The Right Coast

The Volokh Conspiracy » Asian-Americans, Affirmative Action, and Fisher v. Texas

The impact of Texas’ affirmative action policy on Asian-American applicants raises serious questions about what the purpose of affirmative action actually is. As I have pointed out previously, if the goal is compensatory justice for groups that have been victimized by government discrimination, Asian-Americans have a strong case for being included in the program, and certainly should not be victimized by it. If, as the University of Texas argues, the purpose is ensuring that each group has a “critical mass” large enough to promote educationally beneficial “diversity,” then it is hard to understand why the Texas policy extends affirmative preferences to Hispanics, but not Asians, even though the former have a much larger absolute presence at the school

via volokh.com

Yeah, affirmative action tends to be grotesquely unfair to Asians and it's not great for the white kids either. I think there ought at least to be a policy that if you go to school with your own driver/bodyguard, you don't get affirmative action. That's a pet peeve in my little world. --TS

Lawyer Arrested for Constitutionally Protected Blogging Against Convicted Bomber, After Hearing Before Judge C.J. Vaughey

I also noted that Walker had been arrested at that hearing, but I said it was “unclear” at the time why he had been arrested. It is now crystal clear that he was arrested for exercising his constitutional right to free speech. The judge’s jailing of Walker was based on his blog posts and tweets, and thus violated the First Amendment, a fact lamented by law professors like Case Western Reserve University’s Jonathan Adler and U.C.L.A.’s Eugene Volokh (one of America’s leading First Amendment scholars), and journalists like David Hogberg of the Investors Business Daily. But as Professor Adler notes, Walker was indeed “arrested for blogging.” This confirms what Los Angeles deputy district attorney Patrick Frey deduced earlier at Patterico, where he noted that “Aaron Walker was arrested today in the United States of America for blogging about a public figure.”

via www.openmarket.org

Arrested for blogging about a public figure. Jeez. --TS

Study shows impact of electric cars is worse than petrol-powered vehicles | Mail Online

They have been heralded as the environmentally friendly solution to getting around, especially in towns and cities.

But new research in China shows that electric cars have an overall impact on pollution that could be more harmful to health than conventional vehicles.

A study of pollution in 34 Chinese cities has found that the electricity generated by power stations to drive electric vehicles leads to more fine particle emissions than petrol-powered transport.

via www.dailymail.co.uk

The New Class Warfare by Joel Kotkin, City Journal Spring 2012

The renewable-fuel regulations are driving even green jobs out of the state. Cereplast, a thriving El Segundo–based manufacturer of compostable plastic, last year moved its manufacturing operations to Indiana, where electricity costs are 70 percent lower.

via www.city-journal.org

Just one example of the incredible stupidity of California governance -- Renewable fuel mandates are so onerous and make electricity so expensive that it is driving even "green" jobs out of the state. Supposedly progressive legislation makes it difficult for any but the rich or those getting state aid to live here. This can't go on for a lot longer, and it won't. --TS

First Circuit declares DOMA unconstitutional Tom Smith

The opinion is by Judge Boudin, probably the smartest (with Posner) of the federal judges, including the Supremes.  He's no flaming liberal either.  More of moderate Massachusetts Republican I would say.  Hmmm.  Reminds me of somebody. I haven't read the opinion but the law does seems like a walking federalism disaster so I'm not surprised.

Matthew Kaminski: 'Gafa Obamy' - WSJ.com

Sometimes the best-intentioned gesture can backfire on the unwitting politician. This is the story of President Obama and the Poles.

via online.wsj.com

How to make a great carTom Smith

Take one of the new Karmas, rip out all the electrical crap, and drop in one of those Chrysler V-10's that power the Viper.  That would be a car.  Or better yet, just buy the Viper.

It’s all good for Walker in latest Marquette poll

MADISON — It’s hard to analyze the Marquette Law School poll released Wednesday and not say that things are looking pretty bright for Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP, less than a week before Tuesday’s recall elections.

via www.wisconsinreporter.com

So what is actually going on in Greece? Tom Smith

Has a bank run started?  Or as Robert Samuelson suggests, are depositors sitting tight (or as I would say, what are they, nuts?) I may not be the most agile investor on the block, but I can tell you my Euros on deposit in a Greek bank would so be chillin' in Zurich by now as Swiss francs were it I.

EconoMonitor : EconoMonitor » The End of the Euro: A Survivor’s Guide

In every economic crisis there comes a moment of clarity.  In Europe soon, millions of people will wake up to realize that the euro-as-we-know-it is gone.  Economic chaos awaits them.

via www.economonitor.com

"Winter is coming" --TS