An Atlas of Margins

I mean, what else would I call it?  Etude #29?  Now that would be a little pretentious.

An Atlas of Margins  (00:54)

Andrew Traver and the New Math

The ATF hasn't had a director for almost four years.  Former director Carl Truscott's reign was marked by numerous complaints about misappropriation of funds and poor treatment of employees.  Following his resignation in 2006, the parameters were changed, and Senate confirmation is now required for a nominee.

In the meantime, former prosecutor Michael Sullivan served as Acting Director, but was blocked from nomination for the permanent position.  Sullivan resigned January 20th, 2009, the day President Obama was sworn in.  Presumably, the idea was that the new President could find someone capable of passing confirmation hearings.

Andrew Traver isn't that person.

I Suppose There's Always the Bus

By now, John Tyner's video is national news, as it should be. This has gone too far.

I don't mind removing my shoes and putting them on the conveyor. It's a mild inconvenience. The metal detector has been used since the 1970's without significant complaint, so I'll comply. If I forget about the steel belt buckle and they have to pass the wand over me, so be it.

But hands on the crotch? Naked body images? Slow down there, tiger. I expect to be romanced first, and airport checkpoints don't have the ambience for that.

This goes far beyond petty indignity.

No other law enforcement agency in America has the right to do such an invasive search without proving reasonable suspicion based on "specific and articulable facts." We've endured enough of this "post-911 world" nonsense. It's not keeping us any safer.

Backlights, Maybe

Best heard from some distance.

Backlights, Maybe  (01:01)

It's Called Hubris

And it'll bite you in the rear every time.

The government is once again divided enough to prevent either party from pushing anything through without the approval of the people.  We once again have a bulwark against the Legislative branch acting as a rubber stamp for the Executive. We once again have some semblance of balance.

Whether one perceives them as a third party or a fork of the GOP, the Tea Party showed some clout tonight.  They proved themselves a force to be respected in Florida, Kentucky, and most shockingly, Wisconsin.

Now we see if they can govern.  We might just see a few of those promises about fiscal responsibility kept in the coming weeks and months.  Might.

If tonight was any indication, I'm not holding my breath.

Transit and Parallax

I often dream of trains.

Transit and Parallax  (00:27)

All Quiet on the 2nd Amendment Front

The Brady Campaign sent me an email this morning to let me know who they're endorsing for tomorrow's mid-term elections.  I have to say, the list is pretty thin.  This could be due to the fact that they only have $5,661 in cash to spend this cycle.

Mayors Against Illegal guns gave $150,000 to the Raben Group to spend on something, though I don't know what.  Founder Robert Raben also sits on the board of directors of the Alliance for Justice, a group that represents several progressive political causes, but doesn't seem involved in gun control.

Josh Sugarmann's Violence Policy Center currently shows a balance of zero.  That's a bit odd, since the Joyce Foundation has pumped roughly $2.1 million into various other groups under the ostensible heading of "Gun Violence."  Still, that money appears to be targeted towards university and community research programs, rather than towards political endorsements.