Year End Bad News
This is the ABC version of a top story: Toddler shoots, kills mother at Walmart store in northern Idaho
A two-year-old boy shot dead his mother when he pulled a handgun from her handbag and accidentally fired it in a Walmart store in the US, police say.
The only way a two-year-old could have fired a pistol would be if the mother had a round chambered in an auto-loader and the safety was off. The purse must have been in the cart next to the child and the gun was in the purse.
OK, there are reasons you might need a rifle or shotgun in Idaho, where this took place, but not a small automatic. Guns around kids is a tragedy waiting to happen.
While authorities are fairly certain that they have located the area where the airliner when into the water but: AirAsia QZ8501: Rescuers suspend search due to stormy weather; six bodies found so far.
One of the bodies retrieved was a flight attendant and the debris field is relatively small, so the plane was probably intact when it hit the surface.
Veteran pilots looking at the situation think there was a high probability that the pilot was climbing to get over a thunderstorm, but stalled. They think the instruments may have been affected by icing caused by the storm in the area. This is the same situation that affected the Air France flight that went down in the mid-Atlantic on a flight from Brazil to France. A major reason they suspect a stall is because the debris field is not far away from the last radar contact on the plane.
19 comments
Sorry, but morons deserve what they get. Sad for the kid though, but he should be too young to remember. This is exactly one of so many reasons idiots should not be allowed a weapon. People can thank what they like about what I’m saying, but the fact is that until many more fools die in the USA from owning a weapon they shouldn’t have, nothing will change. But given the level of stupidity, it will probably take a hundred thousand of such avoidable deaths, or even more before people begin to think that just maybe, owning a gun is dangerous to everyone and requires the utmost responsibility and vigilance. Don’t hold your breath!
Sadly, the poor kid will probably grow up believing it was his fault, and it wasn’t at all! Some people shouldn’t have gun’s or kids, or even pet’s for that matter!
Oh, and happy new year. Whatever.
Happy New Year, Kryten! I see they tried to blow up Sydney again. That has to be the best display of pyrotechnics, outside of an actual war, in the world.
My Mother had a shotgun, but when kids were visiting it came to my house to be secured with my weapons. Weapons are dangerous tools – you wouldn’t let children handle a chainsaw, so why would you let them near guns?
This was a tragedy that didn’t have to happen.
When I was a kid, when Mom, Dad and I visited Mom’s parents, the first thing Dad did (barely pausing to say hello) was to go to the gun cabinet and lock up Pop’s invariably unprotected rifles. I am probably alive today in part because of Dad’s commitment to gun safety.
Happy New Year, Bryan and Kryten!
I was raised on a farm. Grandad taught me to respect guns from when I was 10. By 12, I could handle a gun expertly, and ALWAYS checked a gun when I picked it up to ensure the safety was on and weather it was loaded etc. By that time, I never felt like picking up a gun unless it was to use it (scaring foxes and other annoying varmints, or shooting a snake that was getting too curious near the farm house). Grandad taught me over and over and over… A gun is used to kill! That’s it! If you pick up a loaded gun, it’s to use. He was a sniper in the Welsh Fusiliers in WW1, so he knew how to shoot, and trained me well on a .22 Ruger, an English 12-guage shotgun, and his Weatherby Mk IV.
Then, the Military trained me even further.
If I ever pick up a gun again, I guarantee someone will die. And it won’t be me.
All these fuckwits in the USA think they are toys! They are totally irresponsible! I wouldn’t trust any of them with a water pistol! When you have stupid shit like this:
Bersa T380MPKIT Thunder 380 Series 7+1 380ACP 3.5″ w/ Breast Cancer Kit
They get what they deserve! That will definitely cure breast cancer! Permanently!
USA is so fucked up!
Sorry Steve, Happy New year to you and Stella and all! I do mean that sincerely. 🙂
I guess you can tell that this whole NRA gun-nut bullshit really and seriously pisses me off! If it were up to me, I’d shoot every one of them dead! because they will never learn!
*sigh*
Yep, Steve, that is the only way you can keep kids safe until they are old enough to learn how dangerous guns really are, and age that is different for every child, some of whom aren’t capable of understanding the danger even when the state says they are old enough to drink or to start drawing their Social Security.
Kryten, NRA is ‘owned’ by the gun manufacturers, who bribed their way to control after Congress started to clamp down on the gun trade. NRA used to back reasonable restrictions on gun ownership. Hell, hunters and farmers in upstate New York would like to see anyone from New York City forbidden to have a hunting license because of the havoc they cause in the woods during deer season.
The manufacturers, the resellers, the NRA, most (if not all) the politicians, and most of the public don’t care at all about life. The USA is the land of the narcissistic sociopath (at the very least). It’s a conclusion after reading so many reports, such as this, for example:
U.S. Teens Have Same Firearm Access regardless of Suicide Risk
It appears that life — any life — means very little to many Americans. But they do care about what the Kardashians, Paris Hilton, and all the other worthless narcissists are up to.
The US political system listens to money, not the people. One major party is batshit crazy and the other is gutless. Vocal minorities of white voters get to control the agenda and they are conned by the moneyed interests.
The US has devolved into a tribal society with no real interest in the overall country as a result. The demagogues take advantage of the tribal interests to push their own sociopathic agendas. You have the paradox of most of those claiming to be ‘pro-life’ supporting the death penalty. Despite their generally antigovernment rhetoric they apparently believe that the government should be able to kill people, but people don’t have a right to make their own decisions about their own health. [I give the Catholic Church bonus points for being consistent on the life issue as they oppose abortion, the death penalty, and war.]
The number of people interested in celebrity gossip has never varied much, but in this fractured society pursuit of advertising dollars inflates its importance. These ‘reality shows’ are the new soap operas.
Yeah, I understand you. Too bad many others don’t. *shrug* Problem is that I see no effective way of fixing it now. Only a major catastrophe (on a scale not yet seen) has a chance I think.
It’s not just the USA either. You could say it was the epicenter, but this kind of crazy leming-like thinking is rapidly spreading everywhere. Even here.
There must be a ‘conservative’ manual that got handed out with suggestions on how to give money to people who don’t need it to do things that don’t need to be done.
Down here the National Weather Service issues a Fire Weather Warning whenever the humidity drops to a specific level and then the county fire and emergency operations people decide what has to be done. Normally they will issue open burning bans to prevent morons from starting wildfires by burning debris on their property, the number one cause of local wildfires. That is a law enforcement matter and the local sheriff makes money enforcing it, so you will get caught and fined and may also get jail time.
You don’t have to tell people what to do in pine woods. You can smell the fire sooner than you are apt to see smoke, and you report it. We have ground water pumps for irrigation, so people don’t have to wait for the fire department to start soaking their property, they just turn on their sprinklers.
You don’t have the water availability that we do, and trees that are every bit as explosive as pines, so you have a bigger problem, but most people just want to know where the fire is, which way is it going, and how fast is it spreading. If the wind is carrying the smoke from the fire to your property and it is at all close, you leave. If you can’t figure that out, you shouldn’t live in an area subject to bushfires because you are a Darwin Award candidate to be removed from the gene pool.
Ha! I agree. 🙂 It seems to me that ‘common sense’ is decidedly in decline.
OT: Things have been hectic. I’ll be moving soon (yeah, again. at least I was here 3 years, better then moving 4 times in the previous year – including to this dump). I really wasn’t planning to be here this long for many reasons. But… *shrug* 🙂 Since the new owners moved in here with their 4 kids (into the residential part of the pub that used to have room for three tenants w/ a group lounge (master b’rm now), kitchen and small bathroom. I am tired of all the crap, you have no idea!
I looked at some 2 b’rm unit’s today. One I liked because it had a decent kitchen (with gas hot water and oven/stove – gas is still cheaper than electricity here), and a new reverse cycle A/C unit. And the 2 bed rooms have decent size built in wardrobes that I can use for storage. One will be my office. Rent is good @ $180/wk, but I will also have to pay for utilities which I don’t here. another reason for choosing it is that it’s not far from the Bendigo CBD & exchange, so Internet won’t be a problem. Though it will take 2-4 weeks to be connected after I get the phone line activated which takes up to a week. So I could be offline awhile. 🙂 I may move the next weekend, 17th-18th, but It may be the w/e after that. It depends on how quickly I can get all the paperwork and money sorted, utilities connected… etc! The owners of the units are the previous owners of the pub and told the Agent today that I had priority & 1st preference, and I always pay the rent on time. 😀 So nice to see being honest and making sure all debts are paid (way I’ve been my whole life) is paying off. 🙂
I hope the phone line has dial tone! It’s $59 to get a new connection. If no tone (line has been disabled), it’s $299! Telstra are crooks! Should be OK as the previous tenant only moved out last week.
I also need to buy a few things, fridge & washing machine (2nd hand is fine), new bed and a few kitchen appliances. But I can get a $1,000 interest free loan that will cover that. 🙂
Honestly, I would get the hell out of here this w/e if it were possible!
I’ll keep you posted if you like. 🙂
Your phone charges are outrageous. It is only one damn database entry to connect a phone to the system if the circuit number is known. It takes seconds to do. I had a tech switch my circuit because the line from the line coming from the circuit box to the house was fine, but the line from the switch to the box was crap. He gave them a new circuit number and my phone was ringing in seconds. It the old days it took someone tracing and wiring, but with computerized switches it is a database lookup to route a call.
Moving is always a bummer, and to move as often as you have had to do is really annoying. Yeah, I like kids, but I want them to go home after a while. I hope the move doesn’t stress the cat, assuming you can take her to the new place, and the RSPCA lets you keep her.
Take it easy and stop by when you can.
Thankfully, since I had to get rid of almost everything to move here, I don’t have much packing to do. There’s usually a silver lining. 😉
Looks like I made some friends here over the last few years. Quite a few have offered to help, and some have things I need and have offered them. 🙂 It’s kinda nice. Doesn’t happen often. 🙂
I’m looking forward to this move. And being offline for a Month doesn’t bother me. 🙂 I have plenty of books to read, movies and documentaries to watch, lot of music to listen to… 🙂 And, a whole new area to explore. There is even a nice big lake (well, Reservoir to be accurate) w/ BBQ facilities nearby, and some decent bushland. Bonus! 😀 It’s been quite some time since I had a good break. I think I need this. I have a lot to think about. 🙂
Here’s some pic’s & map of the area. 🙂
Bendigo’s Flora Hill & Kennington Reservoir
And there is also a large shopping village about 2 km from the unit. It has 4 supermarkets and some 30 other shops. Competition make the prices there reasonable. 😀 I’ve been there a couple times. And a great cafe about a 5 min walk from the unit. 🙂 I had a coffee there yesterday, was quite good. There’s also a large Pharmacy next door which will be handy. 🙂
Oh! I ordered 4 of these for the lounge, and can use them at the lake! LOL I tried one and they are comfy! And cheap! Bonus. LOL
Ovela Luxe Bean Bag Lounger
I got one of each colour. 🙂
So… I guess I’ll see what happens. 🙂
Sounds like you really want to do this, so I’m happy for you. It does look like a nice place to be – walkable and bicycle compatible.
The only thing I had against beanbags is when the ‘beans’ escape their ‘enclosure’. Of course, mine had vinyl covers which eventually crack and are not forgiving of the sweat they induce.
Most people are actually nice if given the opportunity, and you will have reasonable access to a lake and a shopping center 😉
It is always good to reconnect with the natural world.
Ohhh… You have no idea m8! I really wish I’d moved out last week!
We just had a severe storm, and the whole place is flooded! Just 300m away, down a short court that dips quite a bit, the whole court is flooded! The house at the end has water more than half way up the walls.
I got lucky. My computer was spared. Looks like I chose the right place for my desk. It’s the only area that’s dry!
And, the BuMet says the rain with be medium to severe until Tuesday. Wonderful.
I should have known… When ever things start going right for me, the roof falls in! *shrug*
Central Victoria Weather Today
This kind of weather only occurs every 30 years, so the former pub owners got out just in time. It is ‘biblical’ with fire and water ravaging the countryside, no doubt due to the ‘sins’ of the government. 😈
On yes, that would definitely make me look forward to a move. At least your computer equipment didn’t get contaminated.
Try to stay dry.
I went to Aldi and bought a couple large rubber=backed bath mat’s, and large plastic backed picnic sheet. Cheap actually, bath mat’s were on special 50% off ($5.45 ea) and the large picnic mat was $9.99. 🙂
While I was there, police came from everywhere. I found out that apparently a drug gang came from Melb. to sort out a local gang. Apparently, one was shot in the leg. And while there were cop’s everywhere (2 divvy van’s right outside Aldi) some moron tried to rob Aldi! LOL Needless to say… he was caught. There’s also a Police Chopper flying around on spotter duty.
This is all the news there is so far:
Shots fired in Eaglehawk
And the weather news:
Bendigo awash: The stories and pictures behind the deluge
Ha! Love the photo of the 11yo girl in the rain! That would have been me. 😀
We went to the Community Farmers Market this morning. We weren’t expecting may people, but it was packed! LOL I guess with all the rain, people had nothing better to do! 😀 And the produce was amazing! We got a huge watermelon that was at least 8 kg for $4! And some fresh Kalamata olives, wonderful apples from the Harcourt Orchards. Oh, and yummy blueberries for $2.99 for 500g. In the supermarket they go for about $5/250g & quality is iffy.
Die hards flock to Bendigo Farmers’ Market: Photos
Photo’s show some of the produce, and the crazy people! LOL We had a great lunch there. There is a stall where the ladies have fresh baked pies and sausages from their hand reared A-grade Belted Galloway cattle, and they make a great coffee too! 😀
Was a strange, but all-in-all, good day. 😀 I guess even I still have some of my old ‘Aussie Spirit’ left! 😉 😀 It was great too see all the people and kids out enjoying themselves at the Market in spite of the rain. 🙂
Though, Maggie is totally unimpressed with the weather! LOL When i let her out, she looks up and then looks at me! I just say “Don’t blame me! I can’t do a think about it!” LOL Cat’s. I got her some really good cat treats at the Market, which seem to have mollified her somewhat. She’s curled up on the picnic rug at the moment. LOL
Those are the crooks that cops love – easy felony arrest without even having to use the radio to call for the wagon. Looks good in the station ratings and the brass and politicians are happy. The clown was probably in the back of the store when the police arrived working up the courage to act.
If you live in an area that doesn’t get much rain, you celebrate it. It scrubs the air and makes everything smell better, especially if it has been hot for a while. Unfortunately the rains in such areas are generally ‘feast or famine’, i.e. too much when they finally arrive and overflow all the channels.
The problem with produce is that the stuff in supermarkets is picked before it is ripe so it won’t rot in storage. That means it doesn’t finish what is needed to peak. Sweet corn and tomatoes are two of the worst things to buy in a supermarket because those last two days are when they get sweet from the fluids in the plant and complete the sugar production. They start drying as soon as they are picked. Farmers’ markets are the only place to buy produce and there are usually some local handcrafted foods as well to make the trip worthwhile.
On, yes, there is nothing worse a wet cat. It does give the squirt gun and spray bottle their potent ability to control bad behavior in most, but not all cats. 🙂
Maggie’s reaction to the weather for some reason reminds me of Heinlein’s “Door into Summer”. Clearly Maggie doesn’t have any Bengal blood in her, Bengals love water.