Little Leon, Iowa. doesn't make the news often. Pretty quiet down there in the quasi-Ozarks of southern Iowa. So imagine our surprise to discover some sort of redneck ninja outbreak.
Now, a young woman and her three kids can be terrorized anywhere, any time; but by four guys all dressed in black armed with a bow and arrows -- plus a stun gun -- demanding guns, money, and drugs?
For once I agree with the news writer that "bizarre" is an appropriate adjective for a home invasion. There must be a whole lot more to this story than meets the eye, and I hope there's some followup reporting.
Aug 12, 2012
Aug 11, 2012
The Ayn Rand candidate
Is Atlas about to shrug? No, of course not, but it's still pleasant to read that a Contender (however slim his chances) has read the book and found its ideas compelling.
In a 2005 speech to a group of Rand devotees called the Atlas Society, (Paul) Ryan said that Rand was required reading for his office staff and interns. “The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand,” he told the group. “The fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism.”
That's music to our ancap ears even if we agree with the dreary political prophets who advise us to gird for another four years of His Ineptness and the Jacobin chorus. When a man who might some day lead the country can use the phrase individualism versus collectivism, things are not quite as bad as they might be.
But even if the anti-Obamaites find a way to win -- essentially by neutralizing the far-left northeast and the assured 78 Obama electoral votes along the Pacific coast and in Hawaii -- we're not necessarily making great libertarian/objectivist progress. Because Alan Greenspan.
As a young fellow, Alan stopped barely short of moving his clothes to Ms. Rand's closet. As an old man and the national money czar, Alan had to spend a lot of time sputtering that, yeah, objectivism was a pretty good idea, but not in the "real world."
Sic transit integrity.
---
The cite is from a New Yorker profile of Ryan. It's recommended reading for folks who still appreciate old-school magazine journalism.
In a 2005 speech to a group of Rand devotees called the Atlas Society, (Paul) Ryan said that Rand was required reading for his office staff and interns. “The reason I got involved in public service, by and large, if I had to credit one thinker, one person, it would be Ayn Rand,” he told the group. “The fight we are in here, make no mistake about it, is a fight of individualism versus collectivism.”
That's music to our ancap ears even if we agree with the dreary political prophets who advise us to gird for another four years of His Ineptness and the Jacobin chorus. When a man who might some day lead the country can use the phrase individualism versus collectivism, things are not quite as bad as they might be.
But even if the anti-Obamaites find a way to win -- essentially by neutralizing the far-left northeast and the assured 78 Obama electoral votes along the Pacific coast and in Hawaii -- we're not necessarily making great libertarian/objectivist progress. Because Alan Greenspan.
As a young fellow, Alan stopped barely short of moving his clothes to Ms. Rand's closet. As an old man and the national money czar, Alan had to spend a lot of time sputtering that, yeah, objectivism was a pretty good idea, but not in the "real world."
Sic transit integrity.
---
The cite is from a New Yorker profile of Ryan. It's recommended reading for folks who still appreciate old-school magazine journalism.
Aug 10, 2012
Aug 8, 2012
Personal note
The TMR readership is not one of the demographic segments undergoing a serious population explosion. But by God you guys are faithful, and I appreciate it, especially after the last few days of dull posts here.
Thanks for sticking around through my latest bout of Mediacom Disease. A little over a week ago Mediacomedy jiggled my wires, palpated my F connectors, and allegedly retuned a nearby signal amplifier. They promised the troubles were over, which promise they kept for slightly more than three days. I hereby withdraw, renounce, condemn, and declare null (not to mention void) my previous report on the subject.)
A tech was here again today. After the usual jiggling and palpating he called for backup. The guy guarding his six discovered and fixed a "loose connector" where my neighborhood feed mates with the main line. He said. We'll see.
I hope to repay my regulars with a little more content in my content. It was just too maddening to try to write something non-drivelly knowing there was only a meager chance of ever getting it further than the Mac end of the ethernet cable.
(The few little posts you did see were transmitted via a wimpy wireless signal that sometimes wafts across Camp J. If I knew who the rightful owner was I'd send him a sixpack in gratitude.)
Thanks for sticking around through my latest bout of Mediacom Disease. A little over a week ago Mediacomedy jiggled my wires, palpated my F connectors, and allegedly retuned a nearby signal amplifier. They promised the troubles were over, which promise they kept for slightly more than three days. I hereby withdraw, renounce, condemn, and declare null (not to mention void) my previous report on the subject.)
A tech was here again today. After the usual jiggling and palpating he called for backup. The guy guarding his six discovered and fixed a "loose connector" where my neighborhood feed mates with the main line. He said. We'll see.
I hope to repay my regulars with a little more content in my content. It was just too maddening to try to write something non-drivelly knowing there was only a meager chance of ever getting it further than the Mac end of the ethernet cable.
(The few little posts you did see were transmitted via a wimpy wireless signal that sometimes wafts across Camp J. If I knew who the rightful owner was I'd send him a sixpack in gratitude.)
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