Maybe my mind does work weird.
The good man at Random Acts of Patriotism publishes a nice take on the TSA boys eye-raping Donna D'Errico, and a quite different image comes to me.
Janet Napolitano in a little black dress, oozing her way to the front of the security line, stage whispering, "Me. Me. Probulate Me. Please."
So sue me.
Dec 12, 2010
Cheated Death Again
It was brutal, but the practical effect on me was about 36 hours of enforced sloth. We're now behind the blizzard -- in garish sunshine, in the middle of one of those huge mid-continent high-pressure systems that portend days of sub-zero annoyance.
Never mind. It keeps out the riff-raff.
Paul appeared at 10 a.m. on his sturdy International Harvester M, and my lane is now passable. As Jinglebob reminded us yesterday, it is good to live in a place where "neighbor" is still a meaningful word.
Never mind. It keeps out the riff-raff.
Paul appeared at 10 a.m. on his sturdy International Harvester M, and my lane is now passable. As Jinglebob reminded us yesterday, it is good to live in a place where "neighbor" is still a meaningful word.
Dec 11, 2010
Arm the Iowa Hawkeyes
A Fort Madison Democrat by the name of Gene Fraise is the new chairman of the Iowa Senate Judiciary Committee. Among other things, this means he's the crisp-suited critter who can pretty much decide what public safety matters the other 49 senators can and can not vote on.
One proposal would amend the state Constitution to recognize the right to use arms for personal defense and, perhaps, depending on final wording, defense of your property.
Senator Fraise finds this chilling. "I've always felt like we've got to be real careful about what we start sticking into the constitution," he said.
Danged straight, Senator. For instance, sticking all that stuff about freedom of speech and privacy rights and what-all into constitutions has caused all sorts of inconvenience for senators and presidents and so forth. It makes the proles uppity.
---
Adding a 2A style amendment to the Iowa Constitution is part of the liberty wish list for the 2011 session. The askings include a move to adopt the Alaska/Arizona/Vermont philosophy. (By what right does a state have any business whatsoever hamstringing a right guaranteed by the federal Constitution?)
Never mind, says Senator Fraise. "At first blush, I'd say I don't think we want to go down that road, but I'm open to looking at it, with reservations." Translation: "Not a prayer, John Q. Any such thing gets lost in my blushing drawers."
One proposal would amend the state Constitution to recognize the right to use arms for personal defense and, perhaps, depending on final wording, defense of your property.
Senator Fraise finds this chilling. "I've always felt like we've got to be real careful about what we start sticking into the constitution," he said.
Danged straight, Senator. For instance, sticking all that stuff about freedom of speech and privacy rights and what-all into constitutions has caused all sorts of inconvenience for senators and presidents and so forth. It makes the proles uppity.
---
Adding a 2A style amendment to the Iowa Constitution is part of the liberty wish list for the 2011 session. The askings include a move to adopt the Alaska/Arizona/Vermont philosophy. (By what right does a state have any business whatsoever hamstringing a right guaranteed by the federal Constitution?)
Never mind, says Senator Fraise. "At first blush, I'd say I don't think we want to go down that road, but I'm open to looking at it, with reservations." Translation: "Not a prayer, John Q. Any such thing gets lost in my blushing drawers."
Another proposal would forbid cities to water down Iowa's new shall-issue law by restricting concealed or open carry in parks and public buildings. That gets city commissars nervous. For instance, Keokuk Police Chief Thomas Crew said "the last thing his city needs is irritable people openly carrying weapons when paying their parking tickets or handling other city business."
May I make a constructive suggestion, here, Chief? Thank you. Stop doing so much petty crap that tends to make so many of your subjects irritable.
---
It's early in the lawmaking circus, so I of course have no idea how all this will end. But the GOP -- pretty libertarian on gun rights, if on little else -- recaptured the house, 60-40, and closed the senate Democrats gap to 24-26.
And Republicans in the upper house are led by a fellow whose sentiments are not in doubt.
"Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton", ... bought his wife a .38-caliber gun for their wedding anniversary.
May I make a constructive suggestion, here, Chief? Thank you. Stop doing so much petty crap that tends to make so many of your subjects irritable.
---
It's early in the lawmaking circus, so I of course have no idea how all this will end. But the GOP -- pretty libertarian on gun rights, if on little else -- recaptured the house, 60-40, and closed the senate Democrats gap to 24-26.
And Republicans in the upper house are led by a fellow whose sentiments are not in doubt.
"Senate Minority Leader Paul McKinley, R-Chariton", ... bought his wife a .38-caliber gun for their wedding anniversary.
Shaking Hands with Admiral Beaufort
(Or, "Where's the Furshlugginer St. Bernard When you Need Him?")
The century-old burr oaks shimmy in the wind. I cannot see the road some 250 feet away.
It is timely, therefore, to think of the admiral's classification of winds. As the Camp J day progresses, we'll work our way up the scale.
First, Force 7: Whole trees in motion. Effort needed to walk against the wind.
Then, Force 9: Some branches break off trees, and some small trees blow over. Construction/temporary signs and barricades blow over.
(Those are the land conditions. For a further journey into mortal fear, see the link for parallel effects asea.)
The six inches of snow today will add to the merriment as we progress toward a predicted low of minus 15.
If you care to have your sympathy further elicited, see it live.
The century-old burr oaks shimmy in the wind. I cannot see the road some 250 feet away.
It is timely, therefore, to think of the admiral's classification of winds. As the Camp J day progresses, we'll work our way up the scale.
First, Force 7: Whole trees in motion. Effort needed to walk against the wind.
Then, Force 9: Some branches break off trees, and some small trees blow over. Construction/temporary signs and barricades blow over.
(Those are the land conditions. For a further journey into mortal fear, see the link for parallel effects asea.)
The six inches of snow today will add to the merriment as we progress toward a predicted low of minus 15.
If you care to have your sympathy further elicited, see it live.
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