Knowing others is Wisdom,
knowing yourself is Enlightenment.
LaoTzu
An Earlier One-Off Post: Another Clueless Time Magazine Piece: Foroohar's "The Artful Dodger"
Honey, Obama Shrank Our Paychecks!
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| John Goodman (Independent Institute) via Forbes |
This is a hard story for me because I'm a Viking fan and Adrian Peterson is a phenomenal running back; in 2012-13 he become 1 of just 7 running backs ever to rush 2000 yards in a season. Last year his younger 2-year-old son died of severe head injuries, allegedly caused by Joseph Patterson, boyfriend of the boy's mother. However, Adrian Jr., his 4-year-old son, misbehaved, and Adrian switched him, leaving clearly visible marks across his legs, days after the incident.
I realize not being a parent it's easy for me to say that I don't believe in corporal punishment, but I see kids as God's gifts. I occasionally babysat nephews and nieces, and they weren't always angelic. I remember playing a board game with my oldest nephews and niece, when the older two started kicking reach other under the table and the youngest was throwing game pieces at his siblings. I gave them two warnings to stop the nonsense, and then in my professor voice, I told them all to get ready for bed. They instantly went silent and looked at me with disbelief, like what did you do with cool Uncle Ronald? I was not angry, but I was firm. (Actually, I've seen a lot worse--at UTEP, a senior coed threw a temper tantrum in the middle of class. She had inferred a general warning about academic dishonesty applied to her, which is sort of like Perry Mason getting a member of the public to interrupt the proceedings of the court with "Is it me?") But I never raised a hand against them, even when a sister-in-law gave her (unsolicited) permission. Striking a child when you are in an emotional state--not good. I don't think it's a good idea to model impulsive violent behavior. One thing about growing up as a military brat; military personnel have to have a lot of self-control and discipline. I always treated kids like little people, asked them questions (favorite ice cream, whatever) and expressed enthusiasm for their accomplishments, say, getting to the next level of a computer game, which to be honest is not my thing. My second nephew once was drawing something, and I gave him lavish praise (although I never did take that history of art course Sister Marilyn wanted me to take--I was insisting on Sister Mary Christine's metaphysics class). My nephew over the next hour or two gifted me with maybe two dozen original masterpieces...
Yes, as the oldest of seven, I know about the terrible two's, etc. But a few weeks back, I was grocery-shopping at WalMart when a mom, quite frustrated with her crying 2 or 3-year-old child, shouting warnings at him, slapped his face which brought his crying to a whole new level. I resisted the urge to intervene; I wish she could have seen herself at that moment.
Going back to switching, no, Adrian, certainly not to the point of breaking skin. I don't care if your folks did the same or or if every Southerner switches his kids: there are better ways, and you have to remain in control of yourself.
Obama's Reuters Report Card
Strongly disapprove
32.8%
Somewhat disapprove
21.2%
Somewhat approve
20%
Strongly approve
9.9%
Lean approve
6.7%
Mixed feelings
5.9%
Lean disapprove
3.6%
Image of the Day
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| Setting One's Priorities... Via Nikolaj Zbikowski |
Obama Launches Second Apology Tour at the UN
Tell me you didn't say that... Aren't you proud, as the first post-racial President, this occurred on your watch? Do you have any more criticisms of America to make the case for the anti-Americans?
How Much of a Narcissist is Barack Obama?
Facebook Corner
(National Review). "On what basis did the president of the United States declare that a group of Muslims that calls itself the 'Islamic State' is 'not Islamic?'"
I think this is a distortion of Obama's rhetoric. He was plainly quibbling about the term ISIS/ISIL calls itself, i.e., the Islamic State: "Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not “Islamic.” No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a "state".... ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple."
Of course, Islam (denominational or not) is the state religion for over two dozen countries, and there are varied implementations of sharia law (personal and/or criminal) or secular law in Muslim countries. I think the situation is more complex than a legalistic what the definition of "is" is; for example, Iraqi soldiers are not "innocents". You might argue that ISIS is a resistance movement with nationalist aspirations. And certainly states have engaged in terror activities, e.g., the Gestapo. I do think that terrorizing religious minorities does seem inconsistent with the teachings of the Quran (Quran 2:256; Quran 60:8), but consider the bloody religious wars among Christian denominations in Europe: almost any movement can pick and choose verses to rationalize their activities. Of course, Muslims account for nearly a quarter of the world's population and the vast majority of them are peace-loving.
(IPI). For Lollapalooza's first seven years, the event promoters didn’t have to pay the 5% city tax or the 1.5% Cook County tax, even as other music festivals did.
The deal cost taxpayers, and saved the managing group, more than $1 million in 2011 alone.
The deal was originally struck under ex-Mayor Richard Daley, who is now reaping the benefits of past alliances.
Corrupt quid pro quo. Why does this not surprise me? Unethical? Clearly. I love the part about where Daley is being brought to the Austin project for his "vision"; I think Chicagoans may question that....
(Reason). It's almost too perfect: The Obama administration doesn't like being portrayed as unfriendly to the press, so its press office decides to stop a journalist from suggesting in a report that it is.
Why am I not surprised by the actions of the White House Office of Propaganda and Censorship? Of punishing media sources/personnel for not providing enough positive spin to the White House perspective? What is transparent about this administration is its partisan, self-serving motives.
(Citizens Against Government Waste). As domestic violence and trademark scandals continue to surround the National Football League (NFL), many Members of Congress have questioned the validity of the NFL's tax-exempt status as some Senators have even introduced legislation that would revoke the league's tax classification. CAGW President Tom Schatz told the Washington Post, "When Congress starts deciding which organizations can be tax-exempt and which ones cannot, it's a very slippery slope."
Do you think the NFL should lose its tax-exempt status? SHARE your thoughts below!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/politics/could-the-nfls-scandals-cost-them-their-tax-exemption-status/2014/09/23/55bfee58-434d-11e4-8042-aaff1640082e_video.html
Listening to a fascist demagogue like Cantrell want to punish the NFL over the overhyped "Redskins" kerfuffle or others engaging in the Politics of Greed over executive salaries is nauseating. I am sympathetic to Schatz' point over the tax code being used as a political weapon. However, what I don't find compelling is the lack of equal protection: why does the NFL have this break, while other major sports like MLB or the NBA don't? What we need is a more consistent, lower tax structure.
(Drudge Report). OBAMA INVOKES FERGUSON AT UN
Obama starts his sequel apology tour at the UN.
(Citizens Against Government Waste). While advocates of a minimum wage increase continue to cite “democracy” and “equal rights” as relevant factors in the living wage equation, they fail to acknowledge that a substantial increase would both defy the basic rules of economics and decrease opportunity for all Americans.
Alexandra Booze, CAGW's Manager of Media and Policy, writes "Instead of wagging his finger at Congress’s failure to 'give America a raise,' President Obama should instead give America a chance."
Do you agree? SHARE your thoughts below.
http://swineline.org/?p=9019
The minimum wage is basically a war on lower-skilled/experienced young workers. It is a prohibition on voluntary contracts between employers and workers. Note that only about 2% earn the minimum wage. As employees pick up valuable skills and training, they become more productive and valuable to employers, leading to wage increases (or risk competitors poaching their employees at market prices). Note that we have a surplus of unemployed workers at the current minimum wage; this suggests that the market-clearing wage is below the status quo. The existing minimum wage is a barrier to gainful employment at lower rates. And if I don't want them at $7/hour, I certainly won't hire them at $10-15. Moreover, I believe the prohibition hits smaller companies in a disparate fashion.
The problem is not that businesses are "greedy"; it's that economic growth is too low--precisely because government policies make business planning more difficult, discourage savings and investment and raise the cost of labor. For example, in oil shale hub Williston, ND, WalMart starts its wages for many jobs at $17/hour; Williston has among the lowest unemployment rates in the country, with many oilfield workers making in the high 5-figures, low 6-figures. WalMart had to offer higher wages, not because of some government mandate, but business conditions.
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| Via IPI |
Proposals
Political Cartoon
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| Courtesy of Eric Allie via Townhall |
Barry Manilow, "Ships"
