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TexasHooch

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Posts posted by TexasHooch

  1. 3 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

    I need a small portable grill to take to a family party near some as yet undefined lake.  ~ 10 people, burgers, dogs, etc.  I'm happy to cook in stages.  I prefer charcoal.

    Is there any reason to avoid the Weber Smokey Joe 14" charcoal grill?  Is there some alternative out there that's better in some way?  I mean, it's only $50.  It would be a nice complement to our Weber smoker at our empty-nester home, too.

    Smokey Joe® Charcoal Grill 14" image number 0

    There's no reason to avoid the Smokey Joe.  If you're willing to pay a little more though and have the space, I'd suggest upgrading to an 18 inch over the 14. It'll make a big difference.

    In that space I'd go with either the Jumbo Joe: $90
    Or the SnS Travel Kettle:  $160

  2. 1 hour ago, brakeman said:

    $27/hr

    I looked up Paragon.

    image.thumb.png.672f48aea27bda0f0a7c6ef093c3e524.png

    It's business has fuck-all to do with what it has obviously re-tasked to do by the parent company-which also happens to be linked to at least one immigrant detention center in El Paso.

    The parent company, by the way, is one of the Alaska Native Corporations which were established in 1971 when the United States Congress passed the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) which settled land and financial claims made by the Alaska Natives and provided for the establishment of 13 regional corporations to administer those claims.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Native_corporation

    There are several regional corporations that are part of this and, interestingly, Bering Straits Native Corporation is not the only one in the migrant detention game.

    Notably, a subsidiary of a contractor called Akima, which is itself a subsidiary of another regional corporation called the  Northwest Alaska Native Association (NANA) was revealed as the contractor running the Guantánamo migrant jail.

    Here's part of an interview with the reporter who broke that story.

    Quote

    Casey Grove: And in terms of how big Akima itself is, how much money do they get from the federal government in a year?

    JO: Akima is massive. And I think the exact numbers are hard to find out, because Akima is a subsidiary of the NANA Regional Corporation. And so, because these Alaska Native corporations are owned by, you know, indigenous Native Alaskan shareholders, we don't really know about what goes on behind the scenes, right? The shares cannot be traded and cannot be sold. So there's very little regulation from the federal government, including the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    So NANA itself, it's really, really difficult to understand and grasp the sheer size and how much money that NANA and Akima are making now. Last year, Akima did announce, they did publicly announce, that the company is worth $2 billion, and they have, you know, over 40 subsidiaries within the broader Akima company, and all of those subsidiaries are getting multi-million dollar contracts with the federal government.

    CG: Is there a higher proportion of Alaska Native corporations in this line of work, or is it just that Alaska Native corporations are into government contracting, and that's what the contracts are for?

    JO: I think it's difficult to say what the proportion is between just general security contractors and other federal government contractors, and how it compares to Alaska Native corporations. But I think it's easier for a lot of these federal government (contracts) to go to Alaska Native corporations, and there are dozens and dozens of subsidiaries, right?

    So, because there are so many subsidiaries, and because they are owned by Native Alaskan shareholders, they technically are classified and qualify to be determined to be small businesses, right, and small minority-owned businesses. And so they're able to very quickly get government, federal government, contracts for this type of work that essentially just kind of doesn't necessarily force the government or these corporations to go through extensive contracting bids and negotiations that maybe other companies might.

    But yes, I mean, Akima is not the only Alaska Native corporation that does these types of federal government contracting work. I've done a story, for example, the Bering Straits Corporation, they run, or they used to run, at least, a detention center in El Paso, an immigration detention center in El Paso. But a lot of the other immigration jails, the majority of them are run by private corporations, including CoreCivic or GEO Group or other large private prison companies. So, no, Akima is not the only one that's doing this type of work, but it is significant to note how they're able to very quickly get these types of government contracts, and it is significant to note that they received the federal government contract to run the ICE facility at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base last year under the Biden administration.

     

    That's just what I scraped together in 20 minutes.  I think there's a lot more to this story.  It'd be the perfect piece for 60 Minutes to get into if they weren't neutered- Although Biden has some responsibility here too, so maybe.

    It's also not lost on me that this, in essence, a story about conquering Americans paying actual Americans to detain aspiring Americans.  There's a perverse irony to it all.

     

     

    • Hook 'Em 4
    • Rage+1 1
  3. It's getting a wide theater re-release at the end of August.  I might be down for a couple viewings- one for the movie, one for the score.

    • Like 1
  4. Not that I can find- and I've looked pretty hard.  Unusual Whales is pretty credible in my experience, particularly regarding stonks.  I'm leaning heavily towards it being untrue though.  Which, honestly would be a relief.  But delete post, ban user and all that...

  5. Just now, Biff Tannen said:

    So if I’m the leadership of Iran, what exactly is my reasoning for not just launching everything I have in a moment of final glory?  The most powerful leader in the world just told my biggest city to evacuate and my other biggest enemy has already aced most of my military leaders. It just seems primed. 

     

  6. 2 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

    Well, you know that Jesus often said if you don't like what someone says, you should break into their house and shoot them.

    "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

    ... and then, you know, what ever you think is best...

     

    • Rage+1 2
  7. 3 minutes ago, GopherRock said:

    Yes, Hennepin County Attorneys Office will be seeking upgraded state charges. Murder 2 and attempted murder 2 were filed quickly so that arrest warrants could be issued. In Minnesota, murder 1 has to come from the grand jury.

    Additional federal charges were filed this morning. Among them, 2 counts of stalking, 2 counts of attempted murder by firearm, and 2 counts murder by firearm, which are death penalty charges. First appearance in federal court will be happening at 1:30 PM.

    Do you know where he's at?  He was booked into Hennepin Jail but appears to have been released (transferred).

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