Weblog

Wednesday, 24 November 2010

  • St. Louis singled out in first place on Biggest risk Places listing

    The CQ Press “Most Dangerous Cities” list angers cities across the country every year. The most recent ratings put St. Louis on leading, displacing the previous “winner” Camden, N.J. to second fiddle. Critics call the CQ biggest risk places listing "irresponsible," however CQ Press defends the rankings as a way for communities to hold civic leaders accountable.

    Avoiding American places due to danger

    St. Louis was after Camden on the CQ most dangerous cities listing. Now the 2009 one shows St. Louis at the top. In 3rd and fourth are Detroit Michigan and Flint, that is a neighbor. The fifth on the list was Oakland CA. Rates of violent crimes like rape, robbery, aggravated assault, auto theft, burglary and murder are all measured in the CQ Press listing that compares all these U.S. places. The 2009 survey ranked St. Louis on top with 2,070.1 violent offences per 100,000 people. 429.4 is the average throughout the nation. St. Louis ended up being seven points ahead of Camden. Detroit was 18 points lower than Camden though.

    Violent criminal offense data looked over more carefully

    To position cities on probably the most dangerous cities list, CQ Press utilizes Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal offense data. The Associated Press accounts that area officials and some criminologists question the methodology of the survey. Putting out the most dangerous cities listing isn’t very responsible. This is the opinion of the St. Louis Police Department accounts the AP. The Federal Bureau of Investigation doesn’t appreciate its data getting used in ways like this, accounts the AP. This is what Greg Scarbro who's the FBI’s Uniform Criminal offense Reporting Program’s unit chief said. According to a spokesman for the mayor’s office in St. Louis, criminal offense has been going down annually. Since 2007, this has been the case. The CQ issued a “flawed” report that was only published “for the sake of making a buck” according to Camden Mayor Dana Redd who told this to the Philadelphia Daily News.

    CQ accounts which cities are the safest too

    In contrast to probably the most dangerous places, CQ Press named El Paso, TX, a border area with raging Mexican drug violence right next door, as the most secure of all places of its size in the U.S. The 2nd safest was Honolulu. Third safest was given to New York City. El Paso made number 1 for the first time within the survey after ranking as high as 2nd or third in the CQ safest places report.

    Citations

    Associated Press

    google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hjbTudvgLq379jbYawS7w_WOFUjA?docId=22c9981f4ca34807ba7ac8dc07726067

    Philadelphia Daily News

    philly.com/dailynews/local/20101122_Camden_loses_crime_title.html

    El Paso Times

    elpasotimes.com/ci_16670537?source=most_viewed

Thursday, 18 November 2010

  • Murkowski slams Palin and will take Alaska vote count up head

    Miller has fallen behind Murkowski within the Alaska vote count. In an effort to void some votes he feels shouldn't count up, Miller has filed suit in federal judge to that end. In a recent interview, Murkowksi also fired some shots across Sarah Palin's bow.

    Murkowski gaining lead in Alaska vote count up

    In the AK vote count which is much contested, for the Alaska U.S. Senate election, Lisa Murkowski is now doing better than Joe Miller. Previous governor Sarah Palin wasn’t excited to discover that even though Miller won beat Murkowski in the Alaska Republican primary, Murkowski decided to do a write-in campaign. As a Tea Party Republican, Miller had Palin backing him. He had her endorsement. An endorsement from Palin might end up meaning little for Miller. Currently, Murkowski has a lead of 92,164 to 90,458 for Miller, based on the Anchorage Daily News. 97 percent of write-in ballots have gone to Murkowski although 8,000 ballots have to be counted. 7,601 of the votes have been challenged by Miller so far. The judge has yet to respond to him. Murkowski’s campaign maintains the law allows for interpreting voter intent.

    Murkowski blasts Sarah Palin

    Since Murkowski has been slandered by Palin in the press before, the history between Palin and Murkowski is already pretty bitter. A President needs “leadership skills” that Palin does not have while Palin also “lacks intellectual curiosity” based on Lisa Murkowski. CBS accounts that she said this in an interview with Katie Couric. She pointed out that she wasn’t engaged in office at all while being governor for half a term. She then explained that Palin got out as fast as she could afterwards.

    Almost to the last vote count

    Soon the final Alaska vote count up can be here. The last ballots are being reviewed right about now. Nevertheless pending is the lawsuit from Miller. It might just end up getting tossed out if it does not get a move on. Should Murkowski win, it can be the first write-in candidate elected to office in over 50 years.

    Information from

    anchorage Daily News

    adn.com/2010/11/15/1555926/murkowski-passes-miller-in-vote.html

    CBS

    cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20022884-503544.html

Thursday, 22 October 2009

  • Finishing my sentences

    I have a friend who finishes my sentences—you know how that is right, but the funny thing is, she finishes my sentences on chat!  I’ll start a sentence and before I finish it, it has appeared right before me, in written print, or type. 

    So we’ve come up with our own little acronym, abbreviation, internet slang, if you will.  You know how lol is laugh out loud, brb is be right back, fyi is for your information, btw is by the way, afk is away from keyboard, tnx is thanks and rolf is rolling on the floor laughing.  Well our new one is twga, which stands for there we go again.  No need to finish the sentence, just write twga to say, friend, you just finished that sentence for me.

Friday, 28 November 2008

  • Products that cause injuries are recalled. But cigarettes are never recalled. Why is that?

    I noticed the sponsor - Truth - the folks that have been all over the TV as of late.  (Truth - not really.  Truth is only that which is empirically true - that which is measurable, quantifiable, and replicable. Since smoking deals with human behavior, the only universal truth about human behavior is there is no definite truth.)  The query posed about cigarettes is logically valid.  However, the following contradictions exist:
     First, millions of people are killed and injured every year in car accidents. Since car makers don't intend for the people who drive their products to get into accidents and get hurt/killed, does that mean that GM, Ford, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, et al, have to stop making cars, since people die from using them?  (Granted, Ford, GM, and Chrysler may be going under anyway, so if that IS the Truth people's wish, as well as the enviro-wackbags wish, they may get it.)  The biggest killer of teenagers is automobiles, far and away.  Phillip Morris couldn't get those kind of numbers if they tried. 
    It's like using alcohol; just because a booze besotten drunk driver runs into a utility pole or a college kid dies of alsohol poisoning doesn't mean that those of us who use it responsibly should have it taken away from us.  Hey:  They tried, and the biggest beneficiary was Al Capone.  The fact of the matter is that smoking is a drug.  Just like drinking alcohol, or marijuana, anything like that.  Human beings like doing it, and will continue to do so regardless.  Prohibitions NEVER tally in the positive in the end.  Look at the war on drugs, or as some call it, the war on the constitution, and it has continuously lost money, and consistently failed to reduce drug use in the US.
     Smoking is a choice, and not really an incredibly smart one at that. From what I've heard, teen smoking has decreased since these guys have started their ad campaigns, and that is commendable. Teenagers need all the help they can get, and if at legal age they decide to indulge, that is their legal right.  Those under the age shouldn't; but those of age have the legal right to choose for themselves.   I heartily applaud the truth organization, if indeed it was their influence that helped in whole or in part. 
       

    I just answered this Featured Question; you can answer it too!

Monday, 24 November 2008

  • What is your favorite childhood toy? What makes it special to you?


    My favorite childhood toy - Wow.  I haven't really thought about it for years.  When I was a kid, I was all about two different toys:  Lego's, and Transformers.  Transformers and Lego's were my favorite because they were mentally stimulating.  I mean, if you get a GI Joe you get everything once its out of the package.  It won't ever do anything different.  I think Legos really take the cake for me.  I would build what they showed you first, and then I'd branch out and make whatever I wanted afterwards.  Get creative!  Lego's really were my favorite, and hardly anything else provided the same amount of stimulation and interest.
       

    I just answered this Featured Question; you can answer it too!

rocknrollklown

  • Visit rocknrollklown's Xanga Site
    • Name: Eric
    • Location:
    • Gender: Male
    • Member Since: 9/29/2008

Archives

Don't worry - your calendar is here… to see it in action just click "Save" above and refresh the page.

About Me

  • Well, I enjoy sports, outdoor activities, music. I guess I'm just a regular kind of guy. I graduated from a university with a degree, and now I work hard, and play hard.

Groups

[no groups]

Photostrip

[no photos]

Recommended

[no recommendations]