Into the Air, Junior Birdmen!
I have discovered my next hobby. If you’re wondering what to get me for Christmas, there you go.
Wednesday Roundup: Gay Old Time, Mass Transit Hysteria & More
- My friend Jacob Sullum — honestly, I have no idea where this guy finds the time to write so much — explains so even the thickest brow social conservative can understand why the gays should be free to marry and adopt, and why it’s none of government’s business in the first place. Meanwhile, the lower primate wing of the GOP will likely take this poll on (most) black people’s attitudes about gays to mount another dead-end offensive. Meanwhile, a few Republicans are starting to get it.
- The best hope from this story? The “new plan is too ambitious and, perhaps worse, too complicated to pass the Legislature.” Which is nice. Because as hard as it may be for the backers of mass transit schemes to believe, we might need those hundreds of millions a year more than they do. If your idea is so great, you pay for it. Don’t force the rest of us to.
- The actual content of the story here contradicts the headline. And this one, too. The lazy headline writer trifecta is in play. Submit your find.
Tuesday Roundup: Choke Me Spank Me Driver Lady, Girls Gone Wild & More
- Usually you have to pay a woman to spank and choke you — so I’m told — but a Plano bus driver was doing it for free to one of her riders. (Bonus: Sociopaths praise this psycho woman in the comments section.)
- There’s something about cute girl criminals that’s just…Wait. What’s her age? Never mind.
- Carolyn Barta sums up the case against a city-owned convention center hotel nicely: “Despite the economic collapse all around us and warnings in the media of municipalities in trouble, the Dallas City Council is barreling forward to build a convention center hotel. Never mind that the credit crunch is making the floating of new bonds harder. And never mind that a May referendum is yet to be held to get taxpayer approval.”
Open Carry for Texas? Yes. For Me? I Don’t Know
First, let’s be real clear and get this out of the way first. I don’t think the federal, state, or any other government body has any proper power to restrict free people from owning or bearing firearms of any sort. I have a concealed handgun license, but philosophically it bothers me I had to get a license to exercise my natural right.
Guess where I had that concealed.
That out of the way, there’s a movement afoot in Texas to change the law to allow open carry — that is, in a rig that’s visible instead of concealed. I support the movement and the change in the law, but I’m not entirely clear on what I think of open carry for me.
Think about this. After decades of anti-gun propaganda we’ve gotten to the point people call the police when they see ordinary people carrying handguns or long guns anywhere short of at the shooting range. Possession of a gun is considered “suspicious” activity by police. The burden of proof and innocence falls on the ordinary person exercising his rights. How is that right? So one of the ideas behind open carry is that it will get people used to the idea that ordinary folks bearing arms is no big deal — which it isn’t, by the way. And that’s why I like open carry in general.
There are two schools of thought on open carry for the individual, and here’s where I’m conflicted. One says open carry may be a deterrent sometimes, but as often as not it’s a big target on your chest if you’re ever somewhere there’s a bad guy about to do bad things. They’ll go after you first. I don’t know that I entirely buy that — bad guys like the path of least resistance — but I do like keeping my own status low-profile just because I don’t like drawing attention. Outside of print. That is, pretty much if I’m in public, I’m going to be armed, but I don’t see why anyone on the street has to know that.
Shoot-me-first vest
On the other hand, this is Texas, and eight months out of the year it’s t-shirt/shorts weather. It can be difficult to conceal a primary handgun and backup on your body, and damn if I’m wearing one of those “shoot-me-first” vests. There have been days I would have preferred not to worry whether my sidearms were showing. And come on — it’s just unfashionable to pair a heavy leather belt with shorts and flip-flops.
I definitely want the option. I’m just not sure I’d take advantage of it.
Thoughts?
Monday Roundup: Dallas County on Univac? “One Million Dollars!” & More
- Help me count all the things wrong with this story where Dallas County government wants to start deleting emails after 90 days. 1) They want to delete emails, which are government records. 2) They store email records on “tape.” What is this, 1962? 3) They claim storing emails is expensive. 4) Government expects us to keep, at our expense, certain records, but they can’t be arsed to do the same. 5) Tapes??? Really? WTF? 6) ????
- On the same weekend I decided to hang on to my recently delivered Plano local phone book because I’m sick of remote online city guides that pretend to be local, my attorney is giving up on phone book advertising. I’m not a huge fan of phone books, but I’m seeing a value in local ones. Maybe I’m just burned out on surfing, maybe it’s just the logic behind Wick Allison’s theory of local print newspapers that rubbed off on me. Your thoughts.
No one would argue the American health care industry doesn’t need some improvement. Especially less government interference, mandates and collusion with the insurance industry. But given it’s literally a $2 trillion industry, this headline — “Experts: U.S. health care system wastes millions“ – well, what’s the problem?
Happy Thanksgiving
Now get off the computer and go spend some time with your family.
We’ll be right back after this holiday weekend. Unless I get bored or a wild hair.
Free Mark Cuban, Part Troix
The appearance of bias is getting stronger — read the angry emails between Mark Cuban and the SEC’s Jeffrey Norris back when Cuban was considering distributing “Loose Change”.
Meanwhile, the case against Cuban appears to be getting weaker.
In Print: My Thanksgiving Column
I didn’t even realize it, but my column wherein I try to explain Thanksgiving to my 5-year-old ran in Sunday’s Dallas Morning News.
Let me know what you think, dear readers.
Monday Roundup: DISD in a Nutshell, Bush’s Point Man on Corporate Welfare
- Poor management? Check. Sloppy book-keeping? Check. Poor leadership at most every level? Big check. Kent Fischer pretty much covers everything you wanted to know about what created the financial crisis Dallas ISD is facing. Another problem? Good intentions, poor follow-through.
- If you’ve been responsible with your home-buying decisions and conscientious about paying your mortgage, apparently you’re a sucker. And you’re going to bailing out people have been neither. Happy bailout.
- Here’s your go-to guy for corporate welfare.
Free Mark Cuban, Part Deux
William Norm Grigg has an exceptionally researched and far-reaching piece on how Mark Cuban is getting hosed by the SEC and the feds.