Celebrate Bastille Day at Freedom Fest in Vegas, featuring Matt Welch, Nick Gillespie, & a Slew of Reason Fdtn. All Stars!

Matt Welch and I are happy to announce that we'll be appearing at FreedomFest 2011, which will be held July 14-16 in Las Vegas. FreedomFest is an annual gathering of 2,000 or more fans of liberty and among the featured speakers are Fox Business' Judge Andrew Napolitano, Whole Foods founder John Mackey, the Cato Institute's David Boaz, Freedom Works' Matt Kibbe, visionary Peter Thiel, and many more, including just-added speaker Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) (emphasis mine!).

On Saturday, July 16, Matt and I will be talking about the themes and ideas in our book The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What's Wrong with America (order now from your favorite online seller!). Later in the day, we'll be hosting a book signing as well and I'll be talking about Reason.tv's new media strategies to spread the word about "Free Minds and Free Markets."

And we'll be heading up "Reason Day," a great lineup of speakers from the Reason Foundation including Lisa Snell (education), Anthony Randazzo (fiscal policy), Harris Kenny (government reform), and Adam Summers (California's budgetpocalypse).

But wait, because there's more! Here's how Freedom Fest's organizers put it:

Eleven Great Debates in 2011:  FreedomFest is famous for challenging your mind with a series of highlighted debates.  This year they will include . .

  -   "Selfishness:  Virtue or Vice?"  
  -   "ObamaCare:  Beginning or End of Good Living in America?"  
  -   "Free Trade vs. Fair Trade"  
  -   "To Vote or Not To Vote:  You Decide"    
  -   "Can Science Determine Human Values?"

Featured Panel Discussions: Among the many speakers, debates and breakout sessions, we will have a special panel discussions on

  -  "The Growing Chinese Threat:  Crisis and Opportunity"  
  -  "From Good to Great:  The Keys of Successful Leadership"
  -  "Vaccines:  Good or Bad?"
  -  "The Future of the Middle East:  DIctatorship?  Democracy?  Islamic Republics?"
  -  "Education in America:  Are We Making Progress?"
  -  "Beating the Market with Hedge Funds"

FreedomFest's registration fee of $495 per person ($795 per couple) covers three full days of general sessions & breakout sessions, special pre-conference session on Wednesday, all conference materials, unlimited entrance to our exhibit hall, and an early registration cocktail reception. 

Go here for more details.

Comments

[Bee Tagger]

More bold tags, please.

[Rock Action]

Um, I feel like I have to voice my support for black backgrounds and blink tags. C'mon, reason!

[hazeeran]

I hope I'm not to infer Marx is one of those "many more".

[Paul]

He's doing a special "Freedom is slavery" workshop. Free continental breakfast!

[rather]

I'm only going, if I'm served my coffee in bed

[sloopyinca]

Well, you can't expect the hotel staff to keep running you back and forth to the restaurant, can you? It's dangerous running a forklift in those Vegas hallways.

[Res Publica Americana]

Tony's going to be in the very back, by the door, loudly (in hopes of attracting as much attention as possible ) masturbating to a copy of the the Communist Manifesto and that week's Krugman article.

[hazeeran]

Krugman is sappy enough.

[dunphy]

i'm not sure the two are distinguishable

[Stop it EVILS!]

You are RISKING everything by listening to these Liberpsychotarians!!!!!!!!!

They don't LOVE you and will sell you to the highest bidder for chump change!!!!!!!!

Pay no HEED to their lies and transmalfitations!!!!

Save your society!!

[Liberal]

You make some excellent points.

[Neu Mejican]

Threadjack...but has to be passed along to the H&R crowd.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....s_national

[Episiarch]

Stelio Kontos died?

[Paul]

I thought this was Stelio Kontos?

[Episiarch]

No, that's Anton Chigurh, in a good performance by Javier Bardem but an overall disappointing effort by the Coen Brothers.

[Paul]

No way. It was great Cohen Brothers... especially after some real disappointments.

I mean, it was no O Brother Where Art Though but it was worth buying the DVD.

[Paul]

Oh brother where art though? What the fuck was I thinking? I won't even bother to correct it that was so bad.

I will withdraw from the thread in shame.

[Episiarch]

Dude, get serious. The Coen Bros'. masterpieces are Miller's Crossing and Barton Fink. All of their stuff is varying shades of good, but those are the best.

[Rock Action]

I'll show you the life of the mind!

Miller's Crossing and Blood Simple (I barely remember either) were both awesome movies. I also loved Hudsucker Proxy.

[capitol l]

Raising Arizona and Hudsucker Proxy.

Your picks aren't as good.

[PantsFan]

The Dude is not abiding this.

[Rock Action]

I am the walrus.

[Episiarch]

Raising Arizona was good, but a bit unfocused. Hudsucker Proxy is the same. Miller's Crossing is like a laser it's so focused. Damn, I love that movie.

Eddie Dane: How'd you get the fat lip?

Tom Reagan: Old war wound. Acts up around morons.

[Pop-culture Quotes]

Old war wound. Acts up around morons.

OK, but not as good as:

Tulpa, get the sand out of your vagina.

Where is all this sand in your vagina coming from?

A good douche will remove a lot of that sand from your vagina.

Looks like SOMEBODY'S got sand in his vagina!

You have some serious sand in your vagina lately, Commodore.

Oh John, you really do have a large amount of sand in your vagina today, don't you.

Got a little sand in your vagina today, John?

A little sand in your vagina today, Shem?

Oooh, anonypussy really has some sand in his vagina today.

[Rock Action]

Aren't you missing the matinee performance of Rent?

No, wait. Stick around. We were just having too much fun, baby. Please chime in. Tell me, if you are the anonyspussy that used to comment here, how's it feel to be both an officious Randian and a politically-minded lesbian with no sense of humor? Does it make you, ahem, self-aware at all that you worship an individualist yet play perfectly to type?

Domineering objectivist? check.
Humorless, politically-inclined lesbian? check.

Tell me about your childhood. I do love psychology.

[rather]

lol

[Rock Action]

And yet you still can't use hyphens or commas correctly? Oy vey!

[Rock Action]

Goddamn it. I blew my anonypussy load all over you. That sucks. And now that humorless little heel-snipping pussy licker gets off scot-free. Unjust.

Note the correct hyphens.

[Joshua Corning]

If these are all actual sand Vagina quotes that you collected from Epi then you win the internet.

+9000

[Pop-culture Quotes]

Joshua Corning|7.3.11 @ 4:10PM|#
If these are all actual sand Vagina quotes that you collected from Epi then you win the internet.

These are all actual sand-Vagina quotes that I collected from Epi. It took me four minutes. What do I win?

[Somaliland Times]

How 'bout a case of douche to wash all that sand out of your pussy?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Speaking of morons, everyone here is a moron. Except me.

The Big Lebowski with O Brother, Where Art Thou a close second. Then maybe True Grit, Miller's Crossing and No Country for Old Men, in no particular order. Morons.

[Joshua Corning]

The Big Lebowski with O Brother, Where Art Thou a close second. Then maybe True Grit, Miller's Crossing and No Country for Old Men, in no particular order. Morons.

Love for Lebowski yet no Raising Arizona?

You R noob.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I enjoyed Arizona but it ain't top five.

[Episiarch]

Arizona is them in full comedy mode, which, while good, just does not compare with them in full violence mode. Even True Grit had the excellent shoot-dude-in-face scene.

[Joshua Corning]

True grit was comedy

[Rock Action]

Speaking of morons, everyone here is a moron. Except me

You're clearly right. You're a morom, as it were.

[Rock Action]

I should probably include an emoticon with that 🙂

[capitol l]

I'm still right about my picks and you fuckers are wrong.

Episiarch is especially wrong, not only in his picks, but in his belief that he is the sand and not the vagina.

[Episiarch]

You're a towel!

[Neu Mejican]

his belief that he is the sand and not the vagina.

[slow clap]

I believe you have found the essence of the Belltown clown.

[Neu Mejican]

And to return to topic...I would have to pick Hudsucker Proxy and Barton Fink...in no particular order, but Raising Arizona seems the more appropriate allusion for the Wpost article.

[Rock Action]

Fantastically coincidental. From The Hudsucker Proxy w/r/t the hula hoop...

"The kids will just love it. And we put a little sand inside to make the experience more pleasant."

[capitol l]

Nice catch.

[capitol l]

Really, I picked Raising Arizona more out of nostalgia than anything else. I loved that movie when I was younger.

Hudsucker Proxy is just a damn fine movie in my opinion.

[Pop-culture Quotes]

capitol l |7.3.11 @ 7:43PM|#
Episiarch...is the sand and not the vagina.

He is both.
Still waiting for my prize.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I should probably include an emoticon with that 🙂

Don't insult my intelligence, sir.

[Rock Action]

Moromisme

[Otto]

That's a 'moran', dammit. And they needs to be told to grow a brain.

[Rock Action]

I was going for broke.

http://reason.com/blog/2011/05.....nt_2291132

[Apogee]

The old man's still an artist with a Thompson

[Episiarch]

That scene alone was amazing, let alone the rest of the movie. Though I do hate "Danny Boy", they used it right.

[Joshua Corning]

The old man's still an artist with a Thompson

No way in hell the Thompson fired less then 50 rounds.

[Joshua Corning]

I would have to pick Hudsucker Proxy and Barton Fink

Barton fink....

The fact that you enjoy watching wall paper peal off of walls for 2 hours only proves that lines at the DMV make you happy.

[Neu Mejican]

The fact that you don't like Barton Fink is evidence of cognitive impairment...it may explain this "DMV" meme you're trying to sell.

[Neu Mejican]

iow:

"I'll show you the life of the mind."

[capitol l]

I do all of my DMV related activities online, so then when I actually have to go in it takes 10 minutes, tops.

I go to the downtown office, and usually it's filled with less than desirable clientele. They look at me like a frikkin' wizard when I skip the long line and get my renewed license directly.

[capitol l]

Sort of on the off topic of movies here:

What do you guys think is harder to pull off a good drama or a good comedy?

I would say comedy. It seems like classic rewatchable comedies (somehting like Blazing Saddles or The Big Lebowski)are a much rarer creature than good dramas.

[Neu Mejican]

I agree. Comedy is the more difficult genre. The truly difficult thing to do is to cut across drama and comedy seamlessly.

Not film, but the "Louie" series pulls that off really well.

Yeah, and that DMV thing takes me about 15 minutes every 10 years, so I am not sure what the issue is. It ain't 1975 anymore.

[capitol l]

I thought that Louie show was going to be the fat guy from the nineties with the gap teeth, but it actually looked pretty good.

[Neu Mejican]

I like the series a lot. Same format as Seinfeld (comedian playing himself...not really about anything), but world apart in terms of quality. One of the best things on TV currently.

[capitol l]

It's on Hulu so I'll check it out.

[RyanXXX]

No Country for Old Men is their best, with Fargo and Big Lebowski as close seconds.

The sound design, cinematography, and acting of No Country are unmatched. Chigurh is also one of the greatest villains ever put on screen.

Raising Arizona? Barton Fink? Please.

[Rock Action]

I liked the first season of Louie. I watched every episode. That said, he gets a little tendentious with his life lessons, and I'm not that down with his worldview. It's typical leftist/existential stuff, and I'm not sure it's as groundbreaking as people would like to think. To me, the lefty pop-culture tropes are actually a bit typical. I hate to be like, "not radical enough for shock or humor," but it's just that the mass audience is more ready for that kind of thing these days than any sort of new ground he's treading upon.

[Neu Mejican]

I don't know that anyone find Louie CK groundbreaking...he's just has as nice touch for identifying absurdities in life. Sometimes those are dramatic...sometimes they are funny...often enough, they are both.

[Neu Mejican]

And I have a nice touch for typos...

anyone finds

he just

[Pro Libertate]

Raising Arizona is their best and funniest film.

[Paul]

Good catch. Here's a video of a man who was killed protesting an invalid, no-knock police raid.

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/.....709490/pg1

[Joshua Corning]

Now find us an article about someone crushed at free speech rally because he falsely claimed there was a fire.

You have 30 sec

go go go go go go!

[Paul]

I would prefer a woman who died of complications stemming from her legal, above-board abortion, but yeah, that would be good.

[dunphy]

actually (and let's remember this meme came from schenck, which was superseded by brandenburg and also was used to prosecute a war protester) AT THE TIME THIS CASE WAS DECIDED, fires were way more serious and could spread much more quickly (no sprinklers, everything made of wood, etc.). iow, think of the great chicago fire that could never happen today.

regardless, the case was decided in 1919 and there was THIS incident from 1913 to reference...

"The Italian Hall Disaster (sometimes referred to as the 1913 Massacre) is a tragedy that occurred on December 24, 1913 in Calumet, Michigan. Seventy-three men, women, and children, mostly striking mine workers and their families, were crushed to death in a stampede when someone falsely yelled "fire" at a crowded Christmas party"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Hall_disaster

the thing about schenck was that it was used to justify prosecuting a guy for DISTRIBUTING ANTI WAR LEAFLETs, iow a valid concept improperly applied.

[dunphy]

and i realize this wasn't a free speech rally; it was a bunch of striking mineworkers

[Rock Action]

You know, I think it would be a good idea to invest in an older edition of Eugene Volokh's casebook on the 1st Amendment. I think I may just do that.

[dunphy]

his stuff is excellent. i'm a fan

[Rock Action]

Yeah, I've been meaning to buy it, and you just reminded me by mentioning Brandenburg. Professor Volokh is brilliant, and I suppose it's twenty to forty bucks or so that is well spent for a used book.

[Neu Mejican]

Come on...I was expecting someone to celebrate the man's willingness to die for his beliefs. The freedom to make stupid decisions is the core of liberty. He sacrificed his life to make that point. If'n ya'll don't stand up for him, who will? Everyone else is going to think his death works against his cause.

[Paul]

Oh, sorry. What's the iron law? Someone help me out? If you're not free to be wrong, you're not free? Something like that.

[Joshua Corning]

What's the iron law

Found it!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE1tyh6ediQ

[Tulpa]

There's no indication he actually considered his death a possibility when he started this rally.

[Rock Action]

Nope. There are some things...you just shake your head. No pun intended.

[Joshua Corning]

celebrate the man's willingness to die for his beliefs.

Did he die for his beliefs or did he die doing what he loved?

I imagine you will die happy while standing in line at the DMV....or perhaps working at the DMV.

[Fuck you, Neu.]

The freedom to make stupid decisions is a consequence of liberty, not the core of it. Jesus, but you're a disingenuous asshole.

No one gets out of this life alive. I'll take my chances with freedom over being dictated to by the great and petty tyrants of this world.

What are you willing to die for? Concern trolling? Technocracy? Safety pencils and circles of paper?

[Neu Mejican]

The freedom to make stupid decisions is a consequence of liberty, not the core of it. Jesus, but you're a disingenuous asshole.

So what beach ya chillin' at to get so much sand in your vagina? I am not a disingenuous asshole...I am a condescending, sarcastic asshole who's more smug than you or your friends.

But to address your lame attempt at a point. If you are not free to make stupid decisions, you are not free. A CORE feature of liberty, not a consequence of it. You are confusing people who unknowingly make the wrong decision and, as a consequence, regret it with people who knowingly make a stupid decision.

There's no indication he actually considered his death a possibility when he started this rally.

Dude's riding a motorcycle without a helmet...I am guessing he considered the possibility.

[Rock Action]

From your link...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....re=related

[The Immaculate Trouser]

Well, that just proves that we need a law! After all, if we pass a law, stupid people won't do stupid things. Kinda makes me wonder why we haven't banned stupidity, yet.

[Shorter Neu]

I gloated over someone's death so I could snark at libertarians.

LOL, I'm smug! Aren't I loveable? Hugs everyone!!!

[Neu Mejican]

Shorter Neu|7.4.11 @ 12:42PM|#

Hugs.
So...are you standing by your confused stance on liberty and its relationship to stupid decisions?

[hmm]

Did someone write a book or something?

[PantsFan]

I think someone is threatening to build a Mosque at the 9/11 attack site in Manhattan

[Tulpa]

More sadness from the diaper of democracy:

Juncker also said Greece must privatize on a scale similar to the sell off of East German firms in the 1990s.

"For the forthcoming wave of privatizations they will need, for example, a solution based on a model of Germany's 'Treuhand agency'," Juncker said, referring to the privatization agency that sold off 14,000 East German firms between 1990 and 1994.

[...]

Juncker made no explicit reference to job losses. But any repeat of Germany's Treuhand experience may prove bitter for Greeks, who are already suffering soaring unemployment as a recession drags into its third year.

Treuhand was supposed to sell state property at a profit but closed with a huge deficit and a legacy of bitterness among the legions of workers whose jobs it destroyed. Four million Germans were employed by Treuhand-owned companies in 1990 but only about 1.5 million jobs were left by 1994.

Got that? The East German govt was totally broke and dependent on subsidies from the (equally broke) USSR for its continued existence...but it's the fault of the privatizers that people lost their (probably unmarketable) jobs.

[Rock Action]

Reading the article, maybe we see an anarcho-socialist state.

This is beautiful...

Greeks are acutely sensitive to any infringement of their sovereignty and any suggestion that foreign "commissars" might become involved in running the country is an incendiary political issue and could trigger more street protests.

[grrizzly]

East Germany required a giant privatization program in 1990 because until then it had been a Soviet satellite and had been officially building Communism. What's Greece's excuse?

[Tulpa]

That's a good question to ponder, since we may need an excuse of our own here in the US soon enough.

[PantsFan]

July 3 is the day Rock and Roll lost one of it's legends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Dnt9yZBj4

Also, Jim Morrison.

[Smart Ass]

Rock and Roll lost one of it's legends

Rock and Roll lost one of it is legends?

[Rock Action]

Behave.

[Tulpa]

Be careful. The folks around here don't take kindly to being humbled by a superior intellect.

[Smart Ass]

The folks around here don't take kindly to being humbled by a superior intellect.

You don't say.

[Neu Mejican]

It is legends:
Viva le rock -n- roll

http://youtu.be/buMrW2QVRpw

[R]

What the fuck is that crap?

[Neu Mejican]

A great song from a great album.

[R]

If by a "great song" you mean "lethargic, off key 'singing' to some mediocre guitar work" then sure, I'll buy that...

[Neu Mejican]

Beauty lies in the ears of the listener, but your review hints at musical taste on the bland end of bland. The lyrics matter too, of course.

[dunphy]

dennis leary on jim morrisson

i'm drunk i'm nobody
i'm drunk i'm famous
i'm drunk i'm dead

[capitol l]

Dennis Leary on jokes:

I steal them from Bill Hicks.

[Somaliland Times]

FreedomFest! featuring such champions of FREEDOM as Fox News contributor Juan Williams and America's leading censorship advocate Brent Bozell!

All the guest can't be so stellar however. Jenny McCarthy declined to participate so the anti-vaccine movement is represented by Julian Whitaker, MD Founder of the Freedom of Health Foundation

FreedomFest Topic:
"Vaccines: Good or Bad?"

[Episiarch]

"My fellow Earthicans, we enjoy so much freedom, it's almost sickening. We're free to chose which hand our sex-monitoring chip is implanted in. And if we don't want to pay our taxes, why, we're free to spend a week with the Pain Monster."

[Mogadishu Daily Shit Paper]

You know, you're handle is hilarious, but truthfully, Somalia isn't such a bad place.

[Smart Ass]

You know, you're handle is hilarious

You are handle is hilarious?

[Pedantic Savant]

don't be such a wiseacre

[Tulpa]

Smart asses today; asses smart tomorrow.

[Joshua Corning]

"Smart asses today; ass smarts tomorrow" would have been better.

Same with "Smart ass today; ass smart tomorrow"

[Rock Action]

Ass-mart is easily my favorite store, hands down.

[dunphy]

shop smart! shop ASS-MART!

[Rock Action]

Your friends know where to go for the coolest stuff. Your neighbors know where to find the best values. Everybody agrees that we have the greatest selection of ready-to-eat, hand-held foods wrapped in carbohydrate tubes!

So what are you waiting for? Give us a try, and you can say that you shop at the place that proves you're Ass-mart as everybody you know!

____________________________________________________

Ass-mart?, proud provider of Yum!? brands, hopeful division of Spumco? products

[Neu Mejican]

Better a smart ass than a dumb ass, no?

[Somaliland Times]

My schoolteachers and other authority figures from childhood to young-adulthood thought otherwise.

[Ted Koppel]

Johnny Longtorso and Suki would go, but they're dead.

[Res Publica Americana]

OT: If the North American Republic ever becomes a reality (which I won't know, since I'll die massacring my local cop shop if the three countries are ever united), this might be a good flag:

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6.....public.png

Unless there's a global government

[JoshInHB]

Legitimate flags don't have cartoons on them.

[Butts Wagner]

Shouldn't the flag have two guys back to back in the middle with AK-47s pointed at an unassuming citizen on each side. The two guys in the middle will be a SWAT team member and a Mexican drug lord. On the SWAT team guy's side, there will also be a dead dog.

[Dingo Geen]

OK wow this makes a lot of sense dude. Wow.

http://www.anon-web-toolz.tk

[Ain't no lover/ain't no dancer]

Can my U2 cover band attend the meeting?

[Penis Hungry Bat Monster]

Hey, if yours gets to go, then mine does to!

[P Brooks]

Troopers say Contos hit his brakes and the motorcycle fishtailed. The bike spun out of control, and Contos toppled over the handlebars.

Based on this description of events, I'm going with "Act of God". A 1983 Harley Ferguson can in no imaginable set of circumstances be made to "spin out of control".

And the cops said he likely would have survived if he had been wearing a helmet sitting at home watching the teevee.

[P Brooks]

The freedom to make stupid decisions is the core of liberty.

Now you're catching on.

[PantsFan]

Follow Wills and Kate as they tour Canada.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/features/royalvisit/

[Somaliland Times]

Bonus:ABC News reported the Royal couple was celebrating "Canada Day" (July 1st), a holiday like our "Independence Day"...lol
They should have segued into a piece on the sorry state of American civic literacy among schoolchildren, ABC News writers, editors and reporters.

[heller]

"The Growing Chinese Threat: Crisis and Opportunity"

The Troof is a headliner at FreedomFest?

[PantsFan]

Next year Da Troof is headlining at Just for Laughs.

[PantsFan]

I wish my hair was half as cool as Jim Jarmusch's.
That is all.

[wedding dresses]

I think I'll to "the growing Chinese threat" part is really interested, in my opinion, this is not only an opportunity and challenge

[wedding]

I think I'll to "the growing Chinese threat" part is really interested, in my opinion, this is not only an opportunity and challenge

[Rock Action]

I'm not even a fan, but this has been begging for it all day. C'mon libertarians! This version for its rawness. Vox way up in the mix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibqyl_y89mE

[rather]

You get the guillotine for that choice

[Rock Action]

I deserve it. Meriter? Public school kid, French II, C-. If I could do it again, I would.

I have a PBS doc about Lafayette queued up in Netflix. I should watch it, though I'm not holding out hope considering the Jefferson doc I wound up snoozing through.

[Tony]

rectal, why don't you take your yeast infected vagina and go somewhere else.

[Tony]

Wait... let me sniff it before you go.

[Internet Detective]

Aha! The REAL Tony has no interest in vaginas.

[rather]

Wrong. IIRC, he did ask me to marry him.

[rather]

Matt Welch and I are happy to announce ...I thought it was a marriage announcement 🙁

[cls]

2000 fans of liberty?? You can't be talking about Freedom Fest which is packed with Right wing conservatives who hate social freedom, and just love going to war. There are some libertarians there but they are the minority. Most are simply Republicans who love big government in some areas but not in others.

[ace]

.. I paid $32.67 for a XBOX 360 and my mom got a 17 inch Toshiba laptop for
$94.83 being delivered to our house tomorrow by f3dex. I will never again pay expensive r3tailprices at stores.I even sold a 46 inch HDTV to my boss for $650 and it only cost me $52.78 to get.Here is the website we using to get all this stuff, BuzzSave.com.......

[scarpe Nike Store]

is good