TheTrenchcoat Chronicles

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  • Kentucky Zombies

    Kentucky Zombies

    Student Arrested For Terroristic Threatening Says Incident A Misunderstanding:

    I was actually going to pass on this story, but I got a request from new reader Alyric. And I am nothing without my readers. So on with the show…

    What happened is a high school kid in Kentucky was arrested for making terroristic threats against students, teachers, and police. He says that it’s all a big misunderstanding and that the writings that were found that the charges were based on were a work of fiction about zombies…

    “My story is based on fiction,” said Poole, who faces a second-degree felony terrorist threatening charge. “It’s a fake story. I made it up. I’ve been working on one of my short stories, (and) the short story they found was about zombies. Yes, it did say a high school. It was about a high school over ran by zombies.”

    On the surface, it seems like the local police may have over-reacted. But hold on one second there. The police state something different altogether…

    The arrest came after a tip from a family member that Pool was trying to “recruit a gang to take over the school,” Detective Berl Perdue said.

    “He didn’t have a gang, but he was attempting to organize one,” Perdue said.

    Police said writings in which Poole tried to persuade other students to take part in the takeover were found.

    Sarcasmo put it best…

    I should say – in all fairness – I have not read the story in question – and it may be that he has, in fact, written a story that is obviously about his attacking his classmates and teachers using a complex metaphor system a la Animal Farm – or by changing the name of “Mr. Smith, the English teacher” to “Mr. Smoth, the English teacher” – but that’s not the feeling I got from the news story.

    So without reading the actual writings, I cannot honestly give an opinion one way or the other on this. However, in too many instances where kids have been arrested in plotting to bomb or shoot their school, they claim it was just fantasy and that’s usually after the weapons and explosives have been found. I’d rather err on the side of caution than end up with a bloodbath.

  • Responsibility is Unconstitutional

    Responsibility is Unconstitutional

    High court: Juvenile death penalty unconstitutional:

    In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled today that executing 16 and 17-year-olds is unconstitutional. Executions for those 15 and younger had been previously outlawed. Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, said…

    “Our society views juveniles … as categorically less culpable than the average criminal,” Kennedy wrote.

    With all due respect to Justice Kennedy, this is a load of crap. In which society are 16 and 17-year-olds viewed as less culpable? So what you’re telling me is that if Dylan Klebold had lived (Eric Harris was 18 at the time) after Columbine that he would not deserve the death penalty because somehow in your mind he’s “less culpable”?

    This sends out one of the worst messages possible. “Hey, kids, go out and kill all you want. You’re less culpable than the average criminal“

    Personal responsibility dies another death.

    UPDATE: Ogre has a take on this as well.

  • Texas Hazing and Cover-Up

    Texas Hazing and Cover-Up

    Donna athletes arrested for alleged hazing:

    Again, I have to ask what the hell is wrong with student-athletes?

    This time we have a case in Donna, Texas, where 3 Donna High School football players, Jacob Leal, 17, Reynaldo Magallanes, 18, and Derick Castillo, 18, allegedly sexually assaulted a freshman player.

    They are said to have gotten the poor kid in the locker room showers, pulled off his pants, slapped around his genitals, and tried to give him a UFIA* by inserting their latex-gloved fingers into his anus. But it gets better.

    It turns out that Donna High School’s athletic director and head football coach, David Evans, may have been telling people involved to keep quiet. Nothing like telling people to keep quiet about a sexual assault all in the name of football.

    Like I’ve said before, with all the forced, sodomy, teabagging and the like, how long will it be before we have full-blown man on man rapes in our high school locker rooms in the name of hazing?

    *Unsolicited finger in the anus.

  • GTA: Grand Theft Assclown IV

    GTA: Grand Theft Assclown IV

    Lawsuit: ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Led Teen to Kill:

    This one actually was in the news last week, but I forgot about until today. More on that later.

    Anyway, our favorite ambulance chaser, not John Edwards, is at it again. “Attorney” Jack Thompson is once again blaming the woes of society on one particular series of video games. He’s filed a lawsuit in Alabama against the game’s manufacturers and two stores that allegedly sold the games to an underage person. The person in question is Devin Moore, who shot two police officers and a dispatcher to death after being brought to the Fayette police station on suspicion of driving a stolen car.

    Of course, the video game series in question is the Grand Theft Auto series…

    The suit alleges Moore purchased “Grand Theft Auto III” at the Gamestop in Jasper and “Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” at the Jasper Wal-Mart when he was under 17. The games, which depict police killings and other acts of violence, are rated M, meaning they are appropriate for those 17 or older.

    Named in the suit are Wal-Mart Stores (search) and Gamestop along with Take-Two Interactive Software, the manufacturer of the games, and Sony Computer Entertainment, the maker of the PlayStation 2.

    Why did Thompson file the suit this time?

    At a December hearing, authorities said Devin Moore, when he was apprehended, told officers,”Life is a video game. You’ve got to die sometime.”

    And check out Thompson’s great reasoning for filing the suit…

    “What has happened in Alabama is that four companies participated in the training of Devin … to kill three men,” attorney Jack Thompson told The Tuscaloosa News, which reported the suit’s filing.

    Granted that Walmart and GameStop should not have been selling these games to an underage kid, but why were the parents allowing it into the house?

    My main point is though is that everyone is responsible for their own actions. This assclown Jack Thompson wants you to think that you’re not responsible for anything. These kids that kill who have happened to have played a violent video game are screwed up in the head in the first place. My guess is Jack Thompson is looking for an angle since he missed out on the McDonald’s hot coffee settlement. Either that or he’s just jealous he can’t beat any of the games. Seriously, what is this guy’s problem with video games?

    What made me think of this again was this interview Jack Thompson did with CBSNews.com. I almost posted this under the Tin Foil Hat category because of some of the things he says.

    He calls Entertainment Software Association President Doug Lowenstein, the Joseph Goebbels of the video game industry. He infers that the increase in school violence is caused by video games. Claims he predicted Columbine 8 days before it happened.

    I’ll start you off with a quote from Mr. Thompson from the interview…

    The heads of six major health care organizations testified before Congress that there are “hundreds” of studies that prove the link. All the video game industry has are studies paid for by them, which are geared to find the opposite result. Lawyers call such experts “whores.”

    Pot, I have the kettle holding for you on line 2.

    Read the interview to see what kind of nut job this shyster really is. If it were up to him, we’d blame everything from the war in Iraq to Paris Hilton’s Sidekick being hacked on Grand Theft Auto. This guy really needs to get a life.

    UPDATE: The guys from Penny Arcade have their own take on sue happy attorneys.

    Here’s another take on it from joystiq.com.

  • 2/25/05: From The Mail Sack

    2/25/05: From The Mail Sack

    This one is from yesterday’s mail sack…

    I think your idea of what a coward is is all mest up. No one who kills someone can be a coward, no matter how they do it. You are right that their plan was to detonate boms in the school, they were hoping the bombs would kill at least 500 people and when they came running out Eric and Dylan would shoot them. Going into the school and killing 13 ppl is being a coward? I don’t think so. When people mess with you you take care of them. I live near Detroit so I know how these things work.

    Why don’t you grow some balls you anti-violent son of a bitch. You are just like this girls boyfriend that I know. I got arrested for threatening her and the school and what does her boyfriend do? Absolutely nothing. Some guy threatens and messes with your girl and you do absolutely nothing. How much more of a pansy can you be. I’m sure that’s how you are too.

    Comment by Neo-Nazi — Thursday Feb 24, 2005 @ 6:29 pm

    Now, this miscreant has already been thrashed by regulars Buddha Boy and Jim and newcomer Alyric, but I thought why should they have all the fun.

    First off, by calling yourself “Neo-Nazi” it already shows that you have a limited intellect.

    Shooting unarmed people, who the shooters had no connection with whatsoever, is cowardly. I can see why you would think they weren’t cowards, since you have to make yourself feel big by threatening a woman. You know why her boyfriend didn’t do anything? Because it’s the rational thing to do. I know that word is probably a little big for you, so you may want to look it up in the dictionary.

    Rational people only use violence as a last resort, usually when they’re lives are being threatened. Someone like you whose first reaction is to resort to violence is just asking to be put in jail or a grave. So before you end up dead or as someone’s bitch, let me just tell you one thing…

    Go make my fries.

  • 2/24/05: From The Mail Sack

    2/24/05: From The Mail Sack

    I got this comment from my entry on the Rampart Range tapes being released…

    eric and dylan are true heros to me i respect that they had the guts to pull this thing off and im sick of people bitching about them. none of you culd do that but if they were here now id shake there hands

    Comment by arf — Wednesday Feb 23, 2005 @ 7:54 pm

    This comment was left by someone from Great Britain. Now I know they teach spelling over there but even for Great Britain, your spelling sucks. You know, because they have all the extra u’s in words. ( I kid)

    So they’re your heroes, huh? Well, that’s just swell. Because we all know that shooting unarmed people who had no connection with them was heroic. Oh wait, it wasn’t. That’s known as cowardice.

    Their original plan was to detonate bombs in the school, then to shoot people as they fled the building. That’s even more cowardly than what they actually did. Then they took the cowards’ way out by killing themselves rather than facing the music. The ultimate act of cowardice. So, in case you missed the point, your heroes are cowards.

    The flames of hell are a little more yellow now that the two cowards are there.

  • More on the Mall Shooter

    More on the Mall Shooter

    Mall shooting suspect wanted to die, uncle says:

    The uncle and father of mall shooter Robert Bonelli Jr. dispute that he was obsessed with Columbine…

    “This had nothing to do with skinheads, it had nothing to do with Nazism, it had nothing to do with Columbine,” said the uncle, a Lake Katrine resident. “It had to do with something that they don’t even know about. … It didn’t drive him to go kill somebody. It drove him to have himself killed by law enforcement. …

    They also put out a dangerous opinion…

    Robert Sr. said his son had Columbine-related materials only because he related to the shooters, who also were outcasts.

    “I would not call it a fascination, but it was like a common personality, where they were picked on and ridiculed,”.

    Relating to mass murderers and sharing a common personality is not a good thing. If more of these “fascinations” are allowed to be tolerated or dismissed by family and friends, the more occurrences of these incidents will arise. And maybe next time the outcome won’t be so fortunate.

  • A Questionable Comic Book

    A Questionable Comic Book

    Back in the late 80s/early 90s, I was a comic book fan. My favorite comic that I would never miss and move heaven and earth to make sure I could get the next issue was The Question.

    Rather than get into a long, boring entry about the history of The Question, you can go here and here.

    My using the name TheTrenchcoat is 90% based on The Question. He was the ultimate comic book hero to me. He wore a trench coat and a fedora and wore a mask that made him look like he had no face.

    He used no weapons except for his fists and vowed never to kill anyone. (Take note of that, it becomes important later on ). Near the end of his run in the ’80s, The Question did kill someone out of necessity even though he didn’t want to.

    Imagine my joy when I found out that a new Question series was being planned. Yesterday, I finally picked it up, and I was a little disappointed in the new direction.

    Within the first few pages of the new series, he’s already killed two people. In the 4th issue of the 6 issue series, he pushed two evil henchmen in front of a moving subway. I must have missed something that happened to him between the time I stopped reading comics and now. Maybe one of my readers can help me out with that.

    Anyway, since the series is taking place in Metropolis I can’t see the big blue guy taking too kindly to a vigilante that kills. Now I have no problem with comic book heroes that kill, for example, The Punisher. However, that was one of the qualities that endeared me to The Question.

    Another more famous comic book character was based on The Question, and that was Rorschach from the legendary Watchmen series. In that series, Rorschach was crazier than a shit house rat and had no problem at all killing evildoers. It seems like to me that the creators of this new series are basing this more on Rorschach rather than The Question. If I wanted a Rorschach series, I’ll read Watchmen again.

    All in all, it’s not a bad series so far, it’s just not The Question I remember. It’s things like this that made me get out of comics in the first place.

  • Mutant Rabbit

    Mutant Rabbit

    Police Say Rapper Inspired Shootings:

    This is the first I’ve heard of this, but according to this “source” police found bootleg copies of underground rap artist Dead Rabbit’s hit underground song, “Casa Rebel.”

    According to the “article”, the “song” “Casa Rebel” is a vivid description of a Columbine-like massacre. Who knew that rappers could be mutants? Here’s a description of the alleged “artist”…

    Dead Rabbit’s music often describes violence as a form of protest. From killing preppie students to bombing a popular “yuppie” nightspot in Sacramento, CA, Dead Rabbit promotes the destruction of the “1 percent”; a slang term for the ruling class.

    Well, isn’t that special. No hidden meanings there, I guess. The “artist” also released a statement on his website…

    “While we are saddened that innocent people have been hurt by Bonelli, the reason by the shooting must be fully explored. Whether it was a random action or a political statement must be discovered. If he was truly inspired by our music, then neither his aim nor location (of the shooting) should be in doubt.”

    Saddened. Right. This guy is probably ecstatic that one of his songs was found on a would be killer. Now he’s using this near tragedy to try to further his own “career” and agenda. I wonder if he would have changed his tune if someone had actually died.

    Silly rabbit. Tricks are for kids.

  • More Mall Mutant

    More Mall Mutant

    Just some more news tidbits about Robert Bonelli, the New York State mall shooter.

    According to the Albany Times Union, when Bonelli was questioned by police he said that if he didn’t go to the mall on Sunday he would have gone to a school on Monday. No word on which school he would have gone to.

    The New York Post states that Bonelli dropped out of school at the age of 16. No word on why he dropped out.

    So let’s put the timeline in perspective. He drops out at age 16 for whatever reason, becomes obsessed with Columbine at age 19, then 6 years later, shoots up the local mall.

    It will be interesting if the true motive is ever revealed.