Tuesday Miscellany!

[maxomai]

• Edward Snowden - remember him? The NSA whistleblower? - has been nominated for a Nobel Prize for Peace. Chew on that, Mr. President.


• Protests are scheduled in 100 cities against the Zimmerman verdict, and to call for additional federal charges against Zimmerman. We can expect for 98% of those to be peaceful. That said, thirteen people were arrested in Los Angeles after a demonstration against the Zimmerman verdict turned violent. Not exactly the kind of rioting we used to see, but probably enough so that every police department in a major city should be on tactical alert today.


• A North Korea-flagged ship was caught carrying weapons materials from Cuba.


• A so-called "smart gun" is designed to not fire unless it can validate that it's in the hands of an authorized user. Meghan Neal is outraged, outraged, that nobody is buying them. Well, if you want them to catch on, how about we start with the police and military? Let them work out the bugs and kinks. When the police and military think they're reliable enough for everyday use, then I'll consider one. Until then, no deal.


• Varg Vikernes was arrested in France on suspicion of plotting a massacre. The evidence thus far: his wife purchased four .22LR rifles legally, and fellow racist right-wing crank Anders Breivik sent him a copy of his manifesto. Meh.


• Some people really are mosquito magnets.