Three “Libertarians” discuss the health care and health insurance situation in America.

Penn Jillette probably takes the most extreme position and I must say that I seem to agree with him the most.

Penn says, “One thing is all this pretending that we are going toward socialized medicine. We are not going towards it, we’re already there.”

I recently wrote an editorial for The Times New about the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which has recently passed through Congress and will be signed by President Obama.  Check it out here.  (If the link does not work just refresh the page, the site is having some issues)

digg it

DEA agents raid medical marijuana dispensaries in California after Obama pledges to put an end to the practice.  Some are suggesting that this has occured because Bush’s cronies are still in power in the DEA.  I, on the other hand, do not see Obama making any real Changes with respect to the “War on Drugs.”  

Cop kills leashed dog while investigating a noise complaint.  Instead of knocking on the front door, he went around to the back yard where the dog supposedly attacked him.

County in Arizona ditches speed cameras.

South Carolina Bill bans profanity.  Wtf is up with that?

An interesting prospective on the future of air travel.

SWAT team raids drunk frat kids.

The first ever (to my knowledge) deep-sea webcam has been installed. 

Among Other Things:

[The] Council also agreed Tuesday to a series of packaging-reduction bylaws.

They include:

- A five-cent charge for every plastic bag customers use from a grocery or retail store starting in June;

- A ban on biodegradable and compostable plastic bags.

- A ban on retail bags with rope handles or metal grommets by the end of next year.

- A request the retailers also provide shoppers with alternatives to having the pay for a plastic bag, whether by providing cardboard boxes or paper sacks for shoppers.

Talk about micro-management. Who knows what kind of long-term repercussions there will be in the retail industry.

That is, of course, only if you are between the ages of 18 and 25. Seriously, read what Rahm Emanuel, aka Obama’s Chief of Staff, said in one of his books:

It’s time for a real Patriot Act that brings out the patriot in all of us. We propose universal civilian service for every young American. Under this plan, All Americans between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five will be asked to serve their country by going through three months of basic training, civil defense preparation and community service. …

Here’s how it would work. Young people will know that between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five, the nation will enlist them for three months of civilian service. They’ll be asked to report for three months of basic civil defense training in their state or community, where they will learn what to do in the event of biochemical, nuclear or conventional attack; how to assist others in an evacuation; how to respond when a levee breaks or we’re hit by a natural disaster. These young people will be available to address their communities’ most pressing needs.

Silly me, I thought Section 1 of the 13th Amendment said, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime where of the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

Huh, did I misread that statement?

In related news, Obama will likely put into place a porgram that forces every high school student to perform 50 hours of community service in order to graduate. Its just another hoop to jump through if you want that nifty state sponsored diploma. Read about it on Obama’s new website Change.gov under the ‘America Serves’ section.

People are not stupid. They know that with a Democratic Senate, House, and Executive there will likely be another federal assault weapons ban in the United States. You know what that means: People are getting them while they still can, and gun sales prove it. They have gone up more than 15% since Obama’s election:

What is the role of government?

Part 1:

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6