Bkumm

Ex-Navy, degrees in History and Marketing and Management. Socially liberal, fiscal conservative. Just following my own brand of atheistic spiritualism. "The object of this Essay is to assert one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties, or the moral coercion of public opinion. That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right... The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign." John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty"

Website: http://www.bransplace.net/drupal-5.2/

Member Since: July 17, 2006

Participation | Friends | Stats Bkumm's Stories RSS feed

Show: All | Submissions | Videos | Votes | Sinks | Comments

1 2 3 4 5 > »

This story has mostly positive ratings. 26 votes / No sinks

New Zealand man sells his soul to 'Hell'

Humor – A New Zealand man has sold his soul to hell -- Hell Pizza, that is. The New Zealand pizza chain said Thursday it had struck a deal with Walter Scott, 24, to buy a deed to his soul, shortly after an online auction site that initially agreed to the sale withdrew it from the Internet because of complaints it was in bad taste.

Submitted and Voted for on July 03, 2008 07:44am

Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down
This story has mostly positive ratings. 75 votes / No sinks

Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down

Music – Kris Kristofferson says it all in this one.

Submitted and Voted for on June 06, 2008 04:04pm

This story has mostly positive ratings. 31 votes / No sinks

McCain Pressed on Past Marital Infidelities

Politics – Senator John McCain tried to punk Senator Obama right out of the box by pressing for ten town hall meetings. After this one in Nashville he may change his mind.

Submitted and Voted for on June 05, 2008 01:26pm

This story has mostly positive ratings. 57 votes / 2 sinks

Senator Jim Webb Blasts McCain Supports Senator Obama

Politics – Jim Webb, one of Congress' fastest rising Democrats and a Senator believed to occupy a spot on Barack Obama's vice presidential short list, is slated to throw his support behind the Illinois Democrat on Thursday, introducing Obama at a rally in Bristow, Virginia.

Submitted and Voted for on June 05, 2008 01:09pm

This story has mostly positive ratings. 24 votes / No sinks

At Twilight

Books – Many people find the forest peaceful in the daylight, but at twilight it becomes a very different place.

Submitted and Voted for on May 28, 2008 10:23pm

MFP: The Battle Hymn of the Republic -- Updated
This story has mostly positive ratings. 124 votes / 8 sinks

MFP: The Battle Hymn of the Republic -- Updated

Do No Evil – Mark Twain wrote this in 1901 to protest the use of American military force in the cause of rampant American industrial imperialism in the Phillipines. It fits today just as well.

Submitted and Voted for on May 28, 2008 10:43am

This story has mostly positive ratings. 66 votes / No sinks

Hundreds of New Testaments torched in Israel - UPDATE

Religion – Police in Israel are investigating the burning of hundreds of New Testaments in a city near Tel Aviv, an incident that has alarmed advocates of religious freedom. Investigators plan to review photographs and footage showing "a fairly large" number of New Testaments being torched this month in the city of Or-Yehuda.

Submitted and Voted for on May 28, 2008 08:10am

This story has mostly positive ratings. 110 votes / 2 sinks

God Rejects Hagee in Statement

Humor – Earlier today in a dramatic message the Heavenly Father announced that He utterly rejects the statements made by "Reverend" John Hagee that are derogatory to people who don't believe as he does.

Submitted and Voted for on May 27, 2008 10:09am

This story has mostly positive ratings. 80 votes / 2 sinks

Biden calls Bush comments 'bulls**t'

Politics – "This is bullsh*t. This is malarkey. This is outrageous. Outrageous for the president of the United States to go to a foreign country, sit in the Knessetââ;¬Â¦and make this kind of ridiculous statement," Biden said angrily in a brief interview just off the Senate floor.

Submitted and Voted for on May 15, 2008 02:30pm

This story has mostly positive ratings. 53 votes / No sinks

Soldiers Say Porn Ban May Hurt Morale

News – Legislation that would restrict the sale of certain men's magazines on U.S. military bases around the world would be bad for morale, according to soldiers at GrafenwÃ;¶hr.

Submitted and Voted for on May 07, 2008 09:27am

This story has mostly positive ratings. 31 votes / 1 sink

Censorship exposed at US environment agency

Science – The Union of Concerned Scientists, a lobby group based in Washington DC, surveyed 1583 EPA scientists and found that many feel unable to speak openly for fear of retaliation from senior officials appointed by the Bush administration.

Submitted and Voted for on May 05, 2008 11:54am

This story has mostly positive ratings. 31 votes / No sinks

Eight Belles gave Derby's most valiant effort

Sports – Eight Belles' heart carried her to places she had never been, surrounded by a thundering phalanx of horses, racing a distance that carried them all into the unknown, well beyond any in her experience. For every stride of 10 furlongs she gave everything she had, then, the race over, a statement made in exclamation, she gave her life.

Submitted and Voted for on May 04, 2008 11:19am

This story has mostly positive ratings. 33 votes / No sinks

Ancient bird is missing link to Archaeopteryx

Science – A spectacularly preserved new Chinese fossil reveals a previously unseen stage in the early evolution of flight. Called Eoconfuciusornis, it is a missing link between the oldest known bird, Archaeopteryx, and more advanced birds that have been discovered in the Yixian geological formation in China.

Submitted and Voted for on May 02, 2008 10:10am

This story has mostly positive ratings. 33 votes / No sinks

Iron Man: The science behind the fiction

Movies – But it is the technology that Stark uses to turn himself into Iron Man that gets us going. The tech in the movie is probably more firmly rooted in reality more than you might think ââ;¬" unless, that is, you are a regular New Scientist reader.

Submitted and Voted for on May 01, 2008 01:31pm

This story has mostly positive ratings. 20 votes / No sinks

Groups To March In Support Of Illegal Immigrants' Rights

News – A coalition of about 30 groups will hold a march and rally in downtown San Diego Thursday in support of illegal immigrants' rights. The march will precede a rally at a downtown park where speakers will call for an end to recent immigration raids and the legalization of migrants, according to David Schmidt, one of the event's organizers.

Submitted and Voted for on May 01, 2008 10:50am

1 2 3 4 5 > »