Just kicking back and

and trying to catch up on some work. Even so, I seem to get further behind...how is that possible?

Besides, I'm tired of thinking about politics right now.

Anyway, I've been listening to some eclectic tunes. How about these for example:

Under my thumb (every teenage nerd's fantasy-I should know)

Fire

2000 Light Years from Home

Well, it's about an hour before midnight. Time to get back at it.

Primary Election-Florida Edition

Well, I voted.

For Guiliani...even though the pre-election polls said he didn't have a chance.

I voted for him because I believe in rewarding past good behavior.

No, not the personal crap about his former wife, etc.

I mean he showed he had the right stuff on September 11th.

The rest talk (and talk) a lot about what they would do in a crisis.

Rudy did it.

Thanks, man.

And yeah, I know that right now from the early election returns it looks like he will maybe come in a distant 3rd.

I have no regrets.

UPDATE (1-30-08)

OK, it's official. Rudy's out. And he's supporting McCain.

Sorry, Rudy, but I'm not there yet.

But I will vote for McCain...if he's on the ballot in November.

Murder in The Villages-Justice Continues (Part 4)

Well, finally we have a full jury AND the trial has begun.

OCALA - Villages resident James Miller said he remembered the flash of the light, the sound of the gun and then felt the bullet hit his head seconds before his wife became a target for a second time.

''Then they shot Diana [his wife] in the head after they shot me,'' Miller, 80, said, adding that his wife had already been shot once in the chest before they turned the gun on him on July 21, 2006.

Before the fatal shot hit his wife, Miller thought she was already dead.''Diana rolled up like a ball at the end of my feet,'' he continued. ''That's when I knew she was dead.''

Miller's testimony came Tuesday at the beginning of the first-degree murder, attempted murder and armed robbery and kidnapping trial of Jarrord Marqui Roberts, 20, and Renaldo Devon McGirth, 19.

During the testimony, Miller said three men came by to see his daughter, Sheila Miller, 39, who had been injured and was living with the family at their Villages of Springdale home.
**********
Earlier during opening arguments, Roberts' defense attorney Henry Ferro told a jury his client never touched the gun that killed Diana Miller and wasn't in the home when the fatal shot was fired.

Ferro said a codefendant, McGirth, was the triggerman. Ferro also said kidnapping charges were not valid because Sheila Miller was a part of case.

''There is evidence that Sheila Miller is involved in this crime,'' Ferro said, adding that she said, ''Let me get a hat,'' as they took her from the home.
**********
Earlier Tuesday, defense attorneys filed motions - which were denied by Lambert - to start jury selection over from scratch. Lambert asked each juror if he or she had heard anything about the case. They had not.

Mike Gourley, one of Roberts' two defense attorneys, compared the possible tainted jury to a pot of stew, stating that when you take a bite and know it is bad, you throw it all away.

''You get rid of the whole pot of stew,'' he said, inferring that a person would not keep eating by assuming the rest is OK to eat.

Yeah, shyster, it is a bad pot of stew. Your client and his fellow murderer are the rotten tomatos.

And slowly but surely we'll be getting to the truth.


UPDATE (1-30-08)

Trial continues. Sheila Miller, the druggie daughter, testified.

And of course she had no idea what kind of people her 'friends' were.

She was a victim you see.

UPDATE (1-31-08)

Another day of prosecution witnesses. And, oh yeah, another interesting side note concerning a juror. Well, read it yourself. And remember, it's always something.

Looks like it could be Monday before the defense takes over.

Well, it's Showtime here in the Sunshine State

On Tuesday, we get to decide on who we want for Republican and Democrat presedential nominees. We've had early voting for 2 weeks now, but I always vote on election day. Gives me a chance to size up all the candidates and to find out who's dropped out. I've spoken to 2 people who early voted for Thompson. While they don't regret the vote, they wish they could cast it again for a current contender. Oh, well-such is life.

We also get to vote if we want a property tax break that damned few of us understand the implications. This type of vote is always interesting. Hell, we do this all the time in Florida. You'd think we would get better at it.

Goodbye Fred

Well, it's official. Fred Thompson is gone from the race. Too bad. I hope he's open to becoming Vice President. He and his ideas are needed.

Murder in The Villages-Justice Continues (Part 3) UPDATED

Well, it continues very slowly:

OCALA - Jury selection in the murder trial of Renaldo D. McGirth and Jarrord M. Roberts was slow-going Tuesday morning at the Marion County Courthouse.

The defendants are accused of first-degree murder in the July 2006 shooting death of Diana Miller in her Villages home. They are also charged with robbery with a firearm, kidnapping with a firearm and the attempted murder of Miller's husband, James.

If convicted McGirth, 19, and Roberts, 21, face a possible death sentence.

Pretrial publicity has slowed jury selection. Circuit Judge Brian D. Lambert and the attorneys spent much of the morning pouring over juror questionnaires. As of noon, no jurors had yet come into the courtroom.Lambert left the courtroom at about 11 a.m. to give preliminary information to 50 prospective jurors. When the judge returned, he told the lawyers he had excused 20 of them.

"I think we will get a jury late Thursday or Friday," Roberts' attorney Henry Ferro said when the court broke for lunch at noon. "The pace so far is not really great. People need to be patient with the process, and it will all work out."

State Attorney Brad King told the court that prosecutors have a list of 190 witnesses, plus a possible 60 more.

Jury selection was set to resume Tuesday at 1 p.m.

UPDATE (1/23/08)

Okay, still haven't completed selected a jury.

OCALA - Pretrial publicity slowed jury selection Wednesday in the capital murder trial of Renaldo McGirth and Jarrord Roberts as many prospective jurors had heard or read about the case.
Potential jurors were being questioned one by one. From the more than 50 questioned Wednesday to see if they knew anything about it, Circuit Judge Brian D. Lambert asked 22 to come back after the 1:30 p.m. lunch break.
Jury selection was set to resume at 2:20 p.m., when they would be examined on other issues related to the trial. It began on Tuesday and could wrap up on Thursday.

ANOTHER UPDATE (1-24-08)

Okay, one more day to choose a complete jury. But it seems pretty sure a full jury will be empaneled Friday. I hope.

OCALA - Jury selection in the capital murder trial of Renaldo D. McGirth and Jarrord M. Roberts took a step backward on Thursday.

After initially denying a request by defense attorneys Michael Gourley and Candace Hawthorne, Circuit Judge Brian D. Lambert agreed to strike the panel of 22 jurors being questioned Thursday.

*************************

What led to the dismissal of the 22 potential jurors was a question the judge posed.Lambert had asked the panel if any of them knew defendants McGirth or Roberts. One man, the only black person on Thursday's panel, said he knew McGirth. The judge then asked the man how he knew McGirth. In front of the entire panel, the man said that he used to work at the Department of Juvenile Justice and knew McGirth from there.

When the panel of potential jurors left the courtroom, Hawthorne, who represents McGirth, asked to strike the panel based on the man's remark.

**************************

But he reversed that ruling after lunch. State Attorney Brad King brought case law involving similar circumstances. After reviewing that, Lambert released the 22 potential jurors.

McGirth and Roberts are black. So far, 11 white people have been chosen for the possible jury.

Those potential jurors, who were picked on Tuesday and Wednesday, were not present at the time of the comment on Thursday. So they are still being considered as possible jurors.

Jury selection will resume at 9 a.m. Friday. The court is hoping to select one potential juror to complete the jury and two alternate jurors.

ANOTHER UPDATE (1-26-08)

Sorry, but there seems to be a media blackout. I've had conflicting information about whether the jury selection process was completed Friday or will continue on Monday. Our local news fishwrapper seems not to find it important enough to even mention.

UPDATE TO UPDATE: They did select the 12th juror...but still need 2 alternates. More jury selecting on Monday the 28th.

WHAT THE HELL! ANOTHER UPDATE (1-28-08)

Jury selection will go at least one more day. I've been told that 100+ have been called back for Tuesday. Still looking for the 2 alternates.

Ocala News in Brief

For all ya'll who want to know what goes on in quiet Ocala/Marion County FL:

Trial of two of the murderers of Diana Miller continues Tuesday-jury selection begins

Wesley Snipes income tax fraud trial continues

Ann Romney will be in Ocala on Tuesday

Ex-Duke hoops star, now a horse farm owner, sues Marion County

Come to Marion County. We're where it's happening, baby!

First Iowa, then New Hampshire

Yawn!

I swear to god I'm sick and tired of every 4 years listening to how damned important are the voters of these 2 small and unrepresentative states.

It's like having to sit through hours of a high school baseball game and being told-hell, nagged-by a player's parent about just how much it's like...and even better....than pro ball.

Wake me up when the big states are up.

What a scam! (probably) an Update

I previously posted on this issue when I said: "A 'muslim' man gets tasered by Ocala cops. So now he's suing because...well, because he wouldn't drop his koran. He's religious, you know, and of course no muslim would drop a koran when cops say 'put your hands up, Sparky.'"

Well, an update:

OCALA - Four Ocala police officers have been cleared of allegations by a city resident involving use of excessive force with a Taser, use of obscene or inappropriate language, conduct unbecoming of an officer and falsifying a police report in connection with an August incident.

Jeffrey Shields, 49, was shocked with a Taser by one of the officers when he refused to drop what turned out to be a copy of the Quran - the Islamic holy book - that was hidden under his shirt. Shields also said that one of the officers kicked him in the head.

The officers were cleared by a three-member panel at the Police Department, according to an Internal Affairs report released Tuesday.

Though Shields filed a written complaint that triggered a probe into the incident, he never gave an oral statement to the investigative team that looked into the matter. Police officials said the department contacted him twice to arrange appointments, but he failed to show up both times.

Of course, we're all a bunch of racists here in Marion County, so the poor man just couldn't catch a break. Well, at least according to Wesley Snipes.

The Second Amendment Prevails in Real Life

This is why the Second Amendment is so damned important. No, Marion County is not the Wild West, but boy a gun can be handy...and necessary.

Two case studies:

CASE ONE
SUMMERFIELD - For the second time in a week, sheriff's detectives have responded to home invasion reports that ended with a shootout in one case and a death in another.
In the most recent incident, Geoffrey Green told deputies that he and five other people were playing cards in the kitchen of a Summerfield home early Tuesday. Green said three men barged in and demanded they put their hands in the air and get on the floor.
Green said the men - two white and one Hispanic - gained entry through a garage door. One of the men brandished a weapon, believed to be a silver revolver, and fired a shot into the ceiling.
**********
One of the men reportedly went into the bedroom of Kenneth Green, Geoffrey Green's father. Kenneth Green told deputies he heard the gunshot and the commotion in the house. He said he grabbed his rifle and waited behind his bed. The weapon is a WASR-10 semi-automatic assault rifle that fires 7.62x39mm ammunition. According to the AK-47 Web site, the rifle is nearly identical to the SAR-1 Romanian AK.
Officials said the man who opened the door reportedly told his accomplices, "Let's get the [expletive] out of here!" once he saw Green with the rifle.
************
CASE TWO

On New Year's Day, two men barged into a mobile home in Kendrick, and one of them stabbed 24-year-old Benjamin Byron Carroll in the neck. Carroll died Jan. 4. Detectives believe the incident may be drug-related and are looking for the robbers, who stole money and drugs.

Two case studies in what can happen when you have a gun for protection....and what can happen when you don't.

Poor Wesley Snipes-an innocent among the racists

The following is from the Ocala Star Banner:

OCALA - A federal judge Monday rejected the most recent motion by lawyers for actor Wesley Snipes asking for a delay of his trial on tax evasion charges.
Senior U.S. District Judge William Terrell Hodges denied a motion filed Friday by Snipes' lawyers asking for a delay while they appeal Hodges' earlier ruling that the trial will stay in Ocala.
Snipes is scheduled to go to trial Monday, along with co-defendants Eddie Ray Kahn and Douglas Rosile. All three men are each charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of aiding and abetting the making of a false and fraudulent claim as part of an alleged tax fraud scheme. Snipes also is charged with six counts of willfully failing to timely file federal income tax returns.
The trial is set for the federal court in Marion County because Kahn's business providing tax advice operated from Sorrento in Lake County. Snipes' legal residence also was in Orlando at one point, and the Ocala division is within the federal court's Orlando district.
Snipes' legal team filed an appeal Friday with the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, arguing that Hodges erred in rejecting a change of venue request that would have moved the trial to New York. Lawyer Robert Barnes also filed a motion to stay the proceedings pending a ruling from the appellate court.
Hodges rejected the motion for a stay Monday, saying the motion was meaningless because the change of venue request applied only to some counts and not all. Hodges also said the motion cited no legal authority for an appeal, making the motion "frivolous both on the merits as well as the absence of any established jurisdiction" for the appeals court.
The appeal to the 11th Circuit will go forward, Barnes said Monday. But Snipes will be ready for trial next week if necessary.
"We respectfully disagree with the judge's ruling, but we have always been ready for trial, and and are anxious for trial to vindicate Wesley," he said.

Feel sorry for ol' Wesley! He's gonna be tried by racist Klansmen for no reason whatsoever. Well, except for the crime of income tax evasion, etc.

His crack legal team has tried just about every scheme not to get a fair trial in the heartland of the Klan. And me and the rest of the 'boys in the hoods' are getting damned tired of it.

Murder in The Villages-Justice Continues (Part 2)

Well, Justice is creeping forward.

OCALA - A Marion County judge rejected motions to overturn Florida's death penalty Tuesday, as the trial of two men charged in the death of a Villages woman draws near.

Circuit Judge Brian Lambert denied motions by lawyers for Renaldo McGirth and Jarrord Roberts to declare Florida's lethal injection method unconstitutional.

McGirth, 19, and Roberts, 21, are charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and kidnapping in a July 2006 robbery that left Diana Miller dead and her husband, James, wounded. McGirth also is charged with fleeing police.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against both men. Their trial is scheduled to begin Jan. 22.

A third co-defendant, Theodore Houston, pleaded guilty in December and is expected to testify against McGirth and Roberts in exchange for a possible sentence of 25 years.

Not even at trial yet, and the poor murderers are concerned about their constitutional right to not have their execution cause them pain.

The heart bleeds.

Religion of Peace, My Ass! (Part 21)

Quick question:

What religion practiced by a billion + people has anything approaching the concept of..."honor" killing?

Yes. That same religion that promises 72 virgins for murderers of "infidels."

Yes. The Religion of Peace...of the grave...for so many. Even more so if you're female in a male-dominated religion that condones honor killing of women.

Wonder how peaceful these two poor girls in the above linked article thought their religion was-at the end?

Yeah, I know...this isn't indicative of so many peaceful adherents of Islam, it's unfair to tarnish so many innocents for the actions of a very few, Christianity had its horrors, I'm a hater, blah blah blah. I just don't feel like being fair right now. Problem is you hear about crap like this too damn often, with too little outrage from the RoP community.

Hell, we'll probably find out tomorrow that the father or RoP wasn't involved at all. I'll apologize then.

UPDATE (1/04/08)

From Michelle Malkin's site, the brother of Sarah and Amina Said insists that Pop's religion was irrelevant. He "disputed widespread rumors and media reports that his Muslim father’s religion may have been part of the motive.

“It’s not religion,” he said, declining to speak in detail about a possible motive. “It’s something else. Religion has nothing to do with it.”

The brother's name? Why, it's Islam Said.

Silly me.

I'm not religious, so...

so I'm not a member of the Church of Man Made Global Warming, nor is AlGore my high priest.

I would have to be a religious fanatic to be able to believe such unbelievable crap. But that's not my mindset.

I also have the ability to read, consider, decipher, compare and analyze what others say. A good case study is this above linked article by Steven Milloy, which is a good summary of 10 climate myths busted during 2007.

But mostly I'm not a true believer in the Church of Gaia because I've lived over 50 years and recall most of those years.

So I remember, for example:
** the great global cooling scare of the 70s
** the horrible world wide swine flu (that didn't happen), also of the 70s (1976)
** the certainty of catastrophic deaths from SARS
** how all us heterosexuals who would boink anyone of the opposite sex could/would get AIDS
** how mercury fillings would brain damage us
** how mercury in fish would brain damage us (or at least a fetus)
** how smoking dope would brain damage us (umm, never mind)
** the ALAR apple scare of 1989 (almost wholly made up by CBS/60 Minutes).

These were mostly bullshit. Why? Not because there wasn't some cause for concern, but because cooler heads even then knew that these scares were considerably hyped or mostly bogus.

And because I also remember, for example:
** the horrors of polio
** lung cancer and early death from smoking cigarettes (known as coffin nails since the 1800s)
** significant deaths and blindness from measles
** significant number of deaths from influenza.

These had long been documented, studied and considered. These were reality-based.

You didn't have to abandon reason for faith to accept their reality...and probability of outcomes.

So based on reading and observation, and using some common sense, I can 'believe' the earth has been warming for decades. And that man's input has been pretty damned small. And that pouring trillions of dollars into the AlGore inspired or decreed Ponzi schemes is pretty damned stupid.

Nope, I'm not religious.

And besides, any one who would believe AlGore on anything is pretty much an idiot.