People are sometimes shocked that I'm wary of laws requiring sex offenders to register. How could I possibly object to alerting communities about rapists and child molesters? Because the laws are written by grandstanding legislators, and grandstanding legislators are often stupid and callous, and stupid, callous legislators are a much greater threat than some sex offenders. … [Read more...] about When is a Sex Offender not a Sex Offender?
Jim Ramstad as Drug Czar?
I've been avoiding commenting on Obama's rumored picks for his administration. I figure there's no point speculating how bad they might be when in a few months we'll know for sure how bad they are. However, I really have to say something about the rumors he wants to put Jim Ramstad in as Drug Czar. Actually, I'll let Maia Szalavitz say it: There is one issue that has … [Read more...] about Jim Ramstad as Drug Czar?
Randazza Meets the TSA
Marc Randazza lives an interesting life: They open the bag, and see that I'm traveling with exactly one t-shirt, one toothbrush, one pair of socks, a pair of underwear, and 50 porn movies, which they lay out on the table one by one. Whole story here. … [Read more...] about Randazza Meets the TSA
Privacy Thieves on the Subway
A few days ago the Washington Times had an editorial about the new random bag search policy their police are using on the Metro subways. It was mentioned in Flex Your Rights email message I just received, and while I normally don't jump at stories this old, the cluelessness is so astonishing I had to say something. The group Flex Your Rights is not only opposed to the … [Read more...] about Privacy Thieves on the Subway
Typealyze This
The folks behind the Typealyzer web site claim to be able to analyze the text of a blog and determine things about the personality of the author, and presumably the readers as well. I ran it on Windypundit and here's how it describes us: ISTP - The Mechanics The independent and problem-solving type. They are especially attuned to the demands of the moment are masters of … [Read more...] about Typealyze This