Nanny State

I came across this earlier today. I admit I haven't read the book...yet. But by looking at the overview written by the author he sums up what I have been worried about for a long time. Slowly but surely we are giving away our rights to politicians, bureaucrats and activists. It all sounds good...IE eat less, don't drink too much, etc. But year after year, law after law...guess what happens? You and I have less freedoms. We also become more reliant on the state to tell us what to do. In the long run that is not a good thing.

What ever happened to personal responsibility?

Nanny State details the rise of the busybody -– those who act as our parents, making decisions for us in the name of health, safety and decency. Nanny State asks: Why are we allowing politicians, bureaucrats, and social activists to dictate what we eat, where we smoke, how much we drink or what we watch and read? The book argues that allowing government intervention in its citizens' private lives not only denies us freedom of choice, but also erodes our national character by promoting a culture of victimhood and dependence.

The target of the nannyists are never-ending: It could be Girl Scout cookies, swing sets, bicycles, cigarettes, alcohol, cartoons … In some Massachusetts towns, school-yard tag is banned. San Francisco has passed laws regulating the amount of water you should use in dog bowls. In California, some towns now ban smoking -- outside. Each day a new, more intrusive, law is proposed. And each day we lose a little more of our freedom.

Link to book site here

Link to author blog here

Hat Tip to Powerline for this story.

Global Warming Authoritarianism

You are going to see more and more of this crap in the future. If you let them tell you what you can and cannot drive, it is not a stretch to imagine more restrictions in the future. How big your house can be, the type of appliances you can purchase, etc, etc.

Do we really want this to happen?

Fast, powerful cars within a few years may be outlawed in Europe, an idea that has been raised ostensibly because Ferraris and Porsches produce too much carbon dioxide.

Who are these people anyway who decide on behalf of everyone what car is proper to drive?

In Europe, it's the ministers and parliamentarians of the European Union, which wants to limit how much CO2 cars can emit as a proxy for a fuel- consumption standard.

Chris Davies, a British member of the European Parliament, is proposing one of the most-extreme measures -- a prohibition on any car that goes faster than 162 kilometers (101 miles) an hour, a speed that everything from the humble Honda Civic on up can exceed. He ridiculed fast cars as ``boys' toys.''

Full Story

The science behind global warming is not settled. Sure the planet is getting warmer, but it has been colder and warmer at different periods of this planets history.

We also don't know that a warmer planet is a bad thing.

Do you ever wonder why that the only scenarios you hear about a warmer planet are bad? Things would change that is for sure. But how do we know that a warmer planet is a bad one?

We don't.

Thoughts On Gas Prices

At least a couple of times per year gas prices will spike.

As sure as the sun will rise, Democrats will want to investigate oil companies and propose taxing "excess" profits.

First off this is politics at its worst. Prices rise and fall based on supply and demand. Additionally they are affected by government policies...for instance the US has not built a new refinery in decades.

Here is my thought for the day.

Most of the politicians that scream about the high gas prices...tend to be the ones saying we have to do something about global warming.

If that is the case...shouldn't they be FOR higher gas prices? Higher gas prices over time forces people to reduce their consumption of gas...which means less carbon dioxide in the atmosphere...which of course is as they claim a leading cause of global warming.

Those Scientific Studies

Who would have thought?

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Muscular young men are likely to have more sex partners than their less-chiseled peers, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles said on Monday.

They attract females looking for a virile mate.

"Women are predisposed to prefer muscularity in men," said study author David Frederick of UCLA.

We needed a study to determine that?

I suppose next you are going to tell me that somehow men are more attracted to in shape women with nice breasts? Crazy stuff this science.

I wonder if it is hotter during the summer? Any chance we can get a study done on that one too?

WHY DON'T AL QAEDA ATROCITIES GET MEDIA ATTENTION?

From Instapundit

Pretty screwed up mindset. Do we win or do we want to score political points against the Republicans?

Call me crazy...but I prefer that the US wins (that means all of us...not just Republicans or just Democrats). It is in our best interest isn't it?

WHY DON'T AL QAEDA ATROCITIES GET MEDIA ATTENTION?

Because that might help Bush.

UPDATE: A journalist whose name you'd recognize emails:

Yon's story doesn't get attention because it is humiliating.

It is humiliating because it is obvious that we media – and our allies in the state department, the legal trade, the NGOs, the Democratic Party, the UN, etc., - can’t do squat about such determined use of force.

Our words, images, arguments and skills can’t stop the killing. Only the rough soldiers and their guns can solve the problem, and we won’t admit that fact because the admission would weaken our influence and our claim to social status.

So we pretend Yon’s massacre – and the North Korean killing fields, the Arab treatment of women, the Arab hatred of Israel, etc. - doesn’t exist, and instead focus our emotions and attention on the somewhat-bad domestic things that we can ‘fix’ with our DC-based allies. Things such as Abu Ghraib, wiretapping, etc. When we ‘fix’ them, then we get status, applause, power, new jobs, ego, etc.

Please don’t be surprised. We media are an interest group not much different from the automakers, the unions, and the farmers.

Stuck Mojo

Hat tip to LGF on this one.

They are a band called Stuck Mojo This song is called I'm American. They take a decidedly pro-American standpoint. Even if you don't like rap metal...you can read the lyrics at the bottom of the video...and enjoy the later images.



And here is their other one called Open Season. It is considered to be controversial...I guess by those that don't agree that we should stand up to Islamic terrorists.

4th of July

It is going to be a little slow around here this week during the 4th due to some pressing issues that have to be dealt with.

Here is the to do list of pressing issues....

- Lots of golf (started off strong with a 76 earlier today). 2 doubles and a 3 putt killed what could have been a great round. Still...at 4 over I can't complain too much.
- Bass fishing for a couple of days
- Lots of refreshing cold beverages

And that will do it.