“The single most effective option — which is not being discussed at all — would result in a huge reduction of gun violence: Legalize drugs. There are 1.5 million drug arrests each year, and more persons incarcerated for drug infractions than for all violent crimes combined. Fifty percent of our federal prison population comprises narcotics violators. Most important, because drugs are illegal, participants in the drug trade cannot go to court to settle disputes and enforce contracts. As a result, disputes are resolved by force. Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Administration has 10,000 agents, analysts, and support staff, who could be fighting terrorism or real crime — including gun violence.”
- Robert A. Levy
Reflections on Gun Control by a Second Amendment Advocate
Posted by in Gun Rights
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The post-Newton clamor for gun control
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“After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn’t do it.”
– William S. Burroughs
5 Songs for the Ending of the World
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Love, compassion, tolerance and free market economics |
“To achieve liberty and peace, two powerful human emotions have to be overcome. Number one is ‘envy’ which leads to hate and class warfare. Number two is ‘intolerance’ which leads to bigoted and judgmental policies. These emotions must be replaced with a much better understanding of love, compassion, tolerance and free market economics. Freedom, when understood, brings people together. When tried, freedom is popular.
The problem we have faced over the years has been that economic interventionists are swayed by envy, whereas social interventionists are swayed by intolerance of habits and lifestyles. The misunderstanding that tolerance is an endorsement of certain activities, motivates many to legislate moral standards which should only be set by individuals making their own choices. Both sides use force to deal with these misplaced emotions. Both are authoritarians. Neither endorses voluntarism. Both views ought to be rejected.
I have come to one firm conviction after these many years of trying to figure out ‘the plain truth of things.’ The best chance for achieving peace and prosperity, for the maximum number of people world-wide, is to pursue the cause of liberty. If you find this to be a worthwhile message, spread it throughout the land.”
- Congressman Ron Paul
Winnie the Pooh and Bobby too
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The grumpiest, toughest guy in the shop is using these rags to put stain on baseboard.
I’m going through our wedding photos
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I keep laughing to myself when series of photos look like this.
Taxation is Slavery
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“Only to a politician could people who want to keep the fruits of their labor be considered greedy,
while those who would effectively steal those fruits be considered bighearted.”
- John Tate
Knife Party – Bonfire
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I heard this on Sirius yesterday and I just can’t get it out of my head. Reggae and dubstep seem to work great together.
Knife Party is a house/dubstep group from Australia. On August 5, 2011, they made their debut performance in Ibiza, Spain.
A year and a day later, this track was featured in episode four of season 5 of the duo’s favorite show, “Breaking Bad.”
Review: We Are Legion
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“If you so much as sneeze on someone’s tablet and the government’s not happy about it, then you’re a hacker.”
- Mercedes Haefer
We Are Legion covers a lot of ground – from lolcats to LulzSec. It focuses substantially on the group known as Anonymous and the place of its birth, 4chan. You can’t always agree with the reasoning or activity but simply as a hacktivism documentary, it was very, very interesting. It also features an incredible soundtrack from John Dragonetti of The Submarines.
It goes into some detail on the problem with the DMCA and the threat to freedom of speech posed by government regulation of the internet. It also poses a number of issues our generation will have to address:
How many website visits make the difference between normal use and participating in a DDOS attack?
How is participating in a DDOS different than the sit-ins employed during the civil rights movement?
Why are the laws punishing such trolling more severe than those for pedophilia?
It’s definitely worth a watch and it’s sure to arouse your suspicion over the ethics and appropriateness of some of the laws affecting today’s technology.
What I liked most about it is that the issues it covers are a funnel to common ground for those on the both sides of the political spectrum. We are never stronger than when we can work together. Some of the activity of Anonymous portrays just that.
How to open a can without a can opener
Posted by in Survival
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Around a year ago, I made a simple video to share with a friend how to do something I’d learned while reading Cody Lundin’s book, “When All Hell Breaks Loose.” It got picked up on LiveLeak and later on LifeHacker, sending the views through the roof. If I had any idea more than a handful of people might see it, I certainly would have done a better job with everything.
I’d like to address the most popular question: Why not just use the knife?
Safety is the big reason. Leveraging the blade against the metal is dangerous. A lid cut free is sharp as well. Even being careful, accidents can happen. If you’re in a situation where this is something you need to do, odds are you don’t want to be taking any risks when it comes to the possibility of cutting yourself.
Simplicity is another reason. In an emergency, being able to take charge and delegate tasks is important. Scrubbing a can on concrete or a stone is something you can let a kid do while you go build a fire or put together some sort of shelter.
*Update*
Sometime in November 2012, I broke one million views! Unbelievable!