Thoughts on the California Election

Two Parties, both lacking in dignity,
In fair California, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-cross'd candidates make their life;
Whole misadventured piteous overthrows
Do with their election continue their parties' strife.
The fearful passage of deceptive campaigns,
And the continuance of their parties' rage,
Which, but their candidates election, could nought refrain,
Is now the many word traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

(Originally the Prologue from Romeo and Juliet)

Yard Work Weirdness

I was cutting weeds along the back fence this morning and some fellow with a pretty think accent (India? Pakistan?) walked up on the opposite side of the fence. When I shut down the mower he said something about dry grass and matches -- it was kind of hard to make it out with the ear plugs in. In retrospect I guess I should have taken time to get a better description JIC he was threatening to set fire to the place but that didn't occur to me at the time.

California will not accept its own IOU's?

Frankly this look like a good argument to stop doing business with the state government.

From Courthouse News Services

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. The vendors' federal class action claims the state is trying to balance its budget on their backs.
Lead plaintiff Nancy Baird filled her contract with California to provide embroidered polo shirts to a youth camp run by the National Guard, but never was paid the $27,000 she was owed. She says California "paid" her with an IOU that two banks refused to accept - yet she had to pay California sales tax on the so-called "sale" of the uniforms.

The class consists mostly of small business owners, many of whom rely on income from government contracts to keep afloat. They say California has used them as "suckers" as it looks for a way to bankroll its operations while avoiding its own financial obligations.

"Instead of seeking funds through proper channels, the State has created a nightmare," the class says. "Many of these businesses will not survive if they are required to wait until October 2009 to have these forced IOUs redeemed by the State."

The class claims the state is violating the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments. It demands that California be ordered to honor its own IOUs, plus interest. They are represented by William Audet.

Complaint (PDF)

Do Californians really want to keep their guns?

Fighting the law-abiding doesn't fight crime.

For years now, gun control has succeeded in back-door confiscations by restricting and punishing ammunition the type of ammunition, type of weapon, where it can be carried, owned or changed, then the regulation of ammo, then the amount you can buy and how you must qualify for that. Nothing new, just more of the same. Why? Because it works in Europe. It’s not supposed to work their either, but it depends on what you’re trying to get working. Gun control or Safety? You'll never have both.

More guns are sold in California than any other state. Estimates put the number of legal gun owners in the State at somewhere over 10 million. In a state with an estimated 23 million eligible voters (not all of whom are registered), gun owners represents the single largest potential voting block in the State. If those gun owners made it plain that they will vote against any incumbent who

1. Votes for an antigun bill or


2. Against a progun bill.

The onerous gun laws in California would disappear in a decade or less.

People get the government they deserve. In California gun owners are getting it good and hard. If they want it otherwise they will have to stop presenting their naked rumps like a bunch of whipped chimpanzees.

If you want to stand erect like free men and women the first thing to do is straighten your spine.