I Don't Know if Max Baucus Was Drunk

But I do know the controversy served to remind us of the comedy genius of Foster Brooks.

Bond Investors Bet Against Japan

This doesn't sound good.

Who Is Winning the Global War on Terror?

Noah Scacthman says it may be China.

Dave Barry's Year in Review

By my clock, we've still got a few more hours of 2009 left, but I don't think Dave has missed anything in this recap.

Update: I corrected a typo, or maybe a Freudian slip.

RIP Dr. Death

Dave Meltzer writes:

We are sorry to report the death of Steve "Dr. Death" Williams, an international star who was considered one of the top wrestlers in the world during the late 80s and early 90s, after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Williams, known in his heyday as one of the physically toughest men ever to compete in the industry, was 49. He passed away last night. He had been battling the disease for a number of years, first apparently beating it even with great odds against him. It came back this year and his health had worsened in the last few months.

Williams formed two of the world's best tag teams with the late Terry Gordy and with Ted DiBiase Sr., as well as a notable team with current WWE Vice President of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis. He was in particular a major star in the 90s for All Japan Pro Wrestling. He was recruited into pro wrestling by Bill Watts and was the 1982 Rookie of the Year.

Watts discovered him at the University of Oklahoma, where he was a star lineman on the football team and a four-time All-American heavyweight wrestler. Many of his peers in wrestling over the years had believed if he had not played college football and concentrated on wrestling, that he would have been a strong candidate for an Olympic gold medal in 1984 or 1988.

Steve Williams' football and wrestling accomplishments at the University of Oklahoma, via mixedmartialarts.com

1979 -- 6TH PLACE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (Future Olympic gold medalist Jeff Blatnick finished 3rd)

1980 -- 5TH PLACE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS
BIG 8 CONFERENCE CHAMPION

1981 -- 3RD PLACE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (Future UFC champion Dan Severn placed 4th)
BIG 8 CONFERENCE CHAMPION

1982 -- 2ND PLACE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (lost in Finals to Olympic wrestling legend Bruce Baumgartner; future Olympic gold medalist Lou Banach finished 3rd)
BIG 8 CONFERENCE CHAMPION

4-TIME ALL AMERICAN


FOOTBALL:

1982 Big 8 ALL CONFERENCE (OFFENSIVE GUARD)

Live in Rome Georgia, and Plan to Drink on New Year's Eve?

Here's an offer just for you.

China Likes Blondes

Black people not so much.

HT: Steve Sailer

The Next Ron Paul?

That's what some are calling former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson.

J.G. Ballard and Pat Buchanan

Daniel McCarthy writes that they both ask the same uncomfortable question.

The Most Famous Supflex of all time

From the 1972 Olympics, Wilfred Dietrich (230 pounds) vs. Chris Taylor (400 pounds).

The Link Between Japanese Mothers, Breakfast and Sex

Apparently, there is one.

Alabama Democrat Switches to GOP

I'm late with this, but Daniel Larison has the most convincing explanation I've seen for why Parker Griffth switched to the Republican Party.

Don't Bait the Neo-Cons

Andrew Sullivan writes:

While Iran erupts, National Review has many many posts blasting Janet Napolitano for an idiotic interview she gave today and calling for her resignation and yet more posts trying to use the Detroit terror attempt to attack Obama. There is one post about Iran this whole pivotal weekend, and it's by Jonah Goldberg, and it begins with the priceless words:

This should be getting more play.

Conservatism's current priorities: using any terror attack to hurt the president? Check. Watching freedom-fighters risk their lives for regime change in the most critical country for US foreign policy in the Middle East? Zzzzz. Imagine what Reagan would have thought. And weep.

I Have to Admit I Only Vaguely Knew Who Terry Francona Was

But then I read this article about his son.

An Open Letter to Charles Krauthammer

This letter was posted on the pro-Green Revolution site Enduring America to Charles Krauthammer, but it could just as easily have been sent to any of the neo-cons whose professed concern for human rights in Iran is just as mask for their hatred of any regime that threatens the American empire in the Middle East and its Israeli proxy.

Please go away now and do not return to Iran as the setting for your political assaults. For — and let this be acknowledged widely, if not by you than by others — the “Iranian people” whom you supposedly praise are merely pawn for your political games, which have little to do with their aspirations, their fears, and their contests.

Let us recognise that your column begins with an attack on the “feckless” Barack Obama. The Iranian case, and specifically the US negotiations with Tehran over its nuclear programme, is the platform for another front in your continuing assault on the President. So if I agree with you that the nuclear-first approach gives “affirmation” to an embattled Iranian Government — and I do — that agreement starts from a desire not to bolster President Ahmadinead in the current domestic crisis in Iran, rather than your own domestic crisis with an American leader from a political party you do not like.

Let us recognise that your own supposed defence of the Iranian people is propelled by your own nuclear conceptions, bolstered by your emphasis on Israel: “Iran will dominate 2010. Either there will be an Israeli attack or Iran will arrive at — or cross — the nuclear threshold.” For, if this piece was completely honest, you would have informed your readers, and the Iranian people, that you have supported Israeli airstrikes. In the columns offering that support, you made no reference to how “a new birth of freedom” would be affected by missiles fired upon Iran. Your frame of vision was limited, as if this was a journalistic smart bomb, to the target of the Iranian regime.

Extreme Carpenter

I've watched this a couple of times, and I think it's real.

Stadium Boom Deepens Cities' Problems

The New York Times reports:

Years after a wave of construction brought publicly financed stadiums costing billions of dollars to cities across the country, taxpayers are once again being asked to reach into their pockets.

From New Jersey to Ohio to Arizona, the stadiums were sold as a key to redevelopment and as the only way to retain sports franchises. But the deals that were used to persuade taxpayers to finance their construction have in many cases backfired, the result of overly optimistic revenue assumptions and the recession.

The Biggest Money-Making Franchise in American Sports

No, it isn't the Yankees.

Tim Cavanugh has more.

White Christmas

Here's a little background on the top-selling song of all time.

American Manufacturing Is Far from Dead

Mark Perry notes that even though manufacturing employment has fallen, output remains strong.

Amazingly, if the U.S. manufacturing sector were a separate country, it would be tied with Germany as the world’s third-largest economy.

The Big Government-Big Business Health Reform

David Boaz notes that health care reform will help big companies and big government more than anyone else.

The Latest from Maricopa County

A prosecutor from another Arizona County criticizes Sheriff Joe Arapio for using his office to harass critics. Arpaio demands the FBI investigate her.

China Secures Oil and Gas Resources

At Master Resource Mary Hutzler compares the long-term energy strategies of China and the United States.

The Bilingual Ban That Worked

Heather MacDonald looks at what happened when California banned bilingual education.

Avatar Is Great and Libertarian

So claims Stephen Kinsella. I don't know. I haven't seen it yet. It sounds dull and preachy. But I am amazed at the number of conservatives who have noted that, because the film preaches a message of anti-imperialism, anti-militarism and respect for the environment it is anti-American.

How Government Prolongs the Recession

Reason points to just one example.

Obama's Latest Health Care Lie

You'd better read Matt Welch's article fast before the president moves on to the next one.

Did "Progressives" Know What Was in the Health Care Bills?

Peter Suderman looks at left-wing opposition to reform.

Another Cat, Another Wall

Despite Recession, Crime Keeps Falling

The Associated Press reports that this surprises many experts.

Double-Digit Inflation

Economists Robert Murphy and Arnold Kling bet on it.

George W. Bush: The Biggest Spender Since LBJ

The Cato Institute confirms what we've all now. Funny how there were no Tea Parties when he was in office.

John Allison on the Financial System

The former BB&T chairman has some good proposals.

Obamanomics

Tim Carney's book tears apart some of the myths of both the left and right, showing how the Obama administration is in bed with big business. Here's an excerpt.

A Ponzi Scheme That Works

The Economist looks at U.S. immigration.

Remembering Brittany Murphy

The Republican Echo Chamber is is usual charitable self.

What Do the Banking Crisis and U.S. Foreign Policy Have in Common?

Leon hadar and Daniel Larison look at the two,

Another Cat Climbing Into Another House

Blood Libel?

Israel admits harvesting the organs of Palestinians.

Fundamental Health Care Deceptions

Economist points to two in the Democrats' health care bill.

RIP Brittany Murphy

She brought a loopy energy to everything she did. I really liked her in King of the Hill.

What a Real Free Market Health Care System Looks Like

University of Alabama professor Rod Long points to a letter to the editor he had in his local newspaper. He includes a great list of other resources. His How Government Solved the Health Care Crisis is especially good.

Good Night for MMA

Two very good cards from Strike Force and WEC.

Stopping Illegal Immigration: What You Can Do

Here's a few suggestions.

A Very Southern Christmas

A four-year-old gets drunk and steals Christmas presents from a neighbor's house.

"Kids do things like this and it's out of your control, you can do the best you can as a mother, everyone makes mistakes, it was an honest mistake," said the boy's 21-year-old mother.

I, Robot

The latest from Japan? Buy a robot double of yourself or a loved one.

The Crybaby Thugs of Maricopa County

Here's more on Sheriff Joe and his gang.

I'm A Believer

The Monkees made it famous, but Neil Diamond wrote it.

Pussycat Bomb

Funny, but not safe for work.

Fleeing from South Africa

Gee, why would anybody want to leave?

The Latest Problem for the Dollar

Persian Gulf states create their own currency.

How the Market Works

A great little booklet from Israel Kirzner is available here.

Japanes Man Marries Virtual Woman

She's not bad looking.

Bleeding the Economy

Steven Baker and Roger Koppl on how the Federal Reserve distorts the economy.

The Bull Connor of the 21st Century

Criticize Sheriff Joe Arpaio and he'll launch a long and costly criminal investigation of you.

Keeping America's Edge

This article has been generating a lot of buzz in the blogosphere.

Cat Climbs into House

The Best and the Brightest

Foreign-born scientists, engineers, etc. are leaving the United States for better opportunities abroad. This will help us keep our edge.

What English Sounds Like to Foreigners

Well, to Italians anyway.

Obama's Big Sellout

Some on the left aren't happy with the president.

Daniel Larison says they should have seen it coming.

Hot Chicks with Douchebags

Just a reminder. Hot Chicks with Douchebags is holding its annual awards voting.

Canada's Athlete of the Year

MMA champion Georges St. Pierre takes the honor for the second year in a row.

Jersey Shore

Just heard that the cast of this train wreck reality show are going to be on the Jay Leno Show tonight at 10 p.m.

UPDATE: No Jersey Shore. But Tim McGraw showed up and demonstrated he is the dullest man in country music.

The Jack Brisco Interview

Here's a pretty good interview of the former National Wrestling Association heavyweight champion from about 13 years ago.

Delta Lady

Investor Bet on Inflation

The Wall Street Journal says investors are moving into gold and commodities as a hedge against inflation because they fear the Federal Reserve huge expansion of the monetary base.

Is Technology Dumbing Down Japanese?

The Japanese language, that is, not the Japanese people.

Why Men Shouldn't Write Advice Columns

Here's one good reason.

HT: Radley Balko

Did the Stimulus Create Jobs?

The government's own numbers say no.

Obama's Dangerous Surge

Daniel Larison looks at Afghanistan.

Killing the Currency

Economist Robert Murphy explains how Barack Obama and Ben Barnanke are destroying the dollar.

Service Dog to Surf-ice Dog

Ron Paul vs. Jeff Flake on Earmarks

Nick Gillespie says two of the most libertarian members of Congress have a serious disagreement on this issue.

Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan

As the number of women claiming to have had sex with Tiger Woods grew, I heard some TV commentators say that he'd chosen a bad mentor in Michael jordan. This article has a little bit more on what Michael taught Tiger.

Why Does Mexico's Economy Not Grow Faster?

Tim Cavanaugh says NAFTA isn't to blame.

Facebook Fail

I don't do Facebook or Youtube. Maybe I'm missing something.

Is There No Aspect of Life That Congress Won't Regulate, Mandate or Forbid?

House committee approves to bill force a college football playoff series.

You Have to Admit He Does Have Nice Teeth

Porn star calls Tiger Woods the "whitest black boy you ever met."

Roosevelt's Support for Japanese Aggression

David Beito writes about how Teddy Roosevelt may have helped set in motion the events that eventually led to Paerl Harbor.

One Chance in Life

States Rights Indeed

Tyler Cowen points to some of the problems with Civil War revisionism.

Japan Launches Yet Another Stimulus Program

And the bond market trembles.

Health Care: France vs. The United States

Hans Bader notes that France has ways of controlling health care costs, some of them even a libertarian could love, that the democrats aren't even considering.

This Lady Really, Really Wanted to Go to Japan

Fingerprint transplants?

Palin's Book Is Really Bad

Michael Moynihan points out that Sarah Palin's book is getting knocked on the left and the ight.

The Stimulus Was a Flop

Economist Dan Mitchell, annother former grad school colleague, explains why.

The Return of Hoovernomics

Economist Steve Horwitz sees some scary parallels between Barack Obama and Herbert hoover.

The Best Cat Video You'll Ever See

An Idea for a New TV Series

From Jesse Walker.

What Is Sarah Palin?

Jack Hunter writes:

It seems that Palin– the attractive, outdoors-loving “hockey mom”-is popular solely because of her personality, not any specific policy positions. Notes columnist Steve Chapman “Who needs policy? In her world - and the world of legions of conservatives who revere her - the persona is the policy. Palin is beloved because she’s (supposedly) just like ordinary people, which (supposedly) gives her a profound understanding of their needs.” When dissecting political cults of personality, it would seem that Palin has become the Republicans’ Obama–handsome, charming and a human comfort blanket for partisans.

A Little Cheerful News

Yeah, the economy is in the crapper now, and Bush-Obama policies will take a big bite out of future growth. But economist Steve Horwitz, a former grad school colleague of mine, has some good information on just how well Americans live compared to even the recent past. Bottom line: Even those classified as poor today possess things that even the middle class considered luxuries just 30 years ago.

Economist Don Boudreaux, a former grad school professor of mine, has more.

Why I Don't Fly

I hate flying. Absolutely hate it. And if I can at all avoid it, I do. Why? I always get seated next to this guy or some crying baby or a kids who won't sit still or stop jabbering.

The House That Uncle Sam Built

Economists Pete Boettke and Steve Horwitz look at the housing bubble and the roots of the current recession.

The Aristocracy of Pull, Part II

Wired reports that the Department of Energy is actually stifling innovation in clean energy technology.

The Real Six Causes of the Recession

Economist Steve Horwitz lays them out.

Squirrel Attacks Deer

The Aristocracy of Pull

A company that tracks federal stimulus spending says Obama's economic policies are turning businesses into welfare queens.

No Wonder He Was able to Survive Falling Off a Cliff

This is one tough coyote.

The Government Is Crowding Out Business Activity

George Melloan writes in the Wall Street Journal:

The credit market has been tilted to favor a single borrower with a huge appetite for money, Washington. Private borrowers, particularly small businesses, have been sent to the end of the queue.

Some related thoughts by economist Jerry O'Driscoll.

Greatest Pie Chart Ever

Of course, it's from Fox News.

An American Doctor in New Zealand

He provides a first-hand report on how government-run medicine works.

Weddings Gone Wrong

Wedinator recently became famous because of this photo. But there's plenty of weird stuff on there.

Brad DeLong Is An Ethics-Free Partisan Hack

Robert Murphy takes apart DeLong's claims about stimulus magic.

Who Uses Mouthwash Before Brushing?

No State Tuition for All

Gun Van Horn has a rejoinder to a Jeff Jacoby column I linked to a few days ago.

Cat House

Japanese homes designed to be cat friendly.

Sheriff Joe's at It Again

Deputies force a woman to give birth while chained to her bed.

Billy Jack Is Back

The kids have a word for this. I believe it's WTF.

By the way, if you are shopping for a Christmas present for me, this is pretty cool.

The Conservative As Victim

John Payne with more thoughts on how conservatism is no longer a body of ideas or even a set of traditions but just another form of identity politics.

What's Going on in Japan

Justin Logan says the government is starting to show a little independence in its foreign policy and that's good.

Higher Immigration, Lower Crime

Daniel Griswold writes:

The past 15 years have witnessed two undeniable trends: dramatically rising levels of immigration, both low-skilled and high-skilled, and an equally dramatic plunge in crime rates nationally. I don’t argue that increased immigration in the past 15 years is the primary cause of falling crime rates, but I do argue that the evidence punches a gaping hole in the Lou-Dobbs contention that immigrants have clogged our prisons and unleashed a new wave of crime.

They Don't Show This in the Syndicated Version

The True Meaning of Thanksgiving

Economist Richard Ebeling presents a litte history. Sorry to get this up so late. I've had a wicked headache most of the day and didn't feel like doing much.

The World According to Americans

This map pretty much sums it up.

Lou Dobbs Reaches Out to Latinos

He supports plans to legalize illegal immigrants who have been "living upright, positive and constructive lives."

Fried Turkey Disasters

This is why you should stick to turducken this Thanksgiving.

Eastern Europeans and Mormons

Why are all of the professional dancers on "Dancing with the Stars" either from the former Soviet bloc, Mormons or both?

Quote of the Day: Government-Controlled Medicine

I quit when medicine was placed under State control, some years ago…Do you know what it takes to perform a brain operation? Do you know the kind of skill it demands, and the years of passionate, merciless, excruciating devotion that go to acquire that skill? That was what I would not place at the disposal of men whose sole qualification to rule me was their capacity to spout the fraudulent generalities that got them elected to the privilege of enforcing their wishes at the point of a gun. I would not let them dictate the purpose for which my years of study had been spent, or the conditions of my work, or my choice of patients, or the amount of my reward. I observed that in all the discussions that preceded the enslavement of medicine, men discussed everything–except the desires of the doctors. Men considered only the “welfare” of the patients, with no thought for those who were to provide it. That a doctor should have any right, desire or choice in the matter, was regarded as irrelevant selfishness; his is not to choose, they said, only “to serve.” . . . I have often wondered at the smugness with which people assert their right to enslave me, to control my work, to force my will, to violate my conscience, to stifle my mind–yet what is it that they expect to depend on, when they lie on an operating table under my hands? Their moral code has taught them to believe that it is safe to rely on the virtue of their victims. Well that is the virtue that I have withdrawn. Let them discover the kind of doctors their system will now produce. Let them discover, in the operating rooms and hospital wards, that it is not safe to place their lives in the hands of a man whose life they have throttled. It is not safe, if hes is the sort of man who resents it – and still less safe, if he is the sort who doesn’t. - Dr. Thomas Hendricks Atlas Shrugged

Mexican Police Sketch

Police Sketch Fail
Uploaded by failblog. - Click for more funny videos.

Progressive Insurance

For the third time in about six weeks a relative of mine has been hit by a driver carrying Progressive insurance. I'm beginning to think Progressive only insures shitty drivers.

In-State Tuition

Jeff Jacoby says undocumented immigrants should get it.

Why are you trying to do sex to me like I'm Mrs. Obama?

Here's the Saturday Night Live sketch everyone is talking about.

Kurt Greenbaum Is a Pussy

Here's the site. Here's the explanation. Read the comments. Lesson learned. If you act like a dick and get someone fired, make sure you haven't posted all your personal information on the Web.

George Lopez: Sarah Palin Is Latina

"Sarah Palin, Latina. Believe me. She's got all the signs. She works and her husband don't."

"She has a child and a grandchild the same age, and the tell-tale sign is she needs to get her roots done."

Marv Albert Is a Bad Man

But 50 Cent should still look into a new posse.

China Ethnicity of the Week

Here it is.

How to Survive Socialized Medicine

This is relevant.

This Ended Surprisingly Better Than I would Have Predicted

Man speaks only Klingon to his son for the boy's first three years.

Did Texas Ban Marriage

Oops.

The Pledge of Allegiance Is Un-American

Michael Lind has a pledge that's more fitting for a free people.

Police Kitty

The story behind the video can be found here.

Reverse Remittances

Mexicans help down and out relatives in the United States.

Chindogu

The shirt with the grid on it actually seems quite useful.

Has Any of This Made Us Safer?

Jim Harper looks at rules making it harder to get driver's licenses and asks if they have done anything other than harry citizens.

Matrix Cat

Conservative Crybabies

I can't really disagree with this post by Clark Stooksbury.

Japan Bans Fat People

OK, they've set maximum waist sizes for men and women and penalties for companies who have workers who exceed those standards. Here's a report on how it is working.

What Will Health Reform Do to Your Insurance?

Andrew Heinze and Mario Rizzo have each looked at how it will affect them, and they don't like what they see.

Japanese Bar Codes

Yes, they are better than American bar codes.

The Hubris of Barack Obama

Barack Obama has spent more money in 10 months that Bill Clinton did in eight years. He is pushing a health care reform bill than will cost more than $1 trillerion, and now, he says he wants to cut the deficit.

The Hubris of George W. Bush

He's founding a free market think tank. What's next? He writes a book calling for a sensible foreign policy?

Time to Get Rid of Football Helmets

Some scientists now believe that football helmets actually increase brain injuries. This probably won't surprise any economist, as they have long know that rules, even private ones, can have unintended consequences.

Who Won the Cold War?

John Payne tallies up the score.

I Know This is a Pot-Kettle Thing

But dang, Miranda Lambert has some big thighs.

The Aristocracy of Pull: Health Care Reform

Where will the money be if health care reform passes? Econmist Steve Horwitz has the answer.

Quote of the Day: Children

Don't handicap your children by making their lives easy.
Robert A. Heinlein

For Jimmy Linderman

Florida's Government Insurance Option

Florida has long had a government options for property insurance. Economist Randall Holcombe explains how it works.

Doug Niedermeyer

I don't know Chattooga High School principal Jimmy Lenderman. I'd never even heard of him until he became the school's athletic director, but what little I do now of the man causes an image of Doug Niedermeyer to appear in my mind.

Anyway, Jimmy Espy has more on Niedermeyer's, I mean Linderman's mutilation of this year's CHS yearbook.

Fedor Just Did to Brett Rogers What Pelosi Is Trying to Do to Health Care

And the economy.

The Senate Health Bill Will Fund Faith Healing

No wonder they don't want to read it.

Quote of the Day: Freedom

To be free is better than to be unfree - always. Any politician who suggests the opposite should be treated as suspect. - Margaret Thatcher

Forget it, Jake. It's Maricopa County.

A Maricopa County, Arizona, deputy is caught stealing a document from a defense attorney, and the justice system yawns.

Quote of the Day: Responsibility

The free market punishes irresponsibility. Government rewards it.
- Harry Browne

Oh, definitely. That's all he ever talked about.

Watching TV tonight has been like watching that Saturday Night Live sketch, the Nightline parody about the man who killed Buckwheat. Every person they interviewed talked about how the guy was a loner who kept to himself, and when Ted Koppel (Joe Piscopo) would ask them "Did you ever think he would kill Buckwheat," they'd say "Oh, definitely. That's all he ever talked about."

Quote of the Day: Safety

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. – Benjamin Franklin

From what I found out, there was an orgasm.

I'm sure Scott was very concerned about his wife. I'm also sure he was thinking "Damn, I'm good.".

Go to Hell. Get Out of Japan

Some Japanese are upset at visiting Americans turning one of their subway trains into a moving Halloween party. Can't say I blame them.

Old Dogs

Gene Weingarten looks at what makes them special.

Quote of the Day: Washington

Washington, DC is to lying what Wisconsin is to cheese. - Dennis Miller

Censorship at Chattooga High

Shirtless guys playing basketball have the new principal all hot and bothered.

Your Papers, Please

The New American on the perils of a national ID card.

Quote of the Day: Government

Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there. P.J. O'Rourke

Summary of the House Democratic Health Bill

Sheldon Richman has it here.

U.S. Continues Quagmire-Building Efforts in Afghanistan

The Onion has an uncomfortably funny take on the situation.

HT: Abu Muqawama

Mexico Offers Amnesty to Illegal Americans

Yeah, you read that right.

From Log to Chair

Quote of the Day: War

It is in war that the State really comes into its own: swelling in power, in number, in pride, in absolute dominion over the economy and the society. - Murray Rothbard

Newspapers Aren't Doing as Badly as You Might Think

Daniel Gross sees some reasons to be mildly optimistic.

What If George Bush Had Done That?

The Politico asks that question.

Looking for Something Special to Cook for Halloween?

Or maybe even Thanksgiving? Try This.

Quote of the Day: Honesty

Honest people are never touchy about the matter of being trusted. - Ayn Rand

The Costs of REAL ID

The Cato Institute says they will be high.

Quote of the Day: Happiness

Happiness is something that comes into our lives through doors we don't even remember leaving open. - Rose Wilder Lane

The American Brain Drain

More information that foreign tech students, especially Indians and Chinese, are returning to their home countries to work and start businesses, rather than remain in the United States.

Quote of the Day: Schooling

My education was dismal. I went to a series of schools for mentally disturbed teachers.
- Woody Allen

Graphic Novel

A Japanese university plants to open a 2-million volume manga library.

Quote of the Day: The Law

No law can give power to private persons; every law transfers power from private persons to government. - Isabel Paterson

If I Can't Have You

A lot of disco was really bad (a whole lot). But I always liked this song.

Quote of the Day: Solutions

Claire likes to say you can be part of the problem or part of the solution. I happen to believe that you can be both. - Phil Dunphy, "Modern Family"

Nazi News

David Lindsey reminds us what Winston Churchill and Oswald Molsey had in common.

Cities That Attract Hip, Young, Educated People

New Geography notes that have one thing in common.

Quote of the Day: War

The State thrives on war - unless, of course, it is defeated and crushed - expands on it, glories in it. - Murray Rothbard

Hispanics Love Action Movies

Steve Sailer says that efforts to woo Hispanic audiences with Hispanic-themed films hasn't worked. But they love moves where lots of things blow up.

Quote of the Day: Sex

I believe that sex is one of the most beautiful, natural, wholesome things that money can buy. - Steve Martin

Harper Valley PTA

Some wicked dobro on this one.

Damn Near Killed Him

Japanese man sues hospital for misdiagnosing him with cancer and.... Well, read the story.

No Daycare for You

When some children go unvaccinated, it puts others at risk.

Quote of the Day: Freedom Lovers

Every friend of freedom must be as revolted as I am by the prospect of turning the United States into an armed camp, by the vision of jails filled with casual drug users and of an army of enforcers empowered to invade the liberty of citizens on slight evidence.
- Milton Friedman

The Great American Cooter Fest

It's this weekend in Citrus County, Florida. And ladies, there will be a Miss Cooter contest.

Quote of the Day: Hero Worship

Hero-worship is strongest where there is least regard for human freedom.
- Herbert Spencer

Ayn Rand in India

Her popularity grows in some unexpcted places.

Congratulations to Don Boudreaux

Don, one of my former grad school professors, won this year's Thomnas Szasz award.

Ayn Rand Inspires the Fashion World

Rational clothes?

HT: Radley Balko

Fast Track to Single Payer

Economist Mario Rizzo shows how the Democrats' health care proposals will lead to s single-payer, government-run health care system.

Quote of the Day: More on Empire

If America ever does seek Empire, and most nations do, then planned reforms in our domestic life will be abandoned, States Rights will be abolished—in order to impose a centralized government upon us for the purpose of internal repudiation of freedom, and adventures abroad. The American Dream will then die—on battlefields all over the world—and a nation conceived in liberty will destroy liberty for Americans and impose tyranny on subject nations. - George S. Boutwell

HT: Lew Rockwell

Woman from Tokyo

I linked to Billy Joe Royal's version of "Hush" several days ago. While I was looking for it, I found, of course, Deep Purple's cover. And a few links later, I came across another one of their most famous songs.

Awkward Family Photos

From before 1930.

Quote of the Day: Empire

Every ambitious would-be empire clarions it abroad that she is conquering the world to bring it peace, security and freedom, and is sacrificing her sons only for the most noble and humanitarian purposes. That is a lie, and it is an ancient lie, yet generations still rise and believe it. - George S. Boutwell

HT: Lew Rockwell

Some Are More Equal Than Others

No surprise here. Elite colleges discriminate against Asian Americans and whites.

In Defense of the Tea Parties

Here's a good op ed from the Macon Telegraph, even if they did misspell the author's name in the headline.

Quote of the Day: Seeing

The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody had decided not to see. - Ayn Rand

Partisan Politics - A Fool's Game

Robert Higgs writes:

Of course, it’s all a fraud, designed to distract people from the overriding reality of political life, which is that the state and its principal supporters are constantly screwing the rest of us, regardless of which party happens to control the presidency and the Congress. Amid all the partisan sound and fury, hardly anybody notices that political reality boils down to two “parties”: (1) those who, in one way or another, use state power to bully and live at the expense of others; and (2) those unfortunate others.

Even when politics seems to involve life-and-death issues, the partisan divisions often only obscure the overriding political realities. So, Democrats say that anti-abortion Republicans, who claim to have such tremendous concern for saving the lives of the unborn, have no interest whatever in saving the lives of those already born, such as the poor children living in the ghetto. And Republicans say that Democrats, who claim to have such tremendous concern for the poor, systematically contribute to the perpetuation of poverty by the countless taxes and regulations they load onto business owners who would otherwise be in better position to hire and train the poor and thereby to hasten their escape from poverty.

If the unborn children happen to be living in the wombs of women on whom U.S. bombs and rockets rain down in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, however, all Republican concerns for the unborn evaporate completely, as do the Democrats’ concerns for the poor children living in the selfsame bombarded villages. Both parties’ positions would seem to rest on very flexible and selective morality, if indeed either party may be said to have any moral basis at all, notwithstanding their chronic public displays of “moral” wailing and gnashing of teeth.

In any event, the parties’ principles of hatred have never passed the sniff test; indeed, they reek of hypocrisy. Thus, while railing against the “corporate rich,” the Democrats rely heavily on the financial support of Hollywood moguls and multi-millionaire trial lawyers, among other fat cats. And the Republicans, while denouncing the welfare mother who makes off with a few hundred undeserved bucks a month, vociferously support the hundreds of billions of dollars in welfare channeled to Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and General Electric, among many other companies, via larcenous “defense” contracts, Export-Import Bank subsidies, and countless other forms of government support for “national security” and service to “the public interest” as Republicans conceive of these nebulous, yet rhetorically useful entities.

Quote of the Day: Troublemakers

A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill. - Robert Heinlein

Japanese TV Sniper Prank

Not Your Typical High School Football Team

The sons of Joe Montana, Wayne Gretzky and Will Smith all play on it.

Chile Wants the High-Tech Immigrants the U.S. Drives Away

Katherine Mangu-Ward has the story. Not coincidentally, Chile moved ahead of the United States this year in the Cato Institute's index of economic freedom.

Quote of the Day: Voting

Giving every man a vote has no more made men wise and free than Christianity has made them good.
- H.L. Mencken

Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians

I wish I had thought of this.

Classy

But her argument seems solid.

Quote of the Day: China

There are a billion people in China. It's not easy to be an individual in a crowd of more than a billion people. Think of it. More than a BILLION people. That means even if you're a one-in-a-million type of guy, there are still a thousand guys exactly like you. - A. Whitney Brown

Senate Health Bill Requires National ID

The Cato Insitute has more.

In the Can

Quote of the Day: The 1970s

Denis Leary: There we were in the middle of a sexual revolution wearing clothes that guaranteed we wouldn't get laid. - Denis Leary

Memories

My memory is really odd. I can recall major amounts of absolutely trivial information quickly. But huge swaths of my own life are completely beyond my recall, no matter how hard I try to remember them. Friends and family often think that I'm joking when they bring up other relatives or people I went to school with or worked with for years and I have no clue whom they are talking about or when they mention some pivotal moment in my life and I cannot recall what they are talking about. But it's no act. I genuinely don't know what they are talking about.

But two of my earliest memories, that stand out from all that fog, involve my Uncle Tid. The first, from around when I was three or four, is helping my mother and aunt prepare some sort of package of comfort foods and other treats for him when he was stationed in Vietnam. Actually, I think I really just bothered them while they put it together. The second was probably just a couple of years later. I was in the hospital at Christmas. I can't recall now why. But he brought me a gift of a Johnny West action figure, which was one of my favorite toys for a number of years.

Tid passed away this afternoon. But his family still has its memories of him, even me.

Quote of the Day: Economics

It is no crime to be ignorant of economics, which is, after all, a specialized discipline and one that most people consider to be a "dismal science." But it is totally irresponsible to have a loud and vociferous opinion on economic subjects while remaining in this state of ignorance. - Murray Rothbard

Headline of the Decade?

That's what Jesse Walker calls this one.

Free Market Health Care

We don't have it now. But dr. Ross Levatter tells us what it might look like.

Quote of the Day: Newspapers

All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that's an alibi for my ignorance. - Will Rogers

Cartoonists React to Obama's Win

They don't seem very impressed.

Three Cats, One Steak

I love the way the one in the middle eats while the other two fight.

Roll Tide Indeed

Dad knows what is important. Read the comments, too. some of them are hilarious.

The Aristocracy of Pull, Part III

Barack Obama once again rewards special interests at the expense of ordinary Americans.

Quote of the Day: Enemies, Foreign and Domestic

The most serious dangers for American freedom and the American way of life do not come from without. - Ludwig von Mises

Japan Finance Minister: Capitalism Kills

He says it raises the murder rate.

HT; Katherine Mangu-Ward.

Why So Few White Running Backs?

Steve Sailer asks.

Thug Turkeys

The bastards.

HT: Radley Balko

Quote of the Day: First Draft of History

In an amusing takedown of the pretensions of the editors of The Atlantic, Jack Shafer puts the famous line about journalism in context:

The original phrase was coined by former Washington Post Publisher Philip Graham, who delivered it to Newsweek correspondents in 1963, shortly after the Washington Post Co. purchased the magazine. Far from ballyhooing the greatness of the press and implying that historians owe it some debt, Graham staked a much more modest position. He acknowledged that much of journalism was "pure chaff" but said that "no one yet has been able to produce wheat without chaff." He went on:

So let us today drudge on about our inescapably impossible task of providing every week a first rough draft of a history that will never be completed about a world we can never really understand.

The Aristocracy of Pull, Part II

One of Wall Street's men in Washington.

Offensive Interference

Economist Don Boudreaux talks about possible congressional hearings on concussions in he NFL.

Hollywood Hails a New Star

Lew Rockwell has the scoop.

The Aristocracy of Pull

David Boaz explains how government really works.

Quote of the Day: Public vs. Private

The "private sector" of the economy is, in fact, the voluntary sector; and the "public sector" is, in fact, the coercive sector. - Henry Hazlitt

Don't Touch Nancy

HT: Abu Muqawama

Quote of the Day: Education

You know there is a problem with the education system when you realize that out of the 3 Rs only one begins with an R. - Dennis Miller

How the Latest Attempt to "Protect Consumers" Hurt Small Business

Mark Calabria looks at the impact of the Credit Card Act.

The Real Economy Is Dying

Well, this story will cheer you up fast.

Quote of the Day: Hell

Hell hath no fury like a bureaucrat scorned.
- Milton Friedman

Political Prisoners in Venezuela

The Washington Post reports the number is soaring as Hugo Chavez targets university students.

Quote of the Day: Stimulus

See, when the Government spends money, it creates jobs; whereas when the money is left in the hands of Taxpayers, God only knows what they do with it. Bake it into pies, probably. Anything to avoid creating jobs. - Dave Barry

HT: The Republican Echo Chamber

Why Chicago Lost the Olympics (Not That That Was a Bad Thing)

Foreigners are fed up with being harrassed by petty tyrants when they enter the United States.

Creating Ayn Rand

There are a couple of new books out on Ayn Rand, that are getting good reviews. Rod Long has some thoughts on one of them, which includes an story from her childhood that explains a lot about the person she grew up to be.

Quote of the Day: Taxes

Taxes must, in the end, fall upon the consumer. - Frederic Bastiat

You'll Have What He Ordered

The newest trend in Japanese restaurants.

Did the Stimulus Backfire

It clearly did not have the impact the Obama administration promised. But economist Mario Rizzo asks if it may have actually hurt the economy.

The Olympics

Ron and I were talking about this last night, but I didn't blog about it. That's OK. Jesse Walker said everything I wanted to say much better than I could have said it.

The Myth of a Conservative GOP

Daniel Larison says both conservatives and liberals exaggerate the conservative influence on the Republican Party.

Quote of the Day: Government

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
- Thomas Jefferson

Games People Play

A few days ago, I posted a link to "Hush," which was written by Joe South. He wrote a lot of hits in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The biggest was probably "Rose Garden," by Lynn Anderson. As a singer, this was probably his biggest hit.

China's Mini-Skirted Militia

Danger Room has the scoop.

Kimbo Slice May Be Totally Lost When a Fight Hits the Ground

But he is still a monster draw for TV viewers. The Wrestling Observer reports

--We don't have last night's actual Ultimate Fighter rating, but it will be almost surely the largest in history. 5.3 million viewers would indicate a number between probably 3.5 and 4.0. The replay did another 1.5 million viewers. Essentially out of out every 12 Male 18-34 in the U.S. last night watched either the live or replay show, comparable to probably the biggest sporting events in our culture other than NFL championship level games. The rating will be updated in the story on the rating already up on the site. The fight sucked but the company's editing of the television show to remake Kimbo from this world's toughest street fight to a likeable newcomer just learning was very well done. Plus, they know who is drawing because the show ended with a tease that someone could be injured and he could come back.

South African Disgrace

Steve Sailer reviews the movie starring John Malkovitch.

Quote of the Day: Money

Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver. - Ayn Rand

Quote of the Day: A Free Society

My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular. ~ Adlai Stevenson

Quote of the Day: Capitalism

Capitalism undoubtedly has certain boils and blotches upon it, but has it as many as government? Has it as many as marriage? Has it as many as religion? I doubt it. It is the only basic institution of modern man that shows any genuine health and vigor. - H.L. Mencken

America: The New Japan

Some thoughts from Fabius Maximus.

Why I'm Not a Conservative

I don't find this a bit profound. In fact, watching the video, I found it more than a bit disturbing.

UPDATE: More thoughts from Gene Expression.

RIP John Hart

He was the other Lone Ranger.

Hush

Everyone knows the Deep Purple cover of this song. But Valdosta, Georgia's own Billy Joe Royal had a country hit with it first.

The Aristocracy of Pull

An auto firm owned in part by Al Gore gets $529 million from the federal government.

The American Brain Drain

Highly skilled and educated immigrants ae leaving the United States.

Sheriff Joe Is at It Again

Joe Arpaio keeps arresting County Supervisor Don Stapley, but can he convince a prosecutor to charge him with anything.

Herschel Walker Signs with Strikeforce

Walker, 47, says he will make his mixed martial arts debut next year. This will end well.

Quote of the Day: Neoconservatism

This statement from its founding father, Irving Kirstol, pretty much sums up the entire philosophy:

There are different kinds of truths for different kinds of people. There are truths appropriate for children; truths that are appropriate for students; truths that are appropriate for educated adults; and truths that are appropriate for highly educated adults, and the notion that there should be one set of truths available to everyone is a modern democratic fallacy. It doesn’t work.

HT: Lew Rockwell

East Asian Women Prepare for a Trip to the United States

I think that is what they are doing.


EMBED-Spare me my Life! - Watch more free videos

Quote of the Day: Euthanasia

[Euthanasia] is what any State medical service has sooner or later got to face. If you are going to be kept alive in institutions run by and paid for by the State, you must accept the State’s right to economize when necessary. - Graham Greene


HT: Bill Shugart at The Beacon

OK, Now I'm Worried

Barack Obama is open to a newspaper bailout.

Quote of the Day: Jobs

Don't you wish you had a job like mine? All you have to do is think up a certain number of words! Plus, you can repeat words! And they don't even have to be true! -
Dave Barry

Appropriate Attire for a Military Funeral?

Based on the article, I'd say yes.

Keep Doing What to That Chicken?

Watch the woman's reaction:

Linda McMahon Is Running for the U.S. Senate

Jim Cornette and other former wrestlers talk about her chances.

Quote for the Day: Parenting

Parenting is the most important job on the planet next to keeping Gary Busey off the nation's highways. - Dennis Miller

South African Saliva

There's a market for it.

HT: Tyler Cowen

Quote of the Day: Oppression

Find out just what the people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. - Frederick Douglass

Kimbo Slice's Last Fight Was an Embarrassing Loss

But the man is still a major star.

The Real Ayn Rand

Will Wilknson says that her detractors and many of her admirers misunderstand her:

Rand does not valorize the wealthy. She valorizes the uncompromising integrity of creative visionaries and the productivity of inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs. But there is little to assure the reader that the virtues she extols really pay. Rand’s view of the world was actually pretty bleak, pretty Russian. Her best novel, We the Living, is best precisely because she had yet to philosophically suppress her tragic instincts. One of the least plausible and certainly the saddest aspects of Rand’s thought is what she called the “benevolent universe premise” — a kind of as-if attitudinal stance of positivity meant to ensure “the inability to believe in the power or the triumph of evil.”

From the comments section, he adds:

I wouldn't say Rand leaves herself "wiggle room" in depicting fictional worlds in which "looters" and "moochers" and "second-handers" dominate. I'd say that she pretty conclusive doesn't think money in such worlds track virtue. And she thought our world was a lot like her fictional worlds.

I don't disagree that a lot of Rand's admirers ridiculously identify themselves with her heroes, despite the fact that even the best of them is Eddie Willers. And I don't disagree that a lot of Rand's admirers vacillate incoherently between the idea that our world is chillingly similar to the one depicted in Atlas Shrugged and the idea that wealth is in fact a measure of virtue. But the fact that Rand's admirers can't understand books doesn't speak to what the books actually say.

There's a Web Site for Everything

Believe it.

Quote of the Day: Sacrifice

It only stands to reason that where there’s sacrifice, there’s someone collecting the sacrificial offerings. Where there’s service, there is someone being served. The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters, and intends to be the master. - Ayn Rand

Churches Use Mixed Martial Arts to Fill the Pews

In Brazil.

More Swayze

Quote of the Day: Plunder

Often the masses are plundered and do not know it. - Frederic Bastiat

10 Things Road House Taught Us

A tribute to the great Patrick Swayze.

The Aristocracy of Pull

The Washington Post notes that with the federal government's increasing role in the financial sector business decisions are being made based not on economic principles but political ones.

Quote of the Day: Freedom

I am free, no matter what rules surround me. If I find them tolerable, I tolerate them; if I find them too obnoxious, I break them. I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. - Robert Heinlein

RIP Patrick Swayze

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. All a man needs to know about being a man can be found it four Swayze films: Red Dawn, Road House, Next of Kin and Point Break.

Limiting Carbon Emissions Will Require Limiting Liberty

And advocates are pretty open about that.

Quote of the Day: Corrupt Nations

Nations grown corrupt
Love bondage more than liberty;
Bondage with ease than strenuous liberty.
- John Milton

Phil Bredesen Wary of Health Care Reform

He says it may repeat the mistakes of Tenncare.

Stop Politicizing the Economy

Economist Tyler Cowen argues we've already placed far too much of the economy under political control.

Economist Pete Boettke has more.

Quote of the Day: War

War is just one more big government program. – Joseph Sobran

Yes, Young Men Really Are Getting Dumber

A reader tells me the failed backflip video I posted was actually that young man's second attempt at the stunt. Here's his first try.

Quote of the Day: Government and Business

Government “help” to business is just as disastrous as government persecution… the only way a government can be of service to national prosperity is by keeping its hands off. - Ayn Rand

Why I'm Not a Conservative

I still don't care what Google's logo for the day is.

Are Young Men Getting More Stupid?

Seriously, I look back at my teens and early 20s and can't believe some of the stuff my friends and I did. But I don't recall doing anything like this.

Quote of the Day: Economics

The art of economics consists in looking not merely at the immediate but at the longer effects of any act or policy; it consists in tracing the consequences of that policy not merely for one group but for all groups. - Henry Hazlitt

Headline of the Day

Courtesy of the BBC.

Krulak on Will: Time to Get Out of Afghanistan

The former commandant of the Marine Corp weighs in.

Worst Sports Column Ever?

Reason's Matt Welch says this is it.

Quote of the Day: Democracy

Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard. - H.L. Mencken

Should I Trust the Government?

Kevin Carson says no.

Headline of the Day

I didn't even read the story. I'm sure it wouldn't live up to the headline.

Don't Do It Like The Japanese

From The American Conservative blog, a short but pointed reminder that comparisons between American and Japanese health systems aren't clear cut.

Obama's Speech to Students

At Reason, Jesse Walker calls this the definitive report. I agree.

Quote of the Day: The Law

When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that justifies it. - Frederic Bastiat

Dang, That's a Big Squirrel

I wouldn't be smiling if this popped up near my camp.

Quote of the Day: Public Education

Today's quote is from H.L. Mecnken, via this post on Lewrockwell.com:

The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever pretensions of politicians, pedagogues other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else…. Their purpose, in brief, is to make docile and patriotic citizens, to pile up majorities, and to make John Doe and Richard Doe as nearly alike, in their everyday reactions and ways of thinking, as possible.

From the Octagon to the Silver Screen

First Quinton "Rampage" Jackson is cast in the Mr. T role in the "A Team" movie. The Tim Sylvia gets cast as Jason in the new "Friday the 13th" film. Now, Steven Soderbergh has picked Gina Carano as the lead in his next film.

Quote of the Day: Doing Good

Do not ever say that the desire to "do good" by force is a good motive. Neither power-lust nor stupidity are good motives. - Ayn Rand

Kid Selling Suits

The DPJ and America

Some thoughts from Daniel Larison.

National Review Rewrites History, Again

Christopher Manion scores a number of points agains the neo-cons.

Quote of the Day: Taxes

Taxes must, in the end, fall upon the consumer. - Frederic Bastiat

Afghanistan: Myths and Reality

From the Cato Institute.

Quote of the Day: Freedom

Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves. ~ Abraham Lincoln

People of Walmart

I think I knows some of them.

To Quote Chris Rock

I ain't saying this was right.

Quote of the Day: A Higher Power

I believe there is something out there watching us. Unfortunately, it's the government. - Woody Allen

Amazing Horsemanship

Swedish Dad in Bid for Breast Milk

Dear Penthouse.

The Ugly Side of Cheerleading

Some people take it very seriously.

George Will Doubles Down

He calls for the United States to get out of Iraq, too.

What Next for Japan-U.S. Relations?

Doug Bandow looks at the results of Japan's recent elections.

Making Enemies in Afghanistan

Benjamin Friedman looks at how U.S. policies are turning key segments of the population to the Taliban

Capitalism and the Jews

Taking off from some remarks on the same subject by Milton Friedman, David Henderson looks at why Jews are, as a group, so hostile to capitalism.

A Will But No Way

At The American Conservative, Daniel McCarthy says George Will is on the right track on Afghanistan but still has a ways to go.

Obama MIA on Afghanistan

Abu Muqawama writes

So I was on the Newshour last night debating Afghanistan with a favorite of this blog and its readers, Andrew Bacevich. As readers of this blog know, I am uncomfortable when placed in the position of being expected to lustily defend the war. I think the war is in the nation's interests at the moment, sure, but I'm quick to add that my own thoughts are not wholly formed, I am open to dissenting views, and what views I do offer are accompanied by admissions of how difficult the mission is and a rather un-Abu-Muqawama-like degree of humility. (One of the things that turns me off to Bacevich's arguments on Afghanistan, for example, is how certain he is of his knowledge and opinions on the country, its peoples, its history and NATO operations there without, to my knowledge, having ever traveled to Central Asia. Rory Stewart, obviously, is another matter -- as is the wider Bacevich thesis about the use and abuse of American power.) As I walked out of the studio last night, though, Gwen Ifill turned to me and said, "Look, I understand you're not some fire-breathing hawk, but you're about the only person we can find in Washington to defend this war at the moment."

Woah. The only person who will defend this war? If this blogger is the only person in the nation's capital willing to defend the war, we have a big problem. I'm more used to hosting debates on Afghanistan than participating in them. I do not think it would surprise any reader of this blog, though, to note the speed with which the debate has shifted on the war in Afghanistan. What was, 12 months ago, "the good war" has now become, for paleoconservatives and progressives alike, a fool's errand. And the Obama Administration has thus far shown little energy for defending a policy and strategic goals (.pdf) they themselves arrived at just five months ago. I thought that once the president had settled on a policy and strategic aims, the rest of the administration would then go about executing that policy. That's the way it's supposed to work, right? Yet the policy debate seems to continue within the White House, with the Office of the Vice President apparently pushing for a much more limited approach than what was articulated in March by the president himself and following a lengthy policy review. No wonder, then, the uniformed military is getting nervous about the administration's support for their war. Either the White House has been too busy with health care, or they have failed to notice how quickly the debate has shifted under their feet (as with health care).

Quote of the day: Taxes

I have always paid income tax. I object only when it reaches a stage when I am threatened with having nothing left for my old age - which is due to start next Tuesday or Wednesday. - Noel Coward

Strong Thighs

Japan's New First Lady Says She Rode UFO to Venus

I like her already.

Headline of the Day

From Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Quote of the Day: Heroes

Hero-worship is strongest where there is least regard for human freedom. - Herbert Spencer

Audit the Fed

Ron Paul has been trying to get this done for years. It looks like it may finally happen.

Glenn Beck: Pro and Con

Jack Hunter makes the case for the weeping one. Jack Ross says Beck is a lunatic.

George Will: Time to Get Out of Afghanistan

Will is probably the only conservative pundit I can think of who has gotten more libertarian and more radical as he got older. And if you see the reaction from National Review and the Republican echo chamber to his stand on Afghanistan it seems that even the most respected of conservatives will get smashed by their peers if they stand against the militarism and imperialism that masquerades as conservatism these days.

Quote of the Day: The Law

Law never made man a whit more just; and by means of their respect for it, even the well disposed are daily made agents of injustice. - Henry David Thoreau

If That Ain't Country

Will Changes in Japan Force Changes in Washington?

Daniel Larison says yes.

Quote of the Day: Strong Drink

Be wary of strong drink. It can make you shoot at tax collectors... and miss. - Robert Heinlein

No More Crown Vics

Ford says it will stop selling the popular police cars in 2011.

Quote of the Day: Giving Thanks

Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for. - Will Rogers

Why I'm Not a Conservative, Part III

This week is the 54th anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy who was tortured, mutilated and then killed by white men after he allegedly whistled at a white woman in Mississippi. Two men, who later admitted to the killing, were acquitted by an all-white jury.

There's a discussion of this over at FreeRepublic.com. Most there seem to think he had it coming.

Elder Crime Wave Strikes Japan

Senior citizens prey on society.

Quote of the Day: Ted Kennedy

Teddy was the Shemp of the Kennedys. - Sam Kinison

HT: Jonathan Rowe

More from The Onion.

Happy Birthday, Jack Kirby

Brian Doherty reminds us today would have been the King's 92nd birthday and points us to some great collections of his work.

Hey, Joe - Bluegrass Style

Competition and Health Care

John Stossel explains why real competition depends on profit and loss. Economist Steve Howritz, an old grad school colleague of mine, has more on competition as a discovery process.

Quote of the Day: Sex

Don't have sex, man. It leads to kissing and pretty soon you have to start talking to them. - Steve Martin

The Unglamourous Kennedy

Virginia Postrel on Ted.

Moderate Drinking Late in Life Can Prevent Dementia

It's never too late.

What Bankrupted California?

Daniel Griswold says it wasn't immigrants.

Quote of the Day: Democracy

Democracy is also a form of worship. It is the worship of Jackals by Jackasses. - H.L. Mencken

Authentic Japanese Cuisine

This looks delicious.

Ted Kennedy and Airline Deregulation

David Henderson recalls what maybe Kennedy's only positive contribution to America.

Jessica Biel Is the Web's Most Dangerous Search

Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie and Tom Brady also make the list. Tom Brady?

Quote of the Day: Corruption

The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates. – Tacitus

Cher, Kate Smith and Tina Turner Sing the Beatles

I miss the 1970s.

He's No Christopher Walken

But Twiter was made for this guy.

Quote of the Day: Government Benefits

Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others. - Ayn Rand

Basketball Game Sparks Riot in Alabama Town

Some people take sports just a little too seriously.

Health Care vs. Health Insurance

Economist Don Bourdreaux explains why we shouldn't confuse one with the other.

Quote of the Day: Feeling Good

Feeling good about government is like looking on the bright side of any catastrophe. When you quit looking on the bright side, the catastrophe is still there. P.J. O'Rourke

As Japan Sails Into the Sunset

Fabius Maximus has a roundup of recent articles on the Japanese economy and other matters.

70 Years Ago Today

Ilya Somin and Robert Higgs look back at the Nazi-Soviet Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.

The Fed Didn't Save the U.S. Economy

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution talks to George Selgin, one of my former grad school professors.

Anderson Silva Impesonates Other MMA Fighters

Quote of the Day: Power

Concentrated power is not rendered harmless by the good intentions of those who create it. - Milton Friedman

Why I'm Not a Conservative, Part II

According to this story police are investigating the videotaped beating of a mentally man by a karate student.

The video was posted several days ago on YouTube and quickly made its way to a number of martial arts and sports message boards as well as some military discussion boards (the student and his instructor are both reportedly former Marines).

The discussion on almost every board I've seen has been pretty much unanimous on these points:

1. It was a criminal assualt on a delusional but harmless man who clearly stated he did not want to fight and tried to stop the fight several times.

2. The stomps to the head delivered by the instructor after the man was knocked unconcious would, as the police chief said the the story, have left him with severe brain damage if he survived them at all.

3. Taping and posting, years later, the beating made it even more sick.

Well, there was one board where the discussion followed a different path.

The folks at Freerepublic.com seem to believe

1. The beating wasn't that bad.

2. They guy deserved it.

3. That's the way things are on the street.


What universe do modern conservatives live in?

You can find the video pretty easily on the Web if you want to.

Debbie Schlussel, Classy as Always

Her hatchet job on Robert Novak is pretty typical of her work.

Cap and Tax

Robert Bradley explains why many environmentalists are unhappy with the Democrats' climate control bill.

Quote of the Day: The Enemy

As Americans we must always remember that we all have a common enemy, an enemy that is dangerous, powerful, and relentless. I refer, of course, to the federal government. - Dave Barry

Here's a story about that quote.

Will Healthcare Reform Endanger Second Amendment Rights?

Yes.

Obama Admits Critics Were Right

After lowballing their deficit projectsions for months, the administration finally concedes their spending plans will cause a deficit of more than $9 trillion.

Robert Novak: The Right-Wing Hunter S. Thompson?

I always thought Thompson was the right-wing Hunter S. Thompson. Still, this is a fine tribute to Novak from a man of the left.

Immigrants and Violence

Former police officer and sociologist Peter Moskos points to the latest issue of the journal Homicide, where a number of studies indicate that places with lots of immigrants actually have less violence than those with fewer immigrants.

Quote of the Day: War

The State thrives on war - unless, of course, it is defeated and crushed - expands on it, glories in it. - Murray Rothbard

Roman Naval Battle Rocks New York

Yes, what I said.

Human Action

Ludwig von Mises' great work was published 60 years ago. The Freeman has an appreciation.

Executing Innoncent Men Is Cool

I expected this from Antonin Scalia. But I expected better from Clarence Thomas.

Racist Violence on the Left

Damon Root looks at progressive thugs.

The UFC and Fedor

Good column from Slate which raises the question Is what is in the best interest of a sport necessarily in the best interest of the individual athletes and vice versa?

Chuck Liddell Will Be on Dancing with the Stars

The Iceman will bust a move on the next season.

Cash for Clunkers Destroys Wealth

Economist David Henderson explains how.

Quote of the Day: Civilization

Civilization is the progress toward a society of privacy. The savage's whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men. - Ayn Rand

MMA Fighter Anderson Silva Imitates Bruce Lee

The Feds Can't Even Waste Money Efficiently

Dealers have been paid for just 2% of the cash for clunkers cars they have accepted.

Warren Oates

Bill Kauffman looks back at the actor and self-descrived constitutional anarchist.

Have Seniors Paid for Their Medicare?

No.

Quote of the Day: Extremism

I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. - Barry Goldwater