Friday, June 29, 2007

For The Well-Regulated Militia Member

ADVERTISMENT

Constitutionally , if you are an American Citizen between the ages of 14 and 41 (I believe), you are a member of your local militia. It's a custom that has lapsed, in favor of the National Guard, the Reserves and other Federal and State agencies, but it's almost impossible to overstate how deeply suspicious our founders were of centralized authorities with standing forces.

And, considering the headlines - and more importantly, the blogs - it's becoming difficult to push the idea that every citizen is responsible for "National Security" on a house to house level.

These days, the term "militia" is confused with scary camoflage-wearing nutcases preaching the "end times" or the ulitmate collapse of Civilization As We Know It, and so we tend to ignore the concept of confident preparedness. But, really, that's all being part of a "well-regulated militia" is all about; ensuring that enough people with the right training and with the right tools exist so that wherever an emergency exists, it can be dealt with in the most rapid manner possible.

Tippman A5 Flatline PackageA volunteer Fire Department is a perfect example of a "well-regulated militia." Now, it's comforting to think that dealing with actual outbreaks of violence, or attempted oppression on the part of an overweening state or national government is a threat long past - but some of us are starting to wonder if it might not be a good idea to have some practical experience with small infantry tactics as well.

And that's where the sponsor of this post, Tippmann paintball guns, comes in. Tippmann paintball is an affordable and enjoyable way to build skills that, God help us, will never be called upon. But if you do need to pick up an assault weapon in defense of you and yours, in company with your fellow citizens - you will have a good idea of how to use it effectively.

This is something that does not automatically come with the purchase of an AK47. Ask any dead Iraqi insurgent.

In this case, practice makes perfect - without being a bother or a chore.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

"Why Do You Hate America, Mr. King?"




We are all used to idiotic remarks such as this public appeal to panic from Bush right now. But it's the sort of post that draws Bushista apologists like flies. The trouble is not in finding them, it's in finding one articulate enough to serve as a deserving target for a proper response to their rhetorical question, "why do you hate America?"

clipped from www.abc.net.au

Bush likens 'war on terror' to WWIII


He said he agreed with the description by David Beamer, whose son Todd died in the crash, in a Wall Street Journal commentary last month the act was "our first successful counter-attack in our homeland in this new global war - World War III".


Mr Bush said: "I believe that. I believe that it was the first counter-attack to World War III.


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Needless to say, much less cite, the general consensus was that Bush was a few bricks shy of a hod, a couple crayons short of a box, or in other words, as delusional as is possible to be without actually being in six-point restraints.

But there's always a shill - it's become so predictable that I imagine a Haliburtan subsidiary operating a boiler room in Nigeria filled with failed scammers and talking-point flipcharts.

clipped from clipmarks.com
5-22-2006 6:46 PM
willhelm60
Some of us have been saying this is WW3 for years. This is not new. As much as some of you hate this country.. We are not the bad guys here. You can have your consipicy theories, hatred for the president, digust for American values, and at the same time stand up for all that is disgusting and sinister in society. I thank God for those in America that still know our place and make this country work and defend it, while this clipmarks forum occupies those of you who can do and will do nothing great in your lives.

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So I said (without spell checking, which is why I'm not using clipmarks...)

We don't "hate America," Willhelm. There are certain people who claim to be patriotic Americans, while disparaging the values expressed by our Constitution and the Inalienable Rights recognized by it, that we could frankly do without.

Yourself, for example. [There's more...] You are not representative of core American values, as expressed in the Federalist Papers, the letters of Franklin, the writings of Adams, or worthy of citizenship when you can speak about "knowing our place."

Sir, "our place" is in the Militia, defending the Constitution against all threats, foreign and domestic. You - and your self-deluded, authoritarian ilk - are precisely such a threat.

THIS - right here - IS such a "well regulated militia," using the power of the press under the aegis of the First Amendment. But if need be, we citizens are charged to do the same under the Second, should it come to pass that our government is suborned and becomes indistinguishable from any other Tyranny.

A Militia is any group of citizens coming together with their skills , talents and ability in common cause and without need to be told by some self-styled "Commander in Chief" what to do or how to do it.

However, I do not actually hate you. Strong emotion can spoil your aim. Besides, anyone stupid enough to state that Libertarianism is "Socialism without Morality" knows absolutely nothing about any of the three concepts involved.


That's where I ran into a comment limit. But there's no such limit here, so I will observe that comments far less insulting to the honor of patriotic Citizens have resulted in "affairs of honor," both formally and informally.

The Internet makes it possible to say such things in the public realm without the prudent restraint that might exist in person. Since the gloves ARE off, I shall respond in kind, not merely to this particular waste of skin, but to all such miserable little cowards, sellouts and chickenhawks who have courage enough to snipe with words - but not enough guts to walk into a recruiter's office and do the honorable thing.

Collectively and individually, you are all completely dispensable - and not just to me. Your politicial inspirations and paymasters (for I'm sure at least half of you ARE paid trolls, using scripts and search engines to drop your little rhetorical turds in the punchbowl of public discourse) consider you completely dispensable. I mean, do you get health insurance with that?

Nope, you are condemned in their minds as 'true believers' or corrupt cowards like them. And believe me, those smart enough to take over this nation from within at the head of willing tools, shills and sycophants such as yourselves are far to intelligent to delude themselves entirely.

But my contempt for you does not derive from shame and self-hatred. Unlike your leaders, I hold you to scorn as a matter of principle.

"American Values" are those of the Founders of America; Those who had the guts to sign the Declaration of Independence, pledging "their Lives, their Fortunes and their Sacred Honor."

Well, a lot of them had to give up two of those three.
For myself, when I think of what "American Values are," I think not of George Bush, but of Nathan Hale.

I will not dishonor them by failing to stand up on behalf of my forebears with safe words what they faced bullets and bayonets to establish. And those who would undermine their achievements, betray their ideals, corrupt the rule of law and dismiss the Constitution as a mere "scrap of paper" are my enemies.

And if I must choose between the values of founders who from principle opposed one of the most competently administered, successful and benevolent Empires in the history of the world, and the values of George Bush, Dick Cheney and the authors of The Project for a New American Century1, the choice is not difficult. Indeed, if one attaches one's honor to patriotically upholding the Constitution, not merely when convenient, but when it might actually require some personal risk or inconvenience, there is little choice in the matter.

"Here I stand. I can do no other. God help me."

1 I love the irony of linking to a BBC article on this matter.


Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Bill-O Blitzed by HS Junior

Dear Bill O'Rielly: Do you KNOW how much your producer hates your loofa-waving guts?

The following painfully viral video demonstrates what happens when your staff doesn't care to send you out properly prepared, or do a decent background on the student. Oh, wait, maybe they mentioned he was on the debate team, and you didn't grasp the significance. Yeah, I bet that was the way it went down.

Of course, since you HAVE been "the driving force" behind this controversy, the Other Side sent their very best debater, prepared with - heh - evidence! Then he just had to wait for a lie he could document. And the "other side" was represented by someone who was apparently conservative - and whom I will bet is in the Drama club. He played the "good cop."

I give them a 1. You get a 4.

I mean, the kid didn't even have to break a sweat. All I can say, Bill, is you are lucky they didn't send a senior.

clipped from www.radaronline.com

Last week, O'Reilly imploded during an interview with Jesse Lange, a rising junior at Boulder High School in Colorado (video above). He was on the program to address O'Reilly's criticism of the Boulder High sex-education program. Lange tells Radar that he knew he was brought on for an opposing view, but his main concern before the show was how to address O'Reilly. "I wasn't sure whether or not I should call him Bill or Mr. O'Reilly," Lange tells Radar. "In the end, I decided to call him Bill, because if I called him Mr. O'Reilly, it would imply that I viewed him as some sort of expert or authority figure." Lange also says that in a brief pre-show interview, O'Reilly asked him not to quote the incendiary parts from The O'Reilly Factor For Kids. "Bill expressly asked me not to talk about it on the air," he says, but the book was the perfect counterpoint to O'Reilly's thinly constructed premise.


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Oh, and the comments! My God, the comments! There are actually people who honestly think Bill won that exchange!

But I think the best summation comes from Bill's Arch Nemesis.



Ouch. That's gonna leave a welt.

Honk to Impeach: July 4th!

PRESS RELEASE / PSA


logo

July 4: Honk to Impeach!

Americans celebrate July 4 as a day of patriotism, but the true spirit of July 4 has been lost. After all, July 4, 1776 was the day our Founding Fathers declared the American Revolution against King George.

So let's use this July 4 to declare our independence from King George W - and let's make some noise!

tulsahonk

Local impeachment activists report great success holding signs at busy intersections that say "HONK TO IMPEACH!" Most of the drivers who pass these signs are delighted to honk - which makes them happy and makes our activists happy too. Best of all, the drivers and pedestrians discover how much support there is for impeachment - something they never knew because the Corporate Media won't tell them or even conduct a poll. Here's a great report from Bob Feuer of Great Barrington, Mass: http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/honktoimpeach-1

honkgreatbarrington

July 4 is an excellent day to "HONK TO IMPEACH" because there's already lots of noise from fireworks and people are relaxed. So here's our plan:

  1. Check your local community calendar for the fireworks celebration near you, and note the time and main parking location.
  2. Pick an intersection outside the entrance where all the cars will come and go. Visit that intersection if you can to see how the traffic flows and pick the safest spot to stand.
  3. Add a marker for your intersection's location to our ImpeachMap at http://www.communitywalk.com/impeach. Be sure to include the time, exact location, and your contact info in your marker description, and use the category "Honk to Impeach"
  4. Click the Share/Export link on the ImpeachMap to e-mail it to your friends, get a link to it, or embed it in your blog, website, or profile.
  5. Bring signs that say "HONK TO IMPEACH" and "Text IMPEACH to 30644" (see below) and bring extra sign paper and magic markers if more activists show up. Or make a large banner like the one in this video. Or bring the big I-M-P-E-A-C-H letters you used on A28. Bring wooden stakes and staples to make carrying easier. Bring American flags and Uncle Sam outfits to capture the July 4 spirit. Try this sign: "BE A PATRIOT: HONK TO IMPEACH CHENEY AND BUSH"
  6. Bring cameras and then upload your photos/videos and publish your reports on ImpeachSpace:
    http://www.impeachspace.com/
  7. Keep building our nationwide movement by scheduling a weekly "HONK TO IMPEACH" in front of your local media outlets and Congressional district offices, and post it to our ImpeachMap at http://www.communitywalk.com/impeach

Why hold a sign saying "Text IMPEACH to 30644"? Because we've invented a great new way to enlist more impeachment activists, especially younger people who use their cellphones for text messaging. When they text "IMPEACH" to 30644 they are prompted to enter their e-mail addresses so we can connect them with all the impeachment work we're doing, both nationally and locally. This way the HONK TO IMPEACH events will actually grow the movement.

honk3

July 4 will be the launch of the HONK TO IMPEACH movement nationwide this summer. People who have already tried it report a great deal of enthusiasm and excitement and we encourage you to make this a regular (e.g. weekly) event. If you decide to do so, please update your markers on the ImpeachMap following July 4 with whatever location and time you choose for your weekly honkathon. If you need any help, just e-mail me at jacob@a28.org.

Of course moving cars are dangerous so please put safety first. Here are more detailed instructions and tips:
http://www.democrats.com/july-4-honk-to-impeach

An Unaired Graphictruth from Mythbusters

In which we test the myth - Do Girls Fart?

We agree, there's no substitute for experimental evidence. Although in this case, we aren't sure what it's not a substitute for.

Now, for results from segments that actually aired...

tag: , , , , , , , ,

An interesting insight.

clipped from en.wikipedia.org

The ICP argument builds a bias for the inherent dignity of the human being over the evidence of religion or science.

ICP argument applies to the disparity between theism and atheism as follows;

1, theism is in harmony with atheism; if in the concept of God; the human being is the representative of God, who has no form but exists in the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of human beings,

2, atheism is in harmony with theism, if in the concept of no gods, gods do not have any evidence of form, except that they exist in thoughts, belief], and actions of human beings.


blog it
Of course, "theism" should really be "deism" when we are speaking of religion in the US, because for the most influential (that is to say, the loudest and least tolerant) denominations, God is quite a separate entity indeed, and certainly not existing by means of indwelling within all persons of all religions and beliefs, much LESS Gays, Lesbians and Atheists.

The idea that God picks and chooses and refuses to associate with Those People, while considering People Like Us to be Very Special Chosen Ones makes it very easy to blow Those People up. No harm, no foul, right?

Wrong! If there is conflict between your ethics and the morals some preacher would say carves out an exception to, say "You Shall Not Do Murder" or "You Shall Not Bear False Witness" based on the faith, beliefs or behavior of Those Other People, you are being led down a dangerous path.

But you won't hear that little truth from The 700 Club. Oddly, strangely, bizarrely and redoublingly, The 700 Club airs on the ABC Family Channel.

Ah, those Disney Family Values; trying to win the Culture War by any means necessary.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Free Ads for your blog or t-shirt site

Would you like an ad this size on a high-traffic website for a year - for free? I don't know about you, but my first reaction is "duh," and the next is "what's the catch?"Truth has a well-known Libertarian Bias

Well, as long as you don't mind your ad being shown below the paid ads - there IS no catch. Depending on your keywords, it might not matter a damn whether you pay or not. Full disclosure - I'm getting a bump on the site for blogging about it, but I probably would have done so anyway, as I generally do when something new shows up in my template. And the bump is available to you as well. I mean, how else do they make it a useful resource?

I can use their RSS feed widget to gain links for my site that are highly relevant to my site by keyword. And just incidentally, they have a referral program.

You can reserve your ad for as long as you like - I chose a year. You are able to update it as often as you like. The concept is very similar to the whole "million dollar home page" concept, but its - well, it's bigger, and a lot more flexible, providing what amounts to a visual search engine by keyword.

I honestly have to say - you should be using it, and you should be talking about it, even if you have nothing to "sell" but your own blog. Right now, that's the single most important category, anyhow.

The reason I stumbled upon it is that I was casting about for scripts to start my own pixil page ad site - not so much for pay, as to create a simple way of managing link images for my site - you know, all those damn chicklets, served up with one bit of code. A script is a lot easier to manage than editing html, which is what I have to do right now. And potentially, even something of an art project.

But that's for another day. I got distracted by this, so I'm gonna go play with it some more.

Shiny thing.

Tapping the Zietgiest

View in real time

Around the world, a network of some 68 'eggs' randomly flip binary coins. The data from each egg should be "smooth." All the data together should be just AS smooth. And yet it isn't. Worse yet, the data seems to vary as to the mood of people, as influenced by events. Even worse than that, it seems that the reaction to a known event seems to predate the actual event by at least several seconds. Image courtesy of the Global Consciousness Project.

This result is so unexpected and inexplicable that it's been comprehensively tested, retested, replicated and studied since 1998.

This is is an example of a truth that has yet to be satisfactorally correlated with our understanding of reality, and yet there it sits, like a cat-hair in your sandwich dressing. I've found a nice popular overview here. But the emergent consensus seems to be that there is a global consciousness and it's "thought process" can at least be detected.

Reality is stranger than most of us are even capable of imagining...

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Online Coupons make this blogger's budget stretchier.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you shop online or off for anything from socks to laptops, don't buy before checking for online shopping coupons at CouponChief.com.

I'm seriously taken with this site. Let's say I wanted a new laptop from CompUSA - and I do. I would just click here for savings of up to $400!

There's a great selection of other deals on networking, cameras and free shipping, and all you do is click on the deal's link. Try it out; I think you will find yourself adding it to your bookmarks like I just did.

Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way!

Dave Lindorff writes in The Wheels are Coming Off the Machine Friday, June 22, 2007

The wheels are coming off the Democratic machine, with angry voters starting to lose patience with the Party's chronic inability to act decisively on any of the key issues of public concern.

In a Reuters dispatch on June 18, Democratic leaders in Congress concede that voters are angry with them for not doing enough to end the Iraq War. They might have added that voters are also angry at them for not impeaching the president or even for moving on Rep. Dennis Kucinich's bill to impeach Vice President Dick Cheney (H Res. 333).

"I understand their disappointment. We raised the bar too high," bleats Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid (D-NV).


Lindorff presents an elegant, passionate rebuttal to the excuses presented for their spineless refusal to obey the people's mandate. While you should read it yourself, the sum of it is simple and our leadership deserves no more polite response than this:

BULLSHIT!


Dear Harry and Nancy: "Lead, follow or get the hell out of the way." Those are your only viable political alternatives.

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