Police stupidity

Police stupidity (via Bruce Schneier):

A War On Terror board game designed in Cambridge has been seized by police who claim the balaclava in the set could be used in a criminal act.

Perhaps when the police or other “public servants” behave in a way that is both blatently ridiculous and blatently a breach of civil liberties, they should be docked a week’s wages.

Regulations are not always good

Regulations are not always good. For example:

In Alabama it is illegal to recommend shades of paint without a license.  In Nevada it is illegal to move any large piece of furniture for purposes of design without a license.  In fact, hundreds of people have been prosecuted in Alabama and Nevada for practicing “interior design” without a license.  Getting a license is no easy task, typically requiring at least 4 years of education and 2 years of apprenticeship. Why do we need licenses laws for interior designers?  According to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) because,

Every decision an interior designer makes in one way or another affects the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

This hardly passes the laugh test.

Many regulations exist because they were lobbied for by incumbents who don’t want competition. This is a form of rent-seeking, and in the interests of economic efficiency should be stopped.

Voting machine security

From xkcd:

(via The Yorksher Gob)