Sunday, October 19, 2008

BREAKING NEWS: The dagger falls...

La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid.
("Revenge is a dish best served cold.")
-- old French advisory

CNNPolitics:
Colin Powell endorses Obama

It will be interesting to see if Powell might be appointed Secretary of State under an Obama administration. Does anyone know if the same man has ever held the position of Secretary of State under two presidents, let along two president of different parties?

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Major Scientific Discovery!

The Heaviest Element Known to Science

Lawrence Livermore Laboratories has discovered the heaviest element yet known to science.

The new element, Governmentium (Gv), has one neutron, 25 assistant neutrons, 88 deputy neutrons, and 198 assistant deputy neutrons, giving it an atomic mass of 312.

These 312 particles are held together by forces called morons, which are surrounded by vast quantities of lepton-like particles called peons.

Since Governmentium has no electrons, it is inert; however, it can be detected, because it impedes every reaction with which it comes into contact. A tiny amount of Governmentium can cause a reaction that would normally take less than a second, to take from 4 days to 4 years to complete.

Governmentium has a normal half-life of 2- 6 years. It does not decay, but instead undergoes a reorganization in which a portion of the assistant neutrons and deputy neutrons exchange places.

In fact, Governmentium's mass will actually increase over time, since each reorganization will cause more morons to become neutrons, forming isodopes.

This characteristic of morons promotion leads some scientists to believe that Governmentium is formed whenever morons reach a critical concentration. This hypothetical quantity is referred to as critical morass.

When catalysed with money, Governmentium becomes Administratium, an element that radiates just as much energy as Governmentium since it has half as many peons but twice as many morons.

Thursday, October 02, 2008

Swift-vote Citizens for Truth?

Apparently some constituents are a little upset...

Constituent Rebellion Now!

Millions wrote and called to say No! and still the Senate said Yes? It is time for a housecleaning! Time to show them that they work for Main Street, not Wall Street.

Based on quick analysis, it looks like there are 2-4 Senators who voted Yes who are in tight races, and 3 or 4 more who are vulnerable.

In the House, the analysis is similar, 7 or 8 vulnerable races where a little bit of influence might make all the difference.

Targeting these so-called representatives of the people, with print and radio ads highlighting their betrayal, could really make an impact on their chances for re-election -- and put the fear of constituency back into the Washington elite.

Are you interested in making it happen? There isn't much time before the election, so it will take funds and effort. Can you participate by offering time, skills or funds?

Let us know.

Contact the Constituent Response Team at constituentresponse@gmail.com.

Cato Speaks

I guess I've been a little disappointed with Cato's level of opposition to the bailout plan. Perhaps I was a little fast to judgement. As the video below shows, they have been speaking against it.

It is easy for those of us outside the Beltway, where Americans still speak in robust, unapologetic voices, to remember that in Washington all argument must be couched in the soft words of diplomacy and consensus.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Be careful what you wish for...

Liberals are beating up on Sarah Palin at every opportunity. Some of it is quite funny (thank you Tina Fey). However, it is starting to take on the aura of bullying -- which could create blowback.

Right now Palin is a drag on John McCain, but if liberals push him into cutting her loose, McCain's new VP could give him a much needed  boost in the polls -- especially if his new VP is someone with serious expertise in economics, something that Obama doesn't have either.

Poor Sarah

I'm almost starting to feel sorry for Sarah Palin. She is clearly is way out of her depth. The Couric interview was excruciating; like watching a plane wreck in slow motion where you see every victim die individually. 

It's tragic actually, because given another 10 years of experience she might have actually been a viable national politician. As it is now, her political career is in tatters. She probably isn't even re-electable as mayor of Wasilla, let alone as governor of Alaska.

Friday, September 26, 2008

More Cartoons!

Both fun and easier than Monetary Theory and the Trade Cycle.


Who is this Hayek guy? 2.0


For the more serious student of finance and economics, the von Mises Institute has just made Friedrich Hayek's classic, Monetary Theory and the Trade Cycle, available for free (read, complimentary) on their website. If you are wondering why we are in this financial mess, this is the place to start. Be forewarned, this isn't casual reading.

"I'll stop the torture."

I still can't abide by John McCain, but he gained a wee bit of respect tonight by his having the guts to stand up on that stage and twice call George "we don't torture anybody" Bush a liar.

Who is this Hayek guy?


A teaser in graphics. (Hmmmm, do you think maybe Naomi Wolf read this?)

When did we admit this 51st state?

Asked about what threat Iran represents to the United States, both McCain and Obama made the defense of Israel the core justification for their willingness to attack a nation that couldn't bomb us even if they had nukes. What part of Israel is NOT a part of the United States and NOT a friendly nation can they not understand? Can they not recall the U.S.S. Liberty, and the list of Israeli spies caught undertaking espionage on the United States, including: Richard Perle, Richard Smyth, Stephen Bryen, Jonathan Pollard, David A. Tenenbaum, Irv Rubin, and Larry Franklin (and those are just the ones we've managed to catch).

Thank you, Republicans

Conversion by crisis

[regarding the "bailout"] ...everyone’s going to have to give serious consideration to becoming a pretty hard-core libertarian. -- Matthew Yglesias

Thursday, September 25, 2008

When the chickens come home to roost

Fox News, the organization that worked so tirelessly to undermine the Ron Paul campaign (even going to far as to exclude him from a debate), appears to be having a change of heart -- perhaps due to the egg on their face.

Over the last few days, Fox has conducted several interviews with Dr. Paul, as an expert, on the state of the economy. Now today, a Fox News poll shows that Ron Paul is gauged the person most likely to come out of this economic mess looking to have been the smartest.

Why, during the onset of the Second Great Depreseion, do we have Tweedledee and Tweedledummer on the ballot, while an experienced politician, who also happens to be a monetary expert, is sitting on the sideline?

Apologies for the mixed metaphors, but its no more messed up than Fox News or this election.

Why we love Dave

The Bailout Con -- What to do?

Register your opinion! It is easy to do:

You can easily contact Congress to register your oppositions to these bailouts -- bailouts of the rich at the expense of the poor. Visit your congressional delegations' home pages on the Internet or dial the U.S. Capitol switchboard.

To locate and e-mail your Representative, simply enter your ZIP code in the "Find Your Representative" form at the top of the House of Representative's website at http://www.house.gov or dial them at (202) 224-3121.

To contact your Senators, simply select your state from the "Find Your Senators" menu at the top of the Senate's website at http://www.senate.gov or dial them at (202) 224-3121.

Letters do not need to be long, or even well written. A simple statement of objection is sufficient. Please make your opposition well known.

Hail Barney!

This was too good not to steal, and I'll never admit from where...
"It's the longest Hail Mary pass in the history of either football or Marys." --Congressman Barney Frank opining upon McCain's announcement that he was suspending his campaign {sort of but, not really} and running back to DC {for the first fucking time since April 9th and after having missed EVERY FUCKING VOTE SINCE THEN} in order to save us all from from ourselves {actually, to avoid having to debate Obama and to deflect attention from his cratering poll numbers}.

A plainer hypocrisy not to be found

The Politico's Ben Smith has a great catch from the 2008 (!) Republican Party platform:

We do not support government bailouts of private institutions. Government interference in the markets exacerbates problems in the marketplace and causes the free market to take longer to correct itself.