If you’re in California.

TX gay marriage ban may have inadvertently banned all marriage. Now that’s funny.

The Silverdome cost taxpayers $55M. It just sold for $583K.

Top 10 most destructive government actions

Sebastian gives you the skinny on how all that works. Because some people stupidly think that were it not for Tiahrt, the Fort Hood shooting could have been stopped.

If you’re looking for BLAME!!! try the federal agencies that were supposed to be fixed by the PATRIOT Act.

Writer tried to get a toy gun in NYC.

UPS is union and, naturally, pays almost twice what FedEx does in wages and benefits. This puts them at a competitive disadvantage. So, they sue of course.

For this reason and the reason in this blog post, I will do my shipping with FedEx.

Or an enemy of the people:

It’s official. The Joint Tax Committee informs us that under the terms of the Pelosi health-care bill, “Americans who do not maintain acceptable health insurance coverage and who choose not to pay the bill’s new individual mandate tax (generally 2.5% of income), are subject to numerous civil and criminal penalties, including criminal fines of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years.”

Tracking everyone’s internet usage.

They were against it before their guy was for it.

Picking on media matters isn’t very sporting (too easy). But this is a good read. Hacks are all for big government when their guys are in charge.

Sad:

what have we come to when reading the bill is considered a threat?

In MA, you get five years for possessing some sheet metal. If you rape a child, you get up to 3.5 years. The worse crime is not complying with the state.

A visual.

In Alabama, there’s a gun shop next to a sex shop. I find it amusing that one has to state a reason to buy a dildo.

Anti-gunners keep pushing bills that say if a person is on the terror watch list, then they can’t buy a gun. Of course, the trouble is you can’t really appeal that and you have no way of knowing. And since there have been senators and babies on the list, it’s probably not accurate.

Yet, we add 1,600 to it per day.

A look at privacy rankings in the world.

People leaving NY over taxes. Businesses will be next.

Via TP, the police raid and crack open thousands of safety deposit boxes. That place is done.

Why does Nashville have 9 helicopters with thermal imaging? More than NYC.

Governor of California was in a motorcycle accident. He doesn’t have a license for one. So, he’s getting a ticket right? Right?

A law was passed requiring Amtrak to allow firearms to be checked like airlines do. Apparently, Amtrak can’t meet the deadline to implement that policy.

CNS News:

When CNSNews.com asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday where the Constitution authorized Congress to order Americans to buy health insurance–a mandate included in both the House and Senate versions of the health care bill–Pelosi dismissed the question by saying: “Are you serious? Are you serious?”

Ridefast has some reservations.

Man charged with indecent exposure after passerby sees him in his kitchen making coffee naked. Hey, it’s his castle and he can be naked making coffee in it if he wants. Even if that’s weird.

In Cali, they’re looking to ban TeeVees.

Congress looking to regulate the volume or TeeVee commercials.

Matt Welch: What Laws Will Maria Shriver Break Next Year?

Until your assistant makes a $22 error. Then you get financial ruin, one year probation, and a fine.

I think I’m going to request a copy of my FBI file. You can do it too.

Senate hearing lead by Feingold to look at the constitutionality of Czars.

USA Today:

Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio says he will continue his controversial “crime suppression operations” despite a Department of Homeland Security decision to strip him of authority to arrest suspected illegal immigrants based solely on their immigration status

I can’t imagine DHS has the authority to strip an elected official of their powers. Anyone?

A look at the FTC ruling and blogs. Meanwhile, Ann Althouse notes some issues with the ruling:

The most absurd part of it is the way the FTC is trying to make it okay by assuring us that they will be selective in deciding which writers on the internet to pursue. That is, they’ve deliberately made a grotesquely overbroad rule, enough to sweep so many of us into technical violations, but we’re supposed to feel soothed by the knowledge that government agents will decide who among us gets fined.

It’s not like they’ll be selective in enforcement, now is it.

Getting your neighbors to form a community terrorist watch list. What could possibly go wrong?

Federal agents decked out in Ninja gear and SWAT weapons ransack a 60 year old grandmother’s house. They don’t answer her questions and emptied file cabinets, pulled books off shelves, rifled through drawers and closets, and threw the contents on the floor. Prior to this raid, she and her husband were under investigation for six months. The reason for the resources, SWAT teams, body armor, and all manner of anti-terror, ninja suits? Orchids.

Yes, these domestic terrorist were guilty of cultivating, importing and selling orchids. Kevin addressed the case a few years back.

The linked article has more heavy-handed buffoonery:

Krister Evertson, another victim of overcriminalization, told Congress, “What I have experienced in these past years is something that should scare you and all Americans.” He’s right. Evertson, a small-time entrepreneur and inventor, faced two separate federal prosecutions stemming from his work trying to develop clean-energy fuel cells.

The feds prosecuted Mr. Evertson the first time for failing to put a federally mandated sticker on an otherwise lawful UPS package in which he shipped some of his supplies.

I’m glad to see these incidents getting more coverage to show the stupidity involved here.

It’s not like his constituents elected him to do anything hard. Senator Tom Carper:

I don’t expect to actually read the legislative language because reading the legislative language is among the more confusing things I’ve ever read in my life.

Grandmother arrested for buying cold medicine.

You commit three felonies a day. And intent? Never heard of it.

On the PATRIOT Act:

Only three of the 763 “sneak-and-peek” requests in fiscal year 2008 involved terrorism cases, according to a July 2009 report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Sixty-five percent were drug cases.

Been hearing a lot of these commercials on the radio about supposedly closing post office locations. Seems that congress is looking to close some branches. Not surprising. The free market does it better, faster, and guarantees results. The USPS, not so much. And then there’s email, faxes, etc. and those are cheaper and faster than mail. The ads depict doom and gloom about your mail being slow and blah blah. But at the end of the ads, they say something like this ad brought to you by your postal employees. Is the USPS buying ads to save its own skin or is there a union that does that?

The War on Food Poor People Eat. Same as why the taxes on cigarettes are far higher than the taxes on cigars.

Katherine Mangu-Ward:

I’m the average American: Take 30 percent of my paycheck and I’ll shrug. Nationalize the car companies and I’ll change the channel to cartoons. Add 10 cents to the cost of my Cherry Coke and, so help me God, I will start a revolution.

It doesn’t make a lick of sense, but that’s the way people are. Tea parties notwithstanding, trans fat regulations, smoking rules, parental advisory stickers, and light bulb bans have long been some of the best recruitment tools libertarians have.

The WaPo:

Democrats Target Bank Overdraft Charges

A backlash is brewing on Capitol Hill against banks that charge large fees for overdrafts without asking or telling customers, the latest sign that the financial crisis is shifting the balance of power from banks toward borrowers.

Banks struggling to survive have become increasingly reliant on the fees, which could total $38.5 billion this year.

But congressional Democrats, who pushed through new restrictions on credit cards this spring, now are promising a crackdown on overdraft fees, using words like “criminal” and “rip-off” to describe the practice of letting people overspend and then charging them fees without warning. Most overdrafts are now incurred on debit card transactions.

The result of this will be either interest free loans or not covering written checks. And the fees for bounced checks are usually more because, in addition to a bank fee, the place you bounce a check to probably charges a fee for that.

My Fox DC:

At least 22 states that ban texting while driving offer some type of service that allows motorists to get information about traffic tie-ups, road conditions or emergencies via Twitter.

Where Great Britain used to be:

Millionaire faces jail for attack on knife raider at his home

We’re losing the war:

A group of police and judges who want to legalize drugs pointed to new FBI numbers released today as evidence that the “war on drugs” is a failure that can never be won. The data, from the FBI’s “Crime in the United States” report, shows that in 2008 there were 1,702,537 arrests for drug law violations, or one drug arrest every 18 seconds.

Obama administration looks to extend provisions of PATRIOT act.

David Brooks is now shilling for limited government and fiscal restraint. A bit of a different tune from back when his guys ran the show. And now Republican Senators decide to fight out of control spending.

Why, it was just like yesterday that the Democrats were the party of smaller government.

One of my issues with the tea party movement is that of timing. After all, they want limited government and all that. So, where were they from about, say, late 2002 until recently? You know, back when Bush and the republican led congress was busy growing the federal government to the biggest it’s ever been in the history of the country? Anyone?

Also, Bush’s Third Term? Hope and change.

So, there’s this program called cash for clunkers. Maybe you’ve heard about it? Seems the .gov is going to give everyone who trades in an old car for a new one $4,500 and a magical pony. Program was popular, which of course means the .gov will screw it up. And it did. Seems they owe car dealers about $3B and those dealers want their money. Up next is, and I am not making this up, cash for refrigerators. Same concept: get cash if you trade in your old appliance for a newer, more efficient one. Why, it’s almost like people want to get some of their money back. So, we should just pay people to buy stuff. And that’s really a government policy. Amazing. You know what else gives people their money back? Tax cuts.

Also, in a bit of a twist, cash for clunkers seemed to help Toyota, Honda and Ford. And not Chrysler and GM. Notice the pattern? For those who did not, the bailed out companies sales dropped. Those who did not embrace governmental control of the means of production had sales increases. Beautiful.

The feds to crack down on secondhand sales. Asking folks to keep up with recalls that could go back decades is ridiculous. I was at WalMart recently and on their big poster board of recalls, I counted 58 recalls on the wall. And those were just currently released.

We libertarian sorts point out that it is to the point where there are so many laws that it’s impossible to not break them. Good thing that issue is getting some attention from law professors.

You love kimchi or hate it. There is no in between. I happen to love it. If you happen to hate, I won’t try to convince you otherwise.

That said, in The City (My The City) there is a market called, interestingly enough, The Market. Good meat selection, seafood, and locally grown veggies. I’m a fan.

Stopped in a bit back and they had kimchi. I struck up a conversation with the owner about it and how I make my own and how it’s a lot of work. He explained to me that one of his regular customers came in and said her husband, who had a terminal illness, served in Korea. And he said he wanted some good kimchi. The owner took it upon himself to track down some one local who could make it. And he did. He started selling it for her. I bought some that day in the event that it was good, so I could stop making my own. It was good. Delicious. I’d buy it all the time.

Today, I swing by to get some kimchi. And they don’t have any. I ask about it and the guy behind the counter (different guy) says that the FDA told them they couldn’t sell it anymore because the supplier was not a licensed manufacturer. Of course not. The supplier of good kimchi was a Korean lady.

Government: Keeping the world safe from good food.

From the state that brought us Kelo, comes this:

Municipal Tax Services, a private Trumbull-based firm, will comb city streets at night with an infrared camera, photographing every license plate. Plate numbers automatically will be entered into a database that will be cross checked with the city’s grand list of taxable property.

Debt clock

James Rosen:

If you’re planning a garage sale or organizing a church bazaar, you’d best beware: You could be breaking a new federal law. As part of a campaign called Resale Roundup, the federal government is cracking down on the secondhand sales of dangerous and defective products.

The initiative, which targets toys and other products for children, enforces a new provision that makes it a crime to resell anything that’s been recalled by its manufacturer.

“Those who resell recalled children’s products are not only breaking the law, they are putting children’s lives at risk,” said Inez Tenenbaum, the recently confirmed chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

I’m guessing in my house right now, I have roughly eleventy billion children’s toys. And we’ve been known to have the occasional yard sale. Does anyone really think I (or anyone else) is going to look up whether or not the My Little Pony Ponyville Starsong’s Stageshow Bus has been recalled?

Also, I have a friend who runs a kids’ consignment shop. Something like this could put her out of business.

HT to Tam.

Apparently, what he meant was it applied to you:

The Obama administration is proposing to scale back a long-standing ban on tracking how people use government Internet sites with “cookies” and other technologies, raising alarms among privacy groups.

A two-week public comment period ended Monday on a proposal by the White House Office of Management and Budget to end a ban on federal Internet sites using such technologies and replace it with other privacy safeguards. The current prohibition, in place since 2000, can be waived if an agency head cites a “compelling need.”

Not a lot of faith in their own paper:

Small businesses that received $682 million in IOUs from the state say California expects them to pay taxes on the worthless scraps of paper, but refuses to accept its own IOUs to pay debts or taxes.

Now that’s funny.

Just wait.

Today, on the drive in, there was a Homeland Security van driving (really slowly, actually) through my subdivision. Odd, that.

Seriously, the state regulates bees? Does that happen enough to warrant that?

Knife Rights reports that customs is backing off their ludicrous attempt at banning about 80% of folding knives from being imported.

DHS keeping us safe from terrorists. And kids modifying Xbox consoles.

Ben Garrett on the FTC’s pending nationalized media:

Interpretation: Five million bloggers exercising their First Amendment right isn’t a good thing for American democracy.

Walter Olson:

under a law Congress passed last year aimed at regulating hazards in children’s products, the federal government has now advised that children’s books published before 1985 should not be considered safe and may in many cases be unlawful to sell or distribute. Merchants, thrift stores, and booksellers may be at risk if they sell older volumes, or even give them away, without first subjecting them to testing—at prohibitive expense.

The Mrs. collects children’s books. She has for years. It appears she’ll soon need a black market book dealer. HT to SIH who notes you need an interest group for everything.

Paying for propaganda.

Seen at Pete’s:

California: a penal colony with a nice coastline

I know, they’re actually talking about prisons but it sorta fits the rest of the state too.

Feds look to regulate texting while driving and caffeinated alcoholic drinks.

Cop goes to bar. Bouncer won’t let him in. Cop gets his defaced (as in serial number removed) gun and threatens bouncer. In NYC.

Dave Barry:

As Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is powerful, dangerous and relentless, I refer of course to the federal government.

Did a post a bit back on the tactical pea shooter:

From Gun Porn

Turns out, it’s probably illegal in California.

Post Office in decline.

If You’re Reading This, You’re Probably a Federal Criminal

More from Radley.

An image of the Governor of California breaking the law.

Update: Seems to be some disagreement on the legality of the knife.

I mentioned before the .gov’s plan could kill people by banning electronic cigarettes. Now, the FDA has stopped some shipments of them at the border. Jacob Sullum notes the weak testing standards of creation science:

It seems clear that the FDA already has decided to ban e-cigarettes and is now seeking evidence to back up that decision. This approach, which replaces science and consumer protection with puritanism and bureaucratic pigheadedness, sacrifices the interests—and possibly the lives—of smokers who could dramatically reduce their disease risks by switching to e-cigarettes.

This seems kinda stupid:

You can order thousands of dollars of $1 coins on your credit card at face value, and the mint will ship them to you overnight free of charge. They are treated as a purchase, not a cash advance, so not only do you not pay finance charges, but you earn airline miles or cashback rewards just like a regular purchase. You can then immediately take the coins to the bank and deposit them to start earning interest, and you don’t have to pay for them until the due date on your next credit card bill.

And, hey, if you’re about to default on your credit cards, why not order a ton of money and have it shipped to your door!

Apparently, threatening telemarketers over the phone is an act of terrorism.

Rich:

If the healthcare system proposed by Democrats in Congress is so good, why are they exempting themselves from it while forcing it on the rest of us?

Because they’re better than us.

SWAT team leaps into action. The crime? Grass is too tall.

In light of recent events indicating , some police officers are worried about the future:

Cops fear for their parents, wives, children or grandchildren more now than ever before. Most cops are encouraging their spouses and loved ones to get concealed carry permits. Not only that, but some of these same cops are buying gun mounts for their personal cars so they can carry an AR in the family ride at the ready all the time. They are also strapping on heavier forms of off-duty hardware. I have other friends that are issued ARs or subguns for tactical team use, who always have their gear with them and are planning on just commandeering these weapons for personal use in defending hearth and home.

Read the whole thing.

Clenched fist salute to Billy Beck.

Tam:

Today is the day when real Americans light off fireworks (or, in many states, watch the government light off fireworks for them) to celebrate conscription and income taxes, zoning laws and the FDA! Two-flush toilets and government-mandated florescent light bulbs! Seat belt laws and helmet mandates!

More where that came from. Read it all.

So, it looks like the newest political pixie dust we’re having shoved upon us is fixing health care. The arguments presented by advocates are largely bogus because of the way they frame the debate. You see, they use terms like health care and health insurance interchangeably, which is misleading. The great thing about America is I have access right now to all the health care I can buy. Just Saturday, I got bit by a critter. Being a weekend and a holiday, my doctor’s office was not open. I went to a local walk in clinic, said how much, they told me, and I gave them money. They then gave me health care. Amazing. People will sell something that you’re willing to buy.

Now, someone comes along and says You’re just mean. Some folks can’t afford it. You’re right. Some folks can’t afford it. And I am mean. But just like some folks can’t afford houses and food and cars, some folks can’t afford to pay a doctor. That’s the way the world works, some times. But it does mean that, at least, you realize that we do have health care and the conversation you want to have is about who is paying for it. And you want me to. That’s the first step.

And, it turns out, we have a health insurance program in this country to benefit those who cannot afford it. It’s called Medicaid. And it’s broken. You want someone to take your silly give everybody free stuff and fluffy puppies pipe dream seriously, fix Medicaid. Because we can’t afford to pay for anyone else.

Meanwhile, a look at socialist health care in other countries.

Tennessee has a whole host of new laws that go into effect today. Some stupid. Some real stupid. And some inoffensive.

First up, is the no texting while driving law:

Rachel Nichol says reading or sending cell phone text messages while driving isn’t such a good idea — she’s had five fender benders, including one in a fast food drive-thru.

“I was texting and I rear-ended someone each time,” said Nichol, a 20-year-old Nashville bartender. “You’re not looking at the road. You’re only using one hand to drive and it’s really dangerous.”

That’s why she supports a law prohibiting the behavior. It’s among new Tennessee laws that take effect on Wednesday.

You see, because Rachel is an idiot, you must be one too. It only makes sense. For the children. I mean, if only it was illegal, then she wouldn’t do it. The law was unnecessary as our AG already said that it could be viewed as endangering others. It’s also going to be hard to enforce because your phone does other things too, like make phone calls. Ya know, my phone is also an MP3 player so if I’m changing the song by hitting the forward button and a cop sees me, he might think I’m texting.

Up next is a law designed to expand no-pedophile zones. You see, yesterday, pedophiles and sex offenders were required to stay 500 feet away from schools, parks, daycares, and playgrounds. Today, they must stay 1,000 feet away. That’ll help.

Also, a few more that aren’t bad.

We can now order wine and have it delivered. My wife already signed up for some wine club deal.

No more thumbprints for gun sales.

And it’s illegal to aim a laser pointer at firefighters and emergency medical technicians. Seems to me that, like the texting law, that would already be illegal.

The big bill to allow the FDA to regulate tobacco causes about 500 job losses in Tampa.

Of course it is. We’re picking up the tab for it twice:

There is a rich literature testifying to this phenomenon. A study last December by Milliman Inc., an independent consulting firm, commissioned by America’s Health Insurance Plans, found that underpayment by Medicare and Medicaid accounted for nearly an 11% increase in the health care costs of private plans. This means that on average a privately insured family is forced to pick up about $1,800 extra every year of the government’s slack. Private plans, all in all, are subsidizing government programs to the tune of $90 billion annually.

Kinda minimizes that claim about the percentage of dollars in Medicare that goes to care. Of course, Medicare doesn’t do R&D; deal with insurance companies; pay compliance costs; etc.

Meanwhile, free-marketers should support the public option? Only if you don’t know what a free-marketer is.

Or why Phillip Morris supports federal regulation of tobacco.

Man invited to airport to photograph Fathers’ day flight of a B24 Liberator. Photographer cuffed and held since we can’t have people taking pics of planes. Says one of the veterans:

It’s the U.S.A., not U.S.S.R. — I didn’t fight to protect this shit.

TSA agents harass Ron Paul supporter for carrying too much cash. Oh, did we mention he took an audio recording.

The NYT: Occasional Smoker, 47, Signs Tobacco Bill

Article then turns to Obama’s smoking more so than the merits of the bill. In silent protest, I bummed a cigarette. Not enjoyable.

A look at the census.

I’ve said many times that drugs are winning the war on drugs. Nicholas Kristof agrees:

This year marks the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon’s start of the war on drugs, and it now appears that drugs have won.

A look at the utter bastardization of the commerce clause. There may as well not even be a commerce clause.

Feds to regulate tobacco. Plenty of reasons why this is dumb but the most striking is that when regulation is supported by players in the industry (in this case, Phillip Morris), you have to wonder exactly what’s going on.

Bob Corker disappoints and supports the bill.

Feds seize online poker accounts.

We mentioned before the administration’s hard-line on assisted opening knives. Now, kniferights.org is looking at the trend of classifying them as switchblades.

Two children get in a fight. One is arrested for assault.

Energy Department fails its own audit.

Over 16% of income in this country comes from government.

Police in NY ticket a car with a dead guy in it. For weeks.

Michigan State Police police say the Gamo Whisper (an air rifle with a built in suppressor) is illegal.

Armed School Teacher gets a full sized 45 through an airport metal detector. Oops.

The Viking Funeral loophole.

Also, TN law says passengers can drink. Popular college football will do that to you.

Via Redneckin, comes word of a man whose vintage airplane was confiscated for failing to fill out ATF forms.