Pervasivelight 5.0

…marijuana is a gateway drug to libertarianism.

It was exactly one year ago today, that I rolled into Texas, fittingly enough on Texas independence day.

The American Civil Liberties Union has “always supported explosive detection as a good form of security that doesn’t really invade privacy,” said Jay Stanley, an attorney and privacy expert with the organization.

I have a gun. If someone wants to take issue with my being gay, I can present my own argument.

This should end well…

Barred from using lead in children’s jewelry because of its toxicity, some Chinese manufacturers have been substituting the more dangerous heavy metal cadmium in sparkling charm bracelets and shiny pendants being sold throughout the United States, an Associated Press investigation shows.

Saw this at the airport today. Somehow it seems apropro.

click to enlarge.

Just want to wish the two people who still visit regularly a Happy Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year

Here’s a pic from Maine a few years ago.

I’ll never miss that white stuff but it sure is pretty.

the maid at your hotel has a shopping cart rather than a cleaning cart.

saw this at the lovely Texan motel in Austin yesterday.

Lowes is playing xmas music already?

as the VW Jetta requires removing the front bumper to replace the headlight I will be laying on the floor of the garage for the next hour. at least I have a garage now and don’t have to do it in the street in Brooklyn.

The biggest and most secretive gathering of ships in maritime history lies at anchor east of Singapore. Never before photographed, it is bigger than the U.S. and British navies combined but has no crew, no cargo and no destination – and is why your Christmas stocking may be on the light side this year

in memorial of Ted Kennedy i present you a picture of the offshore wind turbine farm he opposed.

brilliant concept.

The Instapundit says “Surprisingly sympathetic treatment from the NYT.”

unfortunately not so sympathetic from the District Attorney…

A law enforcement official said that the district attorney was considering a possible misdemeanor weapons charge against Mr. Augusto, indicating that he did not have a permit for the shotgun.

“I am for doing good to the poor, but…I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed…that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.”

— Benjamin Franklin

“The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out
of other people’s money.”

—Margaret Thatcher

from the WSJ…

HT to Hsoi for digging up a great story by John Mackey founder of Whole Foods (Austin’s original crunchy granola supermarché)

“It’s free money!” said Alecia Rumph, 26, who waited in a Morris Park, Bronx, line 300 people deep for the cash to buy uniforms and book bags for her two kids.

“Thank God for Obama. He’s looking out for us.”

…

Thousands of people lined up at banks and check-cashing shops to withdraw the cash that magically appeared on their electronic benefit cards.

We’re doomed.