Points to Ponder:
For those who wonder why libertarianism cannot work in reality, spend twenty minutes arguing with libertarians and the reason becomes obvious! [Me (circa January 9, 2018)]
Wednesday, January 10, 2018
Tuesday, January 09, 2018
Monday, January 08, 2018
We Were Wrong about Stop-and-Frisk
When claims are made that later data does not support, you can either ignore the data and continue to spout talking points divorced from reality or recognize your prior claims were wrong and change your view accordingly!
When claims are made that later data does not support, you can either ignore the data and continue to spout talking points divorced from reality or recognize your prior claims were wrong and change your view accordingly!
Sunday, January 07, 2018
Saturday, January 06, 2018
Monday, January 01, 2018
"Auld Lang Syne" Dept.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint stoop
And surely I'll be mine
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl'd i' the burn
Frae mornin' sun till dine
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And here's a hand, my trusty fiere
And gi'e's a hand o' thine
And we'll tak a right good willy waught
For auld lang syne. [Attr. Robert Burns]
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint stoop
And surely I'll be mine
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes
And pou'd the gowans fine
But we've wander'd mony a weary foot
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidl'd i' the burn
Frae mornin' sun till dine
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak' a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And here's a hand, my trusty fiere
And gi'e's a hand o' thine
And we'll tak a right good willy waught
For auld lang syne. [Attr. Robert Burns]
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Points to Ponder:
"Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this…
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing The fifth would pay $1 The sixth would pay $3 The seventh would pay $7 The eighth would pay $12 The ninth would pay $18 The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59 So, that’s what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.
'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.' Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?
The bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving). The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving). Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.
'I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,' declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that’s right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!'
'That’s true!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison, 'we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!'
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier." [Daniel J. Mitchell]
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing The fifth would pay $1 The sixth would pay $3 The seventh would pay $7 The eighth would pay $12 The ninth would pay $18 The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59 So, that’s what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball.
'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.' Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?
The bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.
And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving). The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving). Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings.
'I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,' declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that’s right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!'
'That’s true!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison, 'we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!'
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.
The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier." [Daniel J. Mitchell]
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
Miscellaneous Musings...
With a bit of tax reform done, President Trump wants to do "infrastructure" next. My predictions:
---The same folks who bellyached, bitched, and would not STFU about Obama and his infrastructure bill in 2009 will suddenly forget they are supposed to hate "big government boondoggles" and "adding to the debt" (like they did when Obama was in the WH) and instead laud, make excuses for, and generally support Trump planned big government boondoggles and debt additions. You know, because #TeamRed and all!
---The same folks who defended to the hilt Obama's stimulus and infrastructure bills as necessary, great, wonderful, etc will suddenly (now that Obama or Hillary are not in the WH) start bellyaching, bitching, and generally not STFU'ing about how what Trump wants to do is a bunch of "boondoggle projects" that "do not pay for themselves", and will "add to the debt" and all that jazz: stuff they did not care about for eight years when Obama was in power but now that they are not, #TeamBlue suddenly cares about this stuff you see!
Meanwhile, both tribes will be united in one way if nothing else: lashing out in butthurt fashion at those of us who were not born yesterday and who recognize fake principles and politically opportune #hypocrisy when we see it!
With a bit of tax reform done, President Trump wants to do "infrastructure" next. My predictions:
---The same folks who bellyached, bitched, and would not STFU about Obama and his infrastructure bill in 2009 will suddenly forget they are supposed to hate "big government boondoggles" and "adding to the debt" (like they did when Obama was in the WH) and instead laud, make excuses for, and generally support Trump planned big government boondoggles and debt additions. You know, because #TeamRed and all!
---The same folks who defended to the hilt Obama's stimulus and infrastructure bills as necessary, great, wonderful, etc will suddenly (now that Obama or Hillary are not in the WH) start bellyaching, bitching, and generally not STFU'ing about how what Trump wants to do is a bunch of "boondoggle projects" that "do not pay for themselves", and will "add to the debt" and all that jazz: stuff they did not care about for eight years when Obama was in power but now that they are not, #TeamBlue suddenly cares about this stuff you see!
Meanwhile, both tribes will be united in one way if nothing else: lashing out in butthurt fashion at those of us who were not born yesterday and who recognize fake principles and politically opportune #hypocrisy when we see it!
Friday, December 22, 2017
Tuesday, December 19, 2017
Points to Ponder:
"Sport, properly directed, develops character, makes a man courageous, a generous loser, and a gracious victor; it refines the senses, gives intellectual penetration, and steels the will to endurance. It is not merely a physical development then. Sport, rightly understood, is an occupation of the whole man, and while perfecting the body as an instrument of the mind, it also makes the mind itself a more refined instrument for the search and communication of truth and helps man to achieve that end to which all others must be subservient, the service and praise of his Creator." [Pope Pius XII, Sport at the Service of the Spirit (circa July 29, 1945)]
"Sport, properly directed, develops character, makes a man courageous, a generous loser, and a gracious victor; it refines the senses, gives intellectual penetration, and steels the will to endurance. It is not merely a physical development then. Sport, rightly understood, is an occupation of the whole man, and while perfecting the body as an instrument of the mind, it also makes the mind itself a more refined instrument for the search and communication of truth and helps man to achieve that end to which all others must be subservient, the service and praise of his Creator." [Pope Pius XII, Sport at the Service of the Spirit (circa July 29, 1945)]
Thursday, December 14, 2017
Points to Ponder:
"For those screaming 'WAPO hit job' you had a candidate:
Who when asked if he dated teenagers as a 30 yr old said 'not usually'
Warned of shariah courts being established in Michigan and Illinois
Had surrogates tell a pregnant host 'Doug Jones wants to abort your baby'
Said America was better during the era of slavery.... TO A BLACK MAN
Wanted to repeal the 13th and 14th amendments
Had his wife counter charges of insensitivity towards Jews with 'my lawyer is a Jew'
Spent the final day of the campaign arguing over whether people had to take the oath of office on a Christian bible, and if homosexuality should be criminalized.
But please, please tell me how he lost due to a media hit job." [Kevin M. Tierney]
"For those screaming 'WAPO hit job' you had a candidate:
Who when asked if he dated teenagers as a 30 yr old said 'not usually'
Warned of shariah courts being established in Michigan and Illinois
Had surrogates tell a pregnant host 'Doug Jones wants to abort your baby'
Said America was better during the era of slavery.... TO A BLACK MAN
Wanted to repeal the 13th and 14th amendments
Had his wife counter charges of insensitivity towards Jews with 'my lawyer is a Jew'
Spent the final day of the campaign arguing over whether people had to take the oath of office on a Christian bible, and if homosexuality should be criminalized.
But please, please tell me how he lost due to a media hit job." [Kevin M. Tierney]
Wednesday, December 13, 2017
Briefly...
Last night answered one question and it was this:
--Are we going to get a slew of articles on how the GOP is beyond redemption or on how the GOP is finished?
With Jones' win, it is/will be the latter.
#SoPredictable
Last night answered one question and it was this:
--Are we going to get a slew of articles on how the GOP is beyond redemption or on how the GOP is finished?
With Jones' win, it is/will be the latter.
#SoPredictable
Tuesday, December 12, 2017
Briefly...
One of the Trump loving radio folks apparently admitted saying in a tweet (in a tip to one of their advertisers) that she cut her twat while shaving last night and should have used a Harry's razor!
One of the Trump loving radio folks apparently admitted saying in a tweet (in a tip to one of their advertisers) that she cut her twat while shaving last night and should have used a Harry's razor!
Briefly...
A good summary of the Roy Moore situation can be read here:
No Moore Pretense
It would be so much easier if Moore supporters just admitted the guy was scum but to paraphrase FDR on Somoza "he is our scum." For those who play the "he's innocent" and "theres no evidence" cards, you are beneath contempt and would fit in well at the Institute of Historical Review!
#YeahIWentThere
No Moore Pretense
It would be so much easier if Moore supporters just admitted the guy was scum but to paraphrase FDR on Somoza "he is our scum." For those who play the "he's innocent" and "theres no evidence" cards, you are beneath contempt and would fit in well at the Institute of Historical Review!
#YeahIWentThere
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