Saturday, April 3, 2010
Dr. Jack Cassell: If you voted for Obama, change for you begins now, not in four years
Wow. Now it's getting personal.
From Hot Air:
One doctor has decided to make his opposition to ObamaCare as public as possible. Dr. Jack Cassell put a sign on his door telling patients who supported the health-care overhaul bill to find another urologist. He’s also stocking his waiting room with information on the problems in ObamaCare — and so far, most of his patients have agreed with him:
“I’m not turning anybody away — that would be unethical,” Dr. Jack Cassell, 56, a Mount Dora urologist and a registered Republican opposed to the health plan, told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday. “But if they read the sign and turn the other way, so be it.”
Shouldn't everyone just chill out about Obamacare? After all, he rigged it where it doesn't kick in for another four years, after the next presidential election. That's a long way off. And Congress, and unions, and government employees, and congressional staffers, they all have special exemptions. So what is this urologist so....pissed off about?
From Hot Air:
One doctor has decided to make his opposition to ObamaCare as public as possible. Dr. Jack Cassell put a sign on his door telling patients who supported the health-care overhaul bill to find another urologist. He’s also stocking his waiting room with information on the problems in ObamaCare — and so far, most of his patients have agreed with him:
“I’m not turning anybody away — that would be unethical,” Dr. Jack Cassell, 56, a Mount Dora urologist and a registered Republican opposed to the health plan, told the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday. “But if they read the sign and turn the other way, so be it.”
Shouldn't everyone just chill out about Obamacare? After all, he rigged it where it doesn't kick in for another four years, after the next presidential election. That's a long way off. And Congress, and unions, and government employees, and congressional staffers, they all have special exemptions. So what is this urologist so....pissed off about?
PANIC PANIC PANIC PANIC
PANIC ! PANIC ! PANIC !
ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I "MONETIZED" THIS WEBSITE, MEANING THAT I ALLOWED GOOGLE TO POST SOME ADS HERE.
THIS MEANS THAT EVERY MONTH I'LL MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY COFFEE FOR ONE DAY.
I SWEAR ON A STACK OF BIBLES (KING JAMES VERSION) THAT I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT ADS APPEAR HERE.
THE AD THAT JUST CAME UP ON YOUR RIGHT, AS OF SATURDAY, APRIL 3RD, WAS AN AD WITH AN EAGLE ON TOP, INVITING READERS TO "LEARN HOW TO JOIN THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE".
DO NOT HIT THAT AD. DON'T DO IT.
UNTIL THE CURRENT MESSIAH TOOK POWER, REPUBLICANS SPENT MORE THAN DEMOCRATS.
DO NOT CLICK ON THAT AD.
YOUR COMPUTER WILL GET VIRUSES AND YOU'LL BE SPAMMED THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
YOUR COMPUTER WILL BE REGISTERED IN A FEDERAL DATABASE OF PEDOPHILES.
Plus, Republicans are not going to repeal Obamacare.
I apologize for that offensive advertisement on this otherwise charming website.
ABOUT A MONTH AGO, I "MONETIZED" THIS WEBSITE, MEANING THAT I ALLOWED GOOGLE TO POST SOME ADS HERE.
THIS MEANS THAT EVERY MONTH I'LL MAKE ENOUGH MONEY TO BUY COFFEE FOR ONE DAY.
I SWEAR ON A STACK OF BIBLES (KING JAMES VERSION) THAT I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER WHAT ADS APPEAR HERE.
THE AD THAT JUST CAME UP ON YOUR RIGHT, AS OF SATURDAY, APRIL 3RD, WAS AN AD WITH AN EAGLE ON TOP, INVITING READERS TO "LEARN HOW TO JOIN THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE".
DO NOT HIT THAT AD. DON'T DO IT.
UNTIL THE CURRENT MESSIAH TOOK POWER, REPUBLICANS SPENT MORE THAN DEMOCRATS.
DO NOT CLICK ON THAT AD.
YOUR COMPUTER WILL GET VIRUSES AND YOU'LL BE SPAMMED THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
YOUR COMPUTER WILL BE REGISTERED IN A FEDERAL DATABASE OF PEDOPHILES.
Plus, Republicans are not going to repeal Obamacare.
I apologize for that offensive advertisement on this otherwise charming website.
Jesus tries to make a triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Without a permit.
For the last 6 months, I've been putting my theological training to work by re-examining our deeply flawed Bible translations. Hit this link for a few examples.
Since it is almost Easter, I thought I would translate part of the Gospel Of Mark, Chapter 11, where Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
1. As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,
2. ....saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find an ass and a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie them and bring them here.
3. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' tell him, 'The Lord needs them and will send them back here shortly.' "
4. They went and found an ass and a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied them,
5. .....some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying those animals?"
6. They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.
7. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.
8. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
9. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
10. "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!" "Hosanna in the highest!"
11. Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple.
12. And then the City Council Of Jerusalem approached him, asking, "Why, Lord, did you not apply for a parade permit? Where was your protective Roman Legion, required to block traffic at major intersections, as per Caesar's statute CDH-30978?"
13. Then the Lord answered him with a parable, saying "In a far country, there was a man who...." but the Lord was interrupted by a woman afflicted with a demon.
14. "Who do you think you are?" said the woman. "A man of your weight riding that young colt ! You are a species-centric monster ! For you disregard the rights of animals, casting demons into herds of swine, and who knows what else."
15. And the Lord began to answer her, saying "Away from me, vile spirit ! I shall name thee PETA, and upon this crock I shall build my...."
16. But before he could continue, a small man approached Jesus, saying "Lord, Lord, did you prepare an environmental impact statement before allowing palm branches to be strewn about the streets of Jerusalem?"
17. And the city officials of Jerusalem turned Jesus over to the Romans, who forced the Lord to complete administrative paperwork and travel about the city for permits for the rest of his days.
18. And many years later, as he died, Jesus let forth a loud cry, saying "Father forgive them, even though they have no idea what they're doing."
Pics came from here and here and here and here.
Since it is almost Easter, I thought I would translate part of the Gospel Of Mark, Chapter 11, where Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
2. ....saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find an ass and a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie them and bring them here.
4. They went and found an ass and a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied them,
5. .....some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying those animals?"
6. They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go.
7. When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it.
8. Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields.
9. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, "Hosanna!" "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
11. Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple.
12. And then the City Council Of Jerusalem approached him, asking, "Why, Lord, did you not apply for a parade permit? Where was your protective Roman Legion, required to block traffic at major intersections, as per Caesar's statute CDH-30978?"
13. Then the Lord answered him with a parable, saying "In a far country, there was a man who...." but the Lord was interrupted by a woman afflicted with a demon.
14. "Who do you think you are?" said the woman. "A man of your weight riding that young colt ! You are a species-centric monster ! For you disregard the rights of animals, casting demons into herds of swine, and who knows what else."
15. And the Lord began to answer her, saying "Away from me, vile spirit ! I shall name thee PETA, and upon this crock I shall build my...."
16. But before he could continue, a small man approached Jesus, saying "Lord, Lord, did you prepare an environmental impact statement before allowing palm branches to be strewn about the streets of Jerusalem?"
17. And the city officials of Jerusalem turned Jesus over to the Romans, who forced the Lord to complete administrative paperwork and travel about the city for permits for the rest of his days.
Pics came from here and here and here and here.
Barack W. Bush as compared to George Hussein Obama
Long-time Libertarian Party leader Wes Benedict and his staff came up with this gem. It's part of a flyer to take to just about any political gathering - peace walk, Tea Party, NORML rally, anti-war protest, 2nd amendment rally, or 9-12 parade.
Go here for a look at the complete PDF.
The best part of the flyer? Here are the worst disasters of the Barack W. Bush administration, as compared to those of the George Hussein Obama era. Compare each number from the Demoblican period to its counterpart in the earlier Republicrat regime:
Top 10 disasters of the 2009 Obama administration (in no particular order):
1. Cash for Clunkers
2. War escalation in Afghanistan
3. Giant government health care expansion bill
4. Post office loses money hand over fist
5. Stimulus package
6. Expansion of "state secrets" doctrine
7. Big increase in unemployment
8. "Bailout" Geithner as Treasury Secretary
9. Skyrocketing federal spending
10. Huge federal deficits
Top 10 disasters of the 2001-2008 Bush administration:
1. Cash for Car Companies
2. War in Iraq
3. Giant Medicare expansion bill
4. Post office loses money hand over fist
5. Stimulus "rebate" checks
6. PATRIOT Act
7. Big increase in unemployment
8. "Bailout" Paulson as Treasury Secretary
9. Skyrocketing federal spending
10. Huge federal deficits
Go here for a look at the complete PDF.
The best part of the flyer? Here are the worst disasters of the Barack W. Bush administration, as compared to those of the George Hussein Obama era. Compare each number from the Demoblican period to its counterpart in the earlier Republicrat regime:
Top 10 disasters of the 2009 Obama administration (in no particular order):
1. Cash for Clunkers
2. War escalation in Afghanistan
3. Giant government health care expansion bill
4. Post office loses money hand over fist
5. Stimulus package
6. Expansion of "state secrets" doctrine
7. Big increase in unemployment
8. "Bailout" Geithner as Treasury Secretary
9. Skyrocketing federal spending
10. Huge federal deficits
Top 10 disasters of the 2001-2008 Bush administration:
1. Cash for Car Companies
2. War in Iraq
3. Giant Medicare expansion bill
4. Post office loses money hand over fist
5. Stimulus "rebate" checks
6. PATRIOT Act
7. Big increase in unemployment
8. "Bailout" Paulson as Treasury Secretary
9. Skyrocketing federal spending
10. Huge federal deficits
Friday, April 2, 2010
Satan is behind the media attacks on the Pope
From the Catholic News Agency. This did not come from The Onion, National Lampoon, or some other parody site. It came from the Catholic News Agency, in the year 2010, about 300 years after Isaac Newton came up with the Laws Of Motion and 40 years after we put a man on the moon. We stopped treating people for demonic possession about 250 years ago, and I think we're better people for it.
Rome, Italy, Mar 31, 2010 / 11:47 am (CNA).- Noted Italian exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, commented this week that the recent defamatory reporting on Pope Benedict XVI, especially by the New York Times, was “prompted by the devil.”
That would explain soooo many things about The New York Times, wouldn't it?
Speaking to News Mediaset in Italy, the 85-year-old exorcist noted that the devil is behind “the recent attacks on Pope Benedict XVI regarding some pedophilia cases.”
The devil is not behind the attacks. Priests got behind some 12-year-olds. The Pope got behind the cover-up. There's your problem, Gabriele.
“There is no doubt about it. Because he is a marvelous Pope and worthy successor to John Paul II, it is clear that the devil wants to ‘grab hold’ of him.”
I'm not going to make any bad jokes about priests who "grab hold" hold of little boys. But think of how many centuries this has been going on, and what happened when kids complained about things like this in the past.
Father Amorth added that in instances of sexual abuse committed by some members of the clergy, the devil “uses” priests in order to cast blame upon the entire Church: “The devil wants the death of the Church because she is the mother of all the saints.”
Well, when an organization demands both celibacy and chastity from its all-male leadership, what do they expect? Seriously, can there ever be good results from that policy (which, as far as I can tell, was a fairly late development in the Catholic Church)? Has it ever been different than this? Was there ever a Golden Age of priestly good conduct?
“He combats the Church through the men of the Church, but he can do nothing to the Church.”
The exorcist went on to note that Satan tempts holy men, “and so we should not be surprised if priests too … fall into temptation. They also live in the world and can fall like men of the world.”
Ditto for Presidents, Popes, City Councilmen, and Prime Ministers. Therefore, we should be wary of giving them any more power and control over our lives than absolutely necessary, right?
Rome, Italy, Mar 31, 2010 / 11:47 am (CNA).- Noted Italian exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth, commented this week that the recent defamatory reporting on Pope Benedict XVI, especially by the New York Times, was “prompted by the devil.”
That would explain soooo many things about The New York Times, wouldn't it?
Speaking to News Mediaset in Italy, the 85-year-old exorcist noted that the devil is behind “the recent attacks on Pope Benedict XVI regarding some pedophilia cases.”
The devil is not behind the attacks. Priests got behind some 12-year-olds. The Pope got behind the cover-up. There's your problem, Gabriele.
“There is no doubt about it. Because he is a marvelous Pope and worthy successor to John Paul II, it is clear that the devil wants to ‘grab hold’ of him.”
I'm not going to make any bad jokes about priests who "grab hold" hold of little boys. But think of how many centuries this has been going on, and what happened when kids complained about things like this in the past.
Father Amorth added that in instances of sexual abuse committed by some members of the clergy, the devil “uses” priests in order to cast blame upon the entire Church: “The devil wants the death of the Church because she is the mother of all the saints.”
Well, when an organization demands both celibacy and chastity from its all-male leadership, what do they expect? Seriously, can there ever be good results from that policy (which, as far as I can tell, was a fairly late development in the Catholic Church)? Has it ever been different than this? Was there ever a Golden Age of priestly good conduct?
“He combats the Church through the men of the Church, but he can do nothing to the Church.”
The exorcist went on to note that Satan tempts holy men, “and so we should not be surprised if priests too … fall into temptation. They also live in the world and can fall like men of the world.”
Ditto for Presidents, Popes, City Councilmen, and Prime Ministers. Therefore, we should be wary of giving them any more power and control over our lives than absolutely necessary, right?
The Republicans Won't Repeal Obamacare
Republicans
Won't
Repeal
Obamacare.
Get used to it. The Demoblicans and Republicrats are two sides of the same coin. Hit the links above. Your only hope is to vote for 2nd Party candidates.
The Libertarian Party, the only 2nd Party with ballot access, awaits your vote. We'll kill the bill for you.
Is there any way anybody could read those links up top, and still think a vote for Libertarians instead of Republicrats is a "wasted" vote?
The Greatness of Cafe Hayek
George Mason University economics professor Don Boudreaux of Cafe Hayek has been in rare form lately.
First he talks about a semi-debate he had with "An Unfair Trader". I think Boudreaux had a (very) brief appearance on the Lou Dobbs Protectionist Parade Program, but was cut off before he could make this argument:
Dobbs argued that trade is free only if both parties deal with each other on equal terms — so that, for example, America’s trade with China can never be free unless and until Beijing removes all trade restrictions and stops all subsidies (or, at least, restricts and subsidizes Chinese trade no more than Uncle Sam restricts and subsidizes American trade).
I (and June and Tom) argued that, as good as it would be for Americans and, especially, the Chinese for Beijing to remove such restrictions and to halt all such subsidies, free trade for Americans would be achieved if Uncle Sam abolished all of his trade restrictions and subsidies, regardless of what any other government does.
Dobbs thought that this argument was simply hilarious.
I wanted to ask him (but did not get the opportunity) the following question:
Don Boudreaux: “Mr. Dobbs. Will you buy my shoes – the ones now on my feet. I’ll sell them to you for $100 – a more-than-fair price.”
I imagine that the ensuing conversation would have gone something like this:
Lou Dobbs: “What? What are you talking about? Of course I won’t buy your shoes.”
DB: “Why not? I bought (and read) your book, Exporting America.”
LD: “So….??”
DB: “So you said that trade isn’t free unless both parties are equally willing to buy from the other – and that if party A isn’t willing to buy from party B, then party B harms himself by continuing nevertheless to buy from A.”
LD: “So…..??”
DB: “Stick with me, amigo. I bought something from you. You’ve bought nothing from me – even though I’m here making a sincere offer to sell my shoes to you. You refuse to buy them. Trade, therefore, isn’t free. So clearly I should not have purchased your book; clearly I made myself worse off; clearly you are behaving unfairly.”
LD: ?????
Here's an excerpt from another post where Boudreax tries to make a $5,000.00 bet with White House Budget Manipulater Peter Orszag and then with White House Sickness Socialst Nancy-Ann DeParle about the true cost of the Healthcare Abortion. It's called Spend Your Own Money For A Change:
Based on past performance, I'd say that the Boudreaux money is safe, since government bean-counters couldn't properly estimate the cost of Happy Meals while waiting in the McDonald's drive-through. See: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Iraq, Afghanistan, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, toilet seats, screwdrivers, etc.
Next he links to this great quote from Megan McArdle:
And I’ve watched congressional hearings. There’s no chance that four CEO’s are going to explain the accounting code to the fine folks in Congress; explaining how to boil water would challenge the format.
And last, Dr. B. gives us a video on Frederic Bastiat's "Broken Windows" In addition to being a short little intro to Broken Windows and Things Seen And Unseen, it also proves that Paul Krugman is a silly person.
That's all for today. Skip me altogether, and READ CAFE HAYEK EVERY DAY ! ! !
First he talks about a semi-debate he had with "An Unfair Trader". I think Boudreaux had a (very) brief appearance on the Lou Dobbs Protectionist Parade Program, but was cut off before he could make this argument:
Dobbs argued that trade is free only if both parties deal with each other on equal terms — so that, for example, America’s trade with China can never be free unless and until Beijing removes all trade restrictions and stops all subsidies (or, at least, restricts and subsidizes Chinese trade no more than Uncle Sam restricts and subsidizes American trade).
I (and June and Tom) argued that, as good as it would be for Americans and, especially, the Chinese for Beijing to remove such restrictions and to halt all such subsidies, free trade for Americans would be achieved if Uncle Sam abolished all of his trade restrictions and subsidies, regardless of what any other government does.
Dobbs thought that this argument was simply hilarious.
I wanted to ask him (but did not get the opportunity) the following question:
Don Boudreaux: “Mr. Dobbs. Will you buy my shoes – the ones now on my feet. I’ll sell them to you for $100 – a more-than-fair price.”
I imagine that the ensuing conversation would have gone something like this:
Lou Dobbs: “What? What are you talking about? Of course I won’t buy your shoes.”
DB: “Why not? I bought (and read) your book, Exporting America.”
LD: “So….??”
DB: “So you said that trade isn’t free unless both parties are equally willing to buy from the other – and that if party A isn’t willing to buy from party B, then party B harms himself by continuing nevertheless to buy from A.”
LD: “So…..??”
DB: “Stick with me, amigo. I bought something from you. You’ve bought nothing from me – even though I’m here making a sincere offer to sell my shoes to you. You refuse to buy them. Trade, therefore, isn’t free. So clearly I should not have purchased your book; clearly I made myself worse off; clearly you are behaving unfairly.”
LD: ?????
Here's an excerpt from another post where Boudreax tries to make a $5,000.00 bet with White House Budget Manipulater Peter Orszag and then with White House Sickness Socialst Nancy-Ann DeParle about the true cost of the Healthcare Abortion. It's called Spend Your Own Money For A Change:
So I [Don Boudreaux] challenge you [Mr. Orszag and/or Ms. DeParle] to put your money where your words are. Let’s make a real bet.
Pick any year in the future between 2021 and 2046. Tell me your estimate today of how much Uncle Sam will spend on health care that year. I’ll bet each of you $5,000 that Uncle Sam’s actual expenditures on health care in that year — adjusted for inflation — will be at least 25 percent higher than your estimate.
If Uncle Sam’s health care expenditures in that year are less than 25 percent higher than you project them to be, I’ll congratulate you as I mail you your checks. If those expenditures are 25 percent higher than you project them to be — or more — I’ll contribute my winnings to a private health-care charity, as I predict that the need for philanthropic contributions along those lines will be great.
Do we have a bet?
Based on past performance, I'd say that the Boudreaux money is safe, since government bean-counters couldn't properly estimate the cost of Happy Meals while waiting in the McDonald's drive-through. See: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Iraq, Afghanistan, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, toilet seats, screwdrivers, etc.
Next he links to this great quote from Megan McArdle:
And I’ve watched congressional hearings. There’s no chance that four CEO’s are going to explain the accounting code to the fine folks in Congress; explaining how to boil water would challenge the format.
And last, Dr. B. gives us a video on Frederic Bastiat's "Broken Windows" In addition to being a short little intro to Broken Windows and Things Seen And Unseen, it also proves that Paul Krugman is a silly person.
That's all for today. Skip me altogether, and READ CAFE HAYEK EVERY DAY ! ! !
Thursday, April 1, 2010
On Chinese farmers, Plymouth pilgrims, and property rights.
“Any man worth his salt would fight for his home but only a damn fool would fight for his boarding house.”
-Mark Twain
Here's a story that I first heard in China several years ago. The best online account I've found is on the World Socialist Website (chuckle chuckle). It's about some Chinese farmers who got tired of starving.
On one night in Nov. 1978, 18 villagers of Xiaogang, including (leader) Yan Jinchang, risked their lives to sign secretly an agreement, which divided the then People's Commune-owned farmland into pieces for each family to cultivate.
This was a bold move, as it was seen as "capitalist" and might have led to severe punishment from the government at that time.
Thus, on that secret agreement covered with villagers' seals and red fingerprints, there was a wobbly line saying that "If any word about this is divulged and the team leader is put in prison, other team members shall share the responsibility to bring up his child till he (or she) is 18. "
The original copy of this agreement is now in a museum someplace in China. It had a huge influence. Instead of farming the land together, and putting up with slackers, loafers, regulatory parasites and the other inevitable Socialist baggage, this brave group of Chinese farmers decided that each family would be responsible for a certain section of the land.
That clause about agreeing to care for each others' children was a simple insurance policy. To the best of my knowledge, none of the farmers agreed to care for the families of those who didn't share their risks. In other words, you couldn't waltz into the agreement AFTER losing your head of household. There's not even a hint of Obamacare in this document.
The facts proved that it's worthwhile to take the adventure. Allocating farmland to each household, also known as "household contract responsibility system", fired the locals' enthusiasm for agriculture production, which had been contained in the outmoded planned economy, and helped poverty-stricken locals out of starvation.
That's just what happened when they agreed to stop the collectivist nonsense. Think of what could happen if they'd been allowed to own the land, instead of having it allocated to them by their "leaders".
The grains that a local farmer turned over to the state in the following year almost totaled what he did in past two decades, recalled Yan Hongchang, one of the 18 Xiaogang villagers who initiated the contract system.
Their practice was later supported by Deng Xiaoping, chief architect of China's reform and opening-up drive, and recognized by the Chinese government. Xiaogang has since been labeled as the pace-setter of the nation's rural reform.
Here's a similar story, from the Volokh Conspiracy. This one hits closer to home.
Many people believe that after suffering through a severe winter, the Pilgrims’ food shortages were resolved the following spring when the Native Americans taught them to plant corn and a Thanksgiving celebration resulted. In fact, the pilgrims continued to face chronic food shortages for three years until the harvest of 1623. Bad weather or lack of farming knowledge did not cause the pilgrims’ shortages. Bad economic incentives did.
Time to quote Thomas Sowell for the 10,000th time. Laws and policies should never be evaluated by their stated goals and objectives, but by the incentives they create.
In 1620 Plymouth Plantation was founded with a system of communal property rights. Food and supplies were held in common and then distributed based on equality and need as determined by Plantation officials.
Like we're about to do with healthcare.
People received the same rations whether or not they contributed to producing the food, and residents were forbidden from producing their own food. Governor William Bradford, in his 1647 history, Of Plymouth Plantation, wrote that this system was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. The problem was that young men, that were most able and fit for labour, did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense. Because of the poor incentives, little food was produced.
In other words, when the hardest-working, most creative Pilgrims realized that they were working themselves to death for people who didn't want to work as hard? They started Going Galt.
Faced with potential starvation in the spring of 1623, the colony decided to implement a new economic system. Every family was assigned a private parcel of land. They could then keep all they grew for themselves, but now they alone were responsible for feeding themselves. While not a complete private property system, the move away from communal ownership had dramatic results.
This change, Bradford wrote, had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been. Giving people economic incentives changed their behavior. Once the new system of property rights was in place, the women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability.
Once the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Plantation abandoned their communal economic system and adopted one with greater individual property rights, they never again faced the starvation and food shortages of the first three years. It was only after allowing greater property rights that they could feast without worrying that famine was just around the corner.
And what have we learned from this?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The Socialism Kills sign came from here.
The Pilgrims, from here.
-Mark Twain
Here's a story that I first heard in China several years ago. The best online account I've found is on the World Socialist Website (chuckle chuckle). It's about some Chinese farmers who got tired of starving.
On one night in Nov. 1978, 18 villagers of Xiaogang, including (leader) Yan Jinchang, risked their lives to sign secretly an agreement, which divided the then People's Commune-owned farmland into pieces for each family to cultivate.
This was a bold move, as it was seen as "capitalist" and might have led to severe punishment from the government at that time.
Thus, on that secret agreement covered with villagers' seals and red fingerprints, there was a wobbly line saying that "If any word about this is divulged and the team leader is put in prison, other team members shall share the responsibility to bring up his child till he (or she) is 18. "
The original copy of this agreement is now in a museum someplace in China. It had a huge influence. Instead of farming the land together, and putting up with slackers, loafers, regulatory parasites and the other inevitable Socialist baggage, this brave group of Chinese farmers decided that each family would be responsible for a certain section of the land.
That clause about agreeing to care for each others' children was a simple insurance policy. To the best of my knowledge, none of the farmers agreed to care for the families of those who didn't share their risks. In other words, you couldn't waltz into the agreement AFTER losing your head of household. There's not even a hint of Obamacare in this document.
The facts proved that it's worthwhile to take the adventure. Allocating farmland to each household, also known as "household contract responsibility system", fired the locals' enthusiasm for agriculture production, which had been contained in the outmoded planned economy, and helped poverty-stricken locals out of starvation.
That's just what happened when they agreed to stop the collectivist nonsense. Think of what could happen if they'd been allowed to own the land, instead of having it allocated to them by their "leaders".
The grains that a local farmer turned over to the state in the following year almost totaled what he did in past two decades, recalled Yan Hongchang, one of the 18 Xiaogang villagers who initiated the contract system.
Their practice was later supported by Deng Xiaoping, chief architect of China's reform and opening-up drive, and recognized by the Chinese government. Xiaogang has since been labeled as the pace-setter of the nation's rural reform.
Here's a similar story, from the Volokh Conspiracy. This one hits closer to home.
Many people believe that after suffering through a severe winter, the Pilgrims’ food shortages were resolved the following spring when the Native Americans taught them to plant corn and a Thanksgiving celebration resulted. In fact, the pilgrims continued to face chronic food shortages for three years until the harvest of 1623. Bad weather or lack of farming knowledge did not cause the pilgrims’ shortages. Bad economic incentives did.
Time to quote Thomas Sowell for the 10,000th time. Laws and policies should never be evaluated by their stated goals and objectives, but by the incentives they create.
In 1620 Plymouth Plantation was founded with a system of communal property rights. Food and supplies were held in common and then distributed based on equality and need as determined by Plantation officials.
Like we're about to do with healthcare.
People received the same rations whether or not they contributed to producing the food, and residents were forbidden from producing their own food. Governor William Bradford, in his 1647 history, Of Plymouth Plantation, wrote that this system was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. The problem was that young men, that were most able and fit for labour, did repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any recompense. Because of the poor incentives, little food was produced.
In other words, when the hardest-working, most creative Pilgrims realized that they were working themselves to death for people who didn't want to work as hard? They started Going Galt.
Faced with potential starvation in the spring of 1623, the colony decided to implement a new economic system. Every family was assigned a private parcel of land. They could then keep all they grew for themselves, but now they alone were responsible for feeding themselves. While not a complete private property system, the move away from communal ownership had dramatic results.
Once the Pilgrims in the Plymouth Plantation abandoned their communal economic system and adopted one with greater individual property rights, they never again faced the starvation and food shortages of the first three years. It was only after allowing greater property rights that they could feast without worrying that famine was just around the corner.
And what have we learned from this?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
The Socialism Kills sign came from here.
The Pilgrims, from here.
Congressman Hank Johson questions Admiral about Guam tipping over and capsizing
I found this on Denny's site.
Can you imagine how the admiral felt having to take questions from this dolt?
This is Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia questioning Admiral Robert Willard, who runs our Pacific fleet.
No, this conversation didn't take place on April Fool's Day.
This is not a joke. I repeat, this is not a joke.
Congressman Johnson spends a mere 45 seconds proving that he can read a map. Then he gets to the good part.
Remember the floating islands of the movie Avatar?
Guam is apparently one of those, and is in danger of capsizing.
(If you don't have 2:48 to devote to this, go to the 1:15 mark. But watch the whole thing, please. Especially if you vote.)
Remember, this man is now in charge of your healthcare decisions. You're paying him $174,000.00 per year, plus expenses.
For the rest of the day, don't huddle together in large groups. You might cause us to tip over and capsize.
Can you imagine how the admiral felt having to take questions from this dolt?
This is Congressman Hank Johnson of Georgia questioning Admiral Robert Willard, who runs our Pacific fleet.
No, this conversation didn't take place on April Fool's Day.
This is not a joke. I repeat, this is not a joke.
Congressman Johnson spends a mere 45 seconds proving that he can read a map. Then he gets to the good part.
Remember the floating islands of the movie Avatar?
Guam is apparently one of those, and is in danger of capsizing.
(If you don't have 2:48 to devote to this, go to the 1:15 mark. But watch the whole thing, please. Especially if you vote.)
Remember, this man is now in charge of your healthcare decisions. You're paying him $174,000.00 per year, plus expenses.
For the rest of the day, don't huddle together in large groups. You might cause us to tip over and capsize.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
My favorite April Fool's Joke
I'm probably going to re-post this every April Fool's Day until I die. When I linked it on Facebook for the first time, my college roommate, Scott Moore, declared the entire prank to have been "brilliantly conceived and flawlessly executed".
I couldn't agree more. I've changed a name or two, in light of about 500 people having different memories of how they heard it first.
Somewhere around 1982, my mother played an April Fool's Day prank on me. We don't remember what it was, except that it was effective and complicated. I immediately vowed to have my revenge.
April Fool's Day in 1983, I was in my Delta State University dorm room with my roommate, Scott A. Moore. (Scott A. now busies himself playing trumpet in the Memphis Symphony. Hit the link.)
Scott and I waited until about 11:45 p.m., and then called my parents' house. My mother answered.
"Hello?"
"Is this Elizabeth Patterson ?" Scott asked.
"Yes it is." (still coming out of a deep sleep)
"Are you the parent or guardian of Allen Patterson?"
"YES I AM !" (wide awake now)
"Mrs. Patterson, my name is John Jakes, and I'm with the Cleveland, Mississippi police department. Are you in a place where you can talk?"
"YES I AM !" (totally wide awake.)
"Mrs. Patterson, we have arrested your son Allen for possession of a controlled substance, and we're holding him in one of the cells at the Bolivar County Sheriff's department, and we need to know if either you or your husband can come down and post bond and.....
"You mean you've arrested ALLEN ??? MY SON ALLEN?" (Needing to be scraped off the bedroom ceiling.)
"Yes, Mrs. Patterson, as I said, we've arrested Allen for possession of a controlled substance and..."
At this point, my mother says the only thing she could think of was who she could get to ride to the jail with her.... Billy Joe Waldrup or Lonnie Herring. She wanted one of them (they're both really big men) to beat the hell out of me, because she didn't think my father would do it properly. To fully appreciate the situation, you also need to know that I was employed as the part-time choir director at a Baptist church. A nice drug bust at this time would've been....awkward.
Then Scott, still in character as Officer John Jakes, said "Mrs. Patterson, would you like to speak to Allen?"
I could hear her on the phone from halfway across the room. "YES I WOULD."
"Mama?" I said.
"ALLEN? IS THAT YOU THEY'VE LOCKED UP, ALLEN?"
"Yes," I said. "I just want to tell you something."
"WHAT? WHAT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO TELL ME?"
"April Fools," I said.
That was 25 years ago. She's never done another April Fool's joke. Not on me, anyway.
I couldn't agree more. I've changed a name or two, in light of about 500 people having different memories of how they heard it first.
Somewhere around 1982, my mother played an April Fool's Day prank on me. We don't remember what it was, except that it was effective and complicated. I immediately vowed to have my revenge.
April Fool's Day in 1983, I was in my Delta State University dorm room with my roommate, Scott A. Moore. (Scott A. now busies himself playing trumpet in the Memphis Symphony. Hit the link.)
Scott and I waited until about 11:45 p.m., and then called my parents' house. My mother answered.
"Hello?"
"Is this Elizabeth Patterson ?" Scott asked.
"Yes it is." (still coming out of a deep sleep)
"Are you the parent or guardian of Allen Patterson?"
"YES I AM !" (wide awake now)
"Mrs. Patterson, my name is John Jakes, and I'm with the Cleveland, Mississippi police department. Are you in a place where you can talk?"
"YES I AM !" (totally wide awake.)
"Mrs. Patterson, we have arrested your son Allen for possession of a controlled substance, and we're holding him in one of the cells at the Bolivar County Sheriff's department, and we need to know if either you or your husband can come down and post bond and.....
"You mean you've arrested ALLEN ??? MY SON ALLEN?" (Needing to be scraped off the bedroom ceiling.)
"Yes, Mrs. Patterson, as I said, we've arrested Allen for possession of a controlled substance and..."
At this point, my mother says the only thing she could think of was who she could get to ride to the jail with her.... Billy Joe Waldrup or Lonnie Herring. She wanted one of them (they're both really big men) to beat the hell out of me, because she didn't think my father would do it properly. To fully appreciate the situation, you also need to know that I was employed as the part-time choir director at a Baptist church. A nice drug bust at this time would've been....awkward.
Then Scott, still in character as Officer John Jakes, said "Mrs. Patterson, would you like to speak to Allen?"
I could hear her on the phone from halfway across the room. "YES I WOULD."
"Mama?" I said.
"ALLEN? IS THAT YOU THEY'VE LOCKED UP, ALLEN?"
"Yes," I said. "I just want to tell you something."
"WHAT? WHAT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO TELL ME?"
"April Fools," I said.
That was 25 years ago. She's never done another April Fool's joke. Not on me, anyway.
The Republican Young Eagles go to an S&M restaurant: The Transcript
From Talking Points Memo:
According to FEC reports, the Republican National Committee spent $1,946.25 at Voyeur West Hollywood, which the Caller describes as "a bondage-themed nightclub featuring topless women dancers imitating lesbian sex."
From Red County:
According to sources who were in attendance that night, the "official" part of the evening started with 50+ person dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel, then carried on throughout the evening, eventually ending up at Voyeur. While RNC employees, who were in town to recruit members to its "RNC Young Eagles" program, did participate throughout the entire evening and did find their way to the bondage-themed club,
And from Hot Air:
So it was related to business, and for all we know might even have netted the RNC some cash. The libertarian angel on my shoulder is telling me to shrug it off and remind people that not everyone in the party is a social (conservative) — lesbian bondage fans have rights, too! — but that’s not really the issue. The real issue, I dare say, is that if you’re going to risk a media clusterfark and the antagonism of a huge chunk of your base by conducting official business in some sort of S & M theme restaurant, Use. Your. Own. Money.
I've never understood the bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism thing, since I know that if I ever want to get hamstrung, beaten down, humiliated, abused, or mistreated, I can always go to work. If that's not enough, I can go home. (Joking, joking, just joking.)
But, dear readers, this is your lucky day. One of my contacts on the west coast has sent me a recording of the seedy happenings that night at The Voyeur West Hollywood bondage /discipline /lesbian /stripper restaurant. The sound quality isn't that good, and no video exists, but here's a transcript:
Republican Young Eagle: Hi, I'm Jason. Want to come over to my table and meet my....
Mistress Jasmine: DO NOT EVER ADDRESS ME WITHOUT BEING ASKED TO SPEAK ! ! KNEEL BEFORE ME, MAGGOT ! !
Republican Young Eagle: (giggling) Kneel before you? But these are my new....
Whack ! Whack ! Whack !
Republican Young Eagle: SWEET MOTHER OF JESUS, DON'T HIT ME WITH THAT THING AGAIN ! PLEASE, please, please. Ok, I'm kneeling, I'm kneeling, I just wanted....
Mistress Jasmine: What you want doesn't matter, you filthy worm. Tell me what you've done. Tell me every single bad thing you've done.
Republican Young Eagle: But I haven't done anything, ma'am, I haven't....
Whack ! Whack ! Whack !
Mistress Jasmine: DO NOT EVER CALL ME ANYTHING BUT MISTRESS JASMINE, YOU SUBHUMAN PIECE OF CRAP ! You are to call me Mistress Jasmine, and you will speak when spoken to. Now. Tell me about the earmarks.
Republican Young Eagle: Earmarks? I don't like that term. I like to call it giving back to the taxpayers. You see, if someone in my district pays a lot of taxes, I think he should get it back, plus 120% so....O GOD, DON'T HIT ME AGAIN....Ok, ok, ok, I had my Congressman put earmarks into the stimulus package for a 4 million dollar turtle tunnel, and a 3 million dollar rest stop named after my grandfather, and a research grant to study perpetual motion at our Community College....
Mistress Jasmine: You supported the stimulus package? You hypocritical little shit ! ! !
WHACK ! WHACK ! WHACK ! ! ! !
It's difficult to tell what's going on at this point in the recording. The crowd is cheering like drunk Romans in the Coliseum, and some of the Republican Young Eagles with fraternity backgrounds are yelling "Paddle him !"
Mistress Jasmine: Now. Tell me about what you did with eminent domain.
Republican Young Eagle: It was just some crummy little apartments ! They were a blight on the landscape ! My new shopping center is generating twice that much tax revenue for the city !
Mistress Jasmine: You're a dirty little thief. Nothing more. Lick my boots, you RINO.
Republican Young Eagle: But I'm a Reagan Conservative, I advocate....
Mistress Jasmine: Did you say "Reagan" Conservative? Did you really say it? You ignorant little worm ! RONALD REAGAN SPENT OUR MONEY FASTER THAN A VEGAS COKE WHORE ! YOU ! whack! STUPID ! whack! LITTLE ! whack! INSECT !
Republican Young Eagle: (whimpering) O dear God, somebody help me....
The Republican Young Eagle says nothing else. But after a few minutes of no conversation at all, we can safely assume that Mistress Jasmine's boots are now very, very clean.
Mistress Jasmine: If I had my way, you would be scrubbing Barney Frank's toilet with your toothbrush for the rest of your life. Now. Tell everyone here about the war on drugs.
Republican Young Eagle: The war on drugs is vital to America's well-being, and keeping illegal drugs away from America's children is.....
WHAP !
Mistress Jasmine: Are you begging me to take you to the dungeon room? Look at your eyes. You came in here higher than a Chinese kite, didn't you? You get high all the time, don't you, maggot?
Republican Young Eagle: But I use drugs responsibly. All those other people would....
Mistress Jasmine: ASSUME THE POSITION, SLAVE !
WHACK ! WHACK ! WHACK !
Mistress Jasmine: Had enough, you dirty dog? HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH? Ok. Tell everyone here about that secret weekend in Atlanta. Tell them. Tell everybody. NOW.
Republican Young Eagle: O JESUS CHRIST DON'T HIT ME WITH THAT THING AGAIN. OK, I WENT TO ATLANTA ONE TIME WITH THIS DUDE I MET AT A BAR, AND HE WAS A LOT MORE "EXPERIENCED" THAN ME, AND I WENT TO BED WITH HIM, AND good god almighty, I was just young and stupid. (Sob) I was just a kid. I was still experimenting. BUT I'LL SAY IT ! I'LL SAY IT NOW, DAMMIT ! I LIKED IT. I LIKED IT. AND WE STILL GET TOGETHER IN NEW ORLEANS TWICE A YEAR ! ! THERE ! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, BITCH ???? I GO TO NEW ORLEANS TO MEET MY BOYFRIEND TWICE A YEAR ! !
Mistress Jasmine: So why do you spend every free moment gay-bashing, you subhuman slime? Tell us everything. Go ahead, tell us everything.
Republican Young Eagle: Ok, ok, you win. Every chance I get I have lobbyists push for trade barriers that protect my company from ever having any major competitors and it costs American consumers a fortune and then I had them put production quotas in place for the ones that remain because protecting the big money people is what the party is all about just like the democrats and if you only knew how cynical the politicians are about saying one thing and doing another because they're basically no better than crack whores and I even support Carbon Cap And Trade because one of our factories makes Green Energy bullshit and I secretly gave money to Pelosi a few times because I have stock in an insurance company that's about to get 30 million new customers because of her healthcare scam and then another time I.....
This babble continues for about ten more minutes. According to my west coast contact, Mistress Jasmine eventually outfitted the Republican Young Eagle with something like this:
The other Republican Young Eagles left it in place, for their own protection.
I usually link back to sites where I find pictures for my posts. Not this time. I've seen my fair share of weird, sick stuff on the internet, but you BDSM people are at a new level. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The Libertarian Party supports your right to be weird, sick, and to exist at new levels as long as it is between consenting adults and other adults and their inflatable devices.
But I've seen things this morning that will haunt me the rest of my life.
According to FEC reports, the Republican National Committee spent $1,946.25 at Voyeur West Hollywood, which the Caller describes as "a bondage-themed nightclub featuring topless women dancers imitating lesbian sex."
From Red County:
According to sources who were in attendance that night, the "official" part of the evening started with 50+ person dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel, then carried on throughout the evening, eventually ending up at Voyeur. While RNC employees, who were in town to recruit members to its "RNC Young Eagles" program, did participate throughout the entire evening and did find their way to the bondage-themed club,
And from Hot Air:
So it was related to business, and for all we know might even have netted the RNC some cash. The libertarian angel on my shoulder is telling me to shrug it off and remind people that not everyone in the party is a social (conservative) — lesbian bondage fans have rights, too! — but that’s not really the issue. The real issue, I dare say, is that if you’re going to risk a media clusterfark and the antagonism of a huge chunk of your base by conducting official business in some sort of S & M theme restaurant, Use. Your. Own. Money.
I've never understood the bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism thing, since I know that if I ever want to get hamstrung, beaten down, humiliated, abused, or mistreated, I can always go to work. If that's not enough, I can go home. (Joking, joking, just joking.)
But, dear readers, this is your lucky day. One of my contacts on the west coast has sent me a recording of the seedy happenings that night at The Voyeur West Hollywood bondage /discipline /lesbian /stripper restaurant. The sound quality isn't that good, and no video exists, but here's a transcript:
Republican Young Eagle: Hi, I'm Jason. Want to come over to my table and meet my....
Mistress Jasmine: DO NOT EVER ADDRESS ME WITHOUT BEING ASKED TO SPEAK ! ! KNEEL BEFORE ME, MAGGOT ! !
Republican Young Eagle: (giggling) Kneel before you? But these are my new....
Whack ! Whack ! Whack !
Republican Young Eagle: SWEET MOTHER OF JESUS, DON'T HIT ME WITH THAT THING AGAIN ! PLEASE, please, please. Ok, I'm kneeling, I'm kneeling, I just wanted....
Mistress Jasmine: What you want doesn't matter, you filthy worm. Tell me what you've done. Tell me every single bad thing you've done.
Republican Young Eagle: But I haven't done anything, ma'am, I haven't....
Whack ! Whack ! Whack !
Mistress Jasmine: DO NOT EVER CALL ME ANYTHING BUT MISTRESS JASMINE, YOU SUBHUMAN PIECE OF CRAP ! You are to call me Mistress Jasmine, and you will speak when spoken to. Now. Tell me about the earmarks.
Republican Young Eagle: Earmarks? I don't like that term. I like to call it giving back to the taxpayers. You see, if someone in my district pays a lot of taxes, I think he should get it back, plus 120% so....O GOD, DON'T HIT ME AGAIN....Ok, ok, ok, I had my Congressman put earmarks into the stimulus package for a 4 million dollar turtle tunnel, and a 3 million dollar rest stop named after my grandfather, and a research grant to study perpetual motion at our Community College....
Mistress Jasmine: You supported the stimulus package? You hypocritical little shit ! ! !
WHACK ! WHACK ! WHACK ! ! ! !
It's difficult to tell what's going on at this point in the recording. The crowd is cheering like drunk Romans in the Coliseum, and some of the Republican Young Eagles with fraternity backgrounds are yelling "Paddle him !"
Mistress Jasmine: Now. Tell me about what you did with eminent domain.
Republican Young Eagle: It was just some crummy little apartments ! They were a blight on the landscape ! My new shopping center is generating twice that much tax revenue for the city !
Mistress Jasmine: You're a dirty little thief. Nothing more. Lick my boots, you RINO.
Republican Young Eagle: But I'm a Reagan Conservative, I advocate....
Mistress Jasmine: Did you say "Reagan" Conservative? Did you really say it? You ignorant little worm ! RONALD REAGAN SPENT OUR MONEY FASTER THAN A VEGAS COKE WHORE ! YOU ! whack! STUPID ! whack! LITTLE ! whack! INSECT !
Republican Young Eagle: (whimpering) O dear God, somebody help me....
Mistress Jasmine: If I had my way, you would be scrubbing Barney Frank's toilet with your toothbrush for the rest of your life. Now. Tell everyone here about the war on drugs.
Republican Young Eagle: The war on drugs is vital to America's well-being, and keeping illegal drugs away from America's children is.....
WHAP !
Mistress Jasmine: Are you begging me to take you to the dungeon room? Look at your eyes. You came in here higher than a Chinese kite, didn't you? You get high all the time, don't you, maggot?
Republican Young Eagle: But I use drugs responsibly. All those other people would....
Mistress Jasmine: ASSUME THE POSITION, SLAVE !
WHACK ! WHACK ! WHACK !
Mistress Jasmine: Had enough, you dirty dog? HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH? Ok. Tell everyone here about that secret weekend in Atlanta. Tell them. Tell everybody. NOW.
Republican Young Eagle: O JESUS CHRIST DON'T HIT ME WITH THAT THING AGAIN. OK, I WENT TO ATLANTA ONE TIME WITH THIS DUDE I MET AT A BAR, AND HE WAS A LOT MORE "EXPERIENCED" THAN ME, AND I WENT TO BED WITH HIM, AND good god almighty, I was just young and stupid. (Sob) I was just a kid. I was still experimenting. BUT I'LL SAY IT ! I'LL SAY IT NOW, DAMMIT ! I LIKED IT. I LIKED IT. AND WE STILL GET TOGETHER IN NEW ORLEANS TWICE A YEAR ! ! THERE ! ARE YOU HAPPY NOW, BITCH ???? I GO TO NEW ORLEANS TO MEET MY BOYFRIEND TWICE A YEAR ! !
Mistress Jasmine: So why do you spend every free moment gay-bashing, you subhuman slime? Tell us everything. Go ahead, tell us everything.
Republican Young Eagle: Ok, ok, you win. Every chance I get I have lobbyists push for trade barriers that protect my company from ever having any major competitors and it costs American consumers a fortune and then I had them put production quotas in place for the ones that remain because protecting the big money people is what the party is all about just like the democrats and if you only knew how cynical the politicians are about saying one thing and doing another because they're basically no better than crack whores and I even support Carbon Cap And Trade because one of our factories makes Green Energy bullshit and I secretly gave money to Pelosi a few times because I have stock in an insurance company that's about to get 30 million new customers because of her healthcare scam and then another time I.....
This babble continues for about ten more minutes. According to my west coast contact, Mistress Jasmine eventually outfitted the Republican Young Eagle with something like this:
The other Republican Young Eagles left it in place, for their own protection.
I usually link back to sites where I find pictures for my posts. Not this time. I've seen my fair share of weird, sick stuff on the internet, but you BDSM people are at a new level. Not that there's anything wrong with that. The Libertarian Party supports your right to be weird, sick, and to exist at new levels as long as it is between consenting adults and other adults and their inflatable devices.
But I've seen things this morning that will haunt me the rest of my life.
Monday, March 29, 2010
There's no way to rule innocent men
In addition to plowing through the recent Cedric Katesby haul o' plunder, I recently purchased Three Felonies A Day: How The Feds Target The Innocent, by Harvey A. Silvergate.
I'm not very far into it, but the premise of the book is that government is trying to expand its power by criminalizing more and more everyday activities.
It used to be said that "ignorance of the law is no excuse". That maxim is now a hopelessly naive statement, as our government has written law after law after law, mostly to please various well-entrenched supporters and to increase funding for their various and sundry insane projects.
Nobody, I repeat, nobody can hope to navigate any major business project without hiring a legal, tax, environmental, or labor expert. That's the way our government wants it to be.
This morning's web browsing took me to a recent post by The Devil's Kitchen, on a slightly different topic. Mr. Kitchen quotes this passage from Atlas Shrugged, on the topic of manufacturing criminals.
"Did you really think that we want those laws to be observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against—then you'll know that this is not the age for beautiful gestures. We're after power and we mean it. You fellows were pikers, but we know the real trick, and you'd better get wise to it. There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be enforced nor objectively interpreted—and you create a nation of law-breakers—and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr Rearden, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.Whether you know it or not, you are probably commiting an average of three felonies a day. Do these crimes harm anyone? No. But they're a good source of funding when Uncle Sam needs some more food for the machine.
Lord Oxburgh wants to be the J.R. Ewing of carbon capture
From The Times (U.K.):
Lord Oxburgh, the climate science peer, ‘has a conflict of interest’
A member of the House of Lords appointed to investigate the veracity of climate science has close links to businesses that stand to make billions of pounds from low-carbon technology.
Lord Oxburgh is to chair a scientific assessment panel that will examine the published science of the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia.
The CRU has been accused of manipulating and suppressing data to overstate the dangers from climate change. Professor Phil Jones, its director, has stood down from his post while a separate inquiry, chaired by Sir Muir Russell, takes place into the leaking of e-mails sent by him and his colleagues.
Climate sceptics questioned whether Lord Oxburgh, chairman of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association and the wind energy company Falck Renewables, was truly independent because he led organisations that depended on climate change being seen as an urgent problem.
Andrew Montford, a climate-change sceptic who writes the widely-read Bishop Hill blog, said that Lord Oxburgh had a “direct financial interest in the outcome” of his inquiry.
Lord Oxburgh has said that he believes the need to tackle climate change will make capturing carbon from power plants “a worldwide industry of the same scale as the international oil industry today”.
A great case of hiring a fox to guard the henhouse.
Isn't it funny how so many of the people clamoring for immediate and decisive action on this non-crisis are the ones who stand to make millions from it?
Remember: If Lord Oxtail can "tackle climate change" by forcing industry to purchase his voodoo machinery, he becomes the J.R. Ewing of carbon capture.
Picture of J.R. Ewing from the Dallas TV program came from here.
Lord Oxburgh, the climate science peer, ‘has a conflict of interest’
A member of the House of Lords appointed to investigate the veracity of climate science has close links to businesses that stand to make billions of pounds from low-carbon technology.
Lord Oxburgh is to chair a scientific assessment panel that will examine the published science of the Climatic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia.
The CRU has been accused of manipulating and suppressing data to overstate the dangers from climate change. Professor Phil Jones, its director, has stood down from his post while a separate inquiry, chaired by Sir Muir Russell, takes place into the leaking of e-mails sent by him and his colleagues.
Climate sceptics questioned whether Lord Oxburgh, chairman of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association and the wind energy company Falck Renewables, was truly independent because he led organisations that depended on climate change being seen as an urgent problem.
Andrew Montford, a climate-change sceptic who writes the widely-read Bishop Hill blog, said that Lord Oxburgh had a “direct financial interest in the outcome” of his inquiry.
Lord Oxburgh has said that he believes the need to tackle climate change will make capturing carbon from power plants “a worldwide industry of the same scale as the international oil industry today”.
A great case of hiring a fox to guard the henhouse.
Isn't it funny how so many of the people clamoring for immediate and decisive action on this non-crisis are the ones who stand to make millions from it?
Remember: If Lord Oxtail can "tackle climate change" by forcing industry to purchase his voodoo machinery, he becomes the J.R. Ewing of carbon capture.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Tea Party Protesters Throw Eggs At Harry Reid's Bus ! We Need More Civility !
This troubled times require civility, not violence.
What can we expect if those who are so passionate about Obamacare are misguided by all the harsh, shrill rhetoric from their leaders.
Tea Party protesters have thrown eggs at Harry Reid's bus.
Go to Moonbattery to read more about this unfortunate.............
........incident. (Sorry about the sentence break. All of this overwhelming nastiness from the Tea Party Movement, people throwing eggs at Harry Reid's bus, well, it caught me by surprise. I passed out on the floor of Starbucks just thinking about what it could lead to, and my smelling salts and ammonia capsules were in the truck, and Starbucks employees have no idea how to revive someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Like much of the American news media, I have an unfortunate tendency to pass out from The Vapors when exposed to partisan conflicts.)
Remember, get the kids out of the room, brace yourself, and go to Moonbattery for details on the vandalism. Will keep everyone posted when Harry holds a press conference to denounce partisan violence.
Update from Monday morning.....Once again, a commenter has been punked. Hit the links to Moonbattery. Hit the links. Hit the links.
What can we expect if those who are so passionate about Obamacare are misguided by all the harsh, shrill rhetoric from their leaders.
Tea Party protesters have thrown eggs at Harry Reid's bus.
Go to Moonbattery to read more about this unfortunate.............
........incident. (Sorry about the sentence break. All of this overwhelming nastiness from the Tea Party Movement, people throwing eggs at Harry Reid's bus, well, it caught me by surprise. I passed out on the floor of Starbucks just thinking about what it could lead to, and my smelling salts and ammonia capsules were in the truck, and Starbucks employees have no idea how to revive someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Like much of the American news media, I have an unfortunate tendency to pass out from The Vapors when exposed to partisan conflicts.)
Remember, get the kids out of the room, brace yourself, and go to Moonbattery for details on the vandalism. Will keep everyone posted when Harry holds a press conference to denounce partisan violence.
Update from Monday morning.....Once again, a commenter has been punked. Hit the links to Moonbattery. Hit the links. Hit the links.
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