Do the Math!
"Here's the new billboard, in Austin, Texas, Eastbound 71 towards the airport, on the right hand side, just before the hotel complex. Lit up until 1am every night, until 3/31/2002." [realityexpander grabbe]
The Onion - Peace Activist Has To Admit .50 Caliber Sniper Rifle Is Pretty Cool - The Onion does it again. Hahaha. [brianf]
Despite his staunch opposition to the National Rifle Association and U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, peace activist Paul Robinson conceded Monday that the Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle is "pretty damn cool."
"Look, I realize that the use of this instrument of destruction, even in wartime, is morally reprehensible, and I don't see how anyone with a conscience could justify owning one," said Robinson, 31, a University of Vermont graduate student in sociology and president of the campus chapter of Amnesty International. "But you have to admit, it's pretty wild to think that it's capable of throwing a half-inch bullet into a man-sized target 1,500 meters away."
Ron Paul's Texas Straight Talk - WTO Demands Change in U.S. Tax Laws - U.S. out of w.t.o. now! Also, Dr. Paul intends to introduce legislation that would make all income earned outside of the territorial United States exempt from income taxes. This will match the laws in most of Europe.
Last week, the WTO appellate panel ruled that U.S. tax rules exempting some corporate income earned overseas from taxation constitute an "illegal subsidy." Incredible as it seems to liberty-minded Americans, the WTO and the Europeans are now telling us our laws are illegal and must be changed. It's hard to imagine a more blatant example of a loss of U.S. sovereignty. Yet there is no outcry or indignation in Congress at this naked demand that we change our laws to satisfy the rest of the world. I've yet to see one national politician or media outlet even suggest the obvious, namely that our domestic laws are simply none of the world's business.
Vin Suprynowicz - New crime-stopping plan would fine the victims - part of The Libertarian series. As usual, when the state attempts to deal with any problem, even one so simple as the stealing of shopping carts, it usually makes things worse.
Vin Suprynowicz - Nevada leaders afraid to put federal government in its place - part of The Libertarian series. Nevada has a good constitutional basis for fighting the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility, but their legislature is only making noises about it, not really attempting to stop the federales. They don't want a Supreme Court decision supporting the tenth amendment. They like big central government. Personally, I think the local sheriff should take matters into his own hands and declare that any federal employees found at the Yucca mountain site will be arrested. If they resist, they will be shot. This is a much better way to use those jack-booted thugs than breaking down the doors of drug users.
Article I, Section 8: "The Congress shall have Power to ... exercise exclusive Legislation in all areas whatsoever, over such District ..." (the District of Columbia is described) "... and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards and other needful buildings. ..."
So there you have it: The only way in which Congress can lay hands on a piece of land within one of the several states to use as it sees fit for a needful facility. (The tenth Amendment tells us there can't be any other way, because no other way is written down.) If the Yucca Mountain project is on the up and up, all the federals need to do is show us the written "consent of the post-1864 Nevada state Legislature" to sell Washington the lands in question, as well as the bill of sale, the receipt for the moneys paid by Washington to the state for the purchase of Yucca Mountain ...
Vin Suprynowicz - Please get in line ... it's Conga time - part of The Libertarian series. Vin comments on the many "school zones" in Las Vegas, most of which appear to be there only the enhance speeding ticket revenue.
State and federal law -- almost entirely ignored by Nevada cops and courts out of fear they might reduce vital "speeding ticket" revenues -- thus require a written engineering study justifying any speed limit posted, and such studies must take into account any special conditions relating to time or season, according to Chad Dornsife, Nevada representative of the National Motorists Association (chad@hwysafety.com).
My friends the all-day flashing lights "are speed traps, created primarily for purposes of enhancing municipal revenues" through the issuance of bogus and illegal "speeding tickets," Dornsife insists. "The FHA manual allows lower speed limits due to special conditions" like children in crosswalks, but the lower limits can be applied only at reasonable times, Dornsife explains. States that obey the law generally find their engineering studies dictate turning off the yellow school flashers half an hour after the kids have safely arrived at school, reactivating them only for an appropriate hour or so in the afternoon.
Vin Suprynowicz - It is finally Edward Kennedy's moment - part of The Libertarian series. Are we headed for a Teddy-Hitlary ticket in 2004? Gawd help us. Why Mr. Kennedy's crowing over the not-yet-implemented tax cut is completely bogus and how he is largely responsible for the huge federal debt.
Rather than allowing the tax cuts to go forward quickly enough to help the economy in the short term, Democrats last year managed to win a "gradual phase-in" of President Bush's modest tax rate cuts, with virtually none taking effect till 2005, and most of the impact back-loaded as late as 2010.
But no modern Democrat has ever stuck with a compromise for longer than it took to shake hands, of course. In a Jan. 16 speech at the National Press Club in Washington, Sen. Kennedy joined Sen. Clinton in calling for a "postponement" of $350 billion in scheduled tax cuts already approved, arguing of course that the cuts will benefit primarily "the rich," since Democrats define "the rich" as virtually anyone who pays taxes, rather than a net recipient of government handouts.
Concerned Citizens Opposed to Police States - A Few Minutes Reprieve for Freedom - The CCOPS Totalitarian Clock has been pushed back 13 minutes to 10:41pm, mostly due to a number of protests againts tyranny. [jpfo]
The Washington Times - Your papers please - more on the attempted new National ID via state drivers licenses. We've gotta stop this one in its tracks. [grabbe]
Of course, the AAMVA and other boosters of this bad idea try to offer soothing words about the precautions against abuse, and how much more "secure" we'd all be with Uncle Sam able to follow our every move. "The whole issue comes down to improving public safety and preventing identity fraud," enthused AAMVA spokesman Jason King. "It will take changes in federal legislation. It will take changes in state legislation, and it will most certainly require funding." It will take changes in attitude, too. Americans will have to grow accustomed to the idea of being tagged and catalogued like cattle -- and to swallow the imbecilic argument that such an electronic dragnet will never, ever be abused.
Java 1.4 RC1 is available for download from Sun. 36 megs for the Windoze version. [wes]
