I promise not to make you wealthy.
How many people are willing to tell you that? The subject is stupidity. So, let’s get started with a couple of quotations.
It is hard to imagine a more stupid or more dangerous way of making decisions than by putting those decisions in the hands of people who pay no price for being wrong. – Thomas Sowell, one of the less discerning economists. Perhaps the only thing he ever got right.
Against stupidity; God Himself is helpless. – Yiddish Proverb
I was recently surprised to receive an email from Ed, one of our habitués. I wasn’t surprised because he sent me an email. It included a link to an article I want to share with you. The surprise was that Ed had felt the need to go beyond the generous repast I provide here.
[click to continue…]
It’s going to be an eventful Summer. We are expecting another granddaughter the end of this month and another grandson early in August.
The kids have picked names for their spawn that will cause their victims to question whether mommy and daddy really loved them. They may seek surcease by using initials.
I may be accused of a lack of creativity in the naming of my children but they will need to find other reasons to blame me for their problems. We see fads in the naming of kids but I don’t see a movement towards naming these little bundles of stinky diapers after political or corporate clowns. How does Piyush grab you?
[click to continue…]
They call it an accident. Either my dictionary is seriously out of date, or they have redefined the word.
Despite the attempts to control the flow of information, more keeps leaking out. My apologies for the puns but, in such a dire situation, humor eases the anxiety somewhat.
Dire? Yes.
First, the leakage was only 1,000 barrels a day. Then it was 5,000. If you are addicted to reality, it is far worse.
[click to continue…]
No. I didn’t forget how to spell capitalism. It’s just that all economies outside of Somalia involve the government. They do so in a variety of ways, with a variety of outcomes.
Jon Stewart recently had a guest on the Daily Show. I like Jon but he was taken in by a shill for Wall Street, Ian Bremmer. It’s easy to be taken in on the subject of economics because almost everyone assumes that they understand it. The fact is that even the “experts” can’t properly define many of the terms they use.
[click to continue…]
Did you know that Dr. Zachary Smith was actually a Wall Street banker? If not, he certainly shared the same mores.
Recently, an email was published that showed just want these “Masters of the Universe” think of those putting their financial futures in the hands of these touts. I find it hard to believe anyone realizing the low esteem they hold for their marks would willingly trust them to have any consideration for one’s financial well-being.
There is a reason that the saying, never bet against the house, has had currency for such a long period. It is a truism.
[click to continue…]
This section of the globe could be to show that we are a long way from the population center of the Earth.
Or, it could be showing those places that don’t care who wins the Stanley Cup (oops, I left out Nashville) or the NBA Championship, or whether Senator Nelson is looking out for Warren Buffet’s profits, or who the next Senator from Florida will be, or if Sarah Palin has read all of the newspapers, or if Dick Cheney has shot any friends in the face (who knew he had any).
Then again, it could be a map showing where all of our jobs have gone.
[click to continue…]
There was some interest in the recent volcanic activity in Iceland. Don’t worry. I have no intention of showing off my ability to type its name just to twist your tongue.
My own interest was also sparked. I used to work for Delta Air Lines, back in the dark ages before deregulation. It was constantly emphasized that safety was paramount. Delta’s only fatality after five decades was a skeleton flight crew on a training flight.
Since deregulation, the industry has shown a willingness to juggle their priorities.
[click to continue…]
Pew Research has come out with a new poll. I know it’s difficult to believe but people complain of big government.
Only 22% feel that big government is acceptable. Would you like to be in that elite group? Would you care to guess where my sympathies lie?
I would appreciate you reading this post and letting me know not just where you stand but whether this caused you to reassess the issue to any extent.
[click to continue…]
The theme of this post is not as portentous as the title might lead you to believe.
Some of my local readers didn’t want to put their question on the blog. They didn’t want to appear dense. The problem was not theirs. It was entirely my fault.
They didn’t get the significance of the picture that accompanied my last post. I failed to explain; to make the connection.
There is the possibility that even my explanation will be inadequate but I hope that is not the case.
Let me explain.
[click to continue…]
First, let me reiterate my detestation for all ideologies and labels. To the extent that I use them in this post, it seems necessary and is for the convenience of the reader.
The imminent retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens highlights the problems caused by both. Stevens is commonly referred to as the most liberal Justice on the Supreme Court. He hates being so described.
Stevens was, and remains, a lifelong Republican. He was nominated by a Republican president, Gerald Ford in 1975. But, he and his retirement are just the impetus. This post is about far more.
[click to continue…]
