World Change the Past 200 Years

More at www.gapminder.org

And so it begins...

...this is step one. "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference. They deserve a place of honor with all that is good. When firearms go, all goes. We need them every hour." - George Washington in address to the 2nd session of united States Congress. "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms...disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes... Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." - Thomas Jefferson, quoting Cesare Beccaria "The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." - Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 (C.J.Boyd, Ed., 1950) "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke "The measures adopted to restore public order are: First of all, the elimination of the so-called subversive elements. ... They were elements of disorder and subversion. On the morrow of each conflict I gave the categorical order to confiscate the largest possible number of weapons of every sort and kind. This confiscation, which continues with the utmost energy, has given satisfactory results." - Benito Mussolini, address to the Italian Senate, 1931

Coming Out Party

An interesting article about atheists finally coming out of the closet. I like the license plate idea (although I would just rather have a bumper sticker or something) "In Reason We Trust"

Well, I wouldn't say "nobody" realizes it. :-(

"Nobody in this country realizes that cap-and-trade is a tax -- and it's a great big one," Rep. John Dingell (D-Michigan) said Friday. Video here.

Happy bEARTHday, Lenin!

Happy bEARTHday, Lenin!  Coincidence?  I think not!

Tweenbots

Normally, I'm not very interested in robots, although they are important, but this is so cute and interesting, I'm glad I gave it a look. :-) Thanks to Diana Hsieh over at the Noodlefood blog for bringing this to my attention.

Family; To value or not to value?

I had a big falling out with my brother and sister-in-law last week. My brother thinks I hate Christians and wish death on them simply because I'm atheist. My sister-in-law feels hated because I do not buy into the environmentalist movement and think that people that hate mankind and think we're evil, should kill themselves. (And why not? If men are so evil, why don't they start solving their problem by getting rid of themselves??) Anyway, I didn't say any of those things to either of them. I know they feel differently, so I've never even approached the subject of religion or environmentalism with either of them. They viewed my Facebook page and took my, and some of my friend's, beliefs and opinions as personal attacks. I intentionally did not discuss those subjects with them, or link them to those sections of my Facebook page. They sought out my opinions and they got them. Why be angry now? I have always enjoyed spending time with my brother and his family. Evidently, they don't feel the same way. They've been harboring these bad feelings and inaccurate opinions of me for quite some time and the dam broke last week. I decided that there's not much I can or will do about it. If they want to view my Facebook page and seek out that information, so be it, but I will continue my previous policy of not discussing those subjects with them. My family is a value to me. If I am not a value to them, I do not expect anything from them. Fortunately, I still have a great relationship with everyone else in my family, Christians and enviros alike, so I guess when I visit Houston I'll just have more time to spend with those that value me in return.

It's Official! :-D

Evidently, I'm in trouble.

An Excellent Tea Pary Speech

A fellow Objectivist in Atlanta got to speak at a Tea Party yesterday and it is so good! Her short, but excellent speech starts at about 1:11. Check it out! For those of you not familiar with the book she mentions in the beginning of her speech, Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, (it's what everyone cheers about) I wish I could get you to read it! There's a reason it's been mentioned in the media over and over again. There's a reason Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are talking about it. There's a reason it changed my life. It can save this country and make you an even better, happier person, literally, but you have to read it. If you are willing to read it, I WILL BUY AND MAIL A COPY TO YOU, FREE, just let me know if you're interested.

Good Quote

People say we need religion when what they really mean is we need police.--H.L. Mencken

Tea Party Rallies

The press is doing everything in their power to discredit the Tea Party Rallies, but this is just, literally, dirty. In case you don't know what tea-bagging is, here is an explicit definition from UrbanDictionary.com. The only good thing about having the extreme left in power, they show their true colors. Ugh.

What Does an Out-of-Control Government Look Like?

This poster is remarkable to say the least. As you zoom in and look around, keep in mind that per our Constitution, the only role of our government is to PROTECT OUR RIGHTS. Very, very few of the items on this poster have to do with protecting our rights.

Gettin' Hitched on Saturday

I'm getting married on Saturday and I'm swamped at work. It's quite likely I will be completely insane by the time of the ceremony. Assuming I'm sane enough to ever blog again, it probably won't be before Monday, April 13th. :-)

Small Businesses Up in Smoke

Thanks to Obama's new tobacco tax hike, it looks like many small businesses will be going up in smoke. Who would pay more in taxes for a pound of tobacco than the pound of tobacco actually costs? And when they force all these people to stop smoking because they can no longer afford it, who will pay for the children's health care then?

Facepalm

A follow up to my earlier blog, A Class Act! Now the Obamas have given the Queen an iPod. She already has one.

Do As I Say, Not As I Do!

Last year alone, more than 200 House lawmakers, both Republicans and Democrats, awarded bonuses totaling $9.1 million to more than 2,000 staff members, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of office-disbursement forms. The money comes out of taxpayer-funded office budgets, and is surplus cash that would otherwise be forfeited if not spent.

Gee, wouldn't it be just awful if they used the surplus to pay down the deficit, or better yet, return the money to those of us they stole it from? These people make me sick. They complain about personal spending/debt, our pay and our bonuses (which are OUR business not theirs), yet they live high on the hog with the money they steal from us each payday. I hope that those of you that spoke out against (and even protested and threatened AIG employees at their homes) are ready to protest your government as well.