Anarchy is the sure consequence of tyranny; for no power that is not limited by laws can ever be protected by them. – John Milton
It’s really too bad there weren’t more good Halloween-themed links this week; though I’ve featured a few over the past month only three of these are seasonally-appropriate, and the second video only accomplishes that by stretching a point in a corny (though amusing) fashion. Now, if the zombie planet orbited Wolf 359, Aldebaran or one of the Hyades I might have a different opinion…ah, well. The science/horror connection is much more interestingly explored in the link just above it, which you won’t appreciate without reading Lovecraft’s “The Call of Cthulhu” first. I reckon the holiday was overshadowed by a freakishly-large, freakishly-late tropical storm freakishly making first landfall in the media center of the world, plus the impending American presidential election; my opinion on the latter is expressed perfectly by the little girl in the first video, which came to my attention via Radley Balko (who also contributed the links down to it). Those between the videos were contributed by Jacob Sullum, Jesse Walker, Popehat, Grace (two links) and Mike Siegel (two links).
- Meanwhile, the US dumps zillions into inefficient wind farms, solar energy boondoggles, environmentally-destructive ethanol schemes…
- Federal judge rules that cops have the right to trespass on private property and install hidden cameras without a warrant.
- Cop murders two people by shooting them from a helicopter because he “suspected” they were smuggling drugs.
- This week’s edition of “Never call the cops for any reason whatsoever.”
- Cop tases 10-year-old boy for refusing to clean his police car.
- In Florida, card-playing is equivalent to a violent felony.
At this age, I thought “Frank Sinatra” was one word (like “Frankenstein”).
- Obama supporters repudiate his positions as bad and dangerous…as long as the questioner represents them as Romney’s positions.
- Every human now alive is descended from a group of roughly 1000 individuals who lived about 70,000 years ago.
- One of the Texas cops involved in the Tenaha extortion ring insists that God ordered him to rob people.
- An app for those who just can’t get enough of William Shatner.
- Well, elephants are sort of like the land equivalent of whales.
- Who is the worst civil liberties president in US history?
- Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn.
Not to be confused with The Phantom Planet:
- The federally-supported Gary, Indiana airport costs taxpayers $3 million annually and serves exactly two flights (from Sanford, Florida) per week.
- Daylight Saving Time ended in the US at 3 AM today; here are two good arguments why we should never go back on it again.
- Police chief of Oakland, California used spam filters to auto-delete emails on boring subjects like “police brutality”.
- Amsterdam’s cannabis cafés will remain open to foreigners for now.
- Would you have been accused of witchcraft?