Employee Free Choice Act- George Orwell eat your heart out

Couldn't agree more with this article talking about the facts surrounding the EFCA. I always find it problematic when people wish to use the emotional arguement (those forign bastards are stealing our jobs) rather then looking at the facts of the matter. The heart is an invaluable gift from God, but thinking with it isn't one of its primary purposes.

I *really* liked this letter to the editor of the Washington Times. Also this talks about the Republicans talking the talk again, but it being tough to buy due to the past eight years of idiotic Republicans acting like Democrats.

Finally this is an excellent piece that responds to the tax hiking nutters and why what they are doing is foolish at best.

Economic Outlook

Found this an excellent outlook on the economy, particularly if things remain the same.

I rather liked these rambling musings as well as this by the great Thomas Sowell.

This talks about the new new deal, and this is an excellent article about the problematic nature of nationalism and economics.

It's so obvious even the U.N. can tell

Whether you like the U.N. or not this story should get your blood boiling- particularly if you are green.

Economic Quotes

Interested in learning more about economics, instead of simply listening to the pundents? Click here and add it to your favorites to receive a daily quote from the economists of the past.

Also this discusses the insanity of the Fed these days, as does this on the government. Finally, this speaks of the increasing push of the government into our lives. Bush looks like child's play compaired to the Dems.

Keep it up

This tells how the GOP in California's senate have truly grown a pair and are knocking them out of the park. I can only pray the rest of the GOP nationally takes note of their principled stand against robbing the tax payers for the benefit of the nanny state and act similarly for fiscal responsibility and free markets. Rock on!

Some thoughts on Economics and Obama

Found this an interesting read, as is this on President Obama. I think they are points to be considered, regardless of whehter you agree with the man's politics or not.

Also this was rather disturbing, considering the government's ever expanding interest in every single detail of our lives. I wonder how long it will be before hamburgers are declared illegal due to their harmful impact on the environment. Talk about legislating morality, we are being forced into backing the morals of green through government force. Give me liberty, thank you. If we can't legislate morals, then why do Liberals cheer when it is tried on their end of the spectrim on the majority?

GOP holds strong

“Our state has been spending beyond its means for many years now,” said Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, an Orange County Republican. “We’re asking the taxpayers of California for too much of their own money to cover over a problem of our own making.” --Full Article

"[...] here's a great definition of bipartisanship: "Roosevelt and Reagan reveal the dirty rotten secret of bipartisanship. It happens only when one side is cowed, beaten or frightened. More competitive elections mean more ardent debates." And there's a perfect definition of bipartisanship. The Democrat version: "We're gonna beat you down, we're gonna make you bring your toothbrush in here and you're going to go along with us because we're going to frighten you, we're going to cow you and we're going to make you think it is hopeless," and that's bipartisanship. Bipartisanship only happens when one side caves in, [...] because it involves quitting, and of course, Winston Churchill, whose statue, whose bust was sent packing by Obama, one of his favorite quotes, "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never -- in nothing, great or small, large or petty -- never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy." ---Full Article

These thoughts are extremely valid IMO. Additionally I found this on the Liberal Wellfare state most itneresting. I find it unfortunately the people are determined to make wards and dependents of the state everywhere. Although I myself receive Social Security for being blind it is not a state I would wish upon anyone. I constantly feel useless and a mooch off of those who do work and pay taxes. I am insulted and vexed that Liberials seem to think this should be the state for everyone, those who work and better themselves being forced to give what they have earned to those who have not earned it, myself included. I hope a more reasonable way of thinking, one that upholds the value of the individual and his or her right to better themselves and keep what they have earned takes a new firm grip on the imagination and values of this country.

Finally I found this on free trade and protectionist concerns a spine chilling read. I spoke with my property manager todya and he and I agreed that if this absurdity of big government speading and caving to the victimhood mentality continues we will be in a poor state very shortly indeed. God keep us focus on you.

Environmental Super Heroes

So I had to laugh aloud when reading this compairing various environmental super heroes. Quite the riot. Although I am no green nut job I do like the idealism of Captain Planet, even if such idealism would never work out in real life. Nevertheless protecting the rain forests is cool, so I say revive the Cap and perhaps push him a little more towards the middle from the far left, and we would have something worth promoting IMO.

Serotek Turns Seven!

I couldn't agree more with the below sentiments and those found throughout the entire article.

"At Serotek we believe in universal accessibility – no exceptions. The day we don’t have to design or sell another piece of software created to make inaccessible applications accessible, will be a celebration. We know we won’t lack for marvelous new things to do that make life more fun – more livable for everyone. And when that day comes the products we design for our blind brothers and sisters will have a market of billions worldwide. Our competition will be the big software players, not the niche organizations that specialize in government funded aid to the visually impaired. No question but that Serotek is a pioneer and we may end up just collecting the arrows while others move on to settle the territory. But I don’t think so. I think we have the brains and genius to be designing world class products for the entire business and consumer market – products that blind folks can use right out of the box." --Full Article

We are not all Socialists

Over at Newsweek, they may all be [1] socialists now . But some of us persist in believing that transferring ever more power to the state is such a disaster for both our economy and our freedoms that America deserves the effort — no matter how untrendy — to reverse the tide. Yes, we now have a congress in which the majority count it as a great achievement to ram through the biggest spending binge in history. Yes, we have a president who praises this $787 billion act of government gluttony and central planning as “[2] progress.” But that doesn’t mean we should burn the remaining copies of Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose, and line up to chuck The Wealth of Nations into the collectively-owned woodchipper.

Most disturbing in that Newsweek piece, which echoes President Obama’s dismissive rhetoric about free markets, is the patronizing tone in which we are told that there is no point in further debate:

If we fail to acknowledge the reality of the growing role of government in the economy, insisting instead on fighting 21st-century wars with 20th-century terms and tactics, then we are doomed to a fractious and unedifying debate. The sooner we understand where we truly stand, the sooner we can think more clearly about how to use government in today’s world.

What, exactly, are these dazzling new 21st-century terms and tactics for which we are supposed to forsake all memory and spurn all debate? The cult of “climate change?” The group chant of “We are one” -? Deep thinking as represented on Google News?

Actually, there is a desperate need to revive those 20th century debates about government versus free markets — and there is plenty of room for such debates to be edifying in the extreme, since many of those now waving aside free markets and genuinely private enterprise seem to have chucked right down the memory hole such basic and vital insights as those set forth by Friedrich Hayek in his 1944 Road to Serfdom, or his indispensable 1945 essay on [3] The Use of Knowledge in Society.

This is an excellent time to revive the lessons about the importance of free-market prices as signals of where resources can most productively be put to use (that’s how America got rich). This is a great time to re-examine the loss of freedom, and the immense damper imposed on creativity, productivity and individual dreams, when government controls people’s livelihoods. And there could be no better time to review what actually went wrong in America’s system in recent years – with profligate budgets, loose money and government poisoning the housing market with forced lending, implied taxpayer guarantees, and hellish knock-on toxic effects. Fannie Mae was not something cooked up by the free market. It was a product of the same state-engineering mindset that now brings us the godzilla “stimulus” bill. --Full Article

The rest is equally valid and vital. I found the patronizing tone a very good point to bring up. Debate is all well and good, but I absolutely hate the snarky tone and attatude when it comes to this sort of thing. Some may say Conservatives do the same, but I certianly seem to find those to be limited to a few nutzoid talk show hosts on the fringe- where as the neo socialists and Liberals in general tend towards this snarky serlf righteous manner in general. Make a point, and they attack you as unfit and backward. What about my arguement however? Apparently this doesn't much matter. Case in point was a discussion about government spending with a friend. I made my point, and as opposed to discussing the values of her point of view, or pointing out the weaknesses in my points, she attacked me personally. And people wonder why we can't communciate? With all the "tollerence" about it is indeed a wonder. bit about the

California: Big Government at work

For anyone that believes in the wisdom of the government running the economy (and in big government in general) I offer this article which talks about the fine job the California government has done on that front. At least the Republicans in the state are finally saying no more tax hikes and attempting to focus on the real solutions, speading cuts and tax cuts. I would submit that if Liberals have their way fiscally we can expect similar "solutions" that have already been tried by the Californians. Big government simply doesn't work, and if fiscal responsibility had been a term the Democrates understood I doubt very much California would be in this position. I will be interested in seeing if the GOP members hold out. I certainly hope so, for the sake of true financial recovery in that state.

Nothing New Under the Sun

This article on Cafe Hayek speaks of how the free market has died many times over the past several years and what Adam Smith makes of it. This also discusses the concerns with governments running businesses.

GOP finally acting like the GOP

It's very nice to finally see the GOP starting to act like the GOP again. This story speaks about the justifiable scorn being heaped on the porkibus bill being passed by the Congress, despite the lack of bi-partisonship and the lack of much that will actually help the economy.

We can also all breath a sigh of relief, as the government is once again here to "help" of the American people, this time on housing. Seeing as the government is well known for it's artful handling of the economy, not only in this country but far more in places like China and Russia, and as we have millions of people being tossed out of their houses to dwell on the streets because of mean corperations who want to be paid for their loans (a shocking and horrid idea) this makes total sense.

On a more serious note I am praying that we can survive this foolishness. Capitalism works best because it allows individuals, who understand what's best for them, to make choices instead of the government. Government economies have been tried before, and we see the standard of living there. That's what I want baby! Give me government issued rice and rubber shoes to wear. Hooah!

I am going to fix some beautiful capitalist coffee I bought and read some Cafe Hayek. I think the Sword of Truth series, The Road to Serfdom, and Capitalism the Unknown Ideal should be manditory reading in schools and in life. Do alot more for the everyday useful knowledge of people at least, so perhaps we could discuss solutions as opposed to what's "fair".

NFB on the Kindle 2

I found the below extremely helpful and good to know. The part about reading in private was particularly poinyant, as it is one of what I consider the basic rights of mankind.

National Federation of the Blind Responds to Authors Guild Statement on the Amazon Kindle 2
Baltimore, Maryland (February 12, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind, the largest organization of blind people in the United States, today responded to a statement put out by the Authors Guild advising its members to consider negotiating contracts prohibiting e-books to be read aloud by the new Amazon Kindle 2, which incorporates text-to-speech technology. The Authors Guild argues that the reading of a book out loud by a machine is a copyright infringement unless the copyright holder has specifically granted permission for the book to be read aloud.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "The National Federation of the Blind supports all technologies that allow blind people to have better access to the printed word, including the ability of devices like the Kindle 2 to read commercial e-books aloud using text-to-speech technology. Although the Authors Guild claims that it supports making books accessible to the blind, its position on the inclusion of text-to-speech technology in the Kindle 2 is harmful to blind people. The Authors Guild says that having a book read aloud by a machine in the privacy of one's home or vehicle is a copyright infringement. But blind people routinely use readers, either human or machine, to access books that are not available in alternative formats like Braille or audio. Up until now, no one has argued that this is illegal, but now the Authors Guild says that it is. This is absolutely wrong. The blind and other readers have the right for books to be presented to us in the format that is most useful to us, and we are not violating copyright law as long as we use readers, either human or machine, for private rather than public listening. The key point is that reading aloud in private is the same whether done by a person or a machine, and reading aloud in private is never an infringement of copyright.

"Amazon has taken a step in the right direction by including text-to-speech technology for reading e-books aloud on its new Kindle 2," Dr. Maurer continued. "We note, however, that the device itself cannot be used independently by a blind reader because the controls to download a book and begin reading it aloud are visual and therefore inaccessible to the blind. We urge Amazon to rectify this situation as soon as possible in order to make the Kindle 2 a device that truly can be used both by blind and sighted readers. By doing so, Amazon will make it possible for blind people to purchase a new book and begin reading it immediately, just as sighted people do."



###



About the National Federation of the Blind

With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind
is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind
people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives
through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs
encouraging independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force
in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In
January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind
Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the
United States for the blind led by the blind.

Humorous Scripture

I have always found the below highly amusing, and thought I would share.

"Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims." Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. But the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you?" And the man in whom was the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded." --Acts 19:13-16

Competition

Anyone who has spent any time with me in person, read any of my profiles, or reads my tweets knows that I am a coffee nut. I used to sign all my blog posts with "I follow with the iced coffee..." to inform my rabid throng of readers that I was being carried through life by God's hand with that blessed beverage in my hand, before I decided that VOM deserved the slot more.

I love my coffee, dark and iced preferablly perhaps with a shot of some decent flavor like mint. I therefore take a great interest in the coffee houses around the nation, and I found this to be an apt deminstration of why competition in particular, and capitalism in general, is so helpful for us. For those who desire a socialist bent, tell me when was the last time you had a really GOOD cup of coffee at a government agency? ... That's what I thought.

Temperary Slavery is still Slavery

This article talks about temperary slavery still being slavery in regards to "public service" equating to serving the government. Some extremely valid points IMO, as I believe that volenttary service to a cause is one thing, but enforcing it as a patriotic duty is another. I think one can serve the country equally well through starting a business and making as high a profit as possible, thus truly building up our economy as opposed to the sudo communistic service to the government.

Dave Barry Speaks on House Cleaning

Reading this article by Dave Barry made me laugh quite and bit. Excuse me, I need to go clean the bathroom... now where did I leave that Everclear?