Nobrainer’s Think Tank

Thanks, Nanny State.

Microsoft was forced to introduce the browser “ballot box” following a ruling by the European Commission that Microsoft’s practice of pre-installing Internet Explorer on every new computer was anti-competitive…

“Millions of European consumers will benefit from this decision by having a free choice about which web browser they use,” said Neelie Kroes, the EU’s competition commissioner.

As opposed to opening your browser and freely downloading any of the plethora of free options?

This is what I’ve never understood about the governmental anti-competitive rulings against Microsoft & IE. Users have, I won’t say always, but for as long as I can remember, had the option to download & switch to any browser of their choice. It wasn’t as though Windows ever vetoed a browser and refused to use it.

So, in what is apparently a frequently repeated theme, some climbers have gotten themselves in trouble on Mt. Hood and now the gov’t is spending money to search for their sorry asses. I think the gov’t shouldn’t even try to rescue them. Apparently, many mountaineers agree with me, even if they don’t realize it.

Republican John Lim, a former legislator who’s running for governor, said Sunday he plans to keep pushing for a state law to require mountaineers to carry electronic locator devices when they head for the summit of Mount Hood.

Many rescuers and mountaineers oppose such a requirement, saying it would create a false sense of security and prompt some climbers to take risks they otherwise would avoid.

Well what do you think gov’t led mountain rescues do? They create a false sense of security and prompt some climbers to take risks they otherwise would avoid. If their argument is against gov’t actions that encourage more risk, then surely these mountaineers are in favor of calling of the rescue. Right. Right?

Today I saw the cover of their new cover with the big headline, “The Decade From Hell.” After wretching a bit, I wondered that the fuck was wrong with them. Seriously, maybe — just maybe — the 1930s, or maybe even the 1940s were just a little bit worse. Do the Great Depression or World War II ring a bell?

If this is hell, then someone please sign me up and put me at the top of the list.

From NYT:

If large majorities of Americans favor increased government support for clean energy, as polls suggest, why are so many people reluctant to back such programs when it comes to paying extra themselves?

I won’t call that a stupid question. But I will call supremely ignorant any adult who can’t figure out the answer in under 2 milliseconds.

Obamacare could have the unintended consequence of raising health insurance premiums and causing a decline in the number of people with insurance….

In short, for those who are now privately insured through employers or by direct purchase, there would be substantial incentives to become uninsured until they become sick. The resulting rise in the cost to insurance companies as the insured population becomes sicker would raise the average premium, strengthening that incentive.

Normally I would consider this to be an unintended consequence. However, this is par for the course and the end result will be the “need” for more government involvement after, what will be referred to, without irony, by the Pelosis, Franks, and Obamas of the world a “failure of the free market.”

The crime:

The outcome:

The owner of the one of the cars that was hit is a staff member at Extreme. On Wednesday, he saw a car in the fitness club’s parking lot that matched the description of the one seen in the surveillance video and called police.

Investigators arrived at the scene and interviewed a suspect who is a member of the gym.

Tripta Kaushal, a Richmond Hill resident, has been charged with failing to remain at the scene of an accident.

Or as Fark puts it, “It takes a moron to park on top of a car, then drive away. It takes a special kind of moron to go back and park there the next day”