Jan 08, 2008 in Entertainment, Television, TV on DVD
I will admit it, I first discovered the writer/director/producer Joss Whedon via his cult-favorite creation: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Regardless of anything else, even that first show was an endorsement of the value of an individual’s choices. But as premises go, a former cheerleader who fights demons is a bit difficult to identify as a libertarian plot point.
Mr. Whedon went on to create a spinoff series, and then a wholly unrelated series: Firefly. As a science-fiction buff, I was intrigued just by the horse-shaped spaceship whose design was the source for the series name. As I watched each episode unfold, though, I rapidly recognized a genius storyteller’s triumphant declaration that the right approach of a citizen to his government is to cry, “Leave me alone!”.
The stories are told with a dark humor, a recognition of human failings, a reverence for personal integrity, and a common thread weaving out the moral that so long as you don’t hurt anyone else, you can be hero just by making a living for yourself and your family. There are one-liners, there is slap-stick, there are conspiracies and shoot-outs, there is camaraderie and competition, there is sex and romance. These are cowboys looking out for themselves in the rough-and-tumble future where the government is too big, old, and tired to be useful. There are too many rules trying to bind them all and the good Captain Mal isn’t going to abide by that.
Star Trek might give you hope for a future of peace, but I recommend this TV series for any who have hope for a future of freedom.
Recommended: Firefly – The Complete Series (DVD set)
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Jan 07, 2008 in Home Goods, Kitchen, Kitchen Electrics
I spent some time in Japan when I was younger, and even more time in Korea. I became very accustomed to rice and tea on a daily basis, as those were dietary staples in Asia. Rice and tea are had so often on that side of the world that Asian companies have spotted the obvious market for products that make the preparation of those consumables easier, faster, and a more pleasant experience.
In the eighties, the only time-saving kitchen equipment that you find in the market districts of Seoul or Okinawa would be decorated in bright pastels and primary colors, often with abrupt patterns and loud logos. Early on in my overseas culinary adventures, I discovered the brand of Zojirushi. They were a reliable brand decades ago and are as reliable today.
It’s still the case that if you venture into an H-Mart’s kitchen equipment aisle, you’re as likely to find a bright pink crockpot as an all white lunch box decorated with cranes. But the savvy consumer with modern sensibilities will also spot the Zutto brand of items from Zojirushi. The Zutto brand, technologically, seems to carry the upper-medium best bells and whistles of all the Zojirushi gadgets. But the Zutto design team has stepped up their game to compete with the Samsung and the Hitachi designs that are attractive enough to be desired on the other side of the ocean. The result is clean lines, appealing textures, and friendly silvers and grays in appliances like this hot water dispenser.
It doesn’t have a built-in alarm clock, it doesn’t dispense soda, nor does it speak to you, but it does a fine job of heating up water quickly and then keeps it hot for your instant access. In fact, it holds up to nine and a quarter cups (74 oz.) of water at 140, 195, or 208 degrees Fahrenheit. There are clever safety features and convenient cleaning features. My Zojirushi pot has kept water hot for me over a week’s vacation so that when I’ve walked through my door on my return and placed a teacup with teabag under the nozzle, I was able to get tea steeping instantly. This kettle substitute allows me to have tea anytime without having to consider cleanup or preparation. Since it just dispenses hot water and in whatever quantity you desire, it also does an excellent job of activating instant cocoa and coffee. That’s as opposed to pod-based coffee makers that tend to carry coffee residue to all cups regardless of what you’re trying to brew.
The Zutto Electric Dispensing Pot does one thing and it does it well and attractively: it gives you steeping-hot water at the press of a button.
Recommended: Zojirushi CD-FAC22 Zutto Micom Electric Dispensing Pot
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Jan 06, 2008 in General
I believe that Libertarians recognize the importance of staying to the 
point. Governments rise and hire workers and those workers have a tendency to want to keep their jobs, and perhaps expand their own powers and paychecks. But we believe that our government should do only that which we built it to do: protect us, our properties, and our means of living. Products are designed for sale and some producers try to force their products to perform too many functions to be good. A chair should be an excellent chair and should not have to be anything else. A teapot should be designed to be the very best teapot possible and not, say, a musical instrument.
In these pages, you will find directions to discovering recorded media, print media, produced goods, and found goods that appeal to this singular sensibility in the dual nature proposed in our title.
Let us be Libertarians with style. Let us live our lives in a LibertarianStyle!
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