Z Words

Ford explained, “On [that] world, the people are people. The leaders are lizards. The people hate the lizards and the lizards rule the people.”

“Odd,” said Arthur, “I thought you said it was a democracy.”

“I did,” said ford. “It is.”

“So,” said Arthur, hoping he wasn’t sounding ridiculously obtuse, “why don’t the people get rid of the lizards?”

“It honestly doesn’t occur to them,” said Ford. “They’ve all got the vote, so they all pretty much assume that the government they’ve voted in more or less approximates to the government they want.”

“You mean they actually vote for the lizards?”

“Oh yes,” said Ford with a shrug, “of course.”

“But,” said Arthur, going for the big one again, “why?”

“Because if they didn’t vote for a lizard,” said Ford, “the wrong lizard might get in.

— Douglas Adams

Deep Purple

In the car Liam asked for me to turn to Smoke on the Water. He was convinced if I flipped stations it’d be on. Makes me proud.

What?

Honey, are you google-stalking the landscaper again?

Lessig's blog about Senator Ben Nelson

“But meanwhile, we’ll be working hard to make more enemies, by making the status quo very uncomfortable. Nice was for the 90s. CHANGE was the promise for today.”

The Most Dangerous Person in the World?

This is nothing Bruce Schneier hasn’t said a million times, nor is it anything but reasonable and sensible but still the majority of us could learn a lot from it. Spending pretty much any time worrying about terrorists is not only a waste but probably actively dangerous by diverting your attention from problems that are far more likely.

This is what drives me nuts about people who constantly expound this fear in the media. Likewise for my inlaws.

Please feed the meters

My wife will sometimes pay for the person behind her on the tollway. That’s friendly and cool. Some are applying that strategy to Chicago’s ridiculous-enough-to-deserve it contractor who runs the parking meters now to be not only friendly but deprive them of ticket revenue from violations.

I have to respect that.

Sheer Awesome

Reporting at its finest. And the first comment is great as well.

NY Times Warns of Financial Ramifications

Thank you congress. If Change Congress http://change-congress.org/ had finished the work it is just now starting we wouldn’t be in this financial mess.