Friday, January 30, 2015
The Property Rights Newsletter Issue #790
January 30, 2015 - Issue #790"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." - James Madison |
EPA Tested Deadly Air Pollutants On Children. A government watchdog group has obtained documents detailing how EPA-backed research exposed children as young as 10 to deadly air pollutants without disclosing the full risks of the substances. "Not only has EPA been caught violating the letter and spirit of virtually every national and international code, law and regulation for the protection of human subjects in medical experiments developed since World War II," said David Schnare, an attorney with the Energy and Environmental Law Institute, the group that has released the documents. "They have done so in shocking style, abusing the most vulnerable people of all, children."
 
Stop Smoker-Shaming. Nobody should ever be ashamed of being a smoker. Being a smoker is not an indication of who you are as a person. It has nothing to do with being healthy or unhealthy. It is no indication of poor life choices or a lack of self-worth. Just because someone doesn’t fit your definition of "healthy" does not mean they deserve the discrimination that so many smokers suffer. Your words cut deep. We don’t like being called "disgusting," "unhealthy," or "stinky" just because we’re carrying a few extra packs. We are berated on a constant basis, and it isn't fair. Smoker-shaming is prevalent, and it's time it ends.
Nanny State: A Lifestyle So Good, It's Mandatory. In California, it's lifestyle liberalism versus nicotine vapors. If that seems inconsistent to you, you are thinking about it the wrong way: For all of its scientific pretensions and empirical posturing, progressivism is not about evidence, and at its heart it is not even about public policy at all: It is about aesthetics. Why? Because vaping looks like smoking. Italy Film Smoking. Italian directors, including Paolo Sorrentino, decry plans to regulate cigarettes in films and on TV. In a carefully worded response, some of Italy's most successful filmmakers, producers and screenwriters, including the Oscar-winning director of The Great Beauty, Paolo Sorrentino, cited the Charlie Hebdo massacre as a warning against censorship. |
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Friday, January 23, 2015
The Property Rights Newsletter Issue #789
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January 23, 2015 - Issue #789 "I have always claimed Americans didn't want a drink as bad as they wanted the right to take a drink if they did happen to want one." - Will Rogers |
 The history of anti-smoking zealots: To get to the birth of today's anti-smoking zealotry it is necessary to look back about 85 years. At that time one man was a teetotaler, vegetarian, and an anti-smoking extremist. 
Cybersecurity: Obama Sides with Cameron in Encryption Fight. Police and spies should not be locked out of encrypted smartphones and messaging apps, taking his first public stance in a simmering battle over private communications in the digital age. He said he believes Silicon Valley companies also want to solve the problem. "They’re patriots." AND Read Department of Homeland Security oversight report: DHS is a terrifying failure. AND Read FBI oversaw NSA's email surveillance program, report reveals. Declassified study sheds new light on the bureau's surveillance activities, but much remains redacted.
Cybersecurity: Sony and North Korea Update. Obama says hacks show need for cybersecurity law. Cyber attacks against Sony and the Pentagon's Central Command highlight the need for toughened laws on cybersecurity. "I think we agreed that this is an area where we can work hard together, get some legislation done and make sure that we are much more effective in protecting the American people from these kinds of cyberattacks." Cybersecurity: UK David Cameron: If government can't snoop on it, you shouldn't be allowed to use it. "Are we going to allow a means of communications which it simply isn't possible to read?" Cameron said Monday. "My answer to that question is: 'No, we must not.'" OK: The Volokh Conspiracy. Over 80 percent of Americans support "mandatory labels on foods containing DNA." Although Jonathan Gruber was wrong to believe that American voters are necessarily stupid, he was right about the pervasiveness of public ignorance, and the dangers it poses. MA: Cambridge. Smokers sway council toward Option B, gentler restrictions on public tobacco use. Smokers invoked the Declaration of Independence, social justice and the specter of recent police killings of people of color to argue against restrictions on smoking in public places. MD: Privacy Rights. Montgomery County parents accused of neglect for letting kids walk freely. The Meitivs says the investigation is an invasion of their privacy and infringes on their rights as parents. USA: RJR Nicotine Gum. Analysts say Reynolds is taking a bold - perhaps audacious - approach with Zonnic. It is asking consumers, particularly smokers, to trust the company that produces top-selling cigarette brands to have the expertise to produce the right cessation product for them. Canada: Guardian Angels a step closer. Efforts to establish a Guardian Angels chapter in Thunder Bay are moving forward, say organizers. Spokesman Ian Hodgkinson met with city police Chief J.P. Levesque on Tuesday to go over his plans to establish the volunteer crime prevention group. UK: The Advance Notice of the Labour Manifesto. Public Health. It takes the form of a PDF document, and here it is. Very briefly, the statement says that Labour will squeeze smokers, drinkers and fatties until they squeak, and all this squeezing will, of course, be 'helping them' to give up their bad habits and, of course, has no other intention than to 'protect' children, which the State "has a duty" to do. |
 Watch New "Nolan Knows" Video Episodes |
Thursday, January 15, 2015
The Property Rights Newsletter Issue #788
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January 16, 2015 - Issue #788 "He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from opposition; for if he violates this duty he establishes a precedent that will reach himself." - Thomas Paine |
EU: Coffee Pot Law. Tepid coffee anyone? Europe rules percolators must shut off after five minutes. For coffee lovers it may feel like the ultimate breakfast-time interference from Brussels. In an attempt to improve energy efficiency filter coffee machines must now switch off after five minutes of percolating to prevent electricity waste.
USA: Sprinkles To Be Banned By FDA. The federal ubernannies have decreed that sprinkles should no longer adorn kids' ice cream because they contain the trans fat that liberal groups once pushed for. We'd suggest that freer societies are healthier societies, and that government can have our sprinkle-covered cupcakes when they can pry them from our cold, dead, frosting-stained hands.
UK: Fat sugar and salt bans. Labour targets Frosties and jelly babies in public health campaign. The World Health Organisation has previously accused food companies of finding ways to bypass the rules on advertising unhealthy products to children and fuelling the obesity crisis. 
NYC: Carriage Horses. The carriage horse industry is out of the city, having reportedly briefed the City Council on legislation ending carriage horse drivers' renewal licenses earlier this month. The battle over carriage horses has been controversial.
UK: HMRC want to ban ALL Tobacco Leaf for everyone... except for Big Tobacco. Conflict of interest anyone? They say that you, Joe Public, can legitimately purchase your 1kg of leaf BUT you have to register with HMRC. CT: Ban Damage. Smoking ban undermines bingo and revenue in Connecticut. Those who suffer are the groups that rely on the profits to help in fundraising. VA: Hookah Ban. The Virginia Supreme Court has ruled that a Blacksburg hookah lounge is not exempt from the state’s ban on smoking in restaurants, turning back a challenge that threatened to create a wide new exemption for bars and restaurants to allow tobacco use. Australia: Queensland. Newman not a fan of balcony smoking ban. Premier Campbell Newman has one message for body corporates wanting to ban smokers from lighting up on their own balconies: butt out. The premier was asked about the proposed changes on Tuesday and said he thought smokers should be free to do what they want on their own property. "I think Australia has got enough laws." Ethiopia: Smoking Outside. Tigray's Capital, Mekelle, Bans Smoking in Public Areas. With a population of some 94 million, Ethiopia, which is Africa's second most populous nation. |
LA: Veterans. In a US first, New Orleans finds homes for all its homeless veterans. More than 300 mayors, six governors, and 71 other local officials have joined the pledge to house every veteran by the end of 2015.
NC: Veterans. City forced to remove memorial of soldier kneeling at a cross after $1million lawsuit claiming it was 'offensive to non-Christians.' Afghanistan War veteran Steven Hewett alleging the displays violated his constitutional rights. |
Thursday, January 08, 2015
The Property Rights Newsletter Issue #787
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January 9, 2015 - Issue #787 "He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger." - Confucius |
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Parkinson's disease: There is compelling evidence from over 60 epidemiological studies that smoking significantly reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). In general, those who currently smoke cigarettes, as well as those with a past history of such smoking, have a reduced risk of PD compared to those who have never smoked.
Nicotine Stops Seizures: A five-year old girl with a rare form of epilepsy is now living virtually seizure-free thanks to an unusual treatment. Karen’s genetic mutation appears to be linked to a nicotine deficiency in the body. Dr. Lee also found evidence a nicotine patch helped stopped seizures in an adult with the same condition. Smoking In The Military: By Bill McMorris. Pentagon’s War on Tobacco Fails. The Defense Department Tried to Get Me to Quit Smoking. It Didn’t Work. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel floated the idea of banning all tobacco products on military installations in March. That effort went nowhere. The Pentagon’s cheery texts only reinvigorated my Marlboro intake. 
Watch: John Stossel. Control Freaks War Against Liberty. Politicians work hard - to transfer power from individuals to the state. John Stossel comments on the relentless assaults on liberty by various government control freaks.
CA: Tax on top of a tax. California drivers are now paying a "global warming" fee added to the price of gasoline before sales tax, forcing them to pay a tax on top of a tax. "And an oil-industry group warned the costs could spike to 76 cents, based on state figures." 
LA: Killjoys. Will New Orleans become a city of killjoys in 2015? When celebrating the dawn of a new year, I implore everyone to resolve to fight the killjoys, and perhaps more importantly, to avoid becoming one yourself. That's a resolution we should all keep.
OK: Hoodies Ban. The cold Oklahoma weather has many sporting hoodies outside to help fight the cold, but wearing a hood in a public place could soon be against the law. "If somebody is out running, especially in this kind of weather, where it's cold, drizzly, you might be inclined to wear your hoodie at Lake Hefner," attorney James Siderias said. "I don’t think that solution will work. I just think that will cause a little more tension within the community. It probably will be a reason for cops to mess with more people wearing hoodies," A.T. said. 
WI: Guns. Police Department Ends Its "Voluntary Search" Program. This program only lasted about five days. Thinking about how they might have expected this program to operate is frankly hurting my head a little. He did admit that he didn't expect "the phone to be ringing off the hook" with invitations. What did he expect?
Scotland: Police Warning. Twitter users, Big Brother is watching you. Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland and the leader of the Scottish National Party, met with officers within the Scottish police force to thank them for all their hard work. 'Obesogenic' culture the subject of government study: NIH Spending $433,577 to Find Out What Kids Think of Fat Characters in Movies. The researchers have concluded that children’s movies are confusing because they make fun of fat characters, while also promoting unhealthy behaviors like drinking soda and watching television. The grant also claims that minority children watch more movies than others. 
This study of hype in press releases will change journalism: New work shows the inflation of scientific results happens at many stages in the press game. More importantly, an over-hyped finding, especially in areas related to human health, could mislead readers and patients, some of whom may end up changing their behavior based on unfounded information.
When The FISA Court Rejects A Surveillance Request: The FBI Just Issues A National Security Letter Instead. NSLs are a great tool for the government to abuse the 4th Amendment. Recipients can't talk about them, and no court has to review/approve them. Yet they certainly look scary to most recipients who don't dare fight an NSL. That's part of the reason why at least one court found them unconstitutional. 3,541 New Rules and Regulations: At year-end 2014, the Federal Register stands at 78,978 pages, the fifth-highest count ever. Agency rules and regulations, however, are not the only means of non-congressional lawmaking. Each memo “hereby directs” someone in the federal apparatus to implement new controls and larger government without Congress having a say. Free Speech Review: 22 Significant, Silly, or Otherwise Noteworthy First Amendment Cases From 2014. What do rap lyrics, ultrasounds, giant rats, condoms, campaign donations, and Game of Thrones merchandise have in common? |
 Read more at Smokers Against Discrimination. |
Thursday, January 01, 2015
The Property Rights Newsletter Issue #786
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January 2, 2015 - Issue #786 "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton |
China bans its own national anthem. When it comes to putting the kibosh on things, the folks at Zhongnanhai (China’s version of the White House) have few peers. In recent memory, China has seen fit to ban puns, long beards, zombies, American pork, British cheese, clams from Alaska, Islamic-style clothing, TV programs that feature one-night stands, April Fools jokes, Bitcoin, film stars who use drugs or pay for sex, Windows 8, smoking in public places, the entire Muslim holy month of Ramadan, and the "The Big Bang Theory." And that was just this year.
USA and North Korea: North Korea blames U.S. for Internet outages, calls Obama 'monkey.' This after President Barack Obama promised the U.S. will respond. "We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States," Obama said. "Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary that they don't like or news reports that they don't like..." "That's not who we are," he added. "That's not what America is about." The president also said that the U.S. will respond to the North Korean actions "proportionally" and "at a place and time that we choose." USA: Treasury Department Seeking Survival Kits For Bank Employees. Emergency masks, solar blankets, water purification tablets, a 33-piece personal first aid kit with "decongestant tablets," a variety of bandages, and medicines, "one-size fits all poncho with hood," a rechargeable lantern with built-in radio, and an "Air-Aid emergency mask" for protection against airborne viruses, to be delivered to every major bank in the U.S. It is not clear why the Treasury Department is ordering the kits. Contracts for survival kits are usually made for the military, or law enforcement such as the FBI. USA: Give NSA unlimited access to digital data. "I think privacy is actually overvalued," Judge Richard Posner, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, said during a conference about privacy and cybercrime in Washington, D.C. In the name of national security, U.S. lawmakers should give the NSA "carte blanche," Posner added. USA: RTI International to use social media data for e-cigarette surveillance and policy research. The project aims to provide information that will help guide e-cigarette research, policy and regulations. "Social media represents a vast and rich resource to better understand the attitudes and behaviors we measure in surveys and how to measure them." USA: Marijuana. Spending Bill Passed - The bill contains the bipartisan Rohrabacher-Farr medical marijuana amendment prohibiting the Justice Department from spending any money to undermine state medical marijuana laws. Australia: Nanny State. Say 'no' to the Nanny State, paid for by you, for your own good. As Helen Andrews of the CIS said, in announcing the 2014 Nannies, "The Nannies will highlight the year's most abysmal examples of trying to prevent, shield and badger us in the clear assumption that we are unable to, or should not be allowed to, make our own choices." Australia is a nation of nearly 16 million adults yet we allow our governments to treat us as if we are 23 million teenagers. Ireland: Property Rights. Dail passes bill to ban smoking in cars. "To ensure that this cultural-change happens, the public need to be informed. We are used to seeing road safety campaigns that have been immensely successful in reducing the number of deaths on our road. It is only right that the same should be done for smoking in cars." UK: Air Pollution. A ban on building schools, hospitals and care homes near air pollution blackspots must be introduced to help cut thousands of deaths connected to the "invisible killer" of traffic fumes, MPs say. With air pollution thought to contribute to 29,000 deaths a year in the UK, the Environmental Audit Committee warns that young people are at risk of lung damage as a result of the nitrogen dioxide that is a by-product of motor engines. It has been suggested that the toxin could also increase infant mortality. KY Another Ban Failed. A smoking ban in the rural town of Liberty, Ky. lasted about a month before being repealed. WKDO-FM reports that the ban on smoking in public buildings seemed to tread too far into government interference in the matters of private business for the town’s liking, as several residents spoke on that point. LA New Orleans. The Big Easy contemplates banishing smokers to the pavement. After years of failing to ban smoking in bars and casinos across the state of Louisiana, campaigners have turned their attention to winning a municipal ban in the Big Easy. A local councilwoman has written a proposal: a vote is due by March. Also read: State police expect New Orleans to lose millions if smoking ban is passed. TX State Legislature. Put out the fire on smoking ban. For the fifth consecutive legislative session, a statewide smoking ban is on the agenda. The bill, State Bill 87 by state Sen. Rodney Ellis, a Houston Democrat, should flame out the same as its predecessors. UK Ban Damage. Man falls to his death 'while smoking cigarette out of window' on Christmas Day. "It is just an absolute tragedy, shocking at any time of year but even worse at Christmas." Miss Wileman posted: "Good night to my beautiful friend Lee. Such a shining star in this cruel world." |
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