Hixter

Is it possible to lose something that you've never had?

Not exactly true, as our tax rates are about 70% higher than some of the more rural areas in the state. I'm paying an elevated school tax rate because the district is building one or more new schools per year. I'm fine with that and I'll note that they are excellent schools. My complaint is that the city is planning to gobble us up unilaterally in order to slurp up tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue. They won't build a single school. The voters took care of that all on their own last month. I've lived in states with state income taxes where the schools were worse and so were the r

I'm not surprised by it, but I don't think I'll ever get used to it. I was already under the protection of the county fire, sheriff, etc., so I won't be gaining anything for my $1500 other than seeing different uniforms. Yes, a city that I purposely avoided living in when I bought my house. San Antonio politics are a big shit show and I would be happy to remain removed from them and their stupid regulations. Here's an example: as soon as we are annexed, the tiny folding pocket knife that I always carry in my pocket will be illegal to carry in my neighborhood. Ridiculous. It was pure p

Funny you should bring it up, since I never said or even suggested either one of those things.

I was very disappointed that Channel 4 didn't renew it for a third season; I think it had decent ratings and they left the viewers hanging. The UK bean counters also let me down by canceling Nick Frost's wonderful Mr. Sloane. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4iUnD_QDsU

None. Everything has come through the county: fire, schools, police, etc., and it came out of my county taxes. You misread what I typed. It's an extra $125 per month. No, I will get no new services, just a new provider, new regulations and another $1500 (or more) on my tax bill. Here's my property tax bill from last year. The school district makes out like a bandit, since I have never had any children enrolled in local schools and I never will.

Likewise, but this time we'll have no say in the matter. When the city offered to annex us voluntarily about 5 years ago, they said that we'd have to remove the gates at the entrances to the community, and from that date forward the city would maintain the streets; the neighborhood voted to keep the gates and say 'no' to annexation. This time we have no choice and the city will not maintain our roads, even if we remove the gates. It's a big F-U for turning them down, I guess. The extra $125 we pay in taxes every month will be a lasting reminder of how ruthless the city is when it comes to g

Just read that the City of San Antonio plans to annex my neighborhood next year. We've voted against annexation in the past, but this time they'll just do it involuntarily. Our property taxes are expected to rise 25% above the already inflated rate, but we'll receive no new services. What a bargain! The Beast is hungry and when the Beast is hungry, it must feed.

I think he met the Stones here in San Antonio 45 years ago. Rest in peace, Texan.

Same here. I sent my mother out on a quest for Elton John's version in 1975 but she came back with The Who's single. Best allowance dollar I ever spent.

I just read the piece -- all 55 pages of it. First of all, I don't see how it has any bearing on the Ferguson incident, so I'd hardly call it 'essential' reading when discussing the case. I'm no fan of overzealous police departments who set up speed traps, but let's face it: if you don't speed, you don't get ticketed. I feel sorry for poor people who have a difficult time paying their fines and court fees, but they chose to speed, they chose to drive on a suspended license, the chose to not insure their vehicle, they chose to not wear a seatbelt, they chose not to pay their fines and, most i

There are many non-firearm options available to police and they are employed far more frequently than firearms, but the suitability of each device depends on the situation. Tasers are great, but they are not always successful in stopping a suspect due to failure to penetrate clothing. Some people (especially large people high on drugs) don't seem to be fazed by tasers and I think (but I'm not certain) that they have a minimum distance, so they aren't useful in tight spaces. They are also capable of killing a person, i.e. they are less lethal, but not less than lethal weapons. Nightsticks a

I grew bored and stopped reading about halfway through the article, but if there was nothing more damning than the "plight" of a woman who was arrested for having 4 warrants for failing to pay fines or appear in court for multiple speeding violations, driving with an expired license, tags and inspection sticker, then I don't have a lot of sympathy for her. The law is the law,

I know what it's like to be profiled due to having long hair in the 70s and early 80s and I know what it's like to be profiled for being 40 and having a huge biker-worthy beard late at night in an upscale neighborhood. It annoyed me, but I grudgingly acknowledge that if cops are to prevent crime rather than merely respond to it, they have to rely on intuition, experience, training and visual clues -- often within a timespan of mere seconds. Whether we're conscious of it or not, every one of us makes dozens of such calculations every day of our lives. Unarmed white men are killed by Africa

I don't worry about the equipment cops use as much as I worry about when it is used. Police might not need to use an armored vehicle when serving a warrant to a small-time criminal, but the use of a bomb-resistant armored transport vehicle (they are not tanks) seems like a no-brainer when suspects like the Boston bombers are throwing actual bombs at cops. A riot situation is also a perfect scenario for using armored vehicles. Overwhelming force is exactly what is needed when confronting a lethal threat. I just shake my head when I hear people say things like "Why didn't they just shoot him

I can understand a cop getting angry if you leave your vehicle and approach him without permission as he walks back to his vehicle, but the rest of it sounds like drill sergeant hot air. Unprofessional, yes, but not a surefire indicator of a sociopath. There's always the opportunity to report improper behavior at a later time. There are numerous reasons that could explain a reading of 96, but if the cop lied about the reading on his radar gun then he doesn't deserve to wear a badge. No sweat. I'd imagine that the law says otherwise. I'm sure every court in the land would rule that a s

To be honest, two of your three incidents came as a result of you breaking the law. The other one is an interesting case, however. You were justified in being in your residence and the cops were (legally) justified in entering your residence, but there could easily have been a tragic result and nobody would have been guilty of any wrongdoing. I have a few unpleasant cop stories of my own (the most memorable being the time an Orlando cop told me that he had a jail full of Cuban boat lift inmates who would love to rape me) but I've never been arrested and most cops have treated me professiona

That was unnecessary. We've all heard that you shouldn't bring a knife to a gunfight. Well, you don't bring a nightstick to a gunfight, either, and that's what this was: a fight for control of the officer's handgun. Had Brown gained control of the firearm, there would have been a dead cop and nobody outside of the St. Louis area would have heard about the incident. The instant he touched the officer's weapon he was no longer unarmed. Perhaps they should start watching/reading the news.

I didn't follow the story very closely, but I only remember seeing one photo of a protestor aiming a weapon. It was shown repeatedly, but I don't think it had any sort of scope and looked like a standard AR-type of firearm, not a sniper rifle. And I think I remember reading that the feds had snipers of their own. Either way, I wouldn't have shed any tears had anyone been shot for aiming a firearm at police officers. Tragic, but justifiable from everything I've read. Police received a 911 call about someone pointing a gun at people, arrived at the scene and saw him put the gun in his waistb

I agree with everything you said, with the exception of the number of sociopaths in uniform. I doubt they make up more than a tiny fraction of our police forces; background checks and psych evals weed out most of them. I've dealt with a few asshole cops over the years, but most of the officers I've encountered have been helpful and friendly.

According to the physical evidence, autopsy reports and eyewitness accounts, the first shot was a slight, non-fatal wound to the hand. The suspect then exited the vehicle and the officer pursued him -- standard procedure. The 6' 4", 300-pound suspect then turned and charged at the officer, who then fired several more shots. Officers are trained to shoot until the attacker goes down, thus ending the attack and the threat to their lives.

There's really no comparison between a long-running standoff at a distance and a brief, violent and unexpected attack at arm's length, but had any of those "rednecks" assaulted the federal agents and tried to take their firearms, they would have been shot and killed. He wasn't shot for stealing cigars, he was shot because he attacked an officer and tried to take his gun. The officer had every reason to fear for his life and the grand jury recognized that the officer was justified in using lethal force to protect himself.

Exactly. The system isn't broken just because a court decision goes against your hopes and expectations.

I'd be surprised if respected publications and universities haven't approached him with offers of employment; his writing is impeccable and his musical knowledge is encyclopedic. When he hangs up his touring shoes it'll be a travesty if he doesn't wind up as a professor at a prestigious institution.

Is there really any elaboration required? Millions of people who knowingly broke the law by entering the country illegally -- and broke still more laws by using stolen identities and Social Security numbers -- are going to be allowed to stay in the country after a stroke of the president's pen. Yes, it's a kick in the teeth, especially for all the people who have come to the country legally. The fact that the president waited to make the proclamation until after the midterm elections in his second term shows just how unpopular it is among the members of his own party.