Slashdot Mirror

http://cbs2chicago.com/watercooler/Water.Cooler.eBay.2.268257.html http://www.thefreelibrary.com/I'll+be+blowed!+That's+my+stolen+sax+on+ebaY%3B+Cops+swoop+to+get...-a0166698791 http://www.mwilliams.info/archive/2005/04/stolen-goods-on-ebay.php etc.

[From Ald. Leslie Hairston Wants To Revive Gunshot-Location Technology In Chicago - cbs2chicago.com ]

Fifth Ward Ald. Leslie Hairston wants Chicago to reintroduce the Shotspotter gunshot location technology. After all, Shotspotter's web site says it can reduce crime. So why isn't the CPD using it? Don't they care?

The CPD did adopt Shotspotter and found mixed results in Chicago. Specifically:

The city conducted three separate tests of gunshot sensors between 2003 and 2007 in the West Side’s Harrison Police District. Only on one occasion did the detection system send a warning prior to a person calling 911 to report the shooting. As a result, the city felt the gunshot detection systems were too expensive at a cost of $200,000 a square mile.

The city is going forward with installing the technology in the Loop. However, Shotspotter is an expensive technology and the CPD decided it wasn't the best use of their scare resources. The city of Chicago is approximately 227 square miles, so to cover the entire city would cost close to $50 million.

The Shotspotter technology locates gunshots. In a dense city, 911 calls often serve the same function. Gunshot location is a useful piece of information for police officers, but it is not a silver bullet. It cannot by itself reduce crime. If the system is reliable and works well with officers, it could lead to less shootings (but not necessarily less crime). The independent studies I have seen show the results are quite mixed.

In Chicago, there has been a rash of shootings in Chicago were no regard for the police or cameras. Shotspotter is now the silver bullet. I am concerned that Shotspotter is seen as the answer because people are scared. It doesn't make sense to spend money on technology that makes us feel better, but is ineffective. The city can address this by making public its tests of Shotspotter. I would like more details about the tests, for example: How many gunshots were there during the tests? How accurate was the system?

Link

A famous athlete who screwed up and had an embarrassing press conference just a few hours ago.

Dunno about this press conference but if you're talking about a famous athlete with a gun problem, my go-to choice would have been Arenas.

Sometimes justice happens. This guy faces felony aggravated battery charges.

"The Chicago Police Department made a unilateral decision that they were going to charge him only with a misdemeanor without telling the State's Attorney's Office," said Ekl.

But prosecutors took over and filed felony aggravated battery charges.

"It's one of the most brutal and savage attacks that I have seen caught on tape," said David Navarro, a prosecutor in the case.

Prosecutors are investigating adding possible obstruction of justice and intimidating a witness charges.

My "no karma bonus" and "no subscriber bonus" boxes aren't working, someone please mod me offtopic. Thank you.

Plugging this into excel and comparing with election08 data (Feel free to email me asking for the data if you don't trust me), the average Blue state gets $0.96 in spending for every dollar it pays in taxes. The average Red state receives $1.40 in spending for every dollar in taxes it pays.

These tables don't specify, what the money was spent on — a union-entrenching public-works project? Public housing? Paying off farmers to grow less food? One could make a case, that the Democrats are charging the productive to support the rest on purpose — to make everyone addicted to the government's support and destroy the "evil" Capitalism. Your figures would support that claim, actually...

But all that is only a little related to my earlier claim, that Democrats can't govern as good as Republicans. You dismissed my examples (New Orleans, New York before and after Giulliani, Seattle — I'd add Chicago, if I had anything to compare it with) as "cherry-picking" — so, why don't you pick some of your own cherries to demonstrate the opposite?

It's hard for "industrious profit driven capitalists" to get food when they can't leave their houses without being electrocuted to death by downed power-lines.

That's irrelevant — downed power-lines are a danger to the benevolent free food distributors from the government just as well. The broken infrastructure has to be fixed regardless of who is then helping avoid famine. Both, however, are going to happen quickly and without much drama under Capitalism. Under Socialism, on the other hand, things will suffer, even when there is money.

Since there are more Democrats then Republicans at every level of government right now, this creates a strong theoretical reason to believe that Republicans do not perform better then Democrats.

What? How?..

But Nicaragua's GDP is higher right now then it was a couple years ago when they were controlled by right-wing parties. So Nicaragua under "Capitalist" management would have actually done slightly worse.

For the GDP to be simply higher than in prior year, not much is needed. The measure of good government is the speed of the product's continuing growth. Nicaragua's Capitalists left a faster-growing GDP, than it has since grown under the Socialists. Although nobody knows for sure, the simple statistics show the exact opposite to what you are saying, and confirm my assertions: Socialism is bad.

I doubt, you — with your demonstrated knack for Math and Statistics — could've missed the difference between GDP being higher vs. faster-growing. That you picked the former to state: "under "Capitalist" management would have actually done slightly worse," — when the full picture shows the opposite, makes me think, you aren't posting in good faith and reinforces my suspicions about the rest of your data...

Of course, the fact that the United States and the Soviet Union funded a civil war in Nicaragua for two decades is a much larger factor in Nicaragua's current poverty then any decisions by their government.

The civil war wound down 20 years ago. I don't expect them all to have HDTV and nice cars by now, but it does not take that long to figure out, how to survive a bad harvest year...

Yea, that's fine and dandy for people who bought property and are being evicted by shady bank practices, but it completely screws landlords who run their businesses legitimately. The news has even covered it. I understand suspending evictions for people being worked over by the system, but not an across the board suspensions.

The short answer: yes. He suffers from an acute form of a widespread mental and ethical deficiency known as Liberalism:

http://cbs2chicago.com/governor/Blagojevich.mental.health.2.884667.html

This is just the tip of the iceberg. The honeymoon is over, Barry Soetoro.

Senator Obama, you voiced limited approval for the Supreme Court's Heller decision, overturning the handgun ban (as it related to self defense in the home) in the District of Columbia. You stated, "As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne."

Given that the streets of Chicago were deadlier this summer than the streets of Baghdad, is the handgun ban 'working' in Chicago? And, is it Constitutional?

It's the guns, stupid!

The Chicago police and video cameras don't prevent crime, they commit crime. And then do it again. And again.

Lets hope they don't get besieged by PETA, who seem to want to protect the rights cockroaches now

1. John Burge and others tortured suspects; public still funding their defense.
2. Anthony Abbate beat a 110 lbs. female bartender for refusing to serve him more alcohol.
3. Six cops beat up four men in a bar because they wanted to play pool.
4. Police Commissioner Phil Cline resigns as a result of above two incidents.
5. Cops beat four after police cruiser runs red light and almost hits one of the men.
6. citizens demand police officers be accountable to the public and not Chicago Police Department.
7. More than 800 complaints by citizens filed against CPD's Special operations section.

The vast majority of police are honest, hard-working people, but they _will_ break the law when it suits them. I've been witness to a Driving While Black incident and have also been illegally detained and searched because I was watching two cops shake down a girl I had recognized from the University. Sadly, incidents of police brutality, police shooting unarmed citizens and police harrassment of certain communities is not an exception, it's common practice in Chicago.

I just think it's fucking insane that you let the police have guns over there.

untrained armed thugs with a violent fantasies and a power trip I do mind

Please, someone, tell me how this is different.

http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_3211 23518.html

I'm surprised I don't see a link to the original story yet, so here it is:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/10/24/122153/98

From the story:

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl, --AZ-01: Rick Renzi, --AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth, --CA-04: John Doolittle, --CA-11: Richard Pombo, --CA-50: Brian Bilbray, --CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave, --CO-05: Doug Lamborn, --CO-07: Rick O'Donnell, --CT-04: Christopher Shays, --FL-13: Vernon Buchanan, --FL-16: Joe Negron, --FL-22: Clay Shaw, --ID-01: Bill Sali, --IL-06: Peter Roskam, --IL-10: Mark Kirk, --IL-14: Dennis Hastert, --IN-02: Chris Chocola, --IN-08: John Hostettler, --IA-01: Mike Whalen, --KS-02: Jim Ryun, --KY-03: Anne Northup, --KY-04: Geoff Davis, --MD-Sen: Michael Steele, --MN-01: Gil Gutknecht, --MN-06: Michele Bachmann, --MO-Sen: Jim Talent, --MT-Sen: Conrad Burns, --NV-03: Jon Porter, --NH-02: Charlie Bass, --NJ-07: Mike Ferguson, --NM-01: Heather Wilson, --NY-03: Peter King, --NY-20: John Sweeney, --NY-26: Tom Reynolds, --NY-29:

--AZ-Sen: Jon Kyl --AZ-01: Rick Renzi --AZ-05: J.D. Hayworth --CA-04: John Doolittle --CA-11: Richard Pombo --CA-50: Brian Bilbray --CO-04: Marilyn Musgrave --CO-05: Doug Lamborn --CO-07: Rick O'Donnell --CT-04: Christopher Shays --FL-13: Vernon Buchanan --FL-16: Joe Negron --FL-22: Clay Shaw --ID-01: Bill Sali --IL-06: Peter Roskam --IL-10: Mark Kirk --IL-14: Dennis Hastert --IN-02: Chris Chocola --IN-08: John Hostettler --IA-01: Mike Whalen --KS-02: Jim Ryun --KY-03: Anne Northup --KY-04: Geoff Davis --MD-Sen: Michael Steele --MN-01: Gil Gutknecht --MN-06: Michele Bachmann --MO-Sen: Jim Talent --MT-Sen: Conrad Burns --NV-03: Jon Porter --NH-02: Charlie Bass --NJ-07: Mike Ferguson --NM-01: Heather Wilson --NY-03: Peter King --NY-20: John Sweeney --NY-26: Tom Reynolds --NY-29: Randy Kuhl --NC-08: Robin Hayes --NC-11: Charles Taylor --OH-01:

Some articles to think about in the upcoming election:

Jon Kyl Rick Renzi J.D. Hayworth John Doolittle Richard Pombo Brian Bilbray Marilyn Musgrave Doug Lamborn Rick O'Donnell Christopher Shays Vernon Buchanan Joe Negron Clay Shaw Bill Sali Peter Roskam Mark Kirk Dennis Hastert Chris Chocola John Hostettler Mike Whalen Jim Ryun Anne Northup Geoff Davis Michael Steele Gil Gutknecht Michele Bachmann Jim Talent Conrad Burns Jon Porter Charlie Bass Mike Ferguson Heather Wilson Peter King John Sweeney Tom Reynolds Randy Kuhl Robin Hayes Charles Taylor Steve Chabot Jean Schmidt Deborah Pryce

But our governor has plenty of "Testicular virility."
http://cbs2chicago.com/topstories/local_story_1381 31737.html

Yes you have. I was in one of the news pieces that aired in Chicago where we presented the "original" technology called the iCare Reader (Link to video) This is a technology that was invented at Arizona State University a LONG time before Kurzwile ever dreamed about it. The research center called CUbiC has been working on developing devices for the blind since 2003. I personally helped develop the software for this and I can say we did it for a LOT LOT Less than 2 million.

Oh and not only that, we took 6 months to develop a product and deploy it to a few locations around Arizona.

This is just an example of the big corporation copying an idea and having the resources to mass produce it. We tried to get some disability companies involved in this but unfortunately they all fell through (I believe the original sale price after all the figures were crunched were around $1500 and it included an 8MP camera too).

Its sad but technology in the market these days for individuals who are blind are VASTLY overpriced. This is because most of this is subsidized by the government so they charge extra knowing that it will be covered by some organization with ties to the government. Not only does this stifle competition but it stifles creativity since the big companies have the the capital to market anything they want and since they have a virtual monopoly on this industry, they can charge whatever they like.

That said, I'd like to welcome our new blind overlords and remind them that I can be useful in rounding up some slaves.

Stranger still is the fact that some bands STILL refuse to ... posting all their CDs on iTMS. I'm looking at you, Dave Matthews Band.

They're too busy dumping raw, human, Dave Matthews-scented sewage into a formerly remarkably-clean stretch of the Chicago River. Thanks, Dave. Just like other industries, I hold you responsible for the actions of your "independent contractors." Keep talking the environmentalist talk since you don't walk the environmentalist walk.

Ripped from the Chicago Sun-Times: "Matric Co-Creator to Have Sex Change Surgery".

It's not like L. Wachowski is a big star, though - it's not really news. Well, maybe /. news, but you can't really consider /. much of a source of newsworthy items anymore.

-h-

Is this what my bus driver does when they aren't at work?

Somehow I doubt it

with the custom unabomber stamps. Brought that program to a bit of a halt.

yeah cuz "real banks" don't have problems with transactions.

Don't just dump your sh*t when nobody is looking. You may get caught.

Of course that's why you're spraying anti-Israeli propaganda ;)

(a) Israel is building a big fuckoff wall *way outside* those borders, conveniently annexing large swathes of territory that do not belong to Israel with NO JUSTIFICATION

(a) Take a look at the map. Look at the scale. Israel is less than 50 miles across and 300 miles wide. It is smaller than California. And who's surrounding them? Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt. Israel did not have a treaty with Egypt until 1979, Jordan, until 1994. That means that this tiny country was surrounded by hostile countries. Countries that have gone to war against Israel four times betwen 1948 and 1972. Israel is small, is surrounded by hostile neighbors who explicitly have attempted to "drive the Jews into the sea." What would you do? If you say you would act any less agressively, you're either a pacifist or a liar.

(b) Israel is pursuing a systematic policy of colonising a foreign territory with 'native' Israelis

(b) Old news. They're pulling the settlers out. Though I agree with you that the settlements were wrong and stupid. The settlers are zealous idiots that have jeopardized the lives and safety of the less zealous Israeli citizen.

(c) Israelis forces are performing violent operations against civilian, terrorist and militia forces alike with no real concern as to which is which, outside its own territory, with no international sanction and indeed against international law and consensus

(c) And the exact same thing is happening in Iraq. If you have a force that hides in civilian territories, there will be civilian casualties. Unfortunately, the Hamas does not have clearly demarked buildings and uniforms for the Israeli army to combat! I'm sure if the Hamas was really concerned about their fellow Palestinian's lives they would do so. But they dont.

Let me ask you - suppose you had a neighbor who liked to throw grenades into your yard, mail you explosives in an attempt to blow you up, and has told everyone that their goal is to destroy you (this is Hamas' stated goal) and your family? How would you react?

(d) the Israeli government actually talks about maintaining the genetic purity of Israel (ah the irony) in the sense of making sure that at least 50% of Israelis are Jewish so that there can never be a 'democratic coup' inside Israel at election time

The state of Israel is a theocracy, by Jews, for Jews. The modern state of Israel might not have ever happened if it weren't for the Holocaust. Jews want to have a nation where it's safe to be Jewish, where they are never prosecuted for their religion or ancestry. As a democracy, they don't get that guarantee if the Arab population goes over 50%. Demise by war or demise by population expansion -- either way it means the end of the Jewish state.

By the way, You don't have to be born Jewish to become a citizen, so your "genetic purity" argument is bogus.

(e) Israel, unlike other nations, is completely ignored in all the hubbub from the west about nuclear proliferation despite possessing 100-200 nuclear warheads.

See my response to (a) above. It's not like it has Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Israel, for its very survival, has to be tougher and meaner than any Arab country out there, or it will be run over and crushed.