March 25, 2009

When big screens are outlawed, only outlaws will have big screens

Some people say California is a bellwether for the way the rest of the way the rest of the country will go, and with the way the economy and budget deficits have been going, I'm inclined to agree. That said, the rest of you might want to head out and buy that big screen Hi-Def teevee while you still can:

In their continuing quest to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, state regulators have uncovered a new villain in the war on global warming : your big screen TV

Couch potatoes, beware.

The California Energy Commission is considering a proposal that would ban California retailers from selling all but the most energy-efficient televisions. Critics say the news standards could take 25 percent of televisions off the market — most of them 40 inches or larger.

"The larger the television, the more at risk it is of being banned unnecessarily in California," said Douglas Johnson, senior director of technology police for the Consumer Electronics Association.

Association officials say the standards are not only unnecessary – because the federal government already regulates energy efficiency through the voluntary Energy Star program — but also ill-timed. The last thing our economy needs now is products taken off the market, they say.

But it's FOR THE CHILDRENâ„¢ you selfish bastards! Who cares if we wreck the economy, so long as we can stop temperatures from going up 0.5 degrees over the next century? And besides, would you rather have a sweet teevee or ensure that your children's children will be able to enjoy the Arizona Hissing Dungbeetle and the Northwest Pacific Wart-Mottled Trout* in their natural habitats?

*May not be acutal species.

Posted by: Sean M. at 12:51 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 286 words, total size 2 kb.

March 05, 2009

In An Example Of Utter Bullshit, War Hero Denied Gun Permit

Because he was too truthful.

"I was trusted by the {federal} government to carry a loaded weapon, but now I am not allowed to purchase one by my local government," he said.

Mechaley, 32, has received counseling for post-traumatic stress disorder related to his service in Iraq. While completing an application for a gun permit, he responded "yes" to a question that asked whether he was being treated for a mental disorder.

"I circled yes because I wanted to be completely honest," he said.

As explanation, he wrote "PTSD from Iraq Marine combat veteran" on the form.

Mechaley's application on Jan. 10 was rejected, he was told, because of that answer.

After talking with police, Mechaley said he had been "too truthful" on the application.

He started to research gun-permit laws and applications and concluded that Omaha's permit application was overly vague on its mental-disorder question.

"If I was actually mentally defective, it would have shown up on the (National Criminal Investigation Service) background check when I purchased my hunting rifle."

What the permit form should ask, he said, is whether the applicant has ever been pronounced mentally impaired or has been committed to a mental institution.

"That's what the (Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) form asks, and that's a valid point," he said. "I feel the form at the Omaha Police Department is too broad and misses the point of our laws."

A psychiatry professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center said, however, that having guns on hand could be too big of a risk for some with severe cases of PTSD.

Dr. Carl Greiner said he wasn't familiar with Mechaley's case and couldn't comment on it.

In general, he said, "There would be some specific instances where I would be concerned about someone owning a handgun because of public safety issues."

Using alcohol or drugs to deal with PTSD is a sign of potential trouble, Greiner said.

"That could result in lowered impulse control and the person might be more likely to use a gun," he said.

A gun permit also shouldn't be allowed when someone suffering from PTSD has a history of violence upon awakening, Greiner said.

"If that were the case and someone wanted to keep a handgun under their pillow, it could be a risk to family, friends and others," he said.

Many veterans suffer from PTSD, said Dr. Ahsan Naseem, director of the Lincoln post-traumatic stress disorder clinic of the Veterans Affairs Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System.

"It would be uncommon for a combat veteran to not be affected by combat, which is not to say that each combat veteran would suffer from PTSD," he said.

Again. This is utter bullshit.

Posted by: eddiebear at 10:36 AM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
Post contains 459 words, total size 3 kb.

<< Page 1 of 1 >>
17kb generated in CPU 0.1036, elapsed 0.197 seconds.
60 queries taking 0.1905 seconds, 132 records returned.
Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.