COVID-19 Lockdowns: Liberty and Science

The Chinese Coronavirus (COVID-19) hit American shores — officially, anyway, there is significant evidence that it arrived earlier — in late January 2020. The American public was then told that a two-week shutdown of the economy would “flatten the curve,” relieving the pressure on hospital intensive care units and saving lives in the long run. The average American, including conservatives,…

Sobering Thoughts & Stoic Habits (25m) – Episode 045

Episode 045 looks at several Stoic topics: the first from Epictetus who wrote, “Keep death and exile before your eyes each day, along with everything that seems terrible—by doing so, you’ll never have a base thought nor will you have excessive desire.”; and the rest from lists shared by gdm41 and austinthebean to r/Stoicism introduced as, “Hi guys, maybe you are already aware of DailyStoic.com, they send out a daily newsletter with Stoic topics. Last week they sent a good summary of Stoic virtues/habits to avoid”.

Brenden’s Journey, MasterTalk, Knowledge, & Personal Development (1h10m) – Episode 429

Episode 429 welcomes Brenden Kumarasamy to the podcast to chat with Skyler on the following topics: his YouTube channel “MasterTalk”; living in Montreal, Canada; Stoicism and sphere of control; older kids still living at home; parenting and kids leaving the nest; knowledge and truth; religion and the afterlife; his favorite anime “Death Note”; collecting stories and trying to live a mistake free life; his top 3 podcasts: “Akimbo” by Seth Godin, “The School of Greatness” by Lewis Howes, and “Impact Theory” by Tom Bilyeu; Warrent Buffet’s focus framework; the value of attending personal development conferences; his book recommendation: Thirst by Scott Harrison; and more

The Anti-Jerk Law

You’ve probably had a boss who was a jerk.  Indeed, you may be working under a jerk of a boss right now.  Question: Would it be a good idea to pass an Anti-Jerk Law to protect workers from these jerky employers?  Like existing employment discrimination laws, the Anti-Jerk Law would allow aggrieved employees to sue their employer for jerkiness – and received handsome compensation if they prove their charge in a court of law. I doubt many people would endorse this Anti-Jerk Law.  On what basis, though, would they object?

Thankful, 2020 Edition

This year, the words of President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 proclamation ring especially true: “I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to [God] for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged …” It’s been a rough year, hasn’t it?

Entrepreneurship Is Accelerating at the Fastest Rate in Decades During This Pandemic

This week, the Wall Street Journal reports that entrepreneurship during the pandemic is accelerating. Several metrics point to this growth, including the number of people applying for tax identification numbers. The Journal cites US Census Bureau data revealing that applications by small businesses rose nearly one-third between January and September, compared to the previous year. In particular, applications skyrocketed between July and September, rising 77 percent from the previous quarter—the biggest quarterly increase in 16 years of tracking this data.

Hey Tough Guy, I Call BS; They Will Take Your Guns from Warm Compliant Hands

For many years I have heard the tired old comments about government agents prying guns from cold dead hands. I recall a man with 300 partners on a mountain pass once said something similar, but he demonstrated through his actions that he actually meant it. I don’t think YOU really mean it. Your contemporary bravado is fine if we accept it for what it is. In truth, are YOU really THAT resolute & tough?

Section 230 Doesn’t Need “Reform”

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 is under attack — disguised as a cry for “reform” — from politicians on both sides of the “major party” aisle. To what purpose? Well, let’s look at Section 230’s key provision: “No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.”