Disqus - Latest Comments for CynicalSynapse

Re: Bloomberg Editorial Board Argues Violence Will Soar

CynicalSynapse — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 17:36:29 -0000

Hmmm. Maybe Bloomberg is racist. It seems "may issue" laws are discriminatory. After all, statistics show people of color are less likely to be affluent (thus,not as able to bribe officials to get a permit). Folks clamoring for equity claim people of color have fewer resources which seems like it would make it harder to meet the requirements for applying for a permit, especially in a "may issue" state. And, if you're poor, which is statistically true for larger percentages of non-whites, "carrying large sums of money" and other similar "good reasons" are less likely to be valid for them, even though they may live in higher crime areas, thus giving them more need to the ability to defend themselves.

Re: California State University President Pens INSANE Letter To Students About Gun Control

CynicalSynapse — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 21:02:28 -0000

"[T]he Centers for Disease Control should be allowed to use public money to
research gun violence as a public health threat. Let's create evidence
to inform policy," She should be careful what she asks for since the evidence is going to refute her gun control platform. She is right though, the answers are there if we look deeply enough. They are enforcing the existing laws. How about 45 police calls for service, including domestic abuse, being reported to NICS to prevent deranged kids from buying guns. How about assaults at school being referred to the criminal justice system so they get reported to NICS to prevent deranged kids from buying guns. How about Sheriffs taking responsibility for their "amazing leadership" failures instead of blame-shifting to the NRA and the one gun in the Parkland killings? How about someone being held accountable for the FBI dropping the ball when someone believed the "See something, Say something" campaign could help prevent crime? Or aren't those deep enough solutions?

Re: WRIF - Everything That Rocks-ARE YOU SICK OF STARING INTO YOUR PET'S BUTTHOLE?-Drew & Mike

CynicalSynapse — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:43:27 -0000

what's her myspace link?

Re: http://www.sojournersplace.com/2009/10/old-school-friday-sjps-high-school.html

CynicalSynapse — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:58:15 -0000

45s and B sides... Some folks might not have a clue what you're talking about! Thanks for happier times.

Re: Ignorance, Intolerance & Violence

CynicalSynapse — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:53:47 -0000

Here's my take. People, in general, have become very selfish. I wouldn't call it desensitized, but they're not incensed by wrongs perpetrated on others. The beating death of Chicago honor student Derrion Albert is a sad proof. Nobody got involved on his behalf; nobody called 9-1-1.

I think there are 3 components to today's violence, or perception thereof. First, people are not as connected as they used to be. We don't have neighborhoods like we used to. Second, the media has sensationalized crime, violence, and abductions. There may not be more than there used to be, but it's in the news everyday. Finally, when we (showing my age here) were kids, a fight involved fists. Today it involves a gun and there's less consideration of the value of a human life.

Why? I think the media and the Internet have a part in this. Gangs and drugs have spread across the land. And a greater divide between the "haves" and the "have nots" increases tensions. Rodney King asked the question. It's up to US to put perceptions aside and work together so we can all get along. And prosper.

Re: BOOYAH! IN YO' FACE!

CynicalSynapse — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:33:18 -0000

I have mixed feelings about Obama and Chicago's Olympic bid.

As for the Olympics, I'm sorry Chicago didn't get the nod, but I don't think the President of the United States should have gone to the IOC hat-in-hand. While it's a bit of a bummer from a prestige perspective, we're probably better off. Olympic games never break even economically.

About President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Price, what has he done? The US has combat troops in two foreign countries, Iraq and Afghanistan. Iraq is more stable while Afghanistan is more volatile and Obama hasn't yet decided what to do. He's not solved the Palestinian-Israeli problem. And Iran and North Korea are still on a path to obtaining nuclear weapons. Can somebody tell me what I'm missing that indicates Obama deserves the peace prize?

Re: Kilpatrick smacked down by appeals court on restitution

CynicalSynapse — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 18:08:57 -0000

More than a year after leaving office, former Detroit mayor and convicted felon Kwame Kilpatrick still wants Detroiters to pay for his lavish lifestyle. Um, what about the tens of millions you bilked from the taxpayers, Kwame?

Re: Cancer and Car Aircon

CynicalSynapse — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 10:30:20 -0000

This has no basis in fact. It also misinforms on what is an "acceptable" level of benzene exposure.

I checked it on snopes.com. As the Mythbusters would say, "busted". Although benzene is a carcinogen and a constituent in both plastics and fuel, auto components don't off-gas to that extreme. In fact, a Korean study found exposures higher during winter months.

OSHA's permissable exposure limit (PEL) for benzene is 1 part per million (PPM) over an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) or 5 PPM in 15 minutes. There is no authoritive basis for the claim 50 mg per sq ft is acceptable. In fact, OSHA's TWA converts to 16 mg/cubic meter which equals 4.8 mg/sq ft. Thus 50 mg/sq ft is excessive and is even double OSHA's short term exposure limit of 24.38 mg/sq ft.

Re: SFA: $2.1 billion shortfall in 2010

CynicalSynapse — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:41:52 -0000

Projections for next year's budget shortfall and the current party line budget dance don't bode well for Michigan having a balanced budget on time. I'm afraid we're going to see another state government shutdown like in 2007.

Re: Michigan State Police union looking at ways to soften blow of governor’s budget cuts

CynicalSynapse — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:33:54 -0000

Unfortunately, the trooper layoffs are a political grandstanding move by the Governor and the State legislature doesn't have the balls to do the right thing.

Despite spending about $8 million to train some 87 state troopers in 2008, they'll be layed off to save $1.7 million. Excuse me? Does that make sense to you? Even if you add in another $3 million in "at post" costs, the payback is two years. And public safety is the first of the core services of government? What am I missing here?

Re: Five Students, Two Others Shot At Detroit Bus Stop | AHN

CynicalSynapse — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:38:25 -0000

Detroit has enough problems without this gratuitous mayhem. While still under investigation, Jamall Turner turned himself in to Detroit Police as one of the suspects in the shooting spree.

Re: State Officers Compensation Commission alters pay cut plan

CynicalSynapse — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 14:09:45 -0000

Bravo for Gov. Granholm for cutting her pay now. I share her disappointment in the state constitution for preventing salary reductions until next term. There are a lot of ordinary folk out there that probably wish they had that kind of deal.

Now, how many other elected officials will display the moral fortitude and follow the Governor's example? I'm betting not the State House Republicans. They just want to cut state workers' pay by 5%. Maybe they figure 10% in 2 years is the same as 5% now. But wait—2011 is next term.

Re: $10M tourism ad campaign promoting state starting

CynicalSynapse — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:52:33 -0000

While the tourism campaign may well make money, the timing of the announcement probably wasn't very good. I suspect the $10 million cost doesn't sit well with state workers just as State House Republicans propose cutting their wages 5%. Never mind the legislators' own 10% cut they just approved, beginning with the next term in 2011.