Strange Intersection
 

Two NY Times stories converged for me this morning. The first is an op ed by Mo Dowd about the 11 victims of the nut sniper. The second is the story of 11 apparent illegal aliens from Mexico who died in a sealed rail car. Both horrible stories effecting real people. The sniper wants to be a media event and is. The illegals wanted to slip in under the authorities radar and died in obscurity. It seems like we're a little over the top in our focus on the sniper story vs other events. I understand the Mexicans chose the dangerous route and the sniper victims we're just randomly targeted but I wonder about our sense of proportion.

"News appeal" is a strange thing. The DC sniper provides an ongoing drama. Nobody seems to have paid much attention to the deaths from the Finnish bombing, even wthough the body count was comperable.

I just wish they'd quit calling him a sniper. Any idiot can hit a target from 150 yards. All it's doing is feeding his ego.

Have you ever tried to shoot something from 150 yards? It's not that easy. The shooter has hit everyone with 1 bullet. That is more impress then you think. Not that I'm impressed I think he's a fucking nut job but you get my meaning.

In the meaning of the word, he is a sniper. Accuracy or skill at shooting are not in the definition. He'd still be a sniper if he had to take five shots at each victim.

The shame in using the word sniper in the media is that it takes the place of the more dissuasive word, murderer, which should be attributed to the shooter in response to every attack.

The desciption focuses on the shooting and the shooter and dehumanized the murder victims, who becomes targets of a sniper rather than victims of a murderer.

I <b>have</b> shot at people from 150 yards, and it ain't that hard to put a bullet in their chest, or their stomach, or even their head - especially if they're sitting on a bench reading a book.

I also know the escape routes in and around the DC area and have very easily gotten home without getting stuck in those traffic jams.

Did you know that you can buy .223 ammunition at the Fair Lakes Wal-Mart?

Anyway... I have to get up early tomorrow to take the van into the shop - fuckin' tail light is busted again. So I'mma hit the bed. Check you fools later.

(In all seriousness, I used to be able to consistently hit a soda can at 150 yards with a .22 Marlin sans scope. That was years ago, when I could still see with my dominant eye, and I haven't shot since the accident, since I would have to basically re-learn how to hold a rifle. The point is that if a 14 year old can hit such a small target with a decent gun and decent ammunition, imagine what any semi-accomplished shooter could do with a scope, rangefinder, high-quality rounds and a decent accuracy rifle. Putting a bullet through a cantelope-sized object at 150 yards would be almost as easy as thinking about doing so.)

"Dave? Yeah, we knew 'im. Kinda anti-social. He played a lot of violent video games, and listened to loud, rigid industrial heavy metal. He even told us about recent diet changes. He swore a lot and used violent imagery as well. In retrospect, we should have realized. All the signs were there."

Holy shit -- dave's a psycho!

Yah, it would be doable with my old deer rifle so if you switch to a varmit round like the .223 it would be a piece of cake, except for the killing another human being part. Speaking of marksmanship, I was talking with another Dad at a blood drive last night. He mentioned that his son got his first deer with a bow. Apparently the kid is an absolute genius with a bow. He was showing off for his Dad the other day and he hit a garden hose washer at 25 yards...twice.

I was always pretty good with a bow (that's what I really enjoyed, even over firearms). But, again, after the accident, I would totally have to re-learn how to shoot. And I can't imagine drawing a bow with my left arm.

There was this one guy that could hit a LifeSaver&trade; tossed up into the air. Consistently. He said he learned to shoot by sitting in a dark room with a bow, arrows and a lit candle. He would try to put the candle out. :)

(I saw that on TV, not in real life)

[ Edit - it's &amp;trade, not &trademark :) ]

Sure it is, once you know the basic skills.

A reporter on CNN was interviewing a guy who teaches long-distance marksmanship. As an example, he gave the reporter, who had never held a firearm in his life, a rifle and had him shoot a target at 150 yards. He hit it almost center-mass.

He prolly couldn't do so consistently, but anyone who hunts even as a hobby or has learned basic shooting techniques could do so rather easily.

Wow Nic, you so clever. You've nailed the denotation of <I>sniper</I> perfectly.

However, the word has a completely different connotation which embodies much more skill and a more elite status. Maggie's link from the other thread sums it up pretty well. http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/South/10/....ap/index.html

I can put a .22 through the HOLE in a lifesaver that I toss up in the air. I can prove it. Meet me at the range. I'll toss a lifesaver up in the air and fire a .22 at it. I guarantee you it will come down untouched by the bullet :-)

This guy was shooting practice-tipped arrows, and they slow-mo'd it - you could see the arrow just bust the LifeSaver&trade; to all hell. It was truly quite impressive. :)

okay-
 

So the guy is inside the trunk looking down the barrel of his rifle and preparing the shot..the barrel protrudes through the hole in the trunk a good two, two and a half feet maybe from the sniper's point of vision and has no obvious trouble focusing at 150 yards from the trunk of a car? I think the dudes were set up and just needed to have a new lock installed into their trunk. It has been reported that the two men confessed to the crimes, but we really know nothing of their actual circumstances other than what the media tells us and the rest of the world believes it too. That is part of the reason I am not a very big fan of the press and most forms of media, including internet. Do we really know the facts in this and countless others that were never questioned and quite possibly should have been by a "third" party? Just wondering what some of you might think of my off the wall theory that innocent people are going to jail every day, and that even very FEW of the suicides we read about behind bars if any, are actually legit (unassisted and at will).

This message has been brought to you by an un-named U.S. Official, well almost-

Joe Q. Elliot

Yes! Yes! It's all clear to me now! How could I have been so blind?

These two innocent men had nothing to do with these shootings. Clearly, this was the work of... (everybody say it with me now... )

Right-wing Militant Extremists

working under the direct orders of John Ashcroft himself. This "string of shootings" was nothing more than a transparent attempt on the part of the right-wing militant extremist Bush administration to influence the outcome of the recent election.

Also noted is the suspicious death of Sen. Wellstone. Again, the right-wing militant extremists are suspected.

Nice call ;)but I thought it was the antigun lobby? You know? The same ones that were behind teh port Aurthur shootings here, out to stop god fearing citizens from exersizing their god given right to own assult weaponary. Those evil dems are at it again.

My point is-
 

The media is full of shit and the world in general will believe anything they see and hear. Take MTV for example, all of the models and lip syncers who I know for a fact aren't getting compensated very much for their share of the work either. They are merely being strung along by the mafia to believe they will be millionares one day while the profits continue to turn for pirates of the media giants. Fortunately in my case, I actually have evidence of the piracy and it is a case that will never surface in court.

I am not going to pray for the two suspects, because their goose is cooked no matter what. I suppose it is possible that they stepped upon the wrong toes to be where they are now, I will never believe they are the actual murderers.

Re: My point is-
 

How so? What's that all about? Why won't you? What evidence do you have to the contrary? Isn't it a bit narrow-minded to form an opinion this early?

Well, if so, the plan really backfired...rabidly anti-gun Glendenning was unseated by pro-RKBA Bob Erlich in Maryland.

Mohammed's ex-wife is convinced that these two were popping people all around where she lives so that when he finally shot *her*, it would be "just another sniper shooting". If he'd gone directly to shooting her the cops would *know* who it was.

Actually, Glendenning wasn't unseated really. Term limits mandated that he stepped down after two 4-year terms (which, disappointingly enough, he won comfortably each time). If anything, it would be more accurate to say that Erlich upset Kennedy-Townsend (which, in my book, is a Good Thing&trade;).

I didn't say-
 

I had any evidence that these two guys weren't the murderers. I said I will never believe they had anything to do with it, nor do I believe Oswald had anything to do with the Kennedy assasination. I only said that I actually have evidence to support my own case in court against recording giants who have allowed others to take credit for my own hard work. Evidence I had completely forgotten about over the years. Thanks to the help of a few fans who were on the inside of the recordings at the time, I am laughing instead of fuming. I don't care to mention any of this ever again so please don't ask for specific information in regards to my life and my creations. I will share little bits of information my own way as I see fit. In closing, I never will believe that those two guys were the murderers- and have my reasons for having such an opinion. Ever judge a cd by the cover?

Not at all. I was simply asking you to explain why you would have such a strong opinion right off the bat.

I personally go into things like this with a neutral outlook; that is, they may or may not be guilty. Then we take a look at the evidence and draw our conclusions from that.

I make a very conscious effort to not assume someone guilty until proven so. I also make a conscious effort not to dismiss the possibility. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever gotten is "keep an open mind", and I try my hardest to do just that.

They have their Patsys-
 

You explain yourself very well, it's my prediction they have already been convicted within the public's own eyes anyway. I am looking the matter over very objectively with no solid facts whatsoever to base any further opinion of this matter upon. I feel this is yet another injustice to us all, by our own government for whatever reason. That is just me. You are absolutely right to say that I could be wrong about the conviction and I am with you on that 100%- I certainly do hope so: )

How old are you, really?

If you are talking to me-
 

Joe Elliot is actually 35 years of age and lives in good ol' L.A., just around the corner from a real hotty totty he rarely put out of his mind! That is it for me here, I think from now on I am sticking to entertainment. There is just something very creepy and negative that changes my mood for the worst when it comes to politics and conspiracies that could have easily been avoided. I'd rather feel like dancing and entertaining and having a fun time with everyone else. I'm saying goodbye to poitical threads for now, and hopefully getting back into something everyone can actually enjoy!

Interesting. I don't think i've ever seen a 35 year old man use leet speak. Are you sure you're not 13?

Uhmn-
 

I never had to raise my arm to feel just safe so I am pretty sure, umm whew! Today is very most definately NOT my lucky day for remembering to apply deodorant. But hey, great day for getting snockered legaly, huh? CHEERS 2 U JUJU!! And then sum-; )

Hmm... make that 7.

Quit being an ass. He's just fucking around and having a good time, and he's not hurting anybody. Nothing wrong with that.

I'm not being an ass. I was simply trying to determine his real age.

Seven-
 

The number of perfection. Thank you for the very nice compliment, Juju!

(Not to imply that I seriously believe that I alone am prefect, P-R-E-F-E-C-T.)

Friday night I crashed your party
Saturday I said I'm sorry
Sunday came you trashed me out again..

I think that Dave is probably the most intelligent person on this enire thread.

The correct answer IS STILL 35.

Yes, I'm sure you were. I'm sure you actually thought he was 13, and then 7. Mmmmmmmmmhmmmmmmmmm.

Only a 35-year-old would quote Billy Joel from the "Glass Houses" album. That record would have come out when Jo3 was 14, an age when lyrics are burned strongly into your memory. Furthermore no 13-year-old would find Billy Joel quotable at all. To a 13-year-old he's just some old guy with a grey beard.

Man. Of Billy Joel... I am not a fan of a huge amount of his work, but since there's so much... there is a lot of good stuff there. I know it's probably cliché, but my favorite Billy Joel song is pretty easily "Only The Good Die Young". Man that song rocks.

radio-
 

No offense intended toward my elders, but when I was 13, radio really sucked. I remember the day that Elvis died, that still sucks. I was in third grade and I don't know if I have ever cried that hard ever since. I'll write more as soon as I recover, I ran over a fully grown cat last night that could have been some little boy or girls pet. I feel like cryin', and at the time felt like throwing up. I am crying.

I was in third grade the day the music died.

I am feeling better now-
 

55 WAS the alotted and acceptable speed along that open roadway. I WAS actually sober and driving carefully at 55 mph, as 3:00 AM is literally breakfast time for me. If I had slowed down it would not have made any difference. For all that I know, I did the cat and myself a favor by deciding to never look back upon this ever again. I don't ever want to hear about this ever again. No questions, please. I think that my favorite Billy Joel song was "Billy the Kid". At least a little more entertaining than "Copacabana", a Barry Mannilow song we had to listen to every other fifteen minutes back then on the ONLY local pop/"rock" station back then. That wasn't rock, I contend to this one very hell of a sorry and grief stricken wonderful day. There was one Billy Joel song that will never make sense to me. Something about listening to Doors tapes and smoking hash pipes. Maybe I dropped that in there just for spite, but were four tracks even available DURING the vietnam war? Sincerely-

i liked 'keeping the faith'.

'you can get just so much from the good things
you can linger too long in your dreams'

the thing about billy joel is that hes not just a musician, hes a poet. and like a few other great artists, his music isnt the same 3 regurgitated themes.

~james

Billy Joel is just a great songwriter period...he and Elton John make writing a good pop song seem easy. I cut my teeth on all that in the late 70s and early 80s. My personal faves are probably "Allentown" and "The Longest Time." I can't believe he did all the vocals for the latter...good stuff.

mixed-
 

I probably have at least two favorites on every album, but I'm capable of narrowing it down to two and explain why. Captain Jack was a good kick in the butt for me to get out of my parent's house at the time, to go out and get a job, a date, etc. There was a pretty cool video for "pressure", and the kid in the video didn't look almost like me at the time and maybe that's why it is my number two favorite out of maybe ten I would like to have with me if somehow deserted on an island. I LOVE Elton, don't shoot- he's just the piano player.

Re: radio-
 

Something an adult does not get over. I still remember a cat jumping out of the medium's high grass while I was moving 60 MPH in the left lane. Saw it emerge from the corner of my eye as it bounced off the driver side door. Saw it stumble back into the high grass in my rear view mirror. All too fast to realize what had happened until the cat was long out of sight. That was over 30 years ago. It still bothers me. I can only hope it survived with a big bump on its head - and a lot more caution. The lessons of age vs the recklessness of youth.

Regardless of age, the posted regret is what adults do.

It's still under my skin-
 

Other than a squirell or two, this is the first time I have ever run over any animal that was still alive. You would think that if they could invent and build a noise box that successfully prevented deer from running in front of your car, hopefully they could build one that does it all. And even better, integrate the device as a standard feature on all new vehicles. About the only thing that makes me feel better about the accident is the fact that I am still alive to talk about it. It was a narrow two lane road and a steep five foot slope to the left and right of me, I was too close to have stopped in time. I did what Ann Lander's said to do anyway, not that I meant to make her or anyone else proud.

Jenni hit the hell out of a deer Wednesday night. 270 South by exit 13 (right across from Hughes, russotto). Going 55 in the right lane, next thing she knew the deer was on her hood, rolled up her windshield, scuffed up the roof some and fell off. She stopped maybe 200 feet after the collision. The deer was in... not good shape. Especially after the next 7 vehicles hit it... :(

Unfortunately, the deer population here is WAY too high, and people hit them all the time (over 1,000 deer are hit by cars each year in Fairfax County... I'm sure it's similar in Montgomery as well).

Anyway, the car (a '98 Nissan Sentra) is in fairly good shape, save the crumpled hood. At least it was drive-able Wednesday night. It's having work done on it now, her insurance has got it covered and hopefully nothing major has happened to the engine. Definitely a hell of a collision.

Here's something lovely (note: shows a dead deer. View at your own risk. It's worth seeing though) - http://www.snopes.com/photos/durango.htm

I think it's easier to get over nailing a deer than it is a cat, simply because the deer wasn't someone's pet. No kid is going to find it a few days later and break down sobbing.

Anyway... that's that.

I don't think I want to see a dead deer right now, ew! But thanks anyway, I hope Jenni is okay and I wonder to myself why the auto manufacturers, even overseas haven't developed a gizmo yet like the one I've described. Oh yeah, just thought of a good reason...random acts of god are GOOD for the motor vehicle industry?

Jenni, that sucks...hopefully your car isn't too messed up. I wonder what happened to the deer...

One night, some of my former co-workers were driving up here from MD to help us out the following day at our office in Trenton. The driver had just bought a brand new 2001 Jetta (this was in October 2000). Smacked right into a deer on I-295 north, near Burlington, NJ. Tore the shit out of the car...I told the driver to file the incident through the company's insurance as opposed to his own. The company was none too pleased with my suggestion. :)

Sycamore,
 

whatever became of your friend afterwards? Was there a settlement of some sort? Just curious with a smile;)

Unfortunately, I don't know...I was asked to pack up my office a couple of weeks later.

NO!
 

Not you? Now that REALLY sucks. When I finally get paid you are going to help me spend my money I hope; )

I can do that. :)

That was the first job I had when I moved to Philadelphia...transferred there from our office in MD. Unfortunately, so did my boss from MD...what a fuckface.

I have had supervisors like that too, it doesn't seem to matter where you go. The fun part is getting rid of them! All you have to do is help the mafia get filthy rich and then sit back and let them do the rest. Sometimes we get a new manager at work and I groan under my breath to a few hard working co-workers, "rrrr, don't tell me WE have to get rid of another manager". Nine out of ten times the manager really isn't all that bad and is just doing his/her job.

: )