If one is required to carry liability insurance to own and operate one machinery, a car, what about another machinery, a gun? Is there such a thing as free liberty, er free lunch?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/01/31/170700177/should-gun-owners-have-to-buy-liability-insurance

Not so common common-sense.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/bipartisan-hunting-buddies.html

Grammar of Happiness

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/22/books/a-new-book-and-film-about-rare-amazonian-language.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.smithsonianchannel.com/site/sn/full-episodes.do#grammar-of-happiness

http://www.youtube.com/show/thegrammarofhappiness

My daughter and I are hooked onto HarborMaster on the ipad. It teaches almost a Zen-like transcendence amidst a cacophony of multi-tasking demands. It is designed and executed very well, bonding to the touch user interface paradigm.

NRA can chant "law-abiding citizens" till the world ends but how about reflecting on the fact that the Aurora mass killer was a law-abiding citizen who got his weapons and ammunition legally? That Sandy Hook mass killer's mother was a law-abiding citizen who got hers similarly? The most dangerous are the lunatics who do not understand the question is where to draw the line not whether to draw a line. Right to bear arms all right, but what is arms? High grade mass killing machines? Tanks? Missiles? Nukes? Looking to the heavens for an electric jolt of sense and reality check.

Dr. V

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/in-india-leading-a-hospital-franchise-with-vision/

One month on, the sweet innocent smiles of little kids are as heart-searing as they were then. How can America go back and stay in the days of the wild west? How can it be that getting the driver license is so much hassle but an 18 year old can walk into a gun show and buy any assault weapon and load up on a huge stash of ammunition in the form of high capacity magazines that can be spewed out in the blink of an eye? How can America regulate six packs of Sudafed over the counter but say there can be no regulations on these industrial strength killing machines (and on regular guns for that matter)? How can America let the wild west movie turn into one about terrorism? Good morning America, let's wake up.

begin sarcasm

I wonder if the founders ever considered a meteor hitting the United States or the oceans surrounding it? I wish to be armed to the teeth and ready with rocket launchers and all as I don't trust the tyrannical government to act in order to protect my family. Maybe a new constitutional amendment is called for?

end sarcasm

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/201301110108/COLUMNISTS0404/301110007

iPhone 5 is light, very light. After observing a parade of newer phones go by I finally upgraded which thanks to the weird pricing in the market was light on the pocket. The problem now is it is so light my belt case is more weight than the actual phone. I even dropped it once right onto the hard asphalt confused by the lightness in my hand. It's very polished, very Apple, quite faster to respond compared to few generations back. The new OS is pretty good and hopefully iCloud will solve a lot of problems with multiple devices and form factors. I am all set I think for the next five years unless I drop it again (fortunately the first drop did not leave any sign at all).

Childhood work with books.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/books/review/the-book-boys-of-mumbai.html

A positive story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anand_Kumar

The everyday tragedy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/opinion/the-unspeakable-truth-about-rape-in-india.html

The price for the freedom.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/02/opinion/who-pays-for-the-right-to-bear-arms.html

Perhaps a new year resolution for Mr. LaPierre to go visit the Taliban? They are fighting the government as some in NRA would like to have the possibility open for and there are small children learning to wield guns which maybe could make the schools here safer? Maybe he could get a sense of better and more powerful weapons the good guys in this country needs? Hokey pokey.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/opinion/keller-babes-in-arms.html

Infinite set of infinities

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/01/science/the-life-of-pi-and-other-infinities.html