The Breakup Notifier.
No more need to waste hours on Facebook.
Let this be a lesson in economics to us all. In a free market, where there is a need, people will fill it.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
More Money Needed
NEA says: "...particularly in these troubling economic times, investing in education makes both good fiscal sense and good public policy. Funding targeted to quality public schools will see the greatest return on taxpayer money and will strengthen the entire economy."
As seen by the prior post and this chart as well from the Heritage Foundation, NEA is obviously right. Public Schools need more money! I do not understand.
As seen by the prior post and this chart as well from the Heritage Foundation, NEA is obviously right. Public Schools need more money! I do not understand.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Humphrey Bogart
Since watching Play It Again, Sam with my parents, I've thought a little more about Humphrey Bogart and the impact he's had, which is why I was excited to see this book review in the NY Times for a new biography about him called "Tough Without A Gun" by Stefan Kanfer.
"The Bogart we came to know on the screen was mature when he arrived, with compressed emotions, an economy of gesture and a compact grace in movements that were wary and self-contained, as if all the world were not a stage but a minefield. Kanfer’s book takes its title from Raymond Chandler, who approved of the decision to cast Bogart in “The Big Sleep” as Philip Marlowe, the hard-boiled detective he had created, because Bogart could be “tough without a gun.” "
But what was most catching, was The Times' reviewer's final paragraph about culture and film generally:
"Bogart’s appeal was and remains completely adult — so adult that it’s hard to believe he was ever young. If men who take responsibility are hard to come by in films these days, it’s because they’re hard to come by, period, in an era when being a kid for life is the ultimate achievement, and “adult” as it pertains to film is just a euphemism for pornography."
Definitely a succinct summation of a cultural symptom.
"The Bogart we came to know on the screen was mature when he arrived, with compressed emotions, an economy of gesture and a compact grace in movements that were wary and self-contained, as if all the world were not a stage but a minefield. Kanfer’s book takes its title from Raymond Chandler, who approved of the decision to cast Bogart in “The Big Sleep” as Philip Marlowe, the hard-boiled detective he had created, because Bogart could be “tough without a gun.” "
But what was most catching, was The Times' reviewer's final paragraph about culture and film generally:
"Bogart’s appeal was and remains completely adult — so adult that it’s hard to believe he was ever young. If men who take responsibility are hard to come by in films these days, it’s because they’re hard to come by, period, in an era when being a kid for life is the ultimate achievement, and “adult” as it pertains to film is just a euphemism for pornography."
Definitely a succinct summation of a cultural symptom.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Regulators
Recently I've started a subscription to National Review, which I enjoy a lot. At the beginning of every issue, they have a series of paragraphs called "The Week" in which they briefly summarize and review hot news bits. This particular one I thought good enough to repeat in full here with all credit given to the editors:
"Pres. Barack Obama, whose signature achievement in office has been dropping a 1,000 page package of regulations onto the American health-care market, has now decided that there are too many federal regulations, and, with an eye on job growth, has ordered regulators to study the problem. There is a kind of genius at work in that: The regulators already are regulated under regulations derived from the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which requires that regulators, before regulating, study a proposed regulation's impact on small business. To that regulator-regulating regulation, President Obama has added an additional regulation, stipulating that regulators "reduce regulatory burdens on small business." What obviously is needed here are additional regulators to regulate the enforcement of the regulator regulating regulations, which is to say, regulator-regulating-regulation-regulator-regulators. Who says Obama doesn't know how to create jobs?"
The essence of progressive/liberal public policy is: "...but it will work this time."
"Pres. Barack Obama, whose signature achievement in office has been dropping a 1,000 page package of regulations onto the American health-care market, has now decided that there are too many federal regulations, and, with an eye on job growth, has ordered regulators to study the problem. There is a kind of genius at work in that: The regulators already are regulated under regulations derived from the Regulatory Flexibility Act, which requires that regulators, before regulating, study a proposed regulation's impact on small business. To that regulator-regulating regulation, President Obama has added an additional regulation, stipulating that regulators "reduce regulatory burdens on small business." What obviously is needed here are additional regulators to regulate the enforcement of the regulator regulating regulations, which is to say, regulator-regulating-regulation-regulator-regulators. Who says Obama doesn't know how to create jobs?"
The essence of progressive/liberal public policy is: "...but it will work this time."
Monday, January 24, 2011
If Only Coolidge Ran Again...
The collection of any taxes which are not absolutely required, which do not beyond reasonable doubt contribute to the public welfare, is only a species of legalized larceny. Under this republic the rewards of industry belong to those who earn them. The only constitutional tax is the tax which ministers to public necessity. (Inaugural Address 1925).
UPDATE One more:
Wealth is the product of industry, ambition, character and untiring effort. In all experience, the accumulation of wealth means the multiplication of schools, the increase of knowledge, the dissemination of intelligence, the encouragement of science, the broadening of outlook, the expansion of liberties, the widening of culture. Of course, the accumulation of wealth can not be justified as the chief end of existence (American Society of Newspaper Editors 1925).
Saturday, January 22, 2011
This Will Entertain You For At Least 2 Mins
Enjoy
I promise it's not a virus.
Click on the colorful things and move your mouse around.
Politics. (Just to keep on theme).
I promise it's not a virus.
Click on the colorful things and move your mouse around.
Politics. (Just to keep on theme).
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
What Would Jesus Do?
It's been a long time since I've written something here, on this blog. Not that my mind has been absent thoughts on politics, economics, theology, ethics, etc. That stuff is usually scrambled around my brain amidst my time playing Left 4 Dead 2 with my brothers, movies, reading some cool books, and making lattes. I just haven't had any "new" thoughts I regarded worthy of submitting for your review. Until recently.
At this discussion I went to a couple of nights ago where a group of guys talk about politics, theology, stuff, an attendant in the meeting had a unique twist on the story of the Widow's Mite. We were talking about why some churches are inclined toward a more liberal, "Social Justice" bend on the basis of Jesus's own "social activism." The man at this meeting, a lawyer, said that if Christianity and/or Jesus is inclined toward voting Democrat or Liberal, than how things turned out in the story of the Widow's Mite would have turned out differently. If Jesus wants us to regard larger government as the answer, especially taxing those with more resources, than instead of extolling the widow for giving all she had, even though it was very little, he should have run up to her and said, "No, no, no! You don't have enough to do that. Here, these rich men ahead of you will pay your temple donation and this centurion over here will see to it that it's done."
Now of course there are many levels and themes to the story as told in scripture, but I thought this man's hypothetical take an interesting one.
At this discussion I went to a couple of nights ago where a group of guys talk about politics, theology, stuff, an attendant in the meeting had a unique twist on the story of the Widow's Mite. We were talking about why some churches are inclined toward a more liberal, "Social Justice" bend on the basis of Jesus's own "social activism." The man at this meeting, a lawyer, said that if Christianity and/or Jesus is inclined toward voting Democrat or Liberal, than how things turned out in the story of the Widow's Mite would have turned out differently. If Jesus wants us to regard larger government as the answer, especially taxing those with more resources, than instead of extolling the widow for giving all she had, even though it was very little, he should have run up to her and said, "No, no, no! You don't have enough to do that. Here, these rich men ahead of you will pay your temple donation and this centurion over here will see to it that it's done."
Now of course there are many levels and themes to the story as told in scripture, but I thought this man's hypothetical take an interesting one.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Sowell's Thoughts
The eminent writer and economist, Thomas Sowell, comes out with these pieces every once in a while entitled "Random Thoughts." They always contain succinct proverberbial blurbs about economics, politics or whatever. His latest one is quite good.
Check it out, kids.
And adults.
Check it out, kids.
And adults.
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