Right

Krugman says the point of a mandate to buy health insurance "isn’t to dictate how people should live their lives — it’s to prevent some people from gaming the system". Two points. One, so what? Even if the point is what he says it is, the mandate still does dictate to people how to live their lives. Two, I don't really believe him, as his recommendations always involve dictating how people should live their lives. At a certain point, you have to think that control is the point of his ideas, not any other (supposed) benefits.

Here is my understanding of the rationale for these mandates. A lot of people don't buy insurance, knowing that hospitals are required to treat anyone who shows up at the ER sick. So, to prevent them from gaming/cheating the system, we have to require everyone to buy insurance. Translation: we take away some people's freedom, so we have to take away other people's freedom as well. Paging Dr. Hayek, paging Dr. Hayek.

Holy Crap

Check out this interview with Benazir. 6:07 in. Really, this isn't just advice, or just a request. It's as close to a command as some anonymous dude with no power over you can give you. This is huge. Spread the word, please.

Oh man

Reading this spot on analysis of Alan Greenspan's supposed commitment to freedom (via Peter Boettke), I was reminded of Tyler Cowen's recent thoughts on Ron Paul. Re-reading Tyler, even more than when I first read the post, I find myself thinking he is either a fake friend of freedom, he makes the perfect the enemy of the good (odd for someone committed to a Marginal Revolution), or he is scared of success. Yes, I don't 100% agree with Dr. Paul. And if you're someone who thinks that supporting any candidate is supporting the system generally, that's fine, but that's not Tyler. While I can't completely discount the fear of success idea, it doesn't fit my image of the man. I am saddened to be forced to agree with Bryan Caplan, "Tyler Cowen is a Sith Lord". Oh man.

Well, this is interesting

Some dude waterboarded himself to various degrees to see what it was like. At first, it was unpleasant, but not terrible. Then he upped to something close to what they do during "enhanced interrogation" sessions. Not a good time for him. (Via Seth Roberts).

Problem solved

Paul Krugman (yes, him again) has a post about economic success being environmental disaster. Well, but just before that, he posted about how we should be scared by certain indicators of economic weakness. Seems to me, if the economy is in such bad shape, we should all be jumping for joy. Yay, yay, we're saved! We'll have none of that nasty, evil economic growth.

I feel like I'm reading posts by Lenny from Memento.

More Deadspin

Thought you'd appreciate me highlighting their highlighting of a certain Sportscenter anchor's graduation speech. Bell's Palsy. Heh.

Remember the time....

Oh, Chris Farley, you funny sob. RIP.

Good Christmas Idea

Help out Cory Maye.

Have You Ever Tried Pickled Quail Eggs?

Don't.

Sigh

Paul Krugman is one of the most frustrating public intellectuals. He wonders why he doesn't receive credit for all the times he's been right. Maybe it's because he so obviously is right only because of partisan hatred and not any really insight. If I correctly call heads ten times in a row because I like heads, not because I see that the coin is warped to favor heads, I shouldn't get credit for it.

His column yesterday is a great example of my frustration with him. He starts it off with a lie, then does a great job explaining a complex situation. Wait, did I say lie? Yes, he flat out lies about what the Federal Reserve has been doing recently. A non-economist could easily make the "mistake" he makes and I'd understand. I'm sure I make similar mistakes from time to time. However, Krugman is way too smart, well-trained, and well-read to not know the difference between lending and rolling over a loan, particularly the economic impact of the difference. (Side note related to the Fed: I'm predicting, as I have been privately for a while, a significant run-up in inflation, soon. My best guess if we won't go far into double digits, but I'd be shocked if we don't see at least 6%). If we're being generous, we can call it intentionally misleading, a la the Bush administration's statements leading up to the invasion of Iraq, but let's call a spade a spade.

Silence is golden

Variations on this have been going around, but I still thought that I should highlight a good version of it. Take a Garfield comic strip, remove all of Garfield's thoughts and dialog, and the result is pretty great.

Boo!

Congratulations, but at the same time boo!

Picture time

Some pretty amazing photos made the top emailed pics of 2007 list (I know that the year isn't over, I didn't make the list, blame Yahoo!).
One complaint. How did this (or a close variant thereof) not make the list?

Irish Car Bombs Away!

Remember to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition today, the 74th anniversary of the 21st amendment.
Also, here's what an Irish Car Bomb is, in case you're unfortunate enough to never have experienced one).

There are no accidents

Don't believe it? Then watch this PSA from Canada, eh. It was no accident, it was made intentionally. Why, is another question, but it wasn't an accident.
Also, this Windows 386 promo video is pretty amazing. Cheesy boringness (other than for laughing at 80s styles), then obviously drug-induced at about the 7 minute mark.