Selective Shooting Science

The Media is an Accomplice in Public Shootings: A Call for a "Stephen King" Law - Forbes

This article makes a claim that sounds familiar:

There’s really no useful debate on the point. The consensus of social scientists since David Phillips’ groundbreaking work in 1974 is that highly publicized stories of deviant and dangerous behavior influences copycat incidents. 

I don't buy the "no useful debate" here, in global warming or anywhere, but this is "fact" of a far older age and detailed correlation than Global Warming. In '74, the climate consensus was that we were slipping into the next ice age.

So why is the left "ignoring science"?

Because we ALL have a VERY limited aperture for what we can consider, and we are ALL highly biased in our world view. The best we can do is to pick our biases very carefully -- or if you are a believer like myself,  allow Christ to drive.

My bias says that we live in a very imperfect world that is completely imperfect-able outside of Christ. Even the most OBVIOUSLY important corrections like "ending slavery"  come with costs like 600K dead (including a lot of children), 100 years of Jim Crow,  the destruction of the black family through political graft payments to welfare and the creation of what appears to be a permanent underclass.  That doesn't mean that we ought not try to improve our world, it just means that as with medicine, FIRST do no harm, and then seek to be minimally invasive.

"Freedom" in the human sense has downsides -- as we see here with speech, will be reminded a million times about guns and see constantly with cars and alcohol. Right now from our media view, there are no downsides to legalization of pot, and it is considered horrible in the extreme by our ruling elites to even mention that there may be large and significant downsides to the slaughter of innocents through abortion. We are heavily schooled in selective horror when it comes to the slaughter of innocents.

Our founding fathers found government to be just one more human created mechanism that was flawed at best, and if not controlled was dangerous beyond imagination. The 20th century gave us more than a few demonstrations of just how dangerous; Communism, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, the "one baby rule" in China, Tienamen Square ... But for a greater and greater number of Americans, "this time it is different" ... they rush headlong to replace the God in the manger with government, the god of the gulag.

Freedom is costly. Tyranny is costly. Balancing them is costly. That is what "imperfect" means.  We trade off 10's of thousands of deaths every year on the highway for freedom of transport. We trade off  many of those deaths and millions of ruined lives to alcohol ... a case where we do seem to have come to the valid consensus that prohibition does not work.

Regulation? Sure ... we have LOTS of regulation on Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, a juxtaposition that I always find odd and very wrong since Firearms are a Constitutional right and the other two are just drugs, but no matter.

Nobody that I heard called for stiffer drunk driving laws after  the Josh Brent (Cowboys player) accident as they had for stricter gun control after the Chiefs Jovan Belcher murder suicide the week before. Right now the left elite is in a power mode after the election, and they hate guns and gun people, but see no risk in uncontrolled government.

If we all just worked to widen our aperture just a bit, perhaps we could at least get along in this imperfect word just a bit better.

Deadliest School Massacre

http://qz.com/37069/the-deadliest-school-massacre-in-us-history-was-in-1927-why-its-aftermath-matters-now/

The deadliest school massacre was in 1927, 38 children and some adults. In 1927, the guy could have used an automatic weapon, they were legal then. He chose a bomb. Evil tends to find a way ... bombs, knives, guns, planes, gas, poison (remember Tylenol poisons? they never caught that one) ...

Human life has always been about family, culture and perspective. Family is biology. Culture is religion, recognized and understood, or not. We used to be a Christian Nation, now we are "mixed" ... for many, the government is god, for many others it is themselves, or money, or sports, or some addiction.

Perspective is our "model/story" -- it is the narrative that we believe to be true independent of day to day vagaries of life. Like "The American Dream" used to be -- work hard, be thrifty, be honest, etc and some day you will have built a good life and a world where your children's life will be better. We murdered our children's future though, so they are now the greatest debtor generation in history. We want our perspective to be "today", because the future looks pretty dark, and it is considered bad to think about the past. Those people were much less "enlightened" than we are told we are today.

Morality used to be something divine, and was about eternity. Now we murder unborn children by the millions and expect that the carnage will have no effects on our valuation of life. Many more are confused if human life is any different from animal life -- we are just "other animals". Man deserves only as much respect as animals -- and so inevitably, human life is devalued yet again.

Death is as much a part of life as birth. Killing any children is senseless, the born, the unborn, the "defective", etc,  but if life is cheap and morals are relative, it really can't be all that unexpected that "going out in a blaze of insane glory" appeals to some deranged soul after the joys of being "Gothic", video game killing or who knows what other pleasure dejour no longer thrills.

Who are we to judge?? Certainly we are unable -- as Niche lamented, since "God is Dead", or at least it is the fervent hope of many in our nation that he is. Somehow death seems both more meaningless and more tragic in the face of the currently popular imagined abyss of annihilation rather than the strong arms of a loving saviour.

We have a huge problem with evil. Human's can't really be evil can they? If they could, then maybe there would be a reason for God to come to earth in a manager to save them from evil. We used to have a religious holiday called Christmas around this time that celebrated just such a birth many believed in and did their best to live their lives in relation to. Now though we have "Holiday's" -- generic, consumption oriented dates on a calendar.

Why does it seem that there is evil? Certainly just a few better drugs, or treatment, or maybe regulations on guns, or magazines, or ammunition -- or? what? would "solve it".

We need to go back to that babe in the manger. "The problem" isn't "out there" ... with the guns or the media or the shrinks or the video games or the movies. Those are just mechanisms and symptoms. The problem is the human soul needing a saviour, and the more we deny that, the more Satan shows us the face of evil with glaring clarity that is impossible to ignore.





'via Blog this'

Klobuchar&Franken, Tax Fighting Dynamic Duo!!

It appears that the MN Senators finally read the BOcare bill! Congratulations!!

Suddenly, for at least a couple of companies with deep campaign contributions in their state, they are able to see that "taxes kill jobs". Wow, what a concept!!

Other subtle little message in here are good to see in the open as well:

The industry has been skeptical of the argument behind the tax -- that devicemakers will benefit from the health care law through increased demand for their products.

Klobuchar and Franken fight planned tax on medical devices | StarTribune.com


Hmm,  The authors of BOcare ASSUME that it is going to INCREASE the amount of money going into the medical industry. I could SWEAR that we were told that BOcare would DEcrease the cost of medical care AND increase the people covered. 

Bush Tax Cuts Now Good??

The Left’s Flip-Flop on the Bush Tax Cuts — The American Magazine

Wow, who knew?? Every Democrat and MSM person has said for over a decade that "The Bush cuts were tax cuts for the RICH!!". Now, suddenly BO wants MIDDLE CLASS people to call their congressmen and tell them they must agree with BO and raise JUST the taxes on the "rich" or THEY will have to pay up to $2K more a year??

Apparently Americans actually are gullible enough to go for this.  They hear the tax cuts called one thing for over a decade, suddenly, the story changes and "presto chango", the $3T over 10 years of tax relief for the middle class is really good (at least now) ... but the $800B over 10 years, 8 DAYS of spending each year, of tax relief for the top 10% that pays 70% of the taxes already (by these calculations, many have that number even higher for the top 10%), THOSE taxes have to be raised, or BO is going to force the taxes to be raised on everyone.

Let's see. The Bush tax cuts only benefitted the wealthy, and now going over the Fiscal Cliff and raising taxes on everyone  is all the Republicans fault!!

Yup, information you can believe in!

Why We Fight on Budgets

Bargaining and Its Limits - By Yuval Levin - The Corner - National Review Online

We fight because there is no shared view of America. The Democrats have built a fully formed "United States of Europe" with cradle to grave welfare assistance, protective laws, regulation, now medical care, and a massive old age medical and income security.

Wonderful. Except for the small fact that as in Europe, it necessitates UNlimited government, which was what made the US "exceptional", highly successful, and a world leader.  Sadly, as well, as in Europe, even UNlimited government is insufficient to supply all the "needs", since as been known forever, "needs" are infinite, but means are not.

However, my view is that the last election says that we have crossed this rubicon. We are no longer the America of the Constitution, Rule of Law and the therefore LIMITED Government with the rest of the liberty reserved to the PEOPLE.

We now need to wait for messy reality to take both the US and Europe back to some much sadder plane where MAYBE the wisdom of the US founders can be re-understood and the prospect of a brighter future to work for can once again be seen through the ashes of what we once had.

Advent, Atheists, Accountability

The Real Root of Atheists' Anti-Christmas Rage - Doug Giles - Page 1

Most atheists don't really care so much about God, it is HELL that trips them up. They DO NOT want accountability, no way, no how. The idea that there is an eternal consequence to their arrogant faithlessness is where they break with the faithful, since it is obvious that an ultimate God would have ultimate rights to judge them, God must go!

But there is nothing new or courageous about rejecting God. It is part of the base human package and Satan is ever willing to assist us in that rejection.  We ALL reject God by our very nature. -- we want to be in charge, right, and have everyone acknowledge that!

Christ comes for each of us personally with the whole package. The faith to believe,  love for even those that hate us, and the joy of knowing that his ways are just beyond our imagining. Giles seems too strong on the judgement (law) and too weak on the Grace (gospel).

Atheist is just another word for human. Except through Grace, there is no faith, no love, no hope, no joy. So in this Advent season, we pray for  ourselves to remain in Grace, that all would allow the Good Shepard to find them,  and especially for those we love to allow the love and joy of Christ to bring them home to the fold.

Insane BO Clown Bully

White House Plan on Fiscal Crisis Draws G.O.P. Ire - NYTimes.com

 Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner presented the House speaker, John A. Boehner, a detailed proposal on Thursday to avert the year-end fiscal crisis with $1.6 trillion in tax increases over 10 years, $50 billion in immediate stimulus spending, home mortgage refinancing and a permanent end to Congressional control over statutory borrowing limits

 Give me more taxes, more spending, AND permanently let me just run up the credit card.

BO ran on "the top 1% need to pay more tax" ... $800B over 10 years, $80B a year, 8 days of spending. He wants to double that to 16 days of spending, but it won't last that long since he wants to continue to increase spending.

Plus just throw away the debt limits!!!

We as a nation voted this bozo in AND kept the GOP congress. We clearly deserve what we get.

The Facts About Presidents, Spending and Deficits Since Reagan

The Facts About Budget Deficits: How The Presidents Truly Rank - Forbes

When looking at the facts, the following things  need to be remembered:

• CONGRESS sets the budget of the US. Reagan was hurt badly by a Democrat congress, Clinton helped mightily by Republican one. 
• REAL GROWTH is the ONLY hope!! Not inflation, not borrowing, not even consuming. Turning the nation back to making things of value, selling them at a profit, spending less than that profit and investing the rest in something that goes up in value!
• Reagan did a lot of great things, but he spent a lot of money and a lot of the "growth" was just borrowed money --- public and private. 
• The late '90s Internet Bubble  and '03-'07 Housing Bubble are very hard to factor in this ... Not much to be done about it, just a fact. 

The $29K Better than $69K America

When Work Is Punished: The Tragedy Of America's Welfare State | ZeroHedge

It is better for a single mom to have a $29K job and get the benefits then it is to have a $69K job and get off welfare!!!

Talk about DISincentive!!

The other really frightening statistic in this article:

The punchline: 110 million privately employed workers; 88 million welfare recipients and government workers and rising rapidly.

When something can't go on forever, it won't!!  ... even if people vote as if it will.

Lose Arm or Leg??

My faith in the CBO is about the same as my faith in other government agencies, but one has to use SOMETHING for sources. It is pretty clear that the switch to Democrats in '07 was devastating, and the big reason for that is that the difference between the two parties is pretty much R - we drink a handle of vodka a day, D - we add a mixture of crack and heroin to the vodka.

Would you rather be a rose colored 58% of GDP in the hole or 90% in 2022?? I say "rose colored" because this doesn't count FICA, Medicare and a bunch of other stuff. We are ALREADY over 100% of GDP in the hole if you take the rosy glasses off just like our ACTUAL unemployment is well over 10% and well over 20% for folks in their 20s and 50s.

So now we have a decrepit economy and our choices really really suck. Left side, do the "responsible thing". Damned if you do. Right side, continue down the road to perdition. Damned if you don't. Like kicking smokes, booze, drugs, starting to exercise, taking up exercise, etc, on the "next day basis" (think "next 5 years" for country), doing the "right thing" sucks worse ... especially right away.

 The "Fiscal Cliff" is really just "a reasonable start". A "deal" ... like the completely stupid and useless 8 days of revenue from "taxing the rich" is just dropping a few more shots on your supposed way to quitting drinking. BUT ... as I've said before. Republicans, the current party of "being a drunk isn't as bad as being a drug addict" needs to clean up and start talking very straight.

 My advice is to give the Democrats what they want and start COMMUNICATING things like this chart about how really senseless their policies are, but in the interest of "compromise", here you go -- there is a congressional election in 2 years. If the D policies have worked, vote us out. If not, we would really like your consideration then and in 2016, providing there is anything recognizable as a nation left.

 Romney was right about the stuff, just wrong about the percentage. It isn't 47% takers, it is 50.x%". He clearly stated that he was NOT the candidate of stuff, and the American people said "give us our stuff". They want the binge to go on. Yes, the death of America is maybe already a reality and certainly likely with that approach, but the Republicans have become AT BEST enablers by marginally slowing the decline.

It is time for the nation to reach bottom, and either then seek a different course, or just cease.

Demography, Destiny, Racism

Demography Is Destiny - Ann Coulter - Page 1:

How can it be that your race defines how you will vote? Is there ANY way that can be true other than assumptions about demography that are just as racist as Slavery and the subsequent Jim Crow South that the Democrats presided over for 100 years post slavery??

Hispanics especially, but certainly Orientals and even a significant percentage of Blacks believe in strong families, hard work, individual responsibility, religious faith, sanctity of life, etc ... "Republican" values, formerly known as American values.

BUT, they have been convinced to vote "tribally" ... they have been sold a bill of goods that it is REPUBLICANS that are "racist", while it is assumed that a group of people will continue in perpetuity to vote counter to their own beliefs because:

1. They would be ashamed to vote "against their race". 
2. Their race is ALWAYS going to be some sort of an underclass that is going to require a lot of government largesse. 

Unless one believes some races are actually inferior, is either we keep allowing in a large number of minorities that need massive government services. OR, if Democrats are able to perform the magic they have on Blacks on Hispanics by breaking up families through welfare and making them a permanently dependent subculture that is guaranteed to vote Democrat. Since Democrats are so certain of "Demography/Destiny", I have to assume they expect to keep open borders / massive welfare state forever??

Yes, Democrats clearly believe that non-whites are "racially incapable" of voting other than for entitlement. Do Republicans believe that?? I sure don't. It is up to Republicans to point out the racism in the Democrat message and assumptions and to win these segments to voting for the values that they actually agree with!!

What has and is being done to Blacks by the Democrat Party in this country -- from Slavery to Jim Crow, to Welfare Dependency is the greatest single tragedy of America. To allow it to happen to Hispanics is unconscionable!!

'via Blog this'

White Crowd Laughs and Applauds at Black Man Defeat!

Overwhelmingly white crowd laughs at and applauds defeat of black politician | The Daily Caller

See, it is RACIST when one doesn't support a Black man !!!

WTF??? E-Mail????

What the heck, FBI? - The Week:

The nations top spy and another 4-star general think e-mail is SECURE??? WTF???

That to me is the strangest part of this story. Old powerful guy cheats with younger woman ... uh, older story than David and Bathsheba.

"Sudden revelation day after election" ... yea, right. I thought BO ran as Santa, doesn't he know who is naughty and nice??

But if our "super smart intellectual elite" is convinced that e-mail is secure, they might think a nation can borrow 40% of what it spends and have 10% of the people pay 90% of the remainder ... oh wait, they DO believe that!! Better go practice shooting. bye.

'via Blog this'

Joy In Stalinist Amerika: Reaganomics Dead!

Michael Tomasky on How Mitt Romney Finally Killed Reaganomics - The Daily Beast

Kind of reminds me of "God is dead", "The end of competition", "We are all Keynesians now", "The end of big government", etc.

The principles that kicked off the Reagan revolution, and even the Bush economy (Record stock market, $165B deficit in 2007) are going to go away at about the same time as gravity and women enjoying having their hair done.

Of course liberals want them "repealed" ... along with competition, merit, investment, Christianity and hard work, but while they can stop things for a good long while, growth and life tend to find a way.

Dirty Harry Election

They want a tax increase. What are you going to do?? Give them one ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juwPE7hnymohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juwPE7hnymo