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Tim Lambesis – growing more brutal at 32

A moster among men, Tim Lambesis commands his frothing masses.

At 2 PM on May 7th Tim Lambesis, frontman of the highly acclaimed metal act As I Lay Dying, was arrested at a Barnes and Nobel in Oceanside San Diego on suspicion of soliciting first degree murder. The San Diego police department became aware of Lambesis’ alleged need of a hitman last Thursday, May 2nd. The proposed target, his estranged wife, Meggan Lambesis. The police quickly set up a sting operation to avert future tragedy. Lambesis reportedly solicited an undercover detective to kill his wife. After affirming Tim’s intentions the undercover officer identified himself as a police officer and took Lambesis into custody without incident.

Metal Blade Records, As I Lay Dying members, and Lambesis have been unavailable for comment. It is unclear if Tim has secured a lawyer at this time. Solicitation of murder is a felony regarded as first degree murder. Under California law my fall under first-degree felony-murder law – Penal Code 189 PC. What this means  is while Lambesis did not intend to commit the murder he intended to set in motion the events which would lead to Meggan’s death. If convicted Lambesis faces any or all following penalties

- twenty-five (25) years to life in California state prison,
- life in California state prison without possibility of parole, or
- the California death penalty.

The second and third of these penalties may only be imposed if the felony murder qualifies as so-called special circumstances murder under California law. The special circumstances murder is slightly arbitrary including the murder and torture of a police officer to drive by shootings. It is unlikely Lambesis will be charged with the special circumstances murder since it is more difficult to prove he intended something more sinister than “just murder”.

AILD has just returned from a tour in China and is scheduled for the Killswitch Engage: Disarm The Descent Tour in the up coming months. Needless to say it is likely these dates will be cancelled. No word on refunds for pre-purchased tickets. Other bands on the tour are Miss May I and Affiance.

Meggan Lambesis, who lives in nearby Encinitas with their two adopted children from Ethiopia, has not been reached for comment. She began the process to file for divorce in September according to public record.

For more info on As I Lay Dying refer to The Rave without MDMA.

 

Drive fast. Take chances. Thanks for reading.

-Dan

Wind Farming – Energy Solution or

Image From http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2011/images/vattenfall-image_300.jpg

We often think of wind farming as a new concept but the truth is humans have been using wind power for 3,000 years. Most of us can think back to windmills turning milestones to grind grain into flour or the small windmills on farms during the 1930′s pumping water up from underground wells when the blades spun at 15 MPH or higher. If we have been using wind power so prolifically through history why is there so much attention given to it today? To properly answer that question we first need to understand how these farms work.

What is wind?

Seems like a simple question but understanding exactly why the wind blows is integral to choosing wind farm placement. Think of wind as you would liquid, the difference being the particles are gas rather than liquid. Interestingly wind is a result of the center of the galaxy, our sun. The sun heats a certain area of land; the air around that land mass absorbs some of that heat.  At a certain temperature, that hotter air begins to rise very quickly because a given volume of hot air is lighter than an equal volume of cooler air. Faster-moving (hotter) air particles exert more pressure than slower-moving particles, so it takes fewer of them to maintain the normal air pressure at a given elevation.

Same idea as a hot air balloon or how soaring birds stay aloft without flapping their wings.

When that lighter hot air suddenly rises, cooler air flows quickly in to fill the gap the hot air leaves behind. That air rushing in to fill the gap is wind. f you place an object like a rotor blade in the path of that wind, the wind will push on it, transferring some of its own energy of motion to the blade. This is how a wind turbine captures energy from the wind. The same thing happens with a sail boat. When moving air pushes on the barrier of the sail, it causes the boat to move. The wind has transferred its own energy of motion to the sailboat.

What are the parts of the wind turbine:

For the sake of simplicity they are consistent of 3 major parts.

1. Rotor blades – The blades are basically the sails of the system; in their simplest form, they act as barriers to the wind (more modern blade designs go beyond the barrier method). When the wind forces the blades to move, it has transferred some of its energy to the rotor.

2. Shaft – The wind-turbine shaft is connected to the center of the rotor. When the rotor spins, the shaft spins as well. In this way, the rotor transfers its mechanical, rotational energy to the shaft, which enters an electrical generator on the other end.

3. Generator – At its most basic, a generator is a pretty simple device. It uses the properties of electromagnetic induction to produce electrical voltage – a difference in electrical charge. Voltage is essentially electrical pressure – it is the force that moves electricity, or electrical current, from one point to another. So generating voltage is in effect generating current. A simple generator consists of magnets and a conductor. The conductor is typically a coiled wire. Inside the generator, the shaft connects to an assembly of permanent magnets that surrounds the coil of wire. In electromagnetic induction, if you have a conductor surrounded by magnets, and one of those parts is rotating relative to the other, it induces voltage in the conductor. When the rotor spins the shaft, the shaft spins the assembly of magnets, generating voltage in the coil of wire. That voltage drives electrical current (typically alternating current, or AC power) out through power lines for distribution.

How do power companies choose the land and acquire it to build wind farms?

Sizes of turbines. Image from http://www.wdnweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/WEB-Wind-turbine.jpg

What makes a good windsite:

Sustained wind speeds are critical to a project’s economic viability. Wind turbines require a minimum annual average wind speed of about 15 mph, or 6.7 meters per second. The proximity of turbines to electric transmission lines is another important factor in evaluating the economic viability of a project. Due to the high costs associated with building transmission lines, most wind projects are located within three miles of high-voltage transmission lines.

Also, land features (hills and ravines), vegetation, and nearby structures can affect how valuable a site is for wind energy development. In the Northeast, high hilltops, relatively free of trees and buildings, are favorable for a wind energy project. Factors such as the accessibility of the land for construction, soil type, and terrain impact construction as well as maintenance needs and costs. Environmental impacts related to view-sheds, noise, birds, wetlands, and historical preservation are crucial to the viability of a project and its community acceptance.

http://www.alleganywindfarm.com/faq.htm#13

Two Forms of Payment
A farmer who signs a contract for the installation of a wind turbine on his farm land will typically receive two types of payments. The initial payments are a lease of the development right for the land. The leasing company locks up the right for a period of three to five years to start building wind turbines on the land. A 2009 report from North Dakota State University reports this option lease pays two to ten dollars per acre to the farmer. Once the company starts building a wind turbine, the lease changes to payments based on the electricity produced by the turbine.

Ongoing Wind Turbine Payments
The payment to a farmer for a completed wind turbine can be based on one criteria or a combination of several. One option is an annual payment based on the rated capacity of the turbine. Another is a flat annual payment per turbine. Some contracts include a payment based on a percentage of the value of electricity produced by the wind turbine. The typical length of a wind turbine contract with a farmer is 20 to 25 years. The contract should include an annual rate increase factor to insure the payments keep up with inflation.

Typical Wind Turbine Payments
The payments for a wind turbine will vary based on the location and the utility company. Here are some published payment amounts from different states. A wind turbine contract from 2009 in Indiana paid $1.10 per megawatt hour but not less than $3,500 per megawatt rated capacity per year. The North Dakota State University report listed payments of $4,000 to $6,000 per megawatt of rated power or royalties of three to five percent of gross electricity sales. A Penn State news release concerning farms in western New York quoted farmers being quoted $3,500 per two megawatt turbine per year plus royalties of four to five percent of the electricity produced.

Wind Turbine Considerations
Large commercial wind turbines have rated production capacities of one to two and a half megawatts. A farmer would earn $10,000 from a two-megawatt turbine with a $5,000 per megawatt per year payment. Wind turbine contracts are very long term and farmers should protect themselves against turbines not producing the projected amounts of electricity and the cost of eventual removal of a turbine. Turbine payments should have an indexing mechanism to allow payment amounts to increase in future years, protecting the buying power of the payments to the farmer.

http://www.ehow.com/info_8337416_much-farmer-make-wind-turbine.html#ixzz2SdsmG7vq

How much does it cost to build one turbine?

Most of the commercial-scale turbines installed today are 2 MW in size and cost roughly $3-$4 million installed. Wind turbines have significant economies of scale. Smaller farm or residential scale turbines cost less overall, but are more expensive per kilowatt of energy producing capacity. Wind turbines under 100 kilowatts cost roughly $3,000 to $8,000 per kilowatt of capacity. A 10 kilowatt machine (the size needed to power a large home) might have an installed cost of $50,000-$80,000 (or more) depending on the tower type, height, and the cost of installation. Oftentimes there are tax and other incentives that can dramatically reduce the cost of a wind project.

http://www.windustry.org/resources/how-much-do-wind-turbines-cost

What is the benefit of wind power:

Pros

• The creation of wind energy is “clean”. Unlike the use of coal or oil, generating energy from the wind doesn’t produce pollutants or require any harmful chemicals.
• Wind is free. If you live in a geographical location that receives plenty of wind, it is there for the taking.
• As a renewable resource, wind can never be depleted like other natural, non-renewable resources.
• The electric company may end up owing you. If you generate more electricity than you need from wind power, it can be fed back into the grid and you’ll receive credit.
• The cost of producing wind energy has dropped significantly in recent years, and as it gains popularity, it will continue to become more affordable.
• You will recoup the cost of purchasing and installing your wind turbine over a relatively short period of time.
• Wind turbines can provide energy for many homes. You don’t necessarily have to own a wind turbine in order to reap the benefits; you can purchase your electricity from a utility company that harnesses wind energy.
• Tax incentives are offered for installing wind turbines on the federal and state levels.
• Land owners who rent land to wind farms can make quite a bit of extra money, and wind energy also creates new jobs in this growing technology field.
• Wind turbines are considered by some to be beautiful. The modern versions look nothing like pastoral Dutch windmills, but they are white, sleek and modern.
• Wind energy reduces our dependence on fossil fuels from foreign countries.

Downside:

Image from http://files.gereports.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/larg-wind-turbine.jpg

Cons

• Wind doesn’t always blow consistently, and turbines typically operate at only 30 percent capacity. If the weather is not in your favor, you may end up without electricity (or at least you’ll have to rely on the utility company).
• Severe storms or extremely high winds might cause damage to your wind turbine, especially when they are struck by lightning.
• The blades of wind turbines can sometimes be dangerous to wildlife, particularly birds.
• Wind turbines create a sound that averages around 60 decibels, and if you don’t have enough space to locate it away from your house it may prove to be a nuisance.
• Some people believe that wind turbines are unattractive, so your neighbors may complain.
• Compliance with city codes and ordinances may be bothersome when you are trying to install a wind turbine. In some cases, height restrictions may prevent you from installing one.
• Wind turbines and other equipment required to create wind energy can be very expensive up front, and depending on where you live, it may be difficult to find a vendor and someone who can maintain the equipment.
• It requires a lot of open land to set up wind turbines, and cutting down trees sort of defeats the green purpose. Desirable areas to install them are often located far from dense urban areas that could benefit the most from their power.
• Wind turbines may interfere with reception for televisions or other equipment.

Summary from my point of view:

I am all for renewable energy, reducing oil dependency foreign and domestic, and creating more jobs, however while doing research on this piece something didn’t sit right with me. Many local people cite health issues about the noise of the turbines, the strobing effect of the turning blades, and the dominance they have on the land scape. While I have never lived close to a turbine I have lived by rail road tracks, freeways, football stadiums, and downtown areas and have learned to cope with the noises, lights, and smells with which these areas are associated. Esthetically I find turbines to be beautiful and majestic in their own right.

I support community’s right to have a say on whether or not their neighbors should build a 350 foot monolith that will shadow their land and create strobing effects on their windows and yard. If the community votes it in, stop complaining.

What concerns me is the fiscal push behind these farms. The farmers who lease their land really get nothing back when put in perspective what the utility is making. Also these are often government subsidized projects so taxes are building these wind farms at $3 million a turbine. If they build seven wind turbines that’s $21 million. The American government has spent billions developing this technology and millions subsidizing it. Imagine if the government had put that money into improving the average American home’s appliances, energy consumption reduction education, and solar panels on homes? While the government has spent money on the former, far more was spent on wind.

The utility companies are also very aware of how to make money hand over fist on wind. When a utility sells a wind farm to another utility its as if those turbines were just built and all tax breaks come flooding to the new owners even though they simply purchased used and likely outmoded equipment.

Much of the land wind farms are built on is simply leased. When these farms break down or aren’t viable anymore will these leases be renewed? Probably not and the farmers will be the ones left with massive concrete foot prints and huge structures towering over their land waiting to topple. The cost of deconstructing one of these things is astronomical. Moreover they are very difficult to fix since they can be 650 feet in the air. When they are hit by lightning they are allowed to burn until the flames die naturally raining fiery debris for miles, simply because you cannot put the fire out. They are just too tall.

It seems to me this tech will be obsolete rather quickly. From what I understand the first generation of turbines have already gone the way of the buffalo. Seems like a lot of money and materials for something that can’t be repurposed or even removed.

They also are very hard birds and the air pressure of the blades spinning at 150 MPH cause bat’s lungs to explode. Yes. EXPLODE. Hope everyone likes mosquitos. Maybe we can make renewable energy of the billions upon billions of the blood suckers when all their natural predators are dead or gone.

Lastly, wind turbines are the only power plants that draw off the grid. That’s right, they take power. There are a series of brakes to keep the rotors from spinning to fast or not at all. This means when the turbine is shut down because it’s broken or spinning faster than it can safely manage they put on the brakes and that energy comes from the rest of the grid, so while they operate at 30% capacity they waste energy when shut down or being regulated.

Clean energy is paramount to our survival, but wind turbines seem too costly, short-lived, and untested to warrant the amount of money, time, resources, and public discourse spent on them. We absolutely need renewable energy and wind may have some answers but lets rein it in a bit.

The real answer is to consume less. Do one thing today to keep the planet livable that much longer. Turn off lights, unplug unused appliances, ride your bike to work, bring a reusable bag to the market. A little everyday and it will become a lifestyle. That is the real answer to the energy issues we face today.

 

Drive fast. Take chances. Thanks for reading.

 

-Danger

Fokkers and Aces Fight over Europe

WWI Fighter Ace Charles Nungesser Image from http://www.librosmaravillosos.com/lahistoriadelaaviacion/imagenes/09-004.jpg

Fighter Ace, film star, racecar driver, boxer, lady’s man, Parisian, and all around badass… Tell me more you say? OK. Charles Eugene Jules Marie Nungesser, born in Paris on March 15, 1892, (interestingly the same year the first military contract was issued for an airplane). Growing up in Paris he attended École des Arts et Métiers (France’s premier technical school) and while he was a mediocre student he excelled in competitive sports, particularly boxing.

Eventually he dropped out of school and hopped aboard a ship headed to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with the intention to work for his uncle who owned a sugar plantation. Charles, a bit of a wild card, most likely didn’t have the best-laid plans. When he arrived in Brazil his uncle was nowhere to be found. His options limited he continued onto Buenos Aires, Argentina where procured work as an auto mechanic. He quickly moved from under the hood to behind the wheel as a professional race driver. His need for speed wasn’t sated since the absolute top speed of cars at the time was around 55 MPH and upon meeting another Frenchman who owned a Blériot plane, his attention turned to the sky. To be fair planes were still limited to airspeeds of around 50 MPH at the time, but undoubtedly Charles found flying around in wood and canvas a superior rush to tooling along on the sod below.

He talked his friend into allowing him to take the plane up. Can you imagine that conversation?

(Read with a French accent)

“Hey pal, do you mind if I take your plane up?”

“You mean that experimental flying contraption that has been around for less than decade? Do you have any experience?”

“No. How hard can it be? It’s just balsa and cloth strapped to an engine with a wooden propeller. My auto has twice as many tires and I can drive that.”

“Well, as long as you’re careful. I just got the wicker chair with no seat belt detailed.”

Talk about one flew over the cuckoo’s nest.

Charles flew around for a few minutes and after making a safe landing he.was.hooked. After two weeks he considered himself a trained pilot. Shortly thereafter the enigmatic uncle surfaced and Charles went to work on his plantation in the Buenos Aires province.

Kaiser Wilhelm II., August v. Mackensen Image from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R11105,_Kaiser_Wilhelm_II.,_August_v._Mackensen_crop.jpg

This would be the British equivalent. Image from http://www.finecars.cc/en/detail/car/18286/index.html

In July of 1914 the conflict known as the Great War broke out. Charles returned to France to fight the Germans despite their cool pointy hats. He joined the 2e Régiment de Hussards, a division of the cavalry. On one patrol Nungesser and several other soldiers came up a Mors German staff car and proceeded to light up the men inside like a Polish Church, that is to say, those Germans got deaded. Charles grabbed the opportunity to get behind the wheel of legendary Mors, piled the other Frenchmen in and speed back to HQ where the brass were so pleased with his actions they awarded him the Medaille Militaire and gave him the German’s patrol car he “boosted”. Can you imagine that now? “Good job capturing that Hummer Private So-n-So. Here’s the Metal of Awesomeness and enjoy that Humvee on your leave.”

Nungesser was able to turn this success into a transfer to the Service Aéronautique, the French national flight school. He transferred to Escadrille VB106 to be trained as an observation pilot. At the time airplanes weren’t constructed with weapons and used predominately the way we use satellites and drones today to gather intelligence. In fact after the U.S. entered WWI, Orville Wright (co-inventor of the airplane) confidently wrote that the nation with the most airborne scouts, “will win the war and put an end to war.” He thought aerial reconnaissance would make war “… too expensive, too slow, too difficult, too long drawn out” for anyone to keep doing it.

The Voisin III LAS was used primarily as a bomber. Image found http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww1/b/643/21/0#3

On July 31st, 1915 the Nungesser lore really took shape. Charles and his mechanic and friend, Roger Pochon, were on standby duty. Never one for the sidelines Charles stole a two-seater Voisin III LAS, found five German Albatros’ over Nancy, France and shot one down. The rest tucked tail and ran. Roger and Charles and returned to base. For this he was awarded the Croix de Guerre, forwarded to training in Nieuport fighters, and given eight days in house arrest.

Charles and his Nieuport 11 “Bébé. Image from http://fly.historicwings.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/HighFlight-Nieuport11-8.jpg

He flew over 50 bombing missions by the time he left VB106. November 1915 he transferred to Escadrille N.65 (the 65th Squadron) and was later attached to the famous Lafayette Escadrille, composed of American volunteers. While visiting the Escadrille on one of his convalescent periods recuperating from his wounds, he borrowed a plane and shot down another German while he was there. By the end of 1916, he had claimed 21 air kills. So much was his penchant for the macabre he had his Nieuport 11 “Bébé” (baby) emblazoned with violent images of death. He went as far as to make his own Jolly Roger composed of a skull and cross-bones, a coffin and candlesticks all contained in a black heart. So excited was he about his new emblem he flew over the town of Nancy at 30 feet to give everyone a good look. As usual his stunts landed him in jail for eight days. His commander of the squadron told him that if he was going to do aerobatics to do them over the German lines. Nungesser jumped into his plane, flew to the nearest German field, and gave them quite a show. He reported back to his commander, told him what he had done, and was put under arrest again. Gotta love this guy.

Austrian Balloon. Image found http://acepilots.com/wwi/balloon_68.jpg

In January 1916, Nungesser broke both legs, pierced the roof of his mouth with the planes control stick, and dislocated his jaw in a serious flying accident. Within two months he was up in the air again, hobbling to his aircraft on crutches or carried by his faithful mechanic, Pochon.  By the end of March he was back with N. 65 and in the first week of April he made up for lost time over Verdun shooting down several enemy aircraft and balloons (balloons were used largely in WWI as observation decks and occasionally as bombers).  One leg did not heal properly, so he underwent surgery and insisted that no anesthesia be administered. I want you to think about that next time you think something “really hurt”.

This two seater Albatros was used for bombing. Image from http://www.wwiaviation.com/gallery-albatros.html

The Germans enjoyed this reprieve from the ace, but upon his return they gave him a new Nieuport with a 130 HP Clerget engine (vs. the previous 110 HP) and those Fokkers began to drop like flies once again. So agitated were the Germans with this French Ace hole they sent a single Albatros to drop a message over the French base to challenge Nungesser to a “duel” over Douai. When he arrived there were six sneaky krauts lying in ambush. Charles quickly reduced two of the German crafts to flying flaming tinder sticks. The other four fled the scene like the cowards they were. On his way back an apparently near-sided RAF pilot attacked Nungesser. Left with no option Charles had to shoot him down too.

Born Margaretha Geertruida she created her alter ego Mata Hari around this dancing garment. Image from http://www.natemaas.com/2011/05/mata-hari.html

He was all you would expect of a war hero and flying ace. Accompanied by beautiful women, dashing good looks, charisma, booze, fast cars, and courage to boot. In fact while on leave in Paris he is reported to have dated Mata Hari, the famous, exotic dancer and German spy. He knew she was a spy and gave her a lot of false information about a new super fighter being built by the French.

By the end of the war he held 43 official victories (44 if you count the myopic RAF pilot), the third highest number among French fliers behind René Fonck and Georges Guynemer. A succinct summary of Nungesser’s wounds and injuries read: “Skull fracture, brain concussion, internal injuries (multiple), five fractures of the upper jaw, two fractures of lower jaw, piece of anti-aircraft shrapnel imbedded [sic] in right arm, dislocation of knees (left and right), re-dislocation of left knee, bullet wound in mouth, bullet wound in ear, atrophy of tendons in left leg, atrophy of muscles in calf, dislocated clavicle, dislocated wrist, dislocated right ankle, loss of teeth, contusions too numerous to mention.” It should be noted some of these injuries were incurred while driving a powerful touring car when he hit some ice at speed and rolled it. He was thrown free, however his mechanic and friend, Roger riding shotgun, did not survive.

Foreground: Nungesser’s Hanriot HD-i Background: German Fokker Triplane painted as the one flown by the legendary Red Barron. Image from http://s133.photobucket.com/user/KylePix/media/Museums/Airplanes/Planes%20Of%20Fame%20Chino/100807-2003Hanriot.jpg.html

After the war the world was in recession and there was little work for flying aces. He attempted to start a flying school in France, but do to low interest it never got off the ground. Ever the dare devil he traveled to America in a Hanriot HD-i bearing his grim wartime insignia for a tour of barnstorming. Never appeased he looked to cinema. He performed in The Dawn Patrol and was falsely rumored to have died while flying in Howard Hughes famous flight epic Hell’s Angels. During his film career he became interested in the idea of making a transatlantic flight and told his friends his next trip to America would be by air. Mind you no one had yet made the Trans-Atlantic flight.

François Coli in his flight suit. Image found http://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/lookandlearn-preview/XM/XM10/XM10008/XM10008147.jpg

François Coli, a navigator already known for making historic flights across the Mediterranean with only one eye, the war claiming the other, had been planning a transatlantic flight since 1923, with his wartime comrade Paul Tarascon, another World War I ace. When Tarascon had to drop out because of an injury from a crash, Nungesser came in as a replacement. Nungesser and Coli took off from Le Bourget airport near Paris on 8 May 1927, heading for New York in their L’Oiseau Blanc (The White Bird) aircraft, a Levasseur PL.8 biplane, again painted with Nungesser’s old World War I insignia. It was the named for a dove to signify peace. With Nungesser’s emblem on the side it represented more accurately the state of things.

The White Bird was last seen passing Ireland and when they failed to arrive in New York it was assumed they were lost to the bottom of the Atlantic. There were rumors they went down over Maine. Most of the rumors tracked back to “earwitnesses” who claimed to have heard, but not seen, the plane in Newfoundland and Maine. These signs fell in a line from Canada down to Maine. Chillingly, if they represented the French explorers, the headwinds had put their flight far behind schedule, committing them to coming down somewhere in Eastern Canada or Maine. These rumors have never been substantiated; however following an exhaustive investigation the French government published a report in 1984 that concluded that Nungesser probably reached North America. Nungesser was 35. Two weeks later Charles Lindberg completed the first Trans-Atlantic flight flying the opposite direction from New York to Paris.

The Jolly Roger Sporting Dove of Peace. Image from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Carte_postale-Nungesser_et_Coli-1927.jpg

Charles Nungesser skirted the rules, pushed the limits, broke his body constantly, endangered himself and friends, and succeeded at everything he put his mind to irrespective of the opposition. Like the White Bird marked with the Jolly Roger, life is constantly between peace and end game chaos. Neither is better than the other. Charles knew this and lived every moment of his life.

Summary of Charles Nungesser’s life http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wtm95BVEWAU

Drive fast. Take chances. Thanks for reading.

-Danger

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev Captured Friday

Dzhokhar charged in the hospital after being shot. Image from http://riehlworldview.com/2013/04/photo-of-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-in-hospital-emerges-unconfirmed.html

Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev  (joe-HARR tsar-NAH-yev) was found hiding in a boat late Friday Night, about 26 hours after his picture went into circulation. The owner of the boat, who had been inside all day as per request of the Boston PD went into his driveway where he saw blood leading to his boat. He lifted the boat’s tarp to find Dzhokar lying covered in blood. He quickly went inside his house called the police.

Boston PD - “Over the course of the next hour or so we exchanged gunfire with the suspect, who was inside the boat, and ultimately the hostage rescue team of the F.B.I. made an entry into the boat and removed the suspect, who was still alive,” Mr. Davis said. He said the suspect was in “serious condition” and had apparently been wounded in the gunfight that left his brother dead.

Federal lawenforcement officials said they did not plan to read Dzhokar his Miranda rights despite his citizenship invoking the public safety exception in order to question him extensively about other potential explosive devices or accomplices and to try to gain intelligence.  The F.B.I. released a statement late Friday confirming it had scrutinized Mr. Tsarnaev but “did not find any terrorism activity, domestic or foreign.” It had requested more information from the foreign government, it said, but had not received it.

Where he was found. Image from http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/04/22/article-2312486-196C026A000005DC-61_964x578.jpg

Tsarnaev is charged with detonating a weapon of mass destruction and maliciously destroying public property, capital offenses that carry the death penalty. He is currently in the hospital being treated for wounds sustained in a shootout with police last week prior to his capture.

He said “no” he was asked in his hospital bed if he could afford legal defense. Miriam Conrad is his public defender and heads the Federal Public Defender Office in Boston. Her resume includes defending “shoe bomber” Richard Reid in 2001 for trying to blow up a Paris to Miami jetliner. She and her team are highly qualified and skilled to defend one of the most hated men in America.

While there are outcries of terrorist and the call for torture by Republican Sen. Greg Ball, there is little to no evidence the brothers had affiliations with extremist group, Russian, Chechnen, or otherwise. Speculation has already begun and Senate is rethinking immigration laws and have introduced a reform bill six days after the bombing.

I strongly encourage people to wait for the facts. Resist the urge to demonize any larger group for these two young men’s actions. Hate and division is the last way the wounds ripped open on April 15th, 2013.

 

 

Two Brothers. One dead. One Hunted.

Image from http://abcnews.go.com/US/watertown-mass-shut-manhunt-boston-marathon-suspect/story?id=18995545#.UXGRlz6FxfY

The community of Watertown, Mass. shut down today after a firefight between the Boston Marathon Bombers erupted late last night. Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26 and Dzhokar Tsarnaev, 19 are brothers who lived in the U.S. for several years, are Muslims and ethnic Chechens originally hailing from Kyrgyzstan. Tamerlan and Dzhokar murdered MIT officer Sean Collier, stole his cruiser, and robbed a 7/11 late last night. They proceeded to steal an Mercedes SUV and take a hostage for a short time.

Officer Sean Collier Murdered http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1321634.1366379035!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/sean-collier.jpg

After abandoning the hostage police were in pursuit. The brothers tried to evade the police by throwing IED’s out of the vehicles, none of which exploded. The homemade explosive did provide excellent diversions by smoking and the like.

The firefight (video) between the brothers ended as Tamerlan ran toward the officers with explosives strapped to his chest. A witness said the older brother hit the ground without detonation. They were unsure if a bullet or tackle had brought the young man down.

People who knew them liked both brothers siting they lived clean respectable lives.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev (L)
Image from http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/04/live-updates-boston-bombing-suspect-dead-in-shootout/

Tamerlan was an amateur boxer and according to his boxing coach, John Curran, was a regional amateur champion and had to the potential to go pro. In the essay, “Will Box for Passport”, Tamerlan Tsarnaev said: “I don’t have a single American friend, I don’t understand them.” Seemingly in contradiction Hirn writes in another post: “Tamerlan says he would rather compete for the United States than for Russia.”

Tamerlan was Reportedly Arrested for Domestic Assault and Battery - ”In 2009, Tamerlan was arrested for domestic assault and battery after assaulting his girlfriend,” reported Foreign Policy’s David Kenner, but its unclear if either brother had a record beyond that. As if a dark foreshadowing he became a U.S. Citizen on September 11, 2012. He died early this morning from his wounds inccured during the gun fight when his brother reportedly hit him with the SUV fleeing the scene.

Dzhokhar (pronounced Joke-Har),  the younger brother, fled the firefight with police into the neighborhood of Watertown and is still at large. Law enforcement officials encourage extreme caution if this suspect is sited. He is likely armed and has explosives on his person.

Dhokhar A. Tsarnaev still at large. Image From http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/04/who-is-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-boston/64382/

He is reportedly a student at Cambridge (possibly Dartmouth) according to his social network profile. City of Cambridge awarded “Dzhokhar Tsarnaev” a $2,500 scholarship in 2011, according to Boston.com report. “The city is awarding the $2,500 scholarships to 45 students using contributions from citizens and businesses. About 35 to 45 scholarships are awarded each year, according to the city,” reported Boston.com’s Brock Parker. Tsarnaev was a senior at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School then. This time frame would make sense if the AP is reporting that Tsarnaev was in the U.S. for at least a year.

Born in 1993 he esposes the dreams of many of his contemporaries seeking “career and money”. Along his desire for wealth and stature he lists his world view as “Islam”. While his older brother did subscribe to radical muslim youtube channels there is little evidence at this point connecting Dzhokhar or his brother to any radical muslim  group. Their uncle claims neither of the boys were religious, however Dzhokhar said he did not drink or smoke because of his religion. His amazon account’s wishlist is riddled with counterculture, bomb making guides, and other books related to those subjects.

The 19 year old’s twitter is confirmed.

Image from http://www.thefrisky.com/2013-04-19/dzhokhar-tsarnaevs-twitter-reveals-suspect-was-stress-free-in-aftermath-of-boston-marathon-bombing/

“Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s confirmed Twitter account, @J_tsar, paints a strange picture of the suspect’s mindset in the aftermath of Monday’s bombing in Boston. Shortly after 7 p.m. EST the day of the bombing, eerily Tsarnaev tweeted a lyric used in Jay Z’s song “Heart Of The City (Ain’t No Love)” and advised people to “stay safe.” A tweet a few hours later — “There are people that know the truth but stay silent & there are people that speak the truth but we don’t hear them cuz they’re the minority” – will no doubt be analyzed for some deeper meaning. And the next day, a portion of Eminem’s rap from Dr. Dre’s “Forgot About Dre.” And Wednesday, “I’m a stress free kind of guy.” “

These words far from make sense and beg the question of sociopathy or simply not understanding what he had done. This story is changing every few hours and I will update it as information comes along. All information in this post is from respected news sources.

Direct any information regarding the whereabouts of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to the FBI and Boston PD. Numbers found here.

First Long Haul of the Year

I am riding about 1,100 miles on a bicycle this summer from Texas to Wisconsin. Obviously this is not something you just jump into so I have a few trips planned as warm ups. The first will be a friendly 103 mile jaunt from the middle of Madison to Mequon or perhaps the far east side of Milwaukee depending on where there is a sleeping couch and shower. Look for the Milestone ticker to see how close it is to the right.

I’ll be headed through the thriving metropolis of Cottage Grove via Fireman’s park where I will hopefully find some water. If not then the next stop is in the even more grandiose Deerfield, where I will use the socialist service of the library to get water, use the restroom, charge my phone, use WiFi to make a quick tweet, FB status, and WP post. If I’m lucky there will be some sort of meeting with coffee and cookies. Life in this commie country is tough sometimes.

At this point I will have been on the Glacial Drumlin Trail for about 10 miles (it starts right outside Cottage Grove near as I can tell) and continues on for another 30 or so miles skirting my way past Lake Mills, Aztalan State Park (home of the “Princess Burial Mound”), and Jefferson on the Rock River until I reach the fifty mile mark for the day.

Photo from http://www.smittenbycycles.org/2013/01/off-to-vietnam.html

At this point I will set up camp in “wild” or “stealth” fashion. For those of you who do not know wild or stealth camping: camping where you may not be wanted or even possibly illegal. I have done my research and feel confident I will be camping in the most sensible, respectful, and legal way possible given the circumstances. Rules for wild camping: Basically don’t call attention to your self by lighting fires and the like. Cover your reflectors. Don’t go on land marked “No Trespassing” etc. If you see a home, ask! You may even get a free meal out of it. If you are near a town call the police and ask if there is a place to pitch a tent for the night. If not, let them know where you are anyway, just incase “sumtin’ bad gonna hap’n to ya” We’ve all see horror flicks and 127 Hours. It’s your life. Don’t be stupid.

I have chosen a large grove of trees seen via satellite (think of how cool that is. Seriously. Stop reading for minute and think about that) just off the Glacial Drumlin Trail that hopefully will be state land or at the very least not posted “No Trespassing”. I will call the Village of Dousman’s Police to see if there is a better place to set up camp in the town about three miles away. After a meal I will bed down for the night in a single person tent.

The next morning I will be up bright and early. My first stop will likely be the Dousman BP for food and water unless there is something better on the cheap. Perhaps some dumpster diving at Denny’s Pizza.

Photo from http://lineout.thestranger.com/lineout/archives/2010/07/02/friday-night-fetch-pike-place-punk

Dumpster diving is the Second Hand Clothing store of food. Remember when your mother told you about the starving kids in Africa to get you to eat all your food? I’m making up for the people who didn’t take that to heart. We live in an opulent country. We throw away so much perfectly good to eat food, shrink wrapped to boot. Hurrah. More for me. Besides, how many of you bought a ‘za and left it on the counter over night and had a cold slice in the morning? As long as the box in the dumpster’s shut and dry… same thing (you who are grimacing). I digress, but I thought it merited explanation and defense.

From Denny’s Pizza I will continue for another 8 or so miles to a disc golf course  I can find almost no information on other than it’s address (420 Brandybrook Road Wales, WI 53183). Seems promising, I’m sure.

Sidenote: Please don’t call disc golfing “frolfing”. You shouldn’t play disc golf with a frisbee and you cannot play frisbee with a disc unless you are a masochist. “Dolfing” would be closer to correct, but it seems to indicate some bad behavior toward dolphins. You really don’t need to abbreviate two single syllable words into one two syllable word. Clap it out. “Want to go disc golf?” “Want to go frolfing?” Now that I have done my PSA for the day, moving forward.

After what I am hoping to be at least 18  holes and a water stop I will be back on the trail for another 50 miles going through Waukeesha (watch out golfers), splitting Wauwatosa and Brookfield, taking a hard right at Brown Deer ending in Mequon. Hopefully I will be able to shave about 10 miles of the trek by going directly to the East Side of Milwaukee. There is probably a bit more peril that way since the first way seems encompassed by gated communities and golf courses.

In any case it’ll be a fun and enlightening trip. I am open to advice and previous experience on the Drumlin Tail area. Remember, this is a test run. I operating it as though everything has gone wrong and I must subsist off nothing.

Here is a map of my route.

Drive fast. Take chances. Thanks for reading.

-Danger