Hey, Butch

Next time I say we go someplace like Bolivia….

Bolivian protest babes for greater autonomy. Evo doesn’t stand a chance.

and in personal news

It’s no longer an it, no longer a “he or she”. We’re expecting a girl this December.

Name suggestions appreciated. We had “John Carter” picked out for a boy (first and middle), but are as yet undecided on a girl name.

Texas Redistricting

Mostly constitutional. Dave in TX has the scoop. Plus MAPS!

Now I thnk Conger pretty much has to get one of these.

On a lighter note

Subtlety is overrated. (requires Flash)

thanks to Jonah Goldberg.

On Whole Foods

Not too long ago, Dave in Texas posted about Whole Foods corporate policy change involving lobster. Apparently they decided there was no humane way to transport and sell the poor lobsters before their customers boiled them alive. He points out that liberals have gone so far from the edge of sanity that it’s hard to even parody them anymore.

So, imagine my surprise to read Nick Gillespie at Hit and Run pointing out that John MacKay, CEO of Whole Foods is no hippie, but a Milton Friedman lovin’, Ayn Rand readin’, Adam Smith quotin’ lib-er-tarian.

There was a discussion at Reason Magazine last October between Friedman and MacKay on this very topic. Turns out they agree on a lot, even though it was supposed to be a debate over corporate social responsibility. It’s a long article, but the gist of it is that MacKay is selling people good feelings about themselves. He just believes corporations ought to do good for their community and that this will increase investment and business because people are concerned about more than just profit. Friedman contends that as long as the corporation is up-front about this to its shareholders, this is fine. But, he makes the point, if corporations were taxed less and the shareholders compensated better, net giving to charity wouldn’t necessarily decrease. It just wouldn’t come from the corporation.

MacKay says this is the business model of the future. And he’s making money, selling those good feelings at quite the premium. I was expecting a more bleeding-ponytail type of guy. You learn something new everyday.

Cool case mod

I’m not a Mac guy, but this is a cool design for a laptop.

via Gizmodo

Time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking…

John McIntyre posts about the Deficit of Time. Researchers say that Americans are lonelier than ever, mostly because they haven’t got time to build and maintain relationships.

Personally, I just cut in to my sleep time to accomodate what leisure activities and time with friends/family. Well, when I can. I blew off a trip to the theatre last night so that I could get some zzzzz’s.

So, how to do all the things you need to do and all the things you want to do and still get your eight hours? I am so the wrong person to ask. What do you think?

Are TiVo and Netflix making things better and just need wider adoption? Or do they encourage us to waste more time? Do we just need to get better at, as Tyler Durden would put it, “let that which does not matter truly slide.”?

Aerotrekking

I would so totally do this.

Quote of the Day

Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under.

H.L. Mencken

To wit: Campaign Finance Reform

Something to chew on

Canadian scientists say they can regrow teeth and bones.

I wonder if it works for all ages, if this would make a dent in the denture industry and in dentistry overall. Why get a root canal if you can just get new choppers?

They’re also trying to see if they can make people taller. A scene from Gattaca comes to mind as to how that would work. Doesn’t sound pleasant, but then again I haven’t had to deal with being short.

Article says they want to be on the commercial market in a couple years.

It’s a 1st Amendment kind of week

I’ve already addressed the freedom of the press issue. And I’m still formulating my response to Dex’s comments.

I know this is a day late, but I wanted to comment on the Senate’s inability to pass an amendment to ban flag burning. Again, the rhetoric from my side of the aisle has been a bit too much. 

Flag burning is the worst kind of protest. It’s insulting. Even the burning of makeshift flags that are often seen in the clips of
Middle East protest drives me insane. The passage of this bill was out of respect for those who have served and now serve under the flag.  These men died for the very expression of one’s ability to burn the flag they served. Those that serve don’t get to choose what they serve and die for. Freedom is freedom.

WBAP Radio Talk Show Host Mark Davis says it best, “Freedom is accepting that sometimes people are going to doing things you don’t like.” Burning the flag; pornography; cross burning; the crucifix upside down in a jar of urine, the Klux Klan in full regalia waving Nazi Flags is all Freedom of Expression. They are all protected forms of expression. If the desecration of our most sacred of symbols is protected, then yes, no symbol for any organizing, religion, or political party is protected. And that, whether we like it or not, is freedom. Accepting this freedom allows us to stand by other forms of expression. The ability to display the flag proudly without anybody telling us when and where we can’t display it. Your flag burners may not like it, but they will have to accept it. And they have to live with that form expression far more than we have to tolerate theirs.

Recognize me now?

Dafydd on the latest from Gaza.

Moral Muscle

The Austrailian has a fascinating article on willpower and success. Kids with high IQs vs kids with self-control. Guess who does better. Not exactly a shocking find. But there’s more research to read up on here.

The author implies that this is a learned trait rather than an inherited one, unlike about 70% of IQ. Read the whole thing.

Interesting

Not sure what to make of this, but it caught my attention: Pretty people make more money than, well, folks like me – because they’re more productive. (Via Greg Mankiw) Which I guess explains all the male modeling work Bill Gates has to turn down.

Nobody tell Hillary or we’ll end up with socialized nip/tucks too. Which would actually be bad, because cosmetic medicine has seen its prices drop and quality increase. This is because it’s directly exposed to market forces, unlike the rest of our health care system.