Link roundup

1. Why doesn't this woman get more press? "Hooters Waitress-Turned-Lawmaker Admits to Carving Initials Into Assembly Desk."

2. An estimate of how much it costs to attend Hogwarts.

3. Gizmodo's list of essential Spotify tools. (I've only played with it briefly, but so far I don't see why it's so much better than Last.fm.)

Link roundup

1. Why doesn't this woman get more press? "Hooters Waitress-Turned-Lawmaker Admits to Carving Initials Into Assembly Desk."

2. An estimate of how much it costs to attend Hogwarts.

3. Gizmodo's list of essential Spotify tools. (I've only played with it briefly, but so far I don't see why it's so much better than Last.fm.)

Link roundup

1. This baseball player is apparently having the worst ever defensive year and already owns the single season strike out record.

2. Piers Morgan's involvement in the voicemail hacking scandal.

3. Analysis of Iran's role in the uprising in Bahrain.

Link roundup

1. This baseball player is apparently having the worst ever defensive year and already owns the single season strike out record.

2. Piers Morgan's involvement in the voicemail hacking scandal.

3. Analysis of Iran's role in the uprising in Bahrain.

Land of the (Smoke) Free

A new Gallup poll finds 59% of Americans support a public smoking ban and 19% support a smoking ban altogether. I am a skeptic when it comes to polls. A skilled pollster can convince respondents to say they support all sorts of weird things if the questions are worded just right. If people were presented with arguments on both sides of the issue, the support for banning smoking would drop dramatically. Nevertheless, we are supposed to be the land of the free, so why so fascist?

As far as I am concerned, if you want to smoke four packs a day, drink vodka until your eyeballs float, and eat a Big Mac for every meal, more power to you. As long as you do not hurt anyone else and are prepared to face the consequences of your actions, it suits me fine. We will save a bundle on social Security and healthcare costs when you keel over dead at fifty. At least you did it your way, though.

Allahpundit at Hot Air speculates the turn in public opinion against smoking is motivated by anti-smoking lobbyists' effort on behalf of children's health. Laws motivated by concern for the children are hard to resist emotionally--who does not want their children to be healthy and safe?--but they usually begat bad law. Frankly, I am more concerned by he abandonment of the individual liberty principle than I am whether a kid might catch a whiff of smoke from the other side of the Shoney’s while he is chowing down on his grease burger.

Link roundup

1. "Writer Laurann Dohner has inked a 75-book deal with erotic romance publisher Ellora’s Cave." (Links are probably NSFW.)

2. Interview with the actor who plays Neville Longbottom. Relatedly, this is a good overview of the series, with an emphasis on the fact that although Harry and friends might have started out as geeky outcasts, they ended up the popular kids.

3. A good summary of the Palin phenomenon: At a screening of a new Palin documentary, the only person attending was a reporter.

4. The BBTS has the Boba Fett Mail-Away figure available for preorder.

Link roundup

1. "Writer Laurann Dohner has inked a 75-book deal with erotic romance publisher Ellora’s Cave." (Links are probably NSFW.)

2. Interview with the actor who plays Neville Longbottom. Relatedly, this is a good overview of the series, with an emphasis on the fact that although Harry and friends might have started out as geeky outcasts, they ended up the popular kids.

3. A good summary of the Palin phenomenon: At a screening of a new Palin documentary, the only person attending was a reporter.

4. The BBTS has the Boba Fett Mail-Away figure available for preorder.

Link roundup

1. Bear beats tiger. Via.

2. Bees beat elephants.

3. Yiddish beats moron.

Link roundup

1. Bear beats tiger. Via.

2. Bees beat elephants.

3. Yiddish beats moron.