heliosj's news, thoughts, geek stuff, and more...

I hate store discount cards. You know? Those little plastic things retail stores give you to put on your key chain with a bar code... so they can track your buying habits and send you coupons. And for this massive inconvenience and invasion of privacy you get minor discounts when they swipe the card at the cash register.

Umm, so yeah, yesterday evening was interesting, to say the least.

About an hour after my family had left my home after I had hosted Easter dinner, my roomate was out back smoking a cigarette. He runs inside and tells me to "turn on the scanner, someone just asked me they could hide in our back yard because he's running from the cops".

I called into CSPAN this morning to express my support for Ron Paul!

It was easy and fun! Wish I had been more prepared though...

You can hear it here: http://heliosj.iddings.us/jeffoncspan122907.mp3

Happy New Year!

Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMpEr-MOSyk

I have absolutely no idea what events led up to her arrest, nor do I know what her behavior was before the camera was rolling.. it's possible the initial tasering was a necessity... however...

A handcuffed person should NEVER be tasered by a police officer. It's simply unacceptable. The police are there to enforce the law, not to carry out punishment.

Watch the infamous video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqAVvlyVbag

Nice job with the excessive force, eh? There's no question his general disposition was "douchey" - nothing specific about him, just came off as a tool. Newspaper accounts say that the Q&A was over, but him and another student insisted on having a chance to ask their question(s) and they were allowed to (prior to the cameras starting).

Update 02-01-08 - (later in the day) - An e-mail from Mark Butler, the assistant city manager in Altamonte Springs.

Mark T. Butler wrote:
> Jeff,
> Yes, BrightHouse requested an Altamonte Springs Police officer accompany
> one of their technicians to XXXXXX XXXXX Avenue this morning.
>
> The City of Altamonte Springs does not charge a user fee for police
> services.
> Mark

Over 3000 Americans dead, tens of thousands wounded, and untold numbers of Iraqi lives ruined. No health care for millions of Americans. Borders unsecured; just waiting to be exploited by the next gang of 19 hijackers. And when we turn on the television, pick up the newspaper, or visit an online news site, what are we more likely to see? Paris Hilton, Anna Nicole's Baby's Daddy, and tragic stories of young white women being murdered by their estranged husbands or boyfriends.