As you can see, after a few fits-and-starts, “walls of the city” appears to be fully functional again. Yes, the theme is going to change over the coming days/weeks, but it will settle back down again.
Unfortunately, those RewriteRules I thought would fix everything, in fact, did not, and actually broke a lot of things when I tried to implement them. However, a hearty thanks goes out to Standard Mischief for suggesting the “Redirect permanent” concept, which appears to be working for the old feed addresses.
So after dorking around with WordPress over the past 48 hours, the decision has been made.
Movable Type loses.
This is the second and possibly the third time that MT has released a non-beta version of their software with damned-near no support for it (most of the online documentation still refers to a 4.xx version), and I am simply tired of it. It might seem as though the commenting submission delay was something of an inconsequential item to get my hackles up over, but believe me when I say that this is the culmination of four years of fighting with, arguing with, and trying to fix my MT installation.
Consider the camel’s back broken.
So as of this post, comments and trackbacks to this webpage have been suspended, and no further posting will take place until the conversion has been completed. All backups have been made (I hope), and the WordPress installation will be operational as soon as I can get everything happy and working again. The theme may be completely wrong, and there may be things missing from various pages, but over the next few days, I should be able to put everything back more-or-less where I found it, and we will progress into version 3.0 of “walls of the city”.
A few quick notes. First, RSS and Atom feed addresses are currently http://www.wallsofthecity.net/rss.xml and http://www.wallsofthecity.net/atom.xml, respectively. Those syndication addresses will be changing to http://www.wallsofthecity.net/feed/ and http://www.wallsofthecity.net/feed/atom/. There will be a “fix”, of sorts, discussed later in the post, but please update your RSS/Atom readers and bookmarks appropriately.
Second, category archives will be packing up their bags and moving as well – their addresses were http://www.wallsofthecity.net/category_name_here/, and they will be changing to http://www.wallsofthecity.net/category/category_name_here/. For the vast majority of you, that will not make a difference, but I am simply being thorough.
Third, Movable Type uses underscores (“_”) to take the place of spaces in post hyperlinks, while WordPress uses hyphens (“-”). After exporting all of the posts and comments from Movable Type and importing them into WordPress, I will be running a SQL query that will replace all of the hyphens WP automatically adds to the addresses with underscores. However, I might miss one or two, due to strange circumstances – if a direct link fails, check your underscores/hyphens. Future posts will use hyphens.
Fourth, current direct links to comments in posts previous to the next one will no longer work, at all. There is no fix for this, and I apologize for that.
So, the fix for the feeds? I am going to be delving into the RewriteEngine available in .htaccess files onboard Apache webservers (like mine), and including the following code:
Now, if my understanding of this particuliar aspect of voodoo is accurate, those middle two lines should redirect browsers and other users from the old RSS/Atom files to the new quasi-folders where the feeds currently reside, and the last line (when replicated the sufficient number of times for all categories on the webpage) should redirect from one folder to another, whether someone accesses the folder directly or a file within it. Of course, I could be wrong – I was relying extensively on thesevarioussources of information (rather than actual experience or training with the RewriteEngine), so if anyone sees any errors in that code, please point them out (in an email to “linoge (at) wallsofthecity (dot) net”, since comments will be deactivated). Likewise, I make no guarantees that this RewriteEngine script will work with anything other than web-browsers, so especially for those of you who use desktop RSS readers/aggregators, please update your RSS/Atom links.
Bleh. I hate moving.
I will put up another post at the end of all of this letting you all know that we made it intact. Wish me luck?
I do not typically include YouTube videos directly on this webpage, simply because I can still remember the days of having a connection too slow to load them, and having entire webpages hang (in fact, I remember those days quite well, due to the overcharging hacks at Comcast), but this one is simply too masterful to pass up:
Too Late to Apologize is a break from our regular work creating ready-to-use collections of online assignments. These online assignments are designed to bring web resources to the classroom; we help customize them and provide support so that professors can use these great tools while focusing on teaching.
If all of their products are as outstanding as this particular one, there might be hope for the American education system after all…
(Courtesy of Politics, Guns, and Beer and Traction Control.)
My name is [Linoge], and I have a small confession to make: despite serving in the US Navy for four years, I do not drink coffee. In fact, I do not even like coffee. However, even speaking as a non-coffee drinker, I wanted to write today and thank you for standing up for the rights of American citizens.
I understand that you have recently come under fire for allowing law-abiding citizens to carry firearms into your various establishments around the country (but specifically in California), and speaking as one of those citizens who routinely carries a firearm throughout my daily life, I am sincerely grateful that you have ignored the bullying tactics of those who have no respect for individual rights or personal safety. I hope you understand that, despite the prospect of petitions being drawn up against you, your pro-rights stance has created significant amounts of good will and positive press – after all, supporting rights is never the wrong position to take.
I wish I could promise to support you more in exchange for your decision to support Americans’ rights, but coffee just never grew on me… sorry. However, I do thank you once again, and sincerely hope you continue to stand by the rights all Americans have to keep themselves and their families safe by allowing those who so desire to bring their lawfully-carried firearms into your establishments.
“Starbucks does not have a corporate policy regarding customers and weapons; we defer to federal, state and local laws and regulations regarding this issue,” Starbucks’ customer relations department said in response to the Brady Campaign’s request.
Woot.
You can read more about the Brady Bunch’s idiocy towards Starbucks here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and countless other places.
Oh, and for any media representatives who might, somehow, be reading this post, please, for the love of all that is holy and good, learn the difference between “magazines” and “clips” – if you open carry in California, you have to have the loaded magazine removed from the firearm. If the firearm is using a “clip” (other than some variant of a moon clip), it is probably not categorized as a “handgun” [ETA] (and if they are handguns, they are probably antiques, and should be treated and handled accordingly) [/ETA].
So after futzing around with the WordPress incarnation of “walls of the city”, I have to admit that I am seriously cosidering abandoning MovableType alltogether.
Ever since MT moved up to 3.0, and started seriously pushing for pay-to-use subscribers and users (in an attempt to cater to the corporate/big-scale/big-name/big-traffic/etc. weblogs out there), support and attention for us little free users has been… well… non-existant. I guess I cannot complain too terribly much, considering that I am paying nothing for a finished and still developed product, but if you are going to offer that product for free, I would at least expect it to work.
Yes, the 5+ minute delay in pressing the “Submit” button for comments is definitely something new and different for 5.01, but I am not sure if you all have noticed, but commenting with 4.3X was also somewhat time-consuming as well. It was not on the same scale, no, but comments routinely took up to 30 seconds to show up, oftentimes inducing people to press the “Submit” button more than once, thinking their original had not gone through. I had tolerated it for the time, but, looking back, that is simply not acceptable. Likewise, publishing times increased incrementally with each new version, SQL database load increased with each new version, serverside storage demands increased with each new version, the number of background files to install and keep up with increased with each new version… the list goes on and on.
This is not a good progression.
But, on the flip side, abandoning the system I have learned and used over the past four years is not exactly ideal either. At this point, I would be more than willing to hear out any suggestions you, my readers, might have. I am definitely leaning towards moving to WP, if only because I hate things that just do not work (and secondarily because of the growing malaise I have been feeling towards MT), but there might be a way to salvage things yet – a good start would be MT responding to my bug report, or my MT forum post concerning their craptucular comment bug (though, to be fair, a fellow MT user responded to my forum comment). Pros:
- Significantly larger, and significantly more active userbase.
- Wider acceptance, wider support, and wider plugins.
- Comments actually work, and take no longer to load than any other button-press.
- Previous data is retained.
- Static “Pages” actually work (something I could never get to function right in MT).
- Comment threading.
- Built-in pagination on the main page, archives, comments, everything.
- Internal blogrolling.
- PHP-based as opposed to PHP/CGI/Perl, which seems to be something my webserver prefers.
- Significantly slicker interface.
- Significantly less coding to maintain and use.
- Email-based posting (something wizardpc wanted).
- Upgrade of base code and installation of plugins significantly easier.
- Smaller SQL footprint (with the same 2500+ comments in both, the MT database is 25+ MB, while the WP database is 550+ KB – no comparison at all).
- Dynamic rebuilding of every page, each time it is requested – no more site-wide “rebuilding” taking more than half-an-hour at a pop, and any time you make a chance, you can see it immediately.
- PHP is actually understandable, while Perl is just freakish. Cons:
- Some work is necessary to maintain MT archive formatting over WP archive formatting, otherwise links will get broken, and Google-fu will fail (for example, WP uses hyphens to take the place of spaces in entry links, while MT uses underscores).
- Some links will still be broken – just the way it is – which sucks from both an internal and external point of view.
- Data backup appears to work flawlessly, but double-line-breaks do not. Wierd, and unfortunately results in nasty blocks-o’-text.
- We are going to lose the current theme – MT themes are *full* of MT-specific tags, and I am just too lazy to translate it over. I will, of course, change the theme of the WP incarnation of “walls of the city” to meet my tastes, but it will probably never look like this one.
- Things are going to be rough for the next month, at least.
- There are probably others, but I am not coming up with them at the moment.
If you are in my generation, and you honestly believe you are going to see a penny of the money stolen from you to fuel the ponzi-scheme-known-as-”Social-Security”, I have an intercontinental bridge out in Wyoming I would like to sell you:
No one has officially announced that Social Security will be cash-negative this year. But you can figure it out for yourself, as I did, by comparing two numbers in the recent federal budget update that the nonpartisan CBO issued last week.
The first number is $120 billion, the interest that Social Security will earn on its trust fund in fiscal 2010 (see page 74 of the CBO report). The second is $92 billion, the overall Social Security surplus for fiscal 2010 (see page 116).
This means that without the interest income, Social Security will be $28 billion in the hole this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
[...]
But this year’s Social Security cash shortfall is a watershed event. Until this year, Social Security was a problem for the future. Now it’s a problem for the present.
But all we have to do is have faith, and this will all work out. Right? Right?
(Courtesy of Taxing Tennessee.)
A WordPress version of “walls of the city” is currently hot-and-fresh over at its new home. Feel free to poke, prod, and try to break it, but be aware that anything you do there will be deleted if I decide to convert to WordPress… or even if I decide not to. If you want a comment to last, still post it here.
The only downside of the MovableType-to-WordPress conversion seems to have been that all of my double-line-breaks were lost either in the exporting of the posts and comments from MT, or the importing of them into WP. Not sure why, but if that system works, and this one does not (which it does not), then I think I can live with the compressed posts (they will only be in the past, after all).
The theme is just a standard one I applied and have not edited because I am lazy… if I go the WP route, I will be editing and adjusting it according to my own tastes, no worries.
And, yes, I have submitted the commenting delay to both the MT bug-tracker system, and the MT forums – no response on either, yet. I am not going to make any decisions until after the weekend to allow MT employees a chance to respond, so deal with me until then, and then I guess we will just see.
I am a bit behind the curve on this one, but for those reactionary nitwits out there who are getting their panties in a twist over the NRA getting some time in front of the Supreme Court for the McDonald case, allow me to say two things.
First, yes, it was a grasp at relevance for the NRA, and a dive for the limelight they so thoroughly desire… and need.
Second, it turns out that both Alan Gura and the NRA are both arguing for the same thing, but from almost entirely different, yet complimentary, directions. Only a misguided fool would view that as a bad thing.
So just sit your hot-and-bothered asses back down, and let us see where this rabbit hole goes. Seems to me, “divide and conquer” has worked pretty well in the past…
It would appear as though the upgrade to Movable Type 5.0 went off more-or-less successfully… with a few problems that I need to discuss with (and apologize for to) my co-authors.
Comments, however, appear to be a momentary problem… It takes a while for the comment page to refresh after pressing the “Submit” button, but please bear with us. I am investigating it, and will see what I can do to correct it. Update: Comments are well and truly borked. I have no idea why. However, when you push the “Submit” button, the comment does make it – please do not push the button more than once. Just fill out the form, push the button, wait about five seconds, and then click the link at the top of the page, or any other link you want – the comment made it, Movable Type is just being a pain in my ass.
So… how hard is it to move to WordPress?
This webpage will be upgrading to Movable Type 5.0 over the course of the next few hours. If something is broken in those next few hours, I did it. Likewise, static pages will be available throughout the upgrade process, but anything dynamic (commenting, searching, posting, etc.) may or may not work right. Oh, and to make things even better, I will be rewiring the base structure of the weblog too – apparently I have been doing some Very Naughty Things (TM) with where my *.cgi files are located, and I am going to try to correct that this time around; so, in short, things could get very rough for the forseeable future.
But that is all happening today. If something is broken tomorrow, my computer is probably broken as well… after my foot went places it probably should not have…
He introduces, sponsors, or votes for the “Ice Cream Truck Worker Registration Act.”
You know, because making it harder to get a low-paying, menial job is a good thing in this economy. Mosey on over to that link and just read the bill. It’s ridiculous. I’m sure they’ll tout it as “For the children.”
Yesterday, I wrote about a particularly eggregious example of anti-open-carry bigotry, coming from within the ranks of firearm owners ourselves. I think I did a fairly decent job showing how the arguments put forward by that particular anti-open-carry individual surprisingly and disappointingly mirrored the fallacious, specious, and entirely-emotion-based arguments fielded by anti-firearms-in-general individuals.
What I did not do was describe my reaction to those arguments. To begin with, I was disappointed that this individual, invariably lumped together with other gun-owning Americans as the Brady Bunch indiscriminantly uses nearly the exact same arguments against the entire demographic, would then turn around and employ the same exact tactics. One would think that a victim of those fallacious screeds would know better than to utilize them himself.
Next, I was frustrated that this individual honestly seemed to believe that, “I do not like it, so you should not do it,” was a valid argument, worthy of merit, belief, and weight. It is not.
Finally, I was disgusted… yes, disgusted, because that individual, writing on a supposedly pro-firearm Tennessee forum, is not as far removed from this individual as he might think:
There’s a legal and very practical way to deal with open carry gun advocates that will get rid of some bad genes in CA. Tell the open carry gun advocates you dare them to come to your house with their guns. If they are stupid enough to come into your house with their guns get your loaded gun out and blow them away. Not a court in CA will convict you of any crime. This falls under the use of force (lethal) laws in CA. Whether the gun carrier guns are loaded or not you cannot tell and you have the lethal legal right to protect yourself here. This would be a good way to get rid of these mentally challenged people and will contribute to making the gene pool better in CA. Most of these gun carry advocates are already pretty close to getting a 1st place Darwin award. Help make sure that they do get it.
Just so everyone is clear, this individual, who writes under the psuedonym of “rectifier”, is advocating the premediated, cold-blooded murder of American citizens, with malice aforethought, after first laying in wait for those citizens, and enticing them into a trap. Additionally, he is potentially conspiring with other like-minded folks to perpetuate this entrap-and-murder scheme. Why? Because those American citizens dare to exercise their Constitutionally-protected rights. (Those looking to follow the above link will probably be unsurprised that the San Francisco Chronicle decided to pull “rectifier”’s comment – somehow, proposing and supporting the murder of law-abiding citizens actually violates the SFGate’s user agreement. Go figure.)
To be certain, the forum member from yesterday was only using specious emotional arguments in order to try and limit your lawfully carrying a firearm, while “rectifier” is advocating cold-blooded, premeditated murder, but in the end, they are both seeking to accomplish the same thing: control over your life, and limiting your rights.
The only difference is the extent to which they are willing to go to achieve their goals.
So while certain individuals are actively and maliciously plotting how to entrap and murder people simply for exercising their rights, those of us who would dare to exercise our rights also have to be mindful of supposed-allies looking for any chance to stab us in the back, using the same tactics that the anti-rights advocates use against firearm owners in general. So, yes, “disgust” is an appropriate word to describe some of the feelings I have towards the forum member I wrote about yesterday.
Make no mistake – if you do not want to open carry, I am not going to force you to, or even encourage you to. If you do not want to carry at all, I am not going to force you to – though if you do not mind and are so willing, I would like to chat with you about that decision. If you have specific, factual, realistic concerns regarding open carry, complete with studies and/or historical examples and/or statistics to support those concerns, feel free to express them – Lord knows sharing information is almost invariably a good thing. But if the best you can bring to the table is baseless predictions of doom and gloom, emotional pleas, and “I do not like it”, I will kindly invite you to piss right the frak off, and let the adults speak – you sound just like those wankers who foresaw the end of the world due to letting women vote.
With enemies like “rectifier” there, we sure as hell do not need friends you
(Courtesy of Joe Huffman.)
What should you do if you are attacked by really short zombies?
Why, break out the minifigs, of course!
I do worry about the spent brass casings from that minigun obstructing the view of the driver in that van, though…
I understand why the Walther P99 and the Smith & Wesson SW99 look the same – they basically are, and the latter was produced as a joint collaboration between the two companies. That, I get.
What I do not understand is where this Magnum Research knock-off came from. Looking at the teensy-assed pictures Magnum Research provides, the only significant differences are the name on the slide, the slide profile on the rear half, the slide serrations, the rail notches, and the grip pattern… it has the same trigger-guard magazine-release switch, the same slide release, the same grip profile, the same take-down button… Huh.
I certainly hope some royalty cheques are floating around.
Of course, I just happen to own a Magnum Research Baby Eagle (of the non-”fast-action” variety), which is effectively a Ceská zbrojovka design, fabricated by Tanfoglio, assembled by Israel Weapon Industries (once a part of the Israel Military Industries, and my Baby Eagle is actually branded IMI), and imported by MR, so I guess I should not be complaining too loudly.
Knoxville is still ironing out the details of allowing urban residents to raise chickens within city limits, and knowing the kinds of diseases that untended chickens can spread, I am not so sure about the idea myself, but I almost, kind of, want one of these. It mows the lawn, and it produces eggs… definitely not seeing a downside.
(Courtesy of Uncrate.)
How many times have you heard or read something like this leaving the mouth or fingers of a supporter of Our Glorious President:
Lack of faith, lack of faith is the only thing we got to fear! If we have faith in the plans of our leaders, why, the plans will work, and we’ll all have prosperity and ease and plenty. It’s the fellows who go around doubting and destroying our morale, it’s they who’re keeping us in shortages and misery. But we’re not going to let them do it much longer, we’re here to protect the people – and if any of those doubting smarties come around, believe you me, we’ll take care of them!
How many times have you heard comments like that from the sycophantic fools like Markadelphia? From deranged DailyKos commenters? From the brook-no-opposition members of the Democratic Underground? From the frothing-at-the-mouth and failed Air America? From the borderline-lunatics at FireDogLake? From all of the other bastions of rampant “liberalism” throughout America?
How many times?
Oh, to be certain, very few of those TRUE BELIEVERS have the nerve to vocalize the last sentence of the above quote, but it still hangs out there, an unspoken threat to any and all who would disagree with them. “All you need to do to make this all work out is to simply have faith in those who are trying to help you, and if you do not… well… you are just making things worse, are you not?” Pathetic.
So do you want to know the funny thing? That above blockquote was first written 53 years ago… it is almost like the looters are reading from a script, is it not?
I knew there was a reason I loved Sluggy.
Supposedly, from the rumors floating around the cortex, the deleted scenes from the Blu-Ray/DVD release of Avatar will only further substantiate Pete Abrams’ point… *shudders*
Out of all of the Facebook-using residents of Tennessee, it would appear as though there are only just-shy-of 3,000 who are interested in removing the plague of revenue… er… “red light” cameras from our state.
Now, knowing how much of a justifiably-hot-button issue this has been in multiple states around the country over the past few years, I know that number cannot be anywhere near accurate, so if you happen to have a Facebook account of your own and you happen to be living in Tennessee, take a gander over at the above-linked group, and see if you want to join up.
Likewise, if you are interested in some more information concerning the individual making the push against red light cameras in Tennessee, head over to his site, The Show, where you can see State Representative Tony Shipley’s yet-unanswered questions to the Tennessee state Attorney General concerning revenue cameras, and other information potentially of interest to those engaged in Tennessee politics.
Finally, if you are interested in avoiding the due-process-free red light cameras, Trapster has you covered – it can even generate directions for your next road trip with red light cameras, speed cameras, and speed traps clearly marked for your convenience.
Make no mistake – I do not endorse excessive speeding, nor do I support running red lights and endangering other motorists. However, neither do I support using fear to rationalize making up for a government’s lack of a balanced budget by flagrantly fining residents, neither do I condone systems that have actually increased accidents at intersections, neither do I endorse pointless fines that do nothing to discourage offenders and only exist to generate revenue, and neither do I agree with automated systems with next-to-no oversight, control, or recourse.
These cameras’ existences are a direct affront to the very nature of the Sixth Amendment (and anti-rights advocates claim we only care about the Second), and should not be tolerated… and it is well past time to let our duly-elected representatives understand that.
So head on over to the Facebook group and offer your encouragement, or hit up the organizer directly and pledge your support, or the support of your organization – “walls of the city” may not be much of a weblog, but we are certainly onboard.
Dragonball: Evolution: In all honesty, I only watched this movie because of James Marster’s (of Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Smallville fame) role as “Piccolo”, however, if the movie had managed to take itself just a little less seriously, it honestly would not have been all that bad… so long as you go into it with the understanding that it is loosely based upon a horribly overwrought Japanese anime…
This is tied in to another thing I often read on the internet “You carry a gun to the (grocery store/restaurant/nice neighborhood/sewing circle/whatever)?” No, I don’t. As Kathy Jackson phrased it so well, I don’t carry a gun “to” anyplace; I just carry a gun. I put the gun on in the morning with no more emotional freighting or special foresight than my shoes. In fact, probably less, because I may wear different shoes, but I always carry the same gun.
Truth.
For those of us who have made the choice to take the steps necessary to defend our families and ourselves, wearing a firearm is no different than putting on our watches in the morning – something to do, something to be mindful of, and something to use if we have to, but hardly a big deal.
As if there was any doubt, but Lucy Lawless (of Xena and Battlestar Galactica fame) definitely still has it (previous link is decidedly not safe for work).
The somewhat disturbing thought is that she just broke 50 40 a few years back. *twitch* In other news, who knew that Spartacus was being remade… into a not-quite-but-damned-close-porno (but a supposedly-historically-accurate porno, at least according to Starz…)?
I have made a relatively big deal of exposing the bigotry of anti-rights advocates at this webpage (a project that was inspired by Joe Huffman’s attempts to do the same), but I would be lying to say that supposed pro-rights activists are free of this baser intellectual shortcoming themselves.
The following blockquotes are from a single post on a thread regarding open carry in a forum I read and keep up with. All of these statements were written by the same author, and I omitted very little of the original post – a post wherein the author made it very clear that he is against open carry in almost all circumstances, simply because he disagrees with the concept. After each blockquote will be statements I do not at all support, but do sound very similar to what the post author said.
I have watched OC people walking around in public armed and for the most part, it seems they revel in making people around them uncomfortable.
“I have watched shooters at ranges blowing holes in person-shaped targets, and it seems they revel in the ability to kill people from a distance.”
Just because the law says you can really does not validate this. Ego is a much more realistic reason.
“Just because the law says you can own a gun really does not validate this. Ego is a much more realistic reason.”
There are places where OC is acceptable. Out in the field, on your land working, hunting, on the range, part of your job duties as an armed guard … even riding in a vehicle are some examples that have legitimacy.
“There are places where owning a gun is acceptable. Out in the country, farmers, people who have high-risk professions, police officers… even people who have known and documented threats against their lives are some examples that have legitimacy.”
The need to go out in public and feed the perception that one is armed and dangerous … don’t mess with me is a state of mind that needs to be questioned.
“The need to own a gun and feed the perception that Americans are armed and dangerous… anyone who would do such a thing needs to be willing to submit to a psychological test.”
As I mentioned in the second paragraph above, I do not agree with any of those statements in quotes and italics – they are there only to serve as an example of how this individual’s bigotry is not tremendously different than the bigotry exposed by anti-rights advocates like the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence Ownership, MikeB302000, Laci the Bitch Dog, and others, on a daily basis. Likewise, many of those italicized comments could have gone entirely different directions, and still been valid – for example: “Just because the law says you can own a gun really does not validate this. Compensating for physical deficiencies below the belt-line is a much more realistic reason.”
One would think that individuals who have been on the receiving end of anti-rights advocates’ bigotry would then learn not to pass on that bigotry to other people who are on the same nominal side as them, but apparently we have as much work to do within our own ranks as we do with those who are obviously against us. As I mentioned before, it is a wonder we have made it this far, really, with supposed “friends” like the one who wrote the above blockquotes.
I would need an additional case to wrap around these cases, but good Lord I want one. Feel free to drop their fabricator, Ratliff Custom Cases, a line at 304.534.0710 or “gratliff20 (at) yahoo (dot) com” if you are interested, and have some (probably copious) coin to spare.
Hm. I wonder if he would cut me a deal if I generated up a web presence for him…
Alright, it is time to finally admit it.
I am officially embarrassed to have my country – the country I love, the country to which I gave four years of my life – represented by this halfwitted moron:
I can almost forgive Our Glorious President for bowing to the Emperor of Japan – almost, but I am not going to. Yes, it is appropriate in Japanese culture for common men to bow to the Emperor, but as American citizens, we are not common men. Americans bow to no one. America bows to no one. We gave up that pointless tradition when we overthrew the monarchs who tried to rule us without any regard or respect for our wishes or representation, and we have bolstered that denial of monarchial stupidity every time we beat the figurative arse of kings, emperors, dictators, and despots who get out of line.
And yet, the President of the United States of America, the highest elected position in our country, the figurative “Leader of the Free World”, and probably the most powerful man in the world – Our Glorious President – feels the need to bow to the emperor of a country we once demolished. Through that bow, President Barack Hussein Obama expressed subservience to the Emperor – he openly and publicly admitted that the Emperor is his superior.
Does anyone see a problem with that?
And here we are, not even three months later, and the President of the United States of America, supposed-leader of over three hundred million American citizens, Commander in Chief of the most powerful military in the world, alleged “Leader of the Free World”, highest elected individual in the country, is bowing to the gorramed mayor of a city of of not-even 400,000 residents.
Holy flying crap on a crutch.
Even if I were to delve into the very colorful and expressive language I picked up in my four years of military service, I would not be able to adequately express my amazement, my embarrassment, and my shock at the sight of the most powerful man in the world bowing to a mayor.
Then again, once you dispense with the frivolities of rank, she probably is his superior.
(Courtesy of A Trainwreck in Maxwell, who successfully spiked my blood pressure for today.)
Just once, I would like to have a day off where I either did not feel like crap, or was not running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
Looks like this is going to be one of the former. Oh, and, yes, we did just visit our two-year-old niece… *sigh* At least I am the only one showing symptoms, which include 100-101deg fever, chills, body aches, sore throat, headache, and so forth. Getting kind of tired of this, really…
You are going to need to set aside an hour or two (I tended towards the latter) to work your way through Kevin’s latest super-uber-post, but believe me when I say that it is 100% worth it… and not just because he quoted the best line out of the Firefly ‘verse at the end.
Anything I would say has already been addressed by Kevin and the copious quantities of quotes he uses to back up his posts (and I thought my brain free-wheeled for random-assed connections sometimes), so I am simply going to leave it at this: *points* “What he said.”
Go. Read. Now. Because while Kevin recently said that we live in the presence of greatness, I think he is doing himself a significant disservice by not including himself in that category.
From a TFA-LAC email alert. (If you’d like to sign up, click here) Some of these we’ve already talked about, some we haven’t.
If a bill has been “Taken Off Notice” that generally means it died because the sponsor pulled it. Remember that these are for the session, which started last year. Note the several guns in restaurants bills.
SB 0576*
HB 1807
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handgun permit holders to carry guns where alcohol served. Allows any individual who has a permit to carry a handgun to carry the gun into a location where alcohol is served for consumption on premises provided the individual is not consuming alcohol or is not otherwise prohibited by posting provisions.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1305
Senate Status: Taken off notice in Senate Judiciary Firearms & Ammunitions Subcommittee 03/18/2009.
House Status: House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee deferred to 02/17/2010.
SB 0723*
HB 1645
(Full Text)EDUCATION: School district police force for Memphis City schools. Allows the Memphis City School System to establish and operate a school district police force.
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee deferred to 02/10/2010.
SB 0724
HB 0517*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Requires expunction of certain criminal records. Requires expunction of criminal records when 15 years has elapsed and the individual has not committed any major crime since and when the original crime was not a Class A or Class B felony or certain Class C felonies such as sexual offenses.
Judicial Council comment: Judicial Council adopted and released to full committee with additional remark that ban offender’s history of criminal convictions is a crucial part of Tennessee’s sentencing structure, and allowing offenders to expunge those records will deprive the courts of the opportunity to fulfill their statutorily-mandated obligation to consider those convictions when sentencing an offender who commits a subsequent offense. The Council also stated that data regarding criminal convictions is often purchased by third parties who may then transfer the data to other persons/entities, and it will be impossible for state agencies to retrieve this data for removal/destruction. Finally, the Council observed that the sponsor may wish to consider amending the existing statutory language which requires the removal and destruction of “all public records of a person.” This language should be narrowed to include only the records of the offense at issue. As written, the language could be interpreted as requiring the destruction of records for other criminal offenses, as well as “public records” such as birth certificates and driver licenses.
TCA Secs. 40-32-0000; 40-32-0101
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: Set for House Judiciary Criminal Practice & Procedure Subcommittee 02/03/2010.
Other Status: Tennessee Judicial Council reviewed 03/26/2009 with comment.
SB 1568*
HB 1514
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Felony for unauthorized publication of permit information. Makes confidential all information contained in handgun carry permit applications and renewals, information provided to agencies to investigate applicants, and records maintained relative to such applications. Creates a Class E felony punishable by mandatory fine only of $2,500 for any person to knowingly publish any such information, specifying that the court shall also order restitution to the victim in an amount equal or lesser of any damage resulting or $1,000.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1351
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: Withdrawn in House 01/27/2010.
SB 1615*
HB 1801
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handgun carry permits. Provides that “handgun carry permit” may be used interchangeably with “weapon carry permit” where applicable in existing Tennessee law concerning carry permits.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1351
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee deferred to 02/17/2010.
SB 1619*
HB 1805
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Carrying a firearm in any public park. Excludes holder of handgun carry permit from prohibition against carrying a firearm in any public park, playground, civic center, or other public recreational area or facility.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1311; 39-17-1359
Senate Status: Taken off notice in Senate Judiciary Firearms & Ammunitions Subcommittee 03/18/2009.
House Status: House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee deferred to 02/17/2010.
SB 1620*
HB 1808
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Gun permit holder change of address. Extends the time that a permit holder has to notify the department of safety that the permit holder’s address has changed from 60 days to 90 days.
TCA Secs. 39-17-0000; 39-17-1357
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee deferred to 02/17/2010.
SB 1621*
HB 1809
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Rules concerning weapons subject to review. Specifies that the rules concerning weapons are to be subject to review by the house and senate government operations committees.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1355
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee deferred to 02/17/2010.
SB 1622*
HB 1806
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Carrying handgun on school grounds with permit – in vehicle. Authorizes a non-student adult who has a handgun carry permit to carry a firearm if the firearm is contained within a private vehicle and is not handled by the adult, or by any other person acting with the expressed or implied consent of the adult, while the vehicle is on school property.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1309
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee deferred to 02/17/2010.
SB 1744
HB 1129*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Crime Free School Zone Act. Enacts the “Crime Free School Zone Act.” Provides increased criminal penalties for specified offenses occurring on school grounds or within 1000 feet of a school, public library, recreational center or park. Offenses include drug and sexual offenses, felonies involving deadly weapons and carjacking.
TCA Secs. 39-00-0000; 39-17-0432; 40-00-0000; 40-35-0100; 49-00-0000
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee deferred to 02/17/2010.
SB 1802
HB 0747*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handgun carry permit holders – hunting, wildlife areas. Allows a person with a handgun carry permit to posses a handgun the entire year while on public hunting and wildlife management areas but prohibits a person to use a handgun to hunt.
TCA Secs. 70-00-0000; 70-04-0117; 70-05-0101
Senate Status: Taken off notice in Senate Environment, Conservation & Tourism 03/03/2009.
House Status: Withdrawn in House 01/25/2010.
SB 2096
HB 2115*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handguns in restaurants. Allows a person to possess a firearm within the confines of a building open to the public where liquor, wine or other alcoholic beverages, or beer are served for on premises consumption if the person has a handgun carry permit, is not consuming alcoholic beverages, or is not otherwise prohibited from carrying a firearm.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1305
Senate Status: Taken off notice in Senate Judiciary Firearms & Ammunitions Subcommittee 03/18/2009.
House Status: Withdrawn in House 01/27/2010.
SB 2097
HB 2116*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Tennessee Firearms Owners Relief Act of 2009. Enacts the “Tennessee Firearms Owners Relief Act of 2009.” Establishes that nothing prohibits any person from possessing a firearm while within the boundaries of any park, wildlife management area, nature trail, camp grounds, forest, waterway or other similar public place in this state if the person is authorized to carry a firearm. Declares that all information contained in any application for a permit or renewal application is confidential. Creates a Class A misdemeanor punishable by fine for knowingly publishing information or records describing the validity of any permit.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1305; 39-17-1351; 39-17-1359
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: Withdrawn in House 01/27/2010.
SB 2334
HB 2376*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Disposition of confiscated weapons. Deletes requirement that weapon declared contraband is to be destroyed if not sold at public sale or used for legitimate law enforcement purposes. Requires the proceeds from the sale of confiscated weapons to go into the county or municipal general fund and to be allocated solely for law enforcement purposes.
Amendment: House amendment 1 allows the chief of police, sheriff, commissioner of safety or the director of the TBI to determine those weapons that are inoperable and can certify to court those weapons that are inoperable and can be destroyed. Senate amendment 2 specifies that the funds collected pursuant to this bill will go to the general fund and will not be earmarked for law enforcement purposes.
Conference Committee: Conference Committee Report on HB 2376/SB 2334 recommends that Senate amendment 2 be deleted and that House amendment 1 be adopted.
TCA Sec. 39-17-1317
Senate Status: Senate deferred to 02/17/2010.
House Status: House 06/18/2009 adopted conference committee report.
SB 2367
HB 2401
(Full Text)LOCAL GOVERNMENT: Clarksville – rewrites charter. Local bill for Clarksville that rewrites the charter. Amends Chapter 292 of the Private Acts of 1957.
Senate Status: Local bill held on Senate clerk’s desk.
House Status: Set for House Local Government Subcommittee 02/03/2010.
SB 2389*
HB 2565
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Sentencing crimes committed with possession of gun permit. Permits judges to take into account, for purposes of enhancing sentencing of a defendant, whether a defendant possessed a firearm and a handgun carry permit during the commission of a crime.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 40-35-0000; 40-35-0114
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 2390*
HB 2567
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Exception to unlawful gun possession for certain motorists. Allows individuals without handgun carry permits to transport rifle or shotgun in privately-owned motor vehicle provided there is no ammunition in the chamber or cylinder and no loaded clip or magazine in the weapon or in close proximity to the weapon.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1307; 39-17-1308
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 2391*
HB 3240
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Limits governor’s authority during state of emergency. Removes the authority of the governor to commandeer or limit the sale or transportation of firearms, ammunition, or firearm or ammunition components during a state of emergency, major disaster, or natural disaster.
TCA Secs. 58-02-0100; 58-02-0107
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House companion bill introduced. (H: McCord)
SB 2516
HB 2480*
(Full Text)TRANSPORTATION GENERAL: Williamson County-SSG Carey Thomas Moore Memorial Bridge. Designates the bridge spanning the Harpeth River on State Route 397 in Williamson County as the SSG Carey Thomas Moore Memorial Bridge.
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Transportation.
House Status: Referred to House Transportation Rural Roads Subcommittee.
SB 2519
HB 2540*
(Full Text)ENVIRONMENT & NATURE: Hunting and fishing on farmland. Owners of farmland whose names appear on deed to property and their children and grandchildren are exempted from hunting and fishing licensure requirements on such property.
TCA Sec. 70-02-0204
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Environment, Conservation & Tourism.
House Status: Referred to House Conservation & Environment.
SB 2528*
HB 2881
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handgun carry permits: searchable database. Enables the department of safety to distribute materials related to handgun permits electronically and searchable by: law enforcement, child support enforcement, court orders, and certain written requests. Enables the department to display a list of revoked handgun permits.
TCA Secs. 10-07-0500; 10-07-0504; 39-17-1300
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House companion bill introduced. (H: Rich)
SB 2538
HB 2558*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handgun permit renewal. Reduces the delay to 60 days for an applicant receiving a renewed handgun permit after applying for the handgun permit within six months from the handgun permit’s expiration date.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1351
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 2754*
HB 2832
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Vehicle transport of firearms without a permit. Establishes that a person without a handgun carry permit is allowed to transport a rifle or shotgun in a privately-owned motor vehicle as long as the firearm does not have ammunition in the chamber or cylinder and no clip or magazine containing ammunition is inserted in the firearm or in close proximity to the weapon.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1307
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: Introduced 1/27/2010
SB 2757*
HB 2918
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Aggravating factors for purposes of imposing death sentence. Adds discrimination, drive-by-shooting, and witness intimidation to the list of statutory aggravating circumstances for imposing the death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole in first degree murder cases.
TCA Secs. 39-00-0000; 39-13-0204; 40-00-0000
Senate Status: Referred to Senate Judiciary.
House Status: House companion bill introduced. (H: Fincher)
SB 2855
HB 2548*
(Full Text)TRANSPORTATION GENERAL: PFC Roy W. Neal Memorial Bridge. Designates a bridge spanning S.R. 75 in Sullivan County as the “PFC Roy W. Neal Memorial Bridge.”
Senate Status: Senate companion bill introduced. (S: Ramsey R.)
House Status: Referred to House Transportation Rural Roads Subcommittee.
SB 3376
HB 2421*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Requirements regarding the purchase and sale of firearms. Requires the gun dealer to obtain the thumbprints of the purchaser on the firearms transaction thumbprint form and attach the form to the gun dealer’s copy of the firearm transaction record to be filed. Allows the gun dealer to destroy the form one year after the form’s completion. Requires the TBI to publish the firearms transaction thumbprint form and to furnish the form to gun dealers on application at cost.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1316
Senate Status: Introduced 1/28/2010
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 3377
HB 2422*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Regulations for the operation of a gun show. Defines “gun show”, “gun show dealer” and “gun show promoter”. Establishes a Class A misdemeanor for the following offenses: (1) for any person to organize, plan, promote, or operate a gun show unless that person notifies the TBI and the chief law enforcement officer in the county in which the gun show is to be held of the dates, times and location of such gun show; (2) for any person to organize, plan, promote, or operate a gun show unless that person verifies the identity of each gun show dealer through valid identification documents containing a photograph and a signed ledger with the dealer’s name and address, and a copy of such records are to be kept at the permanent place of business of the gun show promoter for one year from the date of the gun show; (3) for any person who is not licensed to transfer a firearm to another person to do so at a gun show or within 1000 feet of the property on which a gun show is being conducted.
TCA Secs. 39-17-0000; 39-17-1301; 39-17-1300
Senate Status: Introduced 1/28/2010
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 3735
HB 2694*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Repeals: prohibition of firearm combination with alcohol. Repeals the previous prohibition of possessing a firearm in a building where alcoholic beverages are served in public.
TCA Sec. 39-17-1305
Senate Status: Senate companion bill introduced. (S: Black)
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 3752
HB 2718*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handgun carry permits: certified copy of birth certificate. Specifies that the requirement of a certified copy of a birth certificate for the issuance or renewal of a handgun carry permit.
TCA Secs. 39-17-1300; 39-17-1351
Senate Status: Senate companion bill introduced. (S: Bunch)
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 3753
HB 2719*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handgun carry permits: carry handgun through greenways. Authorizes a person with a handgun carry permit to carry a handgun on a greenway that runs through a park, even if a municipality has voted to prohibit firearms in the same park.
TCA Sec. 39-17-1311
Senate Status: Senate companion bill introduced. (S: Bunch)
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 3756
HB 2726*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handguns: allowed in college parking lot with carry permits. Establishes that persons with handgun carry permits may possess a handgun in their motor vehicle on a public college campus parking lot only if the handgun is stored out of sight and the vehicle is locked.
TCA Sec. 39-17-1309
Senate Status: Senate companion bill introduced. (S: Bunch)
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 3760
HB 2716*
(Full Text)CRIMINAL LAW: Handgun carry permits: evidence of valid renewals. Allows a canceled check to become evidence of a valid handgun carry permit renewal after the permit has expired.
TCA Sec. 39-17-1351
Senate Status: Senate companion bill introduced. (S: Bunch)
House Status: Referred to House Judiciary Criminal Practice Subcommittee.
SB 3772
HB 2720*
(Full Text)ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES: Alcohol-serving establishment: firearm sign removal. Removes the requirement that signs must be posted informing patrons that firearms are prohibited in alcohol-serving establishments.
TCA Sec. 57-04-0203
Senate Status: Senate companion bill introduced. (S: Bunch)
House Status: Referred to House Local Government Subcommittee.
SJR 0030
(Full Text)ENVIRONMENT & NATURE: Constitutional amendment – right to hunt and fish. Proposes an election of the people for the purpose of determining whether Article XI, Section 13 of the Constitution of Tennessee should be amended to establish the right to hunt and fish, subject to reasonable regulations and restrictions prescribed by law.
Senate Status: Senate 01/28/2010 adopted.
I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president.
A few folks jokingly quipped that this comment was indicative of President Barack Hussein Obama’s death wish, but I, unsurprisingly, think that the real meaning of those words is significantly simpler.
Once you strip away all of the political and patriotic froofera surrounding Presidential elections, they basically boil down to popularity contests, and this one was probably the worst of them all – which candidate can promise the most to the highest number of people, without overextending, pissing off his party, or making a slip? Sure, we should be choosing the next Leader of the Free World based on whether or not the individual in question can actually lead, has sound, reasonable strategies, has the experience and knowledge to back up his promises, and so forth… but do you honestly think that is the case any more?
Skipping tracks for a second, Our Glorious President thinks you are dumb. Really, really dumb. So dumb, we cannot even begin to understand how great and awesome he is, and how much good he is doing for the country.
And now the final piece of information, that hardly needs vocalizing: President Barack Hussein Obama is a self-absorbed narcissist. By way of a more-immediate example, just look at his State of the President Union speech.
So what does one get when one combines those three ideas with the original quote? President Barack Hussein Obama’s idea of a “good” President is not one who gets re-elected, but rather one who uses his power to do what he wants, as much as he can, for as long as he can, and if those ignorant proles do not understand, then that is just the price of greatness.
In short, President Barack Hussein Obama is the very embodiment of the individual President Kennedy was referencing in his famous inaugural address: he wants to know what the country can do for him, and the thought of what he can do for his country never even crosses his hubris-soaked mind, and his comment during the ABC interview was simply his admitting to this simple fact.
The only question is whether or not it was a Freudian slip, or an intentional revelation.
Død Snø (Dead Snow): Zombieland is unquestionably the greatest zombie movie of all time, however, Dead Snow is easily the best foreign zombie movie… which may not be saying much, but you still need to see it.
Better Half and I are headed down to the land where even obeying the law can result in you getting legally arrested for a long weekend… Good fun. But, as they say, “concealed means concealed”. Unfortunately, for some stupid reason,Brigade Quartermasters decided to close their Kennesaw main store, so that takes some of the fun out of it right there. Ah, well, given our remodeling aspirations, something tells me I will not see much outside of the Ikea branch down there…
Oh, and no, I have absolutely nothing scheduled to post this weekend. You are going to have to keep yourself entertained… the horror.
Spoon, fork, bottle opener, flat-head screwdriver, prybar, three sizes of hex wrenches, caribiner, and a last-ditch defense tool. I want one.
And while I was less-than-impressed with their Neckolas, CRKT’s new FLUX modular multitool system looks vaguely interesting.
Ok, now that some of the messes of various bodily fluids have been cleaned up from the tubes comprising the internet, I have been able to determine a few specifics concerning Apple’s new ZOMGITZGLORIOUSANDWONDERFULANDMAGICALANDZOMG product:
1. It does not support Flash. Really? No Flash? Are you kidding me? Because, you know, one of the most-popular websites out there is all flash. I guess Apple does not really care about that particular market segment.
2. It cannot multitask. Or, rather, it can multitask, given that it runs some nerfed version of Mac OS X, but Apple, in its infinitely questionable wisdom, decided to disable that functionality for the iPad (just like the iPhone and the iTouch). Yeah, because no one likes listening to music while they write an email, or having a chat window open while browsing the cortex.
3. The gorramed thing does not even have a USB port. I guess Apple does not figure the iPad’s pricetag is sufficiently high already, and now wants to overcharge you for pointless, superfluous, and inevitably losable dongles as well.
4. It has a 4:3 aspect ratio. Now, given that I grew up in the second generation of computer users, 4:3 aspect ratios are kind of the norm to me (my first widescreen monitor was purchased just last year). But assuming this little doohicky is supposed to be the multimedia powerhouse everyone claims it to be, what the hell? Can you even buy 4:3 televisions any more? Even standard definition shows are being broadcast wide-screenized now, and this “miraculous” product is going to have to envelope each and every one of them. Yay?
5. The only way to put anything on it is through iTunes. This fails from multiple directions: first, the iTunes market is closed, it is closely gate-kept by Apple, and it is flagrantly arbitrary. Second, this necessitates the existance of another computer in a household with an iPad, which may not be a big deal to nerds like us, but to someone just looking to browse the ‘net with a simple and easy-to-carry around product, it adds another level of complexity. Third, iTunes just blows.
6. The name… oh God, the name. If they had simply added another “d” to the end of it, I might have forgiven them, but as it is… really, what were they thinking?
Oh, and speaking of things that cause air to be moved, iPods still suck.
End summation? For half the price, I could get a notebook/lapbook/webbook/whatever-the-hell those new micro-laptops are called that can do all the things the iPad cannot, and only lacks a capacitive touchscreen. Sorry, folks – I never even got into the habit of buying things just for the label, and I sure as hell am not going to start now. But, please, do not let my apathy get in the way of your herdish, fanboyish, borderline-cultish enthusiasm – Lord knows I need something to laugh at.
(More at My Reputo, Les Jones, Say Uncle, and Gizmodo.)
If there was anything right in our country today, President Barack Hussein Obama would soon be facing impeachment charges.
And no, I am not just saying that for the hyperbole value.
Last night, during his STFU SOTU speach, Our Glorious President said the following:
With all due deference to separation of powers, last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests, including foreign corporations, to spend without limit in our elections.
I don’t think American elections should be bankrolled by America’s most powerful interests or, worse, by foreign entities. They should be decided by the American people. And I urge Democrats and Republicans to pass a bill that helps correct some of these problems.
With all due deference to the Office of the President, and none to the man occupying it, up yours.
I am not sure Our Glorious President is aware (in fact, I am fairly certain he is not), but it is both illegal to deprive individuals of rights under the color of the law, and it is likewise illegal to conspire to do such as well. Last week, the Supreme Court better clarified exactly what our rights to freedom of expression actually meant in this “modern” world, and indicated that legislation adopted in the past was unconstitutional.
Now, this week, you, speaking from your official position as President of the United States, are encouraging Congress to re-pass legislation that was just ruled as being unconstitutional? Do you even begin to understand how wrong that is? I can almost forgive the Congressmen who passed the legislation to begin with – after all, they are not Constitutional scholars, and they might have missed that tiny little sentence buried in that oh-so-massive document indicating that what they were doing was simply not permitted in America. However, there is no excuse for encouraging Congress to re-pass a law that was just ruled unconstitutional by the highest court in the country – now, no one can claim ignorance. Not even you.
Of course, this is all assuming you even know what the Constitution is…
This is not your country. This is not your government. This is not your Congress. Hell, that is not even your office. All of those things belong to us, the American people, the citizens of the United States, and you lead (or at least you incompetently act like you lead) at our pleasure.
Do your job, and obey the laws of this country, or we, the people, will find someone else who can.
(Thanks to both Politics, Guns, and Beer and Brown Valley Kingdom for pointing out this atrocious quote to me – given that I did not watch the address, nor had any desires to read it, I likely would have missed it otherwise.)
You see, for the first time in the history of this country, we’ve got more people voting for a living than we do working for a living.
Truth. And that is why proponents of larger governments (of either major political stripe) keep winning, over and over and over again.
That quote came out of a speech he gave to a town hall meeting in Fountain Inn, South Carolina, and, believe me, you will want to read the whole thing – Lieutenant Governor Bauer is not exactly what I would call “tactful”, but he adequately, if colorfully, describes and explains the “if you subsidize it, you get more of it” problem facing the American society today.
(Courtesy of WizBang.)
’s 2007 album, 
, as interpreted and covered by the folks at 
… it is almost like the looters are reading from a script, is it not?
: In all honesty, I only watched this movie because of James Marster’s (of 
and 
and 
fame) 
was being remade… into a not-quite-but-damned-close-porno (but a 
: 
is unquestionably the greatest zombie movie of all time, however, Dead Snow is easily the best foreign zombie movie… which may not be saying much, but you still need to see it.
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