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Profile of cavalier973
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166
General / "Follow that cab! I'm with the government!" "Oh! Okay!"
« on: November 21, 2009, 02:55:41 PM »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw3391SiKRk
Too bad the video quality is garbage. The courtroom scene that follows is quite funny, too.
Too bad the video quality is garbage. The courtroom scene that follows is quite funny, too.
167
General / What would be the correct term for describing an an-cap society
« on: November 21, 2009, 02:07:53 PM »
What I mean is, when a state is a republic form of government, it is called "The Republic of Freedonia"; or possibly "The Democratic-Republic of Freedonia". A monarchy might be "The Kingdom of Freedonia".
But what if Freedonia's citizens turn to an an-cap form of society? Would they describe their homeland as "The Anarchy of Freedonia" or "The Anarchic of Freedonia" or "The Anarchical Nation of Freedonia" (Just saying one is from "Freedonia" doesn't count, because people outside the country still think it is a Democratic-Republic form of government, and the citizens need an easy and quick way to correct that notion).
But what if Freedonia's citizens turn to an an-cap form of society? Would they describe their homeland as "The Anarchy of Freedonia" or "The Anarchic of Freedonia" or "The Anarchical Nation of Freedonia" (Just saying one is from "Freedonia" doesn't count, because people outside the country still think it is a Democratic-Republic form of government, and the citizens need an easy and quick way to correct that notion).
168
My favorite Goth Wave group is Siouxsie Sioux and the Banshees:
Peek a Boo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41W-NIjMfs
Mardis Gras and peep-shows
Kiss them for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBm-m67d3Bg
the death of Jayne Mansfield
Peek a Boo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i41W-NIjMfs
Mardis Gras and peep-shows
Kiss them for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBm-m67d3Bg
the death of Jayne Mansfield
169
General / Guy runs for Congress in NH "Congressional District 00"
« on: November 20, 2009, 03:00:41 PM »
http://townhall.com/blog/g/7ffe93cc-30a0-4088-894c-0711a3285296?comments=true#comments
Does anyone know this guy? Pretty smart, I'd say
Does anyone know this guy? Pretty smart, I'd say
170
General / As a FedEx employee, I found this refreshing
« on: November 19, 2009, 03:51:52 AM »
http://reason.tv/video/show/whiteboard
(Especially the part where the UPS guy catches on fire
)
From what management has told us, the labor laws that govern FedEx were designed for railroad companies as a way to keep one station from going on strike and disrupting a national transporation network (national security, jabber jabber...). Right now, for FedEx to go union, the whole company has to go union at the same time. Individual stations cannot unionize. UPS wants the labor laws it works under to be applied to FedEx, even though it's a trucking company, and FedEx is an airline company (I get the airline employee's discount on travel from the passenger airlines even though I drive a van all day).
(Especially the part where the UPS guy catches on fire
)From what management has told us, the labor laws that govern FedEx were designed for railroad companies as a way to keep one station from going on strike and disrupting a national transporation network (national security, jabber jabber...). Right now, for FedEx to go union, the whole company has to go union at the same time. Individual stations cannot unionize. UPS wants the labor laws it works under to be applied to FedEx, even though it's a trucking company, and FedEx is an airline company (I get the airline employee's discount on travel from the passenger airlines even though I drive a van all day).
172
General / More Memphis Commercial History (as if you cared)
« on: November 16, 2009, 06:51:59 PM »
This time, it's a hotel rather than a mall.
http://www.mallofmemphis.org/Main/AdmiralBenbow
"Everyone knows you haven't slummed until you've slummed at the Admiral Benbow."
"...if a person checks in and the switchboard lights up like a Christmas tree then that person is either a drug dealer or a hooker."
http://www.mallofmemphis.org/Main/AdmiralBenbow
"Everyone knows you haven't slummed until you've slummed at the Admiral Benbow."
"...if a person checks in and the switchboard lights up like a Christmas tree then that person is either a drug dealer or a hooker."
173
General / We need a new version of Monopoly
« on: November 15, 2009, 12:26:28 AM »
And no, I'm not talking about something like "Free State Monopoly", where the rules are the same, but the street names are different ("Mark Place" and "Ian Gardens"). Monopoly used to be my favorite game. If I couldn't get anyone else to play, I would play by myself. I liked the color coordination of the properties, the idea of buying railroads and utilities as well as property, the "throwback to an earlier era" game pieces, the antics of the Monopoly guy on the Chance and Community Chest cards. I have the book by Philip Orbanes that gives a short description of the game properties' real life equivalents in Atlantic City. The game was first developed by a student of Henry George, and his "Single Tax" idea.
I had considered, as most other people do, that Monopoly was a "business game"; that somehow, because it involved money and the buying and trading of real estate, that it was a reflection, more or less, of the marketplace. I have decided that it is, rather, a fancy version of Roulette. There's an article on mises.org that backs up my assessment: http://mises.org/freemarket_detail.aspx?control=498 It's likely that part of the reason that people think that the free market is a "dog eat dog" world is because of this insidious lesson learned from a silly board game.
I think that there should be a new version of Monopoly that more accurately reflects the workings of the free market. That is, it should emphasize meeting people's needs for profit, with the player who best accomplishes serving others winning the game. Commercial arbitration style games are already out there (buy commodities low, sell 'em high; stock market board games, etc.) and I believe there are settlement type games (Puerto Rico(?) Settlers of Cataan) that might be what I'm looking for. But I think those games have the element of warfare added in; I think a market style game is what is necessary. We are home-schooling, and I want a fun way to teach my children some of the basics of economics and entrepreneurship.
There was a game called "Fast Company", or something like that, that came out in the '90s, andd looked promising (it supposedly emphasized the cooperation aspect of market competition), but I can't find much information about it.
Any ideas, or examples of products already out there that look like what I'm talking about?
I had considered, as most other people do, that Monopoly was a "business game"; that somehow, because it involved money and the buying and trading of real estate, that it was a reflection, more or less, of the marketplace. I have decided that it is, rather, a fancy version of Roulette. There's an article on mises.org that backs up my assessment: http://mises.org/freemarket_detail.aspx?control=498 It's likely that part of the reason that people think that the free market is a "dog eat dog" world is because of this insidious lesson learned from a silly board game.
I think that there should be a new version of Monopoly that more accurately reflects the workings of the free market. That is, it should emphasize meeting people's needs for profit, with the player who best accomplishes serving others winning the game. Commercial arbitration style games are already out there (buy commodities low, sell 'em high; stock market board games, etc.) and I believe there are settlement type games (Puerto Rico(?) Settlers of Cataan) that might be what I'm looking for. But I think those games have the element of warfare added in; I think a market style game is what is necessary. We are home-schooling, and I want a fun way to teach my children some of the basics of economics and entrepreneurship.
There was a game called "Fast Company", or something like that, that came out in the '90s, andd looked promising (it supposedly emphasized the cooperation aspect of market competition), but I can't find much information about it.
Any ideas, or examples of products already out there that look like what I'm talking about?
174
General / some nice time-wasting websites
« on: November 13, 2009, 11:45:42 PM »
For when you're waiting on someone to respond to a particular post here...
www.giantitp.com If you haven't read this webcomic yet, be sure to start at comic #1; it starts out rather slow, but takes an epic nature fairly quickly ("I blame Cerebus.") I'd like to mention here that Belkar rocks.
www.tvtropes.org Find out how your favorite TV show (or book, or movie) is exactly like every other TV show (or book, or movie)
www.snopes.com Urban legend reference pages
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/rsspodcast.xml Scroll to the bottom and listen to the podcast of the guys at penny arcade play D&D 4th edition. *WARNING* This Podcast contains strong language that some might find offen....nevermind
http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1 Dinosaur comics, #1
www.giantitp.com If you haven't read this webcomic yet, be sure to start at comic #1; it starts out rather slow, but takes an epic nature fairly quickly ("I blame Cerebus.") I'd like to mention here that Belkar rocks.
www.tvtropes.org Find out how your favorite TV show (or book, or movie) is exactly like every other TV show (or book, or movie)
www.snopes.com Urban legend reference pages
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/rsspodcast.xml Scroll to the bottom and listen to the podcast of the guys at penny arcade play D&D 4th edition. *WARNING* This Podcast contains strong language that some might find offen....nevermind
http://www.qwantz.com/index.php?comic=1 Dinosaur comics, #1
175
General / And they say spanking is to severe a form of discipline
« on: November 12, 2009, 04:30:16 PM »
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/11/us/11foodfight.html
I remember Mrs. Kendrick, our elementary school vice-principle. All she would have to have done in a situation such as this was walk into the cafeteria. However boisterous the atmosphere before her appearance, absolute silence reigned after her entrance. The respect everyone showed toward her must have been due to that wooden paddle she was so fond of using....
Interesting that one of the principle instigators of the food fight did not herself get arrested. In a system of anarchic justice, she would have been punished, I think.
I remember Mrs. Kendrick, our elementary school vice-principle. All she would have to have done in a situation such as this was walk into the cafeteria. However boisterous the atmosphere before her appearance, absolute silence reigned after her entrance. The respect everyone showed toward her must have been due to that wooden paddle she was so fond of using....
Interesting that one of the principle instigators of the food fight did not herself get arrested. In a system of anarchic justice, she would have been punished, I think.
176
General / Drat you, Anarcho-Capitalists!
« on: November 11, 2009, 12:07:51 AM »
I'm trying to enjoy "Human Action" by Professor von Mises for the first time. Instead, I find myself arguing with him on his stance against anarchism and for "classical liberal" minarchism...
177
General / My favorite ghost story
« on: November 08, 2009, 02:20:33 AM »
http://www.prairieghosts.com/wesleyan.html
I should have posted this on Halloween, but better late than never, right?
I remember reading this story in a book as a kid, and it creeped me out considerably. It's not your standard "I saw a translucent white figure floating toward me down a darkened hallway" story. The lady has her senses of smell and hearing assaulted as well as sight. Other particulars of the story I find intriguing: that she identifies her unseen observer as male; that she doesn't register fright until she sees the landscape as it was half a century prior, through the window.
I wish I could think up stories like this....
I should have posted this on Halloween, but better late than never, right?
I remember reading this story in a book as a kid, and it creeped me out considerably. It's not your standard "I saw a translucent white figure floating toward me down a darkened hallway" story. The lady has her senses of smell and hearing assaulted as well as sight. Other particulars of the story I find intriguing: that she identifies her unseen observer as male; that she doesn't register fright until she sees the landscape as it was half a century prior, through the window.
I wish I could think up stories like this....
178
General / Commercial History
« on: November 03, 2009, 03:37:11 AM »
I grew up in Memphis, and one of the things my family liked to do on weekends was make the rather longish drive to mid-town to go to the Mall of Memphis. It was the only place in the city with a public ice skating rink, which was situated the level below the food court. We would scatter to each gather his favorite culinary delight, then reassemble on the balcony to eat and watch the skaters below. I moved away from Memphis for several years, and on a recent visit to the city, drove by the place where the mall was. That's right, was. They had completely demolished a 1.2 million square foot shopping center. A shopping center that was located near the interstate and therefore within the purview of about a quarter million people driving to and from work each day; it was practically 15 minutes from anywhere in the city (excepting the suburb in which we lived; the drive, however, was part of the celebratory aspect of "going out to the mall"). The reasons given were demographic changes, but especially a perception of rising crime in the area; it was nicknamed the "Mall of Murder", a catchy, but unfair label that the management couldn't overcome.
I wonder if the demise of the Mall of Memphis is related to a more general trend away from malls and toward the more outdoorish strip mall (for middle and lower class shoppers), and upscale Disneyfied shopping centers (for upper middle and upper class shoppers). Probably less maintenance, etc., but it's still a shame that a sweet hangout spot for teens is no longer there.
They preserved the website, here: http://www.mallofmemphis.org/?action=home
I wonder if the demise of the Mall of Memphis is related to a more general trend away from malls and toward the more outdoorish strip mall (for middle and lower class shoppers), and upscale Disneyfied shopping centers (for upper middle and upper class shoppers). Probably less maintenance, etc., but it's still a shame that a sweet hangout spot for teens is no longer there.
They preserved the website, here: http://www.mallofmemphis.org/?action=home
179
General / Is Laissez-Faire City still around?
« on: November 03, 2009, 03:17:45 AM »
I was doing some research today, and discovered something called "Laissez-Faire City", which was founded some years ago as an an-cap territory somewhere in Costa Rica. The latest information available was an article written in the late 90's or early aughts...Does anyone know anything about this effort, and how it is going (if it is still going)?
I've made cursory looks at other nations to see if any of them would be prospects for "invasion"... The Falklands only have a population of 3,000...but I bet it's a pain to live there. British Guyana looked interesting; population around 800,000 and English as the official language. Australia was #3 on Heritage Foundation's "Freest Economies in the World" list; but it requires its citizens to vote, so I don't know what the HF was thinking.
I am aware of the Free State Project, but it seems risky to me...too close to Leviathan, and liable to be swallowed up by martial law or something. I have heard about Seasteading, as well, but don't care to take the time to really study it. Are there any other similar efforts to "Laissez Faire City" that anyone knows about?
I've made cursory looks at other nations to see if any of them would be prospects for "invasion"... The Falklands only have a population of 3,000...but I bet it's a pain to live there. British Guyana looked interesting; population around 800,000 and English as the official language. Australia was #3 on Heritage Foundation's "Freest Economies in the World" list; but it requires its citizens to vote, so I don't know what the HF was thinking.
I am aware of the Free State Project, but it seems risky to me...too close to Leviathan, and liable to be swallowed up by martial law or something. I have heard about Seasteading, as well, but don't care to take the time to really study it. Are there any other similar efforts to "Laissez Faire City" that anyone knows about?
180
General / A Tax Proposal
« on: October 26, 2009, 06:21:23 PM »
Here in MS, we have a combination of income and sales tax. I feel that the state would do better if a different tax system is put into place. I like the Fair Tax proposal, and MO is currently implementing something like the Fair Tax, so the rest of us can see how it works.
But for MS, I have a different idea for replacing the income/sales tax: a voluntary ad-hoc lottery tax.
For example, suppose the state wants to build a bridge; it would put the project out for bidding. They would add, say, 30% to whatever the winning bid amount was, which would be the lottery winnings. Then, everyone wanting to participate would be able to buy lottery tickets in hopes of winning the 30%. The lottery wouldn't pay off, and no money would be spent on the project, until all the money budgeted was collected from the lottery. If not enough money was collected to complete the project, then all the take would be paid out; or something like that.
But for MS, I have a different idea for replacing the income/sales tax: a voluntary ad-hoc lottery tax.
For example, suppose the state wants to build a bridge; it would put the project out for bidding. They would add, say, 30% to whatever the winning bid amount was, which would be the lottery winnings. Then, everyone wanting to participate would be able to buy lottery tickets in hopes of winning the 30%. The lottery wouldn't pay off, and no money would be spent on the project, until all the money budgeted was collected from the lottery. If not enough money was collected to complete the project, then all the take would be paid out; or something like that.