2 seals join polar bears on endangered list Associated Press :-(
Delusions of Gender: Men’s Insecurities May Lead to Sexist Views of Women ScienceDaily. Chuck L points out this falls in the category of “Duh!”
Iowa court: Woman can be fired for being ‘irresistible’ Raw Story
Origin of life: Hypothesis traces first protocells back to emergence of cell membrane bioenergetics ScienceDaily (Chuck L)
Juggling by numbers: How notation revealed new tricks BBC
Steve Jobs’ yacht held over disputed bill Financial Times
One in four Americans has an opinion about an imaginary debt plan Washington Post (Scott)
Lessons learnt from $1.5bn settlement Financial Times. The banks are whining that they won’t cooperate if they are hit with “tough” penalties as UBS was. Help me.
The N.R.A.’s Blockade on Science New York Times
THREE HEADS, WE LOSE: GUN CONTROL WITHOUT EQUALITY MEANS MORE MASSACRES, NOT FEWER Mark Ames, NSFW
The N.R.A. Crawls From Its Hidey Hole New York Times. The editorial. Unusually pointed
Catfood watch:
Menace to Solvency Fistful of Euros
Alan Grayson Explains Why He Opposes A Conservative Plan To Unravel Social Security That Starts With A Chained CPI DownWithTyranny
Dragged to the Fiscal Slope Menzie Chinn, Econbrowser
How Democrats Became Liberal Republicans Bruce Bartlett, Fiscal Times (Ed Harrison)
‘A Pitfall with DSGE-Based, Estimated, Government Spending Multipliers’ Mark Thoma
John Kerry’s Nomination Means Barney Frank May Be Back In D.C. Sooner Than Anyone Thought Clusterstock
American Dream Fades for Generation Y Professionals Bloomberg
Delta Air Gets 22,000 Applications for 300 Attendant Jobs Bloomberg
Whom can you trust? mathbabe
The coming drone attack on America Naomi Wolf, Guardian. Today’s must read. Some readers objected to my characterization of America as a police state. Wolf says it is in fact here.
Antidote du jour (Scott):
77 comments
Comments are closed.
I know that the police state is here.
In 2004 I was contacted by a CIA person by phone who ordered one of my products and proceeded to tell me that I shouldn’t be bad mouthing our then president on international calls to my vendors.
I shared this with my elected representatives in Oregon who you would think might have followed up but I have never been contacted.
The rule of law in this country is being replaced by the rule of power of the global inherited rich and their minions.
What more evidence is needed than this?
“Incarcerated Americans 1920-2006”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_incarceration_timeline-clean-fixed-timescale.svg
Germane to this phenomenon is the history Marcia Esparza recounts beginning at minute 23:00 here:
http://metanoia-films.org/the-power-principle/
Esparza tells of the dissemination in Guatemala by CIA operatives of the notion of the “internal enemy,” which forms the heart and soul of “US ideologies of national security doctrine.”
And make no mistake about it, with the inexorable logic of empire and its insatiable need to dominate, the last “subject race” of US empire will be the American people themselves.
as pertains all of us ‘enemies’ here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FWxaF7yxEk
Documentary: America’s use for Domestic Drones
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTLtNgSRXyc
What are the technological advantages and privacy concerns as drones become cheaper and more accessible?
The Stream talks to journalist and former U.S. Marine, Josh Rushing who has just finished a documentary on U.S. military technology including drones. We also talk with Ryan Calo, director of Privacy and Robotics at Stanford Law School.
That is pretty creepy in deed…
In the early 90’s I ordered a Kennedy Assassination Book through the mail. When I finally received it (the book took a little longer to arrive than I expected), the package had been ripped open and re-taped closed. It came from one of those book retailers that specialized in deep politics literature, so I suspect that there was some great interest in any books that were mailed from this retailer as well as their customers from some authority.
The origin of life, cell membrane bioengergetics.
The cell membrane – there’s your origin of ‘private property.’
Sorry, you can’t come inside… it’s a private party by invitation only.
The origin of life and the origin of private property…are we looking at the original sin?
Interesting analogy. Especially as we’re learning that cells are more nomalized to their environment than we ever expected.
Eukaryotes are almost always part of a synergistic relationship. Lewis Thomas essay “Lives of a Cell.” They’re all in synergy or seeking it.
And prokaryotes, of course, are part of an larger organism. What passes inside is not all voluntary, but depends on what’s on offer.
But justification of absolute control of private property as a religious tenet is eroded badly. Keep trying with the natural world analogies.
Whom can we trust?
It’s better to doubt so as to be and so, is it not better to put ‘Whom Can We Trust’ on all our coins?
Use money and learn philosophy at the same time – that’s what we might call ‘ubiquitous education.’
“Suspicion breeds confidence”, as the sign in Brazil says.
American Dream Fades.
Wouldn’t it be not surprising, from the post-Flat Earth point of view, to see how in a material world that revolves around a single source of happiness, that when the American Dream fades, the Hindu Dream, for example, starts?
An eminent British economist and his wife have been murdered at their home in Australia.
Professor Gavin Mooney, 69, and Dr Delys Weston, 62, were found at the property in Tasmania on Wednesday and are thought to have been bludgeoned to death.
The retired Briton was previously the director of the Social and Public Health Economics Research Group in Australia and held a number of senior positions at universities in the country.
He was born in Glasgow in 1943 and graduated from the University of Edinburgh before embarking on a career that saw him hold academic positions in the UK, Denmark and Australia.
He moved to Australia permanently in 1993.
Australian health minister Tanya Plibersek said the deaths were a “tragic loss for the health community, both in Australia and internationally”.
She said: “Professor Mooney was a fearless advocate for social justice, and in particular the role of citizen juries, leading debates on the importance of consumers in determining how their health resources are allocated.
“Described as ‘one of the founding fathers of health economics’, his research was driven by real world challenge and geared towards identifying practical solutions.
“He was an inspiring teacher and supervisor, which when coupled with his extensive publication record, will ensure his legacy persists.”
Australian media reports claimed Dr Weston’s son has been charged in connection with the deaths and is expected to appear in court in the New Year.
http://news.sky.com/story/1028938/gavin-mooney-british-economist-beaten-to-death
Skippy… sigh~
I hope “Generation Y” has the ability to see that the US was put on the road to ruin by LBJ and Nixon, and resolves to do something about it. But I’ll bet they don’t.
NRA:
Sen. Barbara Boxer:
Armed teachers, principals and first responders … or National Guard troops?
Is Barbara Boxer just Wayne LaPierre cross-dressing with a ratty wig?
Either way, we’re getting more ‘good guys with guns’ to watch over us, comrades!
i can’t believe the eek of posters denying Our Police State…
“In some records that were released by the air force recently … under their rules, they are allowed to fly drones in public areas and record information on domestic situations.”…The Coming Drone Attack on America
“At the same time, it is inevitable that we will see [increased] pressure to allow weaponized drones. The way that it will unfold is probably this: somebody will want to put a relatively ‘soft’ nonlethal weapon on a drone for crowd control. And then things will ratchet up from there.”
ladies & gentlemen, attach your 2nd amendment bayonet:-/
Just imagine the long prison sentences from attempting to interfere with these drones in the name of FREEEEEE-DUM.
I’d like to see someone give a sound explanation for all these glaring holes and inconsistencies in the “official story” of the Lanza brothers. Why have we just accepted it? Because it feels too uncomfy to ask the uncomfy questions?
http://www.sott.net/article/254873-Sandy-Hook-massacre-Official-story-spins-out-of-contr
http://www.sott.net/article/254925-Sandy-Hook-massacre-Evidence-of-official-foreknowledge
David Dayen is leaving FDL.
When I listened to his entire discussion with Sam Seder, Dayen made it clear that he feels he has no impact writing at FDL. To use his terms, the progressive blogosphere is no longer “vital” and has become an “adjunct” of the administration and the Democratic Party. Back in 2004, when he started writing (originally at Hullabaloo), progressive blogs tried to bring attention to important topics that no one else was covering. Now, important issues are being ignored by progressives.
Earlier in the interview, he talks about moving into “wide ranging analysis, that’s slower, that’s more deliberate, and more long-form”. He would be an excellent guest blogger for Naked Capitalism.
I also listened to the whole interview with Dayen.
He spoke of 2006-08 as a period where it seemed the progressive blogosphere had much influence.
He inferred that with Dem majorities in congress and the election of Obama quite a few of the progressive blogs self-neutered themselves and became adjuncts or instruments for the Dem power elites. I felt Dayen was thinking about Digby’s blog among others.
David Dayen’s work was eceptional.
Got a transcript for the Sam Seder show?
Sorry, no transcript. I typed up the quotes while listening to the audio.
When did Digby remove comments from Hullabaloo? I stopped reading her site regularly a few months after she brought on the execrable David Atkins. Back then, Hullabaloo had comments, and people often got into arguments with Atkins.
TPM got rid of user-written diaries awhile ago. ThinkProgress switched to Facebook comments, but it looks like they’ve now eliminated comments altogether. Progressive blogs are now soulless businesses with eyeballs to feed propaganda and sell to advertisers. Comments and user input don’t further these goals, so they are being either ignored or phased out.
Naked Capitalism is unique in that it still fosters a community, the writers pay attention to the comments, and the writers are principled and have integrity. In his conversation with Dayen, Seder said that the current split is between establishment and anti-establishment. Progressives have made their choice.
The netroots went from “crashing the gates” to becoming the gates. This is typical of “movements” when they gain power and become part of the “establishment.” The allegorical Animal Farm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_farm is really about human nature.
Since it is my nature to be somewhat anti-establishment (highly skeptical of all power and authority games) I had to drop out of the netroots and the so-called Progressive Movement back in 2008 once I realized where it was headed.
It won’t be long before one of these drones collides with a commercial jet and kills hundreds of people. Of course our pres will say that that is the “cost of freedom”.
sort of makes yellow snow of ‘either we fight them over there or over here’
“personal drones can do everything that military drones can, aside from blow up stuff. Although they technically aren’t supposed to be used commercially in the US (they also must stay below 400 feet, within visual line of sight, and away from populated areas and airports), the FAA is planning to officially allow commercial use starting in 2015.”
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/06/ff_drones/all/
“UAVs have been considered the domain of the military, because of the high price point,” says Peverill. “But there’s a lot of demand, now that prices have been coming down so rapidly.” His start-up plans to launch a campaign on the fund-raising website Kickstarter later this year, and begin delivering FocalPlanes in 2013.
Physical Sciences is aiming for a $300 price tag. “We are talking about inexpensive enough to be on a Walmart or a Brookstone shelf,”
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/10/20/drone-aircraft-adapted-from-military-uses-coming-skies-near-you/h1rQ29NYRYwh0o6AIeOqDN/story.html
Then, there will be a new association set up called the NDA short for National Drone Association. A Drone for every man, woman and child. Also covered will be a plan for armed drones that will monitor drones in schools that will cost billions, plus a number of drone related insurance schemes.
Right. It’s time to buy Drone stocks.
We could have drones watch the cops with guns in the schools!
Drones watching other drones droning drones.
BahahaHahahaA thanks, if i couldn’t laff…
With anthrax or sarin nerve gas a $300 personal drone is far more efficient than a AR-15
could be more fun too. imagine buying two for $600 and fastening each end of your pet black mamba to a drone and you and your buddy flying it into the girls locker room in between gym class at school! bet there will be some hallway action to catch on the iphone cam! worth at least a couple days of detention, methinks.
But what happens, after watching the latest installment of the “THE SAW” movie series, high on video game adrenaline from blasting baddies on “Call To Duty: Black OPS2”, deranged madmen or madwomen or whatever, trick out helicopters bought at Target for Christmas, and use them to crash into drones, that crash into nuclear power plants or oil refineries or something?? Unknown unknowns unknowably consequencing?
http://www.callofduty.com/blackops2/videos/surprise
You know, they never thought of what would happen when the rogue nations gets the drone and now, look at the future, as seen in Black OPS2…… oh well,
Gen Y Professionals
As a then associate in Biglaw said to me as early as in the mid 80’s
Its a Ponzi game
Driven by a value system of elitism and snobbery which grossly overpays for academic pedigree with no real experience in the actual practice of law resulting in billing rates that bear little relationship to the value of service provided to the client but hanging on until it becomes clear ain’t no way making partner
Pricing themselves out of the market resulting in the need to raid partners from each other or even perish the though from midlevel firms with control of clients and portable biz that will pay the obscene hourly rates
Result a lot of specialities many transactional practices are gone but many specialty regulatory litigation based survive i.e. get/stay outta jail/bet the company
As one said “we will defend you to your last dollar”
RE: The N.R.A.’s blockade on science…
JAMA Network/Silencing the Science on Gun Research (Free online)
Mark Ames
The gun control reform is going to wind up resembling Obama’s healthcare reform.
This article is right up Yves’ postings, hadn’t seen it posted yet.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/frankenfish-declared-harmless-fda-article-1.1225706
‘frankenfish’…i take personal offense
“Genetically engineered – or GE – animals are not clones, which the FDA has already said are safe to eat. Clones are copies of an animal. In GE animals, the DNA has been altered to produce a desirable trait.” desirable enough to consume?
Salmon are not the only fish species being modified. Acting FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford summarized the position in a speech given in March 2004:
“Less well known is that catfish and tilapia have been also genetically modified to grow faster and more efficiently than their non-transgenic counterparts. Rainbow trout has been engineered to increase its contents of omega 3 fatty acids, and shellfish is being modified to reduce its allergenicity and make it grow faster.”
The matter-of-fact, if not approving, tone of these comments is disturbing, as it comes from the head of the agency that is supposed to be regulating these technologies.
Other countries, including Canada, have moved much faster than the United States to ban or at least place a moratorium on the genetic modification of fish. Malcolm Grant, Chair of the UK Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission, points out that
“Once the fish has escaped, there’s virtually nothing that can be done to recall it… Genetic biotechnology has opened a new chapter in the relationship between man and animals. We must therefore prepare now for developments that may be many years away.”
hello, we’re there!
http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=386
They are trying to ratchet up the police state because of the mass political awakening taking place.
Drone state may be here, but it takes PATRIOTS to fly those drones and lock people up. If enough people know the truth, there won’t be enough drones to run the government.
I remember seeing a video on YouTube whereby Hillary Clinton was at some committee talking about how the government is losing the information war because of alternative media. A tacit admission right there that the MSM is poisoned.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyjnEm8DZkI
We had some inflammatory gun/armed guard/armed staff emails sent to our schools parents. Made me think…we are in a police state, in some Facebook discussions people were begging for armed guards in schools and other places to shuttle our children around in the same way armed guards shuttle wads of cash around in armored trucks.
They were begging for a police state. I don’t want my children at an early age to get used to seeing a police state. I don’t want them spending their days in what would look an awful lot like a prison.
I don’t want my kids getting used to spending time in a prison.
Were the parents also comparing notes on the bullet proof backpacks and armored school outfits that have been selling like hot cakes since last Friday?
In re your reference to the parents begging for militarized school shuttles. I can see the next wave of Brinks ads already: “Hundred dollar bill stacks and gold ingots: Extremely Valuable. Your childrenz — Priceless: Don’t they deserve at least the same protection and security as dollar bills and ingots? BRINKS TOTAL SECURITY SCHOOL SHUTTLE SERVICE. 1(800) KIDZ-SAFE.
Followed by Requests for Proposals from every school district in the United States, of course, issued under Dept. of Homeland Security “No Child Left Unsafe” school grants. Which of course will require raising taxes on the poor and middle class to pay for this mission-critical … mission.
They could contract with some of the private prison companies too. Razor wire around the schools. Extensive background checks on all parents before they’re kids are allowed to enroll. A great way to prepare kids for their future as unpaid prison labor.
Now *that* is a business plan worth a Wharton Business School MBA. Synergies of Scale, Integration (vertical, horizontal and diagonal), and Positive Aggregate Demand Functionality.
You nailed it. This is how the CCA Prison Industrial Complex can guarantee Growth to Shareholders(and CEO bonuses) and how School Districts can continue to be looted as feeders of this Great Growth Engine. But the School Districts are broke because they’re paying penalties to their Swaps Counterparties, where are they going to get the cash? Oh, silly me — the Debt Financial Complex will step right in and lend, lend, lend!
“I can hire one half of the working class to kill the other half.” – attributed to Jay Gould, ninth richest American in history.
The problem with history is not that it’s forgotten, it’s that it gets suppressed. This is a money quote that should be on the tip of every 99.9% tongue in the nation.
“The N.R.A.’s Blockade on Science”
Sounds like somebody is going to manufacture a scientific concensus on gun control.
Now that the election is over, Obama drops the pretense of caring what liberals think:
Of course, liberals are suckers by design. Any liberal who is skeptical about the establishment and effective at disrupting the corrupt system finds themselves marginalized by the liberal establishment.
Obama is such a liar. Calling himself an 80s “moderate republican.” In that case, Regan must have been a Wobbly.
I can’t say I ever thought I would read an article about siteswap on NC. The video is actually a good consise explanation of why siteswap is interesting, and jugglers do stumble across and try out new patterns all the time. Just this morning I saw video of someone doing 78181, which was new to me and very pretty. Unfortunately the stock photo of a clown with five balls posed in a perfect semicircle just above his head is the last thing I’d want people to associate with juggling, ugh.
Drone Clones :-/
http://videos.designworldonline.com/video/Air-Force-Bugbots
appreciate the nightmares rj
It’s a bird! It’s a plane!
No, It’s assassin Bugbot!
Be interesting to see if congress signs off on that budget – and it passes presidential veto.
They did do in Duke Leto Atreides with one of those.
Bet bee keeper attire catches on. Wonder if that screws up your golf game?
New York Stock Exchange sold to derivatives company in $8bn takeover
| Business | guardian.co.uk
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2012/dec/20/nyse-sold-8bn-intercontinentalexchange
forgive me if my search of NC’s main site and the links section failed to turn up a reference to this. I was looking for comments!
Figured it’s relevant that the derivatives tail has OFFICIALLY taken over the dog.
Yesterday I joined both the NRA and the ACLU.
Re guns:
1) There is this Constitution thing, that Olinik (for all his fine views on housing) seems to miss. And no, it wasn’t just re guns for militia use. Self defense was a real issue in those days, too. That was assumed.
2) If you live out in the sticks, or even in the leafy suburbs, the cops don’t show up fast. My home town is 20+ miles from the state police barracks. The odds of a resident state trooper (all there is) showing up in a relevant time frame, is ZIP.
3) There have recently been burglaries (during the night, when people are home asleep) in my sleepy CT hometown of 5,000 people. Sweet, being upstairs waiting for the burglar to come up and rape and kill you. And the burglar knowing that YOU can’t have a gun.
4) Since when has banning things worked in the U.S.? Drugs are banned, hahaha. You can get any drug you want anyway, easily. Our own government (Fast and Furious) was selling guns to Mexican drug dealers. Detroit has the strictest gun laws imaginable – how has that worked out? And BTW CT has very strict gun laws; some of the strictest in the country.
5) Is the government that flies the drones over your house, and detains citizens without trial, really the one that you want to disarm the population? Last time I checked, the big killer of humans, was governments. They kill in the millions and millions. But people are arguing that they want *the government* to take away the populace’s guns.
6) There are about 8,800 gun *murders* each year in the U.S.. Far more of the gun deaths are accidents and suicides. I know loads of people who have killed themselves, and only one used a gun; I would infer that a gun ban would not cure deep depression and reduce suicide rates. And accidents – well, check out the swimming pool stats. 8,800 in a population of 315 million is not a lot, and these are almost exclusively people who would not find Buddha if they had no gun. But anyway, they’ll manage to get a gun, I promise you. If they have to manufacture it themselves, which really isn’t that hard.
7) Re making gun owners pay the full costs to society of their ownership. Hmm. Wake me up when car owners, Monsanto, monster banks, frackers, the Octomom, disability cheats, overpaid corporate board members, hedge fund managers and the rest of the country’s leeches (who are not constitutionally protected) do so.
Disclosure: I have no gun. I grew up with guns around, and I’ve had gun training, but I don’t feel the need to own one. But that’s because, like Bloomberg and Obama, I live in a very sheltered setting, with cops everywhere guarding my liberal neighbors. But unlike Bloomberg and Obama, I realize that most people don’t have a professional defense force surrounding them. And unlike Bloomberg, I’m not into cops pepper-spraying and beating up protesting citizens.
Already a member of the ACLU, I also joined the NRA yesterday afternoon.
Nobody, I repeat nobody is talking about banning all guns. If you want to dissuade a burgler get a dog and a semi-automatic 12 gauge. The dog barking will send the scum to another address, so don’t keep the scatter gun loaded.
The “Panetta-Burns” article links to an Ezra Klein article on 10 factoids about Simpson-Bowles, many of which look productive and progressive to me.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/12/04/11-shocking-true-facts-about-simpson-bowles/
Knowledgeable commenters…please comment.
There is no doubt that the original Simpson-Bowles was much better than anything they speak of now.
Some things I disagree with is it still has the change to SS cost of living adjustments. Also would make tax exempt muni bonds disappear and interest cost go up for everyone. These are two areas I don’t think need to “share in the sacrifice”.
Plus I paid Clinton era taxes, Dad had a few years in the 60% tax bracket, and I think Bush tax rates should just expire period. Instead the focus now is to try and define rich people as those making a million A YEAR, and they are the only ones deserving of a tax rate somewhere in the realm of paying for our privilege of governance (and voting on the cost of these services).
Where did my post go? I commented on the excellent Ames article. Oh well.
Well, it’s not in the queues. You did select all and copy before pressing “Submit comment,” right? Given that the Internet is a hostile computing environment, that’s a useful habit to get into. It’s saved my bacon many times….
Ehh, it’s no loss. The article that I commented on was a hell of a lot better than anything I could write.
Untrue, Klassy!
You write excellently!
Ms. G, you’re always so nice, but my writing style may best be labeled “lumbering”. I can never get down exactly what I want to say.
But thanks, I enjoy having you here.
Did you read the article? It’s good.
The article is terrific. For a lot of reasons.
(I don’t think your writing is “lumbering” at all. But we all suffer from some inaccuracies when it comes to self-evaluations :) )
Interesting piece by Sanjay Sanghoee here on “Conscious Capitalism” via Huffpo today:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sanjay-sanghoee/conscious-capitalism_b_2281613.html?utm_hp_ref=business
Re Cat Food Watch.
With an exasperated sense of urgency, Cenk Uygur tries to alert Obamabot Progressives that yes, really-really-truly-and-for-real Obama does mean what he says when he says he will cut “entitlements.” Seems he is trying to capitalize on the strange phenomenon of shock that seemed to jolt the Great Tribe of Brainwasheds as they watched Obama nonchalantly offering a cut here and another cut there in the fake horse-trading that went on this past week.
Uygur pointedly writes that Obama is simply chomping at the bit to be lauded by the Establishment as the great “Post Partisan” President (“Post Partisan” = slime word that is about to return with vengeance) — the guy who finally slashed Social Security and the rest of the great programs (fully funded by us working people) that remain of the New Deal.
Is there just one cell of critical grey matter left in Uygur’s audience that just might light up and heed the call that “You shall know him by his works”?
http://www.alternet.org/tea-party-and-right/obama-will-ride-rescue-republicans
I do fall into hopeful wishfulness traps. Here’s a comment to Cenk’s article that balances out my reaction. And I agree with Clayton.
======
Clayton Forester
Cenk still thinks his little progressive clique can pressure President Drone’bama. How cute! It’s like finding a 40 year old man who still believes in Santa.
Are these pwoggie media buffons really this willfully ignorant? Is this the excuse for their lesser-evil stupidity? “Oh it’s our fault because we didn’t pressure him enough! Our bad!” Fuck you, Uygur. If YOU didn’t know what this corporate empty-suit was like after FOUR FUCKING YEARS of austerity, bailouts and drone warfare, then you’re just too fucking stupid to be telling other people how to vote every two years. Take your Republicrat Party and shove it up your media hole.
‘Cause if that’s your best, your best won’t do.
So here we have NC, a wonderful site which seems to be based on the premise that our system has been taken over by a more or less criminal elite made up of profoundly corrupt politicians, pshychopathic bankers, and regulators who love giant rubber Barbie dolls with real hair. And on this NC site is a list of interesting articles to read; a list provided daily and we assume much appreciated by the readers. But I find it odd that today we find in this list one article that is pro gun control, and then a little further down the list there’s another article which states in no uncertain terms that we have become a police state and that we should all start watching carefully for “weaponized drones” which might be following our proverbial Dodge Darts down the interstate. I suppose taking guns away from the citizens of a country which has become a police state is one possible option. But is it the best option? I’m not even sure George Orwell could figure this one out.
true…but a liveable conundrum thanks to NC an Crew
Perhaps we cannot raise the winds. But each of us can put up the sail, so that when the wind comes we can catch it.
~schumacher
What the hell does limiting ammo clips and rates of fire have to do with a gun ban – disarming?
First of all most common property theft (not personal harm) is a crime of opportunity, the victim created the opportunity by leaving valuables unsecured.
Seconed, drug users and economically disadvantaged people make smash and grabs for wallets – purses – car keys and cell pones left next to an unlocked door or window, no personal harm intended.
Thirdly, if someone is desperate or desensitized enough to move further into a dwelling to access – search for valuables, their more likely to flee, rather than fight, if not cornered. Nobody gets hurt.
Lastly, if someone or a group intend harm and have planed ahead with a reasonable amount of intelligence… its the equivalent to a near ambush, in military terms aka the odds are in their favor, good luck with that, because your gun[s won’t be able to help up anyway.
Skippy… One ring to rule them all fear thingy?
PS. People with guns make me – very – nervous. Hunting from age 9, alone at 11 and all the military’s shite. seen to much data and to much personal experience… Hell even well trained people and military personnel only have to drop the ball just once, only once… and there’s a cavity where none was before. The range of a bullet makes it indiscriminate… shezzz…. more ammo and high rate of fire multiply that effect…10xsq shezzz…. then you get people that pop… orders of exponential magnitude cubed.
What about everyone else rights? Second hand smoke… lmmao
You know, the man who has a gun, robs the train, but the man who has an MBA robs the entire social order. If anyone here at NC thinks that guns will be completely taken away, along with their owners to gulags and re-education centers, raise yr right hands. I didn’t think so. The police state resistance, if there is a conflict that is worth mentioning, is already going on in cyberspace. Stuxnet, anon, free spirit coders and algorithm anarchists can do more damage to the system, than all of the AR-15 toting tea party tri-corner hat wearing militias lined up from sea to shining sea.
A good virus will wipe the economy out for days and weeks. A couple of shootings, just more ammo sales for the gun shops. Maybe you should watch more violence filled movies, they can be quite educational. Bob Dylan and the Beat Poets may have transmitted radical ideas in the past, but today, it is on video games and movies. Take the last Bruce Willis “Die Hard” movie. Does anyone here know anything at all about the content? Bueller? Bueller? anyone????
It is about a crazed terrorist who uses code to crash all of the internet controlled utilities, including traffic control in the streets and the skies. It’s called a fire sale, cause everything has got to go! Older folks would call is cyberwar, like the stuxnet attack against Iran. And of course, there is no shooting range that charges dues and no ammo to buy and you have to be somewhat intelligent to fire up these malicious viruses. But, just about everyone at NC knows that. So, there is no real inherent contradiction about sane people who demand the dangerous proliferation of guns be curbed. I mean, if I am fighting off the police state, I only have 2 hands, what am I supposed to do with 15 handguns and 10 rifles anyway. At some point, the unlimited guns rights arguments just show their age and how they don’t realize that the world has changed and they are nothing more than nostalgia hucksters who make a buck selling guns and ammo, and have no more political significance than a used car salesman.
“Benevolent sexism regards (women) as objects of adoration and affection, but also fragile and needy of chivalrous treatment.”
We’re all fragile to some extent. It’s a human trait. So why is it sexist to be aware of a loved one’s fragility, male or female? And to adore your mate is sexist? To “love them deeply” and “worship them as divine” is a bad thing? To show them affection is sexist? To have “tender feelings” and “fondness” for your mate is bad? Holy Moley! And I’ll tell you what, no matter what anyone says we are objects – we exist in space and time as seperate entities, but of course we’re subjects too. Chivalrous behavior is sexist? “Honoring” and “being courteous” to your mate is sexist and therefore bad? I guess if you’re a marriage counselor making $250 an hour selling this brand of rancid tripe to unfortunate young couples who make the mistake of knocking on your door it could be one hell of an income booster – “keep’um comin’ back” so to speak.
here here to the fragility of our vulnerabilities
allow me to share a favorite ‘sniffle’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oruxeiA06_4
(i dig your writing style)
tomorrow i’ll cringe at my ‘vulnerable’ post, but nevertheless gratified from the electric wordsmiths this site accumulates(klassy included!)
‘do not go gentle into that good nite…’
Boy, I sure hope those two seals who joined the polar bears on the endangered species list are a boy seal and a girl seal.
Greetings! I’ve been reading your weblog for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from California. Just wanted to tell you keep up the great work!