Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Taser Update

The City of St. Paul did clear the way for those 234 tasers to be purchaced. The vote was 6 to 1.

You can watch the debate here. It's not as electrifying as you might think.

Monday, February 25, 2008

Message to Pawlenty

This sums up what the Minnesota Legislature think of Pawlenty's Veto of the Transportation Bill:

Who Wants To Use Deadly Force?

Rep. Tony Cornish loves guns and the NRA.
So, it only makes sense that he wants give people a chance to use guns more by expanding times people can use deadly force (guns).

What doesn't make sense is a DFL committee chair that would allow such a bill to see the light of day.

This is from the Star Tribune:

"Surprisingly, I think this is catching on," said Cornish, adding that some DFLers quietly support the proposal "because it's a popular constituent bill." There is a companion measure in the Senate.

Rep. Joe Mullery, DFL-Minneapolis, confirmed that he will give the bill a hearing in the House Public Safety and Civil Justice Committee, which he chairs.

"I haven't counted votes at all, so I don't have any idea what's going to happen," he said.

Mullery opposes the bill, calling it extreme. The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association also opposes it.


So why give it a hearing? Does the Minnesota Legislature have so much time that they can afford to have a little intellectual jousting? 

If you're interested in the bill, it is HF 498. You can read a summary of it here.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Hey MSN, Fix Your Spell Check!

If you have Hotmail, Live, or any of the other MSN incarnations of free email service, you may have noticed something funny when you run a spell check on your email if you mention Sen Obama's name.
It will always ask you to correct the spelling to OSAMA.
Try it yourself.
Any time you type in the lastname of the front-running Presidential candidate, MSN will ask you to change to the first name of the biggest enemy of the United States.

What's the deal MSN? Change it already.

I mean really, which name are you more afraid of misspelling?

Friday, February 15, 2008

Good Stock Tip? Buy Taser...

The company that makes the Taser is making money hand over fist these days. Word is several hundred of the devices are making their way to St. Paul in time for the GOP convention.

Here is a resolution with the city of St. Paul to keep an eye on:

Resolution – 08-99 – Establishing a 2008 financing and spending plan to purchase
234 Tasers for the Police Department. (GS 3048234)
Laid over to February 20 for a public hearing Yeas – 7 Nays – 0



We'll keep you updated after the Feb. 20th meeting.

For further reading, here is an article about the jubilant capitalists (although they make nearly all of their money from taxpayers) at Taser International, Inc: here.

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Romney Drops Out, Implies Huckabee is a terrorist.

Romney dropped out. This paves the way for an Obama/ McCain race that will naturally make McCain the Wendell Wilkie of our era.

The best quote from his concession speech:

"If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror."

Does that mean Huckabee is in bed with the Taliban?

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Recession Hitting Minnesota More

This is from the Pioneer Press:


Amid slumping sales, Macy's is making big changes that will affect 950 local jobs.

The retailer's Macy's North headquarters in Minneapolis will be consolidated into the retailer's eastern regional operation in New York, the Cincinnati-based retailer said today. A press release said 950 jobs at the Minneapolis headquarters would be affected, and while it noted that workers laid off would receive severance benefits it didn't provide specific job cut numbers.

Macy's North executives will be considered for jobs in a new local market organization the retailer outlined today or for open jobs elsewhere in the company.