(via Strategypage).
Check my very first post on this blog about Women in the special forces? It draws traffic from all over the world regularly.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
If You Rob A Bank, Perhaps You Shouldn't Brag About It On MySpace Techdirt
from the just-a-suggestion dept
from the just-a-suggestion dept
Lethal Self-Defense, a Crime?
The Volokh Conspiracy : "Can Lethal Self-Defense, Even Against Threats of Death, Serious Bodily Injury, Rape, and Kidnapping, Be Made a Crime?"
Monday, June 1, 2009
Rhode Island- prostitution allowed indoors
An interesting and a well written story from Providence Journal about a change in law to get prostitutes off the streets. The lawmakers changed the law to make prostitution a misdemeanor crime instead of a felony to speed prosecution in the courts. The unintended effect of the law was that prostitutes were barred from soliciting in public but it could not be applied to the undercover activity taking place indoor.
The story goes on to highlight futile attempts by the police to shut down brothels/massage parlours. The article quotes John C. Revens Jr., a former Senate Majority leader and a lawyer:
“They would never sponsor a bill decriminalizing prostitution if they knew what it was,” Revens said. “No way. Not in a million years.”
I thought the story was very amusing. So finally a place in America which decriminalizes activity between consenting adults, even if it was by mistake.
(via The Volokh Conspiracy)
The story goes on to highlight futile attempts by the police to shut down brothels/massage parlours. The article quotes John C. Revens Jr., a former Senate Majority leader and a lawyer:
“They would never sponsor a bill decriminalizing prostitution if they knew what it was,” Revens said. “No way. Not in a million years.”
I thought the story was very amusing. So finally a place in America which decriminalizes activity between consenting adults, even if it was by mistake.
(via The Volokh Conspiracy)
Ayn Rand relevant today
Charleston Daily Mail - Ayn Rand relevant today, speaker says :
"Yaron Brook makes you stop and think.
Like when he says, 'I'd like to abolish Social Security. Talk about a pyramid scheme! The only difference between Social Security and Bernie Madoff is, you're forced to participate in this pyramid scheme.
'I talk about Social Security in moral terms,' Brook said. 'If you didn't have Social Security, you would have responsible, rational people who would save and earn much more than they do with Social Security. And you would have an irresponsible group that wouldn't save. Social Security is a welfare program for irresponsible people, and that's what it should be called.'"
"Yaron Brook makes you stop and think.
Like when he says, 'I'd like to abolish Social Security. Talk about a pyramid scheme! The only difference between Social Security and Bernie Madoff is, you're forced to participate in this pyramid scheme.
'I talk about Social Security in moral terms,' Brook said. 'If you didn't have Social Security, you would have responsible, rational people who would save and earn much more than they do with Social Security. And you would have an irresponsible group that wouldn't save. Social Security is a welfare program for irresponsible people, and that's what it should be called.'"
Definition of "Excessive force"
There has been a lot of hue and cry over the attacks on Indian students in Australia. There are over 90000 Indian students in Australia and there have been half a dozen attacks recently of varying degrees ranging from beatings to a stabbing. There has been a lot of noise over the racial nature of violence.
What I would like to know is whether the brutal beating of the non-racial nature is any less painful or acceptable? A lot of the acts were robberies gone wrong. In any case racism of all variety is deplorable but to condemn the whole country as racist because of a few nuts is ridiculous. A lot of my relatives have been and some still are in Australia and they can't stop singing it's praises.
The role of media in whipping up of hysteria is verging on unethical. There have been no figures given on the comparisons in attacks on Indian students and other students, number of attacks in past and the current year. The TV channels in their enthusiasm now are going hysterical on the alleged excessive force used by the Melbourne police in removing protesters forcibly who refused to move from one of the busiest streets of Melbourne. Excessive force? You've got to be kidding me? I saw the footage and I saw nothing of that sort. Besides, what were they supposed to do? Let them sit there and inconvenience everybody else?
The students by their mass protest and blocking of the streets have done their cause no good. I'll quote Ayn Rand who said the following:
In India a protest like this would not be handled by Indian police with such civility. There are far more worse things police here do then bodily lift protesters. These include tear gassing, cane charge, hitting with rifle-butts (I was beaten-up during anti-reservation protest in 91, couldn't walk for three days), molestation of women (the whole country saw the groping of doctors on TV), shooting- frequently resulting in seriously wounding and killing of protesters (retaliation against stone throwing).
The hypocrisy of the Indian media is unbelievable. I have not seen such massive collective cry of outrage by the media in recent past over the far more serious violations by the police in India. If the conduct of Aussie police is labeled "excessive force", I wonder if we can ever find the right words to suitably describe the barbaric behavior of the Indian police.
What I would like to know is whether the brutal beating of the non-racial nature is any less painful or acceptable? A lot of the acts were robberies gone wrong. In any case racism of all variety is deplorable but to condemn the whole country as racist because of a few nuts is ridiculous. A lot of my relatives have been and some still are in Australia and they can't stop singing it's praises.
The role of media in whipping up of hysteria is verging on unethical. There have been no figures given on the comparisons in attacks on Indian students and other students, number of attacks in past and the current year. The TV channels in their enthusiasm now are going hysterical on the alleged excessive force used by the Melbourne police in removing protesters forcibly who refused to move from one of the busiest streets of Melbourne. Excessive force? You've got to be kidding me? I saw the footage and I saw nothing of that sort. Besides, what were they supposed to do? Let them sit there and inconvenience everybody else?
The students by their mass protest and blocking of the streets have done their cause no good. I'll quote Ayn Rand who said the following:
The forcible occupation of another man’s property or the obstruction of a public thoroughfare is so blatant a violation of rights that an attempt to justify it becomes an abrogation of morality. An individual has no right to do a “sit-in” in the home or office of a person he disagrees with—and he does not acquire such a right by joining a gang. Rights are not a matter of numbers—and there can be no such thing, in law or in morality, as actions forbidden to an individual, but permitted to a mob.
The Cashing-In: The Student ‘Rebellion,’” Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, 256.
In India a protest like this would not be handled by Indian police with such civility. There are far more worse things police here do then bodily lift protesters. These include tear gassing, cane charge, hitting with rifle-butts (I was beaten-up during anti-reservation protest in 91, couldn't walk for three days), molestation of women (the whole country saw the groping of doctors on TV), shooting- frequently resulting in seriously wounding and killing of protesters (retaliation against stone throwing).
The hypocrisy of the Indian media is unbelievable. I have not seen such massive collective cry of outrage by the media in recent past over the far more serious violations by the police in India. If the conduct of Aussie police is labeled "excessive force", I wonder if we can ever find the right words to suitably describe the barbaric behavior of the Indian police.
Doggy drama
Some amazing stuff from 1930's. As Isaac says, "You'll never look at dogs the same way again."
(via Isaac Schrödinger)
(via Isaac Schrödinger)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Business error leads owner in new direction and success
Business error leads owner in new direction and success - OCRegister.com:
"Gala's story is also about how the entrepreneurial journey can lead in unexpected directions, and if you don't quit during the unbelievably hard times you just might build a successful enterprise."
"Gala's story is also about how the entrepreneurial journey can lead in unexpected directions, and if you don't quit during the unbelievably hard times you just might build a successful enterprise."
After Susan Boyle's magnificent performance her winning the competition "Briton got talent" was a foregone conclusion. So it was a complete upset when a dance troupe beat her in the finals.
Judge for yourself if they deserved it. As for me, I think the dance was good but was it better then the song? No way. I admired the skill of the dancers and the imaginative choreography (the transformer move was sheer genius). Still it didn't have the awesome, moving power of the Susan's performance.
(via The Volokh Conspiracy)
Judge for yourself if they deserved it. As for me, I think the dance was good but was it better then the song? No way. I admired the skill of the dancers and the imaginative choreography (the transformer move was sheer genius). Still it didn't have the awesome, moving power of the Susan's performance.
(via The Volokh Conspiracy)
A piece of history
History, woman, aircraft, skill, intensity, concentration. Nice picture.
Palmer, Alfred T., photographer.
Women are trained to do precise and vital engine installation detail in Douglas Aircraft Company plants, Long Beach, Calif.1942 Oct.
Women are trained to do precise and vital engine installation detail in Douglas Aircraft Company plants, Long Beach, Calif.1942 Oct.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Objectivist Roundup
See all the good stuff with an objectivist viewpoint of the past week in one place at Ramen & Rand: My First Objectivist Roundup!.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Star Trek: A Military Analysis Danger Room Wired.com
"Twenty-third century warfare isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You’d think that weapons and tactics would have progressed in 200 years. But the new Star Trek movie shows that the United Federation of Planets has a lot to learn about warfare."
Federation has a lot to learn about handrails (Mad Minerva's bad section in the movie review) and seat-belts (my comment) too apparently.
"Twenty-third century warfare isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. You’d think that weapons and tactics would have progressed in 200 years. But the new Star Trek movie shows that the United Federation of Planets has a lot to learn about warfare."
Federation has a lot to learn about handrails (Mad Minerva's bad section in the movie review) and seat-belts (my comment) too apparently.
Doesn't this wired article about "Mexican Drug Gang Builds DIY Gun Truck " remind you of the Chicago gangs of the depression era, when the gangs acquired Tommy sub-machine guns which were World War I surplus.
Conditioning Research: optical Illusion:
"This isn't exactly fitness related but it is absolutely fascinating. Check out this illusion:
The break of the curveball "
"This isn't exactly fitness related but it is absolutely fascinating. Check out this illusion:
The break of the curveball "
Guy Sues Guinness For Naming Him The Most Litigious Person In The World
from the just-to-prove-the-point... dept
from the just-to-prove-the-point... dept
Taking the fun out of marijuana. - Slate Magazine:
" We've taken the caffeine out of coffee, the alcohol out of beer, and the smoke out of tobacco.
What's next?
the fun out of pot."
" We've taken the caffeine out of coffee, the alcohol out of beer, and the smoke out of tobacco.
What's next?
the fun out of pot."
More Privacy Laws Don't Mean More Privacy Techdirt:
"from the think-this-through dept
There's evidence that we're about to see a big new push in 'privacy' laws at both the state and federal level, and while privacy is important, these laws often do the exact opposite of what they're intended to do."
"from the think-this-through dept
There's evidence that we're about to see a big new push in 'privacy' laws at both the state and federal level, and while privacy is important, these laws often do the exact opposite of what they're intended to do."
What about albino hunchback lesbians of Vietnamese descent:
"The nomination of a “wise Latina woman” to the Supreme Court of the United States has signaled the Obama administration’s intent to scrap the Constitution. Whereas SOTUS jurists are charged with interpreting the constitutionality of laws and court rulings, the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Court is the opening salvo in Mr. Obama’s attempt to dismantle the Constitution in favor of a Court that looks upon each individual ruling in light of the appellant’s personal background and life history."
"The nomination of a “wise Latina woman” to the Supreme Court of the United States has signaled the Obama administration’s intent to scrap the Constitution. Whereas SOTUS jurists are charged with interpreting the constitutionality of laws and court rulings, the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the Court is the opening salvo in Mr. Obama’s attempt to dismantle the Constitution in favor of a Court that looks upon each individual ruling in light of the appellant’s personal background and life history."
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
China warns Federal Reserve over 'printing money' - Telegraph: "China warns Federal Reserve over 'printing money'
China has warned a top member of the US Federal Reserve that it is increasingly disturbed by the Fed's direct purchase of US Treasury bonds."
(via Instapundit)
China has warned a top member of the US Federal Reserve that it is increasingly disturbed by the Fed's direct purchase of US Treasury bonds."
(via Instapundit)
Reinventing the Magazine-WSJ.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
