1 ersta mahn!

2

/General Lee Horn

3 So is that a new record for "BAC and still alive?"

4 Yeeee-haaaaaa!!

5 .77?  Amateur.

6
Rue McClanahan was driving that car.

7 God,I love this site

8 Maybe she was trying for a James Bond 007 costume and got very confused while drinking...

9 should have read closer, nevermind.

10 Wonder how long it took Roscoe P Coltrane to catch up?

11 I think that guy wins this month's Blood Alcohol Championship Series trophy.

12 Upon reading the article, change "that guy" to "that gal" in #11

13 This is why we need more laws prohibiting the use of cell phones while driving.

14 So she is standing there with a broken wrist, car on fire, lying her ass off to the cops. Priceless

15 2

/General Lee Horn

Posted by: Boo Berry at June 03, 2010 03:27 PM (uFokq)

Someone please take this video and add that and post it.  The internet truly sucks if this doesn't happen.

16 5 .77?  Amateur.

Posted by: HeatherRadish at June 03, 2010 03:28 PM (mR7mk)

That what I was thinking, isn't that a low BAC?

 

 

17 Just a good ol' boy gal. Never meaning no harm.....

18 Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see a .77 in the police report. Looks like what she blew was redacted ?

19 Of course she was trying to get back into the car while it was on fire...her beer was in there and it was getting warm!

20

That what I was thinking, isn't that a low BAC?

Sure. For a Kennedy.

Legal limit is .08 in Texas.

21 What she blew?

22 Posted by: Bo Schneider at June 03, 2010 03:28 PM (4Kl5M) John Schneider, dickhead. Didn't you buy my records?

23 Meh the French still hold the official record at 0.976% I can't believe, we are not even in the running, and losing the professional international drunk under the table championships...

to France.

24 16 5 .77?  Amateur.

Posted by: HeatherRadish at June 03, 2010 03:28 PM (mR7mk)

That what I was thinking, isn't that a low BAC?

No no no, .77 is actually VERY impressive, the limit in N.J. is .08, this guy 9 times over the limit!!

YEEEESH! luck no one is dead!

 

25
okay, I know I'm not the only one who had the very first thought when seein gthe name: Is she illegal?

26 Amazing that she didn't spontaneously combust.

27 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA I Totally owned that muther fucking racist concrete.

28 It's not a .77. I made that up. Because she scored a .77 in the field *awesomeness* test.

29

And she was a woman??? 

Oh dear....

  

30 I think you mean .077.  If you blew .77 she'd be embalmed, cause she'd be dead.  Highest recorded alcohol level ever? .74.  .5 is usually death.

http://tinyurl.com/36xsosv

31

OT but speaking of illegal, Jan Brewer on facebook--

Governor Jan Brewer In my meeting with President Obama today, I personally invited him to come to Arizona and see the border for himself.

32 How the hell is she still alive?  Anything over about a .3 should render you comatose. 

33 For a point of contrast, that fraternity pledge who drank himself to death at LSU back in 1997 had a BAC of .588 when he died.  And to get to that point, he was pounding Three Wise Men for a long period of time along with possibly taking some other substances.

34 You know, if she were sober that would be an impressive bit of stunt driving. But 0.77...dude, how did she even find her keys, much less drive?

35 isn't that a low BAC?


It's a skirting-the-limits-of-human-physiology BAC, but it's a low *awesomeness* percentage.

36 It's not a .77. I made that up. Because she scored a .77 in the field *awesomeness* test.

Oh.

I was at the shore over the weekend and as we're driving over a bridge one of the people with us revealed that the reason the toll booth looked so nice and new was because her uncle took it out a few years back when he basically did what's in the video.

Shockingly, alcohol was involved. 

37

_{Sound Effect: A reader wants the General Lee Horn added to the clip. I can't do that but if you play the below you can get it to sync up, mostly, if you start playing the below first, and then the actual car jump clip.}

Really..REALLY?? I refuse to play your moronic games Ace. I will not jump through your moron hoops of fire...Good Day SIR!

 

 _{ok..maybe once, if the boss ain't around.}

 

38
This wouldn't have happened if she wasn't having a sexual relationship in the car with Nikki Haley.

39

heh. ace, ya may wanna put an asterisk next to that BAC. I mean, you're talking to morons here.

40 The driver is on facebook. Srsly. I just sent her a message.

41

It's not a .77. I made that up. Because she scored a .77 in the field *awesomeness* test.

Awesome indeed!

 

42

If you had to pay $17 / day to park at the terminal, you'd try to find a way around the toll-booth, too...

43 Highest recorded alcohol level ever? .74.  .5 is usually death.

Bzzz, incorrect.
By Breathalizer 0.976%
By Blood test 0.914%

44

I'm playing it over and over with this as the soundtrack:

http://tinyurl.com/565xza

45

Has anyone done the alcohol simulation tests that cops perform?

Speaking of awesome, it's full of it.

They give you drinks every 15 mins or on the half hour depending. Some people get food. Some do not. They test to see how much you can handle before you start to go over the legal limit (or pass out if you're a lightweight!) .

46 One of my college Fraternity brothers had a 0.427 bac when the paramedics came to get him.  He started to swing at them. 

We called 911 because we thought that he was going to suffocate by swallowing his own tongue.  Good times...good times.

47 It's high time you Rethugs admit that the laws of Physics are racist!!!

48 okay, I know I'm not the only one who had the very first thought when seein gthe name: Is she illegal?

Posted by: Boo Berry

Nope; she scored a .77. That's way over 18.

49 How the hell is she still alive?

Chronic Alcoholism.

50 Everything's bigger in Texas - from B.A.C. to airborne distances traveled by consumer vehicle piloted by the questionably proficient.

51 Don't try what you have just witnessed at home. This stunt was done by a professional drinker. They take every precaution to make sure that they survive the accident with little to no damage to themselves. They are experts, and do this for a living. It takes lots of "exercise" to get your liver into professional shape, a full time job in itself.

52

Passenger:  Shit, I think we've missed our flight...
Driver:  No we ain't!

53 Ok, some afternoon fun - if we're gonna make up shit, what were her last words before impact? (besides the obvious "oh shit", and "hold my beer")

"Ramming Speed"

54
What did she say?

She did a Han Solo and said, "Watch this."

55 So is that a new record for "BAC and still alive?"

.914 is listed as the record and it occurred in Canada. Normally when you get above the .4 range you pass out and are in danger of dieing.

But let me clarify something said above. You are NOT drunk at .08.  Thanks to the idiots at MADD whose ultimate aim is to restore prohibition, you can not legally drive at .08.  That doesn't mean you are drunk.

I would say most people don't show visible effects of alcohol until they get above .15 or so. Heavy drinkers can probably go until above .2.  I knew a guy in the Navy who I had watched drink at least a fifth of liquor that you would never tell by looking at him and talking to him he had drank anything.

56 "Omg, my new mascara goes on sooooooo great!"

57 Best I ever did was a .65 on my 30th b-day.

Three day hangover/coma.

58 "airplanes are for pussies, i just need a clear shot at the ramp"

59 We are relieved she purchased the Comprehensive Insurance policy.

60 With G.L. Horn

61
That was an unprecedented leap of faith.

62 "Ramming Speed"

Posted by: nine coconuts at June 03, 2010 03:48 PM (DHNp4)

I'm the most interesting woman in the wooooooorld!!! 

brp.

63

Best I ever did was a .65 on my 30th b-day.

Jeez. You're lucky to have seen 31!

64 57 She "stated she had one cranberry and vodka last night."  Which she later qualified as one single cranberry downed with a liter of vodka.

ha ha ha!  Wonder if she's a commenter on this blog?

65 This chick was answering questions and taking FSE's on-scene: that means it's almost certainly .077, not .77.  I've prosecuted quite a few DUI's, and the highest I've ever personally seen was in the .4 range.  Even that is generally a blood draw from a crash by someone who was already unconscious and had to be taken to a hospital by EMT's.  Most people would be killed way before getting to .77, and absolutely no one would be coherent enough to behave as this report describes.

The police report itself often doesn't contain the BAC: depending on state law, that might be in a separate report/affidavit by the breath tech/operator.  It's probably also on the DUI traffic citation.

66 Brings new meaning to, " Drive it like you stole it ! ".

67
She drives like my deceased wife.

68
With G.L. Horn
Posted by: Uncle Jesse

Yeeeehaw!

Good job, boss.

69 "nothing drives like a rental"

70
The police report names has as Fireball Roberta, formerly of NASCAR fame.

71

Can we give that civil engineer a friggin' bonus for the hidden ramps?

72 I would say most people don't show visible effects of alcohol until they get above .15 or so.

And yet a non-drinker, would be staggering and slurring at 0.07.

73 I got a strongly worded lecture from my doctor and a ticket to traffic school hell.

Changed my life. I took the next offramp off the Highway to Hell. except for a few Sam Adams occasionally, been sober 4 years. Haven't had bourbon since that night.

74 The chick trying to escape the mud pit from the ONT could've had a B.A.C. of 0.77; this woman didn't. She could still walk and speak.

75 O/T There's a guy standing right in front of me at the Atlanta airport wearing a black power salute tee shirt. Caption reads "The Revolution will not be televised.". Undersigned Sean John. Okay. Perfect. Rapper cum fashion magnate peddling racial division. What a fucking world.

76

"Houston, We have liftoff"

68 With G.L. Horn

Posted by: Uncle Jesse at June 03, 2010 03:51 PM (hjyb5)

Ah all is right with the world

77 In other awesome silliness, a teenager lost a testicle in a game called "sack tapping".

78

That new horn is too high.

Besides, a Yeeeeeeeee-haaaawwwww! is more called for than the horn.

79 All I can say is Moronette in training looking for the ONT.

80 I would say most people don't show visible effects of alcohol until they get above .15 or so.

"And yet a non-drinker, would be staggering and slurring at 0.07."

This is why the "legal limit" is only one of two ways most states' DUI statutes allow the state to prove DUI, either by BAC or by "impairment."  Otherwise there'd be no way to prove a DUI by someone who refused to blow.  Good luck getting a jury to understand this, of course, but it also means you can blow under the "legal limit" and still be committing DUI.

81 80 I would say most people don't show visible effects of alcohol until they get above .15 or so.

And yet a non-drinker, would be staggering and slurring at 0.07.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at June 03, 2010 03:54 PM (0q2P7)

Placebo effect.  Hell haven't you ever heard stories about girls that hold one beer the whole night and pretend to act drunk or else they'll drink several and act trashed and then have it revealed that it was NA beer.  Its even a scene in Not Another Teen Movie.

82 Okay, cars over ramps = awesome. Sack tapping leading to amputated testicle = arrrrrrrrrrgh! (Bad.)

83 Hmmmm, are we allowed to comment on the, ahem, ethnicity/national origin of the driver anymore?

84 I'd hit it. Fair is fair.

85 86 - I'll take "Movies where Chevy Chase was actually funny," Alex.

86 "Fuck that shit, jefe, that EZpass thing can't deduct no toll off me if I go over it!"

BTW, she's listed in the police report as apparently having an SSN, but if you look close, her status is also listed as "non-resident."  So either the SSN's fake or she's here on a visa/permanent resident status, I guess.

She also blew a .77 on the tattoo scale.  Chica's got some ink.

87 Hmmmm, are we allowed to comment on the, ahem, ethnicity/national origin of the driver anymore?

Posted by: logprof

 

Of course not. That would be wrong. The fact that she was trying to evade Sic Will Folks, let 'em rip.

88 Is this the kind of thing the policia can use to look into a person's legal residency status? Because to me, that looked like someone with a hell of a lot of experience at jumping border fences...

89

Nothing to be proud of Russ.

One of the Vacations - I think it was Christmas after he cleared the fence and plowed through the sign.

90

Posted by: Wodeshed, Live from Atlanta at June 03, 2010 03:55 PM (BP84Z)

Ask him who the quote is from, betcha he gets it wrong (Gil Scott Heron, if memory serves).

91

I think it was Christmas 

No it was the first one. Right before Aunt Edna went stiff.

92 She also blew a .77 on the tattoo scale. Chica's got some ink. Posted by: Moose4 at June 03, 2010 04:02 PM (mAhn3) Yeah, I like the part where the reporting officer describes one of them as "asian writing."

93 Too bad they're phasing out the astronaut program. This chick looks like she could hit the space station on a six pack of Bud and a couple of gallons of gas.

That's gotta be cheaper than rocket fuel.
I wonder if she's comfy in diapers?

94

From the comments on that blog:

From her pics on FACEBOOK, she looks like someone that likes to PARTY HARD and take pictures of herself. Also I like her wall post, "MAN I"M BORD OUT OF MIND!! HOPE SOMETHIN COMES UP REAL QUICK LIKE!!!". Well Ms. Villasana did this wake you up?

95

Nothing to be proud of Russ.

(come on morons, what's that from)

Posted by: polynikes at June 03, 2010 03:57 PM (m2CN7)

Lampoon Vacation (europe)

 

96 FLAPS!!

97 But according to the official narrative, Villasana told officers that she "had been rear-ended as she was approaching the Toll Plaza which caused her vehicle to strike the Toll Booth Protector Barricade, launch into the air, land on the roadway and catch on fire." The reporting sergeant says Villasana tried to get back into her car after it caught fire.

Rear-ended?  By whom, Will Folks?  That's pretty ballsy (and pretty stupid) to try to get back into a wrecked, burning car too.

I agree though - this is a moronette in training.

98 .94 86 - I'll take "Movies where Chevy Chase was actually funny," Alex.

a category with one entry?

99
the only funny sitcom on now is MODERN FAMILY

Al Bundy is funny and a damn good actor.

100 Gee, I sure hope that responsible adult was wearing her seat belt. Cause, you know, not wearing it is just irresponsible.....heh.

101 Too bad they're phasing out the astronaut program. This chick looks like she could hit the space station on a six pack of Bud and a couple of gallons of gas.

That's gotta be cheaper than rocket fuel.
I wonder if she's comfy in diapers?

Posted by: ontherocks

 

We have a contender for thread winner. Either this or the tollbooth.

102 This is why the "legal limit" is only one of two ways most states' DUI statutes allow the state to prove DUI, either by BAC or by "impairment."

Actually most States have two numbers. At .08 you are presumed guilty with no other evidence. At .04 if other effects (such as a wreck) are shown you are presumed guilty.

Most States also have the implied consent rule. If you refuse the blood test or the breathalyzer you are still charged based on the demonstrated evidence and your license is automatically revoked.

The latest craze however is drunk driving by people under 21 or people with levels above .20.  They have turned those into regular Spanish inquisitions and I ain't talking about the old "comfy chair".

103 Andrew Sullivan was late for his fisting appointment, I see.

104

OT, slightly, but still on the subject of residency and documentation.

The Mexican government set up a satellite consular office on Catalina Isand to provide illegals with ID cards. It has since been moved to a Catholic church, so that they can claim "sanctuary".

Is there anything that the Mexican government thinks they can't do?

Up on Drudge now.

105 Rear-ended?  By whom,

i was in a pile up on 101, where about 15 cars were destroyed, but i managed  to stop in time and the only damage to my car was a cracked headlamp and a the car in front of me had a matching scratch on his rear fender
Three people in front of me, all with complete write-offs, tried to blame the person behind (ultimately, me) for pushing them. This was just as digital cameras were catching on and I had photos to make my case, but "I was pushed" is the new integrity.

106 86Nothing to be proud of Russ.

(come on morons, what's that from)

The first Vacation, after Clark ramps the Roadster off the incline.

/I destroyed the tape by replaying that scene over and over again.

107 The video is an order of magnitude funnier with the General Lee horn.  It went from making me crack a smile to LOL.

108 For the record, the headline joke was not even remotely confusing.

109 True story--many years ago a buddy of mine and I were heading home about midnight one night when he starts screaming at me to stop the car.  I look over and in the other set of lanes, there's an Accord flipped over on its roof on the right shoulder.  We whip around and pull up behind it.  The car's on its roof, not otherwise damaged badly...the door's open, the lights are on, the stereo's playing, and there's beer cans everywhere, but nobody's home.

While we're sitting there trying to figure this out, we see two guys walking down the road toward us.  One well-dressed middle-aged black gentleman has a death grip on the arm of a younger guy, with blood and dirt on his T-shirt.  Turns out that the younger guy was shitfaced, ran off the shoulder, overcorrected, and flipped his Honda.  The other guy was driving right behind him, saw younger guy get out of the wreck and run for it, pulled his car over on the shoulder in front of him, and calmed him down and convinced him to come back.  Anyway, Drunk Guy sees my bud, who's still wearing his shirt from his day job at the local Honda dealer parts department, and says, "Yo, man, you work at (redacted) Honda?"  Friend answers, "Yeah."  Drunk:  "Well, yo, man, somebody stole my car, and this is where I found it!"

Later on, when the po-po and EMS were there, the county deputy took Drunk Guy out into the center turn lane to do the field sobriety test.  He beckoned my friend (6'4", 250, part-time bar bouncer) over to stand behind the guy, along with a couple of the bigger dudes from the volunteer rescue squad.  The deputy's orders:  "If he runs, you have my permission to kick his ass."

110 She was just trying to escape the DEATH CLOUD.

111 109
the only funny sitcom on now is MODERN FAMILY

Al Bundy is funny and a damn good actor.

Posted by: Boo Berry at June 03, 2010 04:06 PM (uFokq)

I am partial to Big Bang Theory.  A lot of geek humor in there with no true malice behind it.

112

Got 2 go catch plane meeting rich guy named Van Der Sloot in Chile 4 romance! Wish me luck XOXOXOXO

113

OT, slightly, but still on the subject of residency and documentation.

The Mexican government set up a satellite consular office on Catalina Isand to provide illegals with ID cards. It has since been moved to a Catholic church, so that they can claim "sanctuary".

Is there anything that the Mexican government thinks they can't do?

Up on Drudge now.

We should do the same.  Oh, wait, who wants to live in that sh*t hole of a country?  NVM.

114 Chevy Impala huh? I smell a cover-up by Toyota here.

115 did he manage to throw his change in the toll booth?because that would be awesome.

116

If only it was a Toyota she could have said the throttle stuck.

She might not have thought of it though. She seems really, really dumb.

I'd still do her.

117

Got 2 go catch plane meeting rich guy named Van Der Sloot in Chile 4 romance! Wish me luck XOXOXOXO

Posted by: Yasmine Villasana's Twitter Account

 

We either have a new contender for thread winner, or we're all going to Hell. Or both.

118 "Actually most States have two numbers. At .08 you are presumed guilty with no other evidence. At .04 if other effects (such as a wreck) are shown you are presumed guilty."

No, it's more complicated than that.  The presumptions you're talking about go to to the ELEMENT of impairment rather than the element of UBAL (unlawful breath/blood-alcohol level).  In Florida, for example, at .08 you're DUI without the State having to prove impairment (the State still has to prove you're "driving or in actual physical control of a motor vehicle"...trials where that's actually at issue are fun).  But the BAC reading ALSO creates a rebuttable presumption that you're impaired.  From .05-.08 there's no presumption either way, and below .05 there's a rebuttable presumption that you're NOT impaired.

The case law interpreting the statute holds that the jury can find you guilty based on EITHER UBAL or impairment or both, and they need only be unanimous as to guilt of DUI, not as which theory they believe the State proved beyond a reasonable doubt.

119

She "stated she had one cranberry and vodka last night."

And by "last night," she meant, "right before I got off of 183."

120 NO that's completely real.  I remember when that happened.  Watched it on the news.  They had aerial views.  It was during a police chase.

121 polynikes@106,

Fletch was, "Eh." No, the original Vacation was funny in the understated goofball Chase manner. The supporting cast was good, too. Chase's best work was Vacation where he was the star and Caddyshack where he shared billing. But because he's a political Hollywood nimrod now, I'm just not inclined to watch his work after he sorta went silent for a decade. Plus, I haven't watched broadcast TV for over a decade. I'm not returning.

122 This just highlights the misguidedness of the Arizona immigration law.

You're out doing some trick driving and all of the sudden "The Man" is harassing you.

It's bullshit.

123 #128  We either have a new contender for thread winner, or we're all going to Hell. Or both.

Both, .

OT - Dianne "the stuffer" Wilkerson is going to the slammer.

Former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson pleaded guilty today to eight counts of attempted extortion and faces up to four years in jail when sheÂ’s sentenced this fall. Wilkerson, who filed for a change of plea in her federal corruption case, admitted to the charges during a 45 minute hearing in U.S. District Court in Boston. She is due back Sept. 20 for sentencing. She is free on no bail until that date.The Herald first reported yesterday that Wilkerson, 55, had reached a plea agreement with federal prosecutors.

She was arrested in October 2008, prior to leaving the State House office she held for six terms, on indictments alleging she pocketed $23,500 in bribes between 2002 and 2008, including $1,000 she was photographed stuffing in her bra at an upscale Beacon Hill restaurant. The Roxbury Democrat was to go on trial June 21.

124 Even at .77 his coordination and reflexes are probably better than the reflexes of most of the elderly drivers in my state. But they're legal and he's not.

125 I watched an episode of a reality show that does accident re-creations for evidentiary purposes in which a woman's minivan ran off the side of a wet road, went airborne and plowed through a nearby house.  The woman claimed that she'd been doing a legal 50 mph and the cops charged her with going at least 75 mph, thus making the accident (and the fatality in the house) a crime.

When they re-created the incident with their matching minivan, stunt driver and mocked-up house, they did their first run at 75 mph.  The vehicle sailed clear over the house.

They re-ran the test at 50 mph and the minivan plowed through the house exactly as the woman's vehicle had.  They dropped the charges against the woman.

So yeah, normal freeway speed plus upward-angled road hazard equals airborne spectacularity.

126 I am partial to Big Bang Theory.  A lot of geek humor in there with no true malice behind it.

I love BBT.  It's clear that the writers actually like the characters. 

127 She could have been also trying to take out a helicopter taking pot shots at her ala Live Free or Die Hard.

128

Even at .77 his coordination and reflexes are probably better than the reflexes of most of the elderly drivers in my state. But they're legal and he's not.

Hey, if you don't like the way I drive stay off of my lawn!

129

Posted by: Kratos (missing from the side of Mt Olympus) at June 03, 2010 04:20 PM (c0A3e)

The way you pasted it was a bit misleading.  I was going to say they managed to name her party at the end of the second paragraph.  But looking at the link, that sentence is more like the 5th paragraph.

130 She was in an understandable rush to get to my place.

131 "Shiny Side UP!"

132 That's nothing.Should have seen her land the plane,shiny side down of course.

133 And yes, one more moron in agreement that the General Lee addition fills this video to the brim with win.

134 Cur and Upscale- Thanks for the reference. I don't know how I don't know that one; the 70s are squarely in my wheelhouse. Nice to know that when the Sean John clad census workers turn violent they will at least be culturally literate.

135 Alternate theory: She was late for an appointment with Dr. Amy Bishop

136 DC Morons, avoid 295S going home, likely false positive - UNCLASSIFIED AT 1540Z, AFSWC received NOTIFICATION OF AN ANTHRAX INCIDENT AT BOLLING AFB IN BLDG 6000 (DIA). HAZMAT PERSONNEL ARE ON SCENE AND INITIAL TESTING HAS CONFIRMED POSITIVE FOR ANTHRAX. BLDG HAS BEEN CLOSED AND CORDON HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. PERSONNEL IN BLDG 6000 HAVE SHELTERED IN-PLACE. THE ANDREWS CAT HAS BEEN ACTIVATED, BUT NOT YET ASSEMBLED. FURTHER DETAILS WILL BE REPORTED AS THEY DEVELOP. //SIGNED// GREGORY J. SANDERS, MSGT, USAF AIR FORCE SERVICE WATCH NCO, AFSWC NATIONAL MILITARY COMMAND CENTER COMM: 703-697-6103 DSN: 227-6103 EMAIL: AFWATCH@PENTAGON.AF.MIL UNCLASSIFIED

137 "Most States also have the implied consent rule. If you refuse the blood test or the breathalyzer you are still charged based on the demonstrated evidence and your license is automatically revoked."

Correct: the theory behind this is that driving is a privilege, not a right, at least on public roads (you don't need a license to drive on your own private property).  Most states' driver's licenses have a signature line indicating something like "I hereby consent to any sobriety exercise, and to any test for alcohol or controlled substances, allowed by law."  If you refuse a test and your privileges are revoked, generally you can set an administrative hearing with the DMV to potentially get them back in a much shorter period than it might take the criminal case to resolve, but the evidentiary standard is lower and the burden is on the petitioner (i.e., the driver) to show that the officer had no legal basis to even ask for a breath, blood or urine test.

138 Heh.

139 Greta Van Susteran rushes to get down to Chile for another interview with Joran Van Der Sloot.

140
The revolution will not be right back after a message
About a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.

Posted by: Upscale Community Organizing Thought Criminal at June 03, 2010 04:11 PM (IhHdM)

This is my favorite GSH tune, and appropriately enough it's called "The Bottle".





http://tinyurl.com/7ooysk

141

Apropos of nothin, since all day has felt like an open thread:

Public Choice Theory

Recent work in economics has focused not just on the government as an extension of individual preferences but also on government officials as people with their own agendas and objectives. That is, *government officials are assumed to maximize their own utility, not the social good*. To understand the way government functions, we need to look less at the preferences of individual members of the electorate, and more at the incentive structures that exist around public officials.

The officials whom we seem to worry about are the people who run government agencies-- SSA, Dept HUD, etc., and the state registries of motor vehiclles, for example. What incentives do these people have to produce a good product and to be efficient? Might (ha ha) such incentives be lacking?

In the private sector, where firms compete for profits, only efficient firms producing goods that consumers will buy can survive. If a firm is inefficient -- if it is producing at a higher-than-necessary cost -- the market will drive it out of business. This is usually not so in the public sector. If a government bureau is producing a necessary service (or one mandated by law), is does not need to worry about customers. No matter how bad the service is at the registry of motor vehicles, everyone who owns or uses a car must buy its product.

The efficiency of a government agency's internal structure depends upon the way that incentives facing workers and department heads are structured. If the budget allocation of an agency, for instance, is based upon the last period's spending alone, then agency heads have a clear incentive to spend as much money as possible, however inefficiently. In the real world, this is too often the case, and we can see the result in our exlpoding deficits and debt on every level. This point is not lost on our government officials, who have experimented with many ways of rewarding agency heads and emplouees for cost-saving suggestions.

However, such critics say such efforts to reward productivity and punish inefficiency are rarely successful. This is clear. It is difficult to punish, let alone dismiss, a government employee. Elected officials are subject to recall and re-election, but it usually takes gross negligence to rouse voters into instituting such a measure. Also, elected officials are rarely associated with problems of bureaucracies they oversee, as they decry "waste, fraud and abuse" daily.

Critics of "the bureaucracy" argue that no set of internal incentives yet devised can ever match the discipline of the market, and such incentives may be impossible to come up with at all. They point to such things as studies of public versus private garbage collection, airline operations, fire protection, healthcare, mail services, and so forth, all of which suggest significantly lower costs in the private sector. One theme of the Reagan and first Bush Administrations was "privatization". Id the private sector could do something, it is likely to do it more efficiently than the public sector -- so the public sector should allow the private sector to take over.

One concern regarding wholesale privatization is the potential effect is might have on distribution. Late in his Administration, Ronaldus Magnus suggested that the government sell all public housing to the private sector. Would the private sector continue to provide housing to poor people? The worry was that it wouldn't because it may not be profitable to do so.

Like voters, public officials suffer from a lack of incentive to become fully informed, and to make tough choices. Consider an elected offical. If the real objective is to get re-elected, then the real incentive must be to provide visible goods for that hack's constituency while spreading the costs thin: by making other geographical regions or future generations pay for the benefits. Self0interest may, and does, easily lead to poor decisions and public irresponsibility.

Looking at the public sector from the standpoint of the behavior of individual public officials and the great potential for inefficient choices and bureaucratic waste, instead of in terms of it's potential for improving the allocation of resources has become quite popular. This is viewpoint of what is called the "public choice" field in economics that builds heavily on the work of Nobel laureate James Buchanan.

142 137 I am partial to Big Bang Theory.  A lot of geek humor in there with no true malice behind it.

I love BBT.  It's clear that the writers actually like the characters. 

Posted by: alexthechick at June 03, 2010 04:22 PM (8WZWv)

You've got to wonder if the writers are hoping to get any other former Roseanne cast members for minor roles on the show.

143

OT, slightly, but still on the subject of residency and documentation.

The Mexican government set up a satellite consular office on Catalina Isand to provide illegals with ID cards. It has since been moved to a Catholic church, so that they can claim "sanctuary".

Is there anything that the Mexican government thinks they can't do?

Up on Drudge now.

Posted by: Who knows at June 03, 2010 04:11 PM (aE/nJ)

--[affecting Andrew Dice Clay] Unbelievable

144

"driving or in actual physical control of a motor vehicle"...trials where that's actually at issue are fun

LOFL.

So if I fire my car up, throw it in drive (on private property mind you) and then crawl into the trunk and take a nap while it idles down the road it's not a DUI if they catch me?

145 polynikes@148,

It had a few good lines. "Hey! It's all ball bearings nowadays," stands out, too.

146 “If the Catholic Church insists on preventing immigration law from being enforced, then they should step up and pay the bill. Let the Catholic Church open up its schools for free and use their vast resources to pay for the benefits of illegals if they feel itÂ’s such a moral issue,” Rep. Rohrabacher told The Examiner. “I donÂ’t exactly see Cardinal Mahoney announcing the sale of catholic church property to pay the bills for illegal immigration. This holier than thou hypocrisy has got to stop.”       --Preach it, Brother!

147
Yasmine Villasana Another proud graduate of the Kennedy compound Driving School.

148 Posted by: Dave J. at June 03, 2010 04:17 PM (/dqSG)

You are right. In SC they removed the .04 limit and the upper limit as well from the text of the law when they added all those enhanced penalties in 2008. This is what they have now.

It is unlawful for a person to drive a motor vehicle within this State while under the influence of alcohol to the extent that the person's faculties to drive a motor vehicle are materially and appreciably impaired, under the influence of any other drug or a combination of other drugs or substances which cause impairment to the extent that the person's faculties to drive a motor vehicle are materially and appreciably impaired, or under the combined influence of alcohol and any other drug or drugs or substances which cause impairment to the extent that the person's faculties to drive a motor vehicle are materially and appreciably impaired. A person who violates the provisions of this section is guilty of the offense of driving under the influence and, upon conviction, entry of a plea of guilty or of nolo contendere, or forfeiture of bail must be punished as follows:

After that the 1st, 2nd etc offence punishments are listed. The .08 and above limits are listed as to what the punishments are separately.  They even added a section to get rid of juries finding people not guilty of DUI. Now the only thing a jury can rule on is what level of alcohol empairment the criminal had.

MADD has been hard at work here.  Morons, you do not want to get busted for DUI here above .10 and surely not above .16.  >.16 is good for a 1K fine and 30 days in the slammer.

149 USAF AIR FORCE SERVICE WATCH NCO, AFSWC NATIONAL MILITARY COMMAND CENTER COMM

For future reference. Never put an email or phone number you would be uncomfortable with receiving 1,000,000 messages, on a popular public blog.

150 Worse drunk driver I ever had behind the wheel was a .45
Postal worker.  Sideswiped three cars while going back to the post office.

Next worst was a gas/electric worker.  Fell off the pole he was working on.
Only a .42.  People calling in to report 'the accident'.  Got there in time to see him push people away who were trying to help him.  He tried to drive off in his work truck.  Turns out he had a fractured spine and was too soused to notice.

Worst chronic alkie, found comatose behind a dumpster at the 7-11 had a BA of .55 when they tested him at the hospital.  Later he thanked me for saving his life.  My reply:  "Anyone can make a mistake". 

Take that last as you will.

151 "They even added a section to get rid of juries finding people not guilty of DUI. Now the only thing a jury can rule on is what level of alcohol empairment the criminal had."

Er, if it's a crime (i.e., it can result in jail), then the burden of proof has to fall on the State to prove every element of it beyond a reasonable doubt.  The DUI statute itself may not specifically address acquittals (and most statutes defining particular crimes don't), but obviously the jury has to be able to acquit someone: how they do that generally might be in the state's rules of criminal procedure, or in statutes regarding the courts generally, rather than in the DUI statute.

152 By the time they finally pull blood you've got to have dropped into a much better place than an immediate breathalyser.

That wouldn't work here. The test has to be administered within 2 hours or you are considered to have refused it.

They also video tape the field sobriety test. 

153

Sorry about that. Fiddling with the radio. What!? Stop judging me. Dicks. Car radios are hard. It's like dueling with a zombie.

154

MADD has been hard at work here.

Basically, as far as I can tell, 1 beer is .08 (which is the limit here).

It takes like 4-5 beers to even start to get me a little buzzed.

But yeah... if you have 1 glass of wine and get pulled over, you're pretty much at the mercy of the cop because you're over. 1 beer... probably over.

155 O/T: The border security is working EXACTLY as planned! "Mexican and U.S. authorities were "secretly scrambling" last month to thwart a Mexican drug cartel's plot to blow up a Texas dam that would have flooded an area with about 4 million inhabitants..."

156 MiketheMoose - thats is public broadcast message that goes out to thousands, btw false positive confirmed - but traffic will still be screwed. It is supposed to be disseminated widely. Spam away, I suspect the spammer would get some top kick attention very quickly.

157
She was birdwatching.

158

Nothing to be proud of Russ.

(come on morons, what's that from)

Posted by: polynikes at June 03, 2010 03:57 PM (m2CN7)

You forgot the under the breath "50 yards"

159

While it's not my practice to hit the highway after having too many, the logical thing to do is refuse the breathalyser and demand a blood test

Apparently the recommended thing to do is refuse to do anything until you talk to a lawyer.  I've heard radio shows where they are talking to a lawyer and the lawyer is pointing out that the thing to do is say "officer before I say or do anything I would like to talk to a lawyer"  then ask if you can go home.  The argument being that submitting to the tests can fall under self incrimination.

I've also heard the idea of having a bottle of whiskey in your glove box, and when you're pulled over and the cop approaches, start chugging.  They won't be able to determine if your BAC is from before or after you were pulled over, so you might get away with just open container.  I don't want to ever really test either idea though.

160 What, no helicopter? Rookie...

161 Sorry morons, you're ALL wrong!

That was me and the original KITT.

Nobody, but nobody makes The Hoff wait when happy hour starts

162 I know if they ever demand I recite the alphabet backwards from 'z to a', I'm screwed. I can't do that stone cold sober. It'll be a PMITA overnight session with Bubba.

Posted by: Upscale Community Organizing Thought Criminal

 

I was stopped y a state police checkpoint once, and a trooper asked me to do just that. I said "sure officer, you first". He inexplicably moved on to another test. I did sing the alphabet for him. I think that he wanted it recited instead. But hey, I'm a giver.

163 "... demand a blood test. Make 'em drive you to the hospital, then deny having health insurance to pay for the test."

Most cops don't, but most specialized DUI investigators do, carry a blood draw kit and are certified to use them: they are generally for accident cases, but work just as well for someone who wants to give blood in lieu of breath.

"While the police get permission to run up the bill on their tab your system is working overdrive to clear out the booze."

Depends on when you stopped drinking: your reading will actually go up first, as any defense attorney will tell the jury in a DUI breath trial, i.e., "he was below the limit when he was driving."

164 Posted by: Dave J. at June 03, 2010 04:47 PM (/dqSG)

The jury can equit but if they don't they have to determine the finding of BAC. There are very specific things that the defense can challenge on. A bunch of stuff that I will not list here.

165 .77 BAC? No problem

I blew a .99 and still had plenty of stamina to do Nikki Haley, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann, Ann Coulter, and S.E. Cupp

In SC, Liquor Holds Will Folks

166 The test has to be administered within 2 hours or you are considered to have refused it.

That's like .03% reduction, which could be a game changer.

167 You've got to wonder if the writers are hoping to get any other former Roseanne cast members for minor roles on the show.

That's one of my favorite bits.  I'm not a huge Roseanne show fan but it's fun to see that them show up.  iirc it's the same production team behind BBT. 

I hope Blossom comes back as Sheldon's not a girlfriend.

168 In honor of my dear departed father, the Lion of the Senate, I propose;

The Sen. Edward M Kennedy Memorial Toll Plaza

169
In honor of my dear departed father, the Lion of the Senate, I propose;

The Sen. Edward M Kennedy Memorial Toll Plaza

Gotta read that in Diamond Joe Quimby's voice, makes it hilarious.

170 It is supposed to be disseminated widely. Spam away, I suspect the spammer would get some top kick attention very quickly.

Yes I'm sure the military is quite adept at picking off all of the Chinese hackers you just gave their contact info to. UNCLASSIFIED does not mean go and tell the whole world.

171 Sorry, that was me. There was a sale on diamond dildos at Niemann-Marcus that was ending in 20 minutes

172 I think this is new record.  181 comments and only one moron said he'd "hit it".  Good job, morons!

173

I hope Blossom comes back as Sheldon's not a girlfriend.

Posted by: alexthechick at June 03, 2010 04:57 PM (8WZWv)

That was so awesome seeing them finding what amounts to a female Sheldon.

I wouldn't mind seeing the North Korean spy in her panties again either.

174 I think this is new record.  181 comments and only one moron said he'd "hit it".  Good job, morons!

Posted by: Quilly Mammoth

 

Did you count the tollbooth? It has a score to settle.

175

6:13 AM and our gal is stewed to the gills and doing Eval Knieval-type stunts.

I'll be in my bunk.

 

 

 

176 181 In honor of my dear departed father, the Lion of the Senate, I propose;

The Sen. Edward M Kennedy Memorial Toll Plaza Bridge

Posted by: Patches Kennedy at June 03, 2010 04:58 PM (sYxEE)

FTFY.

177 ...the pilot made it all look so easy...

178 UNCLASSIFIED does not mean go and tell the whole world.

Now they will get to know all about how the warranty on all of their vehicles is about to expire unless they take prompt action, and penis enlargement which  I guess is a valued product for Air Force.

179 polynikes@183,

Sadly, I know that one, too. That wild and crazy guy is still underrated for his work.

180 "I know if they ever demand I recite the alphabet backwards from 'z to a', I'm screwed. I can't do that stone cold sober."

Only the most out-of-the-loop law-enforcement officers use that as a sobriety exercise anymore: unlike the other ones, it "calls for an incriminating response" and therefore courts have held it to be custodial interrogation, requiring Miranda warnings.

"Apparently the recommended thing to do is refuse to do anything until you talk to a lawyer."

I'm certainly not going to recommend anything -- that would be giving legal advice--but I will certainly say that "total refusal" cases (refuse exercises, refuse breath/blood/urine) are hard to prove.  Juries like the hard evidence "CSI" aspect of a scientific test, and failing that, they at least want to see someone "look drunk" on video.

"I've heard radio shows where they are talking to a lawyer and the lawyer is pointing out that the thing to do is say "officer before I say or do anything I would like to talk to a lawyer"  then ask if you can go home.  The argument being that submitting to the tests can fall under self incrimination."

The 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination has to do with TESTIMONY, i.e., with someone's statements, not their actions (like field sobriety exercises) nor their characteristics (like BAC or, in other contexts, fingerprints or DNA).  Hence, refusal to perform exercises or to give a breath/blood/urine sample not only doesn't require Miranda warnings, but can actually be used by the State to show "consciousness of guilt" without unconstitutionally shifting the burden of proof to the defendant.

181 Hmmm... turns out she may be an Illegal... maybe she was just practicing for the next time she comes to America... because she heard they were building fences at the border...

182 Hence, refusal to perform exercises or to give a breath/blood/urine sample not only doesn't require Miranda warnings, but can actually be used by the State to show "consciousness of guilt" without unconstitutionally shifting the burden of proof to the defendant.

I don't believe asking for a lawyer as an advocate to explain your rights counts as "refusal"

183 Mike - that address is public face of the USAF. Goto AFI10-206 para 3.11 pg 27 -- all of the poc are there. That address is the front doorbell.

184 She was needing to get to Gate 9 3/4.

185 ³/₄  That's more visually appealing.  I should've gone with that.  9 ³/₄

186 I don't believe asking for a lawyer as an advocate to explain your rights counts as "refusal"

That is where the "implied consent" comes into play. The theory is that when you get your driver's license they explain the rules and that by getting the license you have given your consent to be tested for DUI when requested by an officer.

187 Mike - that address is public face of the USAF. Goto AFI10-206 para 3.11 pg 27 -- all of the poc are there. That address is the front doorbell.

Fine dude, whatever, I'm sure you checked to make sure you weren't the first to publish them online for farmers. Sorry.

188 168

Blow up Falcon Dam, ay?  Being a border resident, and from a town that depends on Falcon Dam, it seems to me shenanigans like that warrants at least a limited invasion of Mexico.  If they can't get their shit together and control their borders, we should do it for them.

But...Obama...right...we're screwed.

189 so thats 3/4 of a blow job?

190 Yes, she is one crazy bitch, Michael. She may be dangerous.

191

Posted by: Dave J. at June 03, 2010 05:08 PM (/dqSG)

Its been a year or two since I last heard it so I can't remember all the ins and outs and justifcations but it was a lawyer on the radio saying that you should tell the cop, "Officer before I say or do anything, I would like to speak to a lawyer. May I go home?"  Wish I had saved the podcast of it.

192

The 5th Amendment protection against self-incrimination has to do with TESTIMONY, i.e., with someone's statements, not their actions (like field sobriety exercises) nor their characteristics (like BAC or, in other contexts, fingerprints or DNA).  Hence, refusal to perform exercises or to give a breath/blood/urine sample not only doesn't require Miranda warnings, but can actually be used by the State to show "consciousness of guilt" without unconstitutionally shifting the burden of proof to the defendant.

Not really in the case of DUI, or actually, at all.  Most jurisdictions require a consent form that explains that a person has been told of the consequences in a drug or alcohol test for anything _other_ then a DUI.  In a DUI there is the concept that driving is a privilege and not a right.  You have implied consent when you agree to get a drivers license, that you will agree to the driving laws of the State.

For example, in the Military you have to sign a consent form as described in article 31(b) if you are being a drug test during the course of investigation...and those of us who have, or are, serving you give up a degree of your rights when you sign up.

193 Was there a stoned English queer clutching a Green Card in the car with her; and was the toll gate to enter a national park? Then the charges will probably be waived and she'll be allowed to stay.

194 I had a blood test 14 hours after finishing drinking that was .35 once. Was not driving or under arrest, just had a bad enough hangover that I was taken to hospital for a charcoal smoothie.

195 "...Basically, as far as I can tell, 1 beer is .08 (which is the limit here)."

.08 is one beer if you're a 90-lb. girl.  It's somewhere between 3 and 5 drinks for the average male weight range.

196

Well I've never taken a breathalizer.

I got a brother who's 170lbs+, had 1 beer and got pulled over 5 minutes down the road from the bar and blew .08 exactly. The cop let him go.

Also in IL there's a "0 tolerance" law for minors, and apparently if you gargle some mouthwash or smoke a menthol cigarette you'll blow over 0.

If any cop tried to give me a breathalyzer, even if I hadn't been drinking I'd probably demand a blood test. I don't trust those things.

197 More time to work on it afterwork...Dukes of Hazzard Mix.