Unqualified Offerings

By Thoreau
Many people have noticed that over the past few years I have become far less open-minded on matters of civil liberties and foreign policy.  In brief, it’s because I can only spend so much time responding to indefensible bullshit with “Well, yes, I whole-heartedly disagree but I do thank you for a delightful exchange [...]

By Thoreau
My strongest opinion is, of course, that prank-calling a governor is AWESOME!  Just as a matter of principle.
Beyond that, in general I’m not a fan of public employee unions.  “Opposed” would be too strong of a word, but I’m not a fan.  Partly because I see some differences between the  public and private sectors, [...]

By Thoreau
I submit the following regarding Qadaffi:
1)  He is heavily involved in the oil business.
2)  He has bombed a Middle Eastern city.
3)  He is pulling a “Look!  Over there!  Bin laden!” move.
This is clear evidence of Seriousness.  How long before Roger Ailes gives him a job?

By Thoreau
Remember how I mentioned doing something with a guy who has drunk the technology kool-aid, and berates us to make more use of the wiki because it must be the better way to do things?  Now he’s gone to some conference and discovered, I dunno, some sort of new tool.  So now there’s a [...]

By Thoreau
Last night, Will offered something that will no doubt piss off many of our readers.  Today, he offers a criticism of libertarianism that most of you would probably agree with (as would I!).

By Thoreau
Via Radley Balko, I have learned of a most excellent restaurant in Seattle.  The health code issues alone are enough to bar people who spent their day doing cavity searches.

By Thoreau
Finally, Kadaphi and his opponents have reached a compromise.  Qadafi said:
“I am not going to leave this land,” Gaddafi vowed in a live broadcast on state TV. “I will die as a martyr at the end.”
The opposition had an immediate response:  “We can help you with that.”

By Thoreau
According to Al Jazeera:
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Shaikh Faraj al Zuway said: “We will stop oil exports to Western countries within 24 hours” if the violence did not stop. The tribe lives south of Benghazi, which has seen the worst of the deadly violence in recent days.
Meanwhile:
There were also reports of protesters heading [...]

By Thoreau
I remember 1989.  Every time I picked up a newspaper another Communist government was collapsing.  I was only 12, but I liked reading the newspaper and all this was exciting to watch.  A Polish labor union demanded control of the means of production and next thing you know Communism is over* and the Germans [...]

By Thoreau
1)  I don’t know how many more dictators will fall, but at the very least Qadaffi will fall.  And once he does, it will get even uglier everywhere else.  The other dictators will get even more brutal on the crowds, and the crowds will be even more emboldened.  I don’t know if the crowds [...]