Again from Slate Star Codex

The difference between “religion” and “culture” has always been pretty vague. Shinto is the best example; it’s less a coherent metaphysical narrative than a bunch of things Japanese people do and a repository for Japanese traditions and rituals. A quick look at Hinduism reveals that they have no idea what gods they believe in, it’s a bunch of different religions stuck together under one umbrella, but the point is that it’s the sort of thing Indian people do and a repository of Indian traditions. Even though Jews have a pretty coherent religion, the line between “Jewish culture” and “Jewish religion” is equally fuzzy. Religion as distinct from culture seems like a pretty Western phenomenon, the result of a triumphant Christianity colonizing cultures it never originated from, ending out with the modern conception of culture as ethnic food + silly costumes.

From a review of David Friedman’s book the Machinery of Freedom over at Slate Star Codex

My overall conclusion is that I am delighted by this fascinating and elegant system and would very much like to see it tried somewhere very far away from me.

How much did they make?  Apparently you can find out.

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From this interview with James McMurty

The thing these days is to bundle as many niches as possible and call it a career

Quote of the day

The improvement of our way of life is more important than the spreading of it,” Colonel Lindbergh told his countrymen. “If we make it satisfactory enough, it will spread automatically. If we do not, no strength of arms can permanently impose it.”

Introducing the song “I like being left alone” , and describing it as sort of a libertarian anthem –

Think of it as Ron Paul Sartre

also from the song:

I like water

I like air

I like space, but not to share

The ABCs of hand tools

Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth.
Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.

Machiavelli

I think the second line is the more telling.  I remember Tyler Cowen (I think) describe raising children as the proper determination of what activities will be character building and which will be needless suffering.