Odds ‘n Sods:

What do the words “Self-Sufficiency” mean to you? Well, according to one leftist think tank in the People’s Republic of Colorado, the words “Self-Sufficiency” now apparently mean: establishing guidelines for obtaining welfare handouts, tax credits, government grants, an increased “minimum wage”, “affordable (read: taxpayer subsidized) housing”, “economic justice”, and other assorted socialist claptrap. Their calculated annual “Self-Sufficiency wage” is a whopping $68,182 per year in Denver. That would be considered rock star uber wealthiness, to 98% of the world’s population. But in Denver, it apparently means just getting by. In classic Orwellian Newspeak, what used to be called “Dependency” isnow called “Self-Sufficiency”. But no matter how they want to twist words, the statist-collectivists clearly only have one goal: extracting money out of my wallet, by force and under color of law, and then handing it to someone else, to buy their vote in the next election. As I’ve mentioned before, we need to guard our language from those who would pervert it for their own political gain. – JWR

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Reader James W. suggested fascinating hour-long lecture (video): 3D Printing and the Future(or Demise) of Intellectual Property” by John Hornick

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Some seasonal wisdom from Commander Zero’s Notes From The Bunker
blog: Gas Can Fillup.

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I often have seen consulting clients confuse their needs versus their wants, in selecting survival gear. Please be dispassionate and prioritize, folks! Do you really need a $3,000 Valmet M76 .308 rifle, when a $900 PTR-91 will do the same job? People (and governments) often make poor choices of gear with dubious utility. (“Shoot! A fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.”) – JWR