If people are good only because
they fear punishment,
and hope for reward,
then we are a sorry lot indeed.
Albert Einstein
Earlier One-Off Post: "Some IT Lessons Relevant to the ObamaCare Debacle"
Facebook Corner
(LFC). I was telling my daughter about Milton Friedman and she then asked what economics is? So how do you explain to a seven year old what economics is? A more broad question, how do you teach a kid about the free market before public schools or society tries their best to teach them other wise?
Explain that economics involves the production, exchange and consumption of goods and services. To produce something like a brownie requires ingredients, labor and production technology like an oven. We earn a profit or wealth when we can sell a brownie for more than what it costs to make a brownie. In a free market, she may have to compete on price or quality for customers against other people baking brownies, but she doesn't have to worry about a government making it harder to produce and sell brownies, like making rules that 7-year-old girls can't bake brownies or may only be allowed to sell 3 brownies a day.
(LFC). "The modern state seeks to expand its discretionary power. Everything is to be left to the discretion of officials."
- Ludwig von Mises
"Repeatedly charging him with trespassing at the convenience store where he works...searched more than 100 times, jailed 56 times and arrested for trespassing 62 times...The only conviction he's had, according to his lengthy records, is for marijuana possession." (Teal)
Not only do they have a bad memory remembering him, they've also forgotten the Constitution. The police ignore his employer, they've even gone after the guy taking out the trash. This is not preventive policing; it's outright intimidation, harassment and an abuse of the public trust.
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| Via LFC |
I just won a coverall game.
Are you sure? The statists probably changed the rules since you started the game..
BLACKOUT BINGO! What do I win?
A free security check from NSA
(LFC.) Very true. On a related note: I wonder how Democrats will react when a future Republican Administration prevents coverage for birth control.
"Perhaps they think that they will exercise power for the general good, but that is what all those with power have believed. Power is evil in itself, regardless of who exercises it." --Ludwig von Mises
Birth control is an ordinary expense, not a catastrophic event like cancer; why should someone making the choice of a celibate lifestyle subsidize another person's lifestyle. But you're making a rhetorical point. The Dems have already been running on an alleged "War on Women". I will take any attempt to starve the Statist beast. But Mises is correct: power is corrupting. Very few politicians can get elected on promises to radically cut expenses, veto budgets, streamline regulations. (I would, but I couldn't get elected dogcatcher....)
(Libertarian Republic). Why Does It Say "IN GOD WE TRUST" On American Money? | The Libertarian Republic http://bit.ly/1hbGRoR
Matthew 22:15-22. I don't like confounding the Church with the State. At least in the recent past we saw including references to God in public as a symbolic contrast to atheistic communism. I don't believe in censorship of public religious speech--I see no problem in public acknowledgment of our religious plurality, but I personally see the Church as an institution independent of the State and don't want to see anything implying a divine endorsement of Statist policies.
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| Via Bastiat Institute: Do you agree? |
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| Via Cato Institute: Do you agree? |
(Libertarian Republic) Mother Accused of Negligence For Child's Death After Homeopathy Treatments (VIDEO) | The Libertarian Republic http://bit.ly/1aQKV99
The mother does not have a right to put her child's right to life and health at risk because of her belief system. I don't believe in the State micromanaging parental decisions, but in this case the child had been sick for days before going into convulsions. There was no attempt that I know of that the woman escalated the case to trained medical personnel. I have never been a parent, but my academic training is not in medicine and if I had been babysitting a nephew or niece, that child would have been in a clinic or hospital within a matter of 3-4 hours at worst. I feel sorry for the mother whom will have to live with the knowledge that a more timely administration of penicillin would have saved her child's life, but she had responsibility for her child and must be held accountable
My Favorite Santa Theme Flicks
I have never really been fond of the Santa theme; I never liked the idea of rewarding children for doing the right thing, of an omnipresent Santa constantly watching you, which seemed a bit creepy (not unlike certain government agencies). I don't think I really had metaphysical qualms, e.g., over how Santa could handle billions of home visits in a compressed time period. I think I viewed it as merely a supersized version of other childhood myths, fairy tales, etc. It was fun, imaginative and traditional, and who could argue with getting presents?
I think I mentioned this story in a past post as well. I was an agnostic on the subject of Santa Claus by the fourth grade, but I didn't make an issue of it: I decided to go with the flow. My first-grade brother decided to ask me point-blank what I thought about the subject of Santa Claus. Well, of course, a big brother was all-knowing: maintaining that facade was more important than going with the flow. I didn't answer directly, but I told him, "I think I saw black stubble beneath that beard." I was totally bluffing, of course; it's not as if I ever saw a Santa pull down his beard. Not too subtle for my little brother, whom principally knew one man with black stubble. My brother's eyes flew open wide; he went running to my folks, saying, "Ronald said that Daddy was Santa Claus." Not exactly true, although I did imply it--but not even "Slick Willie" Clinton could have gotten me off. My Dad didn't often practice corporal punishment, but he did on this occasion: "Just because you know, you don't have to spoil it for the others!"
Unmarried without kids of my own, I did not have occasion to play Santa Claus on my own (despite being a natural for the role given my size). One of my sisters and her family were visiting my folks one Christmas (and I was also home for the holidays, probably sleeping on the couch). My brother-in-law had brought a Santa suit with him, and they convinced me to don the suit (no doubt the older nephews would notice Santa and Daddy were in the same place at the same time; I don't think that any of my beloved nephews noticed that Uncle Ronald was missing). The boys seemed a little intimidated by Santa Ronald. My brother-in-law was taking photos of the boys posing with Santa; I think the youngest nephew wanted no part of Santa Ronald; he was crying and scared, and I wanted to break character--I never intended to traumatize the little guy.
There are a few movies (some direct to cable) which are imaginative twists on the Santa Claus legend or character. Here are some of my favorites:
- "Help for the Holidays". In this Hallmark flick, Santa sends Christine, an elf, to restore the holiday spirit to the VanCamp family as the prospective nanny to the two children. (The parents have been working on getting their new business up and running.) The kids' favorite uncle, the mother's unattached younger brother, and Christine soon fall for each other.
- "Annie Claus Is Coming To Town". Think of a Rumspringa (Amish sabbatical for young people in the outside world) meets Santa Claus. The Claus' beautiful red-haired sweetheart daughter is out to find her one true love--in Los Angeles, of all places. She initially falls for a jerk, but discovers that a good male friend has been the one all along. There are some spots I desperately want to edit (e.g., the reactions to Annie's big reveal come across as too dorky to me), but the lead actresses in these two flicks are totally believable.
- "Farewell Mr. Kringle". Technically, this is not a fantasy. Anna, a Christmas Eve widow and newspaper reporter, is sent to blog on the story of Kris Kringle, whom has been the Santa of Mistletoe for 50 years and is retiring. It turns out Kringle is a Christmas Eve widower himself and the tradition is his way of honoring his late wife's love of Christmas. Anna finds herself falling in love with fellow commitment-phobe former divorce lawyer turned BNB owner Mark Stafford. My favorite scene in this movie is when Kringle wins over a painfully shy little girl by singing the lullaby "All Through the Night" to her doll, which reminds me of the Dutch girl scene in "Miracle on 34th St."
- "Miracle on 34th St.". A real classic. For some reason, the real Kris Kringle appears in New York City, not thrilled by an inebriated man playing his character during the annual Thanksgiving Parade. Divorcee event planner Doris Walker convinces Kringle to replace the drunk, and he is subsequently hired as Macy's store Santa. Neighbor attorney Fred Gaily takes Walker's enlightened daughter Susan (whom has been taught not to believe in nonsensical myths like Santa) to see Kringle. Susan sees Kringle connect with a shy young adopted Dutch girl and thinks he might be the real deal. Walker is not happy and wants the delusional man, whom insists he is the real thing, fired. The store executive finds Kringle good for business but to humor Walker agrees to have Kringle examined by the store psychologist. Kringle takes offense at the jerk psychologist and raps him on the head with his umbrella. As a consequence, Kringle is send to Bellevue where, despondent over his inability to convince Walker, he deliberately fails his exam and is committed. Graily, who is in love with the commitment-phobe Walker, agrees to represent Kringle; Kringle wins his case when the USPS decides to deliver Dear Santa letters to him. In the aftermath, Graily and Walker make a breakthrough in their relationship, and on a drive together, Susan spots her dream house in the suburbs. Did the absent Kringle leave a sign that it wasn't just a coincidence?
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| Courtesy of Henry Payne and Townhall |
Note: later this week, likely on Thanksgiving, I'll suspend my currently series until the new year to cover holiday music, a blog tradition.
Roy Orbison, "Oh, Pretty Woman". This single soared to the top of the charts in the midst of Beatlesmania. Orbison, with his signature operatic range pop tenor, created his own distinctive fusion country-rock in the early 1960's, developing archetypes like the romantic loser; John Lennon was reportedly trying to emulate Orbison on "Please Please Me". Orbison went through multiple tragedies in the mid- to late-60's, losing his wife in a motorcycle accident and 2 sons in a house fire soon thereafter. This song dates well and speaks to men's favorite sport of girl-watching; Van Halen took their cover to #12 in the early 80's and of course was a focal point of the famous Julia Roberts flick in 1990.
