This is only for those of you who like videos of Raptors eating cheerleaders. Be warned.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Don Boudreaux on saving jobs via rickshaw
George Mason University's Don Boudreaux recently sent this letter to the New York times:
Labor-union official Vincent Fyfe wants the state of New York to continue prohibiting supermarkets from selling wine (Letters, Feb. 12). His reason? Supermarket wine sales will put some liquor-store owners out of business and their employees out of work.
Note to Mr. Fyfe: the purpose of the wine trade – like every other trade – is to serve consumers, not to create jobs for producers.
Ok, here comes the patented Don Boudreaux Karate Kid Crane kick. Get ready for it:
If job creation were paramount, then government should not only continue to prohibit supermarkets from selling wine, but should require that bottles of beer, wine, and spirits be hand-delivered to retailers, one at a time, while cradled in the arms of carriers each pulled though the streets in a rickshaw.
Of course, such a requirement would harm consumers, but it would also create lots of jobs.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Go up to the first link to read comments about the bizarre world of cronyism afflicting each state. Pennsylvania, for instance, has nothing but state-owned liquor stores. Colorado and Oklahoma can't sell anything but 3.2 beer. In Indiana, supermarkets can sell wine and beer, but they can't sell them cold ??? ! !?? ! ??
And one commenter, speaking of rickshaws, mentioned this classic Seinfeld moment:
Labor-union official Vincent Fyfe wants the state of New York to continue prohibiting supermarkets from selling wine (Letters, Feb. 12). His reason? Supermarket wine sales will put some liquor-store owners out of business and their employees out of work.
Note to Mr. Fyfe: the purpose of the wine trade – like every other trade – is to serve consumers, not to create jobs for producers.
Ok, here comes the patented Don Boudreaux Karate Kid Crane kick. Get ready for it:
If job creation were paramount, then government should not only continue to prohibit supermarkets from selling wine, but should require that bottles of beer, wine, and spirits be hand-delivered to retailers, one at a time, while cradled in the arms of carriers each pulled though the streets in a rickshaw.
Of course, such a requirement would harm consumers, but it would also create lots of jobs.
Sincerely,
Donald J. Boudreaux
Go up to the first link to read comments about the bizarre world of cronyism afflicting each state. Pennsylvania, for instance, has nothing but state-owned liquor stores. Colorado and Oklahoma can't sell anything but 3.2 beer. In Indiana, supermarkets can sell wine and beer, but they can't sell them cold ??? ! !?? ! ??
And one commenter, speaking of rickshaws, mentioned this classic Seinfeld moment:
Friday, February 12, 2010
What, no signing ceremony?
Wiener Dogs in the snow in Fort Worth, Texas
I've seen more snow than this in Canada, Colorado, and Tennessee, but I've never seen anything like this in Fort Worth, Texas.
Here's one of the Wiener dogs in the back yard, joyously celebrating the death of Goreism.
The little guy in the lead is Fred (Bastiat), closely followed by Mandy (but I sent you away, O Mandy.)
Here's one of the Wiener dogs in the back yard, joyously celebrating the death of Goreism.
The little guy in the lead is Fred (Bastiat), closely followed by Mandy (but I sent you away, O Mandy.)
The guy on the far right is Joe (Willy Namath), who is happy that AGW ended without us having to pay any more tribute money to Pelosi and Reid.
Here are Fred and Humphrey (Bogart) wooking for those wascally wabbits.
Here are all the troops coming back into the house after their bathroom break.
Thanks for tolerating these pics of the puppies. None of us have seen anything like this before. Fun, Fun, Fun.
Let us all be thankful that Global Warming ended so abruptly, without our government having to take any extreme measures, or money, or taxes.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Bill Clinton receives two stents (Obamacare is not yet law)
From Michelle Malkin's blog:
Former President Bill Clinton was rushed to the hospital for a heart condition and has reportedly received a stent.
Linked later on in the same post:
Update: Clinton received two stents.
Even later, a few words from the company that made the stents that are keeping the non-inhaler alive:
Boston Scientific Corp (BSX.N) warned on Tuesday that a proposed tax in the U.S. health care reform bill that cleared the Senate Finance Committee last week could have serious consequences for the company, including job losses.....(CEO Bill) Elliott said that the company’s tax liability would be doubled, adding $150 million to $200 million a year, and it would be forced to make substantial cuts in research and development spending, which could result in 1,000 to 2,000 jobs being lost at Boston Scientific…
No, those stents don't grow on trees, do they? Evil capitalists invent them.
Here's one last link, from the U.K.'s Daily Mail Online, about an action proposed by Britain's National Health Service, one of the many "civilized" socialist medical schemes that we're supposed to emulate if we're to ever join the ranks of the truly evolved and humane nations:
A treatment which has saved the lives of tens of thousands of heart patients could be banned on the Health Service because it is too expensive.
Last year, around 40,000 patients were fitted with drugcoated stents - special tubes which are inserted into arteries to prevent them from narrowing.
The system is more expensive than stents that don't include drugs, but are more effective at keeping people out of hospital.
They also avoid the need for heart bypass operations.
Now the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence has recommended that the devices be banned on the basis of cost.
A treatment which has saved the lives of tens of thousands of heart patients could be banned on the Health Service because it is too expensive.
Last year, around 40,000 patients were fitted with drugcoated stents - special tubes which are inserted into arteries to prevent them from narrowing.
Former President Bill Clinton was rushed to the hospital for a heart condition and has reportedly received a stent.
Linked later on in the same post:
Update: Clinton received two stents.
Even later, a few words from the company that made the stents that are keeping the non-inhaler alive:
Boston Scientific Corp (BSX.N) warned on Tuesday that a proposed tax in the U.S. health care reform bill that cleared the Senate Finance Committee last week could have serious consequences for the company, including job losses.....(CEO Bill) Elliott said that the company’s tax liability would be doubled, adding $150 million to $200 million a year, and it would be forced to make substantial cuts in research and development spending, which could result in 1,000 to 2,000 jobs being lost at Boston Scientific…
No, those stents don't grow on trees, do they? Evil capitalists invent them.
Here's one last link, from the U.K.'s Daily Mail Online, about an action proposed by Britain's National Health Service, one of the many "civilized" socialist medical schemes that we're supposed to emulate if we're to ever join the ranks of the truly evolved and humane nations:
A treatment which has saved the lives of tens of thousands of heart patients could be banned on the Health Service because it is too expensive.
Last year, around 40,000 patients were fitted with drugcoated stents - special tubes which are inserted into arteries to prevent them from narrowing.
The system is more expensive than stents that don't include drugs, but are more effective at keeping people out of hospital.
They also avoid the need for heart bypass operations.
Now the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence has recommended that the devices be banned on the basis of cost.
A treatment which has saved the lives of tens of thousands of heart patients could be banned on the Health Service because it is too expensive.
Last year, around 40,000 patients were fitted with drugcoated stents - special tubes which are inserted into arteries to prevent them from narrowing.
The system is more expensive than stents that don't include drugs, but are more effective at keeping people out of hospital.
They also avoid the need for heart bypass operations.
Now the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence has recommended that the devices be banned on the basis of cost.
Good thing for Clinton that Obamacare hasn't passed yet.
But seriously.... is there anyone out there who believes that this socialized medicine scheme will apply to anyone who gets to vote on it?
Debra Medina, The 9-11 Truthers, and the desire for a do-over
Michael Dukakis deciding to ride around in that tank.
Ross Perot deciding on a Vice-Presidential candidate who didn't quite know what he was doing in a debate.
Howard Dean deciding that it might be a good time to scream.
Jimmy Carter deciding to go on television and talk about malaise.
George H.W. Bush deciding to go back on his "Read My Lips" pledge.
Barry Goldwater deciding to talk about extremism in the defence of liberty.
And then there's Debra Medina, who is running for Texas governor, saying she didn't have enough evidence on hand to comment on whether the U.S. government (with native son George W. Bush at the helm) had any involvement in bringing down the Twin Towers on 9-11.
I don't have a dog in the Republican governor fight. Since I'm an officer in the Libertarian Party, I couldn't endorse anyone from another party. BUT....Debra Medina did seem to have good sense.
Oh well..... Goodbye, Debra.
Go here for the back-pedaling.
Ross Perot deciding on a Vice-Presidential candidate who didn't quite know what he was doing in a debate.
Howard Dean deciding that it might be a good time to scream.
Jimmy Carter deciding to go on television and talk about malaise.
George H.W. Bush deciding to go back on his "Read My Lips" pledge.
Barry Goldwater deciding to talk about extremism in the defence of liberty.
And then there's Debra Medina, who is running for Texas governor, saying she didn't have enough evidence on hand to comment on whether the U.S. government (with native son George W. Bush at the helm) had any involvement in bringing down the Twin Towers on 9-11.
I don't have a dog in the Republican governor fight. Since I'm an officer in the Libertarian Party, I couldn't endorse anyone from another party. BUT....Debra Medina did seem to have good sense.
Oh well..... Goodbye, Debra.
Go here for the back-pedaling.
Beautiful snow in Fort Worth, Texas
Here's the view from The Sepulchral Mansion this morning:
Here's the Whitened Black Whitedmobile:
I've already heard from those of my employees who see life as extension of the 7th grade. (Is it a snow day? Can I stay home? Do I have to work?)
If you're interested here's a link to the definitive collection of theCalvin & Hobbes snowman cartoons. Wonderful stuff.
Look at the Day By Day cartoon to your immediate right. It's about blizzards being a sign of warming, spending your way out of recessions, destroying villages in order to save them, and other concepts that seem like paradoxes, but aren't. There's a simpler word for these phrases: Lies.
If X is supposed to be proof of the existence of Y, then the absence of X cannot also be proof of Y. Ya gotta pick one, and stick with it.
Happy snow day ! ! Enjoy the warming ! ! !
Economics 101: The School Choice Example
From Hot Air. This is one of the best videos I've ever seen.
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity released another of its Econ 101 video series today, this time with Isabel Santa of Cato discussing the problems of monopolies — especially in regard to school choice. The government-imposed school monopoly squelches innovation and provides an inefficient model for education, Santo argues, much as monopolies in other areas make inefficient use of capital. The problem is that government only reluctantly allows private enterprise to compete with its near-total lock on compulsory primary education by forcing people who opt out to pay into both systems. That creates a situation where only the wealthy and powerful have the option to choose how their children will be educated — although far more of the people who protect the government monopoly choose to opt out of it than the general population:
.... Besides, any government monopoly that 44% of the Senate and 36% of the House avoid is one that should be either ended or forced to compete on a more even basis with private-sector suppliers.
You can go here to get more info on these percentages. If every member of Congress who exercised school choice was required to pass that same privilege to low income families, the D.C. Voucher program would have remained in place.
The Center for Freedom and Prosperity released another of its Econ 101 video series today, this time with Isabel Santa of Cato discussing the problems of monopolies — especially in regard to school choice. The government-imposed school monopoly squelches innovation and provides an inefficient model for education, Santo argues, much as monopolies in other areas make inefficient use of capital. The problem is that government only reluctantly allows private enterprise to compete with its near-total lock on compulsory primary education by forcing people who opt out to pay into both systems. That creates a situation where only the wealthy and powerful have the option to choose how their children will be educated — although far more of the people who protect the government monopoly choose to opt out of it than the general population:
.... Besides, any government monopoly that 44% of the Senate and 36% of the House avoid is one that should be either ended or forced to compete on a more even basis with private-sector suppliers.
You can go here to get more info on these percentages. If every member of Congress who exercised school choice was required to pass that same privilege to low income families, the D.C. Voucher program would have remained in place.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Grouchy Old Cripple on government shutdowns
Go here to read Denny's observations on the subtle difference in government shutdowns and just another day at the office.
John Stossel on "The Road To Serfdom"
John Stossel's show tomorrow night will be centered around F.A. Hayek's "The Road To Serfdom".
Set the Tivo to record. Go ahead. Make yourself a note. Thursday night. Fox Business Channel.
Go here for a teaser:
Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin seems to understand the threat: He's worries that "more people have a stake in the welfare state than in free enterprise. This is a road that Hayek perfectly described as 'the road to serfdom.'" (Tomorrow I will ask Ryan why, if he understands this, he voted for TARP and the auto bailouts.)
Set the Tivo to record. Go ahead. Make yourself a note. Thursday night. Fox Business Channel.
Go here for a teaser:
Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin seems to understand the threat: He's worries that "more people have a stake in the welfare state than in free enterprise. This is a road that Hayek perfectly described as 'the road to serfdom.'" (Tomorrow I will ask Ryan why, if he understands this, he voted for TARP and the auto bailouts.)
Texas Republican ballot proposition #4, on the public acknowledgement of God
Several friends have sent me something about an upcoming Texas G.O.P. ballot proposition.....
No. 4 - Public Acknowledgment of God — The use of the word “God,” prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as permitted on government buildings and property.— YES or NO
Disregard for a moment whether or not any of this is constitutional. Disregard the Founding Fathers' desire to set up a republic, not a theocracy. Forget that most of the founders were Deists.
Let's look at this proposition from a Christian perspective.
On the use of the word "God" in public gatherings, in public educational institutions, and on government buildings and property
Here's commandment #3 out of 10.
Exodus 20:7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Could there possibly be a worse use of God's name than tacking it onto the unholy works of the Texas Legislature? When those guys start throwing around the name of God, don't you instinctively check your wallet? Do you think God wants her name chiseled into the building where those folks meet?
I didn't agree with the late Molly Ivins about many issues, but I know she would have had a great time with this one.
Back to the commandment....In some translations, this verse is stated as "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." In other words, don't misuse God's name. Don't claim God's authority when you ain't got it. Or, for political purposes, don't use God's name as if it equaled The Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval.
Are we also going to allow the words "Yahweh" and "Jehovah"? Or "Allah"? How about "Vishnu?" "Cthulu?" And what about those who are offended when the name(s) of their deities are thrown around lightly? What will happen when the Texas Speaker of The House proposes a pork-laden project called "The Lord's Highway" to be built between Abbott and Waco? Will anyone have the nerve to vote against THE HIGHWAY OF THE LORD????
Will we need to give equal time and representation to The Flying Spaghetti Monster?
On permitting prayer in public gatherings, in public educational institutions, and in government buildings and property.
I really don't think that the citizens of Pipe Creek, Texas, are prepared for students who might want to bring rosaries to class for prayer time. Has the Joaquin, Texas, school board made arrangements for Eastern Orthodox students who want to set up some icons in the corner?
Is the Rio Hondo school system equipped with lockers big enough to accomodate Muslim prayer rugs?
There are plenty of Texans who can remember teachers beginning the day with a class prayer. Some of us remember a student reading a devotional and then a prayer to the entire school over the intercom.
So what is this ballot proposal about? It's a simple wedge issue, one that dares anyone to publicly oppose it. It's about a desire to turn back the clock to a time when we had a uniform, unquestioned belief system that everyone respected, or at least honored with lip service.
That time is long gone. But if you really want to pray in school, or before a high school football game....
Let's try an experiment. Don't pray. I forbid you to pray. I've passed a law. You cannot pray. Don't you dare do it.
Did that work? Was I effective? I don't think so. Unless I find some way to end your life, you can pray all you want, and I can't stop you.
But then, you might argue that the Republican proposition seeks to legalize spoken public prayer, the kind where the supplicant outlines all the stuff he wants, what he wants God to bless (also known as intercessory prayer) and then outlines the errors of his opponents, explains The Plan Of Salvation for the benefit of the unsaved, and winds it up with a long coda telling God how great he is.
I've heard Brent Beasley of Broadway Baptist Church call this "Egocessary Prayer". It's more about the person doing the praying than it is about God. If you disagree with Dr. Beasley, well, here's what Jesus had to say on the subject:
Matthew 6:5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
All Christian Republicans who disagree with the Ten Commandments and Jesus can voice their disagreement by voting "Yes" on this ballot proposition.
No. 4 - Public Acknowledgment of God — The use of the word “God,” prayers, and the Ten Commandments should be allowed at public gatherings and public educational institutions, as well as permitted on government buildings and property.— YES or NO
Disregard for a moment whether or not any of this is constitutional. Disregard the Founding Fathers' desire to set up a republic, not a theocracy. Forget that most of the founders were Deists.
Let's look at this proposition from a Christian perspective.
On the use of the word "God" in public gatherings, in public educational institutions, and on government buildings and property
Here's commandment #3 out of 10.
Exodus 20:7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Could there possibly be a worse use of God's name than tacking it onto the unholy works of the Texas Legislature? When those guys start throwing around the name of God, don't you instinctively check your wallet? Do you think God wants her name chiseled into the building where those folks meet?
I didn't agree with the late Molly Ivins about many issues, but I know she would have had a great time with this one.
Back to the commandment....In some translations, this verse is stated as "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain." In other words, don't misuse God's name. Don't claim God's authority when you ain't got it. Or, for political purposes, don't use God's name as if it equaled The Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval.
Are we also going to allow the words "Yahweh" and "Jehovah"? Or "Allah"? How about "Vishnu?" "Cthulu?" And what about those who are offended when the name(s) of their deities are thrown around lightly? What will happen when the Texas Speaker of The House proposes a pork-laden project called "The Lord's Highway" to be built between Abbott and Waco? Will anyone have the nerve to vote against THE HIGHWAY OF THE LORD????
Will we need to give equal time and representation to The Flying Spaghetti Monster?
On permitting prayer in public gatherings, in public educational institutions, and in government buildings and property.
I really don't think that the citizens of Pipe Creek, Texas, are prepared for students who might want to bring rosaries to class for prayer time. Has the Joaquin, Texas, school board made arrangements for Eastern Orthodox students who want to set up some icons in the corner?
Is the Rio Hondo school system equipped with lockers big enough to accomodate Muslim prayer rugs?
There are plenty of Texans who can remember teachers beginning the day with a class prayer. Some of us remember a student reading a devotional and then a prayer to the entire school over the intercom.
So what is this ballot proposal about? It's a simple wedge issue, one that dares anyone to publicly oppose it. It's about a desire to turn back the clock to a time when we had a uniform, unquestioned belief system that everyone respected, or at least honored with lip service.
That time is long gone. But if you really want to pray in school, or before a high school football game....
Let's try an experiment. Don't pray. I forbid you to pray. I've passed a law. You cannot pray. Don't you dare do it.
Did that work? Was I effective? I don't think so. Unless I find some way to end your life, you can pray all you want, and I can't stop you.
But then, you might argue that the Republican proposition seeks to legalize spoken public prayer, the kind where the supplicant outlines all the stuff he wants, what he wants God to bless (also known as intercessory prayer) and then outlines the errors of his opponents, explains The Plan Of Salvation for the benefit of the unsaved, and winds it up with a long coda telling God how great he is.
I've heard Brent Beasley of Broadway Baptist Church call this "Egocessary Prayer". It's more about the person doing the praying than it is about God. If you disagree with Dr. Beasley, well, here's what Jesus had to say on the subject:
Matthew 6:5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.
6. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
All Christian Republicans who disagree with the Ten Commandments and Jesus can voice their disagreement by voting "Yes" on this ballot proposition.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Blizzard disrupts press conference about early snowmelt
NOAA had planned a press conference in Washington D.C. yesterday to release the following statement:
“More and more, Americans are witnessing the impacts of climate change in their own backyards, including sea-level rise, longer growing seasons, changes in river flows, increases in heavy downpours, earlier snowmelt and extended ice-free seasons in our waters. People are searching for relevant and timely information about these changes to inform decision-making about virtually all aspects of their lives,”
Because of the blizzard, the press conference could not be held at the National Press Club and had to be conducted via telephone.
Go here for more info.
“More and more, Americans are witnessing the impacts of climate change in their own backyards, including sea-level rise, longer growing seasons, changes in river flows, increases in heavy downpours, earlier snowmelt and extended ice-free seasons in our waters. People are searching for relevant and timely information about these changes to inform decision-making about virtually all aspects of their lives,”
Because of the blizzard, the press conference could not be held at the National Press Club and had to be conducted via telephone.
Go here for more info.
God must have needed an earmark
Monday, February 8, 2010
Nick Gillespie debates Lawrence Lessig
My friend Dr. Ralph, of The Journal Of Post-Ralphaelite Thought, has long been the agent provocateur of this site, and he does his job well. Especially for someone whose job it is to be WRONG WRONG WRONG on almost all economic issues.
Dr. Ralph admires Harvard University's Lawrence Lessig.
I'm a huge fan of Reason magazine's Nick Gillespie. I have a black leather jacket that's almost identical to the one Gillespie wears to all his video and TV appearances, and my political opinions are almost identical to Gillespie's, but I have much less hair.
Lessig and Gillespie debate The Supreme Court's recent Citizens United ruling here. Bill Moyers is the moderator.
Enjoy.
Dr. Ralph admires Harvard University's Lawrence Lessig.
I'm a huge fan of Reason magazine's Nick Gillespie. I have a black leather jacket that's almost identical to the one Gillespie wears to all his video and TV appearances, and my political opinions are almost identical to Gillespie's, but I have much less hair.
Lessig and Gillespie debate The Supreme Court's recent Citizens United ruling here. Bill Moyers is the moderator.
Enjoy.
Buy an Audi, and be more enlightened than your neighbors
Of all the ads ever written to take advantage of human ignorance, this is one of the worst. I first saw it during the Super Bowl. When the "green" Audi appeared, I threw party mix, beer cans and dachshunds at the screen until the rage subsided.
There are NO green cars. There are NO green manufacturing processes. Manufacturing Audis eliminates entire counties' worth of the symbolic gestures advocated in this ad.
There is only one green form of transportation, only one that leaves no carbon footprint. That's to dispatch yourself to your eternal reward in the next life. Your remains will still release carbon for a couple of decades, but then it will slow down.
Then there's walking. Or riding a bicycle.
Driving anything, anything at all, for a short period of time, is enough to negate all of your other "green" rituals. I'm not saying that we should stop recycling, or stop caring about the environment.
I'm saying that if you think you're accomplishing something worthwhile by driving an Audi, as opposed to something driven by the unenlightened Proles, you're mistaken.
This was a vile ad. The presence of the Gore Police made it even more so.
God, I hated this ad.
There are NO green cars. There are NO green manufacturing processes. Manufacturing Audis eliminates entire counties' worth of the symbolic gestures advocated in this ad.
There is only one green form of transportation, only one that leaves no carbon footprint. That's to dispatch yourself to your eternal reward in the next life. Your remains will still release carbon for a couple of decades, but then it will slow down.
Then there's walking. Or riding a bicycle.
Driving anything, anything at all, for a short period of time, is enough to negate all of your other "green" rituals. I'm not saying that we should stop recycling, or stop caring about the environment.
I'm saying that if you think you're accomplishing something worthwhile by driving an Audi, as opposed to something driven by the unenlightened Proles, you're mistaken.
This was a vile ad. The presence of the Gore Police made it even more so.
God, I hated this ad.
Federal Government in Washington closed today due to snow.
From the Washington Post:
The federal government will be closed on Monday in the Washington area, according to the Office of Personnel Management, as the region continues to plow out of an historic snowstorm.
OPM Director John Berry decides when to close federal offices in the Washington area. He convened a conference call with local and state government and transportation officials Sunday afternoon during which they determined a Monday morning commute would be too unsafe, officials said.....
.....Closing the federal government for one day costs taxpayers roughly $100 million in lost productivity, a price tag Berry said weighs heavily on his final decisions.
The federal government will be closed on Monday in the Washington area, according to the Office of Personnel Management, as the region continues to plow out of an historic snowstorm.
OPM Director John Berry decides when to close federal offices in the Washington area. He convened a conference call with local and state government and transportation officials Sunday afternoon during which they determined a Monday morning commute would be too unsafe, officials said.....
.....Closing the federal government for one day costs taxpayers roughly $100 million in lost productivity, a price tag Berry said weighs heavily on his final decisions.
Lost productivity, you say?
If the Department Of Education doesn't show up for work, does that mean that the sad decline of our schools will cease? The decline that has accelerated ever since the founding of that department?
The Department Of Energy was founded to decrease our reliance on foreign energy sources. Despite a 28 billion dollar budget, and more than 100,000 employees, the amount of oil we import has increased since then. Do we need those guys?
Can anyone remember the last time the Department Of Housing And Urban Development was worth its salt? Why should ACORN grants be funneled through that department, when we could so easily write the checks to ACORN ourselves?
If the Department Of Agriculture were to be snowed in for a year, and we were allowed to import food from more economical sources overseas, do you think this would eliminate some poverty in the U.S. and overseas? In fact, if the Department Of Agriculture were to sink into the Potomac, would it be missed by anyone except some coddled millionaires?
What would happen if the Department Of Defense stayed home for a decade, and it was all our military could do to defend our borders? Do you think the number of attacks on America would be about like the number of attacks on, say, Switzerland?
Does anyone suffer when Secretary Of State Clinton can't get out of her driveway because of the snow?
Think of the pounds of regulatory mess that The Department Of Commerce will NOT write today.
Imagine that you just won the mega-lottery, and you wanted to give most of the money to effective charitable organizations that efficiently deliver aid, medicine, and comfort to low income people in the U.S. How many organizations would you consider before you voluntarily wrote a check to The Department Of Health And Human Services?
Look at what The Department Of Organized Labor has done for Michigan. Stay home, folks. We'll call you when we need you.
Think of what the Treasury Department has done for Wall Street, banks, AIG, Goldman-Sachs, and their buddies at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for the past year. Treasury will not be able to cover gambling losses with your money today.
A big thank-you should go to the Department Of Transportation for not getting the roads cleared.
Mark Steyn, on your unknowing audition for the next Mad Max movie
From Mark Steyn:
....The other day, Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, described current deficits as “unsustainable.” So let’s make them even more so. The president tells us, with a straight face, that his grossly irresponsible profligate wastrel of a predecessor took the federal budget on an eight-year joyride, so the only way his sober, fiscally prudent successor can get things under control is to grab the throttle and crank it up to what Mel Brooks in Spaceballs (which seems the appropriate comparison) called “Ludicrous Speed.”
Obama’s spending proposes to take the average Bush deficit for the years 2001–2008, and double it, all the way to 2020. To get out of the Bush hole, we need to dig a hole twice as deep for one-and-a-half times as long. And that’s according to the official projections of his Economics Czar, Ms. Rose Colored-Glasses. By 2015, the actual hole may be so deep that even if you toss every Obama speech down it on double-spaced paper you still won’t be able to fill it up. In the spendthrift Bush days, federal spending as a proportion of GDP average 19.6 percent. Obama proposes to crank it up to 25 percent as a permanent feature of life.
.... Consider the opening paragraph of Martin Crutsinger, “AP Economics Writer”: “WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.83 trillion budget on Monday that would pour more money into the fight against high unemployment, boost taxes on the wealthy and freeze spending for a wide swath of government programs.”
What language is that written in? How can a $3.83 trillion budget “freeze spending”? And where’s the president getting all this money to “pour” into his “fight” against high unemployment? Would it perchance be from the same small businesses that might be hiring new workers if the president didn’t need so much money to “pour” away? Heigh-ho. Maybe we can all be striking tax collectors. It seems a comfortable life . . .
If unsustainable is the new normal, it should also be the new national anthem. Take it away, Natalie Cole:
“Unsustainable
That’s what you are
Unsustainable
Though near or far
Like a ton of debt you’ve dropped on us
How the thought of you has flopped on us
Never before
Has someone spent more . . . ”
It’s not the “debt” or the “deficit,” it’s the spending. And the only way to reduce that is with fewer government agencies, fewer government programs, fewer government employees, lower government salaries.
Instead, all four are rocketing up: We are incentivizing unsustainability, and, when it comes to “some collapse down the road,” you’ll be surprised how short that road is.
....The other day, Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office, described current deficits as “unsustainable.” So let’s make them even more so. The president tells us, with a straight face, that his grossly irresponsible profligate wastrel of a predecessor took the federal budget on an eight-year joyride, so the only way his sober, fiscally prudent successor can get things under control is to grab the throttle and crank it up to what Mel Brooks in Spaceballs (which seems the appropriate comparison) called “Ludicrous Speed.”
Obama’s spending proposes to take the average Bush deficit for the years 2001–2008, and double it, all the way to 2020. To get out of the Bush hole, we need to dig a hole twice as deep for one-and-a-half times as long. And that’s according to the official projections of his Economics Czar, Ms. Rose Colored-Glasses. By 2015, the actual hole may be so deep that even if you toss every Obama speech down it on double-spaced paper you still won’t be able to fill it up. In the spendthrift Bush days, federal spending as a proportion of GDP average 19.6 percent. Obama proposes to crank it up to 25 percent as a permanent feature of life.
.... Consider the opening paragraph of Martin Crutsinger, “AP Economics Writer”: “WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama sent Congress a $3.83 trillion budget on Monday that would pour more money into the fight against high unemployment, boost taxes on the wealthy and freeze spending for a wide swath of government programs.”
What language is that written in? How can a $3.83 trillion budget “freeze spending”? And where’s the president getting all this money to “pour” into his “fight” against high unemployment? Would it perchance be from the same small businesses that might be hiring new workers if the president didn’t need so much money to “pour” away? Heigh-ho. Maybe we can all be striking tax collectors. It seems a comfortable life . . .
If unsustainable is the new normal, it should also be the new national anthem. Take it away, Natalie Cole:
“Unsustainable
That’s what you are
Unsustainable
Though near or far
Like a ton of debt you’ve dropped on us
How the thought of you has flopped on us
Never before
Has someone spent more . . . ”
It’s not the “debt” or the “deficit,” it’s the spending. And the only way to reduce that is with fewer government agencies, fewer government programs, fewer government employees, lower government salaries.
Instead, all four are rocketing up: We are incentivizing unsustainability, and, when it comes to “some collapse down the road,” you’ll be surprised how short that road is.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Pigs Fly
Put a million monkeys on a million typewriters for a million years, and one of them will reproduce the works of Shakespeare.
Equally unlikely: Frank Rich of The New York Times has written an editorial on "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" that actually makes sense.
The "Pigs Fly" picture came from The Whited Mama.
A Litany For The New Orleans Saints
Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Who Dat ? ?? Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Who Dat ??? Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Who Dat ??? Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Beat the Colts. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Positive Mojo toward Drew Brees. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints ! ! Indianapolis is kept alive with TARP money. Go Saints. Go Saints. Jeremy Shockey. Go Saints. Go Saints. Indiana went for Obama in '08, and must be punished. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. The RCA Dome has applied for stimulus funds. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. Go Saints. New Orleans Saints. Our Time Is Now ! Go Saints.
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