I had this blog analyzed by Typealyzer, and it has me pegged as an INTP-type personality on the basis of what I’ve written in this blog (Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving). That’s interesting, because my normal Myers-Briggs typology is ENTJ (Extraverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Judging). How is my blog different to my personality? Well, my blog is [...]
A brief thought about UK television licensing
The reality that in the year 2008, in the era of YouTube and global broadband internet, satellite TV with hundreds of channels and high-definition, the DVR, Hulu and so much more, an era when people are living free lives choosing entertainment from a staggering array of sources, that to this day the broadcaster known as [...]
Napolitano is the best we have for Homeland Security?
Napolitano? Janet Napolitano? According to “multiple” sources cited by CNN, the Arizona Governor is Obama’s top choice for Homeland Security Secretary in his cabinet. This amazes me, not because I don’t think we could do worse as David Weigel suggests, but because I thought we could surely do better! I know Napolitano. I think she’s [...]
Spitzer’s sin: escort Dupre speaks
Now it’s her turn to tell her side of the story. The escort whose services were the downfall of New York Governor Elliot Spitzer, Ashley Dupre, speaks to ABC’s Diane Sawyer this Friday night in her first TV interview since the scandal. This story was of particular interest to libertarians like me who don’t support [...]
Pastfarians at Apple!
You may know that I’ve been a huge admirer of Apple and Apple products for a very long time, and you may also know that I have a great admiration for the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster and pastafarians too. Now it has become clear that some Apple employees are also pastafarians, with these [...]
Dharma makes me Radio Operator
In addition to some freelance work, a few months ago I applied for a position with the Dharma Initiative. After assessing my test results, Dharma has conferred upon me the position of Radio Operator. Ahead of the penultimate season premiere of ABC’s Lost at the end of January, we continue to find out more and [...]
Dead babies make me laugh…
…is not the statement of someone who actually finds dead babies funny. After all, where’s the humor in that? It is instead the statement of someone who finds the shocked reactions of others funny. And therein lies the humor. Or not. ‘Dead babies make me laugh’ was a Facebook group that caused massive outrage on [...]
Comments: FIXED!
All comments sections, past and present, are now open for comments again after we fixed an SQL database error (don’t ask). You don’t need to provide anything other than a screen name to post comments, so feel free! (Also, we’re libertarians so we’re not keen on censorship unless it’s disruptive.) Apologies for the problems, and [...]
Anybody want to buy my hair?
This economy really has me thinking about my assets and whether I actually have anything to sell that people would like to buy. My two real estate properties are worthless, as are my SUVs which nobody wants either. I can write (which I’m beginning to do more for some online publications) and I can talk. [...]
Libertarianism: difficult to sell!
Libertarianism, like radio avertising in a down economy, is hard to sell. It’s the most misunderstood political philosophy around. I can’t tell you how many times people have come up to me and said, “Yeah, but if we don’t have speed limits everybody will crash. You can’t just have a free-for-all.” When did we ever [...]
Socialism and Jonestown +30
30 years ago this week, on November 18th, 1978, roughly a year and three months before I was born, 909 people in total – including infants who would have been among my generation – committed suicide together by drinking the Kool-Aid provided by Jim Jones in Jonestown, Guyana. This is a crazy, unbelievable story, the [...]
The FCC needs an upgrade
So says a Los Angeles Times editorial today, and I couldn’t agree more: The FCC [has] showed an alarming willingness to use government power to impose ineffective and discriminatory decency rules on broadcasters in the name of shielding children from profane or violent programming. More relevant to a bygone era’s media environment, such rules reflect [...]
Make ‘Make Poverty History’ History
I’ve been having a conversation over at W&T that goes to the heart of the debate over how best to help the poor and whether capitalism is good or evil. It was prompted by the news that the Presbyterian Mutual Society is out of cash and can’t honor the withdrawal requests of its members. It [...]
Pastor Manning: Obama the mack daddy
This is the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. Howard Stern has enjoyed playing these clips of Pastor Manning for some time, but it took a phone call from Manning to the show today to make me interested enough to find it on YouTube. In this clip, Manning makes it clear just how [...]
Top 100 Libertarian Blogs
Check it out: the Web Design Schools Guide came out with a list of the Top 100 Libertarian Blogs. That’s great. But even more interesting is why they would do it. Why would web entrepreneurs have any interest in libertarianism? Well, because many of them are libertarians. That’s right: the people who want to make [...]
Norah Vincent sums up my feelings about Obama
I’ve had a difficult time making both the conservatives who hate him and the liberals who love him understand my position on the election of Barack Obama. I’ve said I think he’s a very intelligent man, that his incredible unflappability, control and calm are among the greatest attributes of any leader and that he is [...]
Election done; Thanksgiving next
Every time I think I may be the worst blogger in the world, I check the 90 percent of other blogs whose authors fail to post anything for weeks at a time and feel better. At least I’m constantly tweeting between fuller posts for those of you who give a damn (and even maybe for [...]
Obama Part II: the reality edition
Yes, he’s smart. Yes, he’s charismatic. Yes, he’s a unifier more than a divider. Yes, this is historic. Yes, this is – so far – very good for America. Yes, we have a renewed sense of optimism and we feel good as a nation. No, he’s not brilliant. No, he isn’t infallible. No, we won’t [...]
Election Day Thoughts
Well we’re in the throes of the U.S. general election now, as 50 separate, independent states vote in their own races and appoint their 538 designated electors to vote on their behalf for president of the federation of states. 1) I’ll not surprise you by predicting Obama will win. But it may not be so [...]
