statism

Saudi Arabian women call new day of defiance against driving ban

"'I will drive on October 26,' activist Nasima al-Sada told AFP on Sunday, saying that some 20 women are going to take part in the campaign in the kingdom’s Eastern Province. 'Many women are enthusiastic about learning to drive, or to teach other' women how to drive, she said, as many Saudi women have obtained abroad the driving licences they are denied in their homeland. 'There is not a single text in the Sharia Islamic law that prevents us (from driving). Any pretexts used to do that are based on inherited customs,' said the online petition. The last day of of defiance against the ban was on June 17, 2011." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSaudi Arabian women call new day of defiance against driving ban

Egyptian farmer arrested for naming donkey after top general

"An Egyptian farmer has been arrested for putting the name of the country’s military chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and an army cap on his donkey, state media said Saturday. Omar Abu al-Magd Ali al-Saghir, 31, was arrested late on Friday in the central province of Qena for allegedly insulting the general, state news agency MENA reported. The farmer was arrested after he rode the donkey through his home village in an act deemed 'directly insulting' to the army, MENA said. Sisi, who ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on July 3, is vice prime minister and defence minister as well as army chief." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingEgyptian farmer arrested for naming donkey after top general

Twelve years after 9/11, we still have no idea how to fight terrorism.

"The seven studies include among them 86 findings about the effectiveness of counterterrorism programs, and those findings are startling. Lum, Kennedy and Sherley report that the average effect of the programs examined was negative. That is, the intervention was found to increase terrorist incidents rather than reduce them. The results varied by the type of intervention, but not in a way that should give us any comfort about our strategy. It's scandalous that we spend billions every year on counterterrorism but barely spend any effort on evaluating whether what we're doing works." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTwelve years after 9/11, we still have no idea how to fight terrorism.

You’re Much More Likely to Be Killed By Lightning than by a Terrorist

"The U.S. Department of State reports that only 17 U.S. citizens were killed worldwide as a result of terrorism in 2011. That figure includes deaths in Afghanistan, Iraq and all other theaters of war. Wikipedia notes that obesity is a a contributing factor in 100,000–400,000 deaths in the United States per year. That makes obesity 5,882 to times 23,528 more likely to kill you than a terrorist. The annual number of deaths in the U.S. due to avoidable medical errors is as high as 100,000. The CDC stated in 2011 that – in the majority of states – your prescription meds are more likely to kill you than any other source of injury. So your meds are thousands of times more likely to kill you than Al Qaeda." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingYou’re Much More Likely to Be Killed By Lightning than by a Terrorist

Kevin Trudeau jailed for not paying $38 million to feds over natural remedies

"The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been after 50-year-old Trudeau, originally from Massachusetts, for several years after he made millions flogging what he claims are natural cures for serious and potentially fatal illnesses. The ruling at the end of last month was the latest round in more than a decade of legal battles that began with a suit filed by the Federal Trade Commission. Trudeau was slapped with a $38 million fine in 2011 after allegedly scamming customers for decades. FTC put the value at $37.6million as to how much consumers were defrauded by 'deceptive infomercials' that Trudeau filmed in order to plug his book - The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingKevin Trudeau jailed for not paying $38 million to feds over natural remedies

A Government Database about our Sex Lives: Gee, What Could Go Wrong?

"I don’t like the idea of government bureaucrats having my private information, but what’s probably most worrisome about this Obama Administration scheme is that the data won’t be confidential. As McCaughey writes, it’s just a matter of time before hackers or incompetent bureaucrats make that information public. By the way, everything written by McCaughey and Hatch also helps to explain why we should resist privacy-destroying schemes such as the Internet sales tax cartel being pushed by greedy politicians. I know I wouldn’t want all my online purchases in a database where state and local bureaucrats would be able to snoop for details." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingA Government Database about our Sex Lives: Gee, What Could Go Wrong?

Chicago ‘Safe Passage’ Worker Hit Woman, Stole Benefits Card

"A Safe Passage worker for Chicago Public Schools allegedly struck a woman and stole her Link benefits card, authorities say. Lashia Brown, 22, has been charged with misdemeanor battery and felony ID theft. Police confirmed Brown has a prior criminal record that includes possessing a weapon without a Firearm Owners Identification Card, an offense for which she pleaded guilty. Brown allegedly struck the victim in the face and used her Link card to withdraw money. She was arrested Tuesday in the 3200 block of West Madison and ordered held on $10,000 bond. A Link card provides cash and food-buying assistance for families that meet income guidelines." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingChicago ‘Safe Passage’ Worker Hit Woman, Stole Benefits Card

Woman sues US Airways for losing her husband’s ashes after TSA mishap

"Initially, Mrs O'Grady planned to take the urn on board with her, but was stopped by TSA agents who told her she wasn't allowed to bring the cardboard box containing his urn through security because 'it's contents were not a solid substance'. So she went back to the airline's front desk and put the box in her checked luggage. Because of that delay she nearly missed her flight as well. By the time she got to the gate, she was too late and the airline had already given up her seat. Mrs O'Grady had to buy a $500 first-class ticket just to stay on the same flight. But the real shocker happened after she arrived at her sister-in-law's house in Hull. She opened the bag and the box of ashes was gone." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWoman sues US Airways for losing her husband’s ashes after TSA mishap

French mother jailed for sending son to school in ‘I am a bomb’ shirt

"A French mother who sent her three-year-old son to school in a T-shirt reading 'I am a bomb' and 'Jihad, born on September 11' was given a suspended prison term Friday for defending crime. Bouchra Bagour said she had simply wanted to mark the birthday of her son — who is named Jihad and was born on September 11 — and had not intended any connection with the 9/11 attacks in the United States in 2001. On Friday, an appeal court in the southern city of Nimes fined Bagour 2,000 euros ($2,700) and giving her a suspended one-month jail term. Her brother Zeyad, who gave his nephew the T-shirt, was fined 4,000 euros and given a two-month suspended prison sentence." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFrench mother jailed for sending son to school in ‘I am a bomb’ shirt

Least Surprising News Flash Ever: Study Finds Bureaucrats Are Lazy

"Gee, knock me over with a feather. Lazy people are more likely to work for the government. And they even admit it! However, it seems that there are some causation/correlation issues. It may be that you don’t work for the government because you’re lazy. Instead, working for the government may make you lazy. As a taxpayer, I confess this causes me some mixed feelings. I’m irked that bureaucrats are getting lavishly compensated at my expense. And I don’t like the idea of them goofing off while playing Solitaire or updating their Facebook pages. But then I remind myself that this may be the least-destructive way for them to occupy their time." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingLeast Surprising News Flash Ever: Study Finds Bureaucrats Are Lazy