“Three deputies equals one SWAT team.” A memory from reader ΛΕΟΝΙΔΑΣ (a former LEO) of a moment at the dawn of the “bad new days” of total militarization. Russian villagers defend their town. (Tip o’ hat to Matt, another.) A thorough history of “The Nixon Shock: How Nixon stopped backing the dollar with gold and changed global finance, a 40-year-old decision that still echoes in Greece, Ireland, and the U.S.” And a perfect example of how sloppily the most momentous decisions get made by Our Masters. AntiSec. Revenge of the nerds. Raising a fist to death in the Warsaw Ghetto.…
Category: Mind and Spirit
Spirituality, moods, feelings, and thinking free to live free.
Still working. Still working. I’ll produce something brilliant soon. I promise. Well … er, I’ll produce something soon. In the meantime, I thank Karen for reminding me that I did produce something pretty darned good a few years ago — something that relates to the recent and ongoing series here on “Responsibilities of a Resident of the Police State.” If you haven’t seen these before, or if you’d just like to bask anew in some freedom hopefulness, I give you: “The Quality of a Free Man” “Sustainable Freedom: The Dilemma” “Sustainable Freedom: Paradigms” “Sustainable Freedom: Shifting the World” Back soon…
There’s a man in this town who used to be a respected professional with a high-toned name. Now, thanks to decades of bad choices, all he has is his pride and three luxury automobiles he long ago relinquished the “privilege” of driving. And that toney name. Recently, a building he owned fell into such disrepair that the city condemned it and tore it down at his expense. My kind-hearted friend L., who mother-hens this man (and is apparently one of the only friends he has left), urged him to go in with her or let her go in with some…
Pitbull vs kitten. Oooooh, you can only imagine the carnage! These people are so cheery and upbeat I want to smack ’em. But what they’re doing is wonderful. Now there’s the power of creative risk taking! (Sad irony, though, that they felt a need to include a question in their FAQ about whether their children are getting a proper education. How could anybody assume that sitting in a classroom could be a better education than they’re getting in this adventure?) “I Was Out to See America.” Riding the rails in the Great Depression. (Via Old Printer who points out that…
Three new chapters this week in Jake MacGregor’s novel The Advisor. Chapter 19 and 20 on Tuesday. Chapter 21 last night. Good news from the lemonade wars. Well, if anything can be considered good news in this business of cops and code authoritah shutting down kids’ front-yard ventures. Can you imagine the kind of person who would — with “official” blessing — go out of his way to yell at little girls for selling lemonade? The mind boggles. But then, I suppose we’re supposed to be grateful that the criminal little lemonade pushers weren’t beaten and tasered to death. (NOTE:…
The local downtown (such as it is) features a series of tiny parks — just green squares, really, maybe with a badly carved and crumbling wooden statue. Each of these parkettes is named after somebody. Always somebody I’ve never head of. Usually somebody even local old-timers can’t remember. In one case (I know because the plaque says so) it’s a man who owned a print shop that lasted until 1936. These sad plaques attempting to honor forgotten people got me thinking about legacies. Getting something named after you is usually supposed to be a tribute (not always, as in the…
August 20 is Lemonade Freedom Day. “Because selling lemonade is not a crime. (H/T C^2) The Farmer Veteran Coalition. Beats the heck out of them coming back and joining the LAPD or the Podunkville “finest of the finest” SWAT team. (Thanking J. for this one) Yes, your dog really is reading your mind. (P 🙂 ) Are you the addictive type? Sez here you might be leadership material. From Ellendra in a recent comment section who says, (finally) “even the Wall Street Journal is starting to notice” that there are too many federal laws and regulations. And that the feds…
Radley Balko, who posts a lot of photos on his blog, has just posted the best two ever, bar none, no possible comparison: Cory Maye as a free man. How come Al Quaeda is always responsible, even when Al Quaeda isn’t responsible? “Playing to Your Strengths.” For some, this might be a no-brainer. But for others (e.g. who were forced or simply fell into their career paths), not so. Charles Hugh Smith is a wonderful thinker. He’s just come up with the best analysis of what the Euro really is and what the current goings on in European finances really…
Fred Reed nails it. As usual. This ties in nicely with my ongoing rants & is why I titled them for residents of the police state, not citizens of. Via Rational Review News.
Part I Part II Part III Changing perceptions at the end of empire Or It steamboats come steamboat time The empire demands obedience. But the more harshly it demands, the more desperate it is. A government that sends thugs to kick down people’s doors at 6:00 a.m. or that shuts protestors within barbed wire enclosures is a government that is frightened. And weak. Not strong. Our particular empire exists in the age of public relations. It realizes that We the Mob can be kept quieter longer via bribes than by oppression. But times change. The bribe money runs out. The…