Mi Abuelita

I've mentioned before how I don't usually get too personal on this blog, prefering to use other means for those things. Today and tomorrow will be different. Tomorrow because my son Joseph turns 4 and today because my abuelita, Raquel Sastre, passed away this morning.

My abuelita (I have never called her by any other name) was 94 years old. She came from Cuba in the early 1960s, following her husband who had emigrated shortly before and bringing her two younger children, my mother Gladys and uncle Ari. Her older daughter Elena was already married and would emigrate afterward with her husband Fred. She left behind many possessions, much family, and her homeland, never to return.

The Sastres settled at first in New York City, in the Flushing area of Queens. My grandfather secured employment and over time the family prospered, moving to Miami after a few years. From the time that they arrived my grandparents served as an important support for the relatives and friends that followed their exodus from Cuba. Some stayed in their New York apartment. Others were helped in other ways. My grandfather built a deserved reputation as an honest businessman and good judge of character. My grandmother was his constant and faithful companion and support. Together they raised good children and continued to serve as a focal point for the family up to the present day. They were married for 58 years when my grandfather passed away in 1999.

My relationship with my abuelita really developed after my 2 year spanish-speaking mission. When I returned I was fluent in the language and finally able to converse with her in a mature way. We would talk about politics, Cuban history, and baseball. Baseball was one of her favorite pastimes, and she followed the Marlins closely.

When I married I gained a greater appreciation for my grandmother. She welcomed newcomers to the family with openness and acceptance, and it helped my wife feel like part of the family right away (Abuelita was also happy that Lacy spoke Spanish).

When we had our first child Joseph I was able to see that what had driven Abuelita since the death of her husband was her love for family and her joy at seeing new life come into the world. Children loved her and she loved them and had a fantastic memory for birthdates and sent handwritten letters to her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I remember the one she sent to my daughter Millie for her 2nd birthday, where she expressed her love and hope that Millie would know that her great-grandmother loved her.

She loved the United States, despite her sadness at never being able to return home to Cuba. She and my grandfather were unfailing supporters of the Republican party, as are most Cubans of their generation. I owe my interest and love for Cuban history to her, as she was always happy to send me information about Cuba, its people, and its proud culture. She sent clothing and other items to Cuba regularly and without fail, never forgetting that the Cuban people continue to suffer under a brutal and oppressive dicatorship, and never allowing her comfortable life in the United States to cloud that fact. This is also a hallmark of her generation, which never forgot the island that they were forced to leave.

I loved to visit her. I would learn whether I had lost or gained weight and whether she liked how I looked, especially if I had any facial hair (Castro ruined beards for her). This is common in Latin culture, where directness and honesty are common, but also common is love and acceptance.

She and my grandfather loved to share with their family, displaying tremendous generosity. We were able to see the world at a young age and enjoy their company and enthusiasm, as well as grow closer as cousins and family.

I see my grandmother in my mother. I hope there is something of her in me. I hope that I can help my kids understand that this country may be the only place on earth where a man, a woman, and two children could come, with virtually nothing, and create a successful life. I will teach them about their Abuelito and Abuelita, who did just that, and who left us a legacy that is rich with meaning and purpose.

I honor my Abuelita. I will honor her memory by continuing to hold sacred a belief in freedom and a deep and constant love for my family. She lived a life to be proud of, and she is now with her beloved Aristides and I look forward to the day when I can see them both again.

(My cousin Aris and I with Abuelito and Abuelita on a trip in 1991)

Making the Moon

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moonlanding.

Today the astronauts serving on the Endeavor did a spacewalk and recognized the day.

Both Popular Mechanics and the New York Times have oral histories of the event from this involved.

Awesome Video Saturday C (That's 100 in Roman)

I think this movie looks prit-e good (spoken in British):

Reality

The Washington Post does not think that taxing the rich to pay for healthcare is sound fiscal policy.

Welcome to reality.

Mas Confirmation

More on today's hearing- a scathing critique from a Georgetown law professor (via Instapundit):

If she was not perjuring herself, she is intellectually unqualified to be
on the Supreme Court. If she was perjuring herself, she is morally
unqualified.

Confirmation

I'm not a lawyer, but I like the law. These are two interesting articles related to the confirmation hearing of Sonia Sotomayor.

This one is from the New York Times and contains some excellent questions that there is little chance Sotomayor will be asked by the Senators at the hearing.

On a related note, law professor Randy Barnett has some advice regarding the kinds of questions that senators SHOULD ask that will provide actual insight into her judicial philosophy.

Awesome Video Saturday XCIX

These are some pretty funny elevator gags by a crazy Frenchman.

Obama Subverts Democracy

I'm extremely frustrated with the Obama administration's disregard for the sovereignty of Honduras.

Mary Anastasia O'Grady continues to do a fantastic job of highlighting the very real difference between our diplomatic stand and what it the actual LEGAL FRAMEWORK in Honduras.

Hundreds of emails from Hondurans flooded my in-box last week after I reported on the military's arrest of President Manuel Zelaya, as ordered by the Supreme Court, and his subsequent banishment from the country.
Mr. Zelaya's violations of the rule of law in recent months were numerous. But the tipping point came 10 days ago, when he led a violent mob that stormed a military base to seize and distribute Venezuelan-printed ballots for an illegal referendum.
All but a handful of my letters pleaded for international understanding of the threat to the constitutional democracy that Mr. Zelaya presented. One phrase occurred again and again: "Please pray for us."

This administration needs to change the way they look at the situation or they risk serious damage to whatever reputation we have for supporting the sovereignty of our allies.

Honduras Heats Up

I never would have expected to devote so much attention to Honduras, but the small nation has become a lightning rod in the debate between the rule of law and the efforts of leftists to push their agenda.

No matter whether the method used to remove Zelaya from power was the most appropriate, he was acting against the spirit and letter of the constitution of the country.

He is attempting to return. I hope the interim government can maintain order without bloodshed, but I expect some of Zelaya's supporters have no qualms about violence.

Happy Independence Day!

Enjoy this patriotic Muppet salute-



Be safe and blow some pretty stuff up.

Awesome Video Saturday XCVIII

Happy Independence Day!

I like this little video-



If you're in the mood for a fairly recent war movie with a good message, you can watch Saints and Soldiers below.

SPOTD #156

As you know, tomorrow is Independence Day. I hope that you will be able to take a moment during your celebrations to remember the singular events that have led to the great liberty that we enjoy. It is clear that many in this world are willing to die for that kind of freedom.

Today's Phrase:
We who enjoy freedom should never mistake it for what the regime in Iran claims to provide their citizens. From 19th century cleric Adolf Kolping.

Actual
Libertad falsa y tiranía son gemelos.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable
Lee-bare-tahd fall-sah ee tee-rah-nee-ah sewn hay-may-lows.

Translation
False liberty and tyranny are twins.

The Law
What if there was a country that followed its legally established Constitution, and we condemned them for it?
That is happening in Honduras. We have friends living there and they are fascinated that the coverage outside of the country is getting the story so wrong.
For more info you can read my post on the subject.

Incredible
I recently watched the documentary Man on Wire. It won the Oscar last year for Feature Documentary, and it was well-deserved. This is an engaging and well-produced film, combining actual archival footage and dramatic reenactments.
It is a fascinating story about a man who dared to do insane things, but there is a beauty in it.

Mighty Bad
Eric Snider has a weekly feature where he reviews bad movies. Last week's edition, a review of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, es muy excelente.

Lego
I never knew there was such competition to be professional lego-builders. See what I mean.

5 Things
TV Pitchman Billy Mays passed away last week. Here is a list of some of his greatest hits, from Popular Mechanics.

Link of the Day
The Alligator Gar is one crazy-looking fish, and you can hunt one for just $750!

More from Honduras

Gateway Pundit has some pictures from demonstrations in Honduras. As I mentioned before, there seems to be strong support for the government action that removed former president Zelaya.

Quick Hits

Just some things on my mind that I don't have time to write about individually-

• The people of Honduras are responding to extranational meddling.
• The EPA may be politicizing the debate over climate change.
• Want to know where we may be headed with our growing entitlements and government spending? Just take a look at California and New York.

Libertad y la Ley

Our president has made a grave error. From an Investors Business Daily Editorial:

During his campaign, President Obama made a big deal of criticizing leaders who are elected democratically but don't govern democratically. He's had a chance to show that it mattered in Honduras. He didn't...
There was a coup all right, but it wasn't committed by the U.S. or the Honduran court. It was committed by Zelaya himself. He brazenly defied the law, and Hondurans overwhelmingly supported his removal (a pro-Zelaya rally Monday drew a mere 200 acolytes).
Yet the U.S. administration stood with Chavez and Castro, calling Zelaya's lawful removal "a coup." Obama called the action a "terrible precedent," and said Zelaya remains president.
In doing this, the U.S. condemned democrats who stood up to save their democracy, a move that should have been hailed as a historic turning of the tide against the false democracies of the region.

What's worse is that we have persisted in this error for several days, an error made very quickly. By comparison it took the Obama administration days to say anything of substance about the upheaval in Iran.

To understand how Zelaya violated Honduran law, this piece by Mary Anastasia O'Grady is excellent.

Now the United Nations has sanctioned Honduras and other states (such as Venezuela) have threatened to overthrow the new government. We are complicit as long as we toe the same line that we have taken we put real democracy in Latin America in jeopardy.

Awesome Video Saturday XCVII

This AweVidSat is a follow-up to this fine edition. More commercials from the same guys. The first one is my favorite (obviously). Thanks to Chris for the heads-up.

SPOTD #155

As always, check out the blog for more and varied content.

Today's Phrase:
I've been very moved by the events in Iran. They have a long way to go before they can be said to enjoy liberty, but you have to feel a kinship with them.

Actual
Donde mora la libertad, allá está mi patria.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable
Don-day more-ah lah lee-bare-tahd, ah-ya ess-tah mee pah-tree-ah.

Translation
Where liberty dwells, there is my country.

Movies
We enjoyed UP immensely.

On Broadway
This is an interesting article about changing social mores at the theatre.

Nerd Alert! Raise Shields!
This is nerdy but cool. It is a 360-degree panoramic view of the bridge of the Enterprise from Star Trek.

The Greatest
One man's list of the greatest athletes of all time. What say you?

A Bigger Boat
I don't think Jaws could have done much damage to this beauty, the largest yacht in the world, more than 550 feet long! I know it seems excessive, but it is also awesome. It belongs to Russian oil tycoon Abramovich.

Family Photos
We live in a global era, when one family's Missouri Christmas photo becomes one Czech store's advertisement.

Link of the Day
This link takes you to archival footage of a spiritual precursor to the Humvee and other military vehicles.
It's a cool look back.

The King is dead

As the news about Michael Jackson's death sinks in, I find myself saddened in a way that I usually don't when a celebrity dies. There seems to exist a demarcation that determines how some people feel about this. People just a few years younger than me know him more for his extracurricular troubles than his extraordinary music.

I always felt like his situation had a tragic element. I wanted him to have another great song, another comeback, but nothing had really materialized in past years.

If there is good in this, it's that the circus of his life will not overshadow his excellence as an artist. His early death will no doubt give him the status of an Elvis Presley or Marilyn Monroe, for better or worse.

This is a nice retrospective on his career.

¡Feliz cumpleaños Walkman!

I liked this retrospective on the now-30 year-old Sony Walkman. Check out this page to see more of that first, brave model. It was very expensive, at over $500 inflation-adjusted dollars!

I remember borrowing my dad's enormous SPORTS Walkman. Not only did it play cassette tapes, but it also had an FM Tuner.

Then there were the exciting models that also had the 3 or 5 band equalizers and the MEGA BASS button. And then came the Discman, with models like this that could even be used IN THE CAR!

Still, for a long time, the Walkman was the most practical and attainable personal musical device. I think I owned this model, near the APEX of Walkman technology, enjoying Kris Kross and other great music.

Happy Birthday Walkman!

Iran

I have held these articles back for when I have more time, but I'm not sure when that time will come, so here are some quick hits.

• The reality of an aggressive North Korea and an oppressive Iran has made Obama's desire to be seek dimplomatic solutions problematic, as this WSJ editorial explains.
• Some reactions from Iranians to the election struggles.
• Lest anyone think that criticism of the Khamenei regime is criticism of Islam, there is a strong and well-regarded theological alternative. Read this for more.

More to come.

Movie Stuff

Here is the new G.I. Joe trailer. This actually makes me want to watch it, and nothing so far has really worked for me. G.I. Joe was the toy of my youth, more so even than Transformers or He-Man.

Here is some wild renderings from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. That is going to be one trippy movie. Anyone remember how freaky the 80's TV movie was? With that crazy Jabberwocky?

Also read some advance reviews for Transformers. Decidedly mixed, which is not surprising.

Down the Drain

This article underscores the rightness of questioning when government or bureaucracy demands more money.

The UN has very little to show for the $196 billion spent on health programs.

For Dads

Happy Father's Day to the dads out there (me too).

In a very manly bit of helpful information, given a recent uptick in animal intrustion into suburban areas, here is how to predator-proof your home AND survive angry animal attacks.

Happy hunting.

Awesome Video Saturday XCVI

This is a very funny spoof of Magnum P.I.



Compare with the original-



Pretty cool and also nerdy (via Popwatch).

Mothering Fathers

This was an interesting article from the Wall Street Journal on how a protective mother can affect a father's parenting, and in turn, a child's development.

Fortunately, I don't have that problem.

Big Trouble in North Korea

There is a report that North Korea intends to launch a missile towards Hawaii in early July. This would constitute a major escalation, and in my opinion, an act of aggression bordering very close on war. It doesn't matter whether they have the capability to hit Hawaii.

I hope the report is incorrect, but the regime is more reckless than ever.

Amends

I don't know if anyone is following this, but I think Letterman has finally dealt with this appropriately. It took him awhile, but I don't think a firing is the right outcome here.

Letterman's problem is that he is not as funny as he used to be. He's a little too bitter and angry, and it shows in his humor. Not everyone will agree. I always preferred Letterman to Leno, but on those rare occasions where I actually watch the late night talk shows Conan is my choice.

History Repeats?

I think you can look back at most of what I've written about Obama and find that my concerns have been reasonable, with the most serious differences coming on economic issues.

I've been reading an excellent book about the Great Depression. One of the recurring points made by the author is that many initiatives that were part of the New Deal actually had a damaging effect on economic recovery. These include high taxation, arbitrary regulations, and persistent and erratic government intervention in capital markets. I'm very concerned about how the Obama administration is operating economically, and the parallels to Roosevelt's injurious economic policies.

I have issues with Obama's health plan (explained well in this Op-Ed) and I have concerns with how he proposes to pay for it. Here is a live-blog of the response of the American Medical Association to Obama's speech at their conference.

I agree with this opinion piece, which relates the real impact of these proposals on business and investment.

There is ample reason to be concerned AND to encourage a much slower process than what the Obama administration wants.

I'm text-blogging today from the road.

Listening to Sebellius on NPR re: "Public" Health Insurance plan. She won't provide any details.
Not impressed.

Back to the Hill

There is a new statue in the Capitol rotunda- Ronald Reagan.

Each state is allowed to have two representatives in the rotunda, and California recently updated theirs to remove a Civil War-era figure in favor of the former President.

Peggy Noonan wrote about the installation here. As a former speechwriter for President Reagan she had an emotional connection to the day.

Law Abidin'

There really isn't much to this article about the legal issues of University of Florida football players. My main reason to link to it is to point out that Miami has only had TWO players arrested over the past 4 years, compared to 21 for the Gators.

Remember that the next time you hear tired old tropes about Miami's program.

Awesome Video Saturday XCV

This is hee-haw funny. It is a sequel to an old Ferrell clip that I couldn't find online (but is found on the Best of Will Ferrell compilation). That one is one of my all-time favorites, and this is a worthy follow-up.

Fighting It

Check out this video about a genetic condition called dystonia.

I got to know Rick Staab (the father) when we both participated in Leadership Gainesville. This is a great look at what dystonia does and what the Staabs have done to confront it.

UP

I have enjoyed every Pixar film. They survive countless viewings (which we have enjoyed given our small children). UP is among the finest.

I find it difficult to rank a favorite. The Incredibles paid homage to the superhero genre while adding to it. Finding Nemo makes me tear up a little, every time. A Bug's Life includes that hilarious fat caterpillar. They all have something to recommend.

The first 20 minutes of UP were perfect storytelling. We were a 2 year-old, 4 year-old, 5 year-old, and 4 adults. Everyone was delighted, laughed out loud, and had a wonderful time. I can't say enough good about it.

65 Years

D-Day was yesterday. Popular Science posted their article about the technology used in the invation of Normandy. It's a cool look back.

65 years later, the people who benefited most immediately remain grateful.

On the Origin of Peppercorn

During a fantastic anniversary dinner I realized that I did not know where peppercorns come from, or pepper.

Now I know. Just thought I'd share.

Awesome Video Saturday XCIV

SPOTD #154

Summer is here, and we're feeling it down in F-L-A. Scroll down for more stuff, including this post on GM's demise.

Today's Phrase:
This one will be useful for this hot, hot days.

Actual
¿Dónde está la piscina?

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable
¿Don-day ess-tah lah pee-see-nah?

Translation
Where is the pool?

Movies
Terminator Salvation: I enjoyed it. There was some very good action, several good moments, and one great moment. In a subtle way they answered some logistical questions, but the time travel issue is one that is very messy if you think too much about it, so I didn't. Definitely several steps below Star Trek.
Taken: I loved it. Definitely in the escapist genre. Lacy was satisfied with Liam Neeson's vigilante solution and dogged determination to find his daughter. If anything it shed some light on the sex trade, undoubtedly one of the most abhorrent practices in the world. Human trafficking is a crime worthy of the death sentence.
Last Chance Harvey: This is a gentle romantic comedy, with normal people making reasonable choices. There is realistic dramtic tension, but people act like people, and not idiots, and although things are not tidied up perfectly it is satisfying and worthwhile. Good, subtle acting.

Travel Notes
We rented a cabin outside of Smoky Mountains National Park, using this company. It was fantastic. The cabin was clean and comfortable, close to the stuff we wanted to see, and we had a great time.

Following
Most Popular lists found on various websites create interesting patterns in human behavior. Just labeling something as popular can make it so.'

Skivvies
A soldier in Afghanistan was in such a hurry to help his comrades defend their post that he left his tent wearing his boxers and flip-flops. Initially he was worried about whether he would be disciplined for that, but is being praised instead. A good outcome.

Border Technology
Technology is not just having an impact in far off battles, but in the work of the Department of Homeland Security. This article looks at some of things being developed on that front and others.
Fast Tracks
This article is about a robotic tank that can travel 60 mph! What is especially impressive is the system used to avoid tread throwing. The front wheel pushes out as necessary to compensate for the 14 inches of movement allowed by the suspension system. Very cool.
There are other cool inventions from the Popular Science Invention Awards.
This link is unrelated, but very cool. Check it out.

Link of the Day
Want to get paid for laying still and letting your muscles atrophy? NASA has a job for you!

Past as Prologue

It is interesting to see something from President Obama's time in the Senate. The Wall Street Journal published a portion of his statement declaring his decision to vote against John Roberts for the Supreme Court.

I think it sheds some light on his choice of Sotomayor.

Saving the NBA

This has been one of the best NBA postseasons in years. There have been several fantastic games, but also some surprising disappointments. I think Bill Simmons has identified a major reason why the NBA has suffered, and he does it with a fantastic (and previously unknown to me) historical anecdote about the origin of the 24 second shot clock.

Love Gone Cold

General Motors will declare bankruptcy tomorrow.

Author P.J. O'Rourke laments the end of a long love affair. It's a good read. Here's an excerpt.

America’s romantic foolishness with cars is finished, however, or nearly so. In the far boondocks a few good old boys haven’t got the memo and still tear up the back roads. Doubtless the Obama administration’s Department of Transportation is even now calculating a way to tap federal stimulus funds for mandatory OnStar installations to locate and subdue these reprobates.
Among certain youths—often first-generation Americans—there remains a vestigial fondness for Chevelle low-riders or Honda “tuners.” The pointy-headed busybodies have yet to enfold these youngsters in the iron-clad conformity of cultural diversity’s embrace. Soon the kids will be expressing their creative energy in a more constructive way, planting bok choy in community gardens and decorating homeless shelters with murals of Che.
I myself have something old-school under a tarp in the basement garage. I bet when my will has been probated, some child of mine will yank the dust cover and use the proceeds of the eBay sale to buy a mountain bike. Four things greater than all things are, and I’m pretty sure one of them isn’t bicycles. There are those of us who have had the good fortune to meet with strength and beauty, with majestic force in which we were willing to trust our lives. Then a day comes, that strength and beauty fails, and a man does what a man has to do. I’m going downstairs to put a bullet in a V-8.

When Stimulus is a Downer

Arnold Kling provides an analysis of how the stimulus has affected the economy thus far, as well as what he expects.

He's not a fan.

Awesome Video Saturday XCIII

I don't know what to think of this adaptation. I read The Road and was moved and disturbed by it. It felt utterly real, both as a description of what that kind of future would be like, and for how different people would choose to behave. There are some indelible images in my head from this film.

Since becoming a father there are a few novels that have deeply impacted me. This was one of them. I don't know if the movie could retain that. If not, if they chose to separate the two, then it could work, as a stand-alone piece. I probably won't watch this, but I wanted to post the trailer.

Cheney on the Prowl

One of the more interesting political happenings in recent months has been the doggedness of former Vice-President Dick Cheney in attacking the national security policies of the Obama Administration.

This is a man with no race to run and no real legacy to protect. The Wall Street Journal's William McGurn makes a good point in this lengthy excerpt (emphasis added):

...Back in those heady days after the 2008 election, anyone who suggested that Mr. Obama might find himself playing defense to Dick Cheney on Guantanamo would have been hauled off as barking mad. Yet that's exactly what Mr. Cheney has pulled off, leaving a desperate White House to try to drown him out by adding an Obama speech the same day Mr. Cheney was slated to address the American Enterprise Institute.
Of course, the effect was just the opposite. The White House reaction ended up elevating Mr. Cheney to Mr. Obama's level, and ensuring that his words would be measured directly against the president's. Like him or loathe him, Mr. Cheney forced the president to engage him.
For much of the Beltway, the Cheney surge is baffling. After all, when Mr. Cheney left office, his reputation seemed divided between those who thought him a punch line on late-night TV and those who thought him a war criminal. As so often happens, however, the conventional wisdom seems to have blinded Mr. Cheney's ideological opponents to the many advantages he brings to the table.
First is his consistency. The case he is making now is the same case he has been making for the past seven years. Even people who disagree with that case would have to concede its coherence, resting as it does on the notion that the United States is at war with terrorists and must react as a nation at war.
By contrast, Mr. Obama's war policies are increasingly incoherent. As a candidate, he excoriated the Bush approach to terror root and branch. As president, however, he has adopted some of the Bush policies, flip-flopped to the Bush side on others, and found himself at odds with his own party on closing down Guantanamo.
His speech on Thursday reflected these contradictions, at once reassuring the antiwar left that the Bush antiterror policies have been fully repudiated while trying to signal everyone else that he has retained most of their substance.
Second, Mr. Cheney is engaging Mr. Obama on an issue where Democrats have traditionally found themselves on the defensive: national security. Understandably, Mr. Obama's supporters are enraged when Mr. Cheney says the new president is unraveling "some of the very policies that have kept our people safe since 9/11."
But let's remember that Mr. Obama has been making much the same attack on the Bush administration. Indeed, the president repeated these attacks on Thursday, saying that the Bush policies on Guantanamo and enhanced interrogation have created more terrorists, betrayed our ideals and made America less safe. In many ways, Mr. Cheney's attacks on Mr. Obama's war policies are simply an example of what goes around comes around.
Finally, and perhaps most important, when your approval ratings are as low as Mr. Cheney's, you have nothing to lose by saying what you think -- and your ratings have nowhere to go but up. And that's just what is happening. A new CNN/Opinion Research survey released the same day as Mr. Cheney's speech showed his approval ratings at 37% -- up eight points since he left office.
In his remarks at the American Enterprise Institute, Mr. Cheney noted that serving as a vice president with no desire for the Oval Office left him free from many of the usual distractions of political ambition. "Today," he told the crowd, "I'm an even freer man . . . a career in politics behind me, no elections to win or lose, and no favor to seek."

It's an interesting if unexpected turn of events. As someone who was largely comfortable with the National Security regime during the Bush Administration, I must say that I enjoy it.

Those who dismiss Cheney without paying attention to the substance of his arguments are making a mistake.

Hasta luego Sr. Taxman

What is the potential outcome of high progressive tax rates for upper income earners? In Maryland it is a 33% decline in the number of those taxpayers, and less government revenue than the pre-tax scenario.

Excessive tax rates chase wealth away and has a negative impact on government revenue. Obama take heed.

Sotomayor

The confirmation of Obama Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor seems a foregone conclusion. Republicans will make a stink, but barring unforeseen roadbumps not uncovered during two previous confirmation hearings, they will be unable to muster sufficient opposition to defeat a confirmation vote. As I mentioned before, I hope they do not block the confirmation on procedural grounds.

What kind of judge will she be? A liberal, but how liberal? The confirmation hearing probably won't tell us much, and her prior record may not portend high court votes.

As this interesting piece from Forbes discusses, there will be some discussion of her views toward business, past reversals, and affirmative action. I'm resigned to the outcome.

Memorial

Today's holiday stems from the ugly necessity of war. I was fascinated by this article about General Curtis LeMay, the man responsible for more civilian deaths than any other American. His life and career are instructive in our time as well.

He made tough choices in a difficult time; one that we would have trouble relating to.

He was not the first and will not be the last. What is heroism? Doing the difficult, but correct thing, regardless of the circumstances. Heroism is not unique to the United States, but we honor and revere those who have fought for this country, and we remember and memorialize those that have died in it's service.

As one who has not served in uniform I express my deep appreciation to our active-duty servicemen and women, our veterans, and their loved ones.

Happy Memorial Day!

To Disagree IV

This is more on Obama's criticism of those Chrysler debtholders that did not want to accept the government's proposed restructuring of the carmaker.

The implications of the governments abrogation of long-respected bankruptcy law will be felt in coming months and years.

More on the issue, from The Economist-

The collapse of Detroit’s giants is a tragedy, affecting tens of thousands of
current and former workers. But the best way to offer them support is directly,
not by gerrymandering the rules. The investors in these firms are easily
portrayed as vultures, but many are entrusted with the savings of ordinary
people, and in any case all have a legal claim that entitles them to due
process. In a crisis it is easy to put politics first, but if lenders fear their
rights will be abused, other firms will find it more expensive to borrow,
especially if they have unionised workforces that are seen to be friendly with
the government.

Word.

Enjoy your Holiday

If you plan to grill, do it right:

Awesome Video Saturday XCII

My brother posted this on Facebook. I look forward to many of these.

The Future of Space

The future of the Space Program is discussed in this article, especially as it relates to the Shuttle Program. The Space Shuttle is ancient technology, and its long-needed replaced is years from effective use. Read the article for an idea of what this means.

This is a great picture of the Space Shuttle silhouetted by the sun.

Awesome Video Saturday XCI

Don't watch this if you don't like awesomeness or hate clowns.

SPOTD #153

We're going on a little trip later today, but I have some posts in the queue, so never fear.

Today's Phrase:
From pioneering industrialist Henry Ford.

Actual
El fracaso es una oportunidad de empezar de nuevo, de manera mas inteligente.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable
Ell frah-cah-so ess oo-nah ah-pore-too-nee-dahd day em-pay-sar day nway-vo, day mah-nair-ah mahs een-tay-lee-hen-tay.

Translation
Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently


Movies
We saw Star Trek. I liked it. More here.

Tracking
Michael Yon is a self and reader-financed journalist who has become well known for dispatches from Afghanistan and Iraq. He has been writing about a tracking school in Borneo and it is fascinating. Soldiers from friendly armies all over the world go to this school to learn both urban and jungle/forest tracking. Good stuff.


I Wonder What's in Here?
This is a helpful article from the Wall Street Journal's health columnist on supposedly healthy foods.

Lava Livin'
There is a huge underwater volcano that has led to adaptations in sea life that are new to many scientists. Pretty cool.

Kryptos
There is a sculpture at the CIA headquarters in Virginia called Kryptos. It contains a code that has not been decyphered in the almost 20 years since the sculpture was dedicated. This is an interesting story about it from Wired.

Conspiring Minds
The internet has made it easier for conspiracy nuts to disseminate theories and ideas. This article helps explain how.

Link of the Day
Although the Swine Flu fears have subsided, authorities have produced a simple test at Do I have Swine Flu? It never hurts to be certain.

Conspiratorial Obfuscation

I primarily posted this because I like the title I came up with.

This post from Ann Althouse digs a little into the New York flyover story (some foul language), and why the pictures released by the White House don't really fit the story they provided. Until we know who was on the plane it will be hard to know what the real story was, if it is indeed something other than what we've been told.

Camille Paglia has been quite critical of the political missteps of the Obama administration. She thinks Obama spokesman Robert Gibbs should have been fired for his handling of the incident. I don't know about that, but I do think that he is a smarmy guy and not very effective.

To Disagree III

This is a timeline of how the government worked on holders of secured Chrysler debt.

As I've mentioned here and here, I'm uncomfortable with the government's lack of respect for bondholders. It will have a negative impact on the ability of companies to raise debt capital.

UPDATE

This is a great article on the Chrysler situation, specifically the legal implications of what the government has proposed in the bankruptcy,

Happy Mother's Day!

I have a wonderful mom, wonderful mother-in-law, wonderful grandmothers, and wonderful sisters.

Most important, I have a beautiful and compassionate wife, who has brought two precious children into our lives and who works so hard for their welfare and mine.

I am a blessed man.

Happy Mother's Day!

Nerd Alert

You could say that I was a lapsed Trekkie. I watched some of the Original Series as a kid, but was a devoted follower of the Next Generation. Later iterations were less interesting to me, though Deep Space Nine was pretty good. I was very excited to see the new movie, happy to see the good reviews, and after watching it I am generally very happy.

Star Trek was dead. After the last show failed to gain traction I didn't expect anything else to come along. I heard about the remake, and thought, what could it hurt? I couldn't figure out how they were going to do it, but the final product is both faithful to the original mythology while opening up a completely new realm of possibility. I don't want to get spoilery here.

The movie had a great opening weekend, much stronger than any other Trek film has done. This bodes well for the future. Most impressively, my sci-fi disdaining better half enjoyed it a lot.

Popular Mechanics took a look at some of the physics of the film. It could have been worse.

A Free Market

Innovation and creativity are alive and well, especially in Apple's AppStore.

Check out this humorous video on some of the more unusual apps available there.

Awesome Video Saturday XC

This is a really cool video. Apparently this group, Playing for Change, travels around and records different street performers playing songs and then mixes them together. It's pretty cool.



It's meant to promote peace across borders and cultures.

Trekkin Tonight

We're going to the 8pm showing of Star Trek. I'm very excited.

I thought this was hilarious-

To Disagree II

I was happy to see someone in the hedge fund industry respond to the President's bullying.

I hope some of the administrations actions are challenged legally.

Cinco de Cuatro

Just in case the President is confused, this is the truth about Cinco de Mayo.

Adios Life

So Life is done. Bummer. It really was a good show. At least the last episode was solid.

I agree with this guy.

RIP Jack Kemp

Jack Kemp passed away over the weekend. He was a great ambassador for Reagan-era conservatism. He articulated the core values of the philosophy, which is the greatest failing of the current Republican Party.

Here is a nice remembrance in the Wall Street Journal and some excerpts from Op-Eds writtem by him that appeared there. Here is a favorite of mine:

In my opinion, people of all colors and income levels don't hate the rich. They want to get rich. They're more interested in generating wealth than they are in redistributing wealth. They want to own property, educate their children and build a nest egg that can be passed on to their heirs. Unfortunately, some aren't able to access the same ladder of opportunity that is so readily available to the majority. . . .
By giving people access to capital and allowing them to take ownership of assets, entrepreneurship will be encouraged and the cycle of poverty can begin to be broken. All persons should have the opportunity to go as high as their merit and determination can carry them. My favorite quote is from Abraham Lincoln, who said, "I don't believe in a law to prevent a man from getting rich; it would do more harm than good. So while we do not propose any war upon capital, we do wish to allow the humblest man an equal chance to get rich with everybody else."
Lincoln's definition of entrepreneurial capitalism is the best I have ever heard.

I like it too.

Out-Google Google?

The UK Independent has an interesting article about a more intelligent software, capable of responding more intelligently to queries. It may be years before it rivals Google to the average consumer, but it is a pretty impressive prospect.

TV'd

We've arrived at the point in the television season when shows are cancelled or renewed. This season has been especially cruel. Battlestar Galactica ended its run. Pushing Daisies was cancelled. Life and The Unit seem likely to be cancelled. Chuck has a chance.

What does this mean? Hopefully that I'll watch less TV. I'm not interested in Jay Leno's new show. The only comedies I really love are The Office and 30 Rock. Less would definitely be better.

I'm most disappointed to see Life go off the air. It is an unusual show, and the last episode provided some closure, but not quite enough for a fan like me. Plus Charlie Crews, the main character, drives a sweet Buick Grand National. My dad owned one in the late 1980's. It was a special car.

Awesome Video Saturday LXXXIX

5 Awesome Minutes:

The Game Happened There

The Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls played a fantastic game last night, a triple-overtime Game 6 match-up. I don't watch that much basketball anymore, but I enjoy the playoffs and root for the Heat. I did grow up a fan of the Bulls, owing to my mom's devotion for Michael Jordan. Given the likelihood of a Heat loss tonight, I am hoping that the Bulls can take this series. I always pull for the East team in the Finals (except for the Pistons), so to have Chicago in there, a young and exciting team and the team of my youth, would be perfect.

After Game 2 of the series, ESPN columnist Bill Simmons predicted that this could be a series for the ages. He was right. He also predicted that Boston's previous experience in the playoffs would be the determinant. We'll find out tomorrow.

For more on why this has been such a great series, check out this piece by SI.com's Ian Thomsen.

To Disagree

President Obama is mad that some hedge funds, holders of bonds issued by Chrysler, were unwilling to accept the terms offered by the administration. Their reluctance is being blamed for Chrysler entering Chapter 11.

The blame for Chrysler's mess belongs with the management, labor unions, and owners. The hedge funds likely belong in that group, but what is not clear is how anyone has the obligation to sacrifice in these situations.

Shared sacrifice is likely to be a continued theme as spending for the President's proposed program and existing entitlements increases. Megan McArdle takes a look at what the Obama Administration has accomplished in its first 100 days, and what it aims to do.

Bad History

On his trip to the Summit of the Americas, Barack Obama received a book from Hugo Chavez. The book is called Open Veins of Latin America, called by some "The Idiot's Bible."

This column (by O'Grady) illustrates why.

SPOTD #152

Coming at you from sunny, and increasingly warm, Florida.

Today's phrase:
An excellent phrase, inspired by one of the items below.

Actual:
Más tocino, por favor.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Mahs toe-see-no, pore fah-vore.

Translation:
More bacon, please.

We've Come a Long Way
Since Joseph's aunt and uncle gave him this little gem at Christmas my love of Nerf weapons has been reborn. I happened upon this retrospective of Nerf's finest creations.

Movies
Disturbia: A pretty good thriller. Not a bad rental. Not all that surprising, and a little grisly, but fun.
Run, Fatboy Run: Very funny british movie that had me a little misty at the end. It's the little boy. Not too Hollywoody, with some wacky, but not totally outrageous characters.
Bolt: The introductory sequence to this movie was great. I would watch a show like that. The kids loved it- "Zoom zoom."
Duplicity: First movie I've seen in the theater since Benjamin Button in December. Not bad, but not great. Slick and well-acted, but insubstantial.

Good Sport
This was a great story from the Miami Herald of a local kid getting an unlikely shot at the NFL. I'm not sure if he got drafted, its a good story.
In less happy news, former BYU quarterback John Beck was cut from the Dolphins. His only legacy is the classy way that he played, but I guess that's better than nothing.

Keep on Shrugging
I've written about Atlas Shrugged 5 Times on the blog. One of my favorite books ever, and it may (MAY) finally be made into a movie.

World's Oldest Lady loves...Bacon
And who can blame her? At 115 years she can do whatever she wants.

Idiot Watch
A German woman jumped into the polar bear exhibit at the Berlin Zoo, and then was attacked. I think she got exactly what she deserved.
Honorable mention? Whoever engineered the flyover of the 747 in New York City on Monday.

Link of the Day
Speaking of biting animals, how many piranhas does it take to eat a person? Click the link and find out.

Running Free

I didn't realize that there was even debate on the issue, but there are some out there who think running shoes do more harm than good. This article from Popular Mechanics looks at some of the arguments for and against.

It is an interesting article, but the comments are even more interesting. There is an evangelical quality to the barefooters that is off-putting, but I am intrigued by the idea of scrapping our existing shoe designs in favor of something that really helps the human body perform better.

I don't know if my knees could handle running is something unpadded on asphalt or concrete, but I'd be willing to give it a try.

Love the Beast

I'm really intrigued by this film, Love the Beast, by actor Eric Bana. It is about his relationship with his Ford Falcon, the car used in the Mad Max films.

I've never had that kind of thing with a car, probably because my two cars have been good, but standard automobiles, and I never grew up building, rebuilding, or fixing them. I do love the story though, I can definitely identify with that feeling.

In an interview, Bana mentions his favorite car ever is the McLaren F1, an opinion I've shared for a long time as well. Once the fastest production car ever made, the McLaren cost about $1 million and the driver sat in the middle. I once saw one in London, one of only a 100 or so made.

Here's the preview for the film.

Awesome Video Saturday LXXXVII

Rockets. Crash. Oblivion. Awesome. Watch it- the payoff is quick.

Go Boldly

As the summer movie season approaches, there is one film whose prospects please me more than any other- Star Trek

I was an avid Trekkie for a long time. I'd watched almost every episode of the original series. I'd watched every episode of the Next Generation at least once, as well as all of the movies many times.

When I left for college I stopped watching regulary. I never watched more than 10 minutes of Enterprise. The magic was gone...until now.

The first glimpses of the movie were promising, but it was not until the first full-length trailer that the scale and production seemed to be truly first-rate.

This is a Variety review for the film. I haven't read anything bad about it yet. I think this will be a huge success, crossing traditional audience boundaries. Lacy will be my test. As she goes, so goes America (at least I think so).

Obama Gets it Right

I have written many times about U.S. trade with Colombia. Colombia has been among our truest allies in this hemisphere, in an environment that often hostile to that stand.

I'd been disappointed with Obama's failure to provide support for the proposed free trade pact with Colombia. It was part of my rational for rejecting his candidacy. While he has not pleased me on every point with regard to trade, this news is wonderful (from Investor's Business Daily):

The president announced that his team must find a way to pass the agreement.
With world trade down 80%, the pact opens new markets to the U.S. He demanded immediate action, asking Colombia's trade minister to fly to Washington this week.
Then it got even better: Obama invited Uribe to the White House and
promised to visit Colombia himself, allowing the Colombians to lay out for him
their vast economic and social progress, and their desire to integrate into
global trade.
In a final flourish, Obama scribbled his autograph onto President Uribe's notes, writing: "To President Uribe, with admiration! Barack H. Obama." A smiling Uribe showed it to reporters. Given Uribe's discretion, it's likely that Obama asked him to do that.
The media made much of Obama's polite gestures to dictators, but he gave them nothing resembling what he gave to Uribe. Name one dictator Obama sat with for lunch. Which troublemaker got a White House invitation? Which tinhorn got a promise to visit?
And has anyone heard of Obama giving his autograph — "with admiration!" — to another president? It was as if Obama himself unclenched his own fist to reach out to the Colombian hand. Obama may have had political reasons to seek out Colombia — the Chavez-Obama pictures didn't do him any good domestically, and Drudge Report ran pictures of them all weekend, infuriating White House officials.
But the outlook for free trade has been improving for several weeks, too. On a visit to Medellin last month, Uribe gave us a veiled signal of positive moves on trade under the surface, and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk has since made encouraging statements.

Credit must be given where it is due. Congressional Democrats may balk at passing the measure, and Obama may be tested, but this is smart politics and smart policy.

------------------------------------
On a completely unrelated note- I hate it when they lip sync the already painful group numbers on American Idol. It is extremely lame. Just wanted to share.

Up or Down

Just a quick note on this op-ed from Democrat Walter Dellinger. An excerpt:

On the eve of George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001, I cautioned fellow
Democrats against "delaying or denying confirmation of nominees to cabinet and
subcabinet posts." I argued on these pages that blocking executive nominees
would weaken the presidency and be counterproductive for the opposition: "If a
president cannot promptly place his chosen people in key offices, he can hardly
be held fully responsible for the missteps of the administration."
In the
past few years, many Republican senators have agreed, saying that it is
unacceptable to filibuster a nominee submitted to the Senate for its "advice and
consent." Some Republicans have gone further than I would, asserting that
filibusters of presidential nominations are unconstitutional.
I was therefore
taken aback by recent speculation that Republicans might filibuster two of
President Barack Obama's key nominees: Dawn Johnsen, to head the Justice
Department's Office of Legal Counsel; and Harold Koh, to be legal adviser to the
State Department.

I hope the speculation turns out to be unfounded. It may well be. It would be wrong to perpetrate an unfortunate and damaging practice. To the victor go the spoils.

Missing out

Mary Anastasia O'Grady has often been cited in the SPOTD. I'm a fan of her writing, and given my leanings it should be no surprise that I agree with her assessment of the recent Summit of the Americas:

If President Barack Obama's goal at the fifth Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago this weekend was to be better liked by the region's dictators and left-wing populists than his predecessor George W. Bush, the White House can chalk up a win.
If, on the other hand, the commander in chief sought to advance American ideals, things didn't go well. As the mainstream press reported, Mr. Obama seemed well received. But the freest country in the region took a beating from Venezuela's Hugo Chávez, Bolivia's Evo Morales, and Nicaragua's Danny Ortega.

The president is still new on the job, but this seems another missed opportunity:

The first black U.S. president could have named hundreds of others being held in inhumane conditions by the white dictator. He could have also asked Brazil's President Lula da Silva, Chile's President Michelle Bachelet and Mexico's Felipe Calderón where they stand on human rights for all Cubans. Imagine if Mr. Obama asked for a show of hands to find out who believes Cubans are less deserving of freedom than, say, the black majority in South Africa under apartheid or Chileans during the Pinochet dictatorship. Then again, that would be no way to win a popularity contest or to ingratiate yourself with American supporters who are lining up to do business in Cuba.
Instead the U.S. president simply floated down the summit river passively bouncing off whatever obstacles he encountered. The Chávez "gift" of the 1971 leftist revolutionary handbook "Open Veins of Latin America" followed by a suggestion of renewing ambassadorial relations was an insult to the American people. Granted, giving the Venezuelan attention would have been counterproductive. But Mr. Obama ought to have complained loudly about that country's aggression. It has supported Colombian terrorists, drug trafficking and Iran's nuclear ambitions. As former CIA director Michael Hayden told Fox News Sunday, "the behavior of President Chávez over the past years has been downright horrendous -- both internationally and with regard to what he's done internally inside Venezuela."

So far Obama seems to be using a foreign policy approach that is all carrot and no stick.

Itchin'

I'm eager to write about all the goings-on in Latin American politics, but haven't had the chance to do it justice. That will be my focus this week...to my 3 readers.

Awesome Video Saturday LXXXVI

I'm quite excited to see the new Wolverine Movie, but I couldn't wait, so here is the pirated version.

Wolverine ENTIRE MOVIE Leaked Online

Snipin'

This is a brief look at one US Army sniper. The snipers who took out three of the four Somali did their job. This guy teaches snipers how to get to that point.

Talking Taxes

I believe that the average American is willing to pay taxes. We understand that the military, education, and infrastructure all cost money, and we value these services. There are some who are opposed to all taxes. This is an unrealistic and naive point of view, and I'm not going to defend it. What I do want to defend is the tremendous frustration Americans feel with the level of taxation relative to the quality of administration and use of those monies.

During the last 6 months the Federal Government has committed tremendous amounts of money with the stated purpose of improving the nation's economic situation. Much of this, as with the stimulus, was hastily organized and approved, laying bare any pretext that legislators knew what they were doing. This was further exacerbated by the belated admission of Senator Dodd that a highly unpopular provision regarding contractual bonus obligations had come from his office. Most legislation is not written by legislators but by their aides and lobbyist allies. This is not shocking or, to me, all that disturbing. It is distasteful to pretend otherwise and Dodd's failure is but one example.

Today there were significant protests all over the country. You can see pictures here and here. As Glenn Reynolds writes in today's WSJ:

In the old days, organizing large groups of people required, well, an organization: a political party, a labor union, a church or some other sort of structure. Now people can coordinate themselves.
We saw a bit of this in the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns, with things like Howard Dean's use of Meetup, and Barack Obama's use of Facebook. But this was still social-networking in support of an existing organization or campaign. The tea-party protest movement is organizing itself, on its own behalf. Some existing organizations, like Newt Gingrich's American Solutions and FreedomWorks, have gotten involved. But they're involved as followers and facilitators, not leaders. The leaders are appearing on their own, and reaching out to others through blogs, Facebook, chat boards and alternative media.

These protests are not party-based. Average Americans feel betrayed by the political establishment, thus the dramatic difference between support for Barack Obama (the man) and the ruling Democratic Party. The Republicans are no better off, despite mostly ineffective attempts to serve as the loyal opposition. The National Chair of the Republican Party, Michael Steele, saw his offer to speak at a protest turned down, so disconnected is any party from this movement.

We find the false piety of our leaders offensive. The sneaky substitution of government action for private philanthropy, proposed by those interested in strengthening the position of government, is belied by their own behavior. Vice-President Joe Biden, who extolled the patriotism implicit in the payment of taxes, was a decidedly poor contributor to charitable causes according to 6 years of tax returns. This is not the only determinant of charitable intent, but it is telling.

There is a trust gap at every level of government. It is not universal, but it is considerable and appears to be growing. We are not an odd subset of the populace. We are interested and aware, and done with the intellectual dishonesty of the political establishment.

Today may be the first of many tax protest days to come. This is a good thing.

¡More on los Piratas!

The Navy's aggressive actions against Somali pirates seems to have emboldened some of them.

This is a very interesting look at why piracy is no longer treated as a capital crime.

Is it Rocket Science?

How hard is it to fire a rocket? The linked point-counterpoint provides some insight into the recent North Korean missile launch.

Doing it Right

The captain of the merchant ship captured by pirates off Somalia has been freed. Navy sharpshooters (apparently SEALS) took out 3 of the 4 pirates, who had been aiming their weapons at the captain. He has given all credit to the US Navy, but as the president of the shipping company stated, Captain Richard Phillips exemplified some of the best traditions of the merchant marine.

There seems to be great uncertainty regarding how to legally react to modern piracy. These would be my rules:

Board a ship that doesn't belong to you, attempt any theft, detention, or seizure of property or personnel, especially as part of a group not sanctioned by any recognized state, and you forfeit your life.

Awesome Video Saturday LXXXV

I think I remember this commercial. Let's see if you recognize the game player. Hint: his name rhymes with Shmall Shmudd. The SNES was awesome, and I think Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past may still be one of the best games of all time.



This is a pretty creative Cliffs Notes version of Forrest Gump.

Atlas Filmed

This is the 5th time that I have written about Atlas Shrugged on this blog, the first time being 18 October 2006.

I got this link from my old friend Tim. The recent increase of government involvement in our economic affairs is again pushing Atlas Shrugged to the fore as a potential film production. It will be an extremely difficult film to adapt. For one thing it is set in a 50's era period where oil production, railroads, and steel were the backbone of the American economy. I don't think it will work as a period piece, so bringing it to the modern era seems essential but thorny.

Let's see if this renewed enthusiasm goes anywhere.

Questioner

I've written before about how my issues with Global Warming orthodoxy are really the only source of conflict. I don't know enough to say that their theory of man-made warming is wrong. I know that I find their data unconvincing and their methods ineffective.

What is a telling sign of the weakness of their science is the reaction of Global Warmists to "conscientious objectors." One such person is Freeman Dyson, who is profiled in this New York Times Magazine article:

Dyson says he doesn’t want his legacy to be defined by climate change, but his dissension from the orthodoxy of global warming is significant because of his stature and his devotion to the integrity of science. Dyson has said he believes that the truths of science are so profoundly concealed that the only thing we can really be sure of is that much of what we expect to happen won’t come to pass. In “Infinite in All Directions,” he writes that nature’s laws “make the universe as interesting as possible.” This also happens to be a fine description of Dyson’s own relationship to science. In the words of Avishai Margalit, a philosopher at the Institute for Advanced Study, “He’s a consistent reminder of another possibility.” When Dyson joins the public conversation about climate change by expressing concern about the “enormous gaps in our knowledge, the sparseness of our observations and the superficiality of our theories,” these reservations come from a place of experience. Whatever else he is, Dyson is the good scientist; he asks the hard questions. He could also be a lonely prophet. Or, as he acknowledges, he could be dead wrong.

I really hope you read the article. Dyson is a fascinating man, and above all, a good scientist. I don't think we would agree on everything. His politics ar emore liberal than mine, but he does share my disdain for Al Gore and James Hanson. He asks tough questions and his kind of dissent is the kind that we need.

Foreign Aid ≠ Reduction in Poverty

According to this article by the Journal's Mary Anastasia O'Grady, foreign aid has not been an effective means of alleviating poverty in Latin America.

The following excerpt is helpful:

In a recent book titled "Lessons From the Poor" about successful entrepreneurs in the developing world, researcher Alvaro Vargas Llosa echoes these insights. "The decisive element" in bringing a society out of poverty is "the development of the entrepreneurial reserves that exist in its men and women," Mr. Vargas Llosa writes. "The institutions that grant more freedom to their citizens and more security to their citizens' possessions are those that best facilitate the accumulation of wealth."
It is obvious that economic liberty and property rights are the key drivers of development, and that there is no correlation between the volume of foreign aid a country receives and its respect for these values. Yet what is more troubling is the IDB's reputation for working against liberalization in the region, most notoriously, against the flat tax. With its institutional checkbook it easily overpowers civic groups that try to limit the power of government. In doing so it promotes neither development nor just societies.

Freer economic systems are critical to alleviating poverty in developing nations, IF that freedom is accompanied by enshrined respect for property rights.

When will we be able to demand the kind of results from our intergovernmental organizations that Washington is demanding from the management of public companies.

Big Trouble in little Korea

North Korea launched a missile over the weekend with the ability to strike long-range targets. During his time as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, and since leaving that post, John Bolton has been a steadfast proponent of taking a tough line with North Korea.

In yesterday's Wall Street Journal he lays blame (rightfully) at the feet of the Bush administration, but puts the responsibility for future action firmly on President Obama's shoulders. This is appropriate, and one of Bolton's observations is particularly important:

Once the missile shot was complete, the administration's answer was hand-wringing, more rhetoric and, oh yes, the obligatory trip to the U.N. Security Council so that it could scold the defiant DPRK. Beyond whatever happens in the Security Council, Mr. Obama seems to have no plan whatever.

Obama may indeed have a plan, but so far he has failed to impress on foreign policy matters. His failed attempts to get help from Russia on Iran, and Iran's own rejection of his attempts at dialogue have seemed amateurish and naive.

Be Afraid

Stuart Varney makes a very direct assertion in his Saturday WSJ op-ed:

The government wants to control the banks, just as it now controls GM and Chrysler, and will surely control the health industry in the not-too-distant future. Keeping them TARP-stuffed is the key to control. And for this intensely political president, mere influence is not enough. The White House wants to tell 'em what to do. Control. Direct. Command.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration has failed to assuage Varney's fear, or my own. Varney continues:

Here's a true story first reported by my Fox News colleague Andrew Napolitano (with the names and some details obscured to prevent retaliation). Under the Bush team a prominent and profitable bank, under threat of a damaging public audit, was forced to accept less than $1 billion of TARP money. The government insisted on buying a new class of preferred stock which gave it a tiny, minority position. The money flowed to the bank. Arguably, back then, the Bush administration was acting for purely economic reasons. It wanted to recapitalize the banks to halt a financial panic.
Fast forward to today, and that same bank is begging to give the money back. The chairman offers to write a check, now, with interest. He's been sitting on the cash for months and has felt the dead hand of government threatening to run his business and dictate pay scales. He sees the writing on the wall and he wants out. But the Obama team says no, since unlike the smaller banks that gave their TARP money back, this bank is far more prominent. The bank has also been threatened with "adverse" consequences if its chairman persists. That's politics talking, not economics.

That's change, but not much hope. We should be very, very vigilant.
On a lighter note, I loved this picture (via Instapundit):


This is the article that inspired the clever photoshop. Yet more reason to have concern about the expansion of executive economic power.

SPOTD #151

It hasn't been that long since the last edition. I've just read a lot of great stuff, especially the link of the day.
I'll be pulling for Michigan State tonight. UNC is pretty formidable. Should be a good game.

Today's phrase:
From Winston Churchill. He would know.

Actual:
El éxito es aprender a ir de fracaso en fracaso sin desesperar.

Phonetic with emphasis on bold syllable:
Ell ake-see-toe ess ah-prain-dare ah eer day frah-cah-so enn frah-cah-so seen dace-ace-pare-ar.

Translation:
Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

Rare Dolphins
A large group of endangered Irrawaddy dolphins was found near Bangladesh. This is great, and not just because these dolphins look like alien dolphins (they are actually more closely related to orcas than the familiar bottlenose dolphins).

Battlestar Blues
I am feeling the lack of one of my favorite shows, Battlestar Galactica, and it looks like I'm not alone.
Another show has left the air, ER, and I think that it did so quite well.

Bad Film = Good Humor
Eric Snider reviews Bruce Willis' 1991 film Hudson Hawk:

Die Hard and Die Hard 2: Die More Harder were huge hits in 1988 and 1990, and that gave Willis the confidence to try an idea he'd come up with himself. The concept: a grating action-comedy where the action doesn't make sense and the comedy isn't funny.
The film: Hudson Hawk
The result: I CANNOT SEE YOU, FOR I HAVE CLAWED MY EYES OUT.

Black Market Spokane
A ban on detergents deemed environmentally unfriendly has led residents of Spokane Washington to Idaho.

Bad Call
An interesting bit of history has emerged between T.S. Elliot and George Orwell. Orwell orginally sent the classic book Animal Farm to the publisher where Elliot was director. It was rejected, as its politics were not all that convincing. Very interesting in retrospect.

Link of the Day
I saw this on the Travel Channel- it is something called the Hellfire Challenge at a wing joint called SmokeEaters. The extra-hot sauce has the equivalent of 1/2 a Habanero pepper PER WING! I once ate two habaneros as part of a pepper challenge, but I had non of the restrictions of this place:

1. SIGN WAIVER FORM ADMITTING THAT YOU ARE AN IDIOT FOR THE DAMAGE YOU WILL BE CAUSING YOUR MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT FOR ATTEMPTING THE HELLFIRE CHALLENGE.
2. PARTICPANT HAS 10 MINUTES TO EAT 12 WINGS TO THE BONE.
3. AFTER EATING 12 WINGS PARTICPANT MUST WAIT AN ADDITIONAL 5 MINUTES AT THE TABLEBEFORE EATING OR DRINKING ANYTHING.
4. NOTHING TO EAT OR DRINK DURING THE CHALLENGE INCLUDING THE 5 MINUTE WAITING PERIOD.
5. NO NAPKINS ARE ALLOWEED TO BE USED DURING THE CHALLENGE OR DURING THE 5 MINUTE WAITING PERIOD.
6. PARTICPANT MUST LICK CLEAN ANY SAUCE ON HANDS BEFORE THE 5 MINUTE WAITING PERIODWILL START.

This is just nuts. Would any of you try it?

Obamajama (I just like how it sounds)

I wrote the other day about favorable treatment of Obama in the media. This is also manifest in the broader coverage of Obama's visit to Europe, as explained by Victor Davis Hanson:

Blair was denigrated as Bush’s poodle, although his eloquence and influence over Bush were clear to all. In contrast, Gordon Brown is embarrassingly obsequious to Obama, in a way Blair never was around Bush. And in further contrast, Obama shows an airy, polite disdain at being courted in such grubby fashion—while Bush was downright magnanimous in taking advice from Blair. Didn’t Brown get the message with the unviewable DVDs, the return of the Churchill bust, the ‘UK size of Oregon’ analogies? And will the press do a Brit “poodle” story?

There is more good stuff in Hanson's analysis, including the ideological inconsistency of many protestors and Obama's shifting of U.S. policy firmly to the left.

Awesome Video Saturday LXXXIV

This video is awesome. Bibbity Bobbity Bacon!

I ♥ Adam Smith('s ideas)

I am a unapologetic capitalist. One of the most frustrating things for me during this economic turmoil has been the frequent post mortems of capitalism. It is far to early to declare it a failed system.

The more likely culprit of our malaise stems not from capitalist principles, but misguided regulations. That is not to say that capitalism is a perfect system, but the direction that Obama is taking makes me uncomfortable.

My point is that Capitalism, in particular as it was explained by its father Adam Smith, should not be abandoned, especially in favor of Keynesian economics. This article from Standpoint, a UK magazine, demonstrates the multi-layered capitalism, simplified far too often in our day.

It's kind of long, but just print it out or bookmark it. It's worth the read.

Needle in a Haystack?

You've got to see these photos from Afghanistan. Bomb-sniffing dogs are used there in the same way that they are used in the states, and to great effect.

The dog's effectiveness is impressive, but this find demonstrates the scope of the problem in Afghanistan.

Rose-Colored Glasses

Drudge linked to this report in the UK Daily Mail. Quentin Letts analyzes Obama's conference with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Letts is not all that kind in his estimation of Obama's performance, but he isn't overly critical either:

Allegedly the most charismatic politician in the world, Mr Obama was a disappointment. It sounded as though he had a blocked nose and so his lack of energy may have been a symptom of a cold. Jet lag, too. He probably wished he could have stayed in bed...
He spoke slowly, in a meandering manner. Some might say that he was thoughtful and professorial. Others might call his manner circuitous, even yarny.

Am I saying that he was a bore? Oh dear. I find that I possibly am.
But in a good way, arguably. He came across as a president who would consult and think thrice before bombing the smithereens out of a foreign capital.
This, comrades, can be counted progress.

I imagine Letts really feels this way, but I am flummoxed by this man's insistence at looking at everything Obama did so positively, and especially by the conclusion that he draws to Obama's potentially superior decision-making process. We've seen little to justify that optimism here.