Some good commentary from Kyle Smith at the New York Post Writing about Men on Strike by Helen Smith
It may be true that without women, men would have no reason to be civilized. It is equally true that without men civilization will only last until the oil needs changing. Maybe civilization is being reminded of that.
Greg Ellifritz of Active Response Training has an article up entitled How to Survive a Mass Shooting . In it he debunks a few of the egregious errors that the so-called "experts" offer us hoi polloi on the subject.
Read it. The life you save may be you own.
Mike Vanderboegh posts the transcript of his speech at Temple TX on June 1, 2013.
In the novel Dracula, Bram Stoker redefined the mythological vampire. What was originally a fundamentally vicious and predatory monster became a sophisticated if slightly odd gentleman of the European nobility. Given that, the wealthy, urbane vampires of Twilight make a little sense. However, the Twilight series went too far, IMO, when Meyers made her vampires sensitive. Predictably, there is now a "thinking person's Walking Dead" which introduces a new kind of undead: The pathetic, angst-ridden zombie.
BBC?s In the Flesh Is the Thinking Person?s Walking Dead
The high concept for In the Flesh is that being a zombie isn't a permanent condition. Or, rather, it is, but thanks to a combination of drugs, therapy and cosmetics, zombies, or those with "Partially Deceased Syndrome," in the socially acceptable doublespeak of the show, they can be rehabilitated and placed back into society. The central character in the show is Kieren Walker (Luke Newberry), a PDS sufferer who returns to his hometown after committing suicide and then being resurrected as one of the undead. He's not happy to be back, and his conflicted feelings are reflected by both his family, who are simultaneously afraid of him and scared of losing him again, and his community, which is torn apart by bigotry against recovering PDS sufferers and bitterness over the deaths they caused before their cure.
The premise of the show does not create a "thinking person’s Walking Dead" unless the person doing the thinking has a death wish. If zombies -- or vampires for that matter -- really existed, the thinking person would be contemplating ways to exterminate them.
First the judge ruled that evidence for Trayvon Martin's less than angelic behavior cannot be presented in opening statements. At least for now.
A judge on Tuesday ruled that Zimmerman’s lawyers won’t be allowed to present in opening statements Trayvon’s tough-talking text messages and social media posts, nor any discussion of his marijuana use — part of a defense strategy to shred the character of the Miami Gardens teen slain last year in Sanford.
Judge won’t delay Zimmerman trial, limits evidence of Trayvon's past
Now it looks like the prosecution actually withheld evidence from the defense.
A court employee who retrieved photos and deleted text messages from Trayvon Martin's cellphone has been placed on administrative leave after an attorney testified that prosecutors didn't properly turn over the evidence to the defense, an attorney said Wednesday.
Former prosecutor Wesley White said he was ethically obligated to reveal that Fourth Judicial Circuit Information Technology Director Ben Kruidbos retrieved the data that weren't turned over.
Lawyer: Zimmerman prosecutor withheld evidence
I am not a lawyer, much less one practicing in Florida, so it is hard to predict for sure what the impact will be on the trial. However, this is clearly prosecutorial misconduct and, at the the least, a grand jury should be convened to investigate. If any intentional deception is disciverd then someone must be indicted.
The system only works because people believe it works. If the system does not correct its own errors then that belief is challenged. Too many such derelictions and the system will collapse. A justice system cannot survive without a tacit acknowledgment of legitimacy from the public.
Right now, it is looking more and more like there is a fix in the works and Florida wants Zimmerman on a railroad to a cell and the people in charge are unafraid to do illegal things to make that happen.
Three years ago my doctor switched to a so-called concierge service and no longer accepted insurance payments. I admit I was a bit skeptical but, so far, it has worked out well for me. Franky l am glad to see this trend in medical care. I think the evidence clearly indicates is that the HMO/PPO model has inflated prices for basic medical care beyond what a free market would charge.
South Portland doctor stops accepting insurance, posts prices online
SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Dr. Michael Ciampi took a step this spring that many of his fellow physicians would describe as radical.
The family physician stopped accepting all forms of health insurance. In early 2013, Ciampi sent a letter to his patients informing them that he would no longer accept any kind of health coverage, both private and government-sponsored. Given that he was now asking patients to pay for his services out of pocket, he posted his prices on the practice’s website.
The change took effect April 1.
Read the rest here.
According to the Daily Herald of the Batavia, Illinois, the local school board proposes to discipline a teacher named John Dryden.
His offense? He told his students the truth about their rights under the US Constitution.
Dryden, a social studies teacher, told some of his students April 18 that they had a 5th Amendment right to not incriminate themselves by answering questions on the survey, which had each student's name printed on it.
The survey, reportedly had questions regarding alcohol and drug use and each survey was traceable to the student who filled it out. This led to Dryden telling his students that they have the right to not incriminate themselves. What he said is absolutely true. The fact the school district is even considering disciplining him for it make me wonder what are the teaching kids these days? It certainly isn't respect for the truth.
This image and the surrounding incidents is iconic of the fundamental uselessness of government. The Stockholm Police Department didn't even try to stop the rioters from torching the cars but the next day a "meter maid" shows up to ticket them.
Related article: Parking Tickets Issued on Wrecks while Stockholm Burns
Pope Francis suggests that it is possible.
But the pope, in a morning Mass on Wednesday, suggested that belief and faith weren’t the biggest factors. He said, CNN reported: "The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ — all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone. 'Father, the atheists?' Even the atheists. Everyone. We must meet one another doing good. 'But I don’t believe, Father, I am an atheist.' But do good: We will meet one another there."
This is sure to spark a wildfire of outrage. The idea that good works can earn salvation really pisses off some Christians. Grace is presented as necessary and sufficient for salvation. In less extreme sects that grace comes as the result of a choice the individual makes to be saved. In its more extreme forms -- Calvinism for example -- the saved were selected at the creation of the world and how each lives his life doesn't matter. At neither extreme, nor in the middle can grace be earned by action. It is a gift from the Christian God and character or conduct have nothing whatsoever to do with the salvation of the soul.
Organic chemistry was not my best subject so I don't know for sure the following will work. Also "The Journal of Apocryphal Chemistry" sounds more tongue-in-cheek than serious. However, if true, it does represent a unique reaction to the silliness of drugged war.
A Simple and Convenient Synthesis of Pseudoephedrine From N-Methylamphetamine (PDF)
