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LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSIONPosted by Ron Coleman on January 25, 2008
Glenn Reynolds, writing about the dustup at Brandeis over this letter (“marked up” here):
And I think that false charges of racism aimed at a professor today are like false charges of unchastity or “loathsome disease” aimed at a woman in 1890 — libelous per se.
I like his thinking here a lot. But why only professors?
Posted in Lex scripta, Oppression | 2 Comments »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 24, 2008
Joel Waldfogel explains how Tiger Woods is so good, other golfers hardly even bother trying.
What does this mean for the nongolfing world? It’s generally agreed that people work harder when they are paid for performance. Anyone who has ever languished in a Paris cafe—where service compris translates roughly as “the Republic of France mandates a minimum 15 percent tip regardless of service quality”—can appreciate the power of incentives. But the effects of incentives appear to be muted when the incentives are based on relative performance and the competition is tough. We’re taught that quitters never win, but if the evidence from golf is any indication, it might be more accurate, if less pithy, to say that expected losers are more likely to quit, or at least not perform as well. If you’re running a business, and you have the opportunity to hire the Tiger Woods of office work, you’re not going to pass up the chance. But Brown’s study suggests you might want to consider its effect on your other workers’ performance. Steak knives might not cut it as second prize.
Everybody has to feel he’s got a fighting chance.
Posted in Heart and spirit, Scientificus, Sisyphus | 1 Comment »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 24, 2008
The Kvetcher says energy independence is a “Jewish issue.”
Then again, he also thinks I’m a libertarian, evidently, so huge grain of salt with that matzah ball, okay?
Posted in Blogophilia, Stragety | 3 Comments »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 24, 2008
The Spanish government wants its dubloons and stuff back. Remember the treasure-hunting ship that claimed salvage rights in a ship with half a billion dollars worth of gold coins from a sunken Spanish ship from a gazillion years ago? Spain says, “What salvage rights?!”
On June 6, El Pais, Spain’s biggest newspaper, ran an editorial headlined “Pirates of the 21st Century.”
“Almost as if it were back to the times of corsairs and freebooters, the new pirates of this century continue to besiege our galleons despite the fact they have been lying at the bottom of the seas for centuries immersed in an eternal sleep,” it said. “How is Spain to defend itself against such a violation of its archaeological and historic patrimony?”
A little over the top, no, Señor? At a certain point you guys didn’t even consider writing this one down?
It’s a lot more complicated than either side readily suggests.
Posted in Lex scripta, Sisyphus | 4 Comments »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 24, 2008
Orin Kerr about conservatives, judges and the horror of McCain-Feingold:
Perhaps a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, but I would think that this methodology as applied to campaign finance would lead a truly consistent conservative judge to be inclined to uphold McCain Feingold under old fashioned Thayeresque principles of judicial restraint, regardless of the merits of such legislation as a matter of policy.
He’s taking some heat over this, but it really does come down to the old question of what is a “conservative judge”: A judge whose decisions would be appreciated by conservatives because they hearken back to first principles? Or a judge who judges in a conservative fashion?
Choose which “c”‘s to capitalize yourself.
Posted in Lex scripta | 1 Comment »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 23, 2008
Why would you want to leave the thanking of paying customers to… your garbage receptacle?
Even if you’re going to thank them yourself, as they did in this restaurant tonight after I scarfed down my lonely slices of kosher pizza, why would you want the garbage pail to even be engaging your clients on the gratitude plane?
I like a nice clean garbage can that doesn’t try to insinuate itself into any of my emotional matrices, okay?
Posted in Uncategorized | 9 Comments »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 23, 2008
I am not anywhere near the bottom of the laziness curve. But what possible justification is there for a person who is not an invalid or otherwise unable to move for standing still on a down escalator?
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 23, 2008
The ascent of Barack Obama from state senator in Illinois to a leading contender for the Presidential nomination in the span of just a few years is remarkable. Especially in light of a noticeably unremarkable record — a near-blank slate of few accomplishments and numerous missed votes.However, in one area of foreign policy that concerns millions of Americans, he does have a record and it is a particularly troubling one. For all supporters of the America-Israel relationship there is enough information beyond the glare of the klieg lights to give one pause. In contrast to his canned speeches filled with “poetry” and uplifting aphorisms and delivered in a commanding way, behind the campaign façade lies a disquieting pattern of behavior.
This will be interesting. Hat tip to Craig Karpel.
Posted in Politics and Poker | 6 Comments »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 22, 2008
How to Beat the Conservative Blues
- “Rush Limbaugh Is in a Funk and Someone’s Gonna Pay”–headline, LATimes.com, Jan. 22
- “Rush will play June 27 at the Marcus Amphitheater. Tickets cost $40-$75, plus fees.”–PostCrescent.com (Appleton, Wis.), Jan. 21
Now there’s a concept for you.
Posted in Jocularity | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Ron Coleman on January 22, 2008
Robert A. George on Fred Thompson:
On the bright side, he is now free to try and get back his Manhattan DA job.
Which was, as I said, pretty much always his main qualification for this job, anyway.
Posted in Ars Longa, Politics and Poker | Leave a Comment »
