Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The TSA

Airport security has come to my attention again. I don't really fly, having a love for driving and not a lot of places to go on my income currently. However, as your typical freedom loving American, I tend to take notice when liberties are taken away from citizens. This guy refused to go through the machine that basically shows you naked. Now he may have his life ruined via fines or more because he felt a right to privacy.
Feeling safer or violated?


The fact that we're still going through this after eight years is ridiculous. Consider Penn Jillettes experience, of Penn and Teller Fame, and now a three year olds horrible airport experience. In both instances people are getting touched without consent. Asinine is the kindest of words for the guiders of policy for our airport security. Especially when all of these problems have been solved for years. Just ask Israel.

Words fail me.

Update:
Apparently you can't trust the pilots either.

Nor do you get to fly and have diabetes, because, you know, living to the end of the flight with your pump isn't ok.

The FDA and Caffeine Drinks

So,because people act stupid the FDA thinks it can babysit us? If the products are not harmful in and of themselves, then this is stupid. I rarely drink, and on the occasions that I do, I don't drink these, so there's no self interest here other than having another regulation on me. Also, it's not likely to stop the practice of caffeine and alcohol, as liquors mixed with red bull, for example, are very popular. It's just setting it back a step and driving it underground. A genius plan to be sure.

One of many articles on this.


What breaking the law may look like.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Inevtible Plutocracy with Economic Factors?

While our total economy has skyrocketed, the average household income has not increased with any significance over the past 20 years. Reference here and here

You may note that one of those is a liberal link and the other is conservative. They both indicate a median of 38k from roughly that past 20-30 years. With this lack of growth for most people the ones with wealth have received substantially more power in our society. Which in turns makes it easy for the politically minded to get elected. De Facto Plutocracy follows. Fun times.

This is Why Liberals Think Conservatives are Idiots.

Conservatives in AZ have likened a city curbside recycling program to socialism.

AZ Central article.

This combined with the totalitarian stance against immigration in AZ conservative circles make it difficult for any kind of compromise in our government.