Why 'Ghostbusters' is the most libertarian Hollywood blockbuster of all time

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Shown in this scene from the 1984 movie "Ghostbusters" are Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, center, and...

After learning the sad news that comedy actor and filmmaker Harold Ramis had died, I remarked on Twitter that the 1984 classic "Ghostbusters" (which he co-wrote and co-starred in) was the most libertarian Hollywood blockbuster ever made. I assumed that this was perfectly clear to everybody and that I was making a non-controversial claim -- even asserting the banal conventional wisdom -- but a number of people evidently didn't see where I was coming from.

To me, it's quite obvious. In "Ghostbusters," paranormal activity is becoming a growing problem in New York City. Government doesn't do anything to stop the problem, so private entrepreneurs set up a small business that successfully captures and stores ghosts for a fee.

But then, the villain -- a regulator from the Environmental Protection Agency -- decides to interfere with the private business by cutting off their power, thereby releasing all of the captured ghosts. Here is the clip. The EPA agent orders the shut down of the ghost containment unit over the protests of Ramis' character, Dr. Egon Spengler, who says: "Excuse me, this is private property!"

The movie's heroes are taken into police custody after the release of the ghosts. Once the assault by the ghosts causes apocalyptic chaos in New York City and the government is completely helpless in solving the problem, the mayor releases the small-business owners who once again save the day.

How many Hollywood blockbusters involve private businesses as the heroes and government regulators as the villains?

Not to mention the fact that the film is also peppered with lines like this: "I liked the university. They gave us money and facilities. We didn't have to produce anything! You've never been out of college. You don't know what it's like out there. I've worked in the private sector. They expect results."

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Why 'Ghostbusters' is the most libertarian Hollywood blockbuster of all time

Fall of Bitcoin Exposes Techno-Libertarian Folly

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Bitcoin is a digital currency, or "crypto-currency," that exists solely on the Internet. There's a cap on the total number of Bitcoins that can be made, and its value is determined by a series of very complex algorithms.

Bitcoins origins are murky. Some speculate it was created in response to the 2008 recession, promising anonymity and escape from regulation, monetary policy and central banking authorities. These promises made it particularly alluring to Silicon Valley libertarians - as well as drug dealers, Ponzi schemers, and other unscrupulous types.

The virtual currency is stored on individual users computers and devices or on online repositories, in digital wallets, and like cash, can be transferred directly to other users, bypassing banks, brokers and - most importantly to the libertarian crowd - regulators. Users can trade regular currency, like US dollars, for bitcoins on digital exchanges. Each transaction is checked against a public ledger of all bitcoins ever made - or mined - to ensure users arent trading bitcoins they dont actually have.

If this sounds complicated, it is. Bitcoins machinations are incredibly complex and arcane, even to those in tech and finance circles. And critics have long pointed out critical vulnerabilities: astronomically high volatility, the ability of big holders to game the currency, and a complete lack of recourse for those whose bitcoins are compromised.

Still, Bitcoin evangelists touted it as a revolutionary concept that promised to change ("disrupt") the way we approach money. And until recently, it appeared likely, gaining support from prominent investors and technorati, including Facebooks famous Winklevoss Twins, despite skeptics concerns. Its peak value was once $1,200 per Bitcoin.

Things Fall Apart But then, over the past several months, cracks started appearing. In October 2013, the FBI seized Silk Road, an online marketplace for drugs, weapons and other contraband that conducted all its transactions with bitcoins, and indicted its owner, Ross Ulbricht, on narcotics trafficking and money laundering charges. They also seized 29,655 bitcoins, worth over $28 million, from Silk Roads servers. Bitcoins promise of anonymity turned out to be an illusion.

Then, in December, the Chinese government banned third parties and financial institutions from dealing in bitcoin. The following month, the Justice Department indicted Charlie Shrem, who founded Bitcoin startup BitInstant, on money laundering charges. After a surge in popularity and increasing mainstream acceptance, these setbacks indicated that Bitcoins promise of escaping regulators was little more than a pipe dream.

Finally, on February 25th, 2014, the most high-profile and devastating setback occurred, threatening to possibly sink the digital currency. Mt. Gox, the worlds largest bitcoin exchange, suddenly went offline. There were already indications that something was afoot at Mt. Gox, which earlier this month froze all bitcoin withdrawals. While there are several bitcoin exchanges still operating, Mt. Gox was the largest, holding bitcoin deposits worth over $300 million, money that is - for all intents and purposes - as good as gone.

Adding insult to injury, a prominent bitcoin blogger posted a document, allegedly from Mt. Gox, which posited that the online exchange was insolvent, and suggested strategies to contain the fallout, one of which was blacking out the website.

While the document is unverified, its implications - of gross mismanagement at best, and a flat-out Ponzi scheme at worst - were severe enough for the blogger to sell all his bitcoin holdings and publicly admit that the party may very well be over. Sure enough, Bitcoin was trading at less than $500 as of the time of writing, an almost 60 percent drop from its peak value.

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Fall of Bitcoin Exposes Techno-Libertarian Folly

Islands Trust applies as a commenter on pipeline expansion

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The Islands Trust is among one of the more than 2,000 applicants hoping have their opinions heard at a set of National Energy Board hearings into the expansion of Kinder Morgans Trans Mountain pipeline. The Trust had made a formal request to the NEB that they extend the deadline for application, but the request was denied.

I know we are not the only ones who have made such a request, says Sheila Malcolmson, Council Chair of the Islands Trust. We would have liked to have had more time to make the application so that we could have more public debate surrounding the issue prior to making our submission.

The NEBs deadline for submitting an application on this matter was February 12th. Malcolmson says the Islands Trust was not informed of this until January 14th, which left, as stated in the letter requesting an extension, an insufficient amount of notice for an elected body with accountability to taxpayers to make such a significant decision.

The Islands Trust requested that the deadline be extended until March 7th, so that the Council could discuss the issue at its meeting taking place between March 4th and 6th.

Malcolmson says that the request was denied promptly, and the Islands Trust did manage to get their application in prior to the deadline.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also requested a deadline extension (the risk of an oil spill caused by increased tanker traffic in along coastal waters is of significant concern to the state of Washington) and was also rejected. However, the EPA did not manage to get its submission in prior to the deadline.

In applying to participate in the hearings, the Islands Trust chose the role of a commenter on the Kinder Morgan project.

As an intervenor, we will have the opportunity to make a very thorough written submission outlining our concerns about marine safety and the increase in tanker traffic that the pipeline will bring to our waters, says Malcolmson. As our members are not situated along the actual route of the pipeline, and the hearings are actually focused on the pipeline itself and not tanker traffic, we decided to use this particular method for stating our case. We have a very limited budget and we want to use a variety of approaches to change policies on oil spills and tankers. We didnt want to put all our eggs in one basket, with these hearings alone.

The Islands Trust could have applied to be an intervenor, as the City of Vancouver has. Malcolmson says that at the NEB hearings for the Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, intervenors essentially got the chance to hold something comparable to the trial to state their case, hiring lawyers to cross-examine expert witnesses. All of this was open to public viewing.

But we have no idea what the process is going to look like this time around, says Malcolmson. The rules for these hearings changed as part of the 2012 federal budget, and we have no idea what the new process is going to look like. Thats another reason we wanted the extension.

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Islands Trust applies as a commenter on pipeline expansion

Japan, FFA complete fisheries fund talks in Honiara

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Japan, FFA complete fisheries fund talks in Honiara

FFA HQ, Honiara, SOLOMON ISLANDS. -- Heads of fisheries from the Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga and Tuvalu met this week in Honiara with a high-level team from Japan to talk over development funding for regional fisheries. The talks fall under the Japan Promotion Fund (JPF) agreement with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, FFA.

The Fund, established by Overseas Fishery Cooperation Foundation of Japan (OFCF) for FFA member countries in 2008, generated project funding for FFA members of around USD $1 million annually. This supports fisheries projects for FFA member countries. The JPF Steering Committee, a representative group of senior officials from FFA member countries and OFCF agrees on which projects receive funding support in any given year. Current steering committee members include Mr. Sylvester Diake of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Fisheries & Marine Resources, Feleti Tulafono of the Department of Fisheries in Tokelau, Nunia Mone, Head of Fisheries in Tongas Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries & Food, and Kakee Kaitu, Permanent Secretary of Tuvalus Ministry of Natural Resources.

We are particularly honoured this year that the OFCF team is headed for the first time ever by its President, Mr Yoshio Ishizuka, which is a very strong signal of the importance that OFCF places on its fisheries relationship with FFA member countries and with the FFA, said FFA Director General, Mr James Movick. He says Mr Ishizuka is a highly respected fisheries executive in Japan whose extensive background in Tuna research formed the basis of a high-level career leading up to his appointment as President of the OFCF in April 2012.

Established in 1973, the OFCF works to build relations between Japan and other coastal countries, including support for the work of regional fisheries management organisations such as FFA. The Foundation is a cooperative arrangement between the Japanese Government and the Japanese fishing industry.

Mr. Movick noted that OFCF has on going and very important bilateral fishing development programs with Pacific Island states that have fishing agreements. The associated OFCF program of technical training, study tours and invitation for key personnel program as well as the provision of important small scale fisheries development projects has significantly contributed to capacity building in Pacific Islands fisheries administrations over the past 40 years, Director General Movick said.

The two-day meeting of the Joint Steering Committee (JC) began on Monday, February 24th at the FFA headquarters. It examined proposals for upcoming projects for funding after July 2014, and reviewed current projects. Membership of the FFA member delegation to the JC rotates each year and the recommendations of the JC go to the annual FFA governing council meeting in May.ENDS

ENDS

Scoop Media

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Japan, FFA complete fisheries fund talks in Honiara

Coins Of The British Virgin Islands

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A new book narrating the story of the British Virgin Islands coins of the 1800s and 1900s has been published by Laurel Publication International in 2011. The well-documented, ground-breaking work has a foreword by Michael ONeal, PhD, Senior Research Fellow, Island Resources Foundation. Coins of the Virgin Islands is a significant contribution to the memory bank of Virgin Islands history, Dr. ONeal said. The Author of The Beautiful and Mysterious Coins of the British Virgin Islands is BVI Philatelic Society president Dr. Giorgio Migliavacca. The findings of years of research on archive sources and lesser known published works are presented by the Author who has achieved a good balance between the historical background, the slavery issue and the numismatic focus. Migliavaccas presentation of numismatic aspects is humanistic rather than strictly scientific and provides a much wider picture. In fact, the Author throws new light on the role of local coinage during the 1800s utilizing newly uncovered and significant archival material. Modern coins and Virgin Islands currencies from the 1800s to date are also examined. This book goes beyond the numismatic side of the story and explores the socio-economic facets revealing important aspects that have not emerged before in history books. Virgin Islands coinage dates back to the early 1800s. On 3 February 1801, an Act was passed by the local Legislature to stamp, or countermark, silver and copper coins in order to create an insular coinage, Migliavacca said. In the Virgin Islands, slaves hoarded the local coins to buy their freedom, and emancipated blacks used cut money to buy estates, big and small. Even before emancipation, slaves, free blacks and Liberated Africans used Virgin Islands coins every day of the week. The local coinage was not a simple witness, it became part of unprecedented and unsuspected changes: from the abolition of slavery, to emancipation, to apprenticeship, to the dark, long and hopeless days of economic stagnation. Cut money became the key that opened the gate of true freedom, resulting in a sense of self reliance, autonomy, and security that still typifies the Virgin Islands of the third millennium, said Dr. Migliavacca. Migliavaccas narrative style makes easy reading and will prove of great interest to both coin collectors and persons interested in Virgin Islands and Caribbean history. The 52-page book is generously illustrated with well-chosen color photographs. Dr. Migliavacca is a member of the British Virgin Islands Stamp Advisory Committee since 1987. He has written articles for the ancient coins magazine Celator, and has contributed entries to the International Dictionary of Numismatics. AVAILABLE atwww.virginstamps.com

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Coins Of The British Virgin Islands

Genetics May Explain Why Autism Is More Common in Boys

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When it comes to developmental disorders of the brain, men and women are not created equal.

Decades of research have shown that males are at far greater risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than females. Boys, on average, are five times more likely to have autismthan girls.What causes this disparity has largely remained unknown.

Now scientists haveuncovered compelling genetic evidence to explain why the biological scales arent balanced.

According to a team of geneticists in the U.S. and Switzerland,it all boils down to whats called the female protective model. This suggests that girls have a higher tolerance for harmful genetic mutations and therefore require a larger number ofthem than boys to reach the diagnostic threshold of a developmental disorder. With identical genetic mutations, then, a boy could show symptoms of ASD while a girl could show none.

But because the female mutation threshold is higher, when girls are diagnosed with ASD, they tend to fall on the more severe end of the spectrum.

Researchers believe the same dynamic could explain why more boys are diagnosed withADHD, intellectual disabilities and schizophrenia. The findings were published Thursday in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Geneticists analyzed DNA samples from 16,000 boys and girls with neurodevelopmental disorders.They found that, on average, females diagnosed with ASD had 1.3 to 3 times more harmful genetic alterations than males diagnosed with the disorder.

The findings suggest that as the male brain develops, smaller and more subtle genetic changes can trigger autism spectrum disorders. Female brains require a greater number or severity of mutations before showing symptoms, so their symptoms tend to be worse.

Theres no application in terms of treatment, said study author Sbastien Jacquemont of University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland, but it does help understand the inheritance dynamics in families.

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Genetics May Explain Why Autism Is More Common in Boys

Study uncovers why autism is more common in males

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PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

27-Feb-2014

Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary moleary@cell.com 617-397-2802 Cell Press

Males are at greater risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), than females, but the underlying reasons have been unclear. A large cohort study published by Cell Press on February 27th in the American Journal of Human Genetics provides compelling evidence in support of the "female protective model," which proposes that females require more extreme genetic mutations than do males to push them over the diagnostic threshold for neurodevelopmental disorders.

"This is the first study that convincingly demonstrates a difference at the molecular level between boys and girls referred to the clinic for a developmental disability," says study author Sbastien Jacquemont of the University Hospital of Lausanne. "The study suggests that there is a different level of robustness in brain development, and females seem to have a clear advantage."

A gender bias in the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders has been reported for ASD, intellectual disability, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Some researchers have suggested that there is a social bias that increases the likelihood of diagnosis in males, whereas others have proposed that there are sex-based differences in genetic susceptibility. However, past studies investigating biological explanations for the gender bias have produced inconclusive results.

To examine this question, Jacquemont teamed up with Evan Eichler of the University of Washington School of Medicine to analyze DNA samples and sequencing data sets of one cohort consisting of nearly 16,000 individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders and another cohort consisting of about 800 families affected by ASD. The researchers analyzed both copy-number variants (CNVs)individual variations in the number of copies of a particular geneand single-nucleotide variants (SNVs)DNA sequence variations affecting a single nucleotide.

They found that females diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder or ASD had a greater number of harmful CNVs than did males diagnosed with the same disorder. Moreover, females diagnosed with ASD had a greater number of harmful SNVs than did males with ASD. These findings suggest that the female brain requires more extreme genetic alterations than does the male brain to produce symptoms of ASD or neurodevelopmental disorders. The results also take the focus off the X chromosome for the genetic basis of the gender bias, suggesting that the burden difference is genome wide.

"Overall, females function a lot better than males with a similar mutation affecting brain development," Jacquemont says. "Our findings may lead to the development of more sensitive, gender-specific approaches for the diagnostic screening of neurodevelopmental disorders."

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Study uncovers why autism is more common in males

Why men are more likely to have autism: Their brains are more prone to genetic flaws, study finds

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Girls require more extreme genetic mutations to develop the condition So, it is less likely they will be pushed over the diagnostic threshold About 1.8% of boys have autism compared to 0.2% of girls

By Emma Innes

PUBLISHED: 06:23 EST, 28 February 2014 | UPDATED: 09:24 EST, 28 February 2014

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Boys are more likely to have autism that girls are because they have 'less robust brains', research suggests

Researchers claim to have discovered why autism is more common in boys than girls.

A study, published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, suggests girls require more extreme genetic mutations than boys to develop the condition.

As a result, it is less likely that they will be pushed over the diagnostic threshold for autism.

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Why men are more likely to have autism: Their brains are more prone to genetic flaws, study finds

Study reveals why autism is more common in males

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It has long been known that men have a greater risk for developing autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, compared to women. While boys have a one in 52 chance of developing autism spectrum disorders (ASD), the risk is only one in 252 for girls, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Now, a new study published by the American Journal of Human Genetics reveals why so many more men are affected by these diseases.

Previously, researchers had speculated that mutations on the X chromosome may be to blame for the prevalence of ASD among men. However, study author Evan Eichler, a professor of genome sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, said that doesn't seem to be the case.

"Five percent of genes responsible for brain development map to the X chromosome," Eichler told FoxNews.com. "There are not enough brain development genes on the X chromosome to account for that big of a difference in terms of gender bias."

In an effort to puzzle out the gender disparity seen in autism and other disorders, Eichler and his colleague Sbastien Jacquemont, of the University Hospital of Lausanne in Switzerland, paired up to analyze DNA samples from nearly 16,000 people with neurodevelopmental disorders. They also analyzed additional samples from a separate cohort of 800 families affected by ASD.

Through their analyses, the researchers began to notice that despite the fact that more boys are affected by ASD, the serious genetic mutations responsible for these diseases were more likely to be passed to children through their mother's DNA, as opposed to from their father.

"We started to see this bias coming from mothers, who were supposed to be unaffected, that they were more likely to be transmitting mutations we thought were deleterious," Eichler said.

After analyzing the cohort of 16,000 individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, Eichler and his colleagues also discovered that female children seemed to have a larger number of genetic mutations associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, compared to male children.

"If we divide the cohort into females and males, and look at really big mutations, do we see a difference between boys and girls in terms of frequency?" Eichler said. "The answer was, unequivocally, yes. Girls tend to have more of these than boys. Boys have fewer than females."

In analyzing the cohort of 800 families affected by ASD, the researchers also saw that girls had more major genetic deletions - and more small mutations - compared to boys.

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Study reveals why autism is more common in males

Questions for Anne Alexander at Saturday U in Gillette- Affordable Care Act – Video

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Questions for Anne Alexander at Saturday U in Gillette- Affordable Care Act
Questions for Anne Alexander at Saturday U in Gillette- Affordable Care Act ( 00:01 - 2:30 ) Introduction by Shannon Smith, Wyoming Humanities Council direct...

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Questions for Anne Alexander at Saturday U in Gillette- Affordable Care Act - Video

IRS Warns: Obtain "Qualifying" Health Insurance Or Pay Obamacare Tax – Our Masters? -Stuart Varney – Video

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IRS Warns: Obtain "Qualifying" Health Insurance Or Pay Obamacare Tax - Our Masters? -Stuart Varney
IRS Releases Series Of Obamacare "Health Care Tax Tips" - Stuart Varney IRS Warns: Obtain "Qualifying" Health Insurance Or Pay Obamacare Tax - Our Masters? -...

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Assemblymember Ting Backs Bill to Make Sure Health Care Doesn’t Get Lost in Translation – Video

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Assemblymember Ting Backs Bill to Make Sure Health Care Doesn #39;t Get Lost in Translation
(San Francisco) -- Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) joined Assembly Speaker John A. Prez (D-Los Angeles) and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee for a news...

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Assemblymember Ting Backs Bill to Make Sure Health Care Doesn't Get Lost in Translation - Video