A Different Taste

My wife and I are fans of the Food Channel show "Chopped".  There isn't that much emphasis on drawing out the drama between the competitors.  Instead, the show's producers focus on the food prepared by the contestants.

This ain't Survivor.

We recently watch an episode that featured Joshua Stokes.  He has a blog that I found interesting, and thus I thought to share it with you.  Good eating to one and all.

How To Screw Up A Market In One Easy Lesson

Periodically, 'Diversity Lane' will knock one out of the park.  This be it.

Hell Just Froze Over

How do you know that the Devil needs a heater?  When Socialists favor budget cuts!!

Throw your Euro stereotypes out the window: Last weekend, a Greek government that has cut public-sector pay and lowered pensions won a clear victory in local elections. Despite strikes and violence, despite the fact that Greece's debt is still growing and more cuts are coming, there will be a Socialist mayor of Athens for the first time in 24 years. (And, yes, in Greece, the Socialists favor budget cuts, and the conservatives oppose them.)

More seriously, I have maintained for a long time that we have far more government than is healthy for any nation.  Most people here in "flyover" country feel much the same way.  It goes without saying that my idea of a "healthy" level of government is well below almost everyone else's.

The rest of the world has looked over the precipice.  They have seen where the trail of ever growing government leads.  And they are now moving steadily and determinedly back down that trail.

While we march ever forward towards predictable disaster.

We remain, of course, the greatest propagandists for liberty and free markets. Our politicians - even President Obama - can be eloquent in the defense of these ideals. But we haven't practiced what we preach for a long time, much longer than we generally recognize. Americans may be from Mars and Europeans from Venus, but would we re-elect a president who cut government wages in half? I find it hard to imagine.

Emphasis added.

It is the one course of action that might get Mr. Obama re-elected.  And not unlike Mr. Nixon's trip to China, Mr. Obama may be the only person that can sell austerity to an American public that is wary of politics as usual.

Beware The Nipple?

A new anti-jihadist initiative?

Topless Danish girls have come in between the Conservative and Danish People’s (DPP) parties following a DPP call for a new introductory film about Denmark for prospective immigrants to include pictures of bare female breasts.

The Conservative Integration Spokesman Naser Khader, however, says that pictures of topless girls on a Danish beach would hardly scare extremists away from applying to stay in Denmark.

Confused

I do not endorse the theatrics of the Westboro Baptist Church.

I do not endorse the slashing of tires on vehicles owned by WBC members while they are out protesting some soldier's funeral.

But this seems an opportune moment for schadenfreude.  I am so confused.

What A "Party Of No" Really Looks Like

Ross Douthat shares his thoughts on the various responses to President Obama's commission to address our serious budget deficits.  My reading on the right pretty well mirrors his observations that the most vocal conservative critics were single issue advocates, and entertainers.  Otherwise, the criticism has been minimal and usually tempered with an acknowledgment of the difficulties involved along with the need for compromise.

Last week’s media coverage sometimes made it sound as if Bowles and Simpson were taking the same amount of fire from left and right. But the reaction from Republican lawmakers and the conservative intelligentsia was muted, respectful and often favorable; the right-wing griping mostly came from single-issue activists and know-nothing television entertainers.

Leaders on the left simply said "no".

The liberal attacks, on the other hand, came fast and furious, from pundits and leading Democratic politicians alike — starting with the speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who pronounced the recommendations “simply unacceptable” almost immediately after their release.


...


Needless to say, none of the liberal lawmakers attacking the Simpson-Bowles proposals offered alternative blueprints for restoring America’s solvency. The Democratic Party has plans for many things, but a balanced budget isn’t one of them.

One of the most frustrating habits of the media, leftish leaders, and leftish commentators,.....but I repeat myself....over the last two years has been their mantra that describes anyone to the right of Joe Lieberman as being part of the "Party of No".  This mis-characterization is intended to suggest that non-Democrats are simply unwilling to compromise on any issue.

Yet from my perspective, the right was very willing to compromise on any number of issues...including health care reform...in order to bring about productive change in our country.  What they were unwilling to do was to compromise where the proposed reforms would have been counter productive to the cause of advancing our nation.

The only rational response to a "progressive" agenda that does not create progress is the absolute refusal of cooperation.  Had the leftish leadership opted for a less leftist/"progressive" agenda over the last two years, I have no doubts that the right would have cooperated to some extent.  Extremists would not have been happy....in either party.

In a word, the leftish leadership committed the political sin of "over-reach" and those on the right were quite reasonable in their opposition to changes that [are] e'en now wracking and wrecking our nation.

Now we know exactly what a "Party of No" looks like.  It is the absolute refusal to evaluate the merits of much needed budgetary reforms that seek to balance those reforms, strengthen our economy, and generally address the many perspectives that exist.

Perhaps the leadership on the left will next engage in bouts of holding their breath until the adults give in to their petulant refusal to compromise.

Too Bad To Be False

Sort of the reverse of "too good to be true".

At a recent candidate's debate/forum in Illinois, a representative of the organizer was offended by the audience.  They had the temerity to think that it was appropriate to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at a debate between candidates that were running for the U.S. Congress.

Sort of makes you wonder what league the League of Women Voters is really in.....

For your reading pleasure....if you can stand it.

Just About Right

 A Veteran's Day Cartoon Worth Noting

 

(click here to view)

Clay Bennett Chattanooga Times Free PressNov 11, 2010 EditorialCartoonists.com

     

European Design

I found these photos from the Berlin DMY design festival to be absolutely fascinating.  I hope you will is well.

A Different Pin-Up

You have never seen pin-up girls like this before.  Usually, this side isn't something they put on display.

Modest NSFW warning.  Anyone that gets excited by these photos is really weird.

End The Corporate Income Tax

Megan McArdle had a piece recently regarding the benefits of ending the corporate income tax.  The fact that we have one of the highest corporate income tax rates in the world aside, Mrs. McArdle-Suderman offers the following reasons for eliminating this onerous and wasteful burden.

You can't tax a corporation; you can only tax a person

Corporations simply pass along corporate taxes in the price of their products.  It is just that simple.

The incidence of "corporate" taxes is not necessarily progressive.

Big companies can afford armies of attorneys and accountants to help them avoid tax liabilities.  Smaller companies that earn far less do not have the benefit of those resources.

The corporate income tax encourages firms to use debt finance, rather than equity.

I know a fair bit about this.  Consider that Apple is one of the strongest companies in America.  I remember 10-15 years ago there were many people that thought Apple was done as a computer company.  Yet they are still in the business of making computers...and many other useful gadgets.

How did they survive?  They took the road less traveled and became an asset rich company.  They own most of their corporate facilities.  As a result, they have the flexibility to invest in future products.

Most other companies are in debt.  They borrow against their buildings.  They borrow against their office furniture.  They borrow against their inventory.  And when hard times come along, they end up doing what their lenders want instead of having the freedom to re-tool, re-design, and re-orient on new products, new markets, new customers, and new profits.

If we want more stable companies, then we need to get rid of incentives that make them less stable.

You can't eliminate all the loopholes

The corporate income tax encourages firms to waste resources on tax avoidance

The corporate income tax doesn't raise that much money

The above three justifications represent the careful dance that companies and tax inspectors do with one another.  Companies waste valuable resources so they pay the least tax possible.  Tax inspectors waste valuable resources looking for corporate malfeasance.

Eliminate the tax and companies will focus on earning a profit without the contortions and market distortions caused by the corporate income tax.  And tax inspectors can go do something productive...like picking up litter in Antarctica.

Without the corporate income tax, a lot of the incentive for lobbying would go away

If getting corporate America out of the political funding game is so important, you would think that more people would be racing to end the corporate income tax.

Megan has more details, but the above should be enough to pique your curiosity.  Have a read.

Most Lethal Drug - Alcohol

Courtesy of the WaPo comes word of a study of the impact of various drugs on our society.  The most dangerous substance?

Alcohol.

Yet we know that alcohol prohibition was an abysmal failure.  We should know that prohibition of other drugs has been a failure.

Why exactly are we conducting a War on Drugs?

On Our Knees

There was a photo that caused a stir recently.  In it a man nearly prostrated himself as Mr. Obama's motorcade passed by.  He assumed the position of the supplicant, begging for the scraps from the master's table.  The focus in this piece is on race.  The supplicant was black.  There are a few interesting thoughts for those that might be interested.

That image reminded me of a deep concern that I have that we are losing part of national identity.  We refer to the President and his paramour as our "First Couple".  The President's wife is called the "First Lady".

Those reference points harken back to the day when our nation's leader was considered to be "first among equals".  Presidents never thought to demand obeisance from a fellow American. 

This "first among equals" is revealed in other facets of our society.  One example is the union worker that expects to be considered the moral equal of the corporate officer.  He may earn less, and may not enjoy the same social circle, but his honest efforts are just as honorable as broader efforts of any captain of industry.

I am fortunate to know several people running companies that treat their employees as individuals first and employees second.  People that will shake someone's hand regardless of how manicured it may be, or how greasy it might be.  Suits can always be cleaned. 

It is this ideal that has driven our culture to expand our definitions of "person" and "equality" so that women are far closer to equality with men, minorities are far closer to equality with whites, and it does not require the greatest stretch of imagination to envision GLT folks as exercising the same rights as those of us with the more typical sexual orientations.

How might we lose this national identity that expects everyone to be considered morally equal?  Tribalism.   A clan-centric focus.  Placing a greater emphasis on smaller group identities and thereby denigrating our larger identity as "American".

When we start thinking that kneeling to an American President is an appropriate response to his passing in close proximity, we stop thinking of ourselves as being his....or perhaps her, someday....equal.  And in doing so we slowly lose part of what makes us Americans.

Why Mr. Obama Causes Worry

Victor Davis Hanson has a brief piece that is well worth the time.  In it he breaks down the real reason why Mr. Obama...and his team....are worry some to those that desire a vibrant and growing economy.

- Economics 101

Mr. Hanson asserts that one primary concern is the Mr. Obama...and friends...appear to be unaware that the panoply of human history points to one obvious conclusion.  That individuals with the ability to better their own economic condition will achieve that result.  People living under centrally planned economies will not.

- Texas or California?

The debate is not between a fully unfettered free market and a communist state but rather it is the narrower choice between Switzerland and Greece.  I would suggest that another comparison would be Germany and Ireland.  Mr. Hanson tosses in Texas and California for good measure.

There is a difference between having an appropriate level of regulation coupled with restrained public spending and an expansionist government fully confident in its ability to tax and regulate a nation's way into prosperity.

- Neither Baron nor Insect

Mr. Hanson suggests that it is counterproductive to demonize those that have earned their wealth by adding to the many options that we all enjoy in our lives.  People like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have contributed to our national well being by creating wealth.  It is this created wealth that permits us to fund government activities.

The wealth the public sector consumes must first be created.  Demonizing entrepreneurs is counterproductive to that creative process.

- Grows on Trees?

Mr. Obama....and friends....appear to have little direct experience with the process of creating wealth.  Instead they have lived parasitic lives....my description....in jobs funded largely by taxpayers.  Having never balanced a budget, or run a major company, Mr. Obama is now in a position where both skills would serve him in good stead.

Had he embraced the individual liberty that is the foundation of our country, he might have led a company as it grew and innovated.  And with that knowledge and experience, he would be better prepared to lead us out of our current economic doldrums. 

Instead, we find ourselves subjected to theories that are simultaneously "interesting" and unproven within human history.

Is it any wonder that people with money to invest are opting to keep it in their pockets?

Mr. Hanson is more eloquent than I.  Please take the time to read his thoughts.

Another Reason Not To Trust Government

They put you in handcuffs, stuff you in the back of a police car, and stick you in jail for committing the monstrous crime of.....

.....wait for it.....

.....barbery without the benefit of currently documented government imprimatur.

Cutting hair without a barber's license.

It would be laughable were it not so tragic. 

And Then Some

Just what were voters saying on election day?

A new IBD/TIPP poll on public attitudes suggests that Tuesday's event was less an election than an intervention: Stop what you are doing; you're hurting us all.

 The results of the poll suggest that the five most important priorities for voters were:

1) cutting the deficit by cutting spending
2) repeal or revise the new health care law
3) provide more protection against terrorism
4) reduce illegal immigration
5) pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by next year

Sadly, this message will probably sail right over the heads of the people that need to hear it most.

How Dark Were Those Glasses?

Not dark enough!

Alan Funt Lives

What do youse tink is up dere?  Only way ta know is ta look!




Alan Funt would have loved this.  I'm willing to bet that somewhere there is video of him using it on his show...in black and white!!

I Could See Stars

Like most kids, I grew up looking up.  At the stars.  One of the hobbies that I never really got around to trying was astronomy.  Or astrology.  One of the two.  There were stars involved.

And telescopes.  But the telescopes that were available to me were pretty minimal.  Which is probably why I stopped reading the paper.

Had it been possible to buy a telescope that was closer to the one Daryl Hannah's character in Roxanne, I might have been more interested.

Now I can buy...time....on some pretty big telescopes and really see the stars! Sometimes, technology produces some pretty neat stuff.

Barney Frank - Then And Now

When....ahem....Republican.....President George W. Bush wanted to overhaul the mortgage lending industry, Mr. Frank stood solidly opposed.

''These two entities -- Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- are not facing any kind of financial crisis,'' said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. ''The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.''

 Now that the damage has been done, he sings a different tune.

“Low-income home ownership has been a mistake, and I have been a consistent critic of it,’’ said Frank, 70. Republicans, he said, were principally responsible for failing to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage giants the government seized in September 2008.

Emphasis added.

Tar and feathers are too good for him.  Links to the respective stories may be found here.