Want Less Regulation? Go Live In The Jungle!

You can do it just by moving to Ohio, which has the weakest state regulations of the ownership of wild animals.  No one should be surprised, therefore, by this.

Can You Rage Against The Machine, And Still Use What It Makes?

This author says no.  I'm not so sure.  What's wrong with using the fruits of capitalism against it?  And who says we're opposed to capitalism?  I think the biggest opponents of capitalism are the ones who jerry-rig the playing field.

And all it takes to do that is 1% of the people, with more than 50% of the money (and much of that from taxpayers who were told that it's the government's job to save capitalists at the expense of capitalism).  Is that really what conservatives and the GOP want to defend?  Have at it.  And enjoy being ruled by a full generation of progressives.

If Jesus Is The Way, Why Does He Need A "Parallel Culture"?

Because neither Jesus, nor God, are blind, cowardly, narrow-minded fanatics, unlike some of their followers.  I learned the hard way, through 12 years of experience, that not all Christians are evangelicals, and not all evangelicals are Christians.  If anyone you know needs to hear that, make sure that they do.

First They Ignore You, Then They Mock You ...

... and then, they fight you.  Sometimes they threaten violence.  Sometimes, they're just cowardly enough to slime you (especially if they're little more than the offspring of a backstabbing climber).  And isn't it great that this wonderful behavior comes from two pillars of the "virtue" crowd?

But, in the end, you win.

Never forget that, Occupiers.

It's Not Enough To Protest, OWS

It's also about solutions, some of which are already out there.  Fortunately, the protesters themselves seem to realize this.

What's That? I'm Actually RIGHT About The Green Economy?

Facts are not simply stubborn.  Sometimes, they're simply amazing.

Either I Don't Get You, David Brooks, Or You Just Don't Get It

The former champion of virtues now laments the dominance of virtues in politics.  Someone should have clued him in, early on, that no one has a monopoly on virtue or vice, which is why it makes such a slippery framework for anyone's political empire.

And, Once Again, Back to OWS!

Here, courtesy of Slate.com, is everything you need to know.  Including the possibility that OWS and the Tea Party have some common objectives.  If only someone could get both sides to see that.

Space Is Still The Final Frontier

And, even though we haven't run out of people who are afraid to go there, we thankfully haven't run out of people who believe that we can, and should, try.

UPDATE, 10/25/11:  Here's another example of people in the second category.

In The Meantime, Back To OWS

Sorry, Mr. Mayor, but there's even evidence that the 1%, of which you are a member, get it.

Maybe that's because all of us are tired of being forced to make false choices, and are ready to make real ones.

Climate Change Is NOT About What We Have To Give Up

It's also about our ability to take control of the problem, and create new jobs in the process.

Those Who Stand Up Pay A Price

I'm convinced that this was no accident; she was targeted because people like her are always dangerous to those who reduce everything to dollars.

But, as Steve Jobs pointed out, you're going to die anyway.  If you make a difference, as Crystal Lee Sutton did, you never die completely.  And everyone else lives a little better.

Smith Or Darwin?

This is a review of Robert H. Frank's new book, The Darwin Economy, in which the author attempts to argue that Darwin's theory of natural selection better explains economic decision-making that Adam Smith's "invisible hand," using examples from nature to illustrate how animals can develop characteristics that ensure their individual survival, but often at the expense of the species as a whole.  The reviewer points out, however, that nature offers plenty of examples of intra-species cooperation, an observation that could be compared to Smith's own willingness to concede that collective action is often needed to smooth out the rough edges that the "invisible hand" leaves behind.

Ultimately, folks, the real point is not "either-or."  It's different solutions for different problems.  As well as the intelligence, the humility, and ultimately the willingness to make the right choices.

Computers Practicing Law?

This article says "yes."  But, at the risk of only looking after my professional self-interest, I couldn't disagree more.  I've practiced law long enough to know that a lawyer's stock in trade is not only his or her time, but also his or her judgment.  Time is one of the ingredients for that, and so is legal training.   But so is life experience--both that of the lawyer, and that of the lives of the people he represents.  Until we can invent a device that embraces and manages that much complexity, adjust at a moment's notice to changes in that complexity, and argues for or against additional change with passion as well as reason--well, law school graduates have nothing to fear.  My advice to them:  work hard, focus on clients and not money, and you'll be surprised at how well things work out.

The Myth Of A Center-Right Country

I had set this aside several weeks ago, before I came down with the flu (which partly explains my blog absence over the past few weeks; the practice of law explains the other part).  I was going to turn this into a longer essay.

But, as of this month, I can boil it down to three words:  Occupy Wall Street.

All I can say is, it's about time!