Monthly Archives: October 2011

Safety Creep 2: Anatomy of a Conservative Freakout

Posted on October 28, 2011 by

Attention, conservatives! The freakout regarding TSA screenings on Tennessee highways has been cancelled! OK, not cancelled, just dialed back a wee bit… According to autos.aol.com, the TSA “came in for just three days – Oct. 18, 19 and 20 – to … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 7 Comments

Safety Creep: TSA Comes to the Interstate

Posted on October 27, 2011 by

UPDATE: There is less reason to freak out than previously suspected, although there is still reason to be concerned.. Attention, conservatives! Did you get the latest memo? There’s a new Thing For Conservatives To Be Freaked Out About. The TSA … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 4 Comments

Reasons For Optimism 5-6

Posted on October 26, 2011 by

5. The latest Gallup poll puts public support for legalizing marijuana at 50% for the first time. Regardless of your personal feelings about what people should be allowed to do, I think it’s rather obvious that the “war on drugs” … Continue reading →

Posted in Reasons For Optimism | Leave a comment

Competition In The Texting Marketplace

Posted on October 24, 2011 by

I wasn’t as fast as the typical Apple fanboy, but over the weekend I finally upgraded my iPhone 4 to iOS 5.0. Among other things, this means that any text I send to or receive from another iPhone will no … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Leave a comment

The Right To Keep Exotic Animals

Posted on October 22, 2011 by

It’s not the kind of news story you read every day. “Dozens of exotic animals, including bears, lions, tigers, cheetahs, wolves, giraffes and camels… on the prowl in eastern Ohio…” I found the media’s ubiquitous use of the word “exotic” … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events, Regulation Regulation Regulation | 5 Comments

Celebrating Good Capitalism

Posted on October 16, 2011 by

We stopped by the Bush Bean Museum on our way to the Smoky Mountains last weekend. I thought it just sounded like a random, quirky, and free place to visit, but I left with an appreciation for the underlying values … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | 1 Comment

The Negative Externalities of Occupying Wall Main Street

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

Paul Krugman is at his best when he points out silly things Republicans say: Eric Cantor, the House majority leader, has denounced “mobs” and “the pitting of Americans against Americans.” The G.O.P. presidential candidates have weighed in, with Mitt Romney … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 3 Comments

The Right To A Tanning Bed

Posted on October 10, 2011 by

Sometimes the government interferes in the marketplace in ways that seem utterly insane. Sometimes, however, the government interferes in the marketplace in ways that seem so completely reasonable that I’m not even sure if I disagree in principle.

Posted in Regulation Regulation Regulation | 1 Comment