Metal Dad - Hardcore for Life

With Liberty And Justice For All

 

From Collateral Murder:

 The Apache crew and those behind the cover up depicted in the video have yet to be charged. 

Reuters has been trying to obtain the video through the Freedom of Information Act, without success since the time of the attack. The video, shot from an Apache helicopter gun-sight, clearly shows the unprovoked slaying of a wounded Reuters employee and his rescuers. Two young children involved in the rescue were also seriously wounded

The military did not reveal how the Reuters staff were killed, and stated that they did not know how the children were injured.

After demands by Reuters, the incident was investigated and the U.S. military concluded that the actions of the soldiers were in accordance with the law of armed conflict and its own "Rules of Engagement".

 

Notes From The Metal Dad Medical And Convalescent Center

This is what the Half of the Glimmer Twins to whom I'm not married did to her arm on the recent RAGBRAI ride. She's camped out here so Mrs. Metal Dad can tend to her. In fact they are on their way to the surgical center at this very moment so some pins and possibly a plate can be put in to make sure the arm heals correctly. She, of course, will recuperate here until she can open her own catsup bottles and unlock the door to her condo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Update: 2:56 PM:  The Twins are back a plate and 8 screws later.

Double Trouble

No, not the Stevie Ray Vaughan band but The Glimmer Twins at RAGBRAI before the half I'm not married to broke her arm.

They're Back!

Now I can end the alliteration in my post titles. The Glimmer Twins rolled in about 9:00 PM last night. Remember what I wrote the other day about no news being good news? Well. more fool me. Turns out the half I'm not married to was going downhill behind Mrs. Metal Dad when her chain slipped off. She shouted that she was unclipping so Mrs. Metal Dad started to unclip as well. The other half's bike seized as she looked down to see exactly what was going on. She slid into her sister and ending up flying ass over tea kettle over her bike. Ended up with a broken arm (hers was the sixth broken bone on the ride that day) and some road rash. Her helmet looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. Probably wouldn't be here if she hadn't been wearing it. This happened on Wednesday and they told no one.

Their mom took the news well when she found out this evening. She said, "Aren't you old enough yet that you can stay on a bike?" She was just giving her the business. This is the 3rd consecutive year that she's broken something. Last year she missed her summer schedule of rides when she broke her foot. The year before that she broke her other arm in a spill on a ride. We have her ensconced in our home while Mrs. Metal Dad tends to her.

 

So What's The Problem?

Apparently, some folks are concerned that the recent SCOTUS ruling tossing a "key part" of the Voting Rights Act will make it harder for some to vote. I don't know, sounds like a solution to me. Anything that discourages people from participating in the farce that is elections is a good thing. The Great Lie is that your vote matters. The results are bought and paid for by the corporate statists who actually run the governments, federal, state, and local.

Also, the way I look at is that people always find a way to do the things that are important to them. If someone really wants to vote and they are "legally qualified" they will find a way.

Statism Saturday

Having a bout of insomnia so I'm posting this technically on Saturday though for all intents and purposes it's the middle of the night. I used to routinely stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning, sleep until 5 or 6, get up and go to work. Guess it was a couple of years ago that I found myself retiring between 10-12 PM and sleeping until 5 or 6. Don't know if it's something to do with getting older. My caffeine intake has not changed that much in the past few years. Who knows, who cares?

On the RAGBRAI tip: No updates from the Glimmer Twins. I guess no news is good news. Here's the Saturday route.

Fiat Money Friday

Banking was conceived in iniquity and was born in sin. The bankers own the earth. Take it away from them, but leave them the power to create money, and with the flick of the pen they will create enough deposits to buy it back again. However, take away from them the power to create money, and all the great fortunes like mine will disappear, and they ought to disappear, for this would be a happier and better world to live in. But, if you wish to remain the slaves of bankers and pay the cost of your own slavery, let them continue to create money.
~ Josiah Stamp – Bank of England Chairman, 1920s

On the RAGBRAI tip: here's today's route. The Light of My Life is eagerly anticipating the return of her 2 moms.

Thursday Thoughts

There is no use in deceiving ourselves. American public opinion rejects the market economy, the capitalistic free enterprise system that provided the nation with the highest standard of living ever attained. Full government control of all activities of the individual is virtually the goal of both national parties.
Ludwig von Mises - Economic Freedom and Interventionism, p. 157

On the personal tip, here's the Glimmer Twins' route for RAGBRAI today.

 

Doing What He Does Best

The Campaigner-in-Chief is in Ilinois giving a big economic speech. I think it's fitting that he's in Illinois, a state with an economy driven into the toilet by one of the most corrupt and wasteful state governments around. He says, "Washington has taken its eye off the ball." Maybe because they've trained their eye on the phone records and internet traffic of U.S. citizens.

Wednesday Wire

This is the route for the Glimmer Twins today. Official registration is 20,253, unofficial is 30,000. The latest communique from Mrs. Metal Dad was: "Just finished a BBQ chicken and red onion pizza plus a falafel salad. Gonna turn in early, Really bad lightning storm last night for 2 hours. Didn't sleep well. Des Moines is really dead. Having a blast though. Today we kicked butt."

Tuesday Trivia

Nothing is trivial when it comes to Mrs. Metal Dad but I've got to keep the alliteration thing going in the titles. Above is a graphic of the Tuesday route for RAGBRAI. A text yesterday informed me the Glimmer Twins did 87 miles in 96 degree heat.

Weapons of Mass Distraction (to borrow a phrase from the courageous and tenacious Abby Martin): Now that the sturm und drang ginned up by the MSM over the Zimmerman trial is beginning to wane, something else needs to fill the airwaves. The really important issues such as the birth of a baby to an outdated and offensive "royal" family in the U.K. will be covered ad nauseum. I fully expect breathless reporting when the baby takes its first dump. Maybe there will be a countdown on when the prince and princess resume marital relations.

I'm sure there will be much coverage of the Drone King making speeches in support of his agenda since governing does not seem to interest him much. Instead of a Nobel Peace Prize maybe he should have received a prize for Campaign Speeches.

Who needs Soma when you've got CNN, Fox, and MSNBC?

Monday Musings

This is the route for the Glimmer Twins today. With the exception of the occasional text, I've not heard much from them but I'm sure they are having a great time. On the homefront: went with #1 Son to see Pacific Rim. It was enjoyable, not great but I wasn't sorry we went. I generally like del Toro's films.

On the current events tip, one of the more obnoxious collectivists over at MSNBC thinks they know what the problem with Detroit is: “This lack of tax base [in Detroit] is also exactly the thing that many Republicans would impose on us even when our cities have sufficient populations. This is what it looks like when government is small enough to drown in your bathtub and it is not a pretty picture.”

I always thought it had more to do with corrupt labor unions and corrupt local governments. That GM bailout really helped Detroit, eh?

Friendly Advice

Sunday Stuff

This was the route for the Glimmer Twins today. Got a text from Mrs. Metal Dad about an hour ago,"We're home. Perfect Weather. Crazy people." On the homefront: my sister, The Light of My Life, #1 Son, and I went to the cemtery and put flowers on my mother's grave.