Important day in Military History.....

[Sardaukar]

Bah...April 21 is the traditional founding day of Rome. 2763 AUC*!
 
*-ab urbe condita ("From the founding of the City")

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58




That's a nice historical artifact, but states don't have the right, no matter what's in their state constitution, to force the federal governemt to accept new states into the Union. That would lead to geographic gaming of the US Senate, at the very least. The government in question must petition Congress for admission and be accepted; they can't simply announce. See West Virginia's admission for one interesting case, or the other terriitories, Hawaii and Alaska being the two most recent.

Actually they did have that right , as Texas came into the union , not as a territory , but as a republic. The Articles of Annexation did indeed promise Texas those rights. When Texas came back into the union having left during the civil war, those privilages went away as a condition of re-admittance. [:)]

I know they DID, but they don't.[:)]

We have lots of old treaties with nations that don't exist any longer. I think they use them for place mats in the White House Mess . . .

Like that given to MY ancestors? (Piankeshaw).[8D]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: m10bob

Like that given to MY ancestors? (Piankeshaw).[8D]

Not going there . . . [:)]

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: m10bob

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve




Actually they did have that right , as Texas came into the union , not as a territory , but as a republic. The Articles of Annexation did indeed promise Texas those rights. When Texas came back into the union having left during the civil war, those privilages went away as a condition of re-admittance. [:)]

I know they DID, but they don't.[:)]

We have lots of old treaties with nations that don't exist any longer. I think they use them for place mats in the White House Mess . . .

Like that given to MY ancestors? (Piankeshaw).[8D]

Treaties with "American Indians" , "Native Americans", I"Indigious Aboriginies" or what ever the current term is, are generally the only kind of treaties that are enforcable by US law (therefore US courts). Unless you've been on the dark side of the moon for the last fourty years , you'll note that there have been hundreds of lawsuits (and many more currently in the US court system) to deal with compensations for treaty violations and wrong doings. (At least on behalf of the US government). I've never heard of a single suit against the tribes for either treaty vilations or even wrongfull death. I keep waiting for the decendants of the families of the 7th Calvalry to bring a wrongfull death suit. (Please note....I say this in humor).[:D]

In my state of birth (Maine) every single settlement except 1 (Kittery) was burned to the ground (at least once--Portland many times) during "King Phillips war" and other "Indian uprisings". That should get tort lawyers thinking (and salivating)[:D]

[Cribtop]

Whisper, the Louisiana Greys for example helped to defend the Alamo, and most expeditions into Spanish Texas were dreamed up in bars in New Orleans.

As a Texan who descends from a family of South Carolinians, I will note that many of the Texas patriots were from S.C., including Wm. B. Travis, commander at the Alamo. It was the perfect post for a S. Carolinian to have, as the state is known to breed rather fanatical types determined to win "victory or death."

[AW1Steve]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

Whisper, the Louisiana Greys for example helped to defend the Alamo, and most expeditions into Spanish Texas were dreamed up in bars in New Orleans.

As a Texan who descends from a family of South Carolinians, I will note that many of the Texas patriots were from S.C., including Wm. B. Travis, commander at the Alamo. It was the perfect post for a S. Carolinian to have, as the state is known to breed rather fanatical types determined to win "victory or death."

As the govenor of South Carolina said at the begining of the Civil War , "south Carolina, too small to be a republic, to big to be an insane assylum!". [:D]

[P.Hausser]

ORIGINAL: castor troy

what are Texicans? Texan Mexicans? [:D]

I thought all Texas Americans was Mexicans now a days ^^

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

ORIGINAL: m10bob

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58




I know they DID, but they don't.[:)]

We have lots of old treaties with nations that don't exist any longer. I think they use them for place mats in the White House Mess . . .

Like that given to MY ancestors? (Piankeshaw).[8D]

Treaties with "American Indians" , "Native Americans", I"Indigious Aboriginies" or what ever the current term is, are generally the only kind of treaties that are enforcable by US law (therefore US courts). Unless you've been on the dark side of the moon for the last fourty years , you'll note that there have been hundreds of lawsuits (and many more currently in the US court system) to deal with compensations for treaty violations and wrong doings. (At least on behalf of the US government). I've never heard of a single suit against the tribes for either treaty vilations or even wrongfull death. I keep waiting for the decendants of the families of the 7th Calvalry to bring a wrongfull death suit. (Please note....I say this in humor).[:D]

In my state of birth (Maine) every single settlement except 1 (Kittery) was burned to the ground (at least once--Portland many times) during "King Phillips war" and other "Indian uprisings". That should get tort lawyers thinking (and salivating)[:D]

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

I try to drive at 120 km/h (74 mph) maximum --although I don't respect that rule sometimes--, simply because above that speed you really CANNOT control your car if something goes wrong (physic laws). And most of the cars pass me.

So, according to your (anarchyintheuk) experience most of the American drivers respect the speed limits, which sort of confirms what I was told. WEIRD! [:D]

I have read papers by ER docs stating that the fatality rate in accidents above 70 MPH spikes above the straight-line trend below 70 MPH. This is due to deceleration effects on the heart-aorta interface. Above 70 MPH there is a significantly higher chance that the aorta will tear away from the heart, causing massive bleed-out and death before EMTs can arrive (not that they could fix it either.) Air-bags do not lessen this effect very much, deceleration being deceleration and all.

I'm just sayin' . . .

[frank1970]

Speed on Autobahnen is a really heavily discussed topic in Germany. The Greend like us to have a speed limit at 120km/h, but usually all drivers protest this idea. "Freie Fahrt für freie Bürger!" (Unlimited driving for free citizens!) is the slogan of most of us.

I have never heard of a case when Police put something on a cars screen (?word) so it toppeled. But they have some nasty equipment to perforate your tyres.

The usual speed on Bundesstraßen is 120km/h (100 allowed), on Autobahnen 150 (you should go 130, but there is no limit).
Fines are quite high when driving more than 20km/h too fast.

Here in Grafenwöhr we often have little trouble with our American friends, who drive 100miles/h or about 70km/h. I think it depends on their type of car and their tachometer.

[Grit]

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf

Some other interesting tidbits on driving on American roads I've learned over the years:

1. If you get pulled over avoid sudden movements and put your hands on the dashboard and leave them in full sight. Most cops get shot at routine traffic stops and are sometimes "keyed up". If you put them at ease immediately by demonstrating you're no threat you may get off with just a warning-depending on what you got pulled over for. This is no guarantee you'll get out of a ticket, but anything helps.

2. Some cops when off duty drive like maniacs. There is an unwritten rule that cops don't ticket other cops. This doesn't always apply as there are other factors that may be involved like rivalry between different jurisdictions etc, etc, but in general cops tend to cut slack to other cops. I've heard the same can apply to firemen.

3. Some people like to wise off to cops when they get pulled over. If you're going to try and fight the violation in court wising off to a cop is a very bad idea. If you show up in court and the cop doesn't the judge will dismiss the case. If you're a wisea** the cop will take notes after ticketing you and he will be sure to show up in court. Traffic cops and the traffic court can make your life a real hell, I've heard some really interesting stories about "ammended violations".

4. Women who been pulled over have been known to pull some pretty fast ones to get out of a ticket. When I was in college a girl I knew got out of a ticket by crying. All I could think was life just isn't fair...other women are a bit more adventurous.

I'd be curious to hear how traffic violations and courts work in other countries. I heard in Germany if you're speeding they catch up to you in their police cruiser and put something on your windshield and you pull over?

My experience overseas where I was is if you got pulled over for whatever reason you'd get hassled, mabye slapped around a bit. You may then have to bribe the cop on the spot. If you did get hauled off to jail, you'd better have someone come get you asap as they didn't feed you and jail was very unpleasant to say the least-I still have images of arms hanging out of the local jail bar windows like it was yesterday. Not a place I wanted to end up in thats for sure.

Once you were in jail the amount of the bribe when up dramatically and the number of people palms you had to grease also increased.

Interesting stuff.

I issued about 14,500 radar speeding tickets, and arrested about 700 drunk drivers in my career. Would have issued more but I got promoted pass the point where you give tickets or arrest people as a routine.

There is probably not an excuse that I haven't heard.

Couple of things to keep in mind:

The "I have to go pee," excuse, a favorite of women. Fine, you can use the bathroom, I'll follow you to the gas station and write your ticket.

Cops don't usually give cops a ticket. I've never had a ticket in my life though I've been stopped a few times. It's called Professional Courtesy.

I always take good notes. But if you really make an ass of yourself I will take better notes. Also realize that most cops record the entire conversation they have with a driver. Today it's even recorded on video in many places. Whenever the blue lights come on the recorder starts automatically.

You can almost always get your speeding case reduced in court. For example if you were charged with 66/55 you can have it reduced to below 10mph over the speed limit. This can help you with points and insurance. You can also in many states get what is called a Prayer for Judgement. Meaning you are not found responsible or guilty (depending on the speed) and you will just pay court costs. Also helps in points and insurance.

The officer can reduce it also. It helps to be polite.

I met my current wife with a flat tire on the Interstate.

We don't have a quota. We can write as many as we want.

[Grit]

double post

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Frank

Speed on Autobahnen is a really heavily discussed topic in Germany. The Greend like us to have a speed limit at 120km/h, but usually all drivers protest this idea. "Freie Fahrt für freie Bürger!" (Unlimited driving for free citizens!) is the slogan of most of us.

I have never heard of a case when Police put something on a cars screen (?word) so it toppeled. But they have some nasty equipment to perforate your tyres.

The usual speed on Bundesstraßen is 120km/h (100 allowed), on Autobahnen 150 (you should go 130, but there is no limit).
Fines are quite high when driving more than 20km/h too fast.

Here in Grafenwöhr we often have little trouble with our American friends, who drive 100miles/h or about 70km/h. I think it depends on their type of car and their tachometer.

The word is "windshield" in the USA (Canada?) and "windscreen" in the UK (other Commonwealth countries?) You speak English a lot better than I speak German.[:)]

I was last on the autobahn in 1993, with a resident driving. We were in a decent car, but no Porsche or BMW. So long as we stayed to the right and let the speed demons go by we were fine. Those roads, however, are VERY different in design and maintenance than a US interstate highway. They have long, sweeping curves with open sight-lines, banked curves, long acceleration lanes at interchanges, and are maintained very, very well. Also, Germans accept very high levels of vehicle inspections and driver training expenses to ensure that the hardware and driver are not creating a hazard to other motorists. Here, we don't do that. My state, in the Salt Belt, has no vehicle inspections. A lot of people have nice "summer cars" they put away in the winter. Then, they drive "beaters", which are held together by rust alone. They have zero structural integrity in a crash, but hey, they save a few dollars, right?

To get a license here requires a fee of about $15 and passing a driving test that takes 15 minutes and usually does not involve interstate highway driving. No schooling is required. In 1993 my German driver told me his lcense had cost about $1500 in schools and fees, and his car inspection bill was similarly high. (He also told me it was against the law to wash his car--himself!--on Sunday.) Different cultures, different choices.

[Bullwinkle58]

Talking about the autobahns made me remember something else from that trip:

The guy driving me had a part-time job, working for a large US tobacco company, to pick up incoming executives in Frankfurt am Main and drive them down to Schweinfurt for conferences. He was driving a vice-president, there on his first trip to Germany. The guy was interested in the sights, as first-timers are anywhere, but grew increasingly excited as they went 50, 60, 70 km down the autobahn.

Finally, poinitng to a road sign, he said "Do we have time to stop in Ausfahrt? That place must be huge. You can get there from ANYWHERE!"

[frank1970]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

Talking about the autobahns made me remember something else from that trip:

The guy driving me had a part-time job, working for a large US tobacco company, to pick up incoming executives in Frankfurt am Main and drive them down to Schweinfurt for conferences. He was driving a vice-president, there on his first trip to Germany. The guy was interested in the sights, as first-timers are anywhere, but grew increasingly excited as they went 50, 60, 70 km down the autobahn.

Finally, poinitng to a road sign, he said "Do we have time to stop in Ausfahrt? That place must be huge. You can get there from ANYWHERE!"

NIce one [:D]

[morganbj]

Yeah, when I lived there we used to tell the newbies to take the road to Eingang.

[BletchleyGeek]

ORIGINAL: sfbaytf
It has been said and proven in studies that if you drive a red car or high performance car your chances of being pulled over increase. I do know from personal experince that when I was able to afford a sporty car and sold my college day beater, I ended up getting 3 speeding tickets in a year and I was always being tailed by the Highway Patrol. It certainly was a magnet for attention. When I sold the MR2 and bought a White truck I never got a speeding ticket eventhough I still drove like a maniac.

ORIGINAL: TulliusDetritus

Sorry for this OT thing but I always was curious about one thing. From what they told me American drivers in general "respect" road rules, and I am thinking about the speed limit thing. Is this true or what is (according to your road experience) the real average speed in American HIGHWAYS? Over here in Europe, er, going at 120 km/h (74 mph) is "slow". Average speed has to be around 86 miles per hour (140 km/h), I guess (I am talking about highways)... And yes, it is illegal (except in Germany, if they didn't change the law) [:D]

One of my dearest moments last July in California. We were driving past Sunnyvale, a yellow Porsche just in front of us. He stopped the car all of a sudden and started insulting us and our mothers.

After checking with my native friends there, it seems that in America you're supposed to leave something like half a mile between your car and the one in front.

As my friends told me: he was checking whether your Accura's brakes were working well. Fortunately, they were.