Politics: Where we struggle to kneel in the muck.

[Gattigap]

Poland to leave the coaliton next year. No mention in the article that Kerry's debate comment leaving them off the list triggered this decision, but deep down we all know it's true.

Look for updates to this effect from FNC's Carl Cameron, though you'd better check regularly. The shelf-life for his online stuff maxes out at a few hours.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
Don't get me wrong, I guess I can see why Democrats get spooked by people carrying guns.

The shooting I witnessed from my living room in rural Virginia while studying for a Property final may have something to do with it. And the time I was robbed at gunpoint.

Its not like there are a whole lotta law-abiding Democratic gun owners. In fact, that is such a funny term I think I'm going to reuse it.

It's about as funny as all that The Right stuff.

[baltassoc]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
But I like this talk of "local" control you bring up. Care to continue?

Only if you start with how local control will solve the Section 8 problem. =-)

More seriously, when I lived in an area surrounded by people who I thought were idiots, I was pretty against local control. Now that I live in an area with a larger precentage of like-minded residents, I'm coming around to it.

FWIW, I have been to the Falls Church municiple building on business. Based on that empirical data -- which I suspect is not unique, but rather is shared by almost everyone who has ever stopped by, including the city counsel -- I can say with some certainty that the likelihood of someone who is carrying a weapon shooting a municipal employee is far, far more likely than that person using it against a random attacker.

This is based on the fact that I think the probability of a municipal employee eventually being shot by the first person to walk in there with a gun is over 50%, higher if the person is trying to get a parking sticker for his car.

[Shape Shifter]

Originally posted by Not Me
Ronald Reagan invented that.

Actually, I believe the Israelis did.

[SlaveNoMore]

Shape Shifter
...And the time I was robbed at gunpoint.

I was mugged at gunpoint twice.

Annoys me to no end that NY carry laws would probably prohibit me from ever legally owning a handgun. So thugs like this get away with it - and I am prohibited from defending myself and shooting these bastards in the nuts.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by baltassoc

FWIW, I have been to the Falls Church municiple building on business. Based on that empirical data -- which I suspect is not unique, but rather is shared by almost everyone who has ever stopped by, including the city counsel -- I can say with some certainty that the likelihood of someone who is carrying a weapon shooting a municipal employee is far, far more likely than that person using it against a random attacker.

Oh, I dunno about that. Extrapolating to the rest of the nation, it seems that all of the shootings in public buildings I can remember are by people who are not supposed to be carrying weapons. Like in gun-banning cities. Given all of this openness in VA, why don't any examples of shootings (involving shooters who lawfully possess weapons entering public buildings and unloading) come to mind?

Hello

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Shape Shifter

It's about as funny as all that The Right stuff.

Believe me, you are the last person I'm trying to get a laugh out of. If it is not apparent to you, the point of pointing out what is Right is to point out what is consistent with fundamental principles of the Right. A lot has been attributed to the Right (both by its pretenders and its enemies) which is not consistent with fundamental principles.

What I think is really noticeable in the exercise is that people who don't identify themselves with the Right often seem to agree with primary or secondary positions of the Right. And a lot who do, often don't.

Hello

[SlaveNoMore]

Josh Marshall is reporting that Michael Moore claims he was first offer the fake Killian memos for his mockumentary, but declined as he thought they were unreliable.

link to TPM

Michael Moore has more journalistic ethics than Dan Rather. We truly live in interesting times

[Gattigap]

Originally posted by Say_hello_for_me
What I think is really noticeable in the exercise is that people who don't identify themselves with the Right often seem to agree with primary or secondary positions of the Right. And a lot who do, often don't.

Hm. So you're saying Demcrats are actually Right, and many GOPers are not?

Who knew?

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
I was mugged at gunpoint twice.

Annoys me to no end that NY carry laws would probably prohibit me from ever legally owning a handgun. So thugs like this get away with it - and I am prohibited from defending myself and shooting these bastards in the nuts.

I was once caught in the crossfire when two assholes decided to shoot at each other on a Houston freeway. I'm not sure how my legally or illegally having or using a gun under those circumstances would have helped the situation.

I'm not anti-gun, though. I saw a hell of a lot of people heading to their hunting leases this weekend, though deer season hasn't started yet (well, the archery season started this weekend, but I think that's sort of irrelevant to this discussion). I feel sorry for the local dove population since doves are the only thing people can really shoot right now. They usually clear out before labor day, though, much to the chagrin of hunters statewide. My sister's dog informs me that duck season starts the first weekend of November. I imagine that I'll be sitting in a duck blind with a shotgun and some beer shortly thereafter.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/hunt/reg...nimal_listing/

[SlaveNoMore]

Well, it didn't take long for that slippery slope (that people argued would never happen) to keep on sliding.

USA Today editorial arguing courts should overturn anti-polygamy statutes based on Lawrence.

[Say_hello_for_me]

Originally posted by Gattigap
Hm. So you're saying Demcrats are actually Right, and many GOPers are not?

Who knew?

In some ways (i.e., in some aspects), that's exactly what I'm saying.

For every NIMBY (anti-fairness) Republican, there is an end-welfare-now Democrat. For every pro-life Republican who believes that Jefferson just used other words but meant to use "privacy", there is Atticus Grinch asking why the government is even in the marriage business in the first place.

And its not just the Lord who knows that for every Specter, there's a Miller.

[sgtclub]

From the BBC: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main...equestid=55988

A city that was weirdly quiet under the Taliban is bustling back to life, and it would take assassinations to wreck this week's elections, writes John Simpson in Kabul

[Replaced_Texan]

Interesting proposal going around in Texas that will never see the light of day:

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory...story2/2828417

Texas is among a group of states researching how to replace the fuel tax with a fee based on the number of miles traveled — making every road a virtual tollway. Transportation officials from across the world discussed the concept here at last month's annual meetings of the trade groups representing the highway and tollway industries.

Fees for miles traveled would be measured by Global Positioning System receivers embedded in vehicles. The system would track which roads a motorist uses so the virtual tolls could be distributed to the appropriate agency.

Each jurisdiction could set its own per-mile fee. Data would be downloaded from vehicles monthly for billing, or could be transmitted at service stations in lieu of the gas tax.

*
*
*
Researchers love the idea that driving taxes could be adjusted to promote or discourage certain actions. The system could charge more per mile during peak hours, for instance, or add a surcharge for heavy trucks and sport utility vehicles.

Those promoting a mileage-based approach to highway taxes contend driving should be metered and billed according to use.

I think it's an interesting proposal, but privacy concerns are certainly going to have to be taken into consideration. There are some pretty legitimate reasons people wouldn't want the government monitoring their every movement.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally posted by SlaveNoMore
Well, it didn't take long for that slippery slope (that people argued would never happen) to keep on sliding.

USA Today editorial arguing courts should overturn anti-polygamy statutes based on Lawrence.

Yes, God works in mysterious ways.

I believe all this gay rights stuff was really just His was of bringing us back to polygamy and the one true religion. Note that Massachusetts' Governor is a Morman, and you will see how carefully all of this has been orchestrated from above.