Attribute to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

source: Wendy McElroy’s News Page

I went over to the Walmart last Tuesday at 6AM for the Old People’s Shopping Hour. There I learned that many old people do not quite understand that "Social Distancing" thing at all. Who would have guessed, eh?

We hear a lot about Artificial Intelligence these days. what I wish we had more of was Actual Intelligence In People.

I see there is a sudden need for COBOL programmers. Sorry, folks, I plan to stay retired. Besides I doubt I have the mental horsepower to write software these days.

Speaking of software, I remember back when the whole “Just In Time Delivery” and “Manufacturing Resource Planning” thing was getting going good in the business world. It seemed that one of the Unspoken Assumptions (“Un-Ass”) was that Nothing Could Go Wrong. Delivery systems would always work perfectly. There would never be any unexpected shortages of materials or things like fuel. Or people. Or bad weather. Of course, we all know Nothing Could Go Wrong.

I am re-re-reading Neal Stephenson’s stunningly good novel Reamde. I think this is the greatest “thriller” there is. Comparing it to usual thrillers such as the Borne novels, which are rendered trivial and silly by the brilliance of Reamde. Words fail me, as usual. Again, as usual, when I read it, I read until my eyes start to stop working. Then I blink and squint my way to bed. Reluctantly. Maybe I should try the audiobook version, eh? Or see if the text-to-speech function works in my ebook reader (robot voices and stuff). Anyway, if you like to read, and if you like books containing virtuoso story-telling, get yourself a copy: Kindle; or Audiobook; or Hardcover. This is one of those books that can be read over and over again, with as much or more pleasure as the first time.

And speaking of Stephenson, he also wrote what I consider the greatest Science Fiction Novel Ever Written, viz, to wit: Anathem, get it in Kindle; or Audiobook; or Hardcover; or Paperback; or Mass Market Paperback. Yet another virtuoso performance.

And we have an actual explanation that actually sounds reasonable:

What Everyone’s Getting Wrong About the Toilet Paper Shortage
by Will Oremus

Around the world, in countries afflicted with the coronavirus, stores are sold out of toilet paper. There have been shortages in Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. And we all know who to blame: hoarders and panic-buyers.

Well, not so fast.

Story after story explains the toilet paper outages as a sort of fluke of consumer irrationality. Unlike hand sanitizer, N95 masks, or hospital ventilators, they note, toilet paper serves no special function in a pandemic. Toilet paper manufacturers are cranking out the same supply as always. And it’s not like people are using the bathroom more often, right?
[Read More]

And finally, another big thank you! to the kind folks who send me a bit of their hard-earned cash to help keep this here little magazine going (that’s actually a thing you know, classification: “little magazine”). Thank you; thank you; and thank you!

Stay deplorable, my friends!