Awesome Video Saturday XXXXVIII

Whether your message gets across is determined by the presentation. An example:

I Dare to Bear (Arms)

It's a thing of beauty...

That is a picture of the Smith & Wesson M&P .40 caliber handgun, the newest member of my family. I actually bought it a few months ago, but wanted to save this post for the very important Supreme Court decision in DC v. Heller (complete majority opinion found here). An excerpt from the beginning:

1. The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. Pp. 2–53.

It may surprise some of you that there could be disagreement on the question, as 73% of Americans already believed in an individual's right to own firearms, but in the 70 years since the last major court opinion on the 2nd Amendment that very question had emerged.

I decided to purchase a gun in part because of my belief in this right. I'm not concerned for my safety, nor do I live in an area where crime is a real problem. I just wanted to exercise my right to own a firearm. So I did, and now the Supreme Court has (according to the majority) simply affirmed a long-standing right. From the SCOTUS Blog:

The individual right interpretation, the Court said, “is strongly confirmed by the historical background of the Second Amendment,” going back to 17th Century England, as well as by gun rights laws in the states before and immediately after the Amendment was put into the U.S. Constitution.
What Congress did in drafting the Amendment, the Court said, was “to codify a pre-existing right, rather than to fashion a new one.”

SCOTUS blog also has an interesting roundup of quotes here. I also happen to believe this.

In most democracies gun rights are not enshrined and are often severely limited, if not eliminated. Author and legal analyst Dave Kopel discusses whether gun control presents a danger to human right in this article. It is an interesting concept to think about.

It will be interesting to see the many questions that come from this ruling. Already the National Rifle Association has sued to overturn Chicago's ban on firearms. As someone said today, the job security of 2nd Amendment lawyers is pretty good right now.

Roadtrippin'

I am in Newcastle, Wyoming on the third day of a trip that has taken me from Gainesville, FL to where I sit in a delightful Pizza Hut. Tomorrow we will arrive in Calgary, Alberta, Canada where one of my best friends, Justin Palmer, will begin to practice dentistry with his father and brother.

We've covered about 2000, with almost 1000 miles to go. Good food, weird places to stay, and some beautiful sights.

More to come when we reach the end.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXVII

I've only watched/listen to a little bit of these guys, but this video made me laugh so hard.



Recycling is important.



Funny stuff. Not all of their is family friendly, but these two shouldn't be a problem.

He smells the coffee

Even Hugo Chavez can be influenced. It turns out the way to do this is not diplomacy, but consistent and dogged pressure on activities that he should not be engaged in, such as his support for Colombia's rebel FARC. Chavez said the following, as reported in the NYT:

You in the FARC should know something. You have become an excuse for the empire to threaten all of us.

Of course, this is coming after some very damaging episodes that have made clear Venezuela's support for the Colombian terrorists. The FARC's days seem at an end, with the death of Manuel Marulanda and Raul Reyes and the increasing stability of Álvaro Uribe's Colombian government. This is a good thing.

Bush no Lie

McLellan to the contrary, the case that George Bush lied prior to the invasion of Iraq cannot be substantiated with the evidence at hand. Fred Hiatt of the Washington Post elaborates at the WaPo's website.

Awesome Video Saturday XXXXVI

This video discusses an interesting story, a very unflattering chapter in the public service of Monica Conyers, the wife of Congressman John Conyers. I think it's safe to say that she embarasses herself pretty definitively.

SPOTD #140

I've been out of town, and it's been a while, but I have some good stuff for you.

Today's phrase:
One of those idioms that doesn't translate exactly.

Actual:
Con el dinero baila el perro.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Cone ail dee-nair-oh by-lah ell pay-roe.

Translation:
With money the dog dances.

It is an idiom, and the English meaning would be "With money anything is possible." You may not agree, but its a cool idiom.

Still Running
This is a great story about an Iraq vet who continues to play lacrosse despite losing his leg in the war.

Pirate?
This is a great story about a woman who is fighting back against the RIAA's efforts to prosecute music sharers.

So Hot
This is one of my all-time favorite cars, the McLaren F1. I saw one in London when I was 12 years old and it remains unique to this day.

Donate
High School blood donors are more likely to face complications, but they are also among the best source for donated blood in a time when more and more people are getting tattoos and piercings that can inhibit your eligibility to donate.

Jet Packs!
Who doesn't love jet packs? Honestly!

Link of the Day
This is a really fascinating story about an untouched Indian tribe in the Amazon.