Whedon Is Back (Eventually)

Looks like Joss Whedon, of Firefly and Buffy fame is going to be gracing us with another foray into the TV world. His new series, named Dollhouse will likely begin writing and production after the looming writers strike is over. What's it going to be about?

Echo (Eliza Dushku) [is] a young woman who is literally everybody's fantasy. She is one of a group of men and women who can be imprinted with personality packages, including memories, skills, language—even muscle memory—for different assignments. The assignments can be romantic, adventurous, outlandish, uplifting, sexual and/or very illegal. When not imprinted with a personality package, Echo and the others are basically mind-wiped, living like children in a futuristic dorm/lab dubbed the Dollhouse, with no memory of their assignments—or of much else. The show revolves around the childlike Echo's burgeoning self-awareness, and her desire to know who she was before, a desire that begins to seep into her various imprinted personalities and puts her in danger both in the field and in the closely monitored confines of the Dollhouse.

It sounds as if Whedon may well craft another winner here! It is set for a 7 episode run, rather than a single show pilot. It may not be a return to Firefly, but it certainly sounds like an intriguing plotline and concept. Can't wait to see what happens with it. Given Joss' previous pro-freedom messages this one looks like it could be an eye catcher.

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Joss Whedon, Dollhouse,

A Perfect Storm

What happens when a city of 3 million people runs out of the worlds most precious commodity? We are poised to find out in the next few months as Atlanta, Georgia stands on the edge of an ever shrinking water supply. Within 3 months their main source of water, Lake Lanier may well be tapped out and the drought they are currently experiencing will become a full blown catastrophe, as the taps run dry.

Government, in the form of the Corps of Engineers isn't making things any better, either. They have released billions of gallons of water by "accident", (read "incompetence") that would have supplied Atlanta for almost a month and a half. The have also been releasing water to help "endangered" mussels downstream. While releasing enough water to insure power plant operations seems logical I cannot help but wonder what's going to happen to that plant once the water is gone.

What we have here is a perfect storm situation. Running out of water with no hopes of reservoir renewal in the near future. The normal dry season coming on during the drought. And 3 million people, businesses and industry waiting to see what happens.

What will these people do, if the water runs out? You can't truck in the kind of water that would be necessary even for basic survival to a city that large. Could we see a new diaspora, featuring the water starved denizens of Atlanta? Where would they go? What impact would the rest of the country be looking at should this occur? It's certain that, should it occur it will not be pretty and the current regime in DC, as well as the state of Georgia will be incapable of handling such a monumental disaster.

I, for one will be keeping an eye on this one. If things play out to the worst case it will be interesting to see what occurs, to say the least. Will the government continue to make the situation worse? Or will they come to their senses and place the lives of humans above that of some bivalve? Will the bureaucracy manage to destroy a city and its people? Or will these poor folks manage to pull out of their slide? Inquiring minds DO want to know.

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Georgia, Drought, Politics, Libertarian

Richard Paey Freed!

Richard Paey, an unjustly imprisoned pain patient, who is one of a long line of victims in the War On Drugs, has finally been granted a full pardon by Florida's Governor.

TALLAHASSEE --

Richard Paey, a victim in the war on drugs, was granted a full, immediate and unexpected pardon by Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet Thursday morning, allowing him to get out of prison and be reunited with his family later in the day.

Paey, 49, has spent the last 3 ½ years in prison after he was convicted on drug trafficking charges in a 1997 arrest for filling out fake prescriptions and possessing about 700 Percocet narcotic painkillers. He was to be imprisoned for 25 years.

Sometimes justice does occur, it's just extremely infrequent these days. I wish Mr. Paey the best as he embarks on a life free on incarceration. Hopefully, the powers that be will decide to leave him alone as he attempts to pursue the rest of his life. There are still many more remaining to be freed.

Via The Agitator.


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Richard Paey, Libertarian, War On Drugs

The Not So Hidden Cost Of War

From the Daily Mail comes the story of a new book, "Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After The First World War" by Virginia Nicholson. The book tells the story of what happened to 2 million British women following the deaths of so many of Britain's male population in the "War to End All Wars".

One hazy morning in 1917 the senior mistress of Bournemouth High School For Girls stood up in front of the assembled sixth form and announced to her hushed audience: "I have come to tell you a terrible fact.

"Only one out of ten of you girls can ever hope to marry. This is not a guess of mine. It is a statistical fact.

"Nearly all the men who might have married you have been killed. You will have to make your way in the world as best you can.

"The war has made more openings for women than there were before. But there will still be a lot of prejudice. You will have to fight. You will have to struggle."

Loneliness and despair stalked a large segment of the female members of the Lost Generation. That is the sad legacy of war. Any war. Unintended consequences are rife when politicians take the decision to wage war. Sometimes the price is too high.

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War, Libertarian