I go away for a week and everything goes to shit. The morning links are totally generic, Brett gets too drunk to do afternoon links and punts… The only bright spots were contributions from the Glibertariat, some really fine articles. But the staff links… no. I’m thinking that the Glibs staff really does need adult supervision. Well, dammit, I’m back and I’m not going to wuss on you.

Before diving in, I wanted to mention a fascinating documentary that SP and I watched last night on Netflix, The Man Who Would Be Polka King, the story of Jan Lewan, a polka star who ran a Ponzi scheme (even managing to bribe the Vatican). Much better than Jaws. Three things jumped out at us, which may or may not have been intended. First, as always, the people who got taken were a combination of gullible and greedy. No one ever thought to question why someone offered them 12% (or later, 20%) interest on an investment in a market where 3-5% was the norm. The second thing was the question of why this is even a crime, rather than a civil tort (and as libertarians, our reactions were certainly, “Because government-as-Daddy”). And the third thing was that clearly the people who came across as the most evil and vindictive were the government folks- especially the ADA from Delaware who put a non-violent offender in a maximum security prison, later leading to his throat being slashed. Every time she appeared on screen, my skin crawled.

OK, sorry, this isn’t supposed to be a movie review, but after last week’s debacle, I wanted to plug a film that actually was thought-provoking and had redeeming qualities beyond a hilariously awful rubber fish. And as a hat-tip to Sloopy, I’ll mention that the Orioles, despite looking like it’s going to be a long and sucky season, came into New York and hammered the Evil Empire twice.

On the same theme as my mini-movie review, here’s more creepy government overreach. We can’t possibly have free markets or people might buy and sell things that Daddy doesn’t approve of. Plus extra vindictiveness. Really, the FBI should have been sunset out decades ago, and wiping their asses with the First Amendment is once again a demonstration that lust for power and control will always trump the oath to follow the constitution.

 

The cut of this guy’s jib, I like it.

” … (H)he chose to take the gun out and put it on the table not knowing if any of us had mental health issues,” said Lori Carter, a schoolteacher from Charlotte, N.C., told the newspaper. “What was to prevent me from leaning across the table to take that gun?”

Go ahead, Lori, give it a try. The consequences would be amusing.

 

Why do I think that this will not turn out to be quite how the WaPo is positioning it? Am I overly cynical? Hahahahaha… no. In the meantime, the Palestinian version of Emma Gonzalez is working every angle she can. Good luck with that project.

 

“Bernie beclowns himself” seems to be a consistent theme. Or is he just getting tax tips from Reverend Al? The outrage that resulted is truly the funniest part.

 

I shouldn’t find this funny. But I do. Schadenfreude is not a pretty emotion, but I’m not a pretty guy.

 

Before getting to Old Guy Music, I wanted to give a quick thanks to the KC area Glibs who joined me for a really nice evening, a welcome relief from my work tedium. That said, Old Guy Music, this time featuring the delightful Albanie Falletta, accompanied by one of my favorite bass players, Ryan Gould, and the superb J.D. Pendley on lead guitar.