Escape From Pianosa

What a great idea… just show up at the University and start taking classes. No need to register. Or pay. You get a free education but no credentials.

Hey everyone, I changed the URL of my blog, although everything else is pretty much the same. If you were subscribed to the old feed, then you should be subscribed to the new feed as well. In fact, every post might show up twice in your reader, something that should stop happening in 28 days, once FeedBurner switches permanently to the new feed. Enjoy!

I used to be really pro gun-control, back when I was a card-carrying Democrat. I don’t think I ever put much thought to the issue, except that the idea of everyone walking around with guns seemed frightening. I shot pistols and shotguns and rifles as a kid, but I’ve never had the desire to own one myself.

Anyway, in the wake of the horror at Virginia Tech this past week, I’ve been reading a lot about what people have to say about guns. As a libertarian, I don’t have an issue with a university banning guns on the premises, although I think it’s a bad idea. A no-guns allowed policy doesn’t guarantee a killing spree, but it certainly makes it easier. If you don’t believe me, read about how many similar incidents ended differently because of armed civilian resistance.

What I’ve often heard in response to this week’s violence is a generic call for more gun control. But imagine a world in which owing a firearm was not only illegal, but impossible. Meaning that government enforcement of the law was so efficient (please, use your imagination for this exercise) that nobody was able to find a gun on the black market. Imagine a world where only the police and Mr. Bush have the guns. Does that feel safe to you? It feels like a dictatorship to me.

Come to think of it, that’s exactly how things were, gun-wise, in Orwell’s 1984. They couldn’t have revolted even if they wanted to, for a total lack of firepower.

Now, removing your ‘imagination cap’, we realize that the government is not efficient and that even with all guns outlawed, their would still be a thriving black market. A black market where only criminals, by definition, would purchase firearms. So, in addition to Mr. Bush and the police, you can add criminals to the classes of people owing guns. Does that make you feel safer?

My favorite band of the last few months, The Decemberists, are coming to Merriweather in Columbia, MD on July 14th. I was just lamenting the fact that I missed their last show in March and they’re playing with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. I’m not so into live music but I just love their sound (The Decemberists, not the BSO) and I think they will sound fantastic in a live show.

My only question is… am I too old to revive the old tradition of hopping the fence at Merriweather? The tickets are $41 just for the lawn!

Huh? Apparently the state of Arizona doesn’t want Zillow.com competing with its home appraisers:

Since its inception, the popular real estate appraisal website Zillow has been attacked by those in the realty profession, since it has the potential to break up the monopoly that brokers and agents have on real estate information. Now the state of Arizona has issued a cease & deist against the site, because it delivers home price estimates without having appraiser license in the state of Arizona. This is nothing more than a baldfaced attempt to protect members of a certain profession against a new service that might undercut their profits.

I’m not really a fan of Zillow; I don’t believe that their estimates can be trusted. In a free market, I think the appraisers win out–can you imagine a bank saying “oh don’t worry about the appraisal, we’ll just grab the Zestimate!” Well maybe on a government-guaranteed loan…

Still, this is an asinine use of state power and obviously designed to protect a few people with licenses vs. the millions of Arizonans who may purchase homes some day. What’s next? eBay outlawed for competing with local retailers? Gmail banned for competing with the local telephone companies?

I may have told you this weekend with great excitement about a groundbreaking new sitcom that takes places in a terrorist training camp. The terrorists were all named Abdul, and everyone was portrayed as an hapless idiot–a terrorist parody. Edgy but hilarious.

And unfortunately, not real. Turns out it was an April fool’s day hoax from NPR’s On The Media. I’m disappointed, as I was looking forward to the show…

A bum knocked on my window…I glanced at him and rolled it down.

He flashed his toothless smile and said “your mother’s my woman!”

Things like that make me love Baltimore.

For a libertarian analysis of the housing bubble, check out this podcast. Mark Thornton’s conclusion? The bubble is not nearing the end, and it’s all the fault of the federal reserve.

I’m not a very good real estate blogger, am I?

The Carnival of Maryland is now up at Crablaw’s Maryland Weekly and I am now a member of the Maryland Blogger Alliance, hosted by Pillage Idiot. Take a look at some of the links on the right if you’re interested in what other MD bloggers are saying.

Looking at my reader stats, I’ve discovered that while many of you come in search of celebrity gossip, the overwhelming majority come to find out “how to become an extrovert.”

I wrote the original post half-jokingly after going to a commercial real estate networking event, alone, without knowing anyone in advance. It was an interesting experience in the spirit of self-experimentation.

I’ve been experimenting, in the last six months or so, with ways to become more extroverted. I don’t really believe that someone can “become an extrovert” per se, because introverts are just people who need time alone to recharge. I do however believe that introverts can become more comfortable and outgoing in social situations. Yes, my shy friend, you too can be the life of the party, as long as you recharge when you get home.

Here’s some advice:

1. Learn to embrace the discomfort zone. That feeling of unease that accompanies a new activity is a good sign: it means you’re growing. It hurts at first, but if you work past that initial resistance, good things lay ahead. This goes for anything new you’re learning or experiencing.

2. Go out and meet people. I’ve found that networking functions are great because you already have an “excuse” for being there, namely that you are trying to drum up new business. One you’re there, talk to new people. Just walk up and start talking to them or ask them about what they do. If you freeze, don’t worry, go to the bathroom, clear your mind, and then talk to the next person you see (after you leave the bathroom). Business drumming optional.

2. Join local clubs or meet-ups. This is a comfortable way to meet new people and will help prepare you for when you’re ready to meet and socialize with total strangers.

3. If you travel, try traveling alone. This is a great way to meet new people and works really well if you’re doing the backpacking/hostel style of travel. Faced with the prospect of staring at the hostel wall all night, you will soon learn to make new friends. After traveling alone quite a bit, I really prefer it because I’ve met so many people this way.

4. Take an improv class. I signed up for one here in Baltimore about two months ago and it’s been one of the most fun and exciting things I’ve ever done. I took the class more for the fun aspect than the “become an extrovert” aspect, but it’s had a really noticeable effect on me. It teaches you to enjoy that feeling of not knowing what to say when you meet someone and to turn it into a fun and humorous experience.