Japan’s architecture is a strange and esoteric mix, ranging from buildings hundreds of years old to the most modern edifaces of concrete and steel. While the range is interesting it is aesthetically lacking and helps make Japan one of the ugliest countries in the world.
Just using a shot I took of Ken last fall to test out blogging photos from flickr. Since we’re getting ready to move back to Japan I thought I’d try and resurrect Pikatto. Since we’ll be busy and without internet access when we first get back I thought it would be prudent if I did as much as I could to have everything ready before we leave.
This is one of the most succinct explanations regarding 2nd Amendment rights via the right to carry a concealed firearm I have ever seen. Unfortunately I cannot give full credit because I do not know who wrote it.
*Sigh* Let’s go over it again, people. By definition, bad guys don’t obey laws, so they’ll surely not obey even the most sternly worded signs. Ergo, any bad guys at or near this Starbucks (or a similarly posted establishment) have guns. Or knives. Or maybe they’ve organized into a pack. At any rate, they possess the means -and more importantly, the motivation- to do harm. Just as important to these bad guys is that you, the law-abiding citizen, will indeed obey the sign. Actually, most of you will roll your eyes at it, saying to yourself or your companions, “Right, like I’m going to need a gun at Starbucks!” …or at school…or at a Luby’s…or at a daycare center… And if the unthinkable happens, and someone offers you violence for which you are utterly unprepared, then your only hope is that there is a cop nearby, into whose hands you have completely entrusted your physical safety. If you are alone at the Starbucks (et al), then the consequences fall upon your person alone, and that is certainly your right, to allow another to threaten, kill, or maim you. If you are with someone who might look to you for protection (spouse, child, elder parent), then being unprepared means you have abdicated that responsibility. There is a third option, however. Between the sheep and the wolf lies the sheepdog. More suited for life amongst the sheep, but equipped more like the wolf, the sheepdog blends into the unarmed crowd at Starbucks, buying his coffee and enjoying it like the rest, but with a vigilant eye on his surroundings. This third kind of person is a law-abiding citizen, and also a criminal, because he has chosen to disregard a statute that renders him unable to protect himself and his family. He’ll likely never have to present the weapon he carries in violation of the law, but if he does, it will be a decision that will be made because his very life was at stake. If you have a sheepdog in your midst when the wolf appears, your third option is to hope that he is willing to endure the arrest, imprisonment, and financial ruin that goes along with using a weapon in defense of another. So sneer at the signs if you like. I genuinely hope you are never a victim of such violence. And I hope that if you are, I’m next to you in line at Starbucks. You should hope so too…but don’t rely upon it, because as we all know, hope is not a plan. Woof.
I haven’t seriously read comics for many years. By seriously, I mean reading a new issue as it was released every one or two weeks. I remember first losing interest when DC killed off the last son of Krypton and then brought him back a year later. To me – I was a high school student at the time beginning to view the world with a cynical eye – it smacked of pure greed. I finally gave up on comics when Marvel started screwing around with one of my all time favorite superheroes – Wolverine. Because of this Marvel – or DC for that matter – probably doesn’t care what my opinion is. But here it is anyway.
For those of you who read comics you are already aware that March 7th was a sad day. For those of you who don’t, let me fill you in. On March 7th Marvel Comics killed off Captain America. When I first heard of this I figured that it was just another attempt by one of the big comic book publishers to make more money. Evidently I am not the only one to have such a thought. According to Gerry Gladston, co-owner of Midtown Comics in Manhattan, in this article he said:
I was shocked. I was not expecting it. I’d rather they didn’t kill him - but it’s going to mean great sales.
I do believe that Gerry is right, but after digging a little more I discovered that the sentinel of liberty may have been offed for other reasons than pure greed. Cullen, over at Half A Pica Distance seems to think so too.
Then something clenched it for me. One of the characters who was supposed to have died [sic] the horrible explosion that set all of this off, survived. He was apprehended and taken to a SECRET GOVERNMENT CONTAINMENT FACILITY. He was given simple choices, but all his rights were trampled all over. He was considered an “enemy superhero combatant.” And it suddenly came into focus – this series is, at least in part, an underhanded way of bashing the Bush administration’s social policies regarding the War on Terror.
If the writers, artists, and execs at Marvel have a problem with the Bush Administration’s handling of the war on terror that’s fine with me. Everyone is due their own opinion. But to force it upon Marvel fans – rest assured this will affect the entire Marvel universe not just Captain America – is unforgivable.
I don’t and never have read comics for a social or political commentary. I can make up my own mind on those issues. If I want someone to tell me what to think I’ll watch the news.
I read comics to escape and to be inspired by characters like Captain America. Inspired to do the right thing. Perhaps if you hadn’t selfishly killed Captain America you could have inspired some of today’s youth to do the right thing, but it appears you would rather tell them what to think instead – and make a nice profit on the side.
Crunch Gear has an absolutely ridiculous article on the confirmed–according to them–Zune Phone. It sounds like a bunch of bs to me. My favorite part of the article is this lovely disclaimer.
This is a lot of information, and the reader should keep in mind that any part, if not all of it could change, as from what we know, the Zune group is just being brought up to speed on the specifics of the device.
So everything in your article might be completely wrong? As far as I know that is called an unsubstantiated rumour.
Rob Enderle has once again shown his stupidity in “Companies Should Prepare for the iPhone," a story written by Poonam Khanna for IT Business.
He has been taken to task by both John Gruber of Daring Fireball and by El Macalopo of the The Macalope. The one point that neither Gruber or the Macalope address is an obvious one, which is perhaps why they don’t bother addressiing it.
How the hell does Enderle have any clue as to how secure or insecure the iPhone is? It won’t even be released for another 115 days and yet Enderle has already written it off as being too insecure to use with corporate networks. So, tell us Rob, what’s your secret for fortelling the future?
Bill Gates, sir, you are a damned liar!
See Daring Fireball for more.
I don’t have a problem ending the war in Iraq. In fact I think ending the war in Iraq is the very goal that our elected representatives–including the President–should be striving to attain. This, however, does not mean that I think that the us should immediately pack up and leave Iraq. This is what the majority of the Democrats, the liberals, the media, and even certain Republicans are suggesting the us should do. The Democrats are quick to criticize President Bush’s plan to increase the number of troops in Iraq in an attempt to end the war–which may not be the best of plans–but I have yet to hear the Democrats’ alternative plan for successfully ending the war in Iraq. And whether you like it or not successfully is the key word here. Ending the war is not enough. Bringing our soldiers home is not enough. Overthrowing and bringing a tyrant, dictator, and mass murderer to justice is not enough. Not if we leave Iraq in a state of unrest and instabillity–to do so would practically be an open invitation to Iran and Syria to invade. Terrorists would also love to be able to set up shop in Iraq permanently. We cannot allow this to happen. Withdrawing from Iraq before it is stable and secure can only result in a destabilized Middle East and and a severe blow to American national security not to mention the added devastation and destruction it would surely cause in Iraq.
Success is our only option.
The Democrats have taken the House and may take the Senate as well, the political fallout has already begun–Rumsfeld has resigned–and according to Pelosi Democrats will immediately reach out to Bush to find a bipartisan way to begin redeploying troops “outside of Iraq.” Looks like we’re about to leave the Iraqis hanging out to dry. I wonder who’ll set up shop there next, Iran, Syria, more terrorists? I think Americans need to get ready, because now more than ever it’s not a question of if we get hit by another terrorist attack but of when and where.
