Tom Liberman

What is right and anyone else's opinion! ;)
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  • Tom Liberman
don-denkinger-bad-call

Self-Refereeing and North Carolina vs Gonzaga Apr 4, 2017

I did not watch the NCAA Basketball Championship game between Gonzaga and North Carolina but the articles in the various sports websites I visit seemed to indicate that the referees intruded fairly heavily. This usually means they called a lot of fouls. There are two points of view on this. One is that officials should let the players play the game. This means not calling many fouls. The problem there is when the players realize the officials aren't going to call anything other than obvious fouls they start to play outside the rules of the game. Things can get ugly...

By Tom Liberman Vote1 0
internet-browsing-privacy

Privacy in Browsing History Government v Capitalism Apr 1, 2017

People are up in arms because Congress granted Internet Service Providers the ability to sell the browsing history of users. Well, that's not exactly what happened. In 2016 the Federal Communication Commission began enforcing a rule preventing ISPs from selling such information. Congress just repealed that rule. The major ISPs have now come out with a statement saying they will never do so. Here we have in brilliant technicolor the problem with government regulations. Anything the government can do, they can undo with the swipe of pen. Any law they pass to support one thing, can oppose that same thing when...

By Tom Liberman Vote1 0
sherri-papini

Extraordinary Claims and Sherri Papini Mar 31, 2017

I don't know how many of you remember the Sherri Papini story from November of 2016 but there is an interesting update to the supposed events that transpired. What I want to talk about today is the old adage that skeptics embrace: An extraordinary claim require extraordinary proof. I can say, as do the commenters on the updated story, that I was pretty skeptical of Papini's story from the start. It was filled with extraordinary claims and there appeared to be little evidence to support it. Nevertheless, she received quite a bit of sympathy. We certainly don't know that her...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 1
hollywood-production-code

Lessons from the Demise of the Motion Picture Production Code Mar 31, 2017

Thanks to Bing Search I learned today the Motion Picture Production Code, more commonly known as the Hays Code, was first put into effect eight-seven years ago. It stayed in place for about thirty years before it eventually was replaced with the rating system movies use to this day. The lesson I'd like to talk about today is why the code failed. Before we get to that, let's find out what it was and why it was created. Basically the code restricted all sorts of things from being depicted in movies. The list of banned items included any non-reverent mention of god,...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 0
john-kasich-opioid-laws

The Fools Rush to Limit Opioid Prescription Length Mar 31, 2017

Governor John Kasich and the legislature of Ohio just joined Governor Chris Christie and New Jersey in limiting the length of prescriptions for Opioids to one week. Of the new law Kasich said, We all need to stick our noses into somebody else's business. Before I go on a Libertarian induced rage rant let's examine why this is happening. Pharmaceutical companies have been pumping out enormous amounts of opioids like fentanyl and doctors have been prescribing them in equally large numbers. While the authorities have been quite aggressive about jailing opioid dealers who aren't pharmaceutical companies and doctors they have largely allowed...

By Tom Liberman Vote4 0
Raiders_Stadium_artist_rendering

NFL Referees Allowed in Vegas but why were they Banned? Mar 27, 2017

The National Football League owners just voted to allow the Oakland Raiders and owner Mark Davis to move the team to Las Vegas. I'm not surprised. There is more money to be made in Las Vegas than in Oakland in the same way there was more money to be had in Los Angeles than St. Louis. I'm not here as a snowflake St. Louis Rams fan to condemn the greed of the NFL owners. What I want to talk about is the rule preventing league officials from entering the city of Las Vegas during the season. That's right, prior to the...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 0
vitamins-supplements

Are Vitamins Worth Purchasing? Mar 27, 2017

The Annals of Internal Medicine recently posted an editorial pretty much blasting the use of multivitamins and supplements. I originally came across the study in an article from Business Insider and the comment section was pretty universal in condemnation of the story. I've long felt that supplements and vitamins were a waste of money and almost universally placebos but the recent studies and this article seems to affirm my opinions. Wikipedia also confirms this idea. It is important to note that the studies do not address what are called micronutrient deficiencies. Those who suffer from such deficiencies benefit greatly from vitamins...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 0
Badlands_in_South_Dakota

Closing Liquor Stores in Whiteclay to Solve Alcoholism Mar 25, 2017

I just read a terrible story about a little town in Nebraska that serves one purpose. It supplies alcohol to Native Americans living just across the border in South Dakota at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Whiteclay has a population of 14 and four liquor stores and the stores sell about 13,000 cans of beer a day. These sales result in a contribution of nearly half a million dollars to the state coffers of Nebraska. This does not include revenue from the thousands of DUI tickets given to drivers leaving the town. At least some of the beer is sold to bootleggers...

By Tom Liberman Vote3 1
community_paintball_explosion

Chevy Chase, Community, Hate, and Success Mar 25, 2017

I was browsing through some of the glorious paintball clips of the television show Community on YouTube when I came across this video. It reminded me one of the show's stars, Chevy Chase, hated being on the show and most of the cast and creator were not particular fond of him. If Chase hated being on the show and most of the people he worked with didn't like him, how was the show so hysterically funny? How was Chase so good? How did the other actors create comedy gold in scenes with him? How did the show runner produce hilarious episodes one...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 0
Nick-Saban

Nick Saban Rants about Summer Camps but it’s Really all about being a Libertarian Mar 22, 2017

I just read an interesting story at ESPN about how Nick Saban gave a press conference in which he is quite angry. The main rant seems to involve assumptions about his offensive plans for the upcoming season but later he gets to a topic that touches this Libertarian's heartstrings. Rules created to prevent some perceived wrong that end up hurting far more people than they help. At issue is my favorite target, the NCAA. College football teams like Alabama hold summer camps for young players. This allows said teams to gain personal relationships with players that often translate to scholarships...

By Tom Liberman Vote1 1
eminent_domain

Eminent Domain and the Border Wall Mar 16, 2017

The Border Wall. It's a fairly big news story. President Trump would like to spend some billions of dollars to build a wall between Mexico and the United States in order to prevent illegal aliens from crossing over. Much of this land is not owned by the government and they would therefore have to purchase it. It's quite likely that many of the people who own this land aren't going to want to sell. The solution is something called Eminent Domain. In essence, The Federal Government and State Government has the right to simply purchase the land for a fair...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 0
anita-krajnc-water-pigs

Anita Krajnc and Giving Water to Pigs Mar 11, 2017

There's an interesting case about to be adjudicated in Ontario, Canada in which a woman named Anita Krajnc poured water into a truck full of pigs heading to slaughter from Fearmans Pork. She is only charged with a misdemeanor charge of mischief and the case is not exactly earth shattering but it demonstrates a fundamental problem, as I see it, with our general society these days. What we have is two groups who seem to be, at a cursory glance, at complete and total opposite ends of a spectrum. Krajnc belongs to a group called Toronto Pig Save and Fearmans Pork makes...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 0
cursive-writing

Why Should the Government Mandate Cursive Writing in Schools? Mar 6, 2017

The answer is simple. They shouldn't. Yet it's a trend that just added Alabama and Mississippi and which already includes fourteen states. Fourteen states think the government should mandate spending time to learn something that is largely useless in modern society. There is little need of cursive writing but for some reason legislators and, judging by the comment section, lots and lots of regular folks, approve of these laws. Those who support such measures make any number of claims including the ideas that it helps students think through ideas, helps creativity, it helps train the mind, and helps grammar. The...

By Tom Liberman Vote3 1
war-on-drugs

Jeff Sessions Believes Violence Follows Marijuana Sales Because of Unpaid Debt Feb 28, 2017

"You can't sue somebody for a drug debt. The only way to get your money is through strong-arm tactics, and violence tends to follow that." That is the quote from the Attorney General of the United States in regards to marijuana legalization. What else is there to say? How stupid is he? Or does he just think those who support him are stupid? Is it possible he doesn't realize that in states where marijuana is legal that you can sue for debt and thus violence is completely unnecessary? Is it possible that he doesn't realize the vast majority of violence...

By Tom Liberman Vote4 2
moana-hope

In some Countries a Speeding Ticket for a Sports Star is a Big Deal Feb 28, 2017

I'm fairly certain that most of my readers are aware that I love sports. I fell in love with Australian Rules football a few years back when it was broadcast on ESPN3. I still follow the sport and something happened this weekend that makes me think. Two players in the game, one a man and one a woman, were caught speeding. If you say big deal then it's likely you are much like me and completely inured to sports stars behaving badly here in the United States. In Australia it's a big story. Both players are facing serious trouble and...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 0
constitution

I’ll Use Our Second Amendment Rights to Defend our First Amendment Rights Feb 19, 2017

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. I want to be as clear as possible about the First Amendment. The freedom of media to report as they will without fear of retribution from the government is vital to the survival of this great nation and of This Great Experiment. The media must be allowed to tell the story; the true story, the false...

By Tom Liberman Vote3 0
kyrie-irving

Before you Laugh at Kyrie Irving and Flat Earth Examine What you Believe without Evidence Feb 18, 2017

Who was it that said something about casting stones? There's an article all over the news today about a basketball player named Kyrie Irving who believes the earth is flat. The comment section is filled with scorn. The same commenters who generally flood stories with absolute belief in many things without any supporting evidence. President Obama banned the pledge of allegiance. President Trump vacationed with Vladimir Putin before the election. 90% of the Ninth Circuit Court Decisions are Overturned by the Supreme Court. Richard Gere and the Gerbil. All these things are nonsense and yet the very people calling Kyrie Irving all sorts...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 1
censored

Censored for Sex, Marry, Kill on the Washington Post Feb 16, 2017

I have been censored! My rights stripped from me like so many pasties from an exotic dancer. I demand satisfaction. I demand action. I demand a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter cups, mmm, delicious peanut butter cups. Wait, distracted, sorry, I've been wronged I tell you, wronged! Congress I need your help. Congressman Jason Chaffetz an investigation must be ordered. This is big, huge, enormous. There is a story about some teachers who were playing Fuck-Marry-Kill while imbibing drinks at a local restaurant. For those who are unaware of this delightful pastime I will explain the rules. Three people or things...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 0
senator-tom-cotton

Removing Competition the Immigration Way Feb 8, 2017

Senators Tom Cotton and David Perdue don't like competition. Spin it how you will but this Libertarian will not stand silent. They are wrong and somebody needs to tell them. I think I'm the guy! The situation is relatively simple. With the election of Donald Trump a wave of Protectionist policies have swept through Congress. Cotton and Perdue want to limit the number of immigrants coming into this country annually from one million to half that. Why? In their words: Cotton said his goal was to stop competition that lowers wages for workers without high school or college degrees. "Unless...

By Tom Liberman Vote1 0
breezewood-pa

Breezewood PA Clashes with the Objectivist Idea of Self-Interest Feb 8, 2017

Self-Interest. That's the mantra of this Objectivist. When I act in my own self-interest I help those around me. Now I read about the interstate near a place called Breezewood, Pennsylvania and it brings the philosophy into question. Let me explain. Breezewood is a community that exists largely because there is a connecting road missing. Highway I-70 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike almost intersect at Breezewood ... but they don't. The reason they don't is because travelers who want to get from one interstate to the other can't do so without exiting one, driving through town amidst an almost constant traffic jam,...

By Tom Liberman Vote2 2

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