Quick Hitts

The New York Legislature is considering a bill that would make it a criminal offense for restaurant chefs to add salt to food. Yes, you read that right.  Once again, the absurdity of real life makes satire obsolete.
This is exactly what happens when you let the nanny camel get its nose in the tent.
It started, [...]

Back in 1978 F. Paul Wilson wrote Lippidleggin’, a short story about a farmer bootlegging butter and eggs, which had been banned to improve everyone’s health.  I’m guessing that back then most people thought it was entertaining, but silly.
Back in 2007, with the author’s permission, I did a reading of the story for an episode [...]

This video is getting sent all over the place.  It’s already more popular than Sex With Ducks.

This guy isn’t a one hit wonder; he’s done quite a few very funny, well done parodies.
You won’t fully appreciate the next one unless you’ve heard the original.  Not only is Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus Take The Wheel”  filled with [...]

A couple of weeks ago I noted a new tactic from Obamacare fans: writing off the arguments against it, and the people making those arguments, as stupid.  The Sunday Times Union, known to locals as the Times Useless, featured an article berating questions about socialized medicine (of course he didn’t call it that) as dumb [...]

Once again Big Brother is mucking around in the market, and once again the consequences are horrible.  Trade in your old gas guzzler for a new car and your Uncle will suck money out of your fellow tax payers’ pockets and stuff it in yours.
For cars a 4 MPG increase gets you the $3500 bonus, [...]

I recently received a link to the latest Nicotine Nazi handbook (PDF).  It provides detailed, step by step plan these spineless goobers can use to coerce Big Brother into to imposing their will on business owners.
I usually try to be witty and pithy in these columns, working in the clever metaphor or silly pun, but [...]

Among the many reasons I remain skeptical about Global Warming – excuse me, Climate Change – are the veracity and agendas of those promoting it.  Government, non-government and quasi-government organizations (like the UN) are spreading fear at every opportunity while jumping on the chance to grow their power and income.
The EPA has been a junk [...]

The FDA wants to classify Cheerios as a drug.  Really.
Cheerios claims they reduce cholesterol by 4%, and therefore help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.  This led the FDA to send them a letter that said, “Based on claims made on your product’s label we have determined (Cheerios) is promoted for conditions that cause [...]

While right-leaning opinions have always been available, the mass media has been predominately lefty for the past half century.  People on the right think it’s more lefty than it is, but that’s understandable – where you stand on the political wheel determines your perception of the other sides’ position.
But the ever efficient marketplace changed all [...]

Several people sent me this article by Michael Moore.  Once again he proves that he’s not just a genus, he’s a Super Genius, on a par with Wile E. Coyote.
He starts out expressing nearly orgasmic joy at the failure of GM.  He pretends he’s not really all that happy, but we can practically hear his [...]

I meant to post about this when it happened a couple of weeks ago.   Today I was reminded about it by a catalog from JR Cigars, announcing the 54% tax increase on cigars.
Obama promised none of his tax increases would hit the poor or middle class.  He lied.  Surprise surprise.
SCHIP was originally intended to provide [...]

For decades congress has been demanding that Detroit produce politically correct cars that no one wants.  But now Big Brother has the Big Three by the short and curlies, which gives them a dangerous amount of pull.  Be prepared for small, ugly, dangerous and uncomfortable vehicles that will solve the problem of automobile pollution becuase [...]

When people say “It’s a free country,” I always ask where they live, because it sure isn’t the US.
I’m old enough to remember when the United States was a fairly free country, but these days just keeping track of all the assaults on our freedoms and civil rights is a full time job. And [...]

First, check out this e-bay feedback page. Note the stuff this guy is selling.  The oldest feedback available there dates to Nov 22, 2006. 
Pretty impressive, right?  Guess where he got it all that fine stuff.  Your luggage. 
As reported on Gadling, this guy, paid from your tax dollars to keep you safe, had no [...]

When Elvis was alive there were only a few professional Elvis impersonators. A few years after his death there were hundreds, then thousands. The old joke was that if the trend continued, by the turn of the century we would all be Elvis.
Old jokes never die. They often become reborn as [...]

The party who wants to tell you how to live every facet of your life (as opposed to the other party who wants to tell you how to live every other facet of your life) has published their guidelines for catering at the national convention.
Fried food is prohibited. No fried anything. They’re promoting [...]

If you want to go fishing in any of the Great Lakes, be sure to have your passport. And to fax in all your ID info to customs an hour before you leave. And then visit customs afterward to have your photographs taken, along with a sliver of your dignity.
These are new rules [...]

A high school project in New Jersey asked teens to design public policy.  They designed one that requires Big Brother to punish kids for making incorrect decisions, proving that government schools are doing a fine job of raising the next generation of sheep.
The new bill would fine kids caught possessing tobacco or smoking in public [...]

Playmoble has introduced a new toy that will help kids experience the Big Brother state we’re living in – The Playmoble Security Check Point.

Lots of smart ass commentary springs to mind, but I’ve been beaten to the punch by the reviewers at Amazon.

I’m on too many mailing lists and get too many newsletters. I just skim most of them. One of the few that I always read all the way through are the Downsize DC mailings. They’re always well written and informative, and often maddening because of the information they contain.
This one was so good I [...]