Required reading

I'm six for 57. Only checked off six, but I'm more or less familiar with another twenty or so through a different medium (theater, movies, referenced in other books, etc.)

Not a substitute for reading the originals, of course. I've got my work cut out for me, I guess. Especially intriguing to me are these three:

Wealth of Nations - (I've only read excerpts. I'm thinking about picking up O'Rourke's book first.)

The Communist Manifesto - (Never read it though I actually have it on the hard drive in digital format. Time to bite that bullet.)

Consolation of Philosophy - (Been meaning to read this one ever since I read A Confederacy of Dunces a decade ago.)

Virginia Tech mourns

And I mourn with them. I don't really have much else to say other than that I'm supremely disappointed in the quality of news coverage. There are exceptions, though, and this story is one of them. I gave a small amount to a worthy charity in this man's name. Liviu Librescu. Remember that name. May he be remembered longer than the monster who took this hero's life.

Nice catch

... by Patrick Ruffini.

Matt Stoller: "Our tax code is the DNA of our nation's moral compass."

It is? Maybe to you. Because, well, nothing's a real solution for our society's ills unless it's a taxpayer funded solution... right?

On the value of critical thinking

Another long essay from Bill Whittle.

Part two of three, "Seeing the Unseen" is Bill's answer to why conspiracy theories never seem to go out of style. It's characteristically excellent.

Castle complete

I'm glad we sprang for the brick exterior. Vinyl siding would've looked... tacky.

In any case, the lovely Mrs. Kadnine and I are the newest residents of Lagrange, KY and we're just loving it. We can recommend without hesitation the brew and fare at The Irish Rover, Too on East Main. And most likely will have sampled every other eatery in town before getting around to grocery shopping.

We're still settling into the new digs, more later. And Happy Easter.

Invoice

Police in Tacoma want an extra half-million for doing their job.

TACOMA -- Tacoma police say last month's 12-day anti-war protests cost the city an unbudgeted $500,000 to provide a large-scale law enforcement presence.

The rough estimate covers overtime, regular compensation, equipment and food for hundreds of workers from Tacoma police and other agencies, Assistant Chief Bob Sheehan said.

The city plans to ask the Port of Tacoma and the military to cover some of the costs.

"That's a tremendous hit on our budget -- a half-million dollars of unexpected expense," said Tacoma Mayor Bill Baarsma, adding that the military would get the first invoice.

I'm hereby invoicing the city of Tacoma for reimbursement of "unexpected" costs incurred during my 17.5 twelve day periods overseas to keep Tacoma attack-free. At the going rate ($500,000 for 12 days) divided by 140,000 American servicemen in Iraq between Feb and Sep, 2003, times 17.5, I figure Tacoma owes me $625. Since I was just doing my job as a US Marine at the time, and since Tacoma owes far more to others, I'll be nice and won't charge hazardous duty rates.

Or, ya know, they could just say, "Thank you." I'd be cool with that, too.

(Via: MM)

I.Q.

Charles Murray investigates Jewish smarts for Commentary. Murray has a remarkable gift for for both clarity and sensitivity on the topic of intelligence, as I noted in January. Unlike, say, Steve Sailer who comes off as disparaging of non-whites. I really wish he'd hang his shingle away from my end of the political spectrum. I'm still researching Sailer's work (casually) for a future post devoted to him, but one thing's immediately clear; He's no Charles Murray.