Attention NYC PEOPLES!

I’ve been asked (on short notice) to fill in for a speaker that had to cancel.

if you are free Thursday night, come see me talk about Time Management for System Administrators:
http://www.unigroup.org/

Dinner and social stuff will follow!

TomTheDancingBug explains

“I’m just a bill. Yes I’m only a bill”-like cartoon explaining the role of the supreme court:

http://www.ucomics.com/tomthedancingbug/2005/11/12/

What's wrong with libertarianism

I’ve been meaning to write an article with that title for so long (except it was going to be titled, “Libertarians are a bunch of pussies”) but now someone has written a better article. Much more informed, better researched, and it doesn’t stoop to name-calling. In fact, he never uses the word “pussies”.

There are a bunch of things I’d like to quote, but when I was done reading the article this was in my cut-n-paste buffer:

Perhaps the most communicable libertarian meme-- and one of the most mischievous-- is the attempt to paint taxation as theft.

First, it’s dishonest. Most libertarians theoretically accept government for defense and law enforcement. (There are some absolutists who don’t even believe in national defense; I guess they want to have a libertarian utopia for awhile, then hand it over to foreign invaders.)

Now, national defense and law enforcement cost money: about 22% of the 2002 budget-- 33% of the non-social-security budget. You can’t swallow that and maintain that all taxes are bad. At least the cost of those functions is not “your money”; it’s a legitimate charge for necessary services.

Americans enjoy the fruits of public scientific research, a well-educated job force, highways and airports, clean food, honest labelling, Social Security, unemployment insurance, trustworthy banks, national parks. Libertarianism has encouraged the peculiarly American delusion that these things come for free. It makes a philosophy out of biting the hand that feeds you.

http://www.zompist.com/libertos.html

What I did this weekend

It’s amazing that it’s possible to just “fly to Epcot” for a day. I mean, 100 years ago you couldn’t fly anywhere, and you certainly wouldn’t travel all the way to Florida just for a weekend. Amazing.

Friday I flew to Florida. Checked into the Park Plaza Hotel in Winter Park, Florida. It’s a very cute, antique hotel. Sadly, that meant very few power outlets and no internet access. However, when you wake up you can call them and they bring complimentary breakfast in bed (coffee, juice, muffins). There was a basket of apples, cheese and crackers when I got there.

Saturday morning I went to Panera to use their WiFi and eat. Les Lloyd came in around 8am and we had breakfast together. We walked to Rollins and met his class. I was guest lecturer and spoke on “Security vs. Convenience”. This is the third year in a row I’ve lectured for him and I think this was the first time I was really, really happy with my slides. The class is 8 hours long and I hung out for the whole thing. I enjoyed watching their presentations.

Saturday night I had dinner with softlywhispered and Ian. We walked around Winter Park, Fl. It’s a lovely town.

Then we went out to some clubs and did some late-night shopping.

Sunday I got picked up by zedrikcayne and geminigirl and we went to Epcot. This was the last day of their “Food and Wine Festival”. We had food. We drank wine. Since i wouldn’t have to drive, I drank a lot. It was quite a thrill to be tipsy at a Disney park for some reason.

Epcot has this new attraction called “Space” which, I swear, was the best simulation I’ve ever been on. I was honestly convinced that I was in space. It made the whole trip worth while.

They drove me to the airport and I had plenty of time to go through security (which had an uncharacteristically short line for once... Orlando is really bad) and then the plane was late, so we could have spent even more time at Epcot. I was early enough to be bumped up to First Class. I was sitting next to this rich grandmother with her daughter and grandson. The woman spoke about things that made it apparent that spending money on First Class tickets for 3 was hardly a big deal for them. I wanted to tell her, “I fly first class every couple years, and only when it’s a free upgrade. Did you know that there are people that go hungry each night in our own country?” but I kept my mouth shut and went to sleep.

Anyway... back to the subject of Epcot. “Space” is amazing. The lift off makes you really feel like you are taking off and then hitting weightlessness for a few seconds. Totally amazing. Worth the whole visit.

And thanks to softlywhispered, Ian, Les, geminigirl and zedrikcayne for showing me a great time!

The class won’t be offered next year, so I might not get to Florida until, um, 2007. *pout*. Hopefully ya’ll can come up to NYC to see me!

Tom in Boston. Tom in New York. Tom not having much time to sleep.

Tomorrow I’m going to fake a half-day of work while I pack, then get on a noon-train to Boston to speak at BLU (link)(on MIT campus). I’m crashing at the home of awfief. Early, early, early in the morning I’m getting on a train to NYC for lunch at Google, then a tour, then off to Unigroup to speak there too.

Then home, and sleep!

Your homework

Homer Simpson’s “safeword” is “d’oh”. Now go back and re-watch any episode.