playing games with the law?

Felony charges for alleged bar trick scrutinized in Fairfax:

Stilwell said Rogers and Fedorchak were each arrested and charged with manufacturing and using an explosive device; setting a fire capable of spreading; and burning or destroying a meeting house. They also were charged with several statewide fire prevention code misdemeanors. Both were released on $1,000 bond.

What that really means is that they're hitting them with the felony charges, two of which won't stand up in court under the evidence (manufacture of explosive (a terrorism case? hardly) and burning a meeting house (the building was not burned, only removable the bar top)), in order to set up a plea bargain on the misdemeanor charges instead.

Me personally, I'd have left the building, possibly without paying, if I was there when a bartender lit up booze in the place like that.  Some restaurants have carefully controlled means by which they have lit drinks, and those usually involve NOT lighting them up at the bar itself, surrounded by spilled booze and potentially drunk patrons.  They involve licenses, inspections, and demonstrations of the technique.  Follow the law and be safe, fine.  These bozos weren't doing that - they were showing off something they saw in California without really thinking of the consequences.  I won't abide by the trumped up charges I mentioned, but the rest should still stand to trial.

As for the "flaming shot" itself?  This video says all that needs to be said.

--

Still, better than the situation in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where a SWAT team raided a family's house fully armed (with a 5 year old inside), found absolutely no evidence of any drug use whatsoever, and so charged them with a "disorderly house"* in order to not walk away empty.  If they'd walked away with an apology, the family might have cut them some slack.  Now, I would actually be willing to pay their lawyer to sue like hell for child endangerment and false search.

*Disorderly house is described as a building or room where someone “resorted to for” illegal activity involving drugs, alcohol, gambling or prostitution, according to a city ordinance.  In other words, another totally trumped up charge that can't possibly stand up in court.

good grief...

The Legalized Theft of Asset Forfeiture : Dispatches from the Culture Wars.

Just read it. Sheer madness. And Biden helped create these laws.

brilliant

slacktivist: Please forgive me for the actions of extremists I have never met who commit acts of violence that I have never advocated:

As a white male Baptist, it is my duty today to denounce the violence perpetrated by Patrick Gray Sharp, 29, who yesterday attacked the police headquarters in McKinney, Texas, in a heavily armed but ineffectual assault involving a high-powered rifle, road flares, "gasoline and ammonium nitrate fertilizer."

I understand that this denunciation must be swift and unambiguous and that, in the absence of such denunciations made by and on behalf of every and all white male Baptists, others are entitled to assume that every white male Baptist is fully in agreement with the actions of Patrick Gray Sharp and to therefore deny white male Baptists the rights others enjoy.

So I denounce this attack and state unequivocally that we white male Baptists do not believe in this kind of violent extremism. I beg you all not to condemn all of us for the actions of this lone member of our community, although of course I will understand if you decide that you must do so and will humbly accept whatever restrictions on our full participation in society that you see fit to impose. That's only fair.

[...]

UPDATE: Boy is my face red. This is so embarrassing -- I totally skimmed past the fine print on the unwritten rules and completely missed the exemption for hegemonic classes. It turns out that we white people, males and Protestants never have to worry about extravagant displays of vicarious contrition. As a white male Protestant, apparently, I don't need to promptly denounce every evil act committed by any and every other white male Protestant.

This is awesome. Do you realize how much time this is going to save me? Plus just the relief of no longer having to watch the news on pins and needles, worrying every time there's a crime or a gun-nut on a spree that it'll be some white male Protestant guy and that everyone is going to assume we're all like that. What an enormous relief to be judged only as an individual and not prejudged according to the worst thing ever done by anyone ever claiming to belong to my faith community, or sharing my gender or my ethnicity. It's not just a relief it's a ... oh, what's the word? ... privilege. Yes, that's what it is -- a fantastic privilege.