Saturday, December 31, 2011
A tigress surrounded by hamsters
In view of the new Meryl Streep movie on Margaret Thatcher, see this assessment.
Part of the volatility in the Republican presidential field is the unfulfilled hunger for a Thatcher-like figure. She had the urgency of an emergency-room surgeon, the rhetorical subtlety of a blowtorch, and the conviction of a desert monk. Tory MP John Biffen called her “a tigress surrounded by hamsters.” But she matched her fearlessness with sound judgment and a positively Prussian work ethic. Needless to say, Thatchers aren’t often on offer.
Friday, December 30, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Romney vs Obama in Rasmussen poll
In a Rasmussen presidential poll, Romney has 45 percent, Obama 39 percent.
Little Rock desegregation aid must continue forever
A circuit ordered the state of Arkansas to continue desegregation aid to the three Little Rock school districts. This decision cancels Judge Brian Miller's ruling earlier this year. The three districts are completely desegregated but we still have to pump them full of desegregation money.
See also here.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Digital finance
I believe that digital banking will take off in 2012. I have already stopped paying some bill with a paper check and mailing it in. I still like to get the bill in the mail, but I may drop that too.
Services that I'm thinking about are Manilla and Mint. But I'm already making online payments to credit cards.
Services that I'm thinking about are Manilla and Mint. But I'm already making online payments to credit cards.
Root cause of obesity?
Why do we have an obesity problem? It's because of the government.
While blaming lack of exercise, overeating, and (this week) poor parenting, the real culprit has been almost entirely overlooked: The awful dietary advice dispensed by mainstream medical science over the last 30 years. If we want a healthier, slimmer population, we have to stop eating the sugar-laden diet so many experts have recommended to us.There's more. Keep on reading.
The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) dietary guidelines are the gold standard for healthy eating, according to most experts. The problem is that these recommendations promote a low-fat, calorie-restricted diet based on grains like bread and rice. These kinds of foods consist almost entirely of carbohydrates. When you digest carbohydrates, they are converted into sugar in your bloodstream, the same sugar found in ice cream, soda, potato chips, and all the other junk foods most people would recognize as unhealthy. Since high blood sugar is toxic, your body produces a hormone called insulin to bring it down to a reasonable level. The trouble with this, however, is that insulin brings down your blood sugar by converting it to fat and sending it into your fat cells to be stored. There are many problems with this process.
When people eat a high-carbohydrate diet like this, not only do they unintentionally avoid the fats and proteins their bodies need to properly function, but they “starve at the cellular level,” as Dr. Michael Eades puts it, because what they are eating is stored as fat and doesn't provide the energy they need. The result over time is a steady increase in body weight. And as health writer and documentary film maker Tom Naughton explains, it shouldn't be surprising that “... the rise in obesity began around the same time the so-called experts began telling everyone to cut back on fat and eat more carbohydrates.”
AARP's tax-exempt status
Three House Republicans ask IRS to investigate AARP's tax-exempt status.
Of course. It's an insurance company like any other insurance company, not an advocate group for seniors.
Of course. It's an insurance company like any other insurance company, not an advocate group for seniors.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Kindle Fire
I've been thinking about getting a Kindle Fire. Anybody have any advice?
So I've been wondering if I could install non-Amazon apps on it. I can apparently. See here.
So I've been wondering if I could install non-Amazon apps on it. I can apparently. See here.
Monday, December 26, 2011
But I earned all A's in high school
How many times have I seen this?
“Increasingly, undergraduates are not prepared adequately in any academic area but often arrive with strong convictions about their abilities. So college professors routinely encounter students who have never written anything more than short answers on exams, who do not read much at all, who lack foundational skills in math and science, yet are completely convinced of their abilities and resist any criticism of their work, to the point of tears and tantrums: ‘But I earned nothing but A’s in high school,’ and ‘Your demands are unreasonable.’ Such a combination makes some students nearly unteachable.”
"To some degree, the higher education bubble is a creature of the lower education bubble," Glenn Reynolds comments.
“Increasingly, undergraduates are not prepared adequately in any academic area but often arrive with strong convictions about their abilities. So college professors routinely encounter students who have never written anything more than short answers on exams, who do not read much at all, who lack foundational skills in math and science, yet are completely convinced of their abilities and resist any criticism of their work, to the point of tears and tantrums: ‘But I earned nothing but A’s in high school,’ and ‘Your demands are unreasonable.’ Such a combination makes some students nearly unteachable.”
"To some degree, the higher education bubble is a creature of the lower education bubble," Glenn Reynolds comments.
Because I said so
Why does the FAA not want you to use your Kindle or iPad on takeoff and landing? They have no real reasons at all. These devices put out almost no electrical "noise." Remember: Pilots in the cockpit can use iPads, but the passengers can't?
D.C. Dead
D.C. Dead is a new Stone Barrington novel by Stuart Woods. Full disclosure: I have not read it. This one follows Son of Stone, which deals with the genius son Peter and the death of Arrington. I usually like Woods' books, but they are becoming tiring. Same rich people, same restaurant, etc. The reviews on Amazon have turned very negative, especially regarding Son of Stone. Woods is turning out his books at a rapid clip. Maybe he should take a break.
I usually think something is wrong when authors turn out books too fast, because I know how hard they are to write.
UPDATE: See the Amazon reviews of Dirt.
I usually think something is wrong when authors turn out books too fast, because I know how hard they are to write.
UPDATE: See the Amazon reviews of Dirt.
Stop! I can do it myself!
Men are more likely to refuse help when trying to figure out some new tech device. Yes, I want to figure it out by myself, not turn it over to someone and make me look stupid. Why didn't I know that?
BIG watches
Have you noticed that men's watches have gotten large. Make that huge. No thanks. I'm happy with my watch which I bought in a junk store.
Incompetent attorney general
Charles Krauthammer: Eric Holder is "one of the most incompetent attorneys general in US history."
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Go Daddy, Gone Daddy
Go Daddy has lost over 37,000 domains in the past two days because of its support of the Stop Online Piracy Act.
December 25 or 17?
Ann Althouse enters the argument about whether December 25 is the actual birthday of Jesus. Based on assumptions about Mary's periods -- can you believe it? -- Ann thinks the predicted day of birth would have been December 17.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
The purpose of the burka
Glenn Reynolds has an interesting post that includes a brief discussion of the wearing of burkas. He argues that the burka is required because it robs women of their sexual power. Exactly.
Glenn cites this comment by Jim Henley, who argues that it is not comparable to the bikini as a "tool of oppression."
I've always thought that such requirements reflect the absolute fear of the sexual power of women.
Glenn cites this comment by Jim Henley, who argues that it is not comparable to the bikini as a "tool of oppression."
I've always thought that such requirements reflect the absolute fear of the sexual power of women.
How much equality is enough?
The AP predicts that economic inequality will be the issue in the 2012 campaign. That's means the "struggling middle class," and the "widening gap between rich and poor." Democrats like to portray Republicans as wealthy. But their definition has always seemed highly convenient to me. In all the discussion I've heard or read about economic inequality, no one every answers or even raises the question, How equal is enough?
War Horse review
Friday, December 23, 2011
Modern childcare
Instapundit has a post on today's childcare, which most of us as grandparents will get a fill of over the Christmas holidays as grandchildren come to visit. I've never been an advocate of spanking, but some of the comments here strike home, lol. The lives of children are too structured, they exercise too much authority over parents with their whining and tantrums.
Glenn Reynolds:
Glenn Reynolds:
“We keep hearing about declining birthrates, but raising a kid is far more expensive — financially, emotionally, and in terms of time — today than it was a few decades ago. As she occasionally notes, things that were considered adequate, or even exemplary, parenting then are now considered abuse or neglect. In fact, when you look at how the burden of childrearing has increased, it seems amazing that we see as many people having children as we do.” By way of comparison, I invoked James Lileks.
But here’s another thought. Why are kids today so fat? Because — since you can’t (or at least, many parents don’t) induce good behavior by spanking, people try to keep kids happy with food. (That’s the most common “reward.”) Stick a kid in a carseat — unknown in the past — and you pacify them with a juicebox or some goldfish. They’re immobile (burning fewer calories than old-fashioned front-to-back clambering kids) and fed to distract them from the unhappiness of being strapped in like a mummy.
Likewise, schools and daycare centers shove snacks at them for the same reason. It may only add up to a few hundred calories a day in the form of extra snacks and reduced mobility, but that’s all it takes to produce weight gain over time.
Free tickets
Ft. Lauderdale offers homeless a free one-way ticket out of town. This also happened in the South during the 1960s as sharecroppers were no longer needed.
Rhapsody milestone
Rhapsody now has over a million paying subscribers in the U.S. That makes it the most popular subscription music service in the country. I'm interested in this because of a recent purchase of a Logitech Squeezebox internet radio, which has turned out very nicely.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Sex and taxes
If you are shacking with with someone, you can blame the government. Unmarried couples who live together benefit under our tax code. So go right ahead. As Flounder said on Animal House, "isn't this great!"
Little Rock's YMCA will close
The Arkansas Times has a post on the Y's closing. See the comments.
We have many people in this state who can donate money. Will anyone step up?
We have many people in this state who can donate money. Will anyone step up?
Occupy Bedford Falls
"It's a Wonder Life" is a movie that only an Occupod could love, says Michael Graham. You have probably noticed that Hollywood turns businessmen into the villain most of the time.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Little Rock YMCA
I've seen nothing on the web, but rumor is that the West Little Rock YMCA will shut down at the end of the year. This is sad news. I've become a user of the YMCA in the past six months.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
age and class warfare
The real class war may between the young and poor vs the relatively old and wealthy. This is really about the increases in medicare and social security over the past decades.
Monday, December 19, 2011
No more anthropology
Florida Governor Rick Scott has argued that precious state tax dollars, in our current economy, should go to support science and tech studies, not "educate more people who can't get jobs in anthropology." LOL.
Read the comments. They are more devastating than the article.
Read the comments. They are more devastating than the article.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
All you need, nothing you don't
I just finish reading Lee Child's The Affair, a prequel Jack Reacher novel. The review mentions that Tom Cruise will soon play Reacher in movies. That's a bad idea in my opinion. Reacher is portrayed as 6' 5".
Ban the NTSB
The Federal cellphone ban is gaining opposition, as it should. It is just not a federal responsibility.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Stop the presses
Half of all Americans households have incomes below the median income. The median value is simply the middle number. What is also stupid is that the Census Bureau's definition of "low-income household' is less than $45,000 for a family of four.
Obama mythology
Victor Davis Hanson: "Barack Obama is a myth, our modern version of Pecos Bill or Paul Bunyan.
What we were told is true, never had much basis in fact — a fact now
increasingly clear as hype gives way to reality."
Weekends are really important
AP: When Joe Paterno heard Mike McQueary's story, he waited another day before calling the school's AD. "It was a Saturday morning and I didn't want to interfere with their weekends," Joe said.
I Just Made Love App
Now there's an "I Just Made Love" app that lets you tell your friends where and when... But wait, that could be a problem.
Friday, December 16, 2011
Leave it, let's go
The US military is leaving Iraq, and they are heaving tons of gear behind, just like they did in Vietnam. Like what?
Here is some of what Iraq is getting when it assumes control of all U.S. bases:Well, they are saving on shipping costs.
• Containerized housing units, air conditioners and gym equipment.
• Generators, water and fuel tanks, cars and stoves.
• Tables, washers and dryers, portable chemical toilets; and large, portable concrete walls and barriers.
NYT CEO resigns
Janet Robinson, CEO of the NYT, has suddenly resigned without explanation. The NYT is in financial trouble as are most other newspapers. Readers want digital news, not print. Their iPads are hungry for it, lol. But the NYT has more going against it than the transition from print to digital. It is an extreme left-wing newspaper. The Times doesn't report news, it manufactures it based on a left-wing viewpoint. Readers across the country are tired of that, and they don't have to put up with it anymore, just like they don't have to listen to ABC, CBS, and NBC anymore. The Walter Cronkites are gone. The mainstream media has lost its monopoly, and they will never get it back. Hey, times change.
Gun control and the American Revolution
This link takes to you a downloadable paper entitled "How the British Gun Control Program Precipitated the American Revolution." It's strange, but I just don't recall this subject being discussed when I took history in college. Apparently the author is not one of our left-wing historians.
Don't mail "Merry Christmas" greetings
Beltway Confidential:
Looks like the PC police have threatened members of the House of Representatives against wishing constituents a "Merry Christmas," if they want to do so in a mailing paid for with tax dollars.
Members who submit official mailings for review by the congressional franking commission that reviews all congressional mail to determine if it can be "franked," or paid for with tax dollars, are being told that no holiday greetings, including "Merry Christmas," can be sent in official mail.
Another debate
Krauthammer's Take on the latest GOP debate. He sees this debate as reflecting the tone of the campaign. Okay, let them stop debating.
Texting and driving
We are hearing more about cell phones and texting while driving. Sure, texting and driving is a stupid idea. But you can make hands-free calls. I bought a Bluetooth device for my car, since it is not equipped with Bluetooth. It's not perfect but it works. Let's remember, as this article says, that drivers have a lot of distractions, including other people in the car. Those people can be kids, etc. See also here. Both articles are from Popular Mechanics.
The Atlantic: Help for the poor is creating more unemployment. They are less likely "to go out and find work."
No ban on incandescent bulbs
Glenn Reynolds notes that Congress has apparently revoked the ban on incandescent light bulbs. What about regular 100 watt light bulbs?
This whole green movement is a threat that could get out of hand.
This whole green movement is a threat that could get out of hand.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Coffee and the Age of Reason
Instapundit has this link to a lecture that claims that the Age of Reason was fueled by coffee. In the eighteenth century, European society, or some of it, was in the process of switching from alcohol to coffee and tea, which they drank in coffeehouses.
It's a very plausible idea. Alcohol was the preferred drink because the water was so bad, and beer, unlike our beer, was a meal. There's a book on this, Let me think.
It's a very plausible idea. Alcohol was the preferred drink because the water was so bad, and beer, unlike our beer, was a meal. There's a book on this, Let me think.
Casey Anthony's non-comeback?
Casey Anthony was hoping to get on TV with an interview, but the networks won't go for it.
Losing our freedoms
Defense funding bill allows American citizens to be arrested as terrorists on home soil and held indefinitely without trial. We are losing our freedoms everyday.
Ryan proposed Medicare reform
Paul Ryan, a GOP presidential candidate, has proposed a Medicare reform and obtained the support of one Democratic Senator.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
If Tim Tebow wins the Super Bowl
As we all know, the Denver Broncos are playing the New England Patriots on Sunday. That raises many dire prospects, according to Rabbi Joshua Hammerman. If Tim Tebow wins the Super Bowl, well, oh my. It will result in the burning of mosques, the bashing of gays, and the banishing immigrants. This will also... well, you better read for yourself.
The FAA decided that pilots can have iPads in the cockpit but passengers have to turn off their iPads and Kindles. Airlines will save fuel by not hauling around dozens of heavy manuals. Well, good. I wouldn't want my airplane to be in a nosedive while a pilot had to thumb through in a 1,000 page manual to find out what to do.
How do we make the poor different people?
Megan McArdle has a terrific post in which she asks questions like what makes poor people poor? How can we enable them to act like people who are not poor? Give them a check? A job? A computer? A mortgage? What?
In case you're thinking about law school
TaxProf: Law school is not worth it for most graduate. My advice: Be a plumber or an electrician.
Get me their email addresses!
The Obama presidential campaign is collecting Republican email addresses. Obama's supporters are invited to submit information about their Republican associates to the campaign website. Well, there's nothing sinister about that. But that's okay, because I don't don't many Dems and most of them don't know my email address.
We got him!
Steve Russell's We Got Him!: A memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein looks like a good read.
Modern slavery
Google will give $11.5 million to fight slavery. Yes, slavery still exists today. You find it in Asia, Africa and South America.
Malzahn leaves Auburn, goes to ASU
ADG: Gus Malzahn will be named the next head football coach at Arkansas State University.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Favorite Things
Farhad Manjoo has a great list of "favorite things." No. 1 is the MacBook Air. He includes Sonos wireless speakers. Also listed are the Google Chrome browser, Amazon Prime, the Kindle. Very interesting
picosecond camera
This article is a fascinating look at the cutting edge of science and a glimpse into the future.
“You can think of it as slow motion,” Andreas Velten, a postdoctoral researcher who is a member of the design team, said during a recent technical presentation. “It is so much slow motion you can see the light itself move. This is the speed of light: there’s nothing in the universe that moves faster.”...
Dr. [Ramesh] Raskar said he could also envision smartphone software that would capture and interpret reflections from, say, fruit. “Imagine if you have this in your phone about 10 years from now,” he said. “You will be able to go to your supermarket and tell if your fruit is ripe.”
Well over half of Americans favor repeal of Obamacare
Rasmussen: 55 percent favor repeal of Obamacare.
Mary Celeste, ghost ship
The Mary Celeste is a familiar maritime mystery story, but I did not know about the subsequent history of this ship.
Christmas will be late this year
According to this report, many people are planning to wait until after Christmas to do their shopping. They will catch the after-Christmas sales, which is the smart thing to do.
What Americans fear
Politico: People fear big government more than big business or big labor. Well, I fear them all.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Myths of the New Deal
This video challenges the myths that surround the Great Depression and the New Deal -- the myths that I was taught in school. It is based on the work of Amity Shlaes and others.
TSA on the recent strip searches or whatever
Reuters has more on the recent searches of older women at JFK.
The Penn State culture
AP: The private culture of Penn State enabled Jerry Sandusky to continue cross the line with young boys for more than a decade.
Too many, from the university president to department heads to janitors, knew of troubling behavior by this revered, longtime coach who founded a charity for children with hardscrabble backgrounds. But at this school whose sports programs vow "success with honor," the circle of knowledge was kept very limited and very private.
Year after year, Penn State missed opportunity after opportunity to stop Sandusky. Secrecy ruled, and reaction to complaints of improper sexual behavior was to remain silent, minimize or explain away - all part of a deep-rooted reflex to protect the sacred football program.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Get a good laugh
Well, the year is not over yet, but here are the best and worst political quotes of 2011.
So much for your privacy
Technology review: Your cell-phone number can be used to track your location in a few seconds.
Try the demo on this link. In my case the city was correct but the precise location was off by a mile or so. But I guess that's good.
Try the demo on this link. In my case the city was correct but the precise location was off by a mile or so. But I guess that's good.
An ugly brawl
The Xaver-Cincinatti game erupted in a brawl that was "as ugly as it gets."
Everybody needs to understand that it's just a game.
Everybody needs to understand that it's just a game.
Barone on the debates
Michael Barone gives his reaction to last night's GOP debates.
He says, "ABC moderators Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos were perhaps overdosed with saccharine." Overdosed? Or their usual dose?
He says, "ABC moderators Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos were perhaps overdosed with saccharine." Overdosed? Or their usual dose?
Is Paul a Dewey?
George Will compares Ron Paul to Thomas Dewey, Republican candidate in the 1948 election.
What is your distingwishwing characteristic?
Ann Althouse followed last night's GOP debate. The best way to learn what happened is to read her comments. I like this one:
Michelle Bachmann talked about a new entity: "Newt Romney." Also funny.
8:05 CT: Diane Sawyer talks to us as though we're children. It's ridiculous. I think she just saluted the candidates for their hard work. Then she asked them what their "distingwishwing" characteristic is. Yeesh! This will be a long night.I love to hate Diane Sawyer, lol.
Michelle Bachmann talked about a new entity: "Newt Romney." Also funny.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Bellesiles' scholarly malpractice
Glenn Reynolds: "Reliance on Bellesiles is scholarly malpractice."
Gingrich on the Palestinian Authority
PJMedia: Newt Gingrich said it's "delusional to call it a peace process," with the Palestinian Authority representing "an enormous desire to destroy Israel." Well, OK.
Evangelical sex
David French is apparently shocked:
I’m coming a bit late to this piece, but the October 2011 issue of Relevant magazine contains a must-read article for those who see the need for a rather profound cultural course correction. It turns out that 80 percent of unmarried evangelicals (18 to 29) are sexually active. Yes, 80 percent. For all unmarried young adults the total is 88 percent. Oh, and even as 80 percent of young unmarried evangelicals are sexually active, 76 percent of evangelicals still believe sex outside of marriage is wrong. Even worse, 65 percent of women who abort their children identify as Catholic or Protestant Christian — that’s 650,000 Christian abortions per year.OK, so what? I'm not shocked at all.
Gingrich vs Romney: Saturday Night Fight
Since Gingrich comes to tonight's debate with "front-runner status," I take that as another sign that Republicans don't want Romney.
"Saturday Night Fight" is Drudge's term.
"Saturday Night Fight" is Drudge's term.
Sean Shrum
I just saw a local news report about Sean Shrum, an artist. I like the paintings shown on TV. For more go here.
None of the above
Somebody not now running may win the GOP nomination. That would possibly be a relief.
Dishonesty, disrespect, and insensitivity
Gari-Lynn Smith's story is one of the most horrifying I've ever seen. The Air Force mortuary in Dover, Del. -- the first stop for fallen soldiers coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan -- has been disposing of their remains in a landfill.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Masters is no master
Walter Russell Mead: "Masters programs hit the sour spot of higher education — they tend to be
more expensive with fewer financial aid opportunities than other
programs, with a smaller payoff."
I agree with this article. My advice is to skip a masters level program and go directly to a doctorate if you can. If you can't, forget the whole thing and learn a trade.
I agree with this article. My advice is to skip a masters level program and go directly to a doctorate if you can. If you can't, forget the whole thing and learn a trade.
Annie, get your gun!
Gallup: 47 percent of American households own a gun. up from 41 percent only a year ago. Gun sales are at a record high, breaking a 2008 record. Every state except Illinois has a concealed-carry law.
Where are our moon rocks?
We have done a poor job of keeping up with our moon rocks. We are supposed to have some right here in Little Rock, but I hope they know where they put them.
Twitter users are negative on all candidates
AP: "The 2012 presidential contenders have had a rough go of it on Twitter, according to an analysis of the political conversation taking place on the popular social network.
"The study released Thursday by the Project for Excellence in Journalism found Twitter to be a hotbed of opinionated discussion about the campaign. But a majority of the candidates, including President Barack Obama, have received more negative than positive coverage on Twitter than in regular news coverage or blogs."
"The study released Thursday by the Project for Excellence in Journalism found Twitter to be a hotbed of opinionated discussion about the campaign. But a majority of the candidates, including President Barack Obama, have received more negative than positive coverage on Twitter than in regular news coverage or blogs."
Student aid and tuition
What is the relationship between federal student aid and tuition increases? Well, aid rises when tuition does.
"How does she not know?"
AP: Dorothy (Dottie) Sandusky has come to her husband's defense, declaring that all the accusations are false.
Political disaster in the making
Richard Epstein:
We have rigged our tax policies so that, depending on the year, close to 40 percent of the income tax revenue comes from the 1 percent of the population that controls 20 percent of the wealth.
Close to half the population pays no federal income tax at all. This is a political disaster in the making.
The American economy is currently stagnating for two main reasons. At the top of the system, a relentless program of redistributive taxation undermines incentives for long-term investment and growth.
Yet from this vain pursuit of economic equality, we get declining standards of living for all. Simultaneously on the ground, excessive regulation of labor and real estate markets chokes off growth -- employer by employer and house by house.
Our lopsided structure cannot last. Stock market losses cut the total income of so-called "one percenters" by around 30 percent between 2007 and 2009, with the greatest losses in the top 0.1 percent.
Higher tax rates will drive that overall level of wealth lower still, given that so little government revenue comes from the bottom half of the income distribution. Low tax revenues plus shiny new entitlements create an unsustainable situation where 40 percent of current expenditures are funded by long term debt, on which principal and interest payments will soon come due.
Streep as Thatcher
Meryl Streep plays Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. It sounds good, but you know how Hollywood can screw it up.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
A really bad idea
A government study says that texting while driving is up 50 percent. Two out of 10 drives admit to having sent text messages while behind the wheel. Making a phone call is bad enough, but how could anyone even text while in control of a moving vehicle?
Dinner with Obama
You can have dinner with Obama for a mere $38,500 and help him get re-elected. That's per person. I hope it's a good meal.
Blacks leave the cities, move South
This AP story makes the return migration of black to the South seem like the cause of racial inequality. Obviously it's not. When people want to improve their living standards badly enough, they migrate. The middle class is moving out of northern cities and returning South where they find a more congenial atmosphere. This is progress, as migration always is. At some time in the future other groups may find a way to do the same thing by migrating somewhere.
This discussion reminds me of the dilemma of the half-empty glass.
This discussion reminds me of the dilemma of the half-empty glass.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
For your shoplifting bag
What are people shoplifting this season?
1. Filet Mignon
2. Jameson
3. Electric tools
4. iPhone 4
5. Gillette Mach 4
Alec Baldwin is kick off airplane
You know, I think we've heard more about Alec Baldwin's expulsion from an airplane than the grandmothers who were stripped searched.
Sandusky can't raise bail, goes to jail
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Denver weather
Well, I've been on a short trip to Denver. Great trip, but cold and snowy. Last night the temp went down to 0, and I believe we never got above about 15 degrees, certainly not above freezing. We had plenty of snow to go along with it. I think I've had all the snow and cold I need for a while.
UPDATE: I got up this morning in Little Rock with snow on the ground. Enough!
UPDATE: I got up this morning in Little Rock with snow on the ground. Enough!
Affirmative action for men
Volokh: We need affirmative action for men in college admissions. Glenn Reynolds: " Next I think we need a campus Men’s Center, and sensitivity training
for professors and staff on how to make male students feel comfortable
in the feminized environment of today’s campuses."
Monday, December 5, 2011
Another elderly woman was strip-searched at JFK
Ruth Sherman Of Sunrise, Florida Says She Was Strip-Searched At Kennedy Airport On Monday; Lenore Zimmerman Of Nassau County Claims The Same On Tuesday.
Sherman says week-long Thanksgiving holiday with family in New York ended with an ordeal that started when the screeners wanted to check the bulge from Sherman’s colostomy bag.I'm alert to this kind of story because I'm flying these days and I've had a minor run-in with airport security.
“This is private for me. It’s bad enough that I have it,” she said. “I had to pull from my sweatpants and I had to pull my underwear, my underwear down.”
“You don’t do that anybody,” she added. “I felt like I was invaded.”
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Legless man denied wheelchair
Swedish healthcare was not certain the impairment was permanent. That would be funny if it were not so ridiculous.
Just like the housing bubble
Glenn Reynolds: The higher ed bubble is bursting. It's "an overpriced good, propped by cheap government-subsidized credit, luring borrowers and lenders alike into a potentially disastrous mess."
This is a simple case of inflation: When you artificially pump up the supply of something (whether it's currency or diplomas), the value drops. The reason why a bachelor's degree on its own no longer conveys intelligence and capability is that the government decided that as many people as possible should have bachelor's degrees.
Postal cuts to slow delivery of first-class mail
Your first-class letters are going to be late next year. So mail those bills early or pay them online. I'm paying online and like it.
85-year-old woman strip searched at JFK Airport
85-year-old woman may sue TSA after being strip searched at JFK Airport
She weights about 110 pounds and uses a walker -- the typical profile of a terrorist.
She weights about 110 pounds and uses a walker -- the typical profile of a terrorist.
As someone who just two days ago went through airport security, I can tell you I was disgusted with the experience though my experience was nothing compared to hers. I strongly recommend a lawsuit. They sure don't show you any sympathy. You get the impression that these procedures are not going to do any real good at all. Are they intended as just a form of government intimidation? "We can do this to you, and you can't do anything about it?
The PJ Tatler » Dropping the A-Bomb on History
Ed Driscoll: "If conservatives ever want to recapture the high ground of culture, just creating an alternative news media is nowhere near sufficient. They have to -- somehow -- recapture academia, where culture is ultimately created. And destroyed as well."
Friday, December 2, 2011
iPhone Camera App Review—100 Cameras in 1
Trey Ratcliff, a photographer, has a new iPhone app called "100 Cameras in 1" which edits photos on your iPhone 4.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Mark Steyn on Newt
Mark Steyn: "The idea of Newt as the Republican presidential candidate is, I have to say, extremely dismaying to me."
Byron York also takes a look at Newt.
Byron York also takes a look at Newt.
Government creates less of what it wants
Reynolds Law:
The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle-class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle-class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let you enter, and stay, in the middle class. Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything, it undermines them.
See also here.
The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle-class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle-class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let you enter, and stay, in the middle class. Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything, it undermines them.
See also here.
Shopping apps
AP: If you are out shopping you might to have the RedLaser app on your phone. One that I've used the most is ShopSavvy. Both are free, I think.
These apps and others let you scan in a barcode and compare prices. I like ShopSavvy because it will read the barcode quickly. Some apps are slow.
For example scan the barcode on a book, and compare Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc.
These apps and others let you scan in a barcode and compare prices. I like ShopSavvy because it will read the barcode quickly. Some apps are slow.
For example scan the barcode on a book, and compare Barnes and Noble, Amazon, etc.
Letter to Obama
Glenn Reynolds has this excerpt from a letter to Obama.
“Like many others, I hoped that your election would bring a salutary change of direction to the country, despite what more than a few feared was an overly aggressive social agenda. And I cannot credibly blame you for the economic mess that you inherited, even if the policy response on your watch has been profligate and largely ineffectual. . . . But what I can justifiably hold you accountable for is you and your minions’ role in setting the tenor of the rancorous debate now roiling us that smacks of what so many have characterized as “class warfare”. Whether this reflects your principled belief that the eternal divide between the haves and have-nots is at the root of all the evils that afflict our society or just a cynical, populist appeal to his base by a president struggling in the polls is of little importance.”
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Gingrich over Obama in projected match up
Rasmussen: Newt Gingrich has a two-point lead over Obama in a hypothetical general election match-up.
1920s KKK
Jonah Goldberg on the nature of the 1920s KKK. This group is getting used for modern political purposes.
What do Democrats stand for?
What do Democrats really stand for today? Are they opposed to wealth? Do they support the working class, the little man? Is it identity politics?
Ah, but look, today’s Democratic party isn’t really about addressing economic opportunity or even dealing with America’s most pressing problems – for starters, many Democrats are not persuaded in the slightest that the annual deficit, accumulating debt, and ticking time bomb of entitlements are pressing problems at all. If Democrats really expected that electing Obama would solve problems, they would be angrier with him than we are. No, for most Democrats, their political party is about a cultural identity. That identity is heavily based on not being one of those people, i.e., Republicans or conservatives.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
The Future of the Obama Coalition - NYTimes.com
The Democratic Party will abandon the white working class in the 2012 election, according to this NYT blog. I thought they already had.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Steve Jobs' last gadget is set to appear next summer. It's the iTV. No one knows what it will do except it will supposedly revolutionalize the TV industry.
Countdown Begins For Congress On 'Doc Fix'
The perennial "doctor fix" is the latest casualty of the Super Committee's inability to come to a deal on deficit reduction. Without the temporary boost in payments Medicare sets for medical professionals to take care of seniors and the disabled, doctors warn that millions could see their health care choices limited.
"I don't see how primary care doctors could take anywhere near like a 27-percent pay cut and continue to function," said Don Klitgaard, a family physician at a local medical center in Harlan, Iowa. "I assume there's going to be a temporary fix, because the health care system is going to implode without it."
"I don't see how primary care doctors could take anywhere near like a 27-percent pay cut and continue to function," said Don Klitgaard, a family physician at a local medical center in Harlan, Iowa. "I assume there's going to be a temporary fix, because the health care system is going to implode without it."
ESPN: Meyer to Ohio State
Urban Meyer, the really great sports broadcaster and former Florida coach, is the next Ohio State coach. For some reason he's been denying the possibility for more than a week.
Holiday shopping and identity theft
Speaking of holiday shopping, here's some advice on how to avoid identity theft. We all know them, but we don't take proper precautions. I urge you to change your passwords on credit card and other accounts.
But identity theft takes even more sinister forms. See here.
But identity theft takes even more sinister forms. See here.
Holiday shopping off to a good start
I'm glad to read that retailers have had a good start for the holiday shopping season. Fortunately I managed to avoid the lines and made only one small purchase online.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
2011 NCAA College Football Polls and Rankings for Week 14 - ESPN
2011 NCAA College Football Polls and Rankings for Week 14:
1. LSU
2. Alabama
3. Oklahoma State
Arkansas dropped to No. 6.
Money intended for health law gets detoured
Washington Times: Congress has raided health care funds for the third time in less than a year.
Harry and Tonto
I'm impressed with this retro look at an Art Carney film called Harry and Tonto. Harry, a retired teacher, loses his apartment and is looking for a place to live. Tonto is his cat. Sounds funny and even touching. I think I'll look try to see it. For more see here.
Kapp-Mosca fight
Ann Althouse has a post about CFL football legends Joe Kapp and Angelo Mosca, who are still nursing old, old grudges. I would embed the video of their recent fight but that's not allowed. I remember Joe Kapp as a Minnesota Viking QB who lost Super Bowl IV to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tea Party debate in 1980?
Thomas Sowell debates Frances Fox Piven in a 1980 video. According to the description, it's "like ACORN versus the Tea Party but 30 years ago."
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Black Friday mayhem gets better every year
Black Friday got crazy this year. Customers should equip themselves with bullet proof vests and goggles next year. According to one expert, "There's an awful lot of psychology going on here." Wow, can we box it up and sell it?
Throw them all out
I haven't read Peter Schweizer's Throw Them All Out, but the idea is irresistible. Like a lot of people, I've reached that point.
Black Friday's game
Despite having a good team this year, Arkansas still needed a perfect game to defeat LSU. They led 14-0 early but couldn't put LSU away. LSU won 41-17.
Friday, November 25, 2011
CO2 may not warm the planet all that much
New Scientist: "The climate may be less sensitive to carbon dioxide than we thought –
and temperature rises this century could be smaller than expected.
That's the surprise result of a new analysis of the last ice age.
However, the finding comes from considering just one climate model, and
unless it can be replicated using other models, researchers are dubious
that it is genuine."
A hell of a football game
This is a huge day in college football. LSU plays Arkansas at Baton Rouge in a game that recalls the Big Shootout of 1969. The winner has a chance to win the national championship.
It's crazy but I'm for both, having strong ties with both schools.
It's crazy but I'm for both, having strong ties with both schools.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
NBC "insulting and inappropriate"
When Michele Bachman came out on stage for the Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" show, the band played "Lyin' Ass Bitch." NBC has apologized, but that's just not enough. Somebody needs to be fired.
Kindle Fire
Here's a review of Kindle Fire. The comments are good, too. It seems like you need to know exactly what to expect if you buy one. Well, that's true of anything.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm thankful this year for friends and family, as always, but also for the Internet. I have been without TV, phone, and Internet since Monday. As you probably know, living in the pre-internet, pre-television, and pre-telephone age is not fun. I'm thankful for my iPhone that helped get me through.
I'm thankful this year for friends and family, as always, but also for the Internet. I have been without TV, phone, and Internet since Monday. As you probably know, living in the pre-internet, pre-television, and pre-telephone age is not fun. I'm thankful for my iPhone that helped get me through.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Facebook and privacy
Glenn Reynolds notes that people are quitting Facebook because of their concerns over privacy. That's exactly why I canceled my account.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Student-loan bailout
There is a discussion of a student-loan bailout. This article argues that it's not a good idea.
Mary Winkler's shoe
Lifeline has broadcast a program called The Pastor's Wife about Mary Winkler. Her shoe played a pivotal role on the trial.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
SEC rules
LSU 1
Alabama 2
Arkansas 3
The latest AP college football rankings has the top three teams in the SEC. The only other time the top three teams all came from the same conference was the final poll of 1971: Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
Alabama 2
Arkansas 3
The latest AP college football rankings has the top three teams in the SEC. The only other time the top three teams all came from the same conference was the final poll of 1971: Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Colorado.
Student loans: the next subprime mortgage crisis
Nancy Smith:
Student loans are more than fire traps for millions of American families. Trust me, they're the next subprime mortgage crisis.
They're the easiest loans out there. Enrolled in a couple of classes? Congrats, your loan application is accepted.
Fiscally mismanaged colleges and universities that should have been out of business long ago? Propped up by mediocre-at-best students paying their tuition with easy-peesy student loans.
Now all of a sudden, here's what we've got:
Student loan debt that surpassed total credit card debt in the U.S. This year’s graduating class of college seniors had the highest average debt to date, and that total just jumped above the $1 trillion mark.
All of the what-ifs in the BCS
The BCS is jumbled as a result of yesterday's upsets.
However, the biggest winner is Arkansas, who before this weekend needed to beat LSU and win the wacky three-team SEC tiebreaker to play for the national title. Now, the Hogs might be in the BCS championship picture even if they don’t represent the West in the SEC title game.
If Arkansas beats LSU, then the SEC tiebreaker goes to a combination of BCS standings and head-to-head results. To make it as simple as possible, if there’s a three-way tie in the West, here are the most likely scenarios:
• If LSU drops behind Alabama and Arkansas in the BCS standings, Alabama would play in the SEC championship. This would be most likely to happen.
And here’s where it gets interesting. If LSU falls to No. 3 in the BCS standings, Alabama would move up to the No. 1 slot and would play for the BCS championship with a win over Georgia in the SEC title game.
But how far up would Arkansas move? Let’s assume the Hogs are No. 3 in the BCS standings on Sunday night — moving past Oklahoma State, Oregon and Oklahoma — then they’d probably move up to No. 2 with a win over LSU and would be assured of a spot in the BCS championship no matter what happens in the SEC title game.
To make this even more bizarre, let’s say Arkansas beats LSU and moves up to No. 1, Alabama stays at No. 2 and LSU drops to No. 3. Then Alabama would STILL win the tiebreaker and play for the SEC championship with a chance to go to the BCS championship to play the Hogs in a rematch of the Tide's 38-14 thumping on September 24.
• If both Arkansas and LSU finish ahead of Alabama in the BCS standings as of next Sunday night, Arkansas would play in the SEC championship and No. 2 LSU would be all but assured of a spot in the BCS championship unless Oklahoma State makes a huge jump up after playing Oklahoma on December 3. Don’t expect this scenario to happen; the human pollsters aren’t going to drop Alabama lower than No. 2.
• If Arkansas doesn’t jump past LSU and Alabama and finishes third in the BCS standings (regardless of whom is higher in the BCS standings between the Tigers and Tide), LSU would play in the SEC championship. Don’t expect this to happen, either. Projected BCS No. 3 Arkansas would almost certainly move up with a win over LSU.
But LSU is probably going to beat Arkansas.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Can government be limited?
George Will: Is there no limit to Congress' power under the Commerce Clause?
Get a hamburger flipping job
Ann Althouse has an extraordinary post on a Newt Gingrich speech. ... "You go out and talk to people, as I do, you go out and talk to
people who are really successful in one generation.... They all learned
how to make money at a very early age... What do we say to poor kids in
poor neighborhoods? Don't do it. Remember all that stuff about don't get
a hamburger flipping job? The worst possible advice you could give to
poor children. Get any job that teaches you to show up on Monday. Get
any job that teaches you to stay all day even if you are in a fight with
your girlfriend. The whole process of making work worthwhile is
central."
Absolutely correct. Some advice that you hear assumes that people are going to start out as CEOs. The way to get there is to work your way up. Failing schools are just holding kids back.
Here's more from Gingrich.
Absolutely correct. Some advice that you hear assumes that people are going to start out as CEOs. The way to get there is to work your way up. Failing schools are just holding kids back.
Here's more from Gingrich.
New college sex scandal
Are we going to have to go through another sports sex scandal? I'm not over the current one yet.
You can compare statistics of the two scandals here.
You can compare statistics of the two scandals here.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Getting old and older
AP: The rolls of America's oldest old are surging: Nearly 2 million now
are 90 or over, nearly triple their numbers of just three decades ago.
It's not all good news. They're more likely than the merely elderly to live in poverty and to have disabilities, creating a new challenge to already strained retiree income and health care programs.
It's not all good news. They're more likely than the merely elderly to live in poverty and to have disabilities, creating a new challenge to already strained retiree income and health care programs.
Shocker in N.H.:
Gingrich and Romney are in a virtual tie in New Hampshire, according to a new WSJ poll.
Oklahoma State coaches dead in plane crash
Two Oklahoma State coaches died in a plane crash in the Ouachita Mountains. They were women's basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna.
Natalie Wood's death re-opened
Natalie Wood's Drowning Case Reopened By L.A. Homicide Division but no details are revealed.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
It's a toss up
Walter Russell Mead thinks that today not even the White House is sure whether Obamacare is constitutional.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Not the same thing
Mike McQueary didn't make a report to the local police, a Pennsylvania police chief says. Maybe he called campo.
Another recent report is here.
Another recent report is here.
Who's the amateur?
Newt Gingrich's response to a reporter:
….AP’s Tom Beaumont: “Does this remind you that your background comes from being a Washington insider?”
Gingrich: “It reminds people that I know a great deal about Washington and if you want to change Washington, we just tried four years of amateur ignorance and it didn’t work very well, so having somebody who knows Washington might be a really good thing.”
Gingrich: “It reminds people that I know a great deal about Washington and if you want to change Washington, we just tried four years of amateur ignorance and it didn’t work very well, so having somebody who knows Washington might be a really good thing.”
» Why I Support Newt Gingrich - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
Legal Insurrection (Bill Jacobson) supports Newt Gingrich "as the most conservative Republican who is electable and most qualified for the position of President."
My Way News - Review: Kindle Fire sacrifices to get under $200
We have several choices in computer tablets now. This review gives an overview.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Football is life itself
Margaret Wente: College football is America's true religion. This statement was prompted by the Penn State mess. Joe Paterno was fired. If you didn't notice, the school's president was also fired, but nobody rioted about that.
You can tell a lot about a civilization from its monuments. The Greeks built temples to the gods. The Romans constructed roads and aqueducts. The United States built railroads, skyscrapers, majestic post-office buildings and public libraries. Today, it builds temples of worship called football stadiums. This may not be the end of empire, but sometimes it feels that way.
The Prius C
Reviewing the 2012 Prii, which Toyota says is the plural of Prius. Yes, there's more than one of them.
Chelsea gets a job
Chelsea Clinton, through sheer grit, hard work, and determination having nothing to do with her celebrity status, has landed a job at NBC.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Among GOP candidates. Newt Gingrich is at the top of one poll.
He's been doing well in the debates, and he's been moving up.
He's been doing well in the debates, and he's been moving up.
The earth from space
Vimeo: A time lapse view of earth from space.
Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.
Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS from Michael König on Vimeo.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Open your eyes and see
Shawn Hubler on the cult of Penn State. But the light came on, and he could at last see clearly. "I began to distance myself from football. I started hanging around with pre-med students, pot smokers, Young Republicans, kids who majored in economics, kids of other ethnicities, foreign kids."
Answer yes or no!
Ann Althouse has a good analysis of Newt Gingrich's answer to a question during the recent GOP debate. That question was: "As president of the United States, would you sign that death warrant for
an American citizen overseas who you believe is a terrorist suspect?"
It was a trick question, requiring a yes or not answer, but Gingrich didn't fall for it.
It was a trick question, requiring a yes or not answer, but Gingrich didn't fall for it.
Paul Ryan's speech
Paul Ryan will someday be president, predicts John Hinderaker. Here's Ryan recent speech at the Claremont Institute.
What's your name?
Should married women take the last name of their husband? You can read the pros and cons, but I think it is good when everyone in a household has the same name. If they don't, a question mark pops up. Most importantly, you have to be concerned about the name of the kids. I personally believe the practice of hyphenating names after marriage is unnecessarily complicated -- Mary Smith-Jones? Try to get an ID with that. On the other hand three names sounds good to me -- Sarah Jessica Parker or Lady Bird Johnson.
So I understand why some women don't want to change their name. I don't want to change mine either.
So I understand why some women don't want to change their name. I don't want to change mine either.
à la carte financial services
I found this article on Wal-Mart's push into banking interesting. Many people today are unhappy with their bank because of high fees. Wal-Mart has wanted to charter a bank for years, but these moves have been blocked by the banking industry. Now they have gone into à la carte financial services. This has an appeal to many unbanked people and those who just want to pay less for financial services. You can cash your pay check and load it on a cheap Wal-Mart debit card.
I use Wal-Mart as a bank myself, even though I am not unbanked, lol. When I want a small amount of walking-around cash I use my debit card at Wal-Mart rather than at an ATM. You have to buy something, if only a small purchase, but you're going to do that anyway.
I use Wal-Mart as a bank myself, even though I am not unbanked, lol. When I want a small amount of walking-around cash I use my debit card at Wal-Mart rather than at an ATM. You have to buy something, if only a small purchase, but you're going to do that anyway.
Saturday, November 12, 2011
The future of education
WSJ: My teacher is an app. We will see a lot more computer courses and, I hope, less classroom courses.
Sandusky indictment
Ann Althouse has a post on the grand jury indictment in the Penn State/ Jerry Sandusky case. The indictment was filed under seal, but a computer glitch, lol, let it out on the internet. Follow her links. One of the commenters gives the specific link to the report.
Baby boomer philosophy
What you can expect older baby boomers to say: "Paws off, Junior, this cash is mine." Or IRA...
The EU and its euro may soon be a thing of the past. Here's why. It's the wealthy northern Europe vs poorer southern Europe. And that's not all.
Friday, November 11, 2011
11/11/11
Today is Veteran's Day. Thank you.
Today is also the anniversary of the end of World War I, which is almost forgotten now. The guns fell silent at 11:00 AM on November 11, 1918. Today's date is to me particularly interesting: 11/11/11.
Today is also the anniversary of the end of World War I, which is almost forgotten now. The guns fell silent at 11:00 AM on November 11, 1918. Today's date is to me particularly interesting: 11/11/11.
Screwed by government
Want to know how government agriculture programs work?
"If agriculture is any indication of government programs, if it ... is a good indication of what goes on with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, military spending and whatever, we are just so screwed," said [Vance] Ehmke, the farmer. "We are squandering just untold huge amounts of money."
"If agriculture is any indication of government programs, if it ... is a good indication of what goes on with Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, military spending and whatever, we are just so screwed," said [Vance] Ehmke, the farmer. "We are squandering just untold huge amounts of money."
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State coach, faces as many as 460 years in prison.
You can find summaries of the scandal all over the web. See here.
You can find summaries of the scandal all over the web. See here.
Paterno fired in a phone call
The winningest coach in major college football history was unceremoniously dumped Wednesday night along with Penn State president Graham Spanier, fired in phone calls by a board of trustees fed up with the damage being done to the university's reputation by a child sex-abuse scandal involving Paterno's one-time heir apparent.
For more go here.
For more go here.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Jefferson County, Alabama, has just declared bankruptcy, the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. The county, where Birmingham is located, has voted to file, actually. Maybe Obama will bail them out.
Honey, Honey?
Most honey sold in stores isn't honey, honey. But they still want money for it. The pollen is filtered out as a way of hiding where the honey came from. That compromises the product's quality.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Blaming the wrong people
Margaret Wente:
These people make up the Occupier generation. They aspire to join the virtueocracy – the class of people who expect to find self-fulfillment (and a comfortable living) in non-profit or government work, by saving the planet, rescuing the poor and regulating the rest of us. They are what the social critic Christopher Lasch called the “new class” of "therapeutic cops in the new bureaucracy."
The trouble is, this social model no longer works. As blogger Kenneth Anderson writes, “The machine by which universities train young people to become minor regulators and then delivered them into white-collar positions on the basis of credentials in history, political science, literature, ethnic and women’s studies – with or without the benefit of law school – has broken down. The supply is uninterrupted, but the demand has dried up.”
It’s not the greedy Wall Street bankers who destroyed these people’s hopes. It’s the virtueocracy itself. It’s the people who constructed a benefit-heavy entitlement system whose costs can no longer be sustained. It’s the politicians and union leaders who made reckless pension promises that are now bankrupting cities and states. It’s the socially progressive policy-makers in the U.S. who declared that everyone, even those with no visible means of support, should be able to own a home with no money down, courtesy of their government. In Canada, it’s the social progressives who assure us we can keep on consuming all the health care we want, even as the costs squeeze out other public goods.
The Occupiers are right when they say our system of wealth redistribution is broken. But they’re wrong about what broke it. The richest 1 per cent are not exactly starving out the working poor. (In the U.S., half all income sent to Washington is redistributed to the elderly, sick and disabled, or to those who serve them, and nearly half the country lives in a household that’s getting some sort of government benefit.) The problem is, our system redistributes the wealth from young to old, and from middle-class workers in the private sector to inefficient and expensive unions in the public sector.
The Cain charges
College debt crisis
Glenn Reynolds asks, Can technology fix the college debt crisis?
Probably not. My advice: learn a trade. We always will need people who can fix stuff.
Glenn says: "The higher education establishment needs to ask itself if it's really adding value commensurate with the costs...." That's a definitely not.
Probably not. My advice: learn a trade. We always will need people who can fix stuff.
Glenn says: "The higher education establishment needs to ask itself if it's really adding value commensurate with the costs...." That's a definitely not.
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