First we had Star Trek and their little handheld communicators... then we had cell phones.
Next up we have Westwood Studio's Command & Conquer Red Alert (even before that really, since I know Nikolai Tesla did the original scientific theory that was used as the basis for the game) where they had what amounted to a Tesla Coil on crack... well, now the Army has their version of the game's Tesla Coil, using a laser to guide the electricity to the target with enough power to fuel a large city. 50 billion watts right to the target, in less than a second.
Thankfully they didn't report the range, or the exact design. Hopefully they'll keep that a secret as long as possible.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Thursday, June 28, 2012
The United Socialist States of America
I'd like to be the first to welcome everyone to the new United Socialist States of America!
Today's upholding of the individual mandate in the ACA (and with it the majority of the law at the same time) has given the federal government the authority to force Americans to buy any product they so wish, so long as they attach a fine to it and force payment through your yearly tax bill.
Thank you Justice Roberts, you idiot.
For anyone who is curious, here is the opinion writing from the Court, all 193 pages of it. I don't think even Roberts knows what the heck he was doing, his opinion flipped back and forth so much on the mandate portion.
Today's upholding of the individual mandate in the ACA (and with it the majority of the law at the same time) has given the federal government the authority to force Americans to buy any product they so wish, so long as they attach a fine to it and force payment through your yearly tax bill.
Thank you Justice Roberts, you idiot.
For anyone who is curious, here is the opinion writing from the Court, all 193 pages of it. I don't think even Roberts knows what the heck he was doing, his opinion flipped back and forth so much on the mandate portion.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Nanny State Tuesdays - Week 4
While I can agree with the sentiment, the idea of needing a law (in this case banning the wearing of pajamas in public) to do what should be the responsibility of parents, or at most a new policy put out by the school board, bugs the heck out of me. I also agree with the author of the article when he mentions that most pajamas are a heckuva lot better than mini-skirts and too-small tank tops.
Next up is not a new law, but one that has apparently been in place for years. Did you know that it is illegal to purchase a soda from a school vending machine during lunch? You can buy one before lunch and consume it during lunch, but the school is not allowed to sell them during the actual meal. What kind of silly bull is this? This kind of convoluted crud is why I keep saying we need to have people constantly reviewing laws and regulations, and not passing ones with stupid requirements like this. Davis High School in Salt Lake City was fined $15,000 for not complying with that nonsense.
Reasons I hate homeowner's associations? Here's one about a neighborhood in Denver that is try to ban sidewalk chalk drawings. Yes, seriously. There are actually people in that neighborhood that have a problem with children drawing things on the sidewalk with chalk. How many of us remember doing that as kids? Apparently these idiots would rather have their kids inside playing video games rather than outside using their imagination. If it was offensive I could understand it, but this is just nuts.
If anyone ever wanted proof that governments want their people stupid and unquestioning, this is a good example. A school in Britain called the cops to forceably remove a student from the library because he was so obsessed with studying that he wouldn't go home. Seriously? If he's there studying, and does so on a regular basis like that, why force him to leave? He's obviously not going to do any harm to the rest of the premises, and most schools these days have at least one night security guard that can lock the doors after he leaves (never understood the idea of sneaking back into school at night myself). The kid wasn't hurting anybody by being there. Much rather have a kid that wants to study than have to force them to do so, rather than having to make sure they get home because they're out at a party all night (my dad remembers how much of a pain my sister and I were at that age).
So, apparently it's been illegal to wear a swimsuit on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, NJ for a long time. They just haven't been enforcing it for 40 years. Oh no, not swimsuits on a boardwalk right on the beach! If the locals and businesses don't care, it's obviously an unnecessary law.
Next up is not a new law, but one that has apparently been in place for years. Did you know that it is illegal to purchase a soda from a school vending machine during lunch? You can buy one before lunch and consume it during lunch, but the school is not allowed to sell them during the actual meal. What kind of silly bull is this? This kind of convoluted crud is why I keep saying we need to have people constantly reviewing laws and regulations, and not passing ones with stupid requirements like this. Davis High School in Salt Lake City was fined $15,000 for not complying with that nonsense.
Reasons I hate homeowner's associations? Here's one about a neighborhood in Denver that is try to ban sidewalk chalk drawings. Yes, seriously. There are actually people in that neighborhood that have a problem with children drawing things on the sidewalk with chalk. How many of us remember doing that as kids? Apparently these idiots would rather have their kids inside playing video games rather than outside using their imagination. If it was offensive I could understand it, but this is just nuts.
If anyone ever wanted proof that governments want their people stupid and unquestioning, this is a good example. A school in Britain called the cops to forceably remove a student from the library because he was so obsessed with studying that he wouldn't go home. Seriously? If he's there studying, and does so on a regular basis like that, why force him to leave? He's obviously not going to do any harm to the rest of the premises, and most schools these days have at least one night security guard that can lock the doors after he leaves (never understood the idea of sneaking back into school at night myself). The kid wasn't hurting anybody by being there. Much rather have a kid that wants to study than have to force them to do so, rather than having to make sure they get home because they're out at a party all night (my dad remembers how much of a pain my sister and I were at that age).
So, apparently it's been illegal to wear a swimsuit on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, NJ for a long time. They just haven't been enforcing it for 40 years. Oh no, not swimsuits on a boardwalk right on the beach! If the locals and businesses don't care, it's obviously an unnecessary law.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Nifty Fetal Surgery
Just a quick link over to a cool story I saw. World's first surgery of a tumor while the child is still in the womb. The doc in question is a pioneer in the field of fetal medicine. This is the kind of stuff I like to see, it's world's better than people aborting their children because they might have a birth defect.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Another One Switches Sides
I always love to see RINOs switching to the Democrat party. It's nice to see them get rid of the (R) next to their name that keeps people voting for them just out of party loyalty.
By the same measure it's nice to see when a Democrat that is actually more right-leaning than many Repubs these days switches over to our side. The latest is Artur Davis, originally a Democrat from Alabama. He moved to Virginia and became a Republican.
The man has constantly criticized what Obama has been doing, and for that was pushed out of the Liberal whiners' group. He even had Mr. Jesse Jackson infer that he wasn't a black man because he voted against the Healthcare bill. I'm kind ofa fan of anyone that gets that moron angry, or even just annoyed.
By the same measure it's nice to see when a Democrat that is actually more right-leaning than many Repubs these days switches over to our side. The latest is Artur Davis, originally a Democrat from Alabama. He moved to Virginia and became a Republican.
The man has constantly criticized what Obama has been doing, and for that was pushed out of the Liberal whiners' group. He even had Mr. Jesse Jackson infer that he wasn't a black man because he voted against the Healthcare bill. I'm kind ofa fan of anyone that gets that moron angry, or even just annoyed.
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Nanny State Tuesdays - Week 3
Phone stamps... the idea alone really removes any need for me to add further comment.
Then you have the massive increased, by various government bodies, requests for information and removal of information from Google specifically. Makes you wonder how many requests companies like Yahoo and Microsoft (who runs Bing) get regarding the same information, and how many of the requests they comply with, doesn't it?
Ok, while this story isn't necessarily nanny state, I think it contributes to it in its own way. After all, fraudulent voting allows groups of people to sway elections. Dead votes, double registration, and now animals. I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised given that I live in Washington, home of the Liberal dead voters, though in this particular case it was in Virginia. How many state level elections have been decided by a few hundred votes, sometimes less?
Really, I get that many people hate the idea of being around smokers. Whether it's for the unproven health risks (regardless of what you hear on the news secondhand smoke still has not been proven to cause cancer; it may contribute to it, but it is only one of many factors) or just because people don't like the smell (which I agree with) removing the ability of people to do what they want so long as it's legal and does not hurt, or risk hurting, anyone else is just annoying. This latest bit is a community college (which means it's funded by taxpayer dollars and is thus technically partially owned by the students that attend or their parents) has them planning to ban smoking cigarettes anywhere on campus including a person's own car. If someone is smoking in their car it does not affect anyone except the occupants of that car. They open the door or window, smoke comes out, and then dissipates. It MIGHT affect someone walking by at that exact moment, but that temporary whiff isn't going to hurt anybody other than the minor annoyance of coughing.
If it was a privately funded college they could do whatever they wanted, but as a public institution they should be required to follow all of the state laws without instituting others to further their own goals of societal reform. If the state goes and outlaws smoking (which is Washington I could see happening, loss of revenue or not) that is totally different from a taxpayer funded facility doing so against the wishes of the people who fund it. Anything else and you have tyranny of the majority.
Then you have the massive increased, by various government bodies, requests for information and removal of information from Google specifically. Makes you wonder how many requests companies like Yahoo and Microsoft (who runs Bing) get regarding the same information, and how many of the requests they comply with, doesn't it?
Ok, while this story isn't necessarily nanny state, I think it contributes to it in its own way. After all, fraudulent voting allows groups of people to sway elections. Dead votes, double registration, and now animals. I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised given that I live in Washington, home of the Liberal dead voters, though in this particular case it was in Virginia. How many state level elections have been decided by a few hundred votes, sometimes less?
Really, I get that many people hate the idea of being around smokers. Whether it's for the unproven health risks (regardless of what you hear on the news secondhand smoke still has not been proven to cause cancer; it may contribute to it, but it is only one of many factors) or just because people don't like the smell (which I agree with) removing the ability of people to do what they want so long as it's legal and does not hurt, or risk hurting, anyone else is just annoying. This latest bit is a community college (which means it's funded by taxpayer dollars and is thus technically partially owned by the students that attend or their parents) has them planning to ban smoking cigarettes anywhere on campus including a person's own car. If someone is smoking in their car it does not affect anyone except the occupants of that car. They open the door or window, smoke comes out, and then dissipates. It MIGHT affect someone walking by at that exact moment, but that temporary whiff isn't going to hurt anybody other than the minor annoyance of coughing.
If it was a privately funded college they could do whatever they wanted, but as a public institution they should be required to follow all of the state laws without instituting others to further their own goals of societal reform. If the state goes and outlaws smoking (which is Washington I could see happening, loss of revenue or not) that is totally different from a taxpayer funded facility doing so against the wishes of the people who fund it. Anything else and you have tyranny of the majority.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Obama Disrespects Air Force Graduates
Just a quick link to show the mind of our Narcissist-in-Chief. He stopped the AF Academy graduation after his speech just so he could go campaign somewhere else... because showing your respect for the next line of AF officers and their families is a great thing to see from the President. I hope it got every person there to see what a worthless POS this guy is so they vote for Romney, or at least don't vote for Obama.
Nanny State Tuesdays - Week 2
First up, we have Mayor Bloomberg and his push to get those evil sugary drinks banned from public consumption. "I would just like to push that from the consumer point of view and to force the consumer to hopefully move over to the less fattening drinks and everybody will be better off." If they can force you to do something like that, what else can they force you to do? It's kind of like the individual mandate in the AHCA (Obamacare) only on a more everyday level for your average citizen instead of an issue for evil corporations and religious organizations. Anyone remember WWII and how it just started with one small sector of the population (the Jews) before extending to everyone? Baby steps my friends...
Next up we have the UN (or more accurately an independent council in the UN) planning to tax US-based companies in order for them to reach audiences in other countries. Basically it will allow countries and their local companies the ability to tax American companies for providing content to their citizens. Those companies are already taxed for doing business in the country, but now it puts the power in the hands of local companies to determine the price of the goods and force the sending company to pay the fees to make up the difference in price, after doing all of the groundwork and creating the product. This does nothing for the consumer but provides free money to local companies, and thus their governments in the form of taxes. What a fantastic idea, lets just get businesses to stop doing business in your country, thus reducing revenue for EVERYONE and would most likely result in layoffs on our end as the company sees its profits drop.
Then there is the controversial Zimmerman case. Both George and his wife are being charged with perjury for not fully disclosing their finances. I have to wonder however, what does your finances have to do with a murder charge? Especially one with extensive evidence proving your version of events, including witnesses and video? It's a murder charge, not a con job or white collar crime, there was no theft of cash involved. The only money involved is the cost to the county for the case and investigative work required because the DA felt the need to fold to public pressure without sufficient evidence.
This just goes to show that our courts have a problem with items that are not involved whatsoever with the cases before them. It's information gathering without a reason except to try and pull a "gotcha" on private citizens that they feel should be jailed for not bending knee before them. There needs to be some kind of rules in place that requires information requested by the court to have to be related to the crime of the accused. If someone is charged with murder and it's not for something like insurance money or an inheritance there is no reason to request financial information unless the person is requesting a public attorney (which the story doesn't mention).
Ok, here's a WTF... the town of Middleborough, Massachusetts has passed a $20 fine for swearing in public. Now, I'm not a huge fan of swearing in public (I've been really trying to reduce my swearing period), but fining people now? Seriously? You going to charge a guy $20 if he drops something on his foot and swears in response? Is your town really so hard up for cash that this is necessary? WTF.
Next up we have the UN (or more accurately an independent council in the UN) planning to tax US-based companies in order for them to reach audiences in other countries. Basically it will allow countries and their local companies the ability to tax American companies for providing content to their citizens. Those companies are already taxed for doing business in the country, but now it puts the power in the hands of local companies to determine the price of the goods and force the sending company to pay the fees to make up the difference in price, after doing all of the groundwork and creating the product. This does nothing for the consumer but provides free money to local companies, and thus their governments in the form of taxes. What a fantastic idea, lets just get businesses to stop doing business in your country, thus reducing revenue for EVERYONE and would most likely result in layoffs on our end as the company sees its profits drop.
Then there is the controversial Zimmerman case. Both George and his wife are being charged with perjury for not fully disclosing their finances. I have to wonder however, what does your finances have to do with a murder charge? Especially one with extensive evidence proving your version of events, including witnesses and video? It's a murder charge, not a con job or white collar crime, there was no theft of cash involved. The only money involved is the cost to the county for the case and investigative work required because the DA felt the need to fold to public pressure without sufficient evidence.
This just goes to show that our courts have a problem with items that are not involved whatsoever with the cases before them. It's information gathering without a reason except to try and pull a "gotcha" on private citizens that they feel should be jailed for not bending knee before them. There needs to be some kind of rules in place that requires information requested by the court to have to be related to the crime of the accused. If someone is charged with murder and it's not for something like insurance money or an inheritance there is no reason to request financial information unless the person is requesting a public attorney (which the story doesn't mention).
Ok, here's a WTF... the town of Middleborough, Massachusetts has passed a $20 fine for swearing in public. Now, I'm not a huge fan of swearing in public (I've been really trying to reduce my swearing period), but fining people now? Seriously? You going to charge a guy $20 if he drops something on his foot and swears in response? Is your town really so hard up for cash that this is necessary? WTF.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Heads Up LinkedIn Users
Just saw this over at CNet. Still under investigation, but there is the possibility a large number of passwords have been leaked online. If you have an account on LinkedIn I recommend changing it just to be safe.
LinkedIn Passwords Leaked
LinkedIn Passwords Leaked
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Nanny State Tuesdays
So given the list of silly government overreach stories lately I thought I'd start a simple linkfest to stories that highlight our fantastic government (local, state, and federal) sticking their nose where it doesn't belong and trying to control every facet of our lives. Nanny State Tuesdays have begun!
To start we have a pair of schools that decided cheering during a graduation ceremony was just so dang bad that one resulted in an arrest, and the second a withheld diploma (thus threatening a student's college prospects).
Myrtle Beach, SC
Cincinnati, OH
Now, last I checked graduations are supposed to be a cause for celebration. Whether High School or College it is a passage of the individual from one point of their life to another, and in most cases is a significant achievement. The woman who was arrested for cheering at her daughter's ceremony was also jailed, and had to pay a $225 bond in order to get released. The young man from Ohio is currently having his diploma withheld until he performs 20 hours of community service. Thank you government organization (schools are federally funded and run by the state government in case you weren't aware) for determining that we are no longer allowed to show joy and support for our nations young adults.
Next up we have the mayor of Berkeley trying to push through legislation that makes it illegal to SIT ON THE SIDEWALK. Yes, I'm serious.
My personal favorite of the items this week is the EPA use of drones to fly over cattle ranches "to protect people and the environment from violations of the Clean Water Act." There's just a couple of problems with this approach. One, in order to perform surveillance on an individual you need a warrant, and a good reason to actually put the person/area under watch (usually involves this annoying thing called evidence, or at least a reason to suspect that a violation occurred beyond hatred of the industry in question). Second, even with FAA approval (of which none has been granted in those areas according to my contact; though they are not allowed to give out names of organizations without a formal FOIA request) to fly over an area, in the case of private property the agency in question must by law get permission from the landowner to fly over his/her property.
I'd bet money that no permission was gained or even sought; similar to the recent situation in Seattle where the cops complained to the local newspaper that the FAA had denied them the ability to use UAVs, when no permission had been requested nor paperwork submitted.
If you know of any stories that show government getting stupid about laws or actions they've taken, feel free to post them and the related links in the comments section. Or you can email them to me at truebluevigilance@gmail.com and I'll add them to next week's list.
To start we have a pair of schools that decided cheering during a graduation ceremony was just so dang bad that one resulted in an arrest, and the second a withheld diploma (thus threatening a student's college prospects).
Myrtle Beach, SC
Cincinnati, OH
Now, last I checked graduations are supposed to be a cause for celebration. Whether High School or College it is a passage of the individual from one point of their life to another, and in most cases is a significant achievement. The woman who was arrested for cheering at her daughter's ceremony was also jailed, and had to pay a $225 bond in order to get released. The young man from Ohio is currently having his diploma withheld until he performs 20 hours of community service. Thank you government organization (schools are federally funded and run by the state government in case you weren't aware) for determining that we are no longer allowed to show joy and support for our nations young adults.
Next up we have the mayor of Berkeley trying to push through legislation that makes it illegal to SIT ON THE SIDEWALK. Yes, I'm serious.
My personal favorite of the items this week is the EPA use of drones to fly over cattle ranches "to protect people and the environment from violations of the Clean Water Act." There's just a couple of problems with this approach. One, in order to perform surveillance on an individual you need a warrant, and a good reason to actually put the person/area under watch (usually involves this annoying thing called evidence, or at least a reason to suspect that a violation occurred beyond hatred of the industry in question). Second, even with FAA approval (of which none has been granted in those areas according to my contact; though they are not allowed to give out names of organizations without a formal FOIA request) to fly over an area, in the case of private property the agency in question must by law get permission from the landowner to fly over his/her property.
I'd bet money that no permission was gained or even sought; similar to the recent situation in Seattle where the cops complained to the local newspaper that the FAA had denied them the ability to use UAVs, when no permission had been requested nor paperwork submitted.
If you know of any stories that show government getting stupid about laws or actions they've taken, feel free to post them and the related links in the comments section. Or you can email them to me at truebluevigilance@gmail.com and I'll add them to next week's list.
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