As Blackwater details emerge, Xe looks for clean start

The first paragraph in this Pilot report reads:

“Newly released documents show Blackwater workers and their supervisors in Afghanistan running amok – drinking heavily, using weapons without permission and ignoring Army protocol, all adding to an environment that may have contributed to the killings of unarmed civilians.”

Between this and the scandals in recent years involving the murders of dozens of unarmed Iraqi civilians at the hands of Blackwater workers, I don’t think I’m taking too hard of a line in saying that this company (now calling itself Xe) needs to be shut down. Now.

I admit that I already felt Blackwater’s entire business is based on war profiteering. However, the chaos that has reigned there then and apparently still should be enough for the government to make the choice to cease doing business with them completely.

No need for lawyers on misdemeanor charges?

A surprising and intriguing proposal to save money. There are compelling arguments both for and against it, of course, and I’m very interested to see how the debate about this proposal will go. Personally, I think this should not be the case for any violent crimes or even potentially violent crimes; including domestic abuse, drunk driving and battery. However, I’ve seen court dockets filled with almost nothing but misdemeanor drug possession charges that without the consequences of jail time would free up our judicial system to focus on the crimes and injustices that I think really matter.

Heavy snows in Va heat up debate on global warming

This is for all those sadly misguided people out there who try to argue with me that because we’ve had a cold, snowy winter, global warming is not real. And I’m including Republican and State Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, who wrote in an e-mailed newsletter last month that he was looking “out the window at 30+ inches of global snowing.” Um, that’s not how it works, dummies! As meteorologist Jim Kinter says in this article, “That’s just silly.” Look up weather in the dictionary and then look up climate, and note the difference.

10 years later, Newport News City Center is still stirring debate

I don’t pay taxes in Newport News, so it’s more difficult for me to have an insider’s opinion on this. From what I’ve seen the City Center, mainly through its summertime concerts and festivals around the fountain, has attracted lots of visitors. I also believe that city centers are the best way our sprawling cities can build downtowns, shift away from mall culture and develop metropolitan identities. So personally, I feel like this was a good investment.

Again, however, I’m not one of the people paying the reported $1.6 million in taxes generated by the City Center per year. Peninsula folks, I’d like to hear what you think.

PICTURES: Mug shots from local arrests

Kind of depressingly fascinating. Like watching Cops.