Would You Rather Have a Gas Can Designed by a Lawyer? Or a Law Written By a Gas Can Designer?

I had mentioned some months back seeing a bizarrely drawn warning sign about gas cans in an Oregon gas station.  A reader explained that "too stupid to breathe without guidance" sorts had successfully sued a gas can maker because the user didn't realize gasoline was potentially dangerous.

I don't find that hard to believe; a few years back when I taught as Boise State, there was a car ahead of me as I headed into campus with gasoline dripping out from under her car near the gas cap.  Lots of it.  I finally caught up to her and explained that she needed to get this repaired.  "Is it dangerous?"  From looking at her age and general perkiness, the only word that came to mind was "tenured."

This evening, we realized that the 4x4 with chains that takes down and up the driveway is getting short of gas.  We had decided to fill a gas can in town and bring it back, but forgot our gas can.  No problem, we''ll buy one at Home Depot.  (A spare gas can is good.)

But it wasn't a gas can, except as imagined by a lawyer trying to protect the corporation's interests.  The output spout had some black plastic part that apparently requires fiddling before gasoline can come out.  The instructions were unclear and it failed a tactile UI test.  (I'm not the smartest person in the world, but if I can't figure this out, how will Clinton voters manage it without formal instruction?)

We finally took the safety nozzle off this disaster, used a funnel to empty it into our antiquated 1990s gas can and then filled the 4x4.  We will return this lawyer-designed gas can tomorrow.  Whatever it is, "gas can" doesn't describe it.

Strange Notion of Fascism

2/2/17 Breitbart:

Left-wing actress Sarah Silverman took to social media late Wednesday and called for a military coup against the Trump administration.

“WAKE UP & JOIN THE RESISTANCE. ONCE THE MILITARY IS W US FASCISTS GET OVERTHROWN. MAD KING & HIS HANDLERS GO BYE BYE,” Silverman wrote to her nearly 10 million Twitter followers.

And Trump is a fascist?  18 USC 2385:

Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or

Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or

Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof—

Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.

Would love to see a prosecution.

Suggestions on Wild West Magazines?

I am looking for popular magazines about the Wild West era or generally about early American history to which to submit articles about Haag's bogus book.  (I have given up on scholarly history journals.)  I have already submitted to True West.

Another Constitutional Carry Victory?

From NRA/ILA:

Today, Senate Bill 12, legislation eliminating the requirement to obtain a permit in order to lawfully carry, passed the Senate without amendment, by a 13-10 vote.  SB 12 will now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.  Please begin contacting your state Representative and politely urge them to support SB 12! 

Another One Bites the Dust

The Viewsonic VP2030b we used as the external monitor on my wife's laptop has given up the ghost.  Fortunately, we had a spare with which to replace it.  I should really get this one working again, because the correct LCD monitor question isn't "Will this monitor stop working?" but "When?"  They are cheap enough that spending more than a few dollars on repair is silly; but I also hate to throw away stuff that isn't hopelessly beyond repair.

Remember This 1960s TV Ad

The vehicle goes through the streets with a sign that says "Show Us Your [Cigarette brand name]" to the William Tell Overture.  Can't remember the brand now.  It so typifies the madness of 1960s advertising.

A Little Victory for Sense

2/1/17 NJ.com:

TRENTON -- New Jersey will add nearly 900 more treatment beds for people who are addicted to drugs and alcohol and suffer from a mental illness -- expanding the state's inpatient mental health system by almost 40 percent, Gov. Chris Christie announced Tuesday. 

The announcement is the latest step in Christie's plan to drive down the number of New Jerseyans who are addicted to heroin and opioid-based prescription medication.

Much of the mental illness problem is weak involuntary commitment laws, but some states have reduced the number of beds to absurdly low levels. Keep in my mind that much substance abuse is symptomatic of serious mental illness problems.