The Firearm Debate

I was a teenager in the 1980s and the current rally cry by the right about assault weapons was something you just didn't hear. No one owned an assault rifle thirty years ago. Now, owning an assault rifle is framed as a necessary right covered by the Second Amendment. So, my question is, were we less free in the 1980s when citizens couldn't purchase what is essentially an M16? I don't recall feeling less free. I was, however, less likely to be massacred in a mass shooting.

Too Stupid Too Discuss

I heard an ad today on NPR, announcing the show On Point was going to have a discussion on The Orange Idiot's desire to expand the death penalty to drug dealers. We are discussing this? Here's how that discussion should go:

Host: My guest today is This Guy.
That Guy: Hi, thanks for having me on.
Host. Thanks for being here. So, Donald Trump has announced his intention to expand the death penalty to drug dealers. Isn't that stupid?
That Guy. Yes, colossally stupid. Why are we even talking about this? How did someone this stupid become president?
Host: Alright, that's all the time we have for this today. I'd like to thank This Guy for joining us.

Long Live the Blog?

Or the personal web page. Is this a blog or a personal web page? Yes.

Nice blog entry by Scalzi on the importance of having a place on the internet that is yours and controlled only by you. Someday Twitter and Facebook will be gone. What will replace it? I'd like to see a system where each individual has their own IP type address and you can subscribe to that feed via some open source software. No one will control it. I wonder how that would work?