Slavery and the US Declaration of Independence

Did you know: The Declaration of Independence was almost never signed because the Southern states demanded the right to keep slavery institutionalized. The slaves were almost freed in 1776.

Judge Andrew Napolitano

1776 and Slavery

Here is the clause describing slavery that was removed:

he has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it’s most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. this piratical warfare, the opprobrium of infidel powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce:[11] and that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people upon whom he also obtruded them; thus paying off former crimes committed against the liberties of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the lives of another.

(from www.princeton.edu/~tjpapers/declaration/declaration.html)

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Homestead Heritage Village – Waco Texas

Here are some pictures of the fascinating and awesome Homestead Heritage Village in Waco Texas.  An amazing number of amazing things are happening here.  They are a self-sustaining village, and do most everything by hand.  Their property is beautiful, everything is organized, manicured, and inviting.  They have lots of classes in session all the time too.

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World Hunger Relief Farm – Waco, Texas

Here are some pictures from the World Hunger Relief Farm in Waco Texas.  It is a working farm with lots of interns helping.  They have all kinds of things going on there, and they focus on low-tech solutions that work in third-world countries where specialized technicians and fancy parts are not generally available.  Simple water pumps, gravity fed showers, that sort of thing.

 

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Texas 83rd Legislature Email Addresses

Here is a list of all the email addresses of the Senators and Representatives of the 83rd session:

Senators (google contacts import file: sen2.csv):

Representatives (google contacts import file: rep2.csv):

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Chrome OS is Awesome

chrome-logo-2011-04-27

I was a fan of the netbooks because  they were inexpensive, small, booted quickly (well, before Microsoft got involved that is), and had great battery life.  The low-end line of chromebooks maintain these features, with the added benefit of being powered by Google’s awesome operating system, Chrome OS (which is built on the foundation of the awesome and excellent and open source Linux/GNU parts called Chromium OS).

What is Google Chrome OS?

I just installed it in a virtual machine, and I’m impressed with the way it works.  Of course it integrates with everything google, just like the android mobile devices.  Here is a quick rundown (notes) of how to get Chrome OS (not just Chromium OS) working on a VM:

Source of instructions for making a Chrome OS VM

  • Download ChromiumOS image: cr-48-ubuntu.googlecode.com/files/cros-vm.tar.bz2 and open in VMware Workstation (or player).  Boot VM.
  • Switch to terminal mode (CTRL+ALT+SPACE release SPACE +F2) if VM Hotkey set to CTRL+ALT)
  • Login as user chronos password chronos
  • $> sudo touch /mnt/stateful_partition/.developer_mode
  • $> wget http://goo.gl/4suhf; sudo bash 4suhf
  • reboot using power cycle in VM
  • Change screen resolution: Press Control+Option+T (Control+Alt+T) for terminal:
  • > shell
  • $> /usr/bin/xrandr --size 1280x720

disclaimer: I am a Google fanboy

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Pictures and Memes – April 2, 2013

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Texas Employers Can Not Prohibit Your Gun In Their Parking Lot

A recent law prohibits employers from banning guns in locked personal cars in their parking lots.

I heard a well-loved talk show host (I’m looking at you Mark Davis) get this dead wrong this morning, even after speaking to a self-proclaimed ‘expert’. (is your name really Tag, and do you really instruct people on the law? — God help us)

A public or private employer may not prohibit an employee who holds a license to carry a concealed handgun under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, who otherwise lawfully possesses a firearm, or who lawfully possesses ammunition from transporting or storing a firearm or ammunition the employee is authorized by law to possess in a locked, privately owned motor vehicle in a parking lot, parking garage, or other parking area the employer provides for employees.

This restriction applies to the Irving ISD also.  They can not prohibit employees from having guns in their cars!  It is a waste of air to ‘give permission’ to employees because they already have permission.  (They had permission before — it is the second amendment — the fact these moronic discussions come up at all is testament to how upside down everything is!)

Link to the text of the bill:

http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/82R/billtext/html/SB00321F.htm

Easy to understand article:

 http://www.haynesboone.com/texas_employees_new_gun_rights/

sidenote:

I recently visited a plant in Dallas that had the “30.06” sign predominately posted on the fence to their parking lot, but not at the entry point to their door.  This is pointless.  The sign only pertains to conditions in the building, and it is only valid when posted at the entry points of the building.  (this wasn’t a public building, making it doubly pointless)

 

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Pictures and Memes – March 30, 2013

Lots of pictures built up over the past week or so…

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Pictures and Memes – March 20, 2013

Pictures and Memes:

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Pics and Memes – March 9, 2013

Large number of Pictures and Memes:

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