In the past year or so I’ve started to notice a new feature on my phone: with simple artificial intelligence the text messaging app is able to auto-generate simple, relevant replies to text. So if someone says “hi”, you can say “hi” right on back. But it’s actually more sophisticated than it sounds. It can detect,…
Tag: roads
Turtles All The Way Down
If the people in power decide to rob you and abuse you and violate their own bogus rules, then you can petition a judge to please do something about it. But the judge is appointed by the robbers. And also paid by the robbers.
Upsetting Thieves with Truth
Years ago, long before I had a blog, I had a retail shop. I hated robbing my customers in the name of “sales tax”, but if I didn’t, armed goons would have come and murdered me. Insanity, I know!
Defining Anti-Semitism, Threatening Free Speech
In May the benign-sounding Anti-Semitism Awareness Act appeared before the U.S Congress “to provide for consideration a definition of anti-Semitism for the enforcement of Federal antidiscrimination laws concerning education programs or activities.” No big deal? Let us see. S. 2940 is sponsored by Republican Sen. Tim Scott and has four co-sponsors: Republican Lindsey Graham and…
Crossroads
We are at the crossroads. We are at a critical station. Will we decide to continue on down, down to the kleptocracy? For awhile, being a robust fledgling nation, we were happy with the richness of freedom without responsibility.
A Utilitarian Case for Incompetent Traffic Cops
Thank your lucky stars for inefficient law enforcement. When toleration fails, you’ll always be able to count on some room for social innovation. But when inefficiency fails, we’ll be in a much tighter spot.
What Taxation Means
There is certainly no shortage of libertarian types who will gladly tell why they believe that the practice of taxation amounts to robbery or extortion. Likewise for those who will tell you why they believe that the practice of taxation is good and necessary. Personally, I side with the former belief that the practice of taxation is illicit and criminal. But let’s look at it another way, shall we?
Encircled, Enclosed, and Trapped
Someone recently brought up the scenario of being encircled and trapped by other property owners so that you can either not access your surrounded property or you can’t escape from it. At least, not without giving in to the other property owner’s demands, whatever they may be.
Lyft and Uber Are Bringing Cultures Together
By now, if you haven’t ridden in a Lyft or Uber vehicle, you at least have heard one amazing story from a friend who has. Philosophical conversations, sports talks, business opportunities, and friendships have all been born of these rides taken with strangers. One of the things I love about these rides with strangers are the moments of randomness they insert into my life.
Want to “Steal Back” a Job Now Held by an Immigrant Worker?
Do you hanker for a job putting roofs on houses in the hot summer sun, or cutting up carcasses (and your fingers) in a frigid meat or poultry packing plant, or doing manual labor on construction sites and roads in all kinds of weather… or mowing lawns and trimming foliage for homes and businesses?