Monday, October 15, 2012

Daily Briefing for Monday, October 15, 2012

Quiet Riot

I first heard of the band Quiet Riot as I began my eighth grade year.  Eventually, I owned one of their tapes (that's what we had back in the 80s...it was the media du jour between the waning of the 8 track and the genesis of the compact disc) because their music was so awesome.  At least it was back then.

I'm picking up a lot stories and hearing from some of you about the possibilities of post-election riots.  Most of these stories suggest some folks will riot if Romney is elected or if there's a perception that the election is being "stolen" by Republicans.  In a related note, as more states implement Voter ID laws, CNN reports we could experience some delays in getting election returns back in certain precincts, setting up another scenario like the 2000 presidential election.  Such an event certainly would not help things.

Think I'm kidding?  Consider this aggregation of data, with each example well sourced by the author, with a number of examples of people calling for civil unrest if Romney wins.  Some examples (WARNING - graphic language to follow):

  • Thomas Sowell, one of the brightest people on the planet, predicts race riots if Romney wins.
  • “If obama dont get re-elected & romney wins .. on life every white persons getting pistol whipped and im startin a riot.” (SOURCE)
  • “If Obama don’t win lets start a riot so Romney know what he’s getting himself into.” (SOURCE)
  • “You know you ain’t shit if you gotta “MAKE” Mafukas vote for ROMNEY ! …. Mannnn OBAMA better get back in office . Or BLACK FOLKS will riot.” (SOURCE)
  • “If Romney wins im goin on a rampage.” (SOURCE)
  • “If Mitt Romney wins the election I think its our duties as Black folks to riot and fuck shit up.” (SOURCE)
  • “If every action IS met with an equal and opposite reaction ..what should workers do to employers if Romney’s elected? #Riot in the streets!!” (SOURCE)
  • “If Romney becomes president let’s all start a riot.” (SOURCE)
  • “I Heard Mitt Romney , Tryna Take Away Food Stamps , If He Do .”IMA START A RIOT , IMA START A RIOT.” (SOURCE)
  • “If romney wins, imma start a mf’n riot! Rns.” (SOURCE)

How serious are these folks?  Beats me.  I'd like to think they are just running their mouths and trying to be cute.  The 1992 riots in Los Angeles proved we are not immune to such tragedies.  Scenes from Europe over the last year depicting civil unrest stemming from economic hardship further confirms that despite how civilized we think we are, our society is quite capable of rioting over perceived injustices and NBA championship celebrations.

I don't know that there's anything for us to do specifically to protect ourselves from such a threat that we aren't already doing.  Just be aware of the possibility.  And pray it doesn't happen.


Game Ball to Midland Radio

We had some severe weather roll through here around 2 AM on Sunday.  My new Midland WX-100 sounded the alarm, which woke up everyone in the house.  The next morning, Kendel laid down the law - either get the volume of that alarm turned down, or turn the radio off.

I really like this particular model, and so I wasn't about to just shut it off.  I read the owner's manual but couldn't determine how to adjust the volume.

In an off chance that Midland checked their email, I sent them a quick note to ask if they had a solution.  Within four business hours, the Midland folks had emailed me back to discuss my problem.  In the end, it turns out you cannot adjust the volume on the alert feature on the WX-100.  While that's disappointing, it was refreshing to see Midland respond so quickly to my inquiry.

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