The internet says I agree with Ron Paul

Via Dan, check out Glassbooth, it's a decent political survey tool. I scored

Ron Paul - 81% - Huckabee - 68% - McCain 62%

Medical Marijuana and Drug Policy very similar
Trade and Economics very similar
Taxes and Budget very similar
Gun Control very similar
Civil Liberties and Domestic Security similar
Iraq and Foreign Policy very different

How about y'all?

All politics is door to door

I got my first door to door Ron Paul campaigner today. He was a nice guy, he said I was the first guy he'd met in our neighborhood who intended to vote for Ron Paul on Tuesday.

Lost sleep and mixed blessings

So, my week continues to suffer, as I've been going on less than two hours a day of sleep for since Sunday. Work however goes very well. On the political front, both Guiliani and Edwards have dropped out of the race, and I got my first robocall from the Ron Paul campaign.

Monday night rapid fire

• A photographer in Seattle wins a lawsuit against police for eighty thousand. His offense? Taking pictures of police doing public work in a public place. I think law enforcement is heading for a meltdown that will leave everyone worse off, which will be the topic of a much longer post as soon as I get time.
• David Friedman with more on the Ron Paul affair, it's a good examination of self selection and rhetoric.
• David Friedman again with one of the best blog posts I've seen on religion in quite a while.
  

Quick links while compiling

• A good NYT profile of Michael Yon
• The Reason-Ron Paul smackdown
  

That's it for now. Work has still been crazy...

An amusing Ron Paul profile

By Tucker Carlson of all people. He's periodically interesting, and I like him for no other reason than for saying to Paul Krugman (after he predicted yet another recession due to some conspiracy theory) "You see, that's why it's so hard to take you seriously". He also broke the Bush 43 -Karla Fay Tucker execution story.

Anyway, here is the article. Some choice quotes

The crowds at Ron Paul rallies aren't coming to be entertained. Stylistically, a Paul speech is about as colorful as a tax return. He is the only politician I've ever seen who doesn't draw energy from the audience; his tone is as flat at the conclusion as it was at the beginning. There are no jokes. There's no warm-up, no shout-out to local luminaries in the room, no inspiring vignettes about ordinary Americans doing their best in the face of this or that bad thing. In fact, there are virtually none of the usual political clichés in a Paul speech. Children may be our future, but Ron Paul isn't admitting it in public.

For some people, libertarianism is the philosophical justification for a zany personal life. Paul, by contrast, describes his hobbies as gardening (roses and organic tomatoes) and "riding my bicycle." He has never had a cigarette. He doesn't swear. He limits his drinking to an occasional glass of wine and goes to church regularly. He has been married to the same woman for 50 years. Three of their five children are physicians.
...
Ron Paul is deeply square, and every bit as deeply committed to your right not to be.

Evolution, Ron Paul, etc

I was going to write a post about the evolution vs creationism debate, specifically about this post, but why? Granted, a lot of people really do care about their side of the debate, but what they really like doing is nagging other people about a matter with no consequences at all. What makes it more interesting is that no one denies the basic theory (adaptation, survival of the fittest, etc) but the origins of life are in question.

The religious impulse is strong in a high percentage of people, whether they believe in a higher power or not.

John Mayer supports Ron Paul

Sorority hearththrob John Mayer seems to be a Ron Paul supporter. I suppose he'll make inroads in new arenas now Some friends of mine used to play with him many years ago at open mics here in Atlanta.

If only he could get Merle Haggard, he'd be set.

Monday links

• Fertility rate in US on upswing
• This post on Ron Paul from Col. Lang, featuring the lovely line "citadels of exalted brooding". I saw the interview he mentions as well and got the same impression; namely that Russert was trying to rapid fire the questions enough to get him to trip up and say something that could be easily misinterpreted. It's not like Paul is hiding what he believes, or that it's not controversial in his version. Lame. A bit reminiscent of Ace in the Hole.
  
• This Matt Yglesias post on the same interview
• This is a nice web app
  

A good Ron Paul interview

Ron does well in extended interviews. Here is one with Glenn Beck (who doesn't know the difference between a debt and a deficit, fyi).

Incidentally, Andrew Sullivan has endorsed Ron Paul also.

It's been a light blogging week

But a heavy work week. For your reading pleasure, check out

• An NYPD detective commits perjury for no obvious reason, the matter seemed inconsequential. It's a bad omen for the current state of law enforcement.
• Check out this Ron Paul post, featuring the interesting line, "Rubble doesn't make trouble"
  

Tuesday links

• Iraq vets take lemons and make.... something.
• Delphine LaLurie - very creepy
• Time management
• I do believe I'll be building these bookshelves
• Ron Paul - comic book president
• Putting Bush on Mt Rushmore - be sure to read this one from Scott Adams
  

Ron Paul Spam

Check out this article from Ars Technica on the source of all the Ron Paul spam you've probably been getting.

Thursday rapid fire

• The Ron Paul Blimp - really!
• Chet Richards on Decision Cycle Speed
• An online chat with Reason Magazine editors about Ron Paul, notable ending quote

  And remember as we go into that dark night that is the American election season that you can't abort a fetus with nuclear arms

• An ergonomic way to set up your computer desk
• Ottok Photography
  

Tuesday link roundup

• Advice from your public defender (best of Craig's List)
  
• Why we should hang out: a mathematical proof, this sounds like something I would do actually
• Interesting post on academic taboos from David Friedman
• Another blog post about Sarah Stever, from one of my realtors actually
• Ron Paul Facts, my favorite -

  Ron Paul has been shot at more than a dozen times, but the
  

  "pro- 2nd Amendment" bullets refuse to harm him.

A good one from the Agitator

From this Ron Paul post

So here's my question: Why do candidates who propose abolishing federal agencies get painted as fringe wackjobs, while candidates who propose we create multiple new ones are viewed as inspiring visionaries?

Candidate A says, "This cabinet-level federal agency isn't working, and hasn't in the 30 years of its existence, despite an ever-increasing budget. Let's abolish it and save the taxpayers money." Candidate B says, "This cabinet-level federal agency isn't working, and hasn't in the 30 years of its existence, despite an ever-increasing budget. Let's spend more money on it!"

In a weird coincidence

Both the Sex Pistols and their small-government, country doctor equivalent, Ron Paul, will be on the Tonight Show tonight. We'll see who the crowd reacts to more...

Ron Paul gets annoying

Or his supporters do anyway. I got two spams this morning telling me how only Ron Paul can save us from the coming dark age. The fact that he has fans among the 9-11 truth movement is troubling, though I know of no evidence that he sympathizes with that weirdness.

Now I find out...

After complaining for years about how I have nothing in common with my neighbors, today I find out that one of my neighbor's loves to talk politics and is a fellow Ron Paul supporter. Pesky lopsided timing...

Ever more Ron Paul

A good performance by Dr Paul on the Colbert Report - Colbert did raise some of his less popular positions, which Paul endorsed with some gusto. Curiously no one has mentioned that he was the Libertarian Party nominee in 1988.