl color and that my baby has to be so brave if he wants to be Daphne for Halloween.

And all I hope for my kids, and yours, and those of Moms ABC, are that they are happy. If a set of purple sparkly tights and a velvety dress is what makes my baby happy one night, then so be it. If he wants to carry a purse, or marry a man, or paint fingernails with his best girlfriend, then ok. My job as his mother is not to stifle that man that he will be, but to help him along his way. Mine is not to dictate what is ‘normal’ and what is not, but to help him become a good person.

I hope I am doing that.

And my little man worked that costume like no other. He rocked that wig, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Source

Rock on, lady.

[MaxPower]

Fantastic post, she made all the points I would have, about sport/college culture and about her daughter dressing as Batman no one would have cared.

[Venneh]

This is fucking disgusting. Can't wait to see if I get to go back home and get groped for Christmas. :/ WARNING: If you have sexual assault in your past, this may be triggering.

[ShaunKL]

I had to be patted down last time I went on a trip, why didn't they ask the parent if they wanted a private screening?

[MaxPower]

I'm not defending this in any way shape or form, like Jack said, buying a ticket isn't probable cause. I did find this article interesting on how it's affecting the staff.

Staff in the screening area

I guess we need to realise it's the fat cats in the 'Hill' that are doing this, not the guys employed to carry it out.