Found not guilty last night in the “walk in the woods” case. My lawyer friends all swore to me that such a case would never be prosecuted, but prosecuted it was (twice no less!), though the judge seemed nonplussed to be hearing so frivolous a case. In the end, the trial was interesting - and [...]
Last night - what will probably be one of the hottest nights of the year - I was sitting in my chair reading The Pilgrim’s Progress barely dressed and feverish, when I saw a flashlight dancing on my lawn. I got up, quite curious - it was after nine p.m., I live far from the [...]
One of the impressive things about modern ugliness and inefficiency is that it has always gotten the approval of committees specifically designed to preserve the aesthetics and functionality of neighborhoods. But since committee-humanity is unable to make a subjective judgement - saying, “This plan is ugly and it should not be built” seems insufficiently objective [...]
Edward Glaeser, via Andrew Sullivan:
Consider the purely hypothetical case of a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The traditional libertarian would argue that regulation is unnecessary because the tort system will hold the driller liable for any damage. But what if the leak is so vast that the driller doesn’t have the resources [...]
The aid flotilla to Gaza that Israel intercepted is one of the most promising things I have seen out of the Middle East in my memory. It indicates an entirely new way of fighting the battle, a way that has some chance of success. Israel’s policies are dependent on the idea that Israelis are morally [...]
The BP spill is remarkable because the initial reportage seems to indicate that this was preventable, and can be laid at the feet of a specific Bush administration policy change in 2003. And now there is talk of fixing the oil-spill problem simply by making oil companies fiscally liable for the damage caused. [...]
If you’ve never read a piece by Glenn Greenwald, treat yourself. This guy sounds like a terrible person to have a dinner conversation with - time to cut down on those unsubstantiated assertions! - but invaluable as a journalist and blogger. Terribly smart and frighteningly informed. And he exudes the integrity of crisp thinking. In [...]
… just for the page title that comes up in your browser.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/apr/16/obama-bowing-to-the-world/
Just for the record, where I come from, bowing can be a sign of respect just as much as a sign of obsequious bootlicking. Bowing to women, for instance, is no humiliation to the bower. And humility is a virtue which adorns any office, [...]
This is the summer where I’ll be experimenting with getting much closer to nature - growing and gathering much more of my own food, and in general finding ways to do things without any monetary intermediary. I’m still very far from this ideal - dandelion salads and blueberry and apple picking has been the extent [...]
“The Mosque.”
24-Aug-10I’ve been out of the loop as far as news goes, and I will say that I really cannot believe that this mosque controversy has gone on so long. I’m utterly willing to say that anyone who believes in taking away the right of the builders to practice their religion in any place that they [...]