The Smallest Minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. – Ayn Rand
Via email from my brother, it looks like the predictions of the Star Trek series keep coming true:
http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf
Yup, transparent aluminum. Well, an aluminum-based ceramic anyway – aluminium oxynitride. It’s been in development for a while, but now they’ve figured out how to produce it in significant quantity.
And, since this IS a gun blog, ballistic transparent aluminum:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnUszxx2pYc?rel=0]
Stolen shamelessly from Mostly Cajun.
In the fine TSM tradition of using Other People’s Words when they say it better than I can, I quote Larry Correia quoting co-author Mike Kupari on the recent legislative setback of the SOPA bill by an uprising of netizens:
You didn’t care when the government decided it could spy on you without a warrant. You didn’t care when they started telling you what you could eat. You didn’t care when your kids’ education was turned into indoctrination. You didn’t care when they were more worried about military veterans than Islamic terrorists. You didn’t care when they spent so much money that our entire economic system may collapse. You didn’t care when they gave billions of your money to unions and corporations that were their political contributors. You didn’t care when inert cosmetic features on guns were felonies. You didn’t care when they made it a fucking crime to not have government approved health insurance.
All of these things were done in your name. On your behalf. To help you, protect you, take care of you. Each time you gave them more power and gave away more of your freedom. Each time you believed them when they said they were protecting you, or helping the less fortunate, or sticking it to “the rich” who “aren’t paying their fair share”.
Each time you applauded their efforts. Mocked those that were concerned. Called them uncaring or racist or alarmist or stupid. Each time you asked for more. You begged them to take care of you, protect you, right wrongs, enforce equality.
But now that your Internet porn and bit torrents are threatened, NOW you care?
It’s too late for all that, kids. Turning off Wikipedia for a couple days isn’t going to win back the freedoms we’ve pissed away. It isn’t going to undo decades of expanding government power. They’ve already decided there’s nothing they can’t do, no law they can’t pass.
We watched it happen. We let it happen. We have the country we deserve.
So go ahead, post a rant about SOPA on your blog. Link to Ron Paul’s web page. Pretend you’re doing something. It’ll make you feel better. Then you will go back to business as usual and so will they.
Democracy in action. Isn’t it beautiful?
Can I get an “AMEN!”?
Edited to add this found at Tam’s:
Do it again, ONLY HARDER!
Reader Eric G. sent me a link to this cartoon. It’s from the strip Non Sequitur, Sept. 1, 2011. I think I’ll post it every time I write about cognitive dissonance:
Yup, that’s it.
So let me get this right. The Canadian Oil is supposedly worse for the environment, so stopping this pipeline will help the planet.
So instead of moving the oil in a safe way and be processed in US refineries operating under EPA regulations, the oil will now be transported across the Canadian Rockies where it will be loaded onto giant tankers and shipped across the Pacific where it will be refined in Chinese operations that have far fewer, if any, regulations in place.
Please let me know how the Chinese alternative is better for the Earth. Because no matter what, this Canadian oil is going to be sold.
ABC reports:
Iranian Student Activist Shot to Death in Texas
A Texas medical student well-known in her community as an Iranian activist was mysteriously shot and killed in her car, just yards from her home
Gelareh Bagherzadeh, 30, was driving through her Houston townhouse complex around midnight on Monday when she was shot dead through her car window.
“When officers arrived, they found a vehicle had run into a garage door at that location with the engine running and tires spinning on the pavement. Ms. Bagherzadeh was found slumped over in the driver’s seat,” the Houston Police Department said in a statement.
Authorities said nothing appeared to have been stolen from her car. Her cell phone and purse were found inside.
“Homicide investigators responded to the scene and were told by witnesses that several gunshots were heard, a crash and then tires squealing,” the statement said.
Police told ABC News’ Houston affiliate KTRK that the last person to speak to Bagherzadeh was her close friend and ex-boyfriend who was on the phone with her when she was shot.
“[The boyfriend] heard a loud thud. He doesn’t recall hearing any gunshots, but a loud thud and then a screeching noise,” Richard Bolton of the Houston Police Department Homicide unit told KTRK.
Bagherzadeh was of Iranian descent and was outspoken in promoting Iranian women’s rights and criticizing the Iranian government, according to interviews she had done with the Houston Chronicle.
I’m sure the police are looking for a middle-aged white guy as the prime suspect.
The post about the .950JDJ is well on its way to becoming has become my most popular post (by linkage and traffic) ever.
SayUncle linked it. And Weer’d. Then lgstarr. (New to me.)
But in the last few days, it hit the message boards. Hard:
Texas Riders (a motorcycle board.)
Valkyrie Riders Cruiser Club (another motorcycle board, membership required to view.)
Aprilla Forum (ANOTHER motorcycle board that requires membership)
TexasKayakFisherman.com (?!?!)
Kel-Tec Owner’s Group (That one I can kinda understand.)
Sportsmansnews.com
Forums.GunsandAmmo.com
tngunowners.com
texasgunforum.com
AirgunBBS.com (members only)
Taxidermy.net Forum (members only.)
And about 200 600 hits from emails and Facebook.
I think there’s a couple more I’ve missed that came from across the pond. I’ll keep updating this as new ones show up in the referrer logs.
That one post has had (as I write this) 2,577 4,630 8,019 12,087 hits since it went up, according to Google Analytics; viewed by 2,367 4,232 7,354 11,066 unique IP addresses.
This is just amazing. Who knew?
I’m going to have to get a copy of Levin’s latest book, Ameritopia: The Unmaking of America.
Go watch an interview with Levin on the book.
And Borepatch has a damned fine idea to commemorate the first anniversary of his violation by the Democratic People’s Republic of Massachussetts. (Motto: “Live Free or Here.”)
Go. Read.
