Well. That’s something. TSA administrator John Pistole tells Matt Lauer that children under 12 will not be groped. (Video; the comment comes about 4 minutes in.) Your 13-year-old daughter, OTOH … I’m not entirely hopeful the TSA will stick to this policy, or that all those infamously uninformed screeners will follow it. I also notice that Pistole utters not one word about exempting children from pedophile porno-scoping. One thing for sure: even if they do stop molesting the youngest children, let’s hope the public stays angry-angry-angry to the point of resistance. ADDED: Reason TV prepares us for next year at…
Category: Government
Government evils — but I repeat myself
Millions long for immortality who don’t know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon. — Susan Ertz It’s one of those days that isn’t exactly rainy, but not exactly not rainy, either. Mists swirl between here and the hills. The pavement gleams. A raincoat might be a good idea during a dog walk. Or maybe not. (No unbrella, of course. People in the NorthWET don’t do umbrellas. We may own them, but when you see somebody actually using one, you know they’re foreigners.) After a good, but semi-hectic week, I promised myself a sabbath day. I’m just…
In these once-great united States of America, one state long ago led the way toward freedom. (No offense to you, Virginia; you produced magnificent radicals. But Massachusetts was first to kick ass.) More recently, that state has been leading the way toward third-world status — beginning with plundering the productive and promoting corrupt cronyism. I have friends who are unfortunate enough to live in Massachusetts and who, for various reasons, can’t leave. One of those, a small business owner, wrote me two doleful emails last week about his problems with both the local plunderers and those national vandals, the IRS.…
Somebody launched a missile. From the sea off California. Who? Who dunnit? Ain’t nobody sayin’. However, “It could be a test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile from a submarine … to demonstrate, mainly to Asia, that we can do that.” Uh huh. And they say us little gun owners are obsessed with making “phallic” statements. “Hey, China baby, take a look at my … er, projectile.” * The IRS re-affirms Radley Balko’s libertarianism. And Politico — not known for its right-wing slant — excoriates Obama in stronger-than-ever terms. Appears that this is a White House insider attempt to wake the…
The following is from a blog reader and frequent flyer who wishes to remain anonymous. —– “Male, anomaly, right thigh.” “Female, anomaly, right arm” “Male, clear.” It’s just after 6 AM. I’m sitting at a gate at Boston’s Logan airport. I had noticed a long line at the checkpoint, and saw that it was because they were using the porno scanners. As a frequent traveler who lives in the Boston area, I know Logan. I went to another checkpoint where I walked through the magnetometer without incident, then made my circuitous way back to my flight’s gate. I hadn’t realized…
NOTE: At the bottom of this article are links to lots more intellectual ammo against the porno-scanners and the TSA’s new “enhanced” pat-downs — a technique designed (as far as I can tell) to persuade fliers that they’d find life easier if they submitted to radiation and porn, rather than opting out. Use that info for your own letter writing or send your less-aware friends here for an eye-opener. —– Last week, I picked up on Arthur M. M. Krolman’s idea and suggested a “Letter to Disney” campaign against the TSA’s porno-scanners. The idea was (and is) threefold: Write a…
Because we all have so very much respect for our Elected Leaders and the Hallowed Democratic Process that produces them … herewith a special election day political campaign edition of the blog. Our Leaders have always been Honorable and Civil Their Honor and Always-Above-Board tactics have grown throughout the ages. And continue to grow. Today, we live in an unparalleled era of Legislative Competency, leading to Respect for Our Most Able Leaders. Honesty is A Paramount Virtue of the Political Classes. … Second only to Humble, Principled, and Open Public Service. There are many Profoundly Important Reasons to Vote. (H/T…
Dysfunctional families come in all shapes, sizes, and all manner of chaos. But they all have one thing in common: When some truthteller finally gets fed up enough to name the core problem (whether it be Daddy’s drinking or Mom’s kleptomania or Auntie’s chronic lying or all of the above) — the entire clan will turn on the hapless truthteller, en masse, and blame that person for causing the problem. A long-ago neighbor woman once came to my house raging because her husband had been caught committing incest with their daughter and her teenage son had been accused of molesting…
Joel is right, of course. And as Kevin Wilmeth notes, the way he says it is sheer poetry. Self defense isn’t ever about the Second Amendment. It’s about being a mature, self-responsible creature. On the other hand, when you’re a mature, self-responsible, sapient creature living in a land of laws (even if it’s no longer a land that has much use for the rule of law), the Second Amendment is one potential self-defense tool. Especially if you’ve already been captured by the state. I know. All this goes back to the endless old anarchist/minarchist debate among libertarians and OMG, let’s…
I haven’t done more than blog a mention of the Cheyenne Irish case because facts seemed too thin. But obviously it was malicious and outrageous to cite the parents’ involvement with Oath Keepers as one reason to grab the newborn. That was just plain creepy. Well, after a rousing few days on the Internet and an eloquent response from Oath Keepers, baby Cheyenne is home. Thank you, -T for the word and the link to this good (if sometimes acrimonious) discussion. Will Grigg as usual, has some tragically good things to say about this case and similar ones. What were…