Crime and law roundup

I recently did a couple of posts on how technology is making it harder to get away with crime.  The folks in New Jersey are making it even harder, though I think this probably goes too far.  Story here.

I’ve always been of two minds regarding traffic enforcement cameras.  I’ve hated speed cameras as they are clearly nothing more than revenue streams for companies and local governments.  I am more conflicted about red light cameras at intersections since T-bone accidents are some of the most dangerous.  However, this study seems to claim that the cameras don’t actually reduce accidents.

I had to read this story twice and I still don’t believe it.  How can a jail hold someone for two years without ever having them appear in court.  I am sure the guy was mentally disturbed, but, come on.  The taxpayers are going to suffer because of the failure of the county employees.

Finally, this is just weird.

More on crime getting harder…

due to technology.  I did a post earlier regarding how advancing technology is making it harder to get away with crimes here.  The cheapness of such technology is also adding to the difficulties of criminals by making such technology more widespread.  When you are getting caught by 12 year old girls, you know that crime just got a lot harder.  Story here.

Mike Grant’s new blog

Mike Grant is a modeling master.  The day I build a model half as nice as anything he produces, I’ll be able to die a happy man.  Mike also does excellent decals.  His site is here.  Mike has also just started a blog.  It is here.

Gung hao fat choy!

Happy Chinese new year.

Papaw and the kids at Jasmine Chinese restaurant.

The RQ-170 in Iran

I think I posted previously on this story.  The Aviation Week blog has some interesting thoughts on the Iranian story that they spoofed the drone down.

F-35B

The Marines just got their first F-35B.  The F-35 program has suffered a lot of setbacks.  I’ll be interested to see how the F-35B meets its testing schedule.

The first F-35B

Bad lawyer of the day

A Maryland lawyer who had a sideline in doing balloon animals at kids parties is arrested in Florida for trying to meet an under-age child.   He is arrested, pleads guilty and now is trying to get his guilty plea set aside.  I’d bet he has a snowball’s chance in Florida of succeeding.  Story here.

More whaling idiots

The Sea Shepherd idiots are at it again.  This time, it looks like the Japanese are being much nicer than they ought to be.  As I have said before, no matter what your position on Japanese whaling, the Sea Shepherd behavior is going to eventually get someone killed.

Quit while you are behind

Submitted for your reading without too much comment, since one of the parties here is an attorney.  As they say in Top Gun, it is a mistake to push a bad position.  For FDCPA attorneys, the opinion is of note because it is one of the few cases you’ll see where an attorney was held not to be a “debt collector under the FDCPA.

Rick Green’s Seagull

Ohio attorney Rick Green (not to be confused with Canadian Ohio attorney Jim Bates) recently completed a model that I’ve never seen built before.  It is the landplane version of the SOC-3 Seagull.  I’ve seen the seaplane veersion of this Hasegawa of 72nd scale kit built up before, but never its ugly cousin, the landplane.  Rick did a beautiful job and was gracious enough to allow me to post a couple of photos.

SOC-3

A top view