Archive for March 2006
That’s about the size of it
Indeed, since the development of the political state, human history is incomprehensible on any hypothesis other than that people hate and fear their freedom. On the hypothesis that everyone aspires to freedom, it is difficult to explain why we are continuously subordinated. ... We want the government to guarantee our health, deflect hurricanes, educate our children and license us to drive; we want to be told what to eat, what to smoke and whom to…Read More
The Philosophy of Liberty
Takes the top spot on the left-side column. Click on it. If you truly know and understand the philosophy underlying genuine liberty (only about 1 in 10,000 do), you should enjoy it. If you don't know, that's fine. Here's your chance. Review often. Show it to kids. If you don't believe in genuine liberty, then I hope you're dismayed by the fundamental simplicity of it. Then I hope you die young (painfully).Read More
Judgment
I was laying in bed 'round 6 a.m. this morning when I heard this: Male voice: "Yeah. Hi. I'm on the 106th floor of the World Trade Center. We just had an explosion on the, on the like 105th floor ... We have smoke and ... it's pretty bad." 911 Operator: "Sit tight. Do not leave, OK?" I'm not going to get on anyone's case, here. I'm confident that 911 operators are well trained, professional,…Read More
March Report Card
The Bulls come out at the last minute and suck away most of my profits for the month. Profit $1,598.60. A 3% return on risk for March. Preliminaries: February Report Card. Yea, March was a bit disappointing, especially since I was in Vegas for some fun the Wednesday and Thursday before expiration of the March options on the SPX. I ended up monitoring the market pretty closely until 1pm PST each day. But it's silly…Read More
Oh, What the Hell
A comment, from my last post by Dawn Benko. With all the energy illegals displayed over the weekend during their rallies to demand rights they cannot claim, I can't quite understand why they can't use that same energy to change things in their own countries. The problem is that you're drawing false distinctions. If these so-called "rights" cannot legitimately be claimed by "illegals" (I assume you are referring to certain "entitlements"), then they can't legitimately…Read More
Immigration and The Stupid Party
"The Stupid Party." That's what I, and others, call the Republicans (Democrats are "The Dishonesty Party," "The Evil Commies," "The Jerry Springer Party," or whatever else I can think of at the moment; in case you were wondering). The main reason republicans are so stupid, politically, is that they have accepted each and every commie premise of the left--only, they'll be "better commies" than the left. I dunno; I suppose they'll let you make you…Read More
It’s the Law, You Know
Here's what I said the other day, here: He's facing conviction and execution for the crime of converting to Christianity. It's the law, you know, and as moronic commenters to other posts on this blog have been pointing out, to obey and enforce the law is always of paramount concern. As an Afghan Christian, he's "ILLEGAL." Today, via Billy Beck, I get Jay Jardine saying the same thing, only in a far more clever way.…Read More
“Paris Burning”
I don't recall whether or not I blogged about the riots in France last November--I was in San Francisco for the week--and I'm not inclined to search around, but I did follow the goings on pretty closely. I lived in France for a coupla years in the early 90s. What the hell happened? I read news stories about what's going on now and I ask myself who are these people? I mean: sure, they're commies…Read More
Proof of Concept
I've seen a lot of videos of various robot concepts over the years--on Discovery channel and such--but none I've ever seen come anywhere close to this thing. Go read about it right here. And, if nothing else, you absolutely must check out the video of this guy in action. The key, of course, is four legs, which means that you have at least two feet on the ground at all times--versus the "infinitely" more difficult…Read More
“Free Speech”
I am on record as having generally applauded the Danish cartoon hubbub. I like to see false idols toppled, particularly since virtually all idols are false. However, so far as I can tell, "free speech" was never at issue there. The newspapers and magazines appeared to be always free to publish or not publish. Deciding against offending someone, for whatever reason, does not mean that you have been "censored," by which I mean: forcibly muffled…Read More
The Morning Glory
Ever heard of The Morning Glory cloud (arcus cloud, commonly referred to as a roll cloud)? Perhaps not, unless you're way into meteorology, or you fly hang-gliders or sailplanes. Here's a pretty good photo of some guy soaring The Morning Glory. When it forms over northern Queensland, Australia, it can stretch for as long as 600 miles, continuous, and a hang-glider or sailplane can soar along its windward side just as if it was a…Read More
“The Constitution of No Authority”
Want to consider something important that not one in 10,000 people in this country have ever considered in their whole lives? It's been 15 years now since I came to the complete and thoroughly consistent understanding that the U.S. Constitution (every word and amendment) is utterly bogus and without the slightest sliver of moral authority. Of course, the American patriot Lysander Spooner identified the quintessential argument in this regard 131 years ago. Get started right…Read More
Hopeium
That's a neologism I've recently become acquainted with. Traders in the stock, options and futures markets use it to refer to those who violate their own trading and money-management rules and either enter or hold a losing position on no "basis" but that of hope. "...or, you could just take the hopeium and see what happens." When I heard of the pacifist rescue story today and read Billy's blog on the subject, amongst other thoughts,…Read More
Your Mind or Your Life
That's apparently the choice being offered to the repatriated Afghan, Abdul Rhaman, who moved back to Afghanistan from Germany after, you know, we made it a "free country" and all. He's facing conviction and execution for the crime of converting to Christianity. It's the law, you know, and as moronic commenters to other posts on this blog have been pointing out, to obey and enforce the law is always of paramount concern. As an Afghan…Read More
The Stupid Party
Well, that's taking it lightly. I've been calling them that for a while, now, so it's a multi-purpose term. The way things are going, I'll have to start calling them commies pretty soon, although, I'll then have the issue of how to differentiate them, as commies, from the democrats--who've been commies for decades. But it's a small distinction: getting smaller and smaller every day. I really don't know what to say, at this point. I'm…Read More
I Told You So
It was on March 3, to be exact. Right here. On the 11th, The New York Times reported on Wafa Sultan and according to the article, she has received numerous death threats by telephone and by email. Yet, she remains undaunted, emboldened even. Today, thanks to an unusually blunt and provocative interview on Al Jazeera television on Feb. 21, she is an international sensation, hailed as a fresh voice of reason by some, and by…Read More
“V for Vendetta”
Haven't read the book, but based on this excerpt,I might have to go take a look at the movie. Although, poking around, I see the movie version has been disowned by the book's author. No surprise there.Read More
The First Annual Occam’s Razor Game
Announcing the First Annual Occam's Razor Game. To be in the Occam's Razor Game, you have to be somewhat familiar with friar William of Ockham and his Razor. The object of the game is to see if you can get a comment posted that both mocks the post you're commenting on and indirectly teaches Occam's Razor. The trick is, you have to get it past the moderator and it has to stay posted. OK, here's…Read More
Amen
Hooray for the Catholic Church, the courage of Roger Mahony, and any other such organizations--religious or otherwise--that figuratively tell the government to F off. "It is none of the government's business who and how religious people serve," says the Rev. Dr. C. Welton Gaddy, president of Interfaith Alliance. "Would the U.S. Congress have told the Good Samaritan not to help a stranger in the ditch?" Cardinal Roger Mahony in Los Angeles, who leads the largest…Read More
Extreme Vegas
So here we are in Vegas. Because it's only an hour flight for me, I usually make it at least a couple of times per year. I like the town, but it has nothing to do with gambling. Reno is my hometown, and gambling has just never been much of an attraction to me. At a point, about 12 years ago, I got interested in craps. Even spent a week in Reno playing. I treated…Read More