Quote of the Day
Deadspin highlights one British viewer’s opinion of American Football: As far as I can see American football is a marathon of budweiser adverts occasionally interrupted by some “talented bloke” chucking a rugby-like ball to...
Author: Will
Nullification!
I have no idea why cap-and-trade is an issue in Virginia’s attorney general race, but Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli had this to say on the subject at RedState (note: “Ration and Tax” is Cuccinelli’s...
Arguments we should retire from the public discourse
Here’s an interesting back-and-forth on surveillance reform in the Los Angeles Times. I found the arguments against modifying the PATRIOT Act frustrating, not least because they don’t seem all that responsive to the civil...
Did the bank bailout work?
According to the Government Accountability Office, the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) may not have actually accomplished anything. UPDATE: Here’s the full report. I think the Examiner editorial over-sells its premise, but this line...
The public’s opinion of the accuracy of climate change science is, frankly, irrelevant
Look, I think cap-and-trade is bad policy on the merits. But global warming is a) a real problem and b) deserves a serious response. I am also baffled by the idea that a survey...
Mad Men
This excellent Atlantic article on the show echoes a few criticisms first aired in an equally excellent Culture11 review last year. Unfortunately, the original article is lost to the Internets, but I found a...
Float On
After reading several accounts of the Ephemerisle Festival (for those interested, a more in-depth explanation of the event – and seasteading – can be found here), I’m more convinced than ever that I really...
I don’t know if this is the best thing Andrew Sullivan has written . . .
But it’s pretty damn close. You really should read the whole thing.
This is all an elaborate joke, right?
Freddie must have infiltrated Slate’s editorial staff to write this gem, which masquerades as a serious defense of Creed’s musical stylings. Wait, what’s that you say? It’s not a parody? Oh dear . ....
You can go your own way
Many readers are undoubtedly suspicious of self-indulgent exercises in libertarian wankery, but this excellent dialogue from Reason raises some interesting questions about the nature of governance, freedom and culture. As someone who grew up...
Are Property Rights Enough?
Reason hosted a pretty interesting debate between Kerry Howley, Todd Seavey and Daniel McCarthy on freedom and property rights. I think I’m inclined towards McCarthy’s point of view, but you really should read the...
“The words ‘No’ and ‘That’s impossible’ and phrases like ‘That can’t be done’—that’s the stuff that gives him an erection”
The New Yorker has a great James Cameron profile.
Ross Douthat Strikes Back
I know he’s taken quite a beating around these parts, but I really liked Ross Douthat’s latest column, which endorses the same Singapore-style approach to health insurance that E.D. championed earlier (Is there any...
In Praise of Roger Ebert
Thinking more on his latest review, I’ve decided that more Americans need to be made aware of Roger Ebert’s undeniable awesomeness. Here, for example, is his memorable assessment of “Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo” (“Speaking...
Leave zombie slaying to the experts
Amateur zombie killing tips make for entertaining blog posts, but when it comes to slaying the undead, I’ll stick to the experts.
Quote of the Day
Roger Ebert, in a review of “Black Dynamite”: The women are also dressed in period threads, and many have big Afros. I am happy to say it brings back an element sadly missing in...
Big is beautiful (and inevitable)
A day or two ago, I offhandedly endorsed an article from Jagdish Bhagwati on the continued relevance of global free trade. This provoked a few heated responses from Kevin Carson, who has long argued...
The Odyssey of Pat Tillman
I think it’s safe to say that former NFL player Pat Tillman – an Army Ranger killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan – was the first hero of the War on Terror. Like many,...
