Sliced burglar, anyone?

John Hopkins student takes a samurai sword along when investigating suspicious noises in the house he rents with three others. Result is one dead burglar.
Of course, authority figures can’t let this go by without preaching the gospel of “just hope the police will actually respond in a timely fashion”

Susan Boswell, the dean of student life at Hopkins, said in a statement that she was “relieved to report that the student was not harmed,” but she also advised other students not to follow the swordsman’s example.

“If you ever suspect that there is a prowler in your residence or on your property, call 911 immediately,” Boswell said. “Experts advise that you do not attempt to confront the intruder, but rather secure yourself in a locked area until police arrive.”

The burglar, btw, had been out of jail for about three days.

Rice’s criminal history includes more than two dozen arrests for burglary, breaking and entering and auto theft. According to court records, he was charged in 2007 after he pulled a gun on a police officer, though prosecutors placed those charges on hold because the officer was on military leave.
Rice was convicted in 2008 of unauthorized removal of property and sentenced to 18 months. He was released Saturday from the Baltimore County Detention Center.

E. M. Kennedy

Probably it’s fitting that he died during Elul, the runup to the Days of Awe.
On the New Year’s Day it is inscribed, and on the Day of Atonement it is sealed, who shall live and who shall die… as the Usenah Tokef says, before going on to list some of the ways that people might die. But then it goes on to say: But prayer, repentence and good deeds avert the severe decree.

As for Mary Jo–presuming she’s in Heaven, I rather suspect that she’s got more important, and more pleasant, things to think of than whatever misdeeds were inflicted on her by those behind her in the admission queue . And Divine Justice may think it appropriate that she be the one to give him the orientation tour. We Jews know that God has a strange sense of humor.

Anchoress has a suitably Catholic post–and sometimes much more suitable than some of the comments, by the way. She reflects on the probable use of Kennedy’s death on the campaign for Obamacare.

Given a grim diagnosis in May of 2008, Kennedy managed, with the help of some of the best care available, to see another Christmas, another spring and even another summer. It’s entirely possible that what Kennedy’s death will really do is bring into stark relief the fact that under Obamacare, this overweight 77 year-old man with liking for the drink would probably have faced treatment rationing and an offer for “physician aid-in-dying”. Kennedy’s death will emphasize yet again that our elected “public servants” enjoy one of the best health insurance plans in the world, while they are trying to force something much less comprehensive (and life-affirming) onto their constituents.

I happened to catch part of a CNN tribute to him, including a clip of him speaking at one or another Democratic convention on the topic of health care. Whatever else be said, he was not hypocritical about receiving better than average health care: citing his father’s last seven years, and noting that his family was rich enough to afford high quality care when most others were not, and that he received above average health care because he was one of the people who were “on the tip of the iceberg”.
Of course, for him that was an reason to socialize medicine, and he said nothing that was close to admission that socializing medicine would mean poorer quality health care, not better.

“The Rock, His work is perfect. Blessed be He Who judges in truth.”

Superman goes to jail

Only in New York City could this happen (in Times Square of course)

Superman, aka Maksim Katsnelson, 23, of The Bronx, was arrested and charged with assault and resisting arrested, police said, accusing him of punching a female officer in the face while she was trying to subdue him.
The incident occurred when cops approached Katsnelson, who was panhandling, and asked him for ID.
When Katsnelson said he didn’t have any ID, cops continued to ask him questions, sources said.
That’s when Katsnelson punched the female officer, sources said.
“He freaked out and punched the girl cop in the face,” Batman said later.
Cops cuffed Batman, actually Frank Frisoli, but let him go because he didn’t cause any problems, he told The Post.
The Maine resident, who has been visiting the city for two weeks, said the two had dressed up as the super heroes for laughs.
“We were just having a good time,” Frisoli said.
Their comic-book adventure went awry when cops approached the dynamic duo on 43rd Street to see whether they had the required license to perform in costume in public, Frisoli said.
When they said no, cops asked for IDs. Again, they answered no, which prompted cops to handcuff Batman.
That’s when Superman took off, screaming, “I’m not getting arrested.”
But a crowd of police took him down and brought him to a special Fortress of Solitude — the Midtown South station house.
Meanwhile, Batman left with another costumed character, said Melba Williams, a tourist from Tennessee.
“He walked off with the Statue of Liberty.”

Notice if you will that New York’s Finest think
1) dressing up in a costume automatically qualifies as performing in public
2) not having ID, or not showing it to one of the Men in Blue, is treated as a crime (but they will let the victim go if he doesn’t “cause problems”)

It’s probably too late, but maybe we should find another city to serve as home for the Statue of Liberty?