I, Pencil

Leonard Read’s delightful story, “I, Pencil,” has become a classic, and deservedly so. I know of no other piece of literature that so succinctly, persuasively, and effectively illustrates the meaning of both Adam Smith’s invisible hand–the possibility of cooperation without coercion–and Friedrich Hayek’s emphasis on the importance of dispersed knowledge and the role of the … Read more

“Hollywood is a Washington for the Simpleminded”

The Hill’s 2006 list of the “50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill” has only two journalists on it: – Peggy Chang, congressional reporter, Voice of America – Megyn Kendall, correspondent, Fox News “Washington is a Hollywood for ugly people. Hollywood is a Washington for the simpleminded.” — John McCain (2003) “Washington, D.C. is, indeed, … Read more

Legislative Drafter’s Deskbook – Review

Toby Dorsey’s book, Legislative Drafter’s Deskbook, to be published next month (it’s making its way – finally – next week from the printing plant in Michigan to the bookbinder in Massachusetts), is getting more positive reviews. We thank NCSL’s blog, The Thicket, for the pointer to a recent review in the American Political Science Association’s … Read more

Free the Garden Gnomes!

A long time ago when mankind was still drawing pictures on cave walls there was a great city within which there lived the highest developed species on the planet – GNOMES. Gnome City stretched as far as the Gnome eye could see; its sapphire towers dazzled against the clear blue sky; its golden walls glittered … Read more

Art Buchwald

[P]eople always talk about heaven as the place where we are all going. The problem with thinking about heaven is that you then have to think about hell. The irony of our culture is people are constantly telling other people to go to hell, but no one tells them to go to heaven. “The End. … Read more

You Have Two Cows … Arab version

We recently added to our “You have two cows. The government….” page, by adding a slew of international definitions, most from the Arab world by way of “How Arabs deal with cows,” by Mahmood Al-Yousif, December 29, 2005 Some samples from our “Two Cows page: BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. At first the government regulates … Read more