On January 11th, 2013, Aaron Swartz — the wunderkind genius who contributed much to the early development of the Internet, including Reddit, Creative Commons, RSS, and more — committed suicide. He was just 26. Aaron Swartz was driven to take his own life by aggressive prosecutors enforcing tragically defective technology law, law that is still on the books. Aaron’s story is … [Read more...]
Fire Alarm, Shots Fired At Nakatomi Plaza
A Los-Angeles-based local news station reports: "Police, SWAT, and FBI are surrounding Nakatomi Plaza at this hour after a police officer was reportedly fired upon. The police officer had stopped by the building after receiving what was initially reported as a false fire alarm on the 32nd floor." It's probably nothing. … [Read more...]
Die Hard: A Christmas Movie For Libertarians
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? Film statistician Stephen Fellows cranked the numbers, looking at everything related to the film from Google hits to Die Hard posters to Wikipedia references, and he concludes that even if it wasn't intended to be a Christmas movie, "it most certainly is now." How did it get that way? Here are nine good reasons. Perhaps more importantly, Die … [Read more...]
12 Libertarian DVD Holiday Gifts Under $10
Need some quick gift ideas for that special libertarian friend? Here are twelve films currently for sale on DVD for less than $10 at Amazon. Richard Jewell Security guard Richard Jewell saves hundreds of lives from an exploding pipe bomb at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, only to be railroaded as the prime suspect by an incompetent FBI and cynical press. Based on a true … [Read more...]
Capitalist Villain In Christmas Movie Sets Record Straight
In this article from McSweeney's, Winston George Higgensbooth Sr., real estate tycoon and capitalist villain of a Hallmark Christmas movie, defends shutting down a small town's only toy shop. "So why am I a villain? Oh, right, because I believe the most valuable commercial space in town could be used for something more vital than a store solely dedicated to Santa hats. Yeah, … [Read more...]
Happy Bill Of Rights Day!
December 15th is Bill of Rights Day. I was delighted to find this short educational video performed by middle school students from the excellent Meritas private school network. It explains the Bill of Rights to the tune of Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." Teachers: The Bill of Rights Institute offers free lesson plans and activities for middle and high school students, … [Read more...]
Private Property Defended: Glitter Bombs vs. Thieves
Two million packages are stolen from porches and doorways in the US every year. Ex-NASA engineer Mark Rober is doing his bit to take on these thieves with his brilliantly-designed "glitter bombs," fake packages that explode with glitter and noxious smells, and best of all -- record the entire experience via hidden cameras. There are some definite law-enforcement possibilities … [Read more...]
George Bailey Based on Real-Life Banker: A.P. Giannini
George Bailey, the good-guy banker in Frank Capra's classic Christmas film It's a Wonderful Life, was inspired by a real-life good-guy: A.P. Giannini, the man who invented banking for the ordinary person. Giannini's life story is one of entrepreneurial legend. In the late 1800s, when banks lent only to the rich, he saw an opportunity to extend banking services to the broader … [Read more...]
Holodomor Holocaust Remembered In Four Films
Holodomor ("to kill by starvation) is what Ukrainians call the period from 1932-1933, when Stalin created a forced famine to punish the Ukraine's resistance to socialist collectivization. Estimates vary as to how many Ukrainians died, ranging from three million to twelve million. This tragedy and crime are remembered on Holomodor Remembrance Day. Here are four films to honor … [Read more...]
Thanksgiving: a Celebration of Property Rights?!
Journalist John Stossel explains how Thanksgiving would have been (and nearly was) "Starvation Day," but for a change in policy from communal planting to...private property. [4 min/ Anti-socialism, Econ 101] Reason tells the the true story of how the introduction of property rights by Governor Bradford saved the Pilgrims. [3 min/ Anti-socialism, Econ 101] The … [Read more...]