Teaching Our Schoolkids to Be Suspects | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute

Teaching Our Schoolkids to Be Suspects | Nat Hentoff | Cato Institute: “Those who … refuse to wear the SmartID badge will also be forced to stand in separate lunch lines (and) denied participation in student government and activities …”

“These tracking devices are not being employed to prevent students from cutting classes or foster better academics. It’s a money game. Using the devices to account for the students’ whereabouts on campus, whether in class or not, school administrators can ‘count’ students as being ‘in school’ and thereby qualify for up to $1.7 million from the state government.”

"Schools in Pinellas County, Fla., now use palm reading devices to allow children to purchase lunch."

The Next Generation of Surveillance - Campaign for Liberty

The Next Generation of Surveillance - Campaign for Liberty: "ARGUS-IS, or Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System, is an unmanned drone that wields a 1.8-gigapixel video camera that can distinguish objects as small as six inches from a 22,000 foot altitude. This high resolution makes ARGUS capable of viewing 15 square miles at one time, meaning it’s powerful enough to observe a medium-sized city."

How President Obama Lost His Shirt to John Boehner - Forbes

How President Obama Lost His Shirt to John Boehner - Forbes: "Who would have ever guessed that we could make 99% of the Bush tax cuts permanent? When we had a Republican House and Senate and a Republican in the White House, we couldn’t get that. "

"Yet his biggest win may have been in making the Alternative Minimum Tax patch permanent. This changes the baseline with profoundly positive implications for future tax reform and economic growth."

"Mr. Boehner says he has significant Republican support, including GOP defense hawks, on his side for letting the sequester do its work."

We shall see...

Indiana couple fights charges over rescuing injured baby deer | Fox News

Indiana couple fights charges over rescuing injured baby deer | Fox News: "Jeff Counceller says a dying fawn he found on someone's porch three years ago surely wouldn't have lived had he and his wife not nursed it back to health on their eastern Indiana farm. The Connersville police officer insists they had no clue that they could be breaking the law.

The couple's good deed put them at odds with the state Department of Natural Resources, and prosecutors earlier this month charged Jeff and Jennifer Counceller with illegal possession of a white-tailed deer, a misdemeanor that carries up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine."

"it's bad for a deer to become acclimated to humans because they can become too trusting and easy prey for hunters."
So it's better to just let it die?!?

Sen. Paul Statement on Sandy Supplemental Bill | Rand Paul 2016 | U.S. Senate

Sen. Paul Statement on Sandy Supplemental Bill | Rand Paul 2016 | U.S. Senate: "The bill was completely unpaid for, adding billions to the debt with money being used for programs known to fund cultural festivals and public art exhibits. In addition, of the $60 billion in total disaster funding provided, only a small fraction will be spent this year; more than half will be spent after 2015. Furthermore, while the cost of this bill will never be offset, the government will still just have spent every dollar of this year’s tax hike. We can help those in need, but we should do so providing them with only the resources they need today and prioritizing this funding by reducing spending elsewhere."

Obama's Inaugural Challenge to Republicans | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute

Obama's Inaugural Challenge to Republicans | Michael D. Tanner | Cato Institute: "Either we are all wards of the state or we are Ted Kaczynski, hiding alone in our Montana cabin. Civil society and voluntary action — private charity and civic organizations, churches, synagogues, mosques, and businesses large and small — do not exist, or if they do, they are simply distractions from the work of government."

Ohio police captain exonerated of ex-wife's murder after 14 years in prison | Fox News

Ohio police captain exonerated of ex-wife's murder after 14 years in prison | Fox News: "The only piece of concrete evidence was a bite mark on her arm; the killer bit her so hard that it left an impression through her lab coat and blouse.

A forensic dentist testified for the prosecution that he was sure Prade was responsible for the mark, while a defense expert said that the defendant's teeth couldn't have left it. A third expert for the prosecution said there was no way to be certain that Prade made the mark but that it was consistent with his teeth.

Jurors found Prade guilty of aggravated murder after deliberating for six hours, and the 30-year veteran of the Akron police department was sentenced to life in prison."

Gun Ownership: American Exceptionalism

Gun Ownership: American Exceptionalism: "the gun control politicians do not have the votes to get anything through the House of Representatives. They know this. Senator Feinstein is pursuing this as a matter of principle. She is a left-wing ideologue. She is getting a lot of publicity for her stand, but she has been completely undermined by Harry Reid, who is staying discreetly away from Feinstein's proposed legislation. He knows better than to attempt it, since too many Democrats will break ranks with him if he pushes this."

"The Swiss stay neutral, and they are armed to the teeth as the best way of staying neutral."

Immigration Reform: The Portable Guest Worker Visa Solution | Cato Institute

Immigration Reform: The Portable Guest Worker Visa Solution | Cato Institute: "Assuming that labor unions are in fact primarily concerned about protecting guest workers from abuse, as their letters to Senator Dorgan state, unions should support visa portability instead of a triumvirate. In a free labor market, abused employees can quit their jobs and move to better ones. This incentivizes every employer to refrain from exploitation. Guest workers should be allowed to do the same by quitting abusive employers and moving to new ones."

From Libya to Algeria, A Bloody Trail | Cato Institute

From Libya to Algeria, A Bloody Trail | Cato Institute: "After Gaddafi’s overthrow, his Tuareg mercenaries took their heavy weapons back to northern Mali. They joined hands with local Tuareg secessionists and an Islamist group, Ansar Dine. The Islamists soon came to dominate the new Tuareg combination. They linked up with Islamists in neighbouring countries to form Al Qaida of the Maghreb."

"So, the NATO intervention in Libya, widely trumpeted as a triumph for democracy, actually ended up destroying both ethnic unity and democracy in Mali."

"In Syria, the US should stop the simplistic portrayal of the revolt against Bashir Assad as one of democratic forces against a tyrannical dictator. Overthrowing one nasty regime can simply lead to another.

Assad is a bloody dictator. But most rebel groups are Sunni and Islamist sectarians who have little time for secularism, democracy or minority rights. US support for these rebels could be as disastrous as was support to Islamist rebels in Afghanistan in the 1980s."