Pot-shots

>>>Local cops sued over taser death. Four Washtenaw county Sheriff's deputies who were assisting in a Livingston and Washtenaw Narcotics Enforcement Team dope bust tased a guy and it apparently killed him. We'll see how that plays out in court.

>>> Rush Limbaugh has lost seven advertisers from his radio program since  last week over his  comments about contraception. Free speech has a price sometimes.

>>> Zombie Apocalypse course being taught at MSU? No, not really. But that sexed-up course title for a class about group dynamics in times of crisis during and following natural disasters and social upheavals is being promoted by a market savvy MSU social work professor. Smart. This will no doubt get picked up by the news media for inclusion in articles and blog posts about silly course offerings at public universities but it really isn't. Just some clever marketing. I wonder how many goofs sign up for this course drop it when they figure this out?

>>> The proles & peasants need to just STFU and work, pay, and obey their betters. Cornell professors conclude ordinary people are too stupid for democracy to work very well. The dumb proles need experts like, say, Cornell professors to decide important issues about society and government.

>>>Government Is Not Civilization, It Is Slavery by J.G. Vibes
"If we attempt to examine government from an outsider’s perspective, we would see a world where people are grouped into two different categories, those in government and those not. At face value, we can see that these two groups of people have completely different standards and expectations, even though they are the same species and have the same basic needs. Looking closer, we can see that these different standards and laws are not neutral, they are very much benefiting those in government at the expense of those who are not. The most important discrepancy to mention here is the fact that those in government have a license to kill anyone who happens to disobey them." [read it all here]

Weblog

US Rep. John Conyers draws a serious primary opponent for the first time in decades (Susan J. Demas, MLive)
I don't know if Michigan State Senator Bert Johnson of Highland Park can pull off the upset but it sure would be nice to be rid of that tired, lazy, arrogant, out-of-touch old fart.

400,000 deported from US last year (Politico)
A good start but when you have 12,000,000 or so illegals ICE still has its work cut out for them. By my calculations that's about three percent of them.

"The dogs don't like it" (VDare)
"There's an old joke about a large multinational dog food company that comes out with a new dog food, approved by nutritionists, the sales and marketing staff, the CEO and the board, but which totally fails to sell. The simple explanation, from a lowly employee: 'The dogs don't like it!' "

The anecdote above is speaking of immigration reform here but the concept (as in "the dogs don't like it") sure fits the description of American politics right now. Say "woof!" if you agree.

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Radicals should disregard public opinion - Peter Gelderoos

"Being sensitive to public opinion regarding what tactics we use in our struggles is like asking the FBI to draft our political strategies." Public opinion is a construct; society is real, says Gelderloos. An interesting article.

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Rockabilly legend Billy Joe Shaver acquitted of felonious assault - Austin American-Statesman

That's a relief. He still faces a lesser charge of carrying a pistol in a "prohibited place" (i.e. - a bar) though.

Arizona sheriff makes prisoners pedal on stationary bikes to provide the electricity to watch TV - Cnet

Funny. It does save the taxpayers a little money, burns off the nervous energy of the inmates and probably cuts down on mindless TV watching.

Elitism on Parade, Redux - Daily Caller

"In what other field are people chosen for the very top job based on criteria that should rightly only be considered when they are first hired? If two people have both been practicing law or otherwise occupied in a career for the past 30 years, should we really judge them for achievements that mostly took place before they attained a legal drinking age? Let’s be serious. This is like picking the mayor based on who had the highest GPA in high school."