Archive for the ‘Crime’ Category

Talking Minnesotan – 11/06/09

Soiree
Image Soirée au MIA upoaded by Minneapolis Institute of of Arts —– Check out their calendar of events

I think this next item is really cool, Bob Collins and Mary Lucia have put their 5:15 segment online. I know with many folk Bob and Mary can inspire a love’em or hate’em situation, well you can put me in the love’em camp.
MPR News Cut: Fresh Eye on the Radio
Give it a listen.

*Update*Speaking of MPR,if you haven’t seen David Brauer’s, of Minnpost, piece on MPR Executive Pay check it out, especially the comments.

While Secrets of the City has art The Affair
AND
scandalOnline Protest Promotes Viewer Interaction

Citypages trys to help out Snoop, who was in town last night, with Advice for Snoop Dogg on getting high in the Twin Cities

My only advice to the Snoop Dogg would be don’t exhale, but I’ll bet he knows that already.

Since Crazy stays crazy

I’ll close it out with: Smart went crazy

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Fuggedaboutit

Local boy gone bad, Tom Petters,  now claims to be running from the mob. According to WCCO:

…In another indication of his state of mind, Petters also expressed fear that two investors who stood to lose up to $19 million, and who he claimed had mob connections, would try to kill him.

When I was in high school, I worked for Petters Warehouse Direct. For some reason it always felt like some giant, semi-organized garage sale. At one point in time I met Petters at a company function. He informed me that “You kids should be skipping out on the big name gum, and using Breath Blasters”. I found out that Breath Blasters were re-packaged Certs that we sold in the stores. 3 days later another employee and I made a sketch comedy bit about how Petters would use these Breath Blasters to take over the world. I guess we were visionaries-far ahead of our time. Breath Blasters, ponzi scheme, hey, it’s all the same.

Because there’s no important work in Washington D.C.

In myth and legend there’s a magical place East of Minnesota where lawyers go to bask in the glow of happy unicorns. This amazing fabled land is called D.C. and it’s a land of great wealth and everyday is sunny, also everyone gets a balloon when they leave their apartment in the morning and magical faeries called lobbyists sprinkle pixie dust on important government representatives. Oh, and even the most moral get their fill of hookers.

It’s a magical realm,but even with all this glory and happiness it can be a sad land. You see, there just aren’t enough real issues to be legislated. So the important government representatives have to occasionally shake off their hookers, wipe the pixie dust from their clothes, and have a congressional hearing.

The pioneerpress reports House subcommittee chairman: We’re here to help NFL, Vikings’ Kevin and Pat Williams resolve differences

‘It is in all of our best interests for these parties to reach an agreement on this enormously important matter.”

Isn’t that nice? Those important lawmakers want to help those big fat rich men get along with their big fat rich bosses.

Thank God, there isn’t a war going on, or an economy that is in shambles, or a kitten caught in a tree.

It’d be terrible if our esteemed Representatives were to get distracted from the important business of the NFL.

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Corn Ethanol Fails Again

The strib reports MPCA hits Minn. ethanol producer with $425k penalty

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) said today that the violations by Bushmills Ethanol Inc. of Atwater stretched from 2006 to 2009. They included producing ethanol beyond the facility’s permitted capacity, failure to inspect and maintain production and pollution-control equipment, and exceeding allowable wastewater discharge limits.

Because of Bushmill’s violations, the MPCA said in a statement, the cooperative of more than 400 farmers “created a situation where the facility could potentially emit more regulated air pollutants than allowed by its permit.”

I just want to know when we start to get holding the flaks, that push the BS as “green”, responsible for the damage?

This line really strikes me as interesting “could potentially emit more regulated air pollutants than allowed by its permit”

Hmmm, if only Minnesota had a group that was constantly harping about any air pollutants being bad air pollutants.

… that is if only they weren’t in bed with the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. . .

Even More New Authors!

lake harriet bandshell

Lake Harriet Bandshell uploaded by cichlee {novella}

Just the other day I was contemplating, much like the above image, about bringing on even more authors.

Unlike the beautiful image above I wasn’t enjoying the serene beauty of our lakes, I was being tossed out of a car at 50mph for not paying a debt in a timely fashion. ( Grandmas, what are you going to do right? )

That’s when it hit me, the road. Just kidding, it was the car behind us. No really, I think it was Bob Dylan on a motorscooter.

I digress.

What I really mean to say is more awesome writers!

Jon will be covering local outdoors, biking, and whatever else catches his interest.

Meghan likes to write about music and set things on fire. She can actually burn down a rock pile with just an ice cube and flynt.

And last to the party will be, Kara who will be starting mid-November and is going to take up the helm of fashion and intrigue . You may know Kara from MnDaily where she’s been rocking the fashion scene.

Please treat the new authors right, they are friendly, but armed and extremely dangerous.

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NWA Flight Misses MSP by 150 miles.

Bob Collins breaks the story

And a few moments ago, the National Transportation Safety Board issued a news release detailing a puzzling lapse by a Northwest Airlines flight crew over Minneapolis yesterday: On Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 5:56 pm mountain daylight time, an Airbus A320, N03274, operating as Northwest Airlines (NWA) flight 188, became a NORDO (no radio communications) flight at 37,000 feet.

The flight was operating as a Part 121 flight from San Diego International Airport, San Diego, California (SAN) to MSP with 147 passengers and unknown number of crew.

At 7:58 pm central daylight time (CDT), the aircraft flew over the destination airport and continued northeast for approximately 150 miles. The MSP center controller reestablished communications with the crew at 8:14 pm and reportedly stated that the crew had become distracted and had overflown MSP, and requested to return to MSP.

Now, we could wait for a rational or reasonable explanation OR we could speculate wildy.

I think you know which I prefer.

Why did the NWA flight miss the airport?

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A Bob Dylan Christmas Album

Last night, there I was minding my own business when suddenly I was accosted by Bob Dylan and Christmas songs.

WHAT?!

Why?

Bob Collins has the scoop and a few sample songs with Ho ho ho! It’s… Bob Dylan?

Here’s my favorite comment

Matt in Woodbury: “Dylan sounds like a dying walrus that got kicked out of his boys’ choir. This album is worse than snow in October.”

Give it a listen. What do you think?

More from MPR

Breaking the law and ruining the environment for charity?

Only in Wisconsin. It’s reported that Western Wis. bar plans charity Favre burn

The Milwaukee Burger Co. says patrons can bring in their Favre jerseys, pictures, posters and memorabilia and toss them into the barrel. The bar plans to donate $10 to an unspecified charity for each piece burned

Though, a quick search of a Wisconsin Gov’t website shows

Smoke from burning garbage stinks, can trigger asthma attacks and contains toxic compounds. Open burning of household solid wastes also is illegal with limited exceptions For example, it is illegal to burn all plastic materials, kitchen wastes, dirty or wet paper wastes, treated or painted wood, furniture and demolition material – or any other material that creates a nuisance. The exceptions include (if not prohibited by local ordinance) lawn and garden debris, small quantities of clean, untreated, unpainted wood and clean paper waste that is not recyclable

It then goes on to suggest Alternatives

Reuse: Reuse household items and give toys, clothes and furniture that you no longer want or need to someone who can use them.

Recycle: It’s the law in Wisconsin to recycle plastic, glass, metal, newspaper and cardboard. Take your recyclables to the recycling center closest to your house if there is no roadside recycling pick-up.

So unless the Favre pictures, posters and memorabilia are made out of clean paper and don’t have any plastic they cannot be burned by law. Also, it appears that burning clothing may also be against the law.

Why can’t this stuff be given to a charity that will reuse and recycle?

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Local Mullet Man Loses Camaro To PoPo

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Come on, it had his Van Halen, a wig, and some shades.

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Does this task force make me look angry?

The other day I was talking with a friend that associates with known Officers of the Law about the people that aggrevate police during stops and I mentioned that I make it a rule to never antagonize the police to which he replied “You mean, you make it a rule to never antagonize the police that can arrest you.”

A subtle distinction or a cautious reminder?

Turns out that apparently I piss off the police.

Why? Because I write about police activity, a big no-no which has grown into a taboo. We are supposed to respect, even fear, the police and be happy when, in the event of a criminal wrong doing, they show up and do their job.

You see, it’s gotten to the point where everyone is afraid of the police. The most innocent person gets nervous when trailed and tailgated by a police car, no matter that the driver wasn’t breaking a law. Just the mere presence of Police, aka those that are supposed to protect us, makes most people nervous. I think that isn’t right.

We live in a time when a bad teacher breaks a law and they get a harsher sentence because they “need to be held to a higher standard”, but when a bad cop breaks the law they need to be shown leniency. This effectively equates to the police are held to a lower standard and at a position above the law. You know it. I know it. We all know it.

Yet few, if any, journalists ever take on this miscarriage of justice. Why? Is it because they don’t want to become targets? Wouldn’t that imply that the police target people that aren’t criminals? (Unless you think all journalists are criminals which very well may be.) Why is it that as a society we accept this abuse of power?

Not long ago I asked if our state forfeiture laws should be suspended and a grand total of 8 people voted.

Despite the widely known fact that with current forfeiture laws police can take cash money, not charge the person with any crime, and the individual still won’t be able to get the money back in court.

Well today another bigger and badder report was released by the state ,Report: Strike Force rife with misconduct, letting us know once again that justice is not being served. The report revealed large scale property seizures that were either kept for personal use by law enforcement or held and sold cheaply to their friends and family.

The report concludes,

Something went terribly wrong at the Metro Gang Strike Force, and it should not be allowed to happen gain,” the report said. It recommended that there be no stand-alone Strike Force units that are untethered from a law enforcement agency, and the report urged the Legislature to consider revamping the state’s seizure and forfeiture laws.

I have questions and so should you.
Why is it that when I am outraged by this sort of activity and call for it’s end it’s because I don’t like the police?

So then what’s it called when the state investigation comes to the same conclusion?

Let’s be clear, I don’t hate the Police or cops. I realize that for the most part they babysit the scum of the earth. It’s a tough job, but it’s not like when filled out their application they promised to do the work for free and somehow forgot to check the “Dancing With Stars” option.

Also, let’s get right to it not pretend this sort of stuff isn’t rampant and isolated to one small group or a couple of rogue cops. If that were the case grandmas wouldn’t be afraid when trailed by police and soccer moms wouldn’t be getting tased. Everyone has a story

As long as there are events like this Task Force debacle and wrongly raided houses leading to medals of valor, I just can’t see much justice in our Justice System.

The featured commenter at the Strib complains,

Why aren’t these cops being prosecuted?
They are stealing – “not mis-appropriating”!!!! I hate the double-talk – call a thief a thief!

I guess the answer may very well be because the stealing in question was done by a bad cop, and not an ordinary citizen or someone held to a “higher standard”, like a teacher.

You know polls don’t mean much in reality, but it’s interesting that my recent poll about Brett Favre got three times more votes than the forfeiture poll which involved citizens of the country having their Constitutional Rights violated and their property stolen by those that are supposed to Serve and Protect.

You can chew me out in the comments, if you’d like, but save your typical arguements of “If you ever have a burglar, don’t ever call the police then . . .”

Those arguements are B.S.

Speaking of B.S. I can’t help but wonder why the Feds don’t investigate every judge that signs a search warrant, every confidential informant that gives secret testimony, and prosecute lies and collusion using the same RICO laws they use to fight organized crime. Recent events seem to reinforce the old joke about the most armed dangerous gang on the streets being the police.

And I’m supposed to be worried about pissing off cops for not liking their abuses of the law with the citizens they are supposed to protect?

That’s funny, because all I feel is disgust.

Someone let me know when it’s safe to go back in the water.

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Here’s the full report H/T

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