Quote of the Moment: US Prisoners

"The United States now imprisons more people for drug offenses than Western European nations imprison for all crimes combined. No human society has ever before imprisoned this high a proportion of its population. It is now so large that if all U.S. prisoners were detained in one place, they would rank as the thirty-fifth most populous state of the Union." ― Johann Hari, Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs

The Cult of Banning

From foie gras to sugar to salt to plastic bags to guns. From homeopath products to coffee to alcohol and cigarettes to recycling. From GMO to climate change to vaccines. From race to racialism. From music lyrics to classic novels and films that offend contemporary sensitive sensibilities to the attack and sometimes destruction of freedom of speech. Never mind the disturbing trend of reversing our hallowed maxim of innocent until proven guilty. Nope. Now, it's all burn them at the stake before the facts come in.
 
It's a culture of fear and control (usually in the incompetent and nonsensical form of bans (for our own good), caps and trades (with negligible results and impact on the environment but a boon for eco-profiteers), taxes that help to spawn create black markets etc). Always has been. Once upon a time we were terrified of gods, witches, technology, and Jews (well, we still are apparently). We just made a trade is all. We're far more ambitious with this climate change thing.

Point is. Aspirin (and Crestor) works.

Irrational behavior (always masked in self-righteous crap or scientific jargon) is a key feature of humanity. Guys like Bloomberg are nanny-ninnies who seek to control in the name of protecting. In the end, all they contribute to the 'greater good' is irrationalism. Often graduating into surreal logic and behavior.

Release your inner reason I say. Appeal to your basic logic free of emotional input. No?

It also seems to happen quite a bit in capitalist systems. But I digress.

Nevertheless, be careful. Be very afraid.-http://friendlymisanthropist.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-cult-of-scaredy-cat-nut-cases.html

The Reason US Fluoride Levels In Water Were Lowered

If all the fluoride in tap water supporters were and are right, why has the Federal government now lowered the levels allowed? I thought it wasn't harmful? Doesn't this act by the Feds prove that fluoridation opponents were right all along to be concerned about its health effects? Doesn't it also show that all the nasty ridicule heaped on fluoride doubters was unfair?

Atheism Inspires Evil

The cruelty of atheism is hard to believe when man has no faith in the reward of good or the punishment of evil. There is no reason to be human. There is no restraint from the depths of evil which is in man. The Communist torturers often said, 'There is no God, no hereafter, no punishment for evil. We can do what we wish.' I have heard one torturer even say, 'I thank God, in whom I don't believe, that I have lived to this hour when I can express all the evil in my heart.' He expressed it in unbelievable brutality and torture inflected on prisoners.-Richard Wurmbrand "Tortured for Christ"

I read Tortured for Christ around 1979. My dad and I were both Christians of the Evangelical or Fundamentalist variety. I remember the book vividly, and how it also increased my natural hatred of Communism (I was becoming increasingly conservative in my political outlook, even though I wasn't yet old enough to vote). What's important here (even if you are not a Christian, and I currently am not) is the plain fact that atheism allows people to commit the very worst evil and crimes against humanity, by the very nature of its belief that there are no ultimate consequences for our behavior here on earth.

The failure of atheists to take responsibility for their own history means they learn nothing from the ghastly events of the last century. No lessons learned means nothing stopping them from repeating the same mistakes (a.k.a., crimes against humanity) in the future.

If an individual has a problem in his life (say alcoholism), he must first acknowledge that he has a problem before there can be any hope of overcoming it. The same thing applies to societies and nations. Germany's admission of guilt in the Second World War paved the way for that nation's reintegration into the Civilized World. The Truth and Reconciliation Commissions in South Africa enabled that country to rise above its apartheid past.

The atheists' refusal to own up to crimes demonstrably committed by their fellow non-believers and (yes) in the name of their shared non-belief, guarantees that given the chance, they'd do The Same Damned Thing again. Repetitious insistence that "It wasn't us!" only deepens the denial.

It's far worse than a drunk telling himself he can handle "one more drink" - this is a case of him denying he's even holding the bottle (which everyone can plainly see in his hand)!-B. Prokop

source: dangerous idea: Atheism had nothing to do with it? That's not what they said: Wurmbrand's Tormentors and atheism

Ignosticism

Ignosticism or igtheism is the idea that every theological position assumes too much about the concept of God and other theological concepts. Some philosophers have seen ignosticism as a variation of agnosticism or atheism, whereas others have considered it to be distinct.-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignosticism

A Short Introduction to Libertarianism: The Libertarian Mind with David Boaz

I Bonds In 2015?

I started buying I Bonds at the end of 2014. I'm holding off further purchases for now.

Buying Series I Bonds In 2015? No, Wait!

Baltimore Blowback

The right demands order and compliance, hence police are free to kill with immunity; the left demands compassion with your money, hence generations grow without any comprehension of the idea of respect for property and life, no knowledge of how to productively contribute to society.

There is nothing surprising about Baltimore. Blowback. Actions have consequences.-bionic mosquito

Britney Spears Fall

I like Britney Spears. I remember her from her very early years as a singer and public figure. I admire her for her amazing comeback and success. She is one performer whom I'd really like to see in concert (though I feel that she, like Beyonce, is way too sexual in performance and videos; not that I'm not turned on by that, but my personal weakness doesn't make it right). Anyway, she fell on stage and hurt her ankle...

She is currently in Las Vegas at least until the end of this year (2015). I want to go to Vegas again (lived there for 2 years) and see some shows, which I never really did before. Now that I know Britney is there, I may get tickets for a future show and take my girlfriend (if she agrees). I'd like to see those sharks and a magic act as well.

I can understand why Britney went to Vegas. No traveling, and a big payday:

Britney is a resident at Planet Hollywood with her Piece of Me show. She earns $15 million per year (an average of $310,000 per show) as part of the initial two-year deal...-Watch Britney Spears Fall During Las Vegas Show

Best wishes on a quick recovery, MS. Spears. By the way, just one payday of $310,000 would suit me fine. I'd feel set for life.

Voting and the Non-Aggression Principle

Economist Walter Block, a former Ron Paul supporter, argues that there is no conflict between voting and the non-aggression principle.-https://youtu.be/DnfgcxQsbQk