Titled: Two-Fifths of Americans Online Have Read Political Blogs

Two-fifths of Americans who are online have read a political blog, and more than a quarter read them once a month or more, according to a recent Harris Interactive poll.

Still, 56% of the public has never read a political blog and only 7% of online adults have posted a comment, according to the poll.

Of online adults who have posted comments on a political blog, 21% have posted 10 times or more in the past year. Half have posted between two and five times and 20% have posted only once.

People who identify themselves as Liberals are mostly likely to post comments to political blogs (28%); Moderates (17%) and Republicans (17%) were least likely.

Interesting. See the rest of the results here.

Titled: Online Freedom of Speech Act Introduced in House

In short - if this bill passes both houses and becomes law in the next 50 or-so days, the disastrous FEC rulemaking process will be rendered moot. Remember, the FEC is only creating regulations for Internet activity because Congress didn't specifically mention the Internet at all, and a federal judge ruled that even in the absence of specific direction of Congress, the FEC had to do so anyway.

This bill provides that direction, and creates that exclusion. It might not solve *all* the problems of regulation, but it's miles and away the best solution right now. I've already heard from some liberal colleagues in the blogosphere, and we're going to push this bill - and hard.

Redstate has more.

It is clear to me that Dr. Zen has never faced a rapist, or a gay basher. What should I do, Dr. Zen, if faced with a rapist? Give him what he wants? Sorry, but I would rather give him what he deserves - a couple of hollow point slugs carefully aimed.

Yea what she said.

James Joyner from Outside the Beltway has this concerning the repeal of the death tax.

Titled: Michiganders to face tighter border rules

Metro Detroiters might need passports to re-enter Michigan from Canada under new federal rules being phased in by 2008.

Such a regulation would represent a significant tightening of a border that has been one of the world's freest for more than two centuries.

According to Bush administration officials, new passport regulations -- designed to curtail terrorism -- would apply to Americans returning to the United States from Canada, Mexico, Panama and Bermuda.

I don't know. Is this a bad thing? On one hand it seems like another worthless measure that will do nothing to prevent bad guys from getting into the country. On the other hand I do appreciate the attention that borders are receiving.

I just added another Gun Blogger to my daily read list & Blogroll. It goes by the name "The War on Guns" and can be found here.

Yea but was there a  proper two day waiting period? You know a cooling off period so that the purchaser doesn't do anything rash like help start a new government or something.

Michelle Malkin reports that the TSA is, for the most part, going to be dismantled. Well partially anyway.

If Say Uncle can post a picture of his dog so can I.

Isn't he precious?

Update: My wife thinks I am retarded for posting a picture of my dog. I think she's jealous.

Titled: Status of Current Firearms Related Legislation

The new Michigan Legislature has two years to complete passage of bills before a new Legislature takes office in 2007. It is not unusual that bills from the previous session that were not given favorable treatment would reappear in this session. As of the date of this writing, three old anti-rights bills and one much-needed bill have been introduced.

More about those bills here.

Titled: NHS could refuse patients who will not mend ways

Patients who refuse to change their unhealthy lifestyles could be refused medical treatment, under proposals from the Government's NHS watchdog.

The controversial suggestion from the National Institute of Healthcare and Clinical Excellence would mean that a smoker in need of heart surgery might be denied the operation unless he or she promised to give up the habit.

The proposal is contained in a document which sets out for the first time the social values that should underpin decisions by the institute on which treatments to provide on the NHS.

It says all patients should be treated equally regardless of their age or social responsibilities and rules out discrimination on the grounds of gender, race or socio-economic status.

The only exception should be where a patient's age might affect the chances of success of the treatment. "Health should not be valued more highly in some age groups rather than others," it says. On self inflicted illness - that caused by "unhealthy lifestyles", such as casual sex, smoking, drinking or dangerous sports - it rejects the idea of "deservedness" in deciding who should receive treatment and says it would be impossible in many cases to determine which illnesses were self-inflicted.

It adds: "If the self-inflicted causes of the condition influence the likely outcome ... of an intervention, it may be appropriate to take this into account." A spokesman admitted there was a "grey area" between denying treatment on clinical grounds, because a patient might not benefit from it, and "blackmailing" them to change their behaviour in line with medically accepted health norms.

Let this serve as a warning for Americans. This is what national health care will get us. If or when it is put into place it will not take very long for the bureaucratic bean counters to determine that it is certain life styles that are driving up the costs of health care. Therefore anyone who doesn't live up to their standards of good health will be refused or forced to pay a very high premium. Some of you may be OK with that but I'm not. Those of us who take personal responsibility seriously better be able to opt out and have the option to make our own medical choices. And don't even get me started on the huge cost to taxpayers such a system will be.

Titled: Gore Group to Start Cable Channel as Youth Forum

A cable channel recently acquired by an investment group led by Al Gore is to relaunch Aug. 1 under the name Current, hoping to generate much of its content from viewers.

The former vice president and his partners, including entrepreneur Joel Hyatt, are taking an unconventional approach to TV programming in hopes of attracting viewers aged 18 to 34. That demographic, heavily sought by advertisers, has become difficult for TV networks and newspapers to reach.

Messrs. Gore and Hyatt say they hope young people will use the channel as a forum to express their opinions on news and current events. Viewers will be invited to submit short films, documentaries and home videos to be aired on the channel.

Isn't that what the Internet is for?

In an interview Friday, Mr. Gore said the goal of Current is to connect "the Internet generation with television in a brand new way." Its Web site will be a key part of its service, listing topics on which it wants material, such as reviews of movies, CDs or videogames; items on social trends; and advocacy journalism. Current will pay $250 for videos it airs.

Oh. They thought of that already.

Current will provide a fair amount of its own programming, at least initially, said programming chief David Neuman, a veteran television executive who most recently was a consultant for Time Warner Inc.'s CNN. Mr. Neuman said the channel has hired hosts for different segments. While Current primarily will be a news and information channel, he described it as closer to MTV and VH1 than Fox News and MSNBC.

You know that is what I was thinking. It sounds like an MTV rip off. It will be interesting to see where this goes but I have a feeling that they are going to be preaching to the choir (also) the way MTV does and there will not be much appeal outside of those who are already converts for leftist ideologies. My guess is that it will be nothing more then the cable version of Air America and just as successful.

Kevin from Always Low Prices, which features both positive and negative news items concerning Wal-Mart, is being "asked" by Wal-Mart to stop using their slogan on his site, which by the way he has been using for over a year now. Anyway he is reaching out to the Blogosphere to ask for some help/advice in how to respond. If you are such a person or know such a person he would like to talk to you.

I don't have comments turned on for this Blog but you can always put your two cents worth in at the Liberty 1st forum found here. Registration is required.

1. Zendo Deb has a few things to say about the U.N. and its record on human rights.
2. Say Uncle wastes his time making rational arguments about gun control to irrational people.
3. David Hardy has an interesting post about the 2nd Amendment, the 14th Amendment and individual rights.
4. Bruce found some New England Patriots along the southern border of the United States.
5. Denise has this on Democrats getting rid of gun control. 

Today I ran into the Michigan Coordinator for the Michigan Chapter of the Second Amendment Sisters. I was reminded of what a great origination that is. If you are interested you can find out more about them from their main site or if you are from Michigan you can check out the Michigan Chapter here.

I love their Mission Statement. So simple yet so powerful.

"Second Amendment Sisters, Inc. is a women's advocacy group dedicated to promoting the basic human right to self-defense, as recognized by the Second Amendment.

We believe in personal responsibility, education, and enforcement of laws against violent criminals."

I ran across a new Blog, well new to me, called "Of Arms & the Law." It looks like its going to be a great resource for those of us interested in the the preserving the 2nd Amendment. This post "A complete understanding of the Second Amendment" is a great place to start. Read it.

Do you use the Firefox browser? If so you may want to check out Fire Tune. Its a free application that will optimize your browser for you. I didn't try the before and after test so I can't verify any difference it may have made.  

The Christian Science Monitor has a piece up titled "Why tolerance is fading for zero tolerance in schools." The issue of Zero Tolerance has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time now. I haven't said much about it on this Blog (yet) but it has been discussed several times on the Liberty1st Forum. I think the last time it came up it was discussed here, which is a great example of zero tolerance stupidity. Don't you think?

Did you know Michelle Malkin has an Immigration Blog? No. Well she does. You can check it out here.

Titled: The unlikely ACLU-gun-nut alliance

When the American Civil Liberties Union and gun-nut lobbies make common cause, it is time to pay attention. That is exactly the case with the new Patriots to Restore Checks and Balances, an improbable coalition of liberal and conservative - nay, arch conservative - organizations cobbled together to contest the thoughtless renewal of the Patriot Act that President Bush has called for.

Why are the pro gun lobbies described as nuts? And why does the ACLU get a nuttiness pass? Could it possibly be a bias on the part of the author?

The ACLU is bedded down here with, among still more, the American Conservative Union, the Eagle Forum, the Free Congress Foundation and Citizens for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Republican former congressman Bob Barr chairs the unlikely affair.

I get the feeling this author don't think much about those of us on the conservative side of politics.

Unlikely but welcome. Slammed through Congress in panic and without serious hearings or debate in just six weeks after 9/11, the act mowed down traditional civil liberties wholesale and concentrated new, dangerous powers in the executive branch.
  
Key provisions, particularly ones dealing with surveillance, are scheduled to sunset at the end of this year unless Congress extends them. Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales are pushing for a quick endorsement of the act as it is.

Blah blah blah

Some of the innovations in the act are reasonable and probably were overdue even before the terrorist attack - roaming wire taps under judicial supervision, for instance, that focus on the subject and are not limited to just this or that form or place of communication.
  
But many provisions are way over the top. Section 802 defines terrorism so broadly it could be used to criminalize ordinary political activity and subject citizens who are exercising protected political rights to secret surveillance and their political organizations to police infiltration.
  
Section 215 allows the government to rummage through citizens' medical, library and gun-purchase records without probable cause and without informing the subject of the snooping. Section 213 allows secret searches of homes and businesses - "creep and peep," in opponents' shorthand. Gag orders keep even legal challenges to parts of the act secret, a truly Orwellian scenario.
  
Barr's organization argues that America "can wage an effective war on terrorism without locking up its own citizens without access to their families and attorneys, and without trial or charges."

Yup.

Barr was one of the howling right-wingers of the GOP's Gingrich generation, but out of office he has become arguably the leading conservative voice for principled defense of individual liberties and for protecting citizens' besieged zone of privacy.

So why all the "attacks" on conservatives in the beginning of this article?

Conservatives should oppose much of the Patriot Act just on principle alone. However as the author of this article pointed out not all of it is bad and some of it is way over due.

I think the preservation of Liberty is one area where conservatives, libertarians and liberals should join forces. Save the "attacks" for the social security debate.

Titled: Concealed Pistol Permits: Renewal Date

This is a great bill, and much needed. There is no reason why a renewal CPL cannot bear an issue date that is the same as the previous CPL's expiration date. Other licenses, such as drivers' licenses, do exactly this. With passage by the House in a vote of 109-0, MCRGO is confident that the Senate will also agree.

BRIEF SUMMARY: The bill would set the issuance date of a concealed pistol permit as the same day as the expiration of the preceding permit, if the permit were renewed prior to its expiration date.

Source: MCRGO. The full text of the bill can be read here.

If, like me, you find yourself with a pre release Windows XP x64 ISO file and you are not sure what to do with it. Here is a step by step guide for burning that image to a CD and then installing it onto your hard drive.

I installed XP x64 last night without incident. Plug and play managed to correctly identity and install drivers for all my devices. I did have to download the Radeon beta drivers for x64 before I was able to run Doom3. The ATI setup program quits before the drivers install correctly but you can manually install them by browsing to the location they were extracted to. I haven’t really had a chance to install many applications yet but the ones that I have all seem to work fine.

I believe the final release is due sometime in April. I have also heard that Microsoft is going to allow registered users of XP to download it for free. I haven’t been able to confirm that from any source other then from the guy at the local computer shop though. I’ll let you know.

Say Uncle outed me a couple of days ago. My first reaction was that I better get some content posted to earn his recommendation. And that is what I intended to do. But then I bought one of these

And one of these

That's right. 64 bit. I haven't done any extensive testing on it yet but so far it seems wicked fast. I am actually a little surprised on how fast 32 bit XP seems to work with it. Especially when you consider in clock speeds I went from a 2500+ to a 3000+ which is not that big of a jump. In the past I have made much bigger jumps without hardly any noticeable difference in performance. I know those numbers don't represent actual clock speeds but they are the only numbers I have at the moment.

Anyway I have to go create another partition for 64 bit XP and install all my applications. I'll be back later with new (some) content. See you then.

Titled: Michigan and South Carolina Sign CPL Reciprocity Agreement

MCRGO has just been notified by the Michigan Attorney General's office that Michigan and South Carolina have signed a mutual reciprocity agreement. This should become effective when the information is posted on South Carolina's web page. (Michigan already recognizes South Carolina CPLs, as long as the licensee is a SC resident.)

.....[Snip].....

South Carolina is thus the 28th state where Michigan CPLs are valid. Congratulations to all, especially to Attorney General Mike Cox, who from the very earliest moments of his 2002 campaign for AG promised MCRGO that he would work aggressively to obtain all possible reciprocity agreements for Michigan's citizens. He has certainly kept his promise!

28 states now. That is great news for CPL holders who like to travel. The Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners keeps an updated map of states with reciprocity agreements with Michigan. As of now this is how it breaks down.