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1.31.01
Jesse Jackson couldn't stay out of the public light for long. There were still good (although racially insensitive) companies that needed to be shaken down.
"Jesse Jackson Returns!"
President Bush has created the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives as a way to "enlist, equip, enable, empower, and expand" the ability of private organizations to solve social problems. This is a creative way to take advantage of dispersed, local knowledge while also offering competition to the welfare pimps running corrupt poverty programs across the country. Some worry about constitutional conflicts, but as long as the funding is available to qualified groups from all faiths, there shouldn't be any problems. The "separation of church and state" argument is a bunch of hub-bub, because no where in the U.S. Constitution is that phrase mentioned.
Executive Order: Establishment of White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives"
1.30.01
Due to Angelfire problems, these posts from yesterday are finally being offered. Hopefully, within a week, I will no longer worry about such problems.
Economic swings are less violent now because old economy businesses like car and heavy equipment manufacturers invested in new technology. "They adopted techniques of lean manufacturing and just-in-time logistics. They used information technology to get real-time data on sales and to restock customers more precisely," writes Virginia Postrel.
"Roots of Expansion Extend Beyond Greenspan"
The depleted uranium-leukemia scare from Europe (loaded with anti-U.S. sentiment) is not based in scientific fact.
"It is just not reasonable to assume that there is a causal connection between depleted uranium and reports of illness in this Kosovo or Bosnia situation," said John D. Boice Jr., former chief of radiation epidemiology at the National Cancer Institute.
"Risks From Uranium Limited, Experts Say"
Congratulations to the Baltimore Ravens for winning the most boring Super Bowl I can remember. I love great defensive games, and the Ravens have one of the best in NFL history, but 13 punts in the first half alone was too much. After Trent Dilfer's touchdown pass to Brendon Stokley I joke to my father that the game was over. Little did either of us know how right I was.
To add to the dull game was the uninteresting commercials. E*trade had a mildly interesting one making fun of the dot-com crash. Budweiser has made me despise their "Whatzzup!" shtick with a couple commercials playing off the "True" theme. The most memorable may be EDS's running with the squirrels, but that was pretty lame too.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tv critic Tim Cuprisin summed it up: "But the bottom line is that we're not likely to be talking about any of these ads, even the good ones, in a couple days."
"Soda, Squirrels Score Big in Memorable Ads"
Wisconsin and the college basketball world received bad news Friday when former Marquette University basketball coach Al McGuire died. He led the Warriors to their only NCAA title in 1977. I was less than three at the time and have no recollection of the excitement. However, I did appreciate Al's commitment to the Milwaukee community and his quirkiness as a basketball announcer. Bye, Al, we'll miss you.
Al McGuire, Legendary Marquette Coach, Dies at 72"
"McGuire Won Title in Last Game as Coach"
Marquette's official athletic site
ESPN Classic will remember Al on 2.01.01
"Say What? Al McGuire Quotables"
Kevin Whited is kind enough to link to TAM. Visit his blog. It's on the short list of joining the TAM family.
No U2 tickets for me. Oh, well. :-(
1.27.01
While making a slick promo for his latest book, Thomas Sowell has this to offer on the public's economics education:
Popular understanding of economics is at least two centuries behind economists' understanding of the economy. The economics profession has failed to educate the public on basic principles. The net effect has been highly sophisticated analyses on the frontiers of economics and utter ignorance of the most elementary principles by millions of people outside the profession.
"Basic Economics"
U2 tickets for their Milwaukee show go on sale today. I'll be working when they go on sale, so I might not get any. Then I'll be sad. :-(
"U2 Celebrates '82 Gig with a Triumphant Return"
However, I do know I will be seeing Tesla on 2.21.01.
1.26.01
All right! I knew I shouldn't have plastered my pic all over the Web. The embarassment is mildly irritating. Australian Angus has me labeled as the prototypical "American Face." Lance has been AWOL for over two weeks and has no known opinion. (You still with us Lance?) Mike thinks I qualify to be a Backstreet Boy. But he hasn't seen my superfly dance moves, nor has he heard the phlem-filled croaking I sometimes pass off for singing. Nevertheless, he has inspired this poll question.
1.25.01
USA Today reports that Alan Greenspan will support President Bush's tax cut. In the past, Greenspan has leaned toward debt reduction over tax cuts. Now, he worries more about a huge pot of money in the hands of wasteful politicans:
Further, Greenspan is said to worry that unless Congress devotes a sizable piece of the surplus to tax cuts, the alternatives would be large new government spending or government investment in stocks, which Greenspan believes are poor ideas.
"Greenspan to Back Tax Cuts" [via Drudge]
I set up my new toy, a new Dell Dimension L700cx. I went with the Celeron processor because I mostly web surf and write and don't play many games. It has 128MB of RAM (triple the amount of my old computer), a 10GB hard drive (no broadband connection to amass vast quantities of MP3 or video files), a 17" monitor, a CD burner (DVD is for the living room IMHO), and an Intel PC camera.
This is my first computer from Dell, and I am impressed. I ordered the computer last week (got free shipping) and it arrived a day earlier than expected. Set up was a breeze and I was supplied with all the disks to the pre-installed software. I now know first-hand why Dell is one of the best in the computer business.
So, low and behold, the first known picture on the Net of ME! Don't laugh too hard. A Backstreet Boy, I'm not. But let me tell you, playing with the camera is addicting. I think I spent at least a hour playing around with lights, fusing with glare from my glasses, and trying to get the best smile I could from my mouth.
Usually after Thomas Sowell gets through analyzing a subject, little more needs to be said. He does it again writing about the California electricity crisis:
Fact number one: You cannot go on obstructing the building of electric power generating plants for years on end without eventually running out of enough electricity to supply your growing population and your growing industries. It has been more than a decade since the last power plant was built in California.
Fact number two: You cannot force California public utilities to charge consumers less for electricity from out of state than the utilities have to pay to get it, without reaching the point where the utilities' deficits exceed the money they have on hand to pay their bills.
Fact number three: You cannot continue indefinitely pandering to the shrill voices of people who call themselves "environmentalists" or "consumer advocates" without reaching the point where the chickens come home to roost.
"Rolling Blackouts"
James Morrow's sushi addiction reminds me of how long it's been since I've had some rice and raw fish. When I lived in the Twin Cities, there was a supermarket that actually sold fresh sushi daily. It was good and it freaked out my co-workers who couldn't understand the taste and texture sensation from raw fish and sticky rice.
"My Name Is James, and I’m a Sushi-holic"
1.24.01
Linda Chavez wants to offer ex-First Cat Socks a home. Chavez said Socks must be neutered because "I wouldn’t want any unneutered Clintons in my house."
"Dubya Staff’s Mystery in the _est _ing" [via /usr/bin/girl]
J.D. Tuccille put together a collection of articles and websites on California's energy crisis.
"California Power Play"
Ruth Kava advocates nukes. She's right.
"Why Not Nuclear Power?"
I've been neglected as one of the top weblogs in all the cyberworld! Pure injustice! Where's Jesse "Where's my kid" Jackson when I need him? I need a "No Justice, No Peace!" protest march organized quickly.
Missing out on a Bloggie nomination will only push me to improve, kiss the appropriate gluteus maximus, and expand my readership beyond my 3 regular readers (and my mother doesn't count).
Since Mike wanted a politics category (I agree), I think MetaFilter should win the Bloggie for the weblog with the most anti-conservative, anti-republican, anti-Bush, cynical posts and comments.
1.23.01
Jonah Goldberg answers the question bothering National Review Online readers for days: "What is the most Burkean line from Animal House?" This is laugh-out-loud intellectual conservative humor. Many of you may scratch your heads and think I read too many esoteric texts.
"The Bluto-Burke Connection — Revealed!"
I must pick the collective brain of my readers. I'm looking for a really cheap round-trip flight to France in July. I've been scouring web sites with the lowest price being around $800. E-mail me with your suggestions.
1.22.01
Camille Paglia says the Clinton legacy is "wormwood and ashes."
"Bill's Gone but the Debate Rages on" [via Drudge]
The American Enterprise has a good, wide-ranging interview with Shelby Foote.
1.21.01
From President Bush's inaugural address:
And this is my solemn pledge: I will work to build a single nation of justice and opportunity.
President Bush also said something that every protester who booed him during the Inaugural Parade should take to heart:
Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos. And this commitment, if we keep it, is a way to shared accomplishment.
President George W. Bush's Inaugural Address
President Bush (oh, does that sound sooo goood!) quickly got to work by blocking many executive orders ex-President Clinton (but that sounds sooo much better!) signed in the final weeks of his Presidency.
"Bush Scrambles to Block Clinton Rush Orders"
Slinger (WI) High School (my former relm of mischief) had the great honor of having its marching band play in the Inaugural Parade. They have a web site so you can follow their historic adventure.
1.20.01
Prof. Peggy Kamuf thinks reading to children is a violent act. O, the absurdity of deconstructionism.
"Is Nothing Sacred?"
If an education team accomplished a dramatic improvement in students' math and reading skills, one would think they would be praised. But San Francisco wants to boot for-profit Edison Schools from running a school there because they have "been a destructive force, shattering our sense of community." What does that mean?
When it comes to education, it seems making money is a greater evil than failing to educate kids.
"San Francisco To Boot Out Successful Edison School"
Last night, I saw Traffic, the film starring Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It's a smart take on all the complexities of the Drug War. In the movie, three stories deal with police corruption, family survival, teen drug addiction, teen alienation, race, and the daunting objectives of the Drug War.
Director Steven Soderbergh let the movie have a fresh, documentary feel with grainy film and mobile cameras. You can easily follow the three stories just by noticing the filters used: the cool blue following Michael Douglas mirrored his cool legal demeanor as new drug czar; the dry, gritty yellow following Benicio Del Toro reflected the dirty, corrupt world of Mexican law enforcement his character was involved in; the ordinary movie look following Charerine Zeta-Jones matched her character's attempt to keep her drug-running husband out of prison and her son safe.
After watching the movie, you come away with the feeling the Drug War is a losing proposition. Even if the police squash one drug cartel, another one rises up to take its place. In one of his columns, George Will points out that fighting drug production in Colombia is only pushing labs into Ecuador. All this police and military intervention isn't curtailing illegal drug supplies, since Will also points out that the "street price has been halved in the last decade."
Not once in the movie is drug legalization mentioned. Medicial marijuana is and is quickly laughed off by Douglas' drug czar. Traffic and the frustration with the Drug War which it provokes does add a powerful voice in the debate for drug law reform.
"Fighting the War on Drugs"
James Skillen examines the strong objections of John Ashcroft's Christian faith by his critics:
The problem with Mr. Ashcroft, in the eyes of those who have been influenced more by the Enlightenment than by Christianity, is that he reveres God as truly superior to himself and, in a moral sense, to the republic. That is, he takes religion too seriously for a modern man. He does not treat it as either a utilitarian device or a merely private affair.
"Ashes to Ashcroft" [via VFIH]
1.19.01
In Bill Clinton's final address to the country as President he cited the good things that happened during his time in office: a good economy, lots of jobs, fewer people on welfare. He didn't mention anything specific that he did to make those good things happen. That's because--other than welfare reform--he didn't accomplish much. But for a member of an activist political party, it's ironic that not doing anything happened to be the best course of action. American health care and the economy would not be in such a good state if Bill would have gotten his socialized Hilliary-Care plan passed. We would be still talking about deficits if his first budget would have gotten through a Democratic Congress. Instead, Clinton sat back, let Alan Greenspan do his thing, and ride on the coat tails of the information revolution oozing into every nook and cranny of the economy.
Clinton can't cite any accomplishment of his own because he didn't lead. He just transformed the Presidency into a celebrity position where he acted as the frat-boy chasing skirts and indulging in excess while being drunk with fame. It's no coincidence that George, a magazine combining politics and entertainment, was born and died during Clinton's term. Clinton combined the adoration he received from the Hollywood crowd with policy wonkishness that JFK Jr. sought to emulate on glossy paper.
Bill Clinton will be remembered as a very lucky President. He arrived at a time when entrepreneurship and information technology became a dominant player in the American mind. Those two elements have produced great economic times. He also came into office at a time of peace and where the U.S. is the world's only super power.
But a good economy and (relative) world peace will be overshadowed by Clinton's appetites for women, power, and the political destruction of his enemies. His lusts culminated with his impeachment. Because he couldn't admit to a tawdry affair with a women half his age, he violated the law, obstructed justice, and unleashed his goon squad to win at all costs.
Don't bother saying good-bye to Bill. He may leave office, but he won't leave the limelight. Being the center of attention is a drug to this man. He won't be President, but Bill will snipe at GW when he makes some change, no matter how small. Since Clinton doesn't have a legacy of accomplishment, he will hammer away constantly at his good economy and his deficit reduction, even though he didn't lead on either of those issues. No "good-bye," only "see you later." No fading off into history with at least a little dignity. And then there's Hillary...
"Full Text: Clinton Farewell"
"The Clinton 'legacy'" [via Reductio Ad Absurdum]
I found this classified ad in the New York Review of Books and offer it to my readers. As far as I know, it is legitimate.
IN WAKE OF NATIONAL ELECTION, young academic couple--Yale J.D-Ph.D. (legal history, race relation), Stanford Ph.D. (19th Century British Literature)--seek expatriation. Any plausible offer from university in Europe, Canada or Australia seriously considered. E-mail: <mark.weiner@yale.edu>
I don't know much about Mr. Weiner. I haven't found a personal web page, but I did find that he completed a dissertation in 1999 entitled Race, Citizenship and Culture in American Law: Ethno-Judicial Discourse from Crow Dog to Brown v. Board of Education.
When will Alec Baldwin live up to his threat (or promise) to leave the country if GW won? Maybe he can hook up with Mr. Weiner and Pierre Salinger in France. More importantly, will we really miss these whiners (or Weiners?) who run away like crying children when they don't get their political ways?
1.18.01
The circus--I mean the Senate confirmation hearing--looking at John Ashcroft isn't about rejecting him as GW's Attorney General. The Senate will confirm him; Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) even thinks so. No, this is about three things: first, the Left is flexing their political muscle to see how far they can push GW around. Linda Chavez was knocked off last week, but that was partially due to her own lack of openness with Bush's transition team. Second, the Left needs to keep their coalition of minority and pro-abortion groups riled up. Ashcroft will become Attorney General, but his supposed "racial insensitivity" (ie. racism) will be used in fundraising letters and commercials in the next campaign cycle. Finally, the Left is continuing to label mainstream conservative views that Ashcroft has as "extremist." The point is that if you say something long enough, it will become imbedded in the public psyche and not questioned. The Left wants to continue to advance the meme that the Right in general and Republicans in particular are hateful, bigoted, intolerant people who aren't just wrong on the issues, but are morally unfit to lead.
This is a smart political strategy. The past election showed how evenly split the electorate is between Democrats and Republicans. Each party is a coalition of various groups. In order to have a chance of winning national elections, both parties have to first solidify their own base and then pick off enough voters from the middle to win. Democrats need high black and pro-abortion turn out just to remain competitive. Focusing on race and abortion in the Ashcroft hearings keeps those groups agitated.
"Playing the Race Card"
"Religious Pluralism For Liberals, 101"
"The Case for Ashcroft"
Ashcroft gave a lecture in 1997 at The Heritage Foundation on judicial activism. His thoughts here may have played a role in fighting Ronnie White's nomination to the federal bench.
"Courting Disaster: Judicial Despotism in the Age of Russell Clark"
Viacom might buy Yahoo. But Yahoo's Tim Koogle has said he doesn't want to sell the company. He may be thinking along the same lines as Virginia Postrel who thinks the AOL-Time Warner merger "makes no sense as a permanent entity" and it's "just a way to rearrange the pieces and make a profit by spinning off divisions bought with inflated stock." Better to stay independent and buy content best tailored to users.
Will Yahoo's stockholders go along with Koogle, or will they want to cash out fearing a further drop in the stock price?
"Yahoo Shares Climb on Viacom Buyout Speculation" [via Metafilter]
Somehow, I missed this New Yorker article on weblogs. The title's lame.
"You've Got Blog"
1.17.01
While not linking it (you've probably read about it already), the net media frenzy over Dean Kamen's latest invention (whatever it might be) has been impressive. What is more impressive is the possibility that "IT" might be powered by a Stirling engine. According to Britannica.com, the Sterling engine "is efficient, produces less pollution than most other kinds of engines, and operates on virtually any kind of fuel."
The power source may be more interesting than the device it powers.
"'Ginger': Kamen's Stirling Idea"
Axl Rose is like Elvis: first skinny, now not very skinny. Couldn't he have worn a shirt? I recommend Karbay loaded with Chromium Picolinate. [via Thinkhole]
1.16.01
David Kessler wants cigarettes to only be sold to smokers by a non-profit organization. Authoritarian health policemen like Kessler think people are weak, stupid, and easily manipulated by the "evil" tobacco companies. When will he and others start treating smokers as adults who accept risks?
"US Call to Ban Cigarette Sales" [via Overlawyered.com]
Robert Bork supports John Ashcroft and wants GW to back him strongly.
"Don't Let Them 'Bork' Aschroft" [via Drudge]
George Will may have called Jonah Goldberg an "idiot" on occasion, but Goldberg's idea of enlarging the House of Representatives isn't stupid.
"George Will Called Me an Idiot"
The nasty cheap shots at MeFi reinforce my reason for not bothering to post there.
1.15.01
Dinesh D’Souza has come out with a book examining the social and cultural effects from the tremendous economic prosperity. Elizabeth Arens provides an extensive review of The Virtue of Prosperity.
"The Anxiety of Prosperity"
According to James Ridgeway, some of the "goods" that should sink John Ashcroft's Attorney General nomination include believing homosexuality is a sin and that Washington, D.C. spends money faster than a drunken sailor.
That's supposed to disqualify someone from becoming Attorney General? I guess I'm out of the running. The Left and media talking heads had a lower standard of conduct for President Clinton. Opposing certain sexual conduct based on religious beliefs is a lot less serious than deceiving a grand jury about an affair, yet Bill Clinton gets a pass and John Ashcroft must be cruxcified.
Are GW's opponents trying to make it know that Christians who publically profess their beliefs are not welcome to serve in high office? Is any deviation from liberal orthodoxy grounds for being labeled as an "extremist" like Ashcroft has? That's the impression I and (probably) many like-minded Americans get.
"Clear and Present Danger"
1.14.01
Wired News provided a much needed correction to my post yesterday deriding the FCC over opening up AOL Time Warner's instant messaging service. AOLTW won't have to open up IM until it offers new features like video conferencing. AOLTW has no plans to offer that feature. TAM stands corrected.
"Instant Message Still AOL's Deal"
Caleb Crain's review of Harvey Mansfield's and Delba Winthrop's translation of Democracy in America is unfair when he complains that Mansfield and Winthrop were sponsored by some conservative foundations. He attacks them on that fact but admits the translators "have nowhere altered Tocqueville's meaning."
So, Crain pointed out the financial backers of the translation while also pointed out that the backers ideology didn't affect the translation. Why bother unless he only wanted to inject a bit of cynicism into the book review and darken Mansfield's and Winthrop's motives?
"Tocqueville for the Neocons"
1.13.01
The FCC allowed AOL and Time Warner to merge, but with one big condition: AOL-Time Warner must open up its instant messaging service to other companies like Yahoo and Microsoft. Clyde Wayne Crews, Jr. makes the obvious point when he writes, "All producers under capitalism must understand that they're on their own: AOL is not obliged to help other messenger services succeed."
"Federal Regulators Not on AOL's BuddyList"
Michelle Malkin has found the fatal flaw in lawsuits seeking reparations for slavery. There's no way to differentiate the victims from the victimizers.
Never mind that not all blacks are descendants of slaves. Never mind that many blacks traded and owned slaves. Never mind that countless white families died trying to free black slaves. And never mind that most of the taxpayers who would be forced to pony up for such a reparations scheme have no ancestral link to slavery whatsoever because their families didn't move to this country until after the Civil War.
"What America Owes Me"
The U.S. Post Office hired FedEx to carry mail. So far, so good. Now, it just needs to be fully privatized and lose its monopoly on transporting first class mail. It would be nice to finally have a free market in mail delivery in the U.S. after over 224 years of existence.
"Post Office Hires FedEx to Fly Mail"
According to Shelby Steele, the Left has equated minority status with liberal ideology. Minority members who don't follow liberalism completely (including moderates like Collin Powell) are considered "Uncle Toms" or sell-outs. "What makes you 'black' today is not membership in an apolitical culture but a belief in this politics. Today ideology is identity," writes Steele. Since racial minority welfare is tied to liberal ideology, conservative ideas are by definition racist. That's how Bill Clinton can be considered by some to be America's first Black President. "When identity is liberalism, you can say that all minorities who are not liberal are also not minorities at all," writes Steele. Conservatives like Thomas Sowell, Ward Connerly, Linda Chavez, and Shelby Steele aren't real minorities. They're are just useful tools ("surrogate whites") for the dominant white (i.e. conservative) power structure.
"Ideology as Identity"
I wish President Reagan a speedy recovery from hip surgery.
"Ronald Reagan Breaks Hip in Fall"
1.10.01
U2 announced their North American tour dates. I'm putting big flashing Las Vegas casino lights around the 5.9 date on my calendar when they stop by for a visit in Milwaukee.
"U2 Announce Tour Dates"
1.09.01
Declan McCullagh reviews Steven Levy's Crypto. McCullagh writes that "anyone who wants to know more about privacy-protecting technology or the way governments have tried to stifle it won't be disappointed by Crypto."
As someone who knows the importance of cryptography as a pillar of the world's technological infrastructure but who starts drooling when someone tries to explain how to use PGP and public key encryption, I want to read this book.
"Crypto: Three Decades in Review"
I'm happy to announce that Virginia Postrel's The Scene has been added to the TAM weblog family. One example of why I like her is her take on the Linda Chavez mess:
The issue, then, isn't whether she broke the law. It's whether she was insufficiently upset that someone else broke the law by fleeing destitution and dictatorship to come to America. And, perhaps, that she applied "don't ask, don't tell" to illegal immigration.
She also corrects the current pundit wisdom that Chavez is a hypocrite because she attacked Zoe Baird's nomination for Attorney General in 1993. Chavez said at the time, "I think most of the American people were upset during the Zoë Baird nomination that she had hired an illegal alien. That was what upset them more than the fact that she did not pay Social Security taxes." Postrel points out that that wasn't an attack on Baird, it was an anaylsis of the "political situation."
Also mentioning the completely geeky-yet cool show Junkyard Wars also helped.
Henry Miller on genetically modified food:
What do consumers need to know about biotechnology? The bottom line is that the controversies currently raging over gene-splicing, or genetic modification (GM), are a complete hoax. GM is merely an extension, or refinement, of less precise and predictable techniques for genetically improved products with which consumers and government regulators have long been both familiar and comfortable. GM-derived food and other products are safer than those made with less precise techniques.
Many people still need to overcome the "yuck factor."
"The Monumental Hoax Behind the Starlink Scare"
Gov. Gray Davis' solution to California's electricity crisis is centralizing future power plant building and seizing power wholesalers. The perfect policy recommendation for--say--North Korea.
"California Governor Backs Power Authority"
1.08.01
Joseph Loconte reminds us of the importance of religion to the history of science:
Lost in our contemporary debates over the Bible is the fact that thinkers like Galileo strove to keep science a sacred study. Bacon, Kepler, Copernicus, Pascal-most of the fathers of modern science took the Bible seriously. Their belief in a rational Creator fired their quest to make sense of the physical world. Their faith in God as a Lawgiver guided their search for natural laws that governed the universe. Isaac Newton never doubted that his discoveries revealed God's handiwork. The universe, he reasoned, "could only proceed from the counsel…of an intelligent and powerful Being."
"Galileo's Daughter"
Edwin Feulner wants better priorities for the World Bank:
Actually, if they want to help the poor, Bank officials should focus less on "inclusion" and more on freedom—because that's the real antidote to poverty. This is confirmed by the "Index of Economic Freedom," published annually by The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation. This guidebook ranks nations by how economically free they are. It consistently shows that people who live in countries with the fewest economic restraints are wealthier than those in economically repressed countries.
"A World Free of Wealth"
Francis Fukuyama reviews George Gilder's Telecosm.
Gilder's specific virtue, and what sets him apart from other gurus, lies precisely in this ability to capture the human striving that lies behind the technology. He sees the process of technological innovation as an end in itself, an act based on creativity and risk-taking and therefore invested with large moral significance. He even convinces us that people may one day remember the stretch of California countryside along Highway 101 much as we today remember Renaissance Florence, a seedbed of something remarkable in the history of human intellect.
"Futures Market"
The Women's Quarterly interviewed Jacques Barzun, author of the outstanding From Dawn to Decadence.
If we're headed toward a recession, what should be done? Frank Shostak says "absolutely nothing other than allow the recession to take place. Only this approach will permit genuine economic recovery to emerge."
"The Fallacy of Demand"
John Ashcroft won't be denied his appointment as Attorney General. Bill Buckley provides the reason:
The major problem of the inquisitors is that they are talking to a group of men and women who knew John Ashcroft as a colleague, and who are not likely, even in pursuit of the good opinion of the People for the American Way, to reject a man they know as a non-liar and non-racist merely to satisfy ideological blood lust.
The same cannot be said of Labor Secretary nominee Linda Chavez. ABC reported that Chavez allowed an illegal Guatemalan woman to stay in her home. The Left wants to knock off at least one of GW's Cabinet nominations to flex their muscle and weaken him. An un-named labor union president said, "I think our chances of defeating Linda Chavez are better than our chances of defeating anyone else." They want a victory. Before this latest report, Chavez was the weak link because she had plenty of material from her syndicated columns for her opponents to mine. GW should firmly stand behind Chavez. She's a solid conservative whose political positions are shared by a large percentage of Americans.
"The Perils Of Being John Ashcroft"
"Report: Labor Nominee Chavez Housed Illegal Alien"
"Immigrant Defends Chavez" [via LatinoVote.com]
Astronomers have moved into an old NSA installation. Some things they now own include "the paper-shredding building up on one hill, the large helicopter pad on top of another, and down in a valley of well-manicured grass, that giant golf ball, similar to those seen at NSA headquarters at Fort Meade."
NSA Abandons Wondrous Stuff"
More enlightenment from the television-less Rick:
One thing I never knew until now: Judaism had absolutely no concept of Original Sin. In fact, it is a fundamental difference between Jewish and Christian theology.
genehack fades to black.
1.07.01
One of the neatest features of Nokia's 5100 wireless phone series is the ability to customize the phone's look with a funky faceplate. I got my freaky silver green faceplate yesterday. But in a few months, you'll be able to buy a faceplate and turn you phone into a mobile ATM machine. The technology is just like ExxonMobil's Speedpass. Just pay for your burger by waving your phone at the scanner. Not having enough cash won't be an excuse for satisfying hunger pangs. Look for wireless phone users to gain an average of 5 pounds around the waist because of this.
"Call Waiting: A Cell Phone ATM"
Opponents of free markets are blasting California's "deregulated" energy system, but Michael Lynch points out that the Golden State's electricity market is far from free.
"California Scheming"
Reason Public Policy Institute's California Electricity Crisis web page
A Florida labor lawyer said that INS employees were ordered to destroy and conceal doctuments regarding Elian Gonzalez. This testimony stems from a lawsuit filed by Elian's Miami relatives.
"Lawyer: INS Ordered Elián Files Destroyed" [via Drudge]
Larry Elder does a fine job defending John Ashcroft as the next U.S. Attorney General.
"The Lynching of John Ashcroft"
The Wall Street Journal points out some interesting actions of the supposed racist ex-Senator:
In fact, while Missouri's Governor for two terms, Mr. Ashcroft appointed the first black to the state court of appeals. He also signed into law the holiday honoring Martin Luther King, and established his state's only historic site honoring a black. As Senator he voted to confirm 26 out of 28 black Clinton nominees to federal courts.
Too bad the facts won't stop the Left from spewing out lies and distortions in their attempt to "Bork" John Ashcroft.
"The Democrats' Race Card"
1.06.01
This is House Democrats' idea of bipartisanship: deny Rep. James Traficant (D-OH) a committee seat because he voted for Rep. Dennis Hastert (R-IL) as Speaker of the House. I thought the pols in D.C. had to come together and unite a divided nation? I guess that's ok as long as you vote along Democratic lines. Look for the Ohio Democratic Party to try to kick out Rep. Traficant in the coming months.
"Democrats Shun Traficant After He Backs GOP Speaker" [via WOIFM?]
Wow, the Slogger--I mean--the Blogger Server Fund has over seven grand already. I'd donate, but I haven't been able to use it.
The article's old, but the idea is still correct: allow oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
"Time to Permit Oil Drilling in the Arctic Refuge"
On a lighter note, I recommend two dance mix albums from the Global Underground series. Sasha's Ibiza mix ebbs and flows through currents of trance. Disk 2 is the better one with BT's "Fibonacci Sequence" and "Mercury & Solace" and Sasha's very own "Xpander." Danny Tenaglia's London mix starts from the House genre of dance music, but he turns up the trance flavor on Disk 2 with Schiller's "Ruhe" and Elegia's "Basic."
But when all else fails, and the beats get boring, there's always Led Zeppelin's debut.
1.05.01
Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) has forgotten that after Inauguration Day, Republicans will have a one-vote majority in the Senate (Vice President Dick Cheney's), yet an agreement reached today gives the Democrats a 50/50 split of all committees. Is Lott already drunk with bipartisan fervor? He better snap out of it, or the Democrats (who would have never allowed the GOP to have such a sweet deal) will walk all over him.
"Republicans and Democrats to Share Power in Senate Committees"
1.03.01
Three Chicago church leaders seek a dialogue with the GOP. Is this a sign of possible cracks in the Democrats' grip on the Black vote? I hope so.
"Clerics Turn Away from Democrats" [via My Cluttered Desk]
I would really like to play around with Blogger, but with their recent media write-ups their servers are swamped. They really ought to charge for a premium service. If you're setting put a web site from scratch a few more bucks a month on top of hosting charges wouldn't be a real burden. Or is there some other program or web-based service like Blogger but without the swamped servers?
Sean Hackbarth
Writer/Bookseller
Allenton, WI
https://www.angelfire.com/wi/shackbar
shackbar@free-market.net
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