Lee on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
The Los Angeles City Council has banned the construction of fast food restaurants in low income areas. Perhaps I’ve lost the ability to be shocked by the abuses of paternalistic government, because my immediate reaction was “figures.”
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Lee's Page
(photo: photosan0)
Yesterday I suggested that it was unwise for Obama to have titled and predicated a video on a line from a rather slanted New York Times editorial, given the growing public perception of media bias in his favor. But he has now built an entire microsite and subcampaign on the title of that editorial, which was and is called the “Low-Road Express” (Times editorial | Obama campaign microsite). It’s a natural question to ask which preceded which in authorship, or whether this sort of thing is now coordinated, or just the inadvertent consonance of devoted admirers.
The phrase itself is fourteen hours old in penetrating the leftblogs and is doing well. Ironically enough it was a pro-McCain blog (citing the Times) that can claim inauguration of the trend.
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Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Economics, Peg's Page
Growing up means accepting responsibility for your actions and attempting to make wise decisions as much as possible. Peter Pan rejected this; he didn’t want to grow up and lose the carefree, irresponsible days of youth.
Too often, it appears that America today has accepted the mantle of a Peter Pan society. Adults choose poorly, or do little investigating prior to actions – and then expect the government to save them, over and over and over. The worst of it? The government does seem to step up to the plate, again and again.
When people are rewarded for bad behavior and never need to face the consequences of irresponsibility, do they then learn that these activities should not be repeated? I think not.
Professor Mankiw examines the upcoming mortgage bailout. Although Larry Summers is a very smart guy, I’m with Dick Armey on this one.
Americans who work hard, pay taxes and play by the rules can’t seem to get fair representation in Washington, D.C., these days. In the current debate over a government bailout of speculators, irresponsible banks, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the responsible majority has once again been pushed aside in a legislative rush to “do something.”
This should have been a perfect opportunity for Republicans, struggling to regain some standing with the American people, to rise united and demand real accountability and reform.
Actions by Fannie and Freddie management and their regulators this year precipitated the current crisis. Under pressure from the Democrat-controlled Congress, the Bush administration lifted Fannie and Freddie’s portfolio caps in February and reduced their capital reserve requirements in March. In this year’s stimulus bill, Congress went further and nearly doubled the size of the loans that Fannie and Freddie can purchase or guarantee.
As a result of this reckless expansion, the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) now touch nearly 70% of all new mortgages. At the same time, they are insolvent by most measures. The ostensible purpose of Fannie and Freddie is to provide liquidity to America’s housing markets. In practice, they are the source of systemic risk and instability in a time of need.
I’m a Realtor. Passing bills to “bail out” the mortgage industry may well help me out a great deal – short term. But, I always try to have the “long view.” And, long term, putting bandaids on large wounds will only make facing the deep difficulties later more complex and significant.
Neither party is stepping up to the plate to honestly face our people and tell them that we cannot party forever like drunken teenagers. Very few of our leaders are willing to set examples with “tough love.” As long as we continue in this manner, we will leave one enormous mess for the next generations to clean up.
Where is Wendy when we need her?
Lance on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Lance's Page
Sphere: Related ContentAmerican intelligence agencies have concluded that members of Pakistan’s powerful spy service helped plan the deadly July 7 bombing of India’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, according to United States government officials.
The conclusion was based on intercepted communications between Pakistani intelligence officers and militants who carried out the attack, the officials said, providing the clearest evidence to date that Pakistani intelligence officers are actively undermining American efforts to combat militants in the region.
The American officials also said there was new information showing that members of the Pakistani intelligence service were increasingly providing militants with details about the American campaign against them, in some cases allowing militants to avoid American missile strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
Lance on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Humor, Lance's Page
Peg on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Peg's Page
Sleeping dogs or flying cockatiels? Matters not. Each of us has our particular pets that we adore.
My best friend from first grade, Roxane Gilbert, shares a similar political viewpoint to my own. Yet, we recognize that we can all hold disparate views – and still be friends. Thanks to Rox for pointing out at Critter Blog what a nice lady Susan Estrich is.
UPDATE: If you want to see what a thoughtful woman Susan Estrich is, read this.
Peg on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Peg's Page
ABC’s Jake Tapper thinks it’s primarily being leveled by Democrats.
There’s a lot of racist xenophobic crap out there. But not only has McCain not peddled any of it, he’s condemned it.
What I have not seen is it come from McCain or his campaign in such a way to merit the language Obama used today. Pretty inflammatory.
Back in February, McCain apologized for some questionable comments made by a local radio host. In April, he condemned the North Carolina Republican Party’s ad featuring images of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
With one possible exception, I’ve never seen McCain or those under his control playing the race card or making fun of Obama’s name — or even mentioning Obama’s full name, for that matter!
While I have no doubt there will be a bunch more racist, xenophobic, and other ignorant drek coming our way courtesy of the Internet and perhaps the occasional cable news network, it’s important to determine where it’s coming from. Is it from a specific campaign or party? A third-party group? A third-party group with direct ties to establishment figures? This all matters.
I’ve seen racism in campaigns before — I’ve seen it against Obama in this campaign (more from Democrats than Republicans, at this point, I might add) and I’ve seen it against McCain in South Carolina in 2000, when his adopted Bangladeshi daughter Bridget was alleged, by the charming friends and allies of then-Gov. George W. Bush, to have been a McCain love-child with an African-American woman.
Sphere: Related Content
Lee on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Lee's Page
(photo: dgeuzen)
John Riley at Newsday is criticizing John McCain’s “” ad on the grounds that “anyone knows” Britney Spears and Paris Hilton just aren’t celebrity enough. Points for novelty at least.
To reinforce his argument, he cites the Forbes Celebrity 100 as proof positive of this. Where are they in the list Mr. McCain? Not there! Tsk. Clearly they’re not celebrities.
Ah, but if that wasn’t enough for you, Riley isn’t yet finished. Reaching deeper into whatever depths the above point came from, he detects a sinister gender and racial subtext informing ad:
[T]hey didn’t pick other big celebrities, who were either men, or black, or married. What they picked was two sexually available white women.
But it must have been a coincidence, because we know John McCain wants to run an elevated campaign focusing on the serious issues that America faces.
(Newsday)
You know, it’s honestly hard to imagine typing something that ludicrous. I’ve typed plenty of bad analysis in my time, don’t get me wrong. But this is cringe inducing.
If you’re against the McCain campaign or even just its marketing strategy, is it really so difficult (or far from the truth) to dismiss the ad as empty, trite, and needlessly cheapening of a very serious debate? By elevating a frankly rather irrelevant ad to the level of a harmful racist conspiracy, Mr. Riley’s only reducing himself far below it.
Nietzsche’s injunction that one should be careful not to become a monster when fighting one, might be shrunken here. One should be careful not to become a very petty mouse, when fighting mice.
(H/T: Blake Hounshell | Foreign Policy)
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Nancy Pelosi might have finally found a fig leaf for the Left — dying as it is for some form of tangible revenge against the Bush administration for allegedly ruining their lives. Unwilling (and frankly unable) to impeach Bush and Cheney, or throw half the administration into prison in medieval shackles, she’s dangling the possibility of issuing a toothless contempt citation for Karl Rove. Perhaps it will placate her legions of critics at ThinkProgress, et al. Methinks not though.
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Economics
Anti-Wal-Mart hysteria seems to have curiously abated somewhat since the corporation started giving more generously to the Democratic Party. Not an uncharacteristic phenomenon for the centralized extortion tactics –er, “grassroots activism” of such campaigns.
But there are still some people creatively fighting the not-so-good fight against your freedom to choose where to shop. This is a good example. A fascinating little animation showing the viral growth of Wal-Mart locations since 1962.
The poster describes the visualization as “worse than AIDS in Africa,” and thereby demonstrates only an incredible capacity for delusional inhumanity. But while some like he will recoil in horror at the vision of Wal-Mart’s geographic expansion from a humble rural backwater to national predominance, to me it’s entirely impressive and worthy of congratulation (for both Wal-Mart and the critical animator).
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Remember when people on the right used to complain about stuff like this? They had a point. However, it seems that when the shoe is on the other foot many can’t seem to see the contradiction involved in churning out t-shirts like this. I see no real distinction between the two.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Uncategorized
I understand that many find the media’s treatment of the economy under Bush biased. I agree with that. No argument from me. So I understand where Instapundit and others, including many denizens of this site, are coming from.
That being said, that does not mean the media is being too pessimistic now just because if Clinton, Gore or Obama were in office they would tend to be a bit more positive, and would have been much more positive when the economy was doing well. They are in fact being way too positive, especially business and finance oriented media. Yeah, it is so bad out there that the doom from the media is understating it. First Insty:
DUDE, WHERE’S MY RECESSION? (CONT’D): “Consumers boosted their spending at a 1.5 percent pace in the second quarter. That was up from a 0.9 percent growth rate in the first quarter and marked the best showing since the third quarter of 2007 when the economy was still performing strongly despite the severe housing slump.” On the other hand, the inflation picture isn’t so great.
True as far as it goes, and it was pretty much a one time shot from the stimulus package, and that is only the early estimate. It will probably be revised down eventually. Let us dig into the details of the latest data:
Now here is the big one:
Why am I so convinced of the direction of the revisions?
Real gross domestic purchases — purchases by U.S. residents of goods and services wherever produced — decreased 0.5 percent in the second quarter, in contrast to an increase of 0.1 percent in the first.
Here is more on the revisions which go back twelve quarters:
The annual revisions don’t change the overall view of the economy: From 2004 through 2007, the economy grew at an annual rate of 2.6%, a tenth of a percentage point slower than earlier estimates. Growth was revised lower in all three years covered by the annual revision, with 2007 now coming in at 2%, rather than 2.2%.
Most economists believe the economy’s long-run sustainable growth rate is 2.5% to 2.75% per year.
Eight of the 12 quarters were revised lower, three were revised higher, and one was unchanged.
Some of the details look a little different. Over the past three years, consumption was a bit weaker than assumed, while business investment was slightly better. The housing collapse was worse than thought. Profits and income from assets were higher, while wages and salaries were lower.
Consumer spending has averaged 3% growth over the past three years. Business investment was revised up to a 6.5% pace from 6.1%. Disposable personal incomes rose 2.6%, unrevised.
Profits were revised higher for all three years, by a cumulative $237.1 billion. Profits in the financial industries were lowered by a cumulative $61 billion, while profits from nonfinancial companies were revised up by $254 billion over the three years.
Before the revisions, profits had been at historic highs in relation to national income.
Some of those profits flowed through to the owners. Income from assets was revised up by a total of $61 billion for the three years.
Meanwhile, the compensation of workers was revised lower by $47 billion. Most of the decrease in compensation was accounted for by smaller health-care benefits due to lower-than-assumed medical payments made by bosses on behalf of their employees.
Update: From Econoday
Trends
![[Chart]](http://premium.econoday.com/reports/US/EN/New_York/gdp/year/2008/yearly/07/chart.gif) |
![[Chart]](http://premium.econoday.com/reports/US/EN/New_York/gdp/year/2008/yearly/07/chart_1.gif) |
Data Source: Haver Analytics | Consensus Data Source: Market News International and Thomson Financial
Also from Econoday:
| Jobless Claims Consensus Forecast for 7/26/08: 398,000 Range: 375,000 to 420,000 |
|
Trends
Data Source: Haver Analytics | Consensus Data Source: Market News International and Thomson Financial |
|
Keith_Indy on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Keith_Indy on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Lee on Jul 31 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Lee's Page
The Obama campaign has a new video response to McCain. It’s an interesting approach. The heart of the ad is the beginning, in which quotes from major pro-Obama media editorials are superimposed over McCain, calling his (unspecified) criticism “baseless,” “baloney,” etc.
Since there is some evidence in the polls that the positive press attention Barack has been receiving may be having a counterproductive effect, might it be unwise to let your press advocates perform your defense in your own ad? Given the situation, it might seem like a further blurring of the separation lines between independent media and political campaign. Naming the spot for a line taken from a profoundly and explicitly partisan New York Times editorial can’t help either.
This ad may hint that a system of mutual reinforcement has emerged between the Obama campaign and certain media organizations that is essentially ineluctable and indissoluble. If so, the more pressure and stress that is put on that relationship as symmetry, the more brittle and uncomfortable it may become for both parties. Were I McCain, I’d attack that point harder than he is.
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Is it just me or are the crowds for these McCain town hall things getting larger? See Reno, Nevada Town Hall (7/29/08). I must say I’ve always hated the town hall format. Perhaps it’s innate elitism, but it seems to me that a panel of journalists and/or academic experts tend to ask better questions.
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Election 2008, Lee's Page
McCain wears Salvatore Ferragamo? Cindy’s doing no doubt. The poster adds contemptuously: “But that’s what regular guys do right?” This might be the first time footwear symbolism was injected into a presidential campaign since, you know.
Come to think of it, while Democrats are typically obsessed with socioeconomic class in general, there might be a recurring fascination with the class meaning of footwear in particular. Not long ago I saw this bizarre love affair with the higher class metaphors of marks on Tom Udall’s boots.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Lance's Page
Lee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Economics, Lee's Page
The power of capitalism in a lovely little ad by Nexus Productions for the Royal Bank of Canada:
Quicktime Video via Motionographer.
||
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Developmental economics, Economics, Foreign affairs, Lee's Page, Uncategorized
(photo: William Bedzrah)
One of the traditional problems of economic development in sub-Saharan Africa is that internal African investment dollars tend to be spent outside the continent. Thus it’s interesting to see Nigerian investment in Ghana has now reached $580 million. Something that has sparked quick calls for a Nigeria-Ghana Chamber of Commerce and further liberalization of trade laws.
[George Kumi, Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria] noted that what Nigeria and Ghana need is increase in trade investment and not foreign aids, said the business cooperation between the two countries would go along way in alleviating poverty.
“We need to move away from the old way of over protecting our internal trade. There should be free flow of goods from Ghana to Nigeria and vice versa.”
(BusinessDay)
Good stuff, to be sure.
One of the factors that makes these two countries compatible investors in each other is monetary policy and the (new) tendency of their currencies to retain value. Nigeria’s inflation rate which was as high as 16% in 2005, fell to 6.5% this year (comparable to Chile). Ghana has been experiencing an equally dramatic fall in inflation, from an astronomical 26.7% in 2004, to 11% in 2008 (better than Russia).
With falling inflation of this kind, the temptation to send your profits to Switzerland as soon as you make them is substantially reduced.
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Election 2008, Lee's Page, Libertarianism, Uncategorized
Taking fecklessness to new levels of embarrassment, the Libertarian Party of Kentucky is now considering rescinding its unanimous de-endorsement of genocidal fantasist Sonny Landham, and formally renominating him as its candidate for US Senate.
“We’re really stuck,” said Libertarian Party chair Ken Moellman. “We don’t necessarily want to kick him off the ballot.”
[...]
“Our goal was not to kick him out,” added Moellman. “We are in a tough spot.”
(PolitickerKY via Last Free Voice)
Unbelievable. The wide ranging praise the party received for its rejection of a raving lunatic, must have alerted them that they weren’t demonstrating levels of incompetence and irresponsibility commensurate with the Libertarian Party’s long established traditions.
Sphere: Related ContentKeith_Indy on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
A humorous look at the Sci-Fi Rejection letter that time forgot for the story “In the Year 2008″
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Lee's Page
Sober, secular and educated new residents to New Mexico can often be found painting the frames of their doors and windows a vivid bright blue. Having seen the habit practiced on the homes of locals, the newcomers invariably assume it’s a quaint regional decorative touch. They’re unaware of course that the locals have painted their frames the color of the Virgin, and the purpose isn’t decoration, but defense.
In superstitious, Catholic New Mexico, the Virgin’s color is believed to prevent the nomadic witches that prowl the streets at night from entering the house and murdering its inhabitants. Such is the manner in which old and very sinister traditions can be unknowingly perpetuated by people who have no interest in original intents.
(more…)
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
calls himself “a progressive conservative, Democratic Republican” these days apparently. Who knows what the hell that means.
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Knowing Soho well, this is probably a good indicator that the opposite is true.
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 30 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Lee's Page, Uncategorized
(photo: Charles Roffey – Charles & Fred)
Someone once said that in Damascus you truly can get a little bit pregnant. It’s a good aphorism, because if you asked the foreign minister of almost any state in the Middle East or the Mediterranean what his government’s policy relationship was with Syria, he would automatically furrow his brow and call it “complicated.” You always seem to be about half-way somewhere with Syria. Lately that appears to be true even for Tzipi Livni. If so for Israel, doubly so for Lebanon.
Surveying it, Jihad Yazigi describes the situation that exists between the two countries as customarily “complicated”, but the dimension of complication he’s seeing is something relatively new. Where before thirty years of Syrian military occupation (and often not very covert political subversion) might be the most obvious locus, Yazigi is today talking about labor and direct investment in Syria by Lebanese:
Syria would probably not be liberalizing its economy and going through a revival of its services sector without the thousands of Lebanese managers that are running Syrian firms. Lebanese managerial know-how is being exported throughout the Arab world and Syria will continue to need it if it wants to further the opening up of its economy.
(The Syria Report)
That’s a very new economic relationship, as historically it is Syrian labor that has traveled to liberal and cosmopolitan Beirut. It is Syrian enterprise that has worked to create a paternalistic relationship between the two countries with one-way investment, generally government directed.
Sphere: Related ContentPeg on Jul 29 2008 | Filed under: Peg's Page, Uncategorized
Want to stay youthful? No magic potion, pill nor surgery will deliver it to you.
But, you can follow this prescription to ward off Father Time: keep active and working!
Thanks to my friend and very smart guy Mitch Perlstein at the Center of the American Experiment for this fine column.
You might note that Mitch cites both conservatives and liberals who are following their passion, irrespective of their ages. You might also note that in my own life, my dad has been an exceptional role model. Despite hitting his 87th birthday a week ago, Dad still remains busy throughout the day. An industrial realtor for scores of years, he continues to manage properties. On a volunteer basis, Dad daily assists friends and strangers throughout my parents’ community with all kinds of technical issues: computers, printers, DVD’s and the like. He has served on the Board at their association and done mentoring in local inner city schools.
My mom sometimes wishes he would slow down. I maintain that part of why Dad is in such fine shape is due to his constant motion and giving!
Keith_Indy on Jul 29 2008 | Filed under: Keith's Page, Technology, Travel
It was a busy weekend here at the homestead. Although it wasn’t actually at the homestead, we traveled to beautiful , to take in the AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event. Other than being hot, and humid, we had a great couple of days dodging golf carts and scooters, while ogling over the most motorcycles I’ve ever seen in one place.
This was also perhaps the largest vehicular event I’ve ever been to. Estimates are that there were 1000 swap meet vendors over 35 acres, 10’s of thousands of spectators, and I don’t know how many racers. I didn’t know who owned it at the time, but Jay Leno’s Y2K jet bike made a few laps around the track. That was a bit freaky, and thrilling, as a m/c passed by, and then you heard the whine of a turbine. Spent most of the time, taking pictures and wishing we had brought more money and a trailer.
Keith Taking Pictures
There was also the added bonus of having Triumph motorcycles be the marque for the event. I’m currently in the market for a new motorcycle, because I like to ride, and the 2 m/c’s I have are in disrepair, I work on them more then I ride them. So, my wife graciously agreed last month that I could get a new m/c once our credit cards are paid off, which will be happening in the next month. Triumph is one of the few m/c’s that I’m interested in. I like the upright position of riding, and the classic look is unbeatable. Plus, it’s tame enough for a beginning rider, I’ve only been riding for 3 years now, and only have a thousand or so miles under me.
Taking a test ride of the Triumph Scrambler
The test ride was good, I haven’t been able to ride since last spring, between selling our old house, moving into our new one, and trying to repair various cars and motorcycles. I did take a wrong turn, but I quickly realized my error and the tail gunner escort stopped to lead us back to the track. The Scrambler fit me well, and the power, handling and brakes were light years better then the 2 bikes I own. I’m now torn between the Scrambler and the Bonneville.
Yet another added bonus was being able to briefly meet Craig Vetter. If you are into motorcycles, you probably know him, or his products. He produced a line of fairings for motorcycles called the Windjammer. He was there with his new project, the Last Vetter Fairing, which is a full streamlined body for a Helix scooter. He’s aiming to get 100MPG at regular highway speeds, while able to fit 4 grocery bags into it. The thing is remarkable, especially when you realize the skin is made out of plastic notebook cover material, and only has around 18 HP. He is an inspiration to anyone investigating streamlining motorcycles. I’ve incorporated many of his ideas into sketches of things I’ve yet to build.
Craig Vetter w/ Streamlined Scooter
That’s Craig Vetter behind his scooter with the denim shirt and shades. He was happily talking about his efforts and hoped more people would get interested in his type of backyard innovation.
He also ran a contest in the early 80’s to see what kind of MPG people could get out of a motorcycle. 470 MPG was the record. Now these were purpose built machines, and the riders were crouched down to lower their wind resistance. His current project is all about practicality. Something a person could take to the store, or drive across country.
Most memorable food of the trip was having dinner at . Great food, but the decor and music were a flashback to the 80’s. If you’re in the area, I’d recommend it.
On the way home, we stopped off to pickup some parts to put disc brakes on my 61 Falcon. Met the guy off a Ford Falcon website, and he happened to have the parts sitting in his garage. So, I have another new project, which I’ll probably wait for the winter to start, to add to my long list of things I do in my increasingly rare spare time. At least I didn’t have to search the boneyards myself.
Sphere: Related ContentLee on Jul 29 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Lee's Page, Libertarianism
Looks like the Libertarian Party of Kentucky has dumped Sonny Landham, previously their clinically insane pick for US Senate. Good for them. Even if given the psychopathic nature of Landham’s views, I feel a little like I’m congratulating them for breathing.
While the Obama campaign might like to think that the LP could pose a serious threat to John McCain in Georgia, the Landham misadventure only reminds me yet again of the extraordinary amateurishness that seems to characterize almost all Libertarian Party political campaigns. There’s simply no excuse for failing to properly vet a candidate you intend to challenge for the seat held by the Senate Minority Leader.
As a former Hollywood actor and convicted criminal, it wouldn’t have been particularly difficult to uncover Landham’s violent imagination or deplorable associations with rightwing hate groups. A simple YouTube and Google search might have sufficed in fact.
Speaking of which, if you’ve never seen the deranged Bircher-style videos that Landham did while a member of the white supremacist/neo-Confederate organization the ‘Council of Conservative Citizens‘, it’s well worth a watch. The strangely tense and badly rehearsed panel discussion scene seems like something lifted out of a lost David Lynch film: .
Supplemental: I must say I do appreciate the fact that Landham hasn’t disowned himself and begged for mercy from the mob, in that axiomatic ritual of insincere contrition we’ve all grown accustomed to. His quote to the Associated Press: “My views are still the same, I make no apologies for them.”
If you think about it, that’s quite a rare response. Crazy, but commendable for its candor.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 28 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Economics, Lance's Page, Media
For those of you who love New York Times bashing, I am in rant mode at Risk and Return. What a bunch of balderdash.
Also, if you want a good idea of where housing prices may go, I also have this. Charts, I have lots of charts!
Finally, I really hate the housing bill.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 28 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Meanwhile, in Iraq, we have succeeded in handing power to Muqtada and the extremist militias…maybe not so much.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 28 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Well if we cannot rid ourselves of speculators, how about making compound interest a sin again? Or not.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 28 2008 | Filed under: Economics, Environment, Lance's Page, energy
I know that many of you think that global warming, at least anthropogenic global warming, is a fraud. I am not so sure. Either way though, I think Peter Huber has the broad contours of any attempt to address it correct.
Sphere: Related ContentSo does the climate computer have a real audience, or is it really just another bag lady muttering away to herself in a lonely corner of the intellectual park? That the computer is heard in Hollywood, Stockholm, Brussels and even some parts of Washington is quite beside the point–they have far less global power and influence than they vainly imagine. Vinod Dar is right: “Contingency planning should entail strategic responses to a warming globe, a cooling globe and a globe whose climate reverberates with laughter at human hubris.”
Lance on Jul 28 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Humor, Lance's Page
Lance on Jul 28 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
What do you know, Global Warming and an economic renaissance in Greenland. I like Glenn Reynolds observation though:
Divine Providence is unveiling these resources just as we need them the most! Though if you’re really looking for miracles, the Greenlanders’ desire to live without subsidies from Danish taxpayers should probably take top billing . . . .
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 28 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Over at Byron 1776 viable third party approach is proposed for we hold our nose and vote types..
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Humor, Lance's Page
Obama makes his first effort at diplomacy with the Palestinians. The response:
F- – - Washington, f- – - Obama and f- – - you.
I feel encouraged, how about you?
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Jeffrey Carter says we need more speculators, not less if we want oil markets to function.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Lance's Page
Over at QandO, Bruce, Dale,and I discuss Sen. Obama’s hubris, his fawning press coverage, and his inability to admit his error in opposing the surge.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Josh used to ask me what success in Iraq means. Michael Totten seeks to define the term “over” in the context of Iraq. He claims that there were three wars in Iraq, and two are over, the last almost. That seems about right to me.
Sphere: Related Contentpeter on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Peter's Page, Society
For the last six months or so, one of the first things I did upon coming into work on Sunday mornings was to check Randy Pausch’s update page. Randy Pausch, if you will remember, achieved worldwide notoriety last fall when the video of his “Last Lecture” hit the internet and the Wall Street Journal noticed. Having been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, Pausch, 47, gave a lecture entitled “Really Achieving your Childhood Dreams” to an audience at Carnegie Mellon University where he taught computer science. Well this morning I selected Randy’s site from my bookmarks menu but the page was very, very slow to load. Too slow. Sure enough, when the page refreshed, it contained the news that Randy passed away Friday due to complications from his disease.
What made Pausch’s story so compelling to me wasn’t merely that he was close to my age and, like me, the father of young children, nor was it merely the fellow feeling that most of us past and present cancer patients have for one another. Rather it was his infectiously positive yet humble attitude, the geeky fierceness of his appetite for life, and his charmed and seemingly bottomless capacity for extraordinary achievement that convinced me that pancreatic cancer didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell against this man, that this time death itself had fatally (ha!) miscalculated in even daring to touch someone so fresh and so vitally creative, so… Jedi. The Force was very, very strong in this one.
But I guess at the end of the day it’s never strong enough. And of course I knew that, in that cold, data processing part of my brain, and I’m certain Pausch did too. But I’d still like to think Randy made death a little nervous, if only for a couple of years, or even a couple of minutes.
You can check out the video of his famous “last lecture,” as well as videos of his lecture on time management and his cancer activism, here.
Pausch’s Update Page documenting his cancer battle is here.
Carnegie Mellon’s obituary of Randy is here.
Unlike thousands and thousands of very lucky people, I never knew Randy Pausch in life. But like tens of millions of almost as lucky people, I will never forget him.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Lance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Lance's Page
Having checked out of politics until the last few days, I certainly haven’t been keeping up with what is going on across the pond (outside of following how bad the economic slowdown may be.)
Reading Guy Hebert things seem to be getting truly and astonishingly ugly for Labour. Does that mean the Conservatives once they seize power will remove the death by a thousand cuts of nannyism that New Labour has brought to England? I can only hope so.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Lance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Foreign affairs, Lance's Page, Notes on the war
The irreplaceable Michael Totten is now in the Balkans tracking down the influence of al Qaeda and the mujahideen. They seem to be having trouble inculcating their values.
Exhibit 1:
“Most people know nothing about your country,” I said to Fana and Lumnije.
“The majority of us would not like to be perceived as a Muslim country in the real sense of the word,” Lumnije said. “Because we are different. Even geographically we are European.”
“We are not European,” Fana said and laughed, “we are American! We are the 51st state!”
“Kosovo is the most reliable,” Lumnije said.
“It is a small country,” Fana said, “but you can rely on us completely.”
Exhibit 2:
Erotic literature for sale on the street, Prizren, Kosovo
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Election 2008, Foreign affairs, Lance's Page, Military Matters, Notes on the war
From The Huffington Post, where this kind of BS is applauded:
“Quit talking about, ‘Did the surge work or not work,’ or, ‘Did you vote for this or support this,’” Hagel said Thursday on a conference call with reporters.
“Get out of that. We’re done with that. How are we going to project forward?” the Nebraska senator said. “What are we going to do for the next four years to protect the interest of America and our allies and restructure a new order in the world. … That’s what America needs to hear from these two candidates. And that’s where I am.”
How cute. Take a nice piece of advice, concentrate on what comes next, and rob that discussion of all context. How are we supposed to judge who is best fit to move on to the next steps without some understanding of how people have judged things in the past? Especially something so recent and directly on point.
It isn’t that Hagel and Obama don’t have a legitimate, if wrongheaded in my view, defense. Stupid policy choices work out all the time. That doesn’t make them wise. If you jump off a bridge and a truck full of hay just happens to come by and break the fall, it hardly confirms ones good judgment. (more…)
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Around the Web
Lance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Lance's Page
First, I want to apologize for the server problems the last week. They have been fixed, though we lost a few days worth of posts. The bright side? A brand new server, which should mean better, faster, performance.
In other news, I should be back blogging a lot more going forward. Also, like Michael, I have set up shop over at QandO as well. Feel free to hop over there and check us out. As you may have noticed, it hasn’t crimped my blogging here at all. I will cross post a good bit, save some things just for here, same at QandO. Risk and Return will start getting active again soon as well.
Sphere: Related ContentLance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Culture, Humor, Lance's Page, Media
I am co-bloggers Keith and Josh will be thrilled to know that Vanity Fair now has a gay car blog.
Lance on Jul 27 2008 | Filed under: Domestic Politics, Lance's Page, Law
You may not realize this, but the House Judiciary Committee has been holding hearings (of a sort) in an attempt to impeach President Bush. Guys, he is gone in six months. I love this line:
“I am really astonished at the mood in this room,” commented one witness, George Mason University School of Law professor Jeremy Rabkin.
“The tone of these deliberations is slightly demented,” Rabkin said. “You should all remind yourselves that the rest of the country is not necessarily in this same bubble in which people think it is reasonable to describe the president as if he were Caligula.”
The AP finally admits the surge has been a great success, Ace grouses about the weekend release. [UPDATE:The Minuteman has further issues on the squirrelly capitulation of the AP]
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