Václav

In the last years of his presidency, Havel’s political opponents ridiculed him as a naïve moralist. Many ordinary Czechs, on the other hand, had come to dislike him not only for what seemed like relentless moralizing, but also because he reflected back to them their own lack of courage during the Communist regime. While he continued to enjoy respect and admiration abroad, if only for continuing his fight against human-right abuses around the world, his popularity at home was shaken.

But not anymore. Czechs, given their growing dissatisfaction with the current political system’s omnipresent corruption and other failings, have increasingly come to appreciate the importance of Havel’s moral appeals. In fact, now, after his death, he is well on the way to being lionized as someone who foresaw many current problems, and not only at home: while still president, he repeatedly called attention to the self-destructive forces of industrial civilization and global capitalism.

Another piece on Vaclav Havel at the end.

Gun Collection……………………

You may have heard on the news about a southern California man that was put under 72-hour psychiatric observation when it was found he owned 100 guns and allegedly had (by rough estimate) 1-million rounds of ammunition stored in his home. The house also featured a secret escape tunnel.

My favorite quote from the dimwit television reporter: “Wow! He has about a million machine gun bullets.” The headline referred to it as a “massive weapons cache”.

By southern California standards someone even owning 100,000 rounds would be called “mentally unstable. Just imagine if he lived elsewhere:

In Arizona , he’d be called “an avid gun collector”.

In Arkansas , he’d be called “a novice gun collector”.

In Utah , he’d be called “moderately well prepared”, but they’d probably reserve judgment until they made sure that he had a corresponding quantity of stored food.

In Montana , he’d be called “The neighborhood ‘Go-To’ guy”.

In Idaho , he’d be called “a likely gubernatorial candidate”.

In Wyoming , he’d be called “an eligible bachelor”.

And, in Texas , he’d be called “a deer hunting buddy”.

Honey, I can explain … it’s not what you think

UP UNTIL THEN, IT WAS A WONDERFUL EVENING … A man on a date with a woman took her to the movies in Wesley Chapel, Fla. During the show, he asked her for her keys so he could get something out of her car. Then he stole the car.

And more…

Tom & Ray Magliozzi / Car Talk

…Am I going to explode driving down the highway, get 2 mpg, contribute even more to global warming? Is this going to cost my life savings to fix?

— Kate

TOM: The answers to your questions are no, no, maybe and no.

Vaclav Havel Crushed Communism By Speaking The Truth

Leadership: Europe’s outpouring of grief over the death of Vaclav Havel, hero of Czechoslovakia’s great Velvet Revolution, says much about its longing for more like him. His honesty and courage liberated Europe.

It’s a sin that so many petty people and artless fools are exalted in the media while not one in ten would recognized the name of Vaclav Havel. The George Washington of Eastern Europe.

We will not see his like again. Go with God.