Reloading the Matrix
"During the heat of the space race in the 1960's, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration decided it needed a ball point pen to write in the zero gravity confines of its space capsules. After considerable research and development, the Astronaut Pen was developed at a cost of about $241 million U.S. The pen worked and also enjoyed some modest success as a novelty item back here on Earth. The Soviet Union, faced with the same problem, used a pencil."
From The Federalist:
"A just security to property is not afforded by that government, under which unequal taxes oppress one species of property and reward another species." -- James Madison
Kevin Tuma - Press - cartoon commentary on the drop in credibility of the press. Hehe.
Ted Rall - How Your Two-Party System Works - Yup. Hehe. [smith2004]
Christian Stories - Atheist In The Woods - an entertaining story where one man learns, the hard way, that God does indeed exist. Hehe. [stanleyscoop]
A Woman's Guide on How to Pee Standing - You can get a device for $4.59 at www.travelmateinfo.com or use your fingers. Hehe. [picks]
4. Using either hand, make a "V" with your first and second finger and spread the inside of your labia minora. (the INNER lips) Beginners may want to try using the fingers from both hands for better control.
5. Lift to the desired angle, then pee. (If you don't spread and lift, it could run down your leg.)
Sunni Maravillosa at free-market.net - "I'm In" -- Mostly - Sunni liked The Matrix Reloaded. I plan to see it with my son this afternoon. Watched the first movie on video last night, so I'm primed for the second one. [claire]
So, are The Matrix movies really about freedom, or simply standard anti-authoritarian fare that's got some jargon to make Objectivists smile? For most libertarian movie-goers, the answer will likely have to wait until the release of The Matrix Revolutions. Thankfully, that's only six months away -- and you can get a taste of it by hanging around after the credits of The Matrix Reloaded.
Rachel Lucas - Babwa and the Hildebeast - Rachel's prediction for the likely content of Barbara Walters' interview with Hillary Clinton that will air on ABC at 7pm on Sunday, June 8. Hehe. [rachel]
Babwa: Hillawee, Hillawee. Do you really believe there's a conspiracy to destroy you and your husband?
Hildebeast: Shut up. Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get me.
Babwa: Right, then. I'd like to ask you about your plans to run for president. Will you run?
Hildebeast: I have no comment. I don't know what you're talking about. I am the junior senator from New York and that is my job. I have no presidential aspirations. People ask me, "Is Hillary running for president in 2008?" and I shake my head and respond, "It depends on what the meaning of the word 'is' is."
...
Babwa: Your book arrives in stores tomorrow. How do you think it will be received by the public?
Hildebeast: Who cares? I already got my eight million bucks. Piss on the public! The only thing the public needs to do is remain ignorant and easily manipulated so that more Democrats can be elected, specifically me. I have plans to turn the United States into a socialist utopia, you know, and those plans must not be thwarted.
James Bovard at The American Conservative - Surveillance State - warnings about the police state that has grown by leaps and bounds since September 11, 2001. Watch for Mr. Bovard's new book in September, Terrorism and Tyranny: Trampling Freedom, Justice and Peace to Rid the World of Evil. [smith2004]
Despite Ashcroft's reassurances, resistance is building. Eighty-nine cities have passed resolutions condemning the Patriot Act, and a coalition is stretching across ideological lines to oppose it. Recently the ACLU drafted a letter to Congress and found 67 organizations from the conservative Gun Owners of America to the liberal La Raza eager to sign on. They accuse Patriot II of "new and sweeping law enforcement and intelligence gathering powers, many of which are not related to terrorism, that would severely dilute, if not undermine, basic constitutional rights."
Three months after 9/11, Ashcroft announced, "To those who scare peace-loving people with phantoms of lost liberty, my message is this, your tactics only aid terrorists for they erode our national unity and ... give ammunition to American's enemies." Ashcroft is wrong to portray any criticism of Bush administration civil liberties policies as aiding and abetting terrorism. America is overdue for a searching examination of the powers the Bush administration has seized and the powers it is seeking.
Downsize DC is a project of the American Liberty Foundation, dedicated to repealing the federal personal income tax.
he 10th Amendment had once confined the federal government to only those functions listed in the Constitution--primarily courts and national defense, and a few other minor functions. But the court-created doctrine of "compelling state interest" opened the flood-gates for politicians to do practically anything they want, with the federal personal income tax providing most of the required funding.
This means that any attempt to downsize and decentralize government must eliminate the income tax and restore the full power and effect of the 10th Amendment. It must also provide a transition period for the federal government to eliminate and privatize failed programs, and to permit state governments to adopt functions that properly belong in their sphere, prior to ending the income tax.
The Liberty Amendment does all of these things. The Liberty Amendment reads...
Section 1: The government of the United States shall not engage in any business, professional, commercial, financial, or industrial enterprise, except as specified in the Constitution.
Section 2: The constitution or laws of any state, or the laws of the United States, shall not be subject to the terms of any foreign or domestic agreement which would abrogate this amendment.
Section 3: The activities of the United States government which violate the intent and purposes of this amendment shall, within a period of three years from the date of ratification of this amendment, be liquidated and the properties and facilities affected shall be sold.
Section 4: Three years after the ratification of this amendment the sixteenth article of amendments to the Constitution of the United States shall stand repealed and thereafter Congress shall not levy taxes on personal incomes, estates, and/or gifts.
Robert C. Martin at Artima Weblogs - One per Pixel - I'm linking to this mostly for the "summary" at the beginning, repeated below. [cafe]
How many software developers does it take to change a lightbulb? 10 to discuss the requirements, 10 more to do the analysis, 10 more to do the design, and one to write the code, 12 years later.
UICompiler for Java "is designed to be used as both a rapid prototyping tool for your GUIs as well as a superior approach to GUI building that well known players as NetBeans and JBuilder simply fail to address." I haven't tried it, but it looks interesting. [cafe]
