Is your right to sell your very own used stuff in peril? Jennifer Waters’ Consumer Confidential says: Tucked into the U.S. Supreme Court’s busy agenda this fall is a little-known case that could upend your ability to resell everything from your grandmother’s antique furniture to your iPhone 4. The short version: In the U.S. courts have long recognized that once we buy something — whether it’s a Van Gogh painting or a Toyota — it’s ours and we can re-sell it. Not so in some other parts of the world — or at least not without paying obeisance to the…
Category: Practical Freedom
A broad category of things we can do, or things others are doing, to increase personal freedom
Couple of weeks ago, I blogged about security cameras. Rather, I blogged to ask about them because I know nothing. I got some very good info, including the chance to look through the “eyes” of several security cameras. (Thank you, S and D — and D, I just love the doormat that says “Leave.”) MJR, who knows a thing or three about security systems, posted a link to a company called 2MCCTV. Somebody at 2MCCTV was watching their Web traffic. That quick, I heard from a friendly 2MCCTV rep named Clint Henderson, offering guest blogging. Who am I to turn…
Finally got through my latest round of deadlines and returned to the snitch book this weekend. The first-round reality-checkers (lawyers, security people, ex-cops, people who’ve been hurt by snitches) gave valuable input. The second draft took less time than I thought once I got to it. So … you guys who volunteered to be second-round reality-checkers, get ready. I’m awaiting an answer on one biggish question. Then I’ll do one more quick run-through and the re-draft will be on its way to you. Around the end of this month or early October it’ll be time for the eagle-eyed proofreaders (of…
Checking my Amazon vendor stats this morning, I discovered that somebody (I’ll never know who unless they choose to “uncloak”; thank you, Mysterious Stranger) just bought one of these: Wireless IP Pan/Tilt/ Night Vision Internet Surveillance Camera Built-in Microphone With Phone remote monitoring support. Yeah, that’s a mouthful. But that’s also a lot of camera for $50. Until recently, I’d never thought about getting home-security cameras because a) I have nothing worth stealing and b) not many bad guys are going to choose a house with three dogs. But just this week the thought crossed my mind that a camera…
What John Venlet says. Joel over at The Ultimate Answer to Kings (now at its own domain name, joelsgulch.com) is in dire need of a new prosthetic leg — which the good old U.S. health-care system has priced way, way out of his reach. I know Joel. I know how long he’s suffered with his old leg, despite benefactors having bought a much better foot for him a few years back. I’ve seen the sores on his stump with my own eyes. I know how the manual labor that brings in his small living is hurting the hell out of…
Of course! This is exactly what the U.S. needs: a federal government that can do more. Now why didn’t we think of that? How exactly does a “civil servant” steal $30 million from a town of 12,000? Ten completely ridiculous (and not necessarily SFW) road signs. (Tip o’ hat to C^2.) SOPA is dead. Long live CISPA! Or maybe we should say SOPA is dead; will somebody fer cryin’ out loud put a stake in its heart and bury it at the crossroads??? Does that take-away-your-passport-if-you-haven’t-paid-your-taxes law that’s making its way through Congress also give the IRS the authority to…
Since joining Twitter (which, seriously, does have some uses) I’ve been following a new-but-prolific blog The Tireless Agorist. I’ve just added it to the Living Freedom blogroll under two categories. I’d have done this in any case because “Agorist Don” writes himself one good blog. But it doesn’t hurt at all that today’s entry is about Hardyville.
There’s something to be learned about freedom from all that. But what, exactly? 1. Individual action and adrenaline go together. -S pointed this out in the comments. If we’re ever going to get past the completely ineffectual “call the police or call the landlady” stage with the Neighbor from Hell, we’re going to have to put ourselves on the line in some way large or small. The same is true if we intend to halt the police state. It can’t be done nicely or “within the system.” Most people don’t like putting themselves on the line. So as -S says,…
Shy? Grieving? You sicko, you. (Tip o’ hat to P.) This came from D. with the disgruntled comment, “Most of the people I know who got medals got shot.” It’s so much tidier being in the elite. Too bad hackers had to do this. Should be standard procedure. (Tip o’ hat to M.) Remember the cop who got fired for hanging and kicking his K9 partner? Well, it seems that the firing was a problem; the hanging and pummeling were just as the trooper always claimed — yes, standard procedure. (H/T to Fred.) A 12-year-old boy saves his grandma’s house…
Did you know there’s an organization called Dogs Against Romney? And that one of its members just got stopped by a cop for doing (in effigy) what Romney once did to his family dog? A courageous colonel busts hierarchy to tell truths about Afghanistan. (Tip o’ hat to M.) “Take that, Hobbes!” “Less lethal.” Yeah. In other words — more likely to be casually fired at people who irritate the cops. Help wanted at the TSA. 🙂 Oh, what to think? It’s a crime and a shame when innocent owners have their assets seized. But can they be called “innocent”…