Read the Bill of Rights and indicate which amendment is the most important and defend your choice!

I was given that assignment.

Response:
While every amendment to the constitution of the Unites States is important, the single most important is paradoxically the Second Amendment. The freedom of speech of only truly guaranteed by the capacity of the populace to cast out the tyrants who would quash the freedom of speech/ the freedom of press is safeguarded by the right of publishers to protect their assets. The right to peaceably assemble and petition for redress of grievances is prevented from becoming a Tiananmen Square massacre by the right of the people to bear arms. The right to freely exercise ones religion is guarded from giving adversaries a facility for intimidation and extermination as a whole. Without the not so subtly implied threat that an armed populace presents, the protection against quartering of soldiers without consent would be non-existent. No citizen could truly be secure in their persons or property without the capacity to defend themselves or their property. Without the capacity to arm, and by extension defend oneself, a lynch-mob can easily deprive you right to a Grand Jury, or protection against double jeopardy. The protection against secret and long drawn out trials would evaporate ones the First amendment rights were lost. The right to a jury trial would disappear once the Grand jury did. I fully expect all bail to be denied once a puppet court with secret proceedings, no right to counsel, no right to face your accuser has become the operating principle of the justice system. Without the capacity for the people to reform the government whether by voting, the judiciary, or even open and armed revolt; they will become nothing more than subjects.

"Time to unplug"

In today's world of always on and always available distractions, wants are far too often confused with needs. To prevent one's brain from becoming overly dependent on pervasive connectivity, have a "Pioneer Day." A Pioneer Day is a day without anything invented after 1890. Turn off the cell phone. Unplug the computers. Flick off the lights. If it's between 50 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit, turn off the HVAC and open the windows.

With the myriad of intrusions abated, one can begin to appreciate the truly important things. Conversation is one of the first things one will notice. Without the arbitrary 160 character limit imposed by SMS text messages or the 140 character limitation of Twitter®, conversations now take on a meandering voyage instead of the staccato machine gun "instant message" version.

Now being dependant on the desk lamp in the sky, we find ourselves synchronized with the pulse of the world. A metabolically reasonable bedtime takes us to slumber in the evening. Our bodies call us to wake when the rest cycle is complete.

Thoughts, once fleeting, are now given opportunity to take root and blossom. Boredom once filled with purely passive activities now requires engaging activities. The purely tactile joy of turning a page in a well loved book should fill the boredom of even the most tech crazed neophyte.

The technology that allows us to contact any distant relation at any time has robbed us of the appreciation of the relations within arm's reach.

Life Happens

I apologize to my 3.2 readers for the dearth of posts.

The XO is 5.5 months away from completing her degree in nursing.

Still waiting to find the time to kill some more paper people. (That'd be targets, not shallow, fake persons)

I did make the time to reread Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
I Highly recommend it to anyone confused by the state of the world.

An interesting take on ObamaCare

Nutshell version screw 90% of the US to "help" 4% get health insurance.

My thought is this. When job shopping, get a job that matches your priorities. What those priorities are, is for you to decide. Flexible hours, night shift, higher pay, less of a commute, health insurance, whatever. It's all about compromise, I could make 30% more in salary but would have to commute an extra 12 hours a week; this is a deal-breaker for me. If my employer switches to some craptastic health insurance plan, or forces me to commute to a satellite office an hour farther away; I will go somewhere else.

You just cannot legislate good judgement, morality, or motivation.

I wish the legislature would realize they're not God and stop trying to play him on TV.

Link here

This just doesn't sound like a good idea.

The Federal Reserve, already arguably the most powerful agency in the U.S. government, will get sweeping new authority to regulate any company whose failure could endanger the U.S. economy and markets under the Obama administration's regulatory overhaul plan.


Link here:

National Health Care is going to suck

In a nutshell, a 20 year old non smoker will pay the same premiums as a 55 year old chain-smoking obese diabetic. That doesn't seem fair to me.

I choose to not drink and drive or speed. Therefore I have a clean driving record and enjoy lower insurance premiums commensurate with the lower risk of the insurance company paying claims due to my actions.

I've enjoyed the highly polarized comments the most.

As a side note McDonalds (yes, the original entry level job) has health insurance available for all employees. If health insurance is your highest concern, get your own policy or get a job that has one.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/11/obama-health-care-reform-insurance-business-healthcare-obamacare.html?feed=rss_popstories

The brown shirts and indoctrination of the youth has begun.

download
Enjoy

or watch here

Islam

Found this well written dialogue on the meaning of Islam

"Islam has a number of distinctive traits: it insists on the
worship of *one* and only The One God (Allah), specifically
in opposition to the multiplicity of (what we call) pagan
deities, and it is the duty of the Muslim to carry out a
struggle (Jihad, confrontation, warfare) against the worship
of these deities. The word "Islam" means "submission" to
the will of The One; peace (both external and internal) will
be achieved when all submit to Him. God is thus conceived
as primarily a holder of slaves; consequently, slavery as an
institution receives little if any disapprobation under
Islam."

Thanks, but I'll pass.
My one true God blessed his creations with the blessing of free will.
This is in direct contradiction of what is stated above.

I will not submit.

The robots are coming

I had a "2 question survey" from "Survey 2000"

Do you want higher or lower taxes?
Are you pro-life?

Apparently the voice recognition software can't decide if "chicken" is higher or lower.
Or if "Fuck-Wit" is a yes or a no.

The last thing it said was "2024613460"

Who wants to pay more taxes? No one that earns a living. I'm going to "Give back" when I'm damn ready to. I will give charity to whom I see fit as to deserving it. I will not have my goods and chattel seized for "redistribution".

I don't have much to say.
If America is no longer the land of liberty where is a free man to go to live free?

More of the same fun BS (see edit at bottom)

I got an Email from a reputable source here is the text.


More scary sh1t from the Obama administration.
Gentlemen,

I am an 11B {Infantryman} currently assigned at Fort Campbell . I live off post, with my firearms (which I don't bring on post for any reason). A very frightening thing happened at work yesterday. I was ordered to fill out a list containing my firearm information. This included make, model, caliber, and serial number of all firearms I currently possess. In addition, I was also required to list registration information, location of all weapons individually, and information regarding any Concealed Carry Weapons permits I possess.
If you are like me, then the people you work with {already} know you have firearms. So I had to list at least some. I tried to talk to my 1SG (who is normally approachable through proper channels) to find out what this is for, and I was basically told, "I don't give a $*!&@%, just put your info on the form."
I don't know how high this goes, but I am hearing that this is going on in other units at Fort Campbell as well. It just seems a little coincidental to me that within {the last} 90 days: the most anti-firearm President in history is inaugurated, some of the nastiest anti-firearm laws are put on the table in Washington, and then the Army comes around wanting what amounts to a registration on all firearms, even if they are off post, and doesn't provide any reason or purpose as to why.
I fear something really nasty is blowing in the wind here. I have been in almost 8 years, and never have any of my units asked for this information. If any of you out there have any info as to what all this crud is about please chime in. Otherwise consider yourself warned. I have already posted this on every other firearm forum I am a member of to get the word out.
Here it is folks.



(EDIT thank Dr faulken)

not entirely true
http://www.snopes.com/politics/guns/campbell.asp

See comments for more info

Things will get worse before they get better

H.R. 2159

The path to hell is paved with good intentions.

No guns for terrorists.

Don't like abortion... you're a terrorist
Tax protester... you're a terrorist
Animal rights activist... you're a terrorist
Support 3rd party... you're a terrorist
Black separatist... you're a terrorist
War protester... you're a terrorist
Environmental activists... you guessed you're terrorists too
Illegal immigration protester ... terrorists too.

Most Christians, all libertarians, Greenpeace/PETA supporter, new black panthers, code pink.

basically everyone is a terrorist, except the cops, unless they are.

http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=97491

The great property rights grab is in effect

Sen Feingold has submitted legislation that give the Federal Government purview over every drop of water, or any depression capable of holding water.

What bullshit justification can they possibly come up with to convince the American people that it's in our interest to allow this.

http://dprogram.net/2009/05/08/feingold-bill-gives-all-us-water-to-the-feds/

Rantings will be missed

Sorry to hear about the oppressive overlords putting the kibosh on your free speech.

I hope you're still getting a paycheck.

I know I'll miss the "The Joys and Annoyances of Life in General".

I tried to send an email to you, but it bounced.

I purposefully left off emails addresses, names, URLs, etc for anonymity's sake.

You know who you are.

Thanks Mr. UPS-guy

Had a signature slip on the door on Friday.

2,160 rds of 5.45x39 steel core ammo, not bad for $313 shipped.

The best part is no "sorry, it's on back order waiting".
Ordered on 4/20 around 11PM arrived on 5/1 around noon.

http://www.rguns.net/ammo.shtml#545-Crate

The sad thing is people are paying $400-500 at the gun shows and on gunbroker.com.

Maybe I should sell one of the 1080rd SPAM cans for $325 and break even...

No I'll just take a friend shooting again, maybe a hoplophobe to convert.

Thanks Mr. President

USA Buys Enough Guns in 3 Months to Outfit the Entire Chinese and Indian Army.

1.5Billion rounds of ammo too.

http://www.ammoland.com/2009/04/22/usa-buys-enough-guns-in-3-months-to-outfit-the-entire-chinese-and-indian-army/

God bless America, and may he have mercy on the soul of those who try to invade or usurp our sovereignty and freedom.

An honorable politician????

Mayor got off with a warning for 45 in a 40 zone.

Asked for a Citation, and got it.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090417/ap_on_fe_st/odd_mayor_s_ticket

Happy Easter...not if you are a kidnapper

Happy Easter to Capt. Richard Phillips

Finally the dogs of war were loosed.

Link here

Negligent discharge

RAPID CITY, S.D. – A stop at a fast-food restaurant's drive-through on Tuesday afternoon led to a trip to the hospital after a man accidentally shot himself in the leg with a pistol. The 24-year-old man was apparently trying to clear the weapon when it went off and hit him in the calf.

Police said the man didn't need a permit because the gun wasn't concealed, so he didn't break any laws.

His name was not released.

Link

Thankfully he only hurt himself, that and SD has some reasonable laws.
In VA an asshole DA could try the reckless endangerment rap.

PS 2 posts in 1 day don't see it happening until the next full moon.

Bill would give Obama power to shut down Internet

Am I the only one that sees this as a bad idea?

The President -
(2) may declare a cybersecurity emergency and order the limitation or shutdown of Internet traffic to and from any compromised Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information system or network;
(6) may order the disconnection of any Federal Government or United States critical infrastructure information systems or networks in the interest of national security;

Article
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/040209-obama-cybersecurity-bill.html

Full bill text (PDF) is available here

pointless time sink

http://chickenjoe.mybrute.com/

create a character and let them fight.
really pointless you have no control over anything about them except their name