Loose Lips Sink Ships

Blackouts Plague Energy-Rich Venezuela - NYTimes.com

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:05:57 -0500

Blackouts Plague Energy-Rich Venezuela - NYTimes.com:

Here is an excellent example of why having the government run business leads to rationing, poorer goods and services and the powerful getting more power.

Here's Why the Economy's Growing

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:01:12 -0400

Here's Why the Economy's Growing:

It’s great that the economy grew, but the cost at which we grew seems far to great a price to pay. We need the government to stop trying to spend our way out of a recession and prevent future tax payers from footing an enormous bill.

Promise of free money leads to scuffle between thousands in Detroit

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:28:01 -0400

Promise of free money leads to scuffle between thousands in Detroit:

This entire article is a very sad commentary on our society. We have people fighting for money that our country doesn’t even have. It so sad to hear more of these stories than stories of neighbors showing love to neighbors or of people overcoming with their own determination. We simply have people becoming dependent on the government for everything in their lives - jobs, food, education, clothes, tv’s, parenting, housing. Eventually all this social welfare is going to cause the government to collapse under all of its promises and the only people who will truly benefit are those at the top.

The National Endowment for the Art of Persuasion?

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:16:59 -0400

The National Endowment for the Art of Persuasion?:

Here is a thoughtful review of one questionable government activity. It makes me nervous to see the government becoming more involved in directing organizations to act in ways outside of their stated missions.

Health Care Rights?

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 09:00:07 -0400

It’s difficult to get through the day with out encountering the topic of Health Care in the United States. There is so much discussion on it in Washington, in the press and among individual friends and family. One comment that has stood out to me for some time is the claim that Health Care should be or is a right for all citizens.

At first, that idea sounds very noble. Why shouldn’t every citizen have Health Care coverage provided to them as a right? As a compassionate and loving country we should make sure all of our citizens are taken care of, correct?

The strongest argument against declaring Health Care a right becomes apparent after reading the United States Bill of Rights. One common thread through all the Bill of Rights is that those rights are granted to everyone. Not one of the rights gives the government the right to take from one group of individuals to provide for another. In order for the government to provide Health Care to all citizens, it has to take from one group of individuals to give to another. This fact alone prohibits the idea of Health Care being a right for citizens from being acceptable.

Woman calls 911: I'm locked inside my car -- OrlandoSentinel.com

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:53:04 -0400

Woman calls 911: I'm locked inside my car -- OrlandoSentinel.com:

There is something seriously wrong with our education system. The end result is that stupid people just rely on the government to solve the problems they are to stupid to think through. It’s terribly sad.

NC Sterilization Program

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 09:21:28 -0400

NC Sterilization Program:

This is one of the most disturbing stories I have ever read about our government. North Carolina (and other states) ran a eugenics program from the 1920’s to the 1970’s that many times forced sterilization on people because they were mentally ill, homosexual, promiscuous or had other charicteristics that were deemed inferior. It was started by a few rich people (one the heir to Proctor and Gamble) and supported without scrutiny by the local media. It is so reminiscent of Hitler and Nazi Germany. It’s incredible to think that such horrible things could be done by our government and supported by the intellectually elite. I think this serves as a strong warning on giving the government too much power. Power corrupts.

Soup Kitchen Cell Phone

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 08:52:37 -0400

Soup Kitchen Cell Phone:

Is there something wrong with this picture? Maybe I’m being overly-critical, but it seems that our country has it’s priorities out of line when people are in soup kitchen lines and can still afford cell phones.

What is our lifeblood?

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 20:50:33 -0500

Barack Obama said last Tuesday that our country’s lifeblood is credit and I have heard other politicians make similar statements. At first it sounded like a sensible statement, but the more I thought about it the more it sounded faulty. To put it another way, that statement means our country’s lifeblood is our ability to get ourselves into debt. Making it easier to get ourselves into debt is the exact ability that got us into our current economic crisis. I understand that credit is a very important thing to keeping commerce moving forward. There are certainly businesses and individuals who are attempting to get loans to expand their businesses or purchase homes. However, if credit didn’t exist at all, goods and services would still be purchased - it would just take longer to save up the money to do so. I would instead argue that productivity is our country’s lifeblood. Productivity is the measuring stick that lenders use to determine whether someone is worthy of taking on debt. If someone is not going to be productive especially with someone else’s money, they shouldn’t be given a loan or extended credit. After thinking about this topic, it seemed like such a simple concept. This doesn’t appear to be an extraordinary revelation to me, but why are our political leaders still pursuing solutions that will make it easier to get ourselves in to debt? It seems that pursuing solutions that make us more productive would be more sensible. Thoughts?

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending (1999)

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:05:40 -0500

Fannie Mae Eases Credit To Aid Mortgage Lending (1999):

It’s incredible to read this article from 10 years ago and then realize that this was one of the first steps that got us into the economic mess we are in right now. Politicians make decisions with short-term view points (winning them votes) and don’t consider the long-term ramifications of their actions. It doesn’t matter how good an idea “feels” on the surface if its result will be the opposite of the intended effect. I hope people learn from this.

ABC News: Man Living in Cave Faces Foreclosure

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 15:36:36 -0500

ABC News: Man Living in Cave Faces Foreclosure:

This is by far one of the most unique housing stories I have read.

U.S. Bancorp CEO Davis rips TARP - TwinCities.com

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 16:05:08 -0500

U.S. Bancorp CEO Davis rips TARP - TwinCities.com:

It’s interesting to hear a bank CEO actually speak out on what the government actually told them to do with TARP money and indicate how the government intends to control them after forcing them to take the money.

The US government is taking part in a lot of shady practices at the moment that are quickly marching us away from freedom and capitalism.

Full Disclosure

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:37:00 -0500

There appears to be a backlash against capitalism going on in America at the moment due to our current economic troubles. I’m of the opinion that we haven’t been watching capitalism in action over the last several years, but a bastardization of it - although that’s a different conversation all together. We have watched the economy tank, in part, due to unscrupulous people proclaiming to make money only to be found as frauds when their house of cards collapsed. Bernie Madoff is a good example. These people built up their personal wealth at the expense of others. They did so in an effort to either accumulate money or power or prestige or any other number of selfish motives, but they did so in ways that disguised their deceit. All of this was deplorable and I’m happy to see them pay for their actions while I genuinely feel for those who were duped.

The more I think about the “stimulus” package that our congressional leaders are promoting and the eager lobbyists are foaming at the mouths over, the more similarity I see between the deceit on Wall Street. The biggest difference is that our congressmen aren’t hiding the methods for which they are amassing their wealth - they’re just printing more money and giving it to the people who vote for them. In a sense, they are putting even less effort into accumulating their wealth, power and prestige than the Bernie Madoff’s of the world and they are doing it right in front of our eyes.

Does this concern anyone? Does anyone feel that we’re just lining up for an even bigger economic collapse than what we’re experiencing right now? If we’re putting our faith in the government to save us with this “stimulus” idea, who will bail out the government when this idea fails?

Super Bowl Party Favorite

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 13:51:57 -0500

Super Bowl Party Favorite:

Consider making this masterpiece for your Super Bowl party.

The next road to happiness.

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:55:06 -0500

Why does the “economic stimulus” discussion taking place right now sound like the same old story in another package? For thirty years, politicians told us that everyone deserved a house and did everything they could to make that happen. They pressured companies to make bad loans and, along with Wall Street, found ways to make those loans easier to swallow. So they encouraged us to spend our way in to massive amounts of debt because we were envious of what everyone else had and we were told we deserved it. We weren’t just entitled to the right to pursue happiness; we had the right to happiness itself. Now that the party is over, we’re being told that it isn’t fair that we’re suffering and the government will fix what ails us. We still deserve happiness and since the last plan didn’t work (spending like we individuals had the money) the government is going to spend money it doesn’t have to give everyone that happiness. Why do people in the government think they can legislate happiness? Why do they think they know what makes each individual happy? We’ll end up legislating ourselves into an existence where we live at the lowest common denominator in society and looking to the government to provide us everything. I’m not actually this pessimistic, but it’s difficult to not hypothesize around these possibilities. My goal for myself is to work to control what I can control, and not let my circumstances dictate my happiness. I can be joyful regardless of the situation I’m in and I’m determined to do just that.

CARPE DIEM: State Unemployment Rates

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:10:17 -0500

CARPE DIEM: State Unemployment Rates:

Just some interesting statistics on state unemployment rates across the country.

'Giving Thanks' - Los Angeles Times

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:56:02 -0500

'Giving Thanks' - Los Angeles Times:

The simplest messages can have so much meaning.

Hulu

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:42:21 -0500

Hulu:

In an effort to lower expenses on the homestead I got rid of my DVR. Not an easy choice. I really, really enjoyed recording shows and watching them at my leisure. But I discovered Hulu through a friend of mine and, while not a perfect substitute, this might provide me enough entertainment at my fingertips to get by.

Be Extraordinary

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:39:43 -0500

Be Extraordinary:

This charity website was started by a group of underclassmen at Northwestern. They took third place (if memory serves) in the inaugural year of the NU Venture Challenge and have made their idea a reality. It’s exciting to see entrepreneurialism move forward. Check it out.

Just wondering

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 08:31:32 -0500

Have we gotten to the point in the country where the first thing you wonder about a person when you meet them is whether they are a Democrat or Republican and not something more important?