Of Interest 2013-07-31 (Bureaucracy Grows)

Bureaucracy is growing past it's optimal size.  The Federal Government should not be regulating the bunnies which magicians put from hats.  Period.  The Department of Agriculture should be abolished by sending all it's people to the states, block granting all it's funding to the states, and then letting the states reshape the laws governing it and the regulations it produced.  If they wish to increase funding they can tax their own people, and it they wish to decrease funding the difference should be automatically rebated to them.  This should, if done well, allow for the states to completely take over without drastic immediate changes in the law.

Of Interest 2013-07-30 (Mendacity for Power VIII)

Fidel Castro lied about wanting to help the people of Cuba.  He lied about being a brave freedom fighter. His lust for power killed thousands and destroyed Cuba's prosperity.  It was an island paradise where people wanted to live.  More Americans used to immigrate to Cuba than Cubans immigrated to America! Now people want to flee Cuba. Says a lot. How can I trust the judgement of those who praise the Castros, Che and the Cuban government?

Of Interest 2013-07-29 (Mendacity for Power VII)

The Republican Party is, properly as a political party, all about power. It doesn't mean it has to be dishonest about it.  You can't claim to be all about the Constitution and color-blind politics if you collude with racist leftists to heard black voters into gerrymandered districts to create safe black (leftist Democratic) seats, scratching your own itch to create safe Republican seats. Well, you could, but then how do you explain that you have made the House less accountable to the voters (contra the Founders) and that gerrymandering districts by color is rather the opposite of color blind.

Can you say mendacity for power? I knew you could. Thanks for dividing the country by empowering racists. Thanks for crippling the ability of the Republican bench to attract black votes by carefully separating them from so many potential black constituents. And thanks for sacrificing principles which benefit the powerless many in order benefit the powerful few.

Of Interest 2013-07-28 (Mendacity for Power VI)

A public relations firm, a pack of lawyers, the progressive media and the usual race hustlers sought political power by twisting and distorting the truth till it was all lies in the Zimmerman case.  And the cost is that the justice system and social reforms we need so badly aren't going to happen.  But corrupt and deluded politicians will keep turning out their base.  Thanks, guys.

A Book We Might Want: Reaching Your Potential

The Book: What You're Really Meant to Do: A Road Map for Reaching Your Unique Potential

Thought of the Day: Empathy Serves Dialog

Especially if you can learn the Ransberger Pivot.

Of Interest 2013-07-27 (Mendacity for Power V)

The Soviet Union, like all Marxist regimes, was the soul of mendacity for power. Their agents lied, cheated, stole and shaped America in horrible unknown ways all through the twenties, thirties, forties and beyond. This had very nasty long term side effects. Sorry, liberals and progressives.  Tail gunner Joe was right. And frankly, he was much nicer and more ethical than many current pols now, although not nice and ethical enough.  He never tried to get an innocent man jailed in spite of the facts and in service of a poetic "truth" like some have been doing with Zimmerman.

Thought of the Day: Good Writing

Good writing is a conversation across time, space and culture, with all those who write and speak now, all those who speak and write here, all those who spoke and wrote then and all those who speak and write there.

Thought of the Day: It is Good to Have Goals For the After Life

My wife has recently been taught an amazing method combining sewing and careful geometric fabric cutting to make quilts.  If her quilts are not passed down as heirloom works of art, my (saved) descendants (or not saved, depending on whether I am saved) may expect a lecture from me in the after life, which ever place I end up.

Thought of the Day: Free People Cooperate

Our super markets are pulling in all kinds of shops. Sandwich shops. Coffee shops. Banks. Flower shops.  Even bars. It's how the original department stores were run. My former employer Waldenbooks started as a subcontracted department in a department store.  A friend of mine pointed out, "Even grocery stores are moving to having many of their vendors stock shelves and give kickbacks to the store for shelf location. That is kind of like bringing in the business."

If you are not bringing in the business you are failing.  Cooperation among entities without hierarchical control is the essence of free processes, free societies and the free market.  Truth is free markets are far, far, far, far, far more cooperative than competitive.  And government run organizations are far more competitive than people think - it's the only way to move up.

Of Interest 2013-07-23 (Mendacity for Power IV)

Jeralyn E. Merritt, a defense lawyer, criticizes Obama's remarks on the Zimmerman trial at TalkLeft.  What mendacity did Obama pursue, and why?

The first mendacity I notice is Obama's divisive comparison of himself to Trayvon.  Quite frankly, Obama seems much more like Zimmerman than Trayvon.  Was Obama engaging in mixed-martial-arts fighting?  Did he state he wanted a rematch because his opponent wasn't bloody enough? Was there evidence that he was a burglar?  Did Obama appear to be casing homes in the rain?  No, Obama wasn't much like Trayvon.  Obama went to a snazzy private school.  Obama was cared for by well-to-do people.  Obama was smart and articulate.  Why did Obama compare himself to Trayvon?  He was dog-whistling to black folk that white folk are the source of all their problems. Red meat to his base.  Mendacity for power.

The second mendacity I notice is Obama's words about Stand Your Ground Laws.  The Stand Your Ground Law had NOTHING to do with Trayvon and Obama knows it.  He says so.  So why does he bring it up?  Did he check to see who benefits from it?  In Florida, the proportion of black defendants who succeed in staying out of jail because of Stand Your Ground is twice the proportion of other defendants who succeed in staying out of jail because of Stand Your Ground.  Perhaps he does not know this. I think this is Obama's reflexive bigotry against weapons and self-defense, but it also is red meat to his base and more mendacity for power.

Thought of the Day: Weird Laws Result In Weird Behavior

My oldest daughter is working part time as a sandwich maker at the new HyVee.  It has a restaurant and bar upstairs.  Strange but brilliant.  That bar will ALWAYS met the 50% of revenue from food requirement.

Trivia: People Used to Pay to be in the Army

It took Winston Churchill six years to pay for his uniforms and equipment after joining the 4th Hussars.  Via StrategyPage.

Of Interest 2013-07-22 (Mendacity for Power III)

Bill Whittle has an excellent video on the media's mendacious behavior surrounding the Trayvon Martin case. It will take ten minutes. Watch it. It's quite good. What power did this mendacity buy the media? The power to shape the narrative in order to "change the world".  Guys, that's editorial, not news, and you are not supposed to distort the facts (by carefully editing audio to make Zimmerman sound racist, for example). But hey, it's good to be King, right?

Thought of the Day: Why Goats Beat Weed Whackers

My friend Marlin has three billy goats. He got them to eat brush and weeds, since his property is large and was neglected. They eat everything but the grass and the trees.  They are cheaper than one of those big weed whackers, and they produce fertilizer and meat.

Trivia: Stupidest Reasons For Sick Call

A shortage of cannon balls led to a cash reward for salvaged enemy balls, which led to a rash of broken ankles and smashed feet, which lead George Washington to order the troops to wait until the balls had stopped moving.  Via StrategyPage.

Today's Heroes: Alexander Calder

Today, 22 July 1898, sculptor Alexander "Sandy" Calder was born.  He originated the mobile, enabling millions of otherwise artistically untalented boys and girls to enjoy a nice art project in class.  Modern kinetic sculpture is some of the most enjoyable modern art to me.  Thanks, Sandy!

Of Interest 2013-07-21 (Mendacity for Power II)

Obama said this:

Here is a guarantee that I've made. If you have insurance that you like, then you will be able to keep that insurance. If you've got a doctor that you like, you will be able to keep your doctor. Nobody is trying to change what works in the system. We are trying to change what doesn't work in the system.

We knew Obama would not be able to keep this promise.  Obama is not a detail oriented person like me, so maybe he didn't know, in which case he isn't competent, since I knew, and I'm nobody.  On the other hand he claims to believe his own B.S., which perversely means he knows it is B.S.  So maybe he knew, in which case he was lying.  Mendacity for power.  Either way, someone voted for that bill knew and someone in the policy wing of the White House knew.  Why didn't they speak up?  Mendacity for power.

Now Obama's department of Health and Human Services admits what we already knew to be true.  We may not be able to keep our insurance or our doctor that we like.  (Aside: I am ashamed that Kathleen Sibelius is from my state and even my country. Sibelius and Obama are birds of a feather, mendacity about who they are to gain power.)  Here is the key thing Health and Human Services said about your doctor:

Depending on the plan you choose in the Marketplace, you may be able to keep your current doctor.

If your plan changed or was instituted after 23 March, 2010, you are out of luck.  My plan changed just this year.

Here is how most guarantees work with those so-called evil profit motive corporations.  If I don't like the product I return it for a full refund.

It's time for Obama and the Democrats in the House and Senate to fulfill their guarantee.  Take the deceitfully named Affordable Care Act back.  Return our money and let the other big company (the Republicans) have their shot.

Thought of the Day: Everyone (But God) Is Ignorant About Nearly Everything

You could prove this mathematically.  There are about eight billion people and an amazing number of other living creatures alive right now, plus a staggering number of creatures who were once alive.  If you are one of eight billion, that means you have only one eight billionth of the total human experience at present.  Not very much.  Now add in all the other living things.  Now add in all the dead humans, and the dead living things.  Now consider this is one planet in a huge galaxy within an even huger universe.

I don't know squat.  Neither do you.

Trivia: Whisky is Running in the Streets

During World War I a German Zeppelin bombed a Scottish distillery and whisky literally ran in the streets leading to scores of people drinking themselves senseless.  Via StrategyPage.