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The roots of the law probably go back to the anti-racketeering efforts from Prohibition, which might explain why laws like that, at least, don't plague Canada. For us it was a way to put mobsters in jail without having to do the hard work of catching them committing actual crimes. But it was still pretty limited regulation and then they re-legalized alcohol. Then in the 1970s right as everyone was panicking about junkies returning from Vietnam there was this senator from New Jersey who wanted to look tough on crime and he found a bill that was meant to attach to this old anti-racketeering law. He picked it up, dusted it off, and powered it through Congress. He didn't mind that it caused a lot of problems for society's lowest rungs and he didn't mind that it gave the government a reason to never terminate one of our worst policies since slavery, because at least he got to say he was tough on crime. He did a similar thing in the 90s too, in response to all the additional crime his bill created since the 70s. It makes perfect sense, really, once you know the history.

Baseball got cancelled but I am making the ribs.
I was reading into the Civil asset forfeiture laws and they date back to to 1600's actually. From my reading the real problems in modern times started with the passing of the Comprehensive Crime Control Act of 1984. That law allowed local law enforcement to share in the assets sized setting up a big reason to look for any asset to sieze. It was all done in the name of the "War on Drugs." Some states have passed some modicum of reform but it's still a major problem and IMO a violation of our constitutional rights. There are no laws that say you can only carry so much cash but if you have a lot of cash on you and have a brush with the law they can seize it because they say they suspect it was from or for illegal activity and just keep it. You don't need to be even charged with a crime. I still can't figure out how that is even close to legal but it happens all the time.
 
So.... I returned a commode seat at Lowes this morning. I am apparently unable to tell the difference between a round toilet and elongated toilet 🙄. Anyways, took it back, bought different bolts instead of the entire seat because I wasn't paying crazy prices for a toilet seat (the one I had bought was on clearance for $15)...... anywho, they always put clearance stuff down the aisle between appliances and bathroom vanities and I saw a stainless steel range hood marked down from $129 to $40. (Mine has been turning the light off by itself for a little bit and it is also almond colored from when all my appliances were almond)

It is also nonducted, which is what I already have. There is ductwork there but it just empties into the attic area, so I bought ductless when the original quit working and I had to buy a new one.
This one was bent. I got it unbent 95%. I think once I get it installed it won't be super obvious. Not going to do that today though. Maybe Thursday or Friday. I need to cut a piece of wood to attatch to the left side of the cabinet above the range hood. I removed a cabinet in order to pull my refrigerator out 🤔🤔🤔.

I will post a pic after I get it installed also.

Its hard to tell but I straightened out the top side so that there was angle to both sides again.

20220918_155328.jpg20220918_160333.jpg
 
Spicoli, Youtube just showed me this video, I thought you'd probably like it:



I pretty much don't eat mushrooms, mainly because I don't like the way most of them taste. In this country anyway you're pretty much only ever exposed to shiitakes and portobellos, sometimes to straw mushrooms in Chinese food, and that's it. And lately truffle oil, at least as a flavor. But this video made me curious what others are out there that I might like, or at least might not dislike more than I like whatever benefits I get from them if they're healthy.

Speaking of food, my ribs came out really good for a first time, I thought, but next time I'll probably either try to make a sweeter more "Kansas" style sauce, or else just buy one. And there'll be a next time for sure because I have a second rack in the freezer.
 
Today I played disc golf and made 13 over par. Since it's my 5th time out and I made part on 3 holes, I call it a success (I actually birdied twice since I started playing). It's pretty addictive, it's free and a good way to spend a couple hours outdoors without it being too strenuous. I like it! and while my wife can't throw a frisbee to save her life, she enjoys walking the course with me, make fun of me and even occasionally carry my disc bag.

Oh and I made great progress in silencing my squeaky basement stairs. Always nice when the wife goes from "you have no clue what you're doing do you?" to "wow the stairs are so quiet now!"

It would have been a perfect day if band practice hadn't been cancelled because our singer had a medical emergency in the family.
 
@IamAllThumbs I like disc golf too for many of those same reasons. The only downside is that the best part of playing frisbee is running and catching them, and there's none of that, but I look at it as a nice excuse for a little hike through a park.

Sometimes when I'm playing disc golf I see people with bags, sometimes even these huge things on wheels, and can't figure out why they have them. I make do with a "driver", a "midrange", and a "putter" disc (and usually not even the midrange) and it's easy to just carry these in one hand. Are people carrying around a lot more discs than that? A bunch of spares, or is it other even more specialized ones? What'cha got in that bag??

A case of beer is my only reasonable guess...

What kind of music does your band play?
 
I purchased a starter pack that came with 5 discs:
Putter (2-speed)
2 Mid Range (5 and 7 speed)
Fairway Driver (9-speed)
Distance Driver (12 speed)

I don't have technique to throw the 12-speed so I usually stick with the putter, the 5 and the 9 speed only, so yeah, my bag is a glorified grocery bag and I usually have a water bottle. To justify the 6-pack I need to find buddies to play with (I have 2 friends that have been playing for a couple do years and introduced me to the game last month, but haven't been able to find time to play together).

I have seen people struggling with their 20+ disc wheeled cart through the rough between holes. :)
 
Buzz isn't the only resident atheist here. I'm not going to tell other people what to think or believe. I will let people decide for themselves. I've had my medical records thrown in the trash by clerks at doctor's office for putting that I was an atheist on my forms. I've also been treated like absolute garbage over it so I don't want to treat anyone the way I was treated.

As for civil asset forfeiture, it has been going on for decades (as others have pointed out). I've seen programs where they talked about the laws and how people who are merely "suspected" of committing crimes have their $ and property seized and never returned and when they tried to sue, they were told the laws said they didn't have to be guilty or even charged to have their stuff taken so they were out. One guy had $15k cash on his way to buy a new vehicle. They also stole his camera equipment that he used for work. He was never charged with anything, not even issued a ticket for anything, but they kept his stuff. When he tried to file paperwork to get it back, they told him he was s.o.l. Local cops tried to pull that with my friend's gf's phone. They refused to give it back but she went to the DA and had him sign a paper ordering them to give it back. But in this guy's case the DA wouldn't sign off.

Representing yourself without a lawyer doesn't usually go over well. Judges tend to already be prejudiced against people who don't have lawyers. There is phrase, "Only a fool represents himself". Even lawyers hire other lawyers to represent them.

I knew about Civil Asset Forfeiture because of my father's job. He was able to seize people's houses, property, and vehicles for INS if they were used to house or transport illegal immigrants. He seized several boats and small ships that were used by Snakeheads (Chinese smugglers). He also once almost seized a US Navy submarine. Captain went to Saipan and invited a bunch of tourists on to the sub without checking any sort of ID (so they could have been spies or criminals for all he knew) and took them to Guam. He then released them on the naval base (a double violation of protocol) and they showed up at the airport without any form of paperwork wanting to get back to Saipan. He took over 50 of them. Who knows what sort of sensitive info they could have gathered while in the sub. This guy was a complete moron. Anyway, the captain got called in and said it wasn't a big deal. He was read the riot act and told it constituted smuggling. Admiral came in and backed the captain. Neither would apologize or admit it was wrong or promise not to do it again. So my father explained the laws to him and said that he was going to file for asset forfeiture of that sub because it was used to smuggle aliens. They would then lose it and be held personally accountable to the navy for the loss of their vessel. So they apologized, promised to never do it again, and were ordered to pay for the cost of processing the people that were brought over and sent back to Saipan. Idiot captain didn't even know how many people he took on. He didn't keep count and he was the one who personally invited them on.

I got in some good napping today and did some cooking. I need to go to Samsclub tomorrow and do more cleaning. I stayed up too late and I think eating pizza was not good for me. Made me sick to my stomach afterward and then I felt more tired. No more pizza for me.
 
As a retired police officer, I call BS on 99% of these asset forfeiture stories. Of course, you have the smell of cocaine on your hands, and can't explain how you "found" a million $ in the suitcase next to you, well that is a different story. We stopped folks with $50k in their briefcases, with directions to a car dealership next to you, you're good to go.
 
I had a BIL that was always the victim. Later I found out that I heard an embellished side of the story. After that I listened but wondered what the rest of the story might be.
 
Well, the press reached out to the cops and they admitted they took the $ and the guy's camera equipment and he had court documents proving he went to court and that the verdict from the judge said they could keep his $ as it was suspicion of a crime but they were supposed to return his camera equipment. Months after the judgment they still had not returned his equipment so he went to the press and they were demanding to know why he hadn't gotten his stuff back and they were full of excuses. Press got on them enough that they finally returned it. But he was still out $. I think it depends on the area. Cops in my area are very corrupt & do illegal things all the time. Some areas may have more oversight and not be as bad.
 
@IamAllThumbs: I still want to hear about your band! What kind of music, what instrument do you play, originals or covers, etc.

Yesterday I switched out the lock on the garage "service door", so it's keyed the same as our other locks. (It was the last hold-out.) I had to also fabricate a doorknob for reasons I'm too lazy to type about at the moment, so I made one out of an old piece of banister railing. No home repair/DIY plans for today, though it looks like I'm never going to find a handyman to install the duct from my bathroom exhaust through the roof to a box vent, so I should probably just do it while work is slow and it's not cold or rainy. I think I remember trying before and didn't think I could get into the space easily, thinking "Ugh, I'll just pay someone to do this." Turns out nobody knows a handyman who'll do just that one little job.

@havasu: Even in a best-case civil asset forfeiture story where you smell cocaine on the guy's hands etc., there's still the Bill of Rights, which is supposed to guarantee everyone due process--even criminals caught in the act. Forfeiture deprives people of that, no question: you take someone's stuff because you suspect something, you don't have to charge them, and you make them sue to get the stuff back. The Framers, and anyone else accustomed to us having an inviolable Constitution, are spinning in their graves.
 
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My riding mower started!!!! 💞💞💞💞💞💞💞 one tire maintained all the air I hand pumped in it, one didn't. Im HOPEFUL to get this blasted yard mowed this week during my days off. I'll have to take before and after pics to show the jungle.
I would and am, after every use, keep my tractor on a trickle charge for the next time I need it, too late in the season for me to buy a new battery... So I will keep this one going for this year..

Today I played disc golf and made 13 over par. Since it's my 5th time out and I made part on 3 holes, I call it a success (I actually birdied twice since I started playing). It's pretty addictive, it's free and a good way to spend a couple of hours outdoors without it being too strenuous. I like it! and while my wife can't throw a frisbee to save her life, she enjoys walking the course with me, making fun of me and even occasionally carrying my disc bag.

Yeah, I notice that is a BIG sport here in our new neighbourhood... That is something I am going to try next year.... Looks like a lot of fun... I do enjoy golfing, so I will probably enjoy this also... I was actually surprised there is even a pro league...
Oh and I made great progress in silencing my squeaky basement stairs. Always nice when the wife goes from "you have no clue what you're doing do you?" to "wow the stairs are so quiet now!"

It would have been a perfect day if band practice hadn't been cancelled because our singer had a medical emergency in the family.
Sounds like a lot of fun... Music is a HUGE way to relax... What instrument do you play @IamAllThumbs??


I got in some good napping today and did some cooking. I need to go to Samsclub tomorrow and do more cleaning. I stayed up too late and I think eating pizza was not good for me. Made me sick to my stomach afterward and then I felt more tired. No more pizza for me.
Hope YOU are feeling much better now, and it wasn't anything long-lasting...

Well, Carl and I went to my Buddy's place yesterday... Carl is in love with his pup Nala... Had a great time... Weather wasn't the best... but it was a great day for a BBQ... Met his family... They too were great people... After that went up a few more miles and visited another friend from work... He fought cancer for a good portion of his life... it was leukemia.. a type where they couldn't do anything till it was a certain percentage... Then he went through chemo, beat it... and then got prostate cancer... Had that removed... He was doing 100 percent better in the last year or two... Well, he told me his leukemia has resurfaced... Phuck! But this time he's talking about a pill he takes for the rest of his life, that will keep cancer at bay...

Well, not a lot else new... so I hope YOU all have a GREAT day...
Cheers~
 
As a retired police officer, I call BS on 99% of these asset forfeiture stories. Of course, you have the smell of cocaine on your hands, and can't explain how you "found" a million $ in the suitcase next to you, well that is a different story. We stopped folks with $50k in their briefcases, with directions to a car dealership next to you, you're good to go.
So, if you have a briefcase with 50 Large in it and no directions to a car dealership because you live in that city, you're guilty forever because you are never getting the cash back?

Everything depends on locale. I have lived where the "school zone" was wherever they wanted it to be, forget the signs that say 15 MPH, it's well before that. Large Ticket, quota needs to be filled EOM.

I have lived where the cops will follow you until they can pull you over. Bored cops in a tiny town that would buy a Boat with the 50 Large.

I have lived where cops sit in their driveways and radar people driving by.

I have lived where you have to be absolutely dead to rights doing something idiotic to get pulled over, 15 plus over the limit or DUI etc, no quota rule.
 
Hey thanks for asking, I play bass in one band and electric guitar in another, although that one sort of fell apart during COVID, people couldn't get to practice, let alone play out and may never recover.

We play Blues, Classic Rock and whatever strikes out fancy and we think will be a crowd pleaser. From Robert Johnson to AC/DC by way of the Allman Brothers, Tom Petty, Free, Lynyrd Skynyrd...

https://thebasementbluesproject.com/
Building electric guitars (and basses) is another hobby of mine and another way to make sawdust besides home improvement.
 
Well, not sure why they can arrest you when it's your money... Your savings... That doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense...
Govt. thugs always looking for ways to grab money these days... Govt. forgot they're our servants and now think they are our royal rulers... all the 'mandates' lately demonstrate that... Govt. has regressed to pre-1776...
BTW, with an election close, those mandates are quietly being withdrawn... no public admission they were all wrong in the first place... they just want to calm some of the anger down...
 
And as I just mentioned to @Spicoli43 ... You don't want me here or don't like my posts... Just say the word...
Nobody said anything about you leaving, just offering enlightment... just because evil has been with us for a long time doesn't mean we have to keep it... founding the USA got rid of a lot of ancient evil...
 
You found the resident Atheist, just took him a long time.
I'm a Normal Person, not an atheist...
.
Atheist- no religion addiction mental illness but may have other addictions/mental illnesses...
.
Normal Person - no addictions and no mental illnesses...
.
Working up a Normal Person Organization and own the websites... getting rid of addictions gets rid of the unneeded wars/mass murdering/murdering/hurting/hating they keep fueling...
 

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