Obama’s disturbing choice for NHTSA head

Chuck Hurley’s appointment as National Highway Traffic Safety Administration head is a troubling one. Read this great piece by Radley Balko to find out why.
As for MADD, they are a perfect example of an organization whose nanny-statism has crossed the line from being annoying to what I can only succintly describe as evil.
[In case anyone is [...]

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A discussion on morality and the nature of values

To make up for my lack of posting, let me link to a discussion over at Aristotle’s blog. It started off with Rawls but has evolved into topics like the nature of morality and the objectivity (or lack thereof) of values.
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To a casual reader of the thread linked above, I might come across as rather [...]

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Adaptations of famous music in movie soundtracks

I am always fascinated when the inclusion of a famous song or classical piece in a movie gets it absolutely right. By that I mean that it not only perfectly reflects the mood and meaning of that movie scene but enhances its emotional impact in almost preternatural manner.
Such is the case with Shostakovich’s “Waltz No. [...]

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More Lynch footage from Reason

Reason has some exclusive footage from the aborted sentencing yesterday.
Meanwhile, if you are a reader who is not entirely familiar with the timeline and details of the Charlie Lynch case, I strongly recommend this excellent Reason summary.
To read my various posts on the case, click here.

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Charlie Lynch sentencing postponed again

Passing on the release by the Friends of CCL group. It is rather interesting.

On Thursday April 23 in Federal Court the Sentencing of Charles C. Lynch was again postponed until Monday June 11, 2009. The court filled with supporters from across the state and across the nation. Los Angeles [...]

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Can’t we defend liberty for liberty’s sake?

I get plenty of junk in my Facebook feed every day most of which I barely give a second glance; today however, one particular item caught my eye. Titled “Vigil for Binayak Sen”, this particular Facebook event was in support of Dr. Binayak Sen, whose continued detainment by the Chhattisgarh government violates every principle of [...]

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Don’t insult my Padmashree

Honestly. Can this be real?
A criminal case was filed in a court on Thursday accusing Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh with ‘hurting’ fans by staying away from the Padma awards function.
Dhoni and Bhajji were to be honoured with the Padma Shree by President Pratibha Patil in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Senior [...]

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Obama’s medical marijuana lies

In response to questions from the court about how to proceed with the Lynch case given that government policy on this issue seems to have reversed, this is what the US Department of Justice wrote in a letter sent earlier today by Marshall Jarrett, Director.
Not only does the DoJ has no intention of intervening in the Lynch [...]

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Utopia and reality

Will Wikinson says:
Yet I hear again and again that, since the state should not be in the business of marriage, one should not, as a libertarian, have an opinion about how this business is to be carried out. Increasingly, I find this an obnoxious and shameful form of moral recusal. One cannot use an ideological [...]

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Prelude to a circle

“When did you see it last?” he asked his girl.
“I don’t know,” she wailed. “It was on me when I walked into the restaurant.”
She looked so sad, and her eyes were so large and ready to cry that his insides dissolved in a burst of affection. This led to kisses being exchanged and tender words [...]

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Yeah, right

Apparently there is something called World Homoeopathy day.
A function was held in [Kanpur] to observe the World Homeopathy Day. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Anil Katiyar, a noted homeopath said, “The good aspect is that homeopathy is capable of curing a person completely and there are no side-effects from this mode of treatment.”
I posted on [...]

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Smoking in Netherlands, contd.

A small victory for freedom and common sense, though for the wrong reasons:
A court in Breda, Netherlands has overturned the smoking ban the government imposed last summer. The judge ruled that the ban violates Article One of the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.
The judge argues that the ban disproportionately affects the owners [...]

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Smoking in Netherlands

The following piece of news seems relevant in the context of my earlier post on tobacco and the illusion of liberty caused by unprincipled value judgements.
From the incomparable Reason Brickbats:
Dutch police cited a 27-year-old man for smoking a joint in one of Amsterdam’s famous coffee shops. Smoking pot is legal there, but the man, who [...]

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Liberty and love in Iraq

“I believe in the transformational power of liberty. I believe that the free Iraq is in this nation’s interests.”
“I sent American troops to Iraq to make its people free, not to make them American. Iraqis will write their own history and find their own way.”
Freedom. This is how it smells.

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Libertarianism and climate science denial

Ryan Avent on the incompatibility of climate science and some libertarians:
That is to say, confronted by a problem demanding solutions inimical to libertarian beliefs, libertarians were faced with the choice of reneging on their beliefs or turning their back on science. Tellingly, they chose the latter. One might think that’s a rather drastic decision, given the [...]

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