Well, folks, this is it. Friday it’s all over. Zap. Kaput. This weary old Earth and all of us with it — gone. Even though I don’t believe a word of it, sometimes I think it couldn’t happen to a more deserving planet. And as to that lame, feel-good theory that the Earth isn’t really going blooey, but is just going to go through a tribulation, with the survivors (i.e. the people holding the theory) going to emerge full of peace, love, and enlightenment … yeah. You just tell me when peace, love, and enlightenment have ever lasted more than…
Category: Official thuggery, bad prosecutions, and bad law
Why is the U.S. government building a secret underground facility in Israel? And why are U.S. taxpayers funding a project that includes religious symbols at every doorway? The mezzuzah is a charming tradition, but the fedgov funds enough superstitions without secretly forcing us to pay for another one. Memo to robbers: If you want that girly-girl c-store clerk to take you seriously don’t charge in firing your guns into the air. James Bond, Dirty Harry Callahan and what gun is “good enough.” Can’t say I agree with the recommendation, not even one little bit. But the thinking is interesting. (H/T…
One of the most personal reasons for contempt of government is that government forces people to act against their own consciences. As you know, I’m not a believer, but I think what Obamacare is about to force on the people who own Hobby Lobby is beastly. When Catholic institutions objected to provisions of Obamacare that went against their principles, the fedgov carved out a feeble and bureaucratic “religious exemption.” However, Hobby Lobby — being a business run on religious principles but not being a specifically religious institution — doesn’t fit into the loophole. So government inflicts pain to get “compliance.”…
Thanks to some last-minute assistance — with “last-minute” actually being several weeks ago — and thanks to the work of many volunteers, Rats!, the anti-snitch book, is now live. Find it at http://rats-nosnitch.com/. Four different formats for reading. One bundle of HTML files for mirroring on your own site. All free. Copy and distribute at will. Spread it around far and wide. Post to your blogs about it. Tweet it. Announce it on your Facebook page, mirror the entire site … whatever. The more this gets into the hands of potential victims of snitchery, the better. —– I apologize. I…
I don’t know Fiona Apple’s music at all. But I expect I’d like her as a person. And I’m not the only one. (Beware: sad dog stories.) Much happier animal (and cop) story. (H/T JG) Texas high school trying to expel student for refusing to wear a spychip. It’s all about money and control, of course. (Tip o’ hat to H) How many more of these stories are we going to see? Anti-gay lawyer arrested for kiddie porn (and more). And here’s another completely unsurprising story: Detroit will run out of money by January. And another non-surprise! Senate bill touted…
Too bad granite slabs don’t include a spellchecker “Epitaph for a Four Star.” A scathing retrospective on Petraeus from a military man. (H/T EN, who knows the author) Um … lessee if I understand this correctly. You can’t quit favoring women and minorities because it violates the equal protection clause??? The Seattle PD has done a lot of baaaad things. But once in a while they get it right. They just hired a former journalist from an alternative weekly to write a handbook to cannabis legalization. It’s called “Marijwhatnow?” Among other advice: “Hold your breath.” This fascinating story about linguists…
A handful of links and two (longish) videos for your Friday and weekend pleasure: Nano-material stops bullets? This I’d like to see. (H/T PT) Among all the other laughs of the Petraeus scandal is the scandalously flawed method the lovers used to hide their email correspondence. (And this guy was the nation’s top intelligence officer?) The Electronic Frontier Foundation has analysis and advice. So does the ACLU. (Tip o’ hat to JG) It’s pretty amazing what the FBI went through to trace emails that probably weren’t even illegal — and the kind of data they had fingertip access to (e.g.…
… because the kid didn’t want to help wash the thug’s car during a school career day. And the cop was immediately arrested for assault, right? Right?
As we say in the snitch book, sometimes it’s self-defense. And defense of others. I’m sure David Codrea will say it if he hasn’t already, but yep, this is about another of those “only ones.” Those special, noble, trustworthy ones that the antis think should always be able to outgun the rest of us. I think we all owe this guy’s wife our thanks. —– Added per David C’s comment below: “We’re the Only Ones Anthrropophagic Enough.”
Can you fix a scratched DVD with a banana? Inquiring minds want to know. Oleg Volk doesn’t approve of the fixation on great marksmanship. Life in Uruguay. I think I could get used to it. Always has kind of struck me as “Switzerland south,” but cheaper. The Flagstaff, AZ, cop who committed one of the most prolonged and barbaric puppycides has resigned. It may be news to the Wall Street Journal that overseas banks, including the famous Swiss banks are tossing American clients out with the trash. But some readers hereabouts know it all too well. From first-hand experience. At…