Archive for November 5th, 2020

Quote of the day.

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

That community is already in the process of dissolution where each man begins to eye his neighbor as a possible enemy, where nonconformity with the accepted creed, political as well as religious, is a mark of disaffection; where denunciation, without specification or backing, takes the place of evidence; where orthodoxy chokes freedom of dissent; where faith in the eventual supremacy of reason has become so timid that we dare not enter our convictions in the open lists, to win or lose.

–Judge Learned Hand, Speech to the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York, October 24, 1952.

Oddly enough, that quote popped up on this morning’s “Perry Mason” episode.

I’m thinking, if you held a gun to my head and asked me to pick a favorite judge, it would be Learned Hand. I feel like I should apologize to Judge Willett for that, but I also have a feeling that if he heard me say that, he’d agree Learned Hand is a good choice.

Posted in Bagatelle, Law | Comments Closed

“What you gonna do when you get out of jail?…” part 220

Thursday, November 5th, 2020

Travel Thursday has been delayed until tomorrow, because this is also my happy Guy Fawkes Day post for all my homies in the United Kingdom. This is also going up earlier than usual because UKOGBNI time differences. (Two! Two! Two posts in one! Because I’m a lazy blogger.)

So: Happy Guy Fawkes Day, people! I’ve been waiting probably about six months to use this one.

Richard “Hamster” Hammond from 2005: “The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Legend”. In which Hammond not only talks about the gunpowder plot, but builds a replica of the House of Lords…and then blows it up.

I know this is kind of long, so for the convenience of my readers who may not have a holiday today: here’s the timestamp for the big event.

Spoiler:

(more…)

Posted in Explosives, History | Comments Closed