Monthly Archives: November 2010

If Democrats Are THAT Stupid They Deserve What They [don’t] Get

Okay, so turns out that there is a concept in law that describes how parts of laws and/or contracts are interpreted.

The definition:

In law, severability (sometimes known as salvatorius, from Latin) refers to a provision in a contract which states that if parts of the contract are held to be illegal or otherwise unenforceable, the remainder of the contract should still apply. Sometimes, severability clauses will state that some provisions to the contract are so essential to the contract’s purpose that if they are illegal or unenforceable, the contract as a whole will be voided. However, in many legal jurisdictions, a severability clause will not be applied if it changes the fundamental nature of the contract, and that instead the contract will be void; thus, often this is not explicitly stated in the severability clause.

Severability clauses are also commonly found in legislation, where they state that if some provisions of the law, or certain applications of those provisions, are found to be unconstitutional, the remaining provisions, or the remaining applications of those provisions, will, nonetheless, continue in force as law.

Now, I didn’t know this.  But I:

  1. Have never written a contract.
  2. Have written a law
  3. Voted a a bill that would eventually become a law.

The fact that there are people in this world who have done either 1, 2 and/or 3 and STILL don’t know this rule about Severability is NOT my problem.

But it DOES speak volumes as to their qualifications to do any of the above!

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Big Government: Lip Service

Check THIS out:

As temperatures and humidity dropped this fall, parents in Johnston County learned about an unusual policy change in the schools.

Students can no longer bring lip balm to school without a note.

And why would the school do something like this?

Schools spokeswoman Terri Sessoms said the rule is in place to prevent the spread of germs when children share the sticks.

Now look, the schools should try to increase the health of—the schools.  That is, the food they cook, the water they offer and the common areas they provide.

Saying that kids can’t bring lip balm?

Stupid.

Regulations: Clear Cut Case Where They Kill Business

One single election.  Done.  Back in business.

One man lost.  Back in business.

One law reviewed.  Back in business.

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I’m Turning into THAT Guy

I told my wife on Friday or was it Saturday okay, today, that I think I’m turning into a curmudgeony old man.  I forget stuff, get irritated at others when I do.

I DON’T like it when people drive on my grass [i’m still cool with kids, so I guess I’m not wholly there yet] and I like my driveway leaf free.

And I’m noticing that service ain’t what it used to be.

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{More} Awesome Reporting

I’m on a roll.

First it was the crack reporting out of the NY Times.  Good stuff.

Then, yesterday we have Reuters joining in on the fun.

Today?  Reuters is back at it.

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Do You Ever Wonder….

Why chickens aren’t endangered or extinct?

I mean, we EAT ’em for gawd’s sake!

The reason why chickens aren’t extinct and buffalo or nearly extinct is that people own chickens.

Weird.

Awesome Reporting

So, I pointed out yesterday that reporters aren’t very good at reporting.

And then, just today, they’re back at it:

Reuters) – A Somali-born teenager was arrested on Friday for attempting to detonate what he thought was a car bomb at a Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Oregon, officials said.

The whole article is 457 words.

Number of times the reporters referrenced his religion?  Zero.

Number of times the word Muslim appeared?  Zero.

Number of times the word Islam appeared?  Zero.

Serious.

I like Jon Stewart

Because of the interview he did with Rachel Maddow.

I’m not sure which should surpise my Liberty loving friends more, the fact that I watch Maddow or that I like Stewart.

Post Thnaksgiving Day philosophy to be sure:

Anyway:  Click on the picture for the whole interview.

Rachel Maddow interviews Jon Stewart

Enjoy.

The Sun Rises in the East Because: Global Warming!

I was getting the kids a haircut today.  While waiting I came across one of the most incredible stories I’ve ever seen.

See, a reporter got a “scoop”, or whatever it it’s called when an idea for a story pops into your head, went down to investigate the same story, gathered facts, typed up a report and then MADE UP A CONCLUSION.

Serious.

The whole story talks about the facts of the situation and the reporter, Leslie Kaufman, simply made up her own conclusions.  And this is the NY Times.

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Hurricane Katrina: Saving New Orlean’s Children?

Busts are painful.

Destruction is brutal.

Death is horrible.

However, it is out of all those things that the sprouts of future generations come.  New Orleans’ is proving that this is just as true today as it’s always been:

Katrina also washed away much of New Orleans’s sorry public school district, where majorities of students consistently failed. Once again, citizens are improving on what they had. The city’s biggest education reform is that the majority of its 35,000 public school kids now attend charter schools overseen by a state-run school district. It’s too early to tell much from test-score results, but it’s clear that the success and optimism of charter school operators—from the national KIPP outfit to local nonprofits—at getting schools up and running has been a big factor in residents’ decisions to return home.

Often the way things are is simply a legacy of the way things have always been.

And if it took Katrina to save a city full of kids that haven’t had a chance in generations; well, so be it.