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» Paddling 800 miles around Alaska's Cook Inlet with 2 children in tow

Honestly, “economic wasteland” vs. “overrun with people” both sound like wastelands to me.

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“ Although Bloomberg belongs to neither the conservative movement nor the progressive movement, he is an ideologue. His response to events is influenced by his paternalistic ideas about the direction society “needs to” head more than by a dispassionate response to the facts. This makes him a lot like most politicians. The conceit that he is a pragmatist is based in nothing more than the fact that he is more willing than most to transgress against norms of personal liberty.

The latest illustration of his ideological approach: his response to the Boston marathon bombing.

“Look, we live in a very dangerous world,” he said. “We know there are people who want to take away our freedoms. New Yorkers probably know that as much if not more than anybody else after the terrible tragedy of 9/11.”

— Conor Friedersdorf, Mayor Bloomberg Is a Surveillance-State Extremist, Not a Pragmatic Centrist. Emphasis mine.

Yes, Mr. Bloomberg, you are one of those people who want to take away our freedoms, while keeping all the freedom your tens-of-millions of dollars can buy you.

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(Source: thinksquad, via exploration-exposition)

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“ It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.

— John Philpot Curran, “Speech upon the Right of Election for Lord Mayor of Dublin,” 1790. (Speeches. Dublin, 1808.) as quoted in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations

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“ However that story reflects on me, it is important the people know that the prosecutors manipulated me and used my love against Aaron without me understanding what they were doing. This is their normal. They would do this to anyone. We should understand that any alleged crime can become life-ruining if it catches their eyes. Innocence and goodness are only factored in as risks to their case. This is the system that we, as citizens, have agreed to.

— Life Inside the Aaron Swartz Investigation - Quinn Norton - The Atlantic

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thefrogman:

Poorly Drawn Lines drawn by Reza Farazmand [website | tumblr | twitter]

(via wilwheaton)

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“ As a foreigner, I’m surprised that Americans aren’t more alarmed by the workings of their criminal justice system. I don’t know what ought to scare me more about living in the United States—that I might be the victim of a crime (which happens), or that this ferocious prosecutorial system might one day turn its wrath on me. I’d rather be mugged than threatened with years in jail for something I didn’t even know was a crime. Is this justice system actually on my side? I’m by no means sure—an astounding state of affairs.

— Clive Crook The Death of Aaron Swartz - The Atlantic.
And yet we’re told the government is the only group we can trust with all kinds of powers.

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» Lessig Blog, v2: Prosecutor as bully

lessig:

(Some will say this is not the time. I disagree. This is the time when every mixed emotion needs to find voice.)

Since his arrest in January, 2011, I have known more about the events that began this spiral than I have wanted to know. Aaron consulted me as a friend and lawyer. He…

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“ SO OVER THE YEARS I’VE OFTEN SAID that in my ideal world, happily married gay couples would have closets full of assault weapons.

— Yglesias Award Nominee - Glenn Reynolds quoted by Andrew Sullivan

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Hahaha… *thud*

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