11-13-10 Hodgepodge

Official Statements

The Ayn Rand Institute has published a letter to supporters regarding the circumstances of the resignation of John McCaskey from its Board of Directors.

In addition, Leonard Peikoff, who founded ARI and is its most important supporter, has posted his own statement about the dispute that led to his judgment that John McCaskey was not qualified to sit on the Board of Directors for ARI.

Weekend Reading

"If you walked down to the U.S. Mint and started burning greenbacks, the Secret Service could arrest you. But when the Federal Reserve destroys the value of our currency, it's heralded as sound economic policy." -- Jonathan Hoenig in "Fed Plan Leaves Dollar at Risk, " at SmartMoney

"Disagreeing over money is one thing, but fighting over money is always a mistake." -- Michael Hurd in "Money and Marriage," at DrHurd.com

The Coming War on Bacon

One casualty in the long-brewing government war on salt may soon be the flavor of ham and bacon:

For normal, healthy people who eat in moderation, these new regulations just serve to ruin good food and raise the risk of food poisoning and contamination. The nanny state faction has no part of choice -- I remember listening to a Republican-appointed Surgeon General rant about the dangers of soda pop -- but is unanimous in its belief that citizens are too stupid to take care of themselves.

This is just the latest of many attempts to excuse the state issuing orders to individuals on the basis that scientific findings somehow justify them.

Tip for Game Show Producers

Don't use puzzles that too closely resemble what might commonly bubble to the surface of a contestant's mind.

-- CAV