The Smallest Minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities. – Ayn Rand
Quote of the Day
As far as I’m concerned, Democrats haven’t even considered the need to wash away the stain of FDR’s legacy of Constitutional corruption, never mind even made a down payment on the sponge rental. – The Geek with a .45
Good rant! (Post more and post more often, Geek!)
Quote of the Day
Unfortunately, along with all its good effects, the web brings together people who should be isolated and gives a voice to those who really should remain voiceless. – S.M. Stirling
Every technology has its downside . . .
Quote of the Day
I’m a fake journalist, and I’m embarrassed these guys scooped me. – Jon Stewart – The Audacity of Hos
When Jon Stewart starts pointing out the absence of the MSM on this, it’s a story with legs.
Quote of the Day
One of the greatest threats to mankind today is that the world may be choked by an explosively pervading but well camouflaged bureaucracy. – Norman Borlaug
Rest in peace, sir. If anyone has earned that, you have.
I still don’t know what “the shoulder thing that goes up” is. – Alan Gura
Still too busy to blog. It’s closing in on Midnight, and I have to get up at 7AM. Alan Gura gave about a 45 minute talk tonight beginning about 8:30, and then started taking questions. He may still be at it.
I’m glad he’s on our side. I have a lot more to say, but I have no idea when I’ll ba able to do it. Maybe Monday, from the looks of things.
Good night.
From a link in LabRat’s Parasite memes and monkeyspheres, David Wong’s Cracked.com piece What is the Monkeysphere?:
(S)ome people in the distant past naively thought they could sit all of the millions of monkeys down and say, “Okay, everybody go pick the bananas, then bring them here, and we’ll distribute them with a complex formula determining banana need! Now go gather bananas for the good of society!” For the monkeys it was a confused, comical, tree-humping disaster.
Later, a far more realistic man sat the monkeys down and said, “You want bananas? Each of you go get your own. I’m taking a nap.” That man, of course, was German philosopher Hans Capitalism.As long as everybody gets their own bananas and shares with the few in their Monkeysphere, the system will thrive even though nobody is even trying to make the system thrive. This is perhaps how Ayn Rand would have put it, had she not been such a hateful bitch.
Quote of the WEEK
From this YouTube video taken at a Washington Town Hall with Rep. Brian “Brownshirt” Baird:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rRE5UK6NQU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&w=640&h=505]
As a Marine, as a disabled veteran that served this country, I’ve kept my oath. Do you ever intend to keep yours?
David from Camas, WA
His Nancy Pelosi line was a close second.
Quote of the Day
I stole this one from my boss’s blog:
I will add as a fifth circumstance in the situation of the House of Representatives, restraining them from oppressive measures, that they can make no law which will not have its full operation on themselves and their friends, as well as on the great mass of the society. This has always been deemed one of the strongest bonds by which human policy can connect the rulers and the people together. It creates between them that communion of interests and sympathy of sentiments of which few governments have furnished examples; but without which every government degenerates into tyranny. If it be asked what is to restrain the House of Representatives from making legal discriminations in favor of themselves and a particular class of the society? I answer, the genius of the whole system, the nature of just and constitutional laws, and above all the vigilant and manly spirit which actuates the people of America, a spirit which nourishes freedom, and in return is nourished by it.
If this spirit shall ever be so far debased as to tolerate a law not obligatory on the Legislature as well as on the people, the people will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty.
James Madison as “Publius”, Federalist No. 57, February 19, 1788
“. . . the people will be prepared to tolerate anything but liberty.”
We certainly seem to be.
Suffice it to say, my life experience taught me that school isn’t a safe place to leave your children.
— John Taylor Gatto, The Underground History of American Education
The whole section is quotable, but this excerpt tops it all.
(Belated) Quote of the Day
But worth the wait:
Now let’s just take a minute and think about our elected officials, be they democrat, rino, or pretty much anyone other than Ron Paul, who has his own set of problems anyway. Some senators can’t manage to drive across a bridge without killing someone. Others think their staff sent them an internet. Bluntly put, congressmen and senators are too busy diddling page boys, evading their taxes, drowning their workers, going out with mistresses, explaining that barrel shrouds are shoulder things that go up, and generally demonstrating as frequently as possible that between all 535 of them you could find more intelligence and general competence (in ANY field other than getting elected) in a lightly stunned ground squirrel.
— Stingray, from Atomic Nerds in Just a thought . . .
Another “Oh. Damn.” moment.