“I thought the left loved freedom of the press and open government. I guess that’s only when ‘The Man’ is someone else.” That’s what one commenter said on a news story about the federal government hoping to charge a journalist for publishing news. It’s an astute observation about the way our two-party political system works:[...]
In The News: Georgia pol wants to make lewd photoshopping a crime after being mocked in porn star pic (FOX News) “No one has a right to make fun of anyone. It’s not a First Amendment right”, says Georgia State Rep. Earnest Smith. He also said, oddly for a public figure: “Everyone has a right[...]
As Fate would have it, I had spent quite a bit of time prepping a blog entry about my position on gun control before the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting at a grade school in Connecticut. At that point, curious as to what rhetoric would be vomited across the nation, I withheld my words in draft[...]
If you’ve ever lived in the south or a rural area, you might have seen this phrase on a bumper sticker: “Gun Control Means Hitting Your Target”. It’s an attempt at humor but is also very telling about two different points of view regarding private ownership of firearms in the United States. The liberal view[...]
Following are some of the facts, opinions, and viewpoints I considered when forming my current opinion on gun control. Much In Common Ironically, both sides (conservative and liberal) are driven to some degree by fear. One side fears the loss of freedom in general, the loss of protection from home invasion or attack, loss of[...]
I haven’t blogged about the so-called “fiscal cliff” that’s so speedily approaching, mainly because I don’t understand it. That’s not a proud proclamation, but an embarrassed admission; people shouldn’t brag about things they don’t know, though I see it happen all the time. I blame my lack of economic/tax knowledge on three things: (1) my[...]
As often happens immediately after a firearm-related tragedy, huge emotion-laden efforts have been launched to enact “some form” of gun control in the United States. The proponents are banking on the very real worries and fears that arise after such a tragedy, and the uncountable conversations that arise as a result. But being realistic, what[...]
I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised at how quickly the news stories shifted yesterday from “Shooting at Connecticut School” to “It’s Time To Get Rid of Guns”. But I still am always surprised at how that happens in the U.S. I suppose political activists have learned that it’s much easier to press their agenda[...]
As the U.S. government fiddles around with pretending to solve the nation’s money problems, using over-simplistic terms like “debt ceiling” and “fiscal cliff” that the average American doesn’t begin to understand, one solution that keeps being mentioned is “raising taxes for the rich”. Since most Americans aren’t rich, many of us seem to think this[...]
Title: The Raven, A Biography of Sam Houston Author: Marquis James Year: 1929 Publisher: University of Texas Press, Austin ISBN 0-292-77040-5 View it on Amazon View it on Google Books Sam Houston on Wikipedia This book was awarded the 1930 Pulitzer Prize for “Biography or Autobiography” (James is one of the very few people who’ve[...]
Flickr holds a special place in my heart, at least compared to other internet sites. I’ve spent more time on Flickr than most people have spent on Facebook or Twitter — daily participation since I joined in Sept. 2005. Not only have I uploaded over 30,000 images to my photostream (most of them now non-public),[...]
“I thought the left loved freedom of the press and open government. I guess that’s only when ‘The Man’ is someone else.” That’s what one commenter said on a news story about the federal government hoping to charge a journalist for publishing news. It’s an astute observation about the way our two-party political system works:[...]
Commentary: A record Powerball jackpot isn’t a record to celebrate (Christian Science Monitor) The editorial board of CSM concluded their piece with this: Before the news media play up the next record-setting mega-lottery like Powerball, they may want to add these kinds of caveats in their reporting. It could deter people from rushing to the[...]
Following are some passages I underlined during a reading of To Sail Beyond The Sunset (1987) by Robert A. Heinlein, the last novel he published before dying in 1988: “I remember Earth. I knew her when she was clean and green, mankind’s beautiful bride, sweet and lush and lovable… It is futile to mourn over[...]
There is a school of thought, albeit a relatively unpopular one, that poor grammar or punctuation on printed signs should be corrected with a Sharpie or other tool, vigilante style. In the News: Vigilante Copy Editor (New York Times) And there are older instances, such as this one (The Virginian-Pilot).
Following are some passages I underlined during a reading of The Cat Who Walks Through Walls: A Comedy of Manners (1985) by Robert A. Heinlein: “It does not do to encourage bad banners; one should retaliate, urbanely but firmly.”
In The News: Adobe starts subscription for Photoshop and Dreamweaver (BBC News) This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone; many software companies are moving in this direction. Instead of having to ship millions of boxes and discs every year when they upgrade the software, they’re just going to add the updates to the online[...]
Following are some passages I underlined during a reading of I Will Fear No Evil (1970) by Robert Heinlein: “…most people think of money as something to pay the rent. But a money man thinks of money in terms of what he can do with it.” “…it’s impossible for a woman to lay it on[...]
For about $5, I made this measuring cup holder that’s hidden inside a kitchen cabinet: (Copyright © 2013 by Wil C. Fry. All rights reserved.)
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