One more for The Snitch Project — probably the last for a while. After this, two writers and our volunteer Kindle-master (with much help already given and more promised from friends of this blog) will get down to serious work on a booklet. Today, a harder aspect of The Snitch Problem: What do you do if you think (or know) you’ve uncovered a snitch? A lot of earlier commentors opine that we just aren’t very likely to recognize snitches in our midst until it’s too late — and possibly not even then. Granted. A really smooth operator might play us…
Category: Government
Government evils — but I repeat myself
Ah, such sweet, sweet justice. (Tip o’ hat to Karen.) London Olympics. Tax dollars at work. Double dosage of cuteness: “50 Toddlers Who Are Best Friends with Their Dogs.” (Actually, in a couple of cases, I doubt that would be the dog’s opinion. But gosh darn, they’re still so cuuuuuuuute.) The electronic medical records being pushed so hard by the Obama administration (and previous) distance doctors from their patients — and their patients’ real condition. Drone attacks from victims’ point of view. TSA removes 18-month-old terrorist from plane. Finally (via Radley Balko), we have an explanation for why so many…
I think it’s a very good idea — if you’re going to elect someone at all — to throw your support behind a politician who’s already in prison. You know, save time convicting him later and all that. Besides, the guy has some pretty worthy positions.
Despite (or — sigh — perhaps in part because of) a little flag-waving, this is a damnfine piece of free-market agit-prop.
I went to a tea yesterday. Yes, an actual tea. For charity. With big flowery hats on the ladies. And cucumber sandwiches with the crusts cut off (which, for the record, turn out to be absolutely delicious). One woman wore a wildly purple Central American native dress and a red thrift-store hat with bangles all around that looked like a lampshade. A young acquaintance of hers died last week and she’s aware that our mutual friend J. has pancreatic cancer. To hell with it, says the lady in the bangled hat and floral-toned muumuu, who last I saw her was…
Okay (she says rubbing hands and getting down to work). I may not be capable of brilliance at the moment. But hyperlinks? Those I can manage. xkcd on Skynet. Between the feds and utility companies who you gonna believe on the dangers of solar storms? Mac the Knife reminds me that my Neighbor from Hell could be a whole lot worse. Seriously? We need another spy agency??? Interesting: Ron Paul and the Lucifer Effect. (Tip o’ hat to PT.) So … how much ground do you intend to stand? And for the guys in the audience (with H/T to JS),…
Of course! This is exactly what the U.S. needs: a federal government that can do more. Now why didn’t we think of that? How exactly does a “civil servant” steal $30 million from a town of 12,000? Ten completely ridiculous (and not necessarily SFW) road signs. (Tip o’ hat to C^2.) SOPA is dead. Long live CISPA! Or maybe we should say SOPA is dead; will somebody fer cryin’ out loud put a stake in its heart and bury it at the crossroads??? Does that take-away-your-passport-if-you-haven’t-paid-your-taxes law that’s making its way through Congress also give the IRS the authority to…
From Sheila Bair, former head of the FDIC. Fix the economy and end income inequality by giving us all low-interest $10 million loans just like the banks get. 🙂 Cool! Where do we sign up?
So you thought the National Animal Identification system was dead? Silly, silly you. Meet Traceability for Livestock Moving Interstate and … “Chicken Crimes.” (Tip o’ hat to Dan Adams of Earthineer.)
O wad some Pow’r the giftie gie us To see oursels as others see us –Robert Burns There’s a new book out called Leak: Why Mark Felt Became Deep Throat. (Deep Throat being the secret revelator to Woodward & Bernstein during Watergate, not the … um, well, you know.) I’m first in line for it when my library gets it. From all I’ve read, its central claim is that Felt — the #2 man at the FBI — was bitter at being passed over for the #1 spot and became Deep Throat solely out of ambition and a desire to…