Hence, the less government we have, the better,–the fewer laws, and the less confided power. The antidote to this abuse of formal Government, is, the influence of private character, the growth of the Individual; the appearance of the principal to supersede the proxy; the appearance of the wise man, of whom the existing government, is, it must be owned, but a shabby imitation. – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Writer Neil Gaiman is promoting a new campaign called All Hallows Read, and it’s easy to participate; all you have to do is give somebody a scary book for Halloween. That’s it. No forms to fill out, no signs to carry, no rhetoric to spew; just give someone – anyone – a book. He talks about it a little in the first video below, while a suitably seasonal tableau unfolds behind him. He also provided the first link below the video and this 2004 essay on one of his favorite films, which also happens to be one of mine. Every link between this paragraph and the first video was provided by the indefatigable Radley Balko, and those between the two videos arrived courtesy of Gaiman, Brooke Magnanti, Mike Siegel, Amy Alkon, Marty Klein, Franklin Harris, Aspasia and Chi Mgbako, in that order. The second video, which comes to us via Marc Randazza, features the Reverend Dr. Phil Snyder making a Biblical argument on a gay rights ordinance in Springfield, Missouri; make sure you watch it all the way to the end. Finally, the link just after the essay by Ken White of Popehat was also provided by Ken.
- I’m sure everyone will agree that a young man’s life and the enormous settlement this is going to cost the taxpayers are not too high a price to pay for keeping people from the dreadful crime of possessing leaves.
- Detroit cops murder one caged dog and two fleeing ones, just for fun.
- A Chinese herbal medicine may yield a potent anti-cancer drug.
- The recrudescence of the concept of “sedition”.
- Welcome to our world, Houston drivers.
- I call Poe on this.
- Instant karma.
- UK cop tases blind man, claiming to have mistaken his cane for a katana.
- The 17th-century precursor of Snopes, Mythbusters & The Straight Dope.
- Another letter from a favorite author, this time Edgar Rice Burroughs.
- Oregon woman’s hamster taken into protective custody.
- French condom ads are definitely creative, if vulgar.
- This could be the start of a wonderful trend.
- Calling all night owls.
- Baby steps.
- Cop threatened to arrest 17-year-old boy and “ruin his life” unless the boy gave him a blow job; state allowed him to plead guilty to “bribery”.
- Ken White on recent events involving Reddit, Gawker and anonymity.
- Texas game warden “investigates” man who ate a dead bird.
- When madmen rule, only comedy dares to speak the truth.
- Why firing a bad cop is damn near impossible.
- Good riddance to bad rubbish.