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The Whip, April 14, 2011 (Part One)

TODAY’S FEATURE ARTICLE
Is actually the introduction of a new topic title:

CLASSICAL LIBERALISM
Which used to just be called “liberalism” (if not “enlightenment”) before leftists and radicals hijacked the term and transformed it to be a synonym for “neo-feudalist welfare-statism”
Constitutional Refuseniks: Stewart Rhodes on his controversial group the Oath Keepers and the orders they won’t obey [*1]

Interviewing Thomas Sowell About Economic Facts And Fallacies [*2]

Economics at AoSHQ U: Part 1 – The Economy [*3] — Something that distinguishes classical liberalism from, well, pretty much every other intellectual system devised by mankind, is that classical liberalism is based on the world as it is, with a minimum of value judgments regarding The Meaning Of It All. That’s what religions like “progressivism,” Marxism, Islam, or Christianity are for (and some of those are more benign than others–Buddhism for instance tends to be quite benign, at least when it isn’t spreading enervating apathy . . . but I digress . . .) DEMOCRAT/”PROGRESSIVE” VOTE FRAUD, CORRUPTION, ABUSE, AND INTIMIDATION
Or: “The appearance of corruption is in itself corruption.”

A Massachusetts Miracle In Wisconsin [*4] — Sometimes, when you hold a big stick over somebody’s head and tell them to do something, what happens is that somebody just gets very, very angry with you.

THE OBAMA DISASTER featuring but not limited to Obamacare, Keynesian economics, and other relics of 19th Century “Progressivism”
An Arizona city’s sports mania encounters a hard check [*5] — Wherein John McCain stands revealed, once again, as a true “progressive,” Tweedle-dum to Obama’s Tweedle-dee.

Pay No Danegeld: Teaching Western Civilization [*6] — If you don’t know what Danegeld is, you are insufficiently educated.

Bam’s fiscal feintThe next round of lip service [*7] — I get the impression that the New York Post’s Michael Walsh is not an Obama fan . . .

Why the debt limit fight will be different [*8] — Because neither side is yet serious about dealing with the fundamental structural problems of the federal budget?

Paul Krugman: Hey, I’ve Got a Great Idea! Let’s Raise Taxes on the Middle Class! [*9] — I was about to ask how this moron possibly won a Nobel Prize, but then I realize that Barack Obama, Al Gore, Jimmy Carter, and Yasser Arafat have also won them, too (yes, I realize Krugman’s was in economics and the others were the much more ridiculous “peace prizes,” but still . . .)

Paul Krugman Wonders Where The President He Thought He Was Voting For Went To [*10] — . . . uh . . . one wonders if perhaps there shouldn’t be an entire section here dedicated to the K-man. But then, he has whole blogs [*11] devoted to deconstructing his . . . um . . . product.

How Safe Is Your Roth IRA? [*12] — They will take it, you know, if you let them. “Them” being the federal government.

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/04/how-safe-is-your-roth-ira/237081/ [*13]

WH: Obama regrets vote against raising debt limit [*14] — As the saying goes: “Where you stand depends on where you sit.” And hey presto! Obama happens to now be sitting in the White House. He finds the view somewhat different than as a back-bench, no-experience Senator with no real-life experience that any productive American would realize and recognize as a “job.”

The Austrian School’s Critique of Marxism [*15] — Yes, in fact, this does fit here. Go. Read. Learn.

Chevy Recalls Cruze After A Steering Wheel Falls Off [*16] — Government Motors: Your Tax Dollars At Work.

Dred Scott’s Revenge: By applying positivism instead of natural law, 19th century courts burdened American racial history to this day. — Tracing a direct intellectual path from the racists of the 18th and 19th Centuries to the “progressives” and their “living Constitution” doctrine today.

Welfare for the Well-Off: The case against government subsidies for public broadcasting [*17]

“Chicago school bans some lunches brought from home” [*18]

Bad Medicine: RomneyCare Unpopular Even In Massachusetts [*19] — “Progressive” and “Democrat” are not synonyms. There are plenty of Republican “progressives.” McCain is one. Romney is another.

THE ECONOMY, TEETERING ON THE BRINK OF DISASTER–or WE ARE SO SCREWED
We’ve Promised More Than We Can Deliver [*20]

America, It’s Your Fault! How’s That For Change? [*21]

Farm Subsidies May Not Have Their Revenge In Washington [*22] — Businesses should not be subsidized by government. Farms are businesses. Therefore . . .

California’s giant sucking sound [*23]

KC Leaders Call For End To Poaching Of Businesses: 17 Business Leaders Send Letters To Governors Of Kansas, Missouri [*24] — Yes, tax breaks for companies to move or expand anywhere should be illegal. I’d be for a Constitutional Amendment to that effect, actually. It’s an obscene use of public money.

IT’S A DANGEROUS WORLD
Yemen [*25] — “I say we take off and nuke them from space. It’s the only way to be sure.” – Aliens
Unfortunately perhaps, this would not only be technologically unfeasable, it would also catch many (several?) innocents in the various blast radii, and hence would be unnecessarily harsh.

ELECTION 2012: IF NOT SARAH PALIN, THEN WHO?
Trump: If I Can’t Have The Presidency I’ll Make Sure Obama Wins [*26] — I can’t quite figure out if Trump is an idiot, or an Obama stalking horse. The two are not mutually exclusive, of course. In fact, the latter pretty much assumes the former.

SPORT
Five hot topics for college sports [*27]

Has Gordon finally figured it out? Even he isn’t sure [*28]

NEWS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO USE
How To Take A 100% Tax Write-Off For A New Porsche, BMW or Cadillac [*29] — First, you have to want one . . .

Study: Older brains less nimble at multi-tasking [*30]

Air France A380 spins Delta regional jet in JFK collision [*31]

SCIENCE FICTION–READIN’, WRITIN’, WATCHIN’
The growing problem with death in science fiction movies and TV shows [*32] — Basically, characters don’t stay decently dead. And the author of the article is beginning to find that really annoying.

Periodic Table of Storytelling [*33]

TV Tropes [*34]

Short Stories vs. Novels – “natural length” and the fractal structure of stories [*35]

99 cents only works if you actually sell more copies [*36]

Dystopian Fiction: An Introduction [*37] — ” . . .you could be living in a dystopia and not even know it. . .” Indeed.

Schedule, Schedule, Schedule [*38] — I’m very, very bad at this . . .

Why do today’s movies, including science fiction ones, suck so hard? [*39] — Um, at a guess . . . because the people making them have little to no actual connection with reality any more?

DEEP, MAN, REALLY, REALLY DEEP
The Social Function of Insurance [*40]

The Bad Word [*41] — That other “F-word” . . .

The Whip, April 11, 2011

TODAY’S FEATURE ARTICLE
Glenn Reynolds has an absolutely brilliant proposal: [*1]

Here’s my proposal: A 50% surtax on anything earned within five years after leaving the federal government, above whatever the federal salary was. Leave a $150K job at the White House, take a $1M job with Goldman, Sachs, pay a $425K surtax. Some House Republican should add this to a bill and watch the Dems react.

Oh, yeah. I want to see this. I want to see this so bad I can taste it. I want this so bad I’m using utterly inapt metaphors. Oh, please, House Republicans, do this, do this, do this, DO THIS! CLASSICAL LIBERALISM
The way we used to beleve in. The way that works. The only way to prosperity for everybody (who wants it and is willing to work for it).

Sunday Read: If I Wanted Acceptance from Normal People I Wouldn’t Be a Libertarian [*2] — “The reason to posit free-market economic ideas is that they are useful and accurate.”

DEMOCRAT/”PROGRESSIVE” VOTE FRAUD, CORRUPTION, ABUSE, AND INTIMIDATION
Or: “The appearance of corruption is in itself corruption.”

Internal DOJ report on Black Panther dismissal leaked [*3]

Civility Watch: Democrats Can’t Help Themselves From Pushing The Murder Button [*4]

Jim Moran to Veteran: You Need To Drink An Ice Cold Glass of Shut-Up-And-Respect-Your-Superior Juice [*5]

Planned Parenthood spent more than $1 million electing Democrats last cycle [*6]

Violent SEIU Mob Arrested After Charging Troopers in WA State House [*7]

Provocateur… Revolutionary… [*8] — “Progressives” and leftists in general just think that they’re “avant-garde” and “edgy,” when really what they mainly do is make everybody around them edgy. The nervous kind of edgy.

The Times Vendetta Continues [*9] — The Koch Brothers: Guilty of being Rich Without Being “Progressive.” The punishment: Everything the “progressives” can think of to throw at them.

THE OBAMA DISASTER featuring but not limited to Obamacare, Keynesian economics, and other relics of 19th Century “Progressivism”
Why Aren’t The Rich Paying 50 Percent in Income Taxes? [*10]

Those Who Remember History Wrongly Are Condemned to Repeat It, Government Spending and Recession Division [*11]

Washington vs. America–D.C. doesn’t doesn’t act like there’s a deficit problem[*12]

Uncle Sam shelling out big bucks for government jobs, GOP says time to cut [*13]

Spending cuts, not policy riders, held up a deal, GOP aides say [*14]

Progressives ponder why tea party is kicking their butts [*15]

Presidential dream: long walk in the park [*16] — Oh, my God. Did the man not read the job description before applying for the position? What a putz . . . what the hell is he going to do if things actually hit the fan? Things aren’t good now, but they could get a LOT worse. If he can’t handle it, he needs to get out now and let somebody else mop up his mess.

Tense Meetings, Stalled Talks Led to ‘Painful’ Last-Minute Deal on Budget [*17] — In which you learn, definitively, that preserving federal funding for abortion clinics is more important to Democrats than keeping open national parks and getting paychecks to serving military. That’s the bottom line, and it isn’t spinnable. We now clearly understand the priorities of the Democratic Party, and those priorities do not include seeing to the interests of all of the American people–only certain, favored special interests. And they’re willing to do anything–absolutely anything–to protect those interests.

The GOP’s winning streak [*18] — IT’S A TRAP! At least, that’s what Mark Levin says:

While these Republicans are doing a victory lap and praising Boehner, and dumping on conservatives for not partying with them, the smart Democrats are plotting. They’re purposely framing this deal the same way as Ms. Rubin, et al –as a win for the GOP and Boehner. They’re agreeing that these are big cuts when they’re not. Why? Because Obama’s about to propose his own budget and deficit package and he’ll attempt to outmaneuver our celebrants. He will raise hundreds of billions in taxes (on “the rich” of course); he will slash defense spending; he will play with the numbers and claim to be cutting other areas; he’ll put out phony numbers on Obamacare again claiming it will save hundreds of billions; he’ll come up with more smoke and mirrors pretending to reform Medicare and Medicaid, and he will attempt to obscure the Ryan Plan, insisting his approach is reasonable, serious, and fair. Meanwhile, Obama will be fighting to protect trillions in spending while the GOP is proudly touting its $38.5 billion (if that) victory.

It is quite true. You can’t trust a Washington Democrat as far as you can throw him. (Or her. Mustn’t be sexist.) The Democrat Party is one big collection of mutually supporting special interests. They have by their behavior demonstrated zero interest in the country as a whole. Zero.

The Tea Party’s First Victory: Obama opposes spending cuts right up to the time he calls them historic. [*19] — I used to think Obama was a doctrinare leftist, even a Marxist. Now I’m not so sure–I wonder if he doesn’t just imprint like a newly hatched duckling on the ideas of whoever in the room seems to have the strongest persona–in the case of the shutdown pseudo-drama: Speaker Boehner and. especially, Paul Ryan.

The Imperial President at War: Barack Obama continues the long, shameful trend of expanding executive power [*20]

Roth IRAs: A real ‘fiscal Frankenstein’ [*21] — The Democrats are coming after your private retirement accounts. You just watch.

Obama to outline plan to confront long-term debt crisis — and this time he really, really, means it [*22] — As Glenn Reynolds notes: “Ouch.”

Democrats will yield on everything but abortion [*23] — To be honest, I’m not completely happy with that but if the choice is inevitable national bankruptcy or back-burnering the abortion issue, I’ll gladly go for the latter–because to be honest, that will kill fewer people in the long run. Too utilitarian? Too cold? Too harsh? Maybe . . .

THE ECONOMY, TEETERING ON THE BRINK OF DISASTER–or WE ARE SO SCREWED
Gas Prices Reach 33 Month High In KC [*24]

The Future of a Tank of Gas [*25]

Oil Climbs Above $112 a Barrel on Libyan Armed Revolt, Weakness of Dollar [*26]

Investors Start to Worry About End of Cheap Money [*27]

Toxic Dollar: Why Nobody Seems to Want US Currency [*28]

Five Budgets for a Broke-Down and Busted Amerika [*29]

Paul Ryan: “We have a debt crisis staring us in the face, and that’s got to get fixed” [*30] — Paul Ryan seems to be the only adult in Washington, D.C.

The Razor’s Edge [*31] — California: the shape of things to come. Are you paying attention? It will not be pretty. Or comfortable–at least, it won’t be comfortable for anyone who isn’t part of the ruling elite. Will that be you? Almost certainly not. Welcome to the Dark Ages, Serf. You still have time to change things. And I mean really change things, not the touchy-feely-faux-“change” of the 2008 Obama campaign, which turns out was just more of the same 19th Century “Progressive” wishin’ and hopin’.

IT’S A DANGEROUS WORLD
Responsibility to Protect [*32] — In case you hadn’t heard, “responsibility to protect” is the shiny new rationale for the intervention in Libya. And it’s a dangerous, dangerous idea, especially in the hands of organizations controlled by thugs, totalitarians, and “progressives”–like the United Nations, NATO, and the federal government of the United States of America.

HIGHER EDUCATION
Heading for a Crash? [*33]

Peter Thiel: We’re in a Bubble and It’s Not the Internet. It’s Higher Education. [*34]

ELECTION 2012: IF NOT SARAH PALIN, THEN WHO?
Pew Poll: Obama Struggling With White Voters [*35]

Base in the hole: Even black voters slip from prez [*36]

THE COLLAPSE OF THE “ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING” CONJECTURE
Climate models go cold [*37] — or go read the original article (and behold the cogent counterarguments in the comments . . .)
Climate models go cold [*38]

Sunday Satire – The Skepticism Time Series [*39]

SPORT
Horstman, Jacobsen lead ‘A’ all-state team [*40] – Horstman being a South Dakota State recruit, Jacobsen planning to walk on at SDSU

Winner’s main man: After scoring 2,006 points and making two state tournaments, Zach Horstman is ready for his next hoops challenge – at SDSU [*41]

Argus Leader First Five and Second Five [*42]

Will Royals owner David Glass finally field a winner? [*43]

Betemit leads balanced attack in Royals’ 9-5 win over Tigers[*44]

Royals notebook: Tejeda seeking to succeed with diminished velocity

How Royals fans can cope if things turn bad[*45] — “Who in their right mind would be a Royals fan?”

Jacks’ Kool ready to run [*46]

NEWS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO USE
Laptops and Other Electronics May Be Seized on Entry to US [*47]

Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy [*48] — “in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people: those who work to further the actual goals of the organization, and those who work for the organization itself. Examples in education would be teachers who work and sacrifice to teach children, vs. union representative who work to protect any teacher including the most incompetent. The Iron Law states that in all cases, the second type of person will always gain control of the organization, and will always write the rules under which the organization functions.”

Energy Flow in the United States – 94.6 quads in 2009 [*49] — Featuring a way cool chart of energy use in the USA . . .

13 Worst Cities for Spring Allergies [*50] — Astonishingly, Kansas City is not among the “leaders” . . .

Video: Navy Laser Sets Ship on Fire [*51]

The Tech Behind the New SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket [*52]

Scientists find way to map brain’s complexity [*53]

New gasoline engine design has 4x efficiency of pistons [*54]

SCIENCE FICTION–READIN’, WRITIN’, WATCHIN’
The General Sunday Ponderings: Pondering the Kindle and the Kindle App. [*55]

Winnie The Pooh review [*56] — A Pooh review? Who knew?

Red Dwarf: new series now 100% confirmed, due 2012 [*57]

Doctor Who series 6: new publicity pictures released [*58]

The evolution of the giant monster movie [*59]

Atlas Shrugged on the big screen [*60]

Doctor Who: Planet Of The Spiders DVD review [*61]

The Difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy [*62]

Do characters really need to be likeable? [*63]

Two Sides to a Story: Plotting For Everyone [*64]

The Question of Archetypes [*65]

The Decline of Science Fiction [*66]

A Whiff of Cold Air: The Longing for the Lost Dream of Space in Soviet and American Science Fiction. [*67]

Turkey City Lexicon [*68]

Forget space travel: it’s just a dream [*69] — “Everything that can be invented has already been invented.”–Quoted in Lemon, et al., Mark (1899). “Punch’s Almanack for 1899”, Punch (magazine) 116 (17). (from WikiQuote. [*70]

DEEP, MAN, REALLY, REALLY DEEP
The Management Myth [*71]

Weekend Whip, April 9-10, 2011

Opponents of Gun-Free Zones at Universities Find Unlikely Hero in Nevada Woman [*1]

“I know, having been the first victim, that Brianna Dennison would still be alive, had I been able to defend myself that night.”

Gun-free zones kill. And rape. Preventing people from defending themselves is evil. Gun-free zones are evil. They are the triumph of naked, mindless fear over common sense. Those that demand campus gun-free zones basically held this woman down for the rapist–and tied the rapist’s other victim to a post and let him kill her. That is the result of all of the compassionate concern. Death and mayhem. You gun-prohibitionists removed their ability to defend themselves. The responsibility for their safety could have been theirs. You took that from them. And in result, you took the rest. I hope all you who want to ban guns are very, very happy with yourselves about this. Because you are not angels. You are monsters. Well-intentioned monsters. DEMOCRAT/”PROGRESSIVE” VOTE FRAUD, CORRUPTION, ABUSE, AND INTIMIDATION
Or: “The appearance of corruption is in itself corruption.”
Union Thuggery: Playing Hardball in Wisconsin [*2] — featuring the now de rigueur death wishes against Republican elected officials. No, you “progressives,” Republicans, libertarians, and people on the “right” do not customarily wish death on the elected officials of the other party. Tar and feathers, occasionally, but not death.

THE OBAMA DISASTER featuring but not limited to Obamacare, Keynesian economics, and other relics of 19th Century “Progressivism”
Apparently there is a budget deal [*3] — It’s a start. At least the discussion has shifted to how much we will cut from government. It’s not nearly enough, though. We need an across-the-board 10% or 20% cut in the Federal Government. Yes, including the military. Yes, including “entitlements.” There are better ways of serving the retired, poor, and elderly, if only we would be allowed to do them.

Washington vs. America–D.C. doesn’t doesn’t act like there’s a deficit problem [*4]

Landslide! It looks like Waterloo in Wisconsin for government unions. [*5]

Let Them Buy New Cars [*6]

This week President Obama replied to a man who told the president that he is hard-pressed to buy gasoline for his van that he ought to trade it in for a new car with better mileage. Obama assured him he’d probably get a great deal these days—from GM, Ford, or Chrysler, he added. The Associated Press first reported this incident and then scrubbed it from its story; most of the media did not care about it at all, because Obama is awesome.

And if you actually find the video or audio of this, you hear clearly Obama’s mocking disdain for the questioner. He doesn’t think he’s President. He thinks he’s king. And the last time Americans were ruled by a king, it–caused difficulties.

Is Boehner our Sun Tzu? [*7] — This strikes me as being somewhat hyperbolic . . .

Eat the Rich [*8]

THE ECONOMY, TEETERING ON THE BRINK OF DISASTER–or WE ARE SO SCREWED
Worse Case Scenario For Oil Prices? [*9] — Oil at $175 a barrel? Worst case? Heck, it’s well over $100 now. What makes $175 a ceiling–who says it can’t go higher? Unless Obama and the Democrats get off their asses and allow pretty much unlimited exploitation of American energy reserves, it probably will go higher. Are you ready for $10/gallon gas? Can you afford that?

IT’S A DANGEROUS WORLD
Man Gives Wife World’s First Mosquito-Borne STD [*10] — Oh, joy. One more thing to worry about. Hey, I have an idea! Let’s keep DDT banned!

My Plan on How to Fight the Next Middle East War [*11] — out of the mouths of humorists:

If you can go to a country, blow stuff up, and leave unscathed, that sounds like success. If someone came and burned your house and walked away, you wouldn’t say you won because the guy left. So why shouldn’t we in a future conflict in a Middle Eastern country just blow up stuff, declare victory, and leave?

In other words, if you plan to speak softly and carry a big stick, you kinda have to be willing to actually use the stick. Effectively. “Don’t piss us off or we will f*ck you up” is a defense policy that may offend certain tender sensibilities, but few will seriously debate that it is an effective policy. It works in just about every single bar I have ever been in, after all.

Johann Hari: We’re not being told the truth on Libya [*12] — Oh. Goody.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/04/09/2788386/five-kc-pitchers-silence-tigers.html [*13]

HIGHER EDUCATION
On a personal note, one of my very best friends has been informed by her university employer that her contract will not be renewed for next year. This has bummed me out far more than I would have expected it would. If the bubble’s bursting has begun reaching her university, then higher education really is in for very, very hard times all around the country. Now, it’s true that the state where her university is has not traditionally been the strongest possible supporter of higher education–which will probably actually wind up being a blessing–for those in the system whose jobs survive the turmoil. I’m just glad I got out ten years ago. But if anybody needs a good IT manager with a sociology Ph.D., well-versed in much of the worst a bureaucracy can throw at a person, let me know and I’ll pass it on . . .
Sunday Reflection: Now comes the ‘Lower Education Bubble?’ [*14] –yes, it’s not higher education, but the symptoms are the same . . . and so is the disease . . .

ELECTION 2012: IF NOT SARAH PALIN, THEN WHO?
A Good First Step; FY2012, Here We Come [*15] — The possibly fatal flaw in the American system of government is that all of this kabuki theater in Washington, DC is posturing and positioning for the 2012 election, and not (except apparently for Paul Ryan) a serious attempt to deal with the issues and problems that this country faces.

THE COLLAPSE OF THE “ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING” CONJECTURE
Why eat corn when you can burn it? [*16] — Well, it’s true corn is loaded with deadly carbohydrates, but in moderation, I understand that some people can actually ingest them safely . . .

Facebook Treating Skeptic Blog Articles as “Abusive” [*17] — Or: If you’re losing the argument, just silence the opposition . . . this is what “progressiveism” looks like.

Why are we so bad at long range weather forecasting? [*18]

SPORT
Five KC pitchers silence Tigers’ bats in 3-1 Royals win [*19]

NEWS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO USE
DVR box is dying, Woz’ wisdom and other cool things learned at SNW [*20]

So How Well Does An Airbus A320 Handle When The Control System Fails? [*21]

Mo. Lawmakers May OK New Cell Phone Tax [*22] — Oh. Goody.

Uh, oh…the clash of ice and warmth brings storms [*23] — Oh. Goody.

How to Tell if Your Neighbor is a Bombmaker [*24] — Oh. Goody.

SCIENCE FICTION–READIN’, WRITIN’, WATCHIN’
11 films and TV shows that tried to be Star Wars [*25]

The current shape of Doctor Who series 6 [*26]

Epic Fantasy [*27]

Author Personas: Living a Charmed Life [*28] — “Writers are told to write what they know, but what happens when you don’t really know anything?” Heh. Indeed.

Writing Advice: Getting Stories from Your Imagination to the Page [*29] — I really, really need this advice . . . the good news is it sounds like I’m on the right path . . . the bad news is that I have to get off my butt (or get on my butt, if you take my meaning) and actually do it . . .

Online presence for writers [*30]

Book covers have been telling us to fear extraterrestrial visitors for over a century [*31]

The 100 Greatest Things About Doctor Who [*32]

11 mostly practical ways to travel between planets [*33]

Nautilus-X could be NASA’s first manned deep-space explorer [*34] — Chances are NASA won’t build it, of course . . .

What’s your Favorite Frederik Pohl novel, James E. Gunn?[*35]

Nautilus-X update [*36] — Can I have one, dad? Can I have one?

DEEP, MAN, REALLY, REALLY DEEP
Hume on Intellectual Property and the Problematic “Labor” Metaphor [*37] — Is “intellectual property” actually “property” at all, properly understood?

The Whip, April 8, 2011

The Whip returns, as basketball season has ended (well, college basketball season, which is the only one that really matters now isn’t it?) and things are–for a little while–beginning to settle down a bit. So, let’s get started:

TODAY’S FEATURE ARTICLE
How to Eliminate Social Security and Medicare [*1] — There are ways out of the mess we’ve made. All that’s needed is the fortitude to do what must be done–what will be done, one way or another. We can do it the hard way, or we can do it the easy way. Waiting is the hard way. Doing it now and taking the hits and pain that will come is actually the easy way. Think about that for a while. You know it’s true. DEMOCRAT/”PROGRESSIVE” VOTE FRAUD, CORRUPTION, ABUSE, AND INTIMIDATION
Or: “The appearance of corruption is in itself corruption.”

Wisconsin DOJ Open Meetings Expert Secretly Gave Advice To Fleeing Dem Senators [*2]

The GOP, Democrats and why Taxpayer funded planned parenthood & NPR matters[*3]

Facebook event: Let’s dump trash at Boehner’s pad [*4]

What Althouse saw [*5] — Personally, I think that Wisconsin county official purposefully withheld those returns in order to smoke out the usual Wisconsin Democrat vote-stuffing, and then trump it with real honest votes. Well-played, I say.

Maxine Waters, your scandal is showing [*6]

THE OBAMA DISASTER featuring but not limited to Obamacare, Keynesian economics, and other relics of 19th Century “Progressivism”
US Going Same Route as Greece, Portugal: Economist [*7]

The Attack of the Cash Register [*8]

The People’s Budget [*9] — The main takeaway:
“if you want to get the budget under control without meaningfully cutting into entitlements, you’re going to need to hike taxes substantially on the middle class. I’m waiting for the first politician to say this out loud.”
This in reference to the following:

What liberal deficit reduction would look like [*10] — One word: Taxes. Another word: MORE.

Shutdown Upside: Planes Falling From Skies, Earth Prey to Alien Invasion, Cats Marrying Dogs or, Howard Gleckman (Yes, That Howard Gleckman!) Oughta Get Out More! [*11] — Government shutdown! Aieeee!

THE ECONOMY, TEETERING ON THE BRINK OF DISASTER–or WE ARE SO SCREWED
The Case for Frugality [*12] — How many times have you been told: “Moderation in all things?” Turns out to be just as correct in financial matters as in anything else.

The Anticapitalistic Bias of American Intellectuals [*13] — It’s deep, and obvious to anyone who actually sits down and listens to almost any “intellectual” for more than 30 seconds. It stems from the natural, arrogant belief of smart people that they know better than you how you should run your life. They are, of course, wrong, but that has never in human history stopped them from trying.

DOOM!…and other discontents [*14] — If you’re not reading Ace of Spades HQ, you should be. Funny AND informative. And delightfully grotesque cat pictures. DOOM!

IT’S A DANGEROUS WORLD
Ivory Coast: UN air strikes show West’s new appetite for military action [*15] — Is the UN making the world more dangerous?

Gen.: U.S. troops not ideal, but may be considered in Libya [*16] — Why US troops? Why not German troops? Why not French troops? Why not British troops? Oh, yeah, they don’t have any. We’re paying for their defense. Or, in this case, their neo-colonial war.

THE COLLAPSE OF THE “ANTHROPOGENIC GLOBAL WARMING” CONJECTURE
Freedom of Information? Fifteen Months Waiting for Four Blank Pages [*17] — “If it looks like corruption, then it is corruption.”

SPORT
Breaking down the Royals’ hot start [*18]

Royals notebook | Appier voted into club’s Hall of Fame [*19]

http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/article/id/51620/group/homepage/ — Mitchell sophomore verbals to South Dakota State.

Missouri changing high school football playoff format [*20]

Escobar relishes highlights at shortstop [*21]

Spring football update 4/8 [*22] — South Dakota State football update.

SCIENCE FICTION–READIN’, WRITIN’, WATCHIN’
(A lot of links here. I decided to go back and catch up, for my own future reference.
Friedrich Hayek and American Science Fiction [*23]

Libertarianism and Science Fiction: What’s the Connection? [*24]

Some Further Notes on Libertarian Science Fiction [*25]

Come and see the violence inherent in the system! [*26]

How To Write A Generic SF Novel [*27]

NOMINEES: 2011 Prometheus Award [*28]

Revisions: your story isn’t you [*29]

The Misinformation Age: What Happens When A Headline Goes Viral [*30]

Why don’t authors switch genre? [*31]

Sarah Herbe: Focusing on a Theme [*32]

Real Life Diagnostics: We Need to Talk: Bringing Out Emotions in Your Scene [*33]

Why I Write Fantasy [*34]

Blood Work [*35]

If You Build It, They Will Come: Worldbuilding in Urban Fantasy [*36]

Worlds Apart [*37]

The Two Tolkiens [*38]

You can’t be a fan of SF and lament the rise of ebooks [*39]

Liking science fiction and fantasy makes you a genius [*40]

From New Wave to SciFi Strange [*41]

The Better Mash-Up: An Exoneration of a New Literary Genre – Part I [*42]

Wednesday Worldbuilding Workshop: Orienting by marking insiders vs. outsiders [*43]

The 10 Most Awesome Non-Human Discworld Characters [*44]

Doctor Who: Season 6New Season Coming This Spring [*45] — Auto-playing video . . . be warned . . .

Your Better Half: What Happens When One POV is Better? [*46]

Lindsay Graham is a Republican. And a jackass.

Via Pajamas Media[*1] comes this de-pantsing of Senator Lindsay Graham by American Citizen Ann Barnhardt, followed by yet another delightful Koran-burning session:

Oh, and all of the above does not mean that Pastor Terry Jones–or Ann Barnhardt, for that matter–is not also a jackass. Burning books pretty much automatically makes you a jackass. But again, that’s pretty much the point of the First Amendment, isn’t it? Even jackasses have freedom of speech–otherwise freedom of speech is a meaningless phrase.

So I guess I’m saying you have the freedom to say pretty much anything you want, except for saying that people can’t say what they want.

(The use of bacon as a Koran bookmark is especially insulting, isn’t it? Completely protected not only as free speech but freedom of religion. Sorry, Lindsay . . . )

(And note, I personally make no judgments one way or another about the Koran or Islam here. I don’t have to. I’m an American. That’s a big part of what being an American means. And that’s why a lot of radical Muslims hate America, by the way. Personally, I wouldn’t burn a Koran, as I have known many Muslims who have been and are worthy of my respect. But I’ve known Hindus and Buddhists, too. Doesn’t mean I have to convert to their religions, either. Not in this country, anyway.)

Thought For The Day

View with suspicious optimism a revolution led by housewives, shopkeepers, shipbuilders, or mine workers.

Their Fair Share

Via Carpe Diem[*1] comes this nugget of info from the Tax Foundation[*2] , reporting income distribution and taxation figures collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD):

The share of total market income of the richest 10% of Americans: 33.9%

The share of total taxes paid by the richest 10% of Americans: 45.1%

Exit question: If paying 11.2% more than would be “fair” (i.e. if everyone paid the same percent of their income in taxes) isn’t enough for the rich to pay, how much more would be enough?

Look at the numbers again:

Income: 33.9%;

Taxes: 45.1%.

If these numbers were talking about the poorest 10% . . . or the poorest 50%, most people would be outraged. “The rich should pay their fair share!!!”

So, when you hear that the rich should pay their fair share, the first question to your lips should be “OK, then, what’s fair?”