Lemonade Scofflaws Brought to Justice

I guess I just read the news differently from most folks.

When most people read this, they seem to think, "Those terrible police!"

Excerpt:


Television station KLTV reports that 8-year-old Andria Green and her 7-year-old sister, Zoey, will take only donations for lemonade Saturday in Overton, about 120 miles east of Dallas. 

A police officer on Monday approached the stand, which offered lemonade for 50 cents and "kettle korn" for $1. In patrol-car video, the officer can be heard asking the girls' mother, Sandi Evans, for a permit. She says she wasn't aware they needed one. 

A family friend went to City Hall to get one. Authorities waived the $150 fee, but said health department officials needed to inspect the stand. Overton's police chief says police must follow state health guidelines.


When I read it, I think, "Well, I don't fault the police.  The people that run 'em got 'em on a short leash."  (Yes, that's from Corporate Avenger.)  They have to enforce the law.  That's their job.  The law has specific meaning, and is made up of words selected by legislators, NOT the police.  These words, and not some other words, are THE law.  One law for everybody.  If it's a law, the police have to enforce it.  Not only is the police chief right, he is obviously right.

The THING.  The THING ITSELF, folks.  The law is an ass.  If you want less injustice, have fewer laws.  I don't fault the police.  And you shouldn't, either.

David Zetland and the 20/80 Rule

An amusing video from David Zetland here.

But more importantly he describes the 20/80 rule:

I use the term "20/80 rule" to separate the 20 percent who want to do the right thing from the 80 percent who don't care, but who WILL pay attention to higher prices

Behavioral/Ideological Selection?

An interesting question:  Suppose all the people who believe abortion is okay to use as birth control actually do that.  And don't have kids.

And the people who disagree...DO have kids.

Over time, might the composition of the electorate change?

Differential Fertility as a Determinant of Trends in Public Opinion about Abortion in the United States 

Alex Kevern & Jeremy Freese 
Northwestern University Working Paper, July 2014 

Abstract: Differential fertility is frequently overlooked as a meaningful force in longitudinal public opinion change. We examine the effect of fertility on abortion attitudes, a useful case study due to their strong correlation with family size and high parent-child correlation. We test the hypothesis that the comparatively high fertility of pro-life individuals has led to a more pro-life population using 34 years of GSS data (1977-2010). We find evidence that the abortion attitudes have lagged behind a liberalizing trend of other correlated attitudes, and consistent evidence that differential fertility between pro-life and pro-choice individuals has had a significant effect on this pattern. Future studies should account for differential fertility as a meaningful force of cohort replacement in studies of public opinion where parents and children are likely to share the same attitude. 

Nod to Kevin Lewis

The Fear-Industrial Complex

The people who make money from your fear, your irrational fears, would prefer you not see this.

I would prefer that you do see this.  And that's still possible....I just don't want to be called a "fear-Munger."

Gray Lady Down

The following are actual quotes from the actual Sunday New York Times. The names have not been changed to shame the guilty:


A child care book I read as a new mother encouraged parents not to dread nighttime feedings, but to embrace them as another chance to nurture their babies. We should view the fiscal cliff the same way — not as a disaster to be avoided, but an opportunity to be embraced.

 ~Christina Romer

 A quarter of those who voted in El Monte and a third of those who voted in Richmond would voluntarily impose new taxes on themselves to protect their children and themselves from sugar-sweetened beverages. I find that downright encouraging.

 ~Mark Bitman


 Bears cornerback Charles Tillman, with seven forced fumbles and two interception returns for touchdowns, will troll the backside of Chicago’s defense

 ~Judy Battista

I vote Romer as most tone deaf, Bitman as most delusional, and Battista as most unintentionally hilarious.

"Trolling the backside of Chicago's defense"?

"Hey Erlacher, my grandma has better glutes than that!"

God I hope this paper never folds, what else would I do on a Sunday morning?