SLC Little Pet 'SVO' x SLC Cherry Country 'SVO'

Citizens Oust Gangs in Japan

A culture and a nation are only as good as the principles and resolve of its citizens. So I found this story about Japanese citizens no longer tolerating criminal gangs an encouraging development. (Obviously it's only one tiny data point and no real conclusions can be drawn from it alone, but it's rare to see stories of citizens anywhere taking more responsibility, so I thought it was worth posting here.)

Tolumnia Red Berry

Want better healthcare? Try the free market.

I enjoyed this WSJ article, not only because it presents a businessman who is actually advocating policies that make business possible, but also for the concrete details on how a free market applies to the question of healthcare. A few snippets, but read the whole thing:

As most of corporate America sits on the health-care sidelines -- issuing vague statements, trying not to offend a new U.S. president -- Mr. Burd has charged into the political debate. "I'm here because health-care simply isn't a partisan issue," he says. There is what works, and what doesn't. "I'm genuinely concerned someone might try to solve this by nationalizing health care, at the moment we at Safeway have proven that it is the market that reins in costs."

[...]

Today, Safeway has accomplished what Washington claims is the goal: The company's per-capita health-care expenses have remained flat, compared to the near 40% increase experienced by the rest of corporate America over the past four years. This has not been done by cutting care or shifting costs to employees. Nearly 80% of the 30,000 nonunion Safeway workers who take part in the program rate it good, very good, or excellent.

Magic? Not even. Mr. Burd explains that the "cure for today's ills is simply removing the obstacles to a free health-care market."

Three Wolves

Sorry that I haven't had time to post anything substantive in a while, but if you're looking for a little humor, check out the reviews to this Amazon product.

Escaping to an Island

Gus Van Horn has an excellent post up on why one must engage in an intellectual battle for freedom, not simply try to run and hide. I particularly like his closing:

Principles are like maps. If I had to flee an oncoming hurricane, I'd take a good map and a working Model T over a blindfold and a Lamborghini any day. The island-builders are spending too much time ogling fancy technology and ignoring the theoretical basis that makes it -- and their lives as free men -- possible.

Yaron Brook as the Keynote Speaker at the Republican Convention

Yaron hit one out of the park at this very important venue.

SLC Jewel Box "Scheherrazade"

OActivist May 2009 Compilation

The latest compilation is now available.

C. Chocolate Drop 'Kodama' x L. Millerii 'Dr. Koopowitz Red'