My sun sets to rise again.
Robert Browning
All in the Family
One of my nephew who just celebrated a birthday had this unsolicited appraisal of the blog:
I've kept up with your political blog fairly well in the weeks leading up to the election, and I appreciate the perspective. You've got a good mix in content there which makes for a compelling and surprisingly light-hearted read. I like!!
He's the eldest of five consecutive sons of my third sister (then my sister got her daughter). I personally credit him with convincing one of my sisters-in-law, initially reluctant to start a family because of pregnancy fears. I did something with a balloon that led my baby nephew to start laughing hysterically. He thought it was just as funny the second and third times. My sister- in-law tried it, too, and I think she came away wanting an adorable, happy baby son of her own.
I still feel guilty about taking him to McDonald's when he was 2 or 3 to buy him some fries, but they were still serving the breakfast menu late morning; the checkout cashier offered to sell their hash browns, but not the same. I think I ended up going to buy doughnuts, but out of guilt, I wrote a couple of years back, admitting I still owed him fries; of course, he's old enough to buy his own fries; he couldn't stop laughing, not remembering the incident. A few years later he was excited about having beaten Uncle Ronald swimming across the backyard pool; my sister said, "Uncle Ronald let you win," and I shot her a dirty look.
I just learned the youngest of the nephews has achieved Eagle Scout just like his dad and older brothers. I said the brothers could form their own basketball team I would call "the Eagles". He wrote back wryly saying effectively "the world's shortest basketball team". My sister admits to being 4'10"--on a good day. One of the best people on the planet; she always did more than her fair share around the house growing up. Green eyes, very pretty; in fact to impress the guys at college, I once pulled her picture out of my wallet, and they're like, "Dude, what the hell happened to you?" One of my best friends Bruce (from UH), a Scout volunteer, had relocated to north Texas after leaving academia and knew my nephews and sister and couldn't believe we were related: I was more of an "acquired taste" I think she was God's way of making up to my mom for having me... I always saw the oldest as a taller male version of my sister. A great sister and a great family; I've been blessed.
The Morally Superior Free Market System
What is it about George Mason University? Their economics department is like an all-star free market department. I can rattle off the names of half a dozen faculty members, and I don't even have a degree in economics. (I wish the school was recruiting an MIS faculty member... ) The US, of course, has a mixed economy, not a true free market. A free market doesn't protect car companies with unsustainable, noncompetitive cost structures or poorly rated, poor-selling products or guarantee against catastrophic bank performance and decision making. I like the way Dr. Williams ties morality here to economic liberty versus, say, corrupt statist decision making using force instead of persuasion.
Eminent Domain Abusers Attempt to Define Away
Victim Protest Rights
Feds Try To Steal Mom and Pop Business
Because of Victimless Crime on Their Property
Without Owners' Knowledge or Consent
Is this Obama's vision for small business?
Fighting Anti-Competitive Restaurant Crony Laws
in Pittsburgh
Food trucks are like a starter home for restaurant entrepreneurs. Consumers win with an abundance of culinary choices. We need more reformers like the councilman featured in this clip.
Musical Interlude: my Favorite Groups
The Carpenters, "Let Me Be the One". This is an alternate 1991 release (with a quirky beginning and ending) of a 1971 album track; the earlier version must have gotten a lot of airplay because I was quite familiar with the Paul Williams song . What younger man didn't have a little crush on the angel with the golden voice? Richard never released the original because he wasn't confident it was commercial enough; I think he was wrong--it remains one of my favorites. The posthumous (Karen) 1991 release did not chart.
