"There were 30,000 people in jail for drugs in 1980, while today there are half a million."Indeed. When are we going to learn?
posted by Jim VAT @ 8:33 PM
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"The government takes over 40 cents a gallon in taxes for gasoline, far more than the profit per gallon made by oil refiners like Exxon. And the government doesn’t make any gas for you.
~Temple University Economics Professor Bill Dunkleberg
posted by Jim VAT @ 4:31 PM
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"One factor being blamed for the price hikes is the use of government subsidies to promote the use of corn for ethanol production. An estimated 30% of America’s corn crop now goes to fuel, not food."
posted by Jim VAT @ 5:08 PM
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posted by Jim VAT @ 4:56 PM
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"The one place where starvation of the poor is a likely occurrence, of course, is under collectivism. Just look at the great socialist disasters of the 20th Century."You know I am going to use that in the future.
posted by Jim VAT @ 6:52 PM
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"You could completely eliminate income taxes for the bottom half of the population, and the Treasury would hardly notice."When 50% of the people are not "invested" - that is, have "skin in the game" - what kind of political system is possible? A second money quote:
The majority who pay nothing resent those with higher incomes; the minority who pay heavily resent those who don't pay.Exactly. The "Tipping Point" is staring directly in front of us.
posted by Jim VAT @ 6:44 PM
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"omnitasking is a higher state of multitasking enabled by today's many technology tools. Talking on a bluetooth-enabled smart phone while sending out an email from your laptop and sipping a latte at the corner coffee shop - that's omnitasking."Sorry, we aren't built like that. Call it what you like, but the human brain is just not productive in multi or "omni" tasking environments.
posted by Jim VAT @ 7:50 PM
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"So it’s not just that the same old rich folks are getting richer. The more-important shift is that the rich are getting more numerous."Yep.
posted by Jim VAT @ 7:07 PM
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"Joe Six-pack w8ill have to pay a lot more to get his buzz on if Assemblyman Jim Beall has his way.The San Jose Democrat on Thursday proposed raising the beer tax by $1.80 per six-pack, or 30 cents per can or bottle. The current tax is 2 cents per can. That's an increase of about 1,500 percent."
That being said, it is no time for a Boston Beer Party. How about drinking it first and then throwing the empties at the Legislators?
posted by Jim VAT @ 4:11 PM
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"Deranged by the entitlement mentality fostered by a metastasizing welfare state, Americans now have such low pain thresholds that suffering is defined as a slight delay in beginning a subsidized retirement often lasting one-third of the retiree's adult lifetime."
posted by Jim VAT @ 4:03 PM
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"According to animal shelter officials, big, black dogs like Gozer have more trouble finding a happy home than do other dogs. Some shelters even have a name for it: 'Big black dog syndrome.'"I have a big, black Lab foster dog right now. He is a great dog, but he is a big, black dog and hence, people are reluctant to adopt him. They are missing out.
posted by Jim VAT @ 5:12 AM
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"A study released Feb. 25 by Michigan State University researchers found a 31.9% graduation rate for Detroit Public Schools students--just 25% for boys, and 39% for girls.Of course the administrators' pay depends upon the (fictitious) graduation rate data. The same thing happens here in Houston.
The Michigan Department of Education reported a 66.8% graduation rate for Detroit Public Schools for the Class of 2006."
posted by Jim VAT @ 6:23 PM
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"The next time you come face to face with a dog wagging its tail, you can make a quick determination on whether to reach out and pet it or step back in deference: check the tail-wag bias. If the wagging tail leans to the dog’s right, you’re safe; if the tail leans to the dog’s left, don’t move."This is crap science and meaningless when evaluating the aggressive nature of a dog. There are about 10 other characteristics that I would evaluate on a dog before the left- or right-leaning tail wags. In fact, I find such a thing meaningless.
posted by Jim VAT @ 6:15 PM
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"We issue these forecasts to satisfy the curiosity of the general public and to bring attention to the hurricane problem," Gray said.So, the forecasting process is just a ploy to heighten awareness all the while knowing that the forecast is no better than throwing dice and hoping for the best?
posted by Jim VAT @ 6:08 PM
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“That’s the way it is with stress too,” she went on. “If you try to carry your workplace burdens all the time, even if they’re quite light, sooner or later they're going to feel heavier and heavier. Soon, you won’t be able to carry on without doing yourself damage. Like this glass of water, you must put them down for a while and rest before going back to holding them up again. When you’re refreshed, you can carry on, if you must.”Wow. I could not agree more. I wish I had thought of this metaphor sooner. I wish I would not hold up this glass up so much for so long.
posted by Jim VAT @ 7:34 PM
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"Yet it is reliably inferred from palaeoclimatological data that no “runaway greenhouse effect” has occurred in the half billion years since the Cambrian era, when atmospheric CO2 concentration peaked at almost 20 times today’s value"If the entire IPCC report is based upon a positive feedback loop, why didn't that feedback result in runaway global warming in the distant past but will do so now?
posted by Jim VAT @ 5:51 PM
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"What failed him was his own abandonment of the gold standard, precisely when it was giving him just the guidance he needed"If it is the latter, then I would need to see evidence of a correlation beyond anecdotes. Preferably, it would be a leading indicator, not lagging.
posted by Jim VAT @ 5:40 PM
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"Need' now means wanting someone else's money. 'Greed' means wanting to keep your own. And 'Compassion' is when a politician arranges the transfer.
~Joseph Sobran via Mises.org, Adam Smith.org, Greg Mankiw, and Taxing Tennessee"
posted by Jim VAT @ 8:27 PM
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"Global temperatures for 2008 will be slightly cooler than last year as a result of the cold La Nina current in the Pacific, UN meteorologists have said.Sometimes graphs say it all.It has contributed to torrential rains in Australia and to some of the coldest temperatures in memory in snow-bound parts of China.
Mr Jarraud told the BBC that the effect was likely to continue into the summer, depressing temperatures globally by a fraction of a degree.
This would mean that temperatures have not risen globally since 1998 when El Nino warmed the world."
posted by Jim VAT @ 8:16 PM
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"You can use your cell phone in the skies over Europe as early as this summer under new European Union rules — allowing travelers to stay in touch but also raising the cringe-inducing prospect of being stuck next to a chatterbox at 30,000 feet."Please waterboard me instead.
posted by Jim VAT @ 8:07 PM
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posted by Jim VAT @ 1:51 AM
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"The softening of the business cycle has become so striking that economists now refer to it as 'The Great Moderation.'"
posted by Jim VAT @ 7:36 PM
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"'In Maryland, there can be a legitimate defense of third parties in the event of a violent attack,' State's Attorney Glenn F. Ivey said. 'That is a possibility in this case.'"Thanks Glenn.
posted by Jim VAT @ 7:30 PM
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"A survey of sex therapists concluded the optimal amount of time for sexual intercourse was 3 to 13 minutes."Yeah. And 3 to 13 minute later would be the last time you touched her.
posted by Jim VAT @ 7:26 PM
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posted by Jim VAT @ 6:33 PM
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Contained here are the thoughts, views and analysis on subjects ranging from economics, politics, sports and anything else I feel like talking about.
