A tale of two stimuli
In response to the Great Recession, the Obama Administration prepared a stimulus package: The American Recovery and Investment Act injected nearly $800 billion into the US economy, through a...
View ArticleThe unanswered austerity question: What level of debt is ideal?
Right now, a big chunk of the political class in the US, including the President, is in the mood for a little austerity. The public debt is just too high, so sayeth the punditocracy. Some go far as to...
View ArticleSocial Security and "funny money"
Social Security has been in the news lately, with the decision of current Texas governor and GOP presidential hopeful Rick "W²" Perry to refer to the program as a Ponzi scheme. While his rhetoric has...
View ArticleRandom Facebook thought for the day...
I've got a great idea for a cheesy sci-fi TV show. In said show, a group of futuristic astro-archeologists, led by a Really Nerdy Guy played by William Peterson, zooms 'round the galaxy from dead...
View ArticleThoughts on the "liberal media"
Think about it, folks:If the media were really a "liberal media"--i.e. in the tank for liberal policies and politicians, would we really be hearing about in the media how liberal the media were? After...
View ArticleWhen the chain of command fails
The sports world has been abuzz at the shocking story of former Penn State assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, who was recently indicted on multiple counts of sexual abuse. Much attention has been focused...
View ArticleOn the ouster of UO president Richard Lariviere
This past week, the Oregon State Board of Higher Educationannounced that they would not be renewing the contract of University of Oregon president Richard Lariviere. Tensions had long existed between...
View ArticleThe Fourth Directive of economic policy
The 1987 Peter Verhoeven dystopian science-fiction film Robocop concerns the adventures of the title character--a prototype cyborg law enforcement officer, constructed from the remains of a dead...
View ArticleA Bruce Springsteen classic updated for the Youtube era
I bought a bourgeois loft down in the PearlPut it on my credit card, with my girlMan came by to hook up my ISPWe settled in for the night my baby and me We surfed 'round the Youtube ’til half-past down...
View ArticleDenver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow renounces Christianity
Denver, CO. A day after his Denver Broncos were defeated 41-23 at Sports Authority Field in Denver, starting quarterback Tim Tebow, long known for his frequent sideline prayers, announced that he was...
View ArticleThe Presdiential Candidate's Song
Scholars at Oxford have recently discovered, within the archives, the libretto to a previously-unknown Gilbert and Sullivan opera, The Pirates of Finance. One aria is of particular note, as by utterly...
View ArticleDid the 9th Circuit just legalize same-sex marriage--in Oregon?
Today, the 9th Circuit issued its decision in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (also known as Perry v. Brown, as Ahnold is no longer the governator), overturning California's Proposition 8, clearing the way for...
View ArticleOf Jeremy and John
The two big sports stories of the past week have both come out of New York City. One is the Giants' victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI, which is not relevant to this article....
View ArticleOn the passing of Andrew Brietbart
This morning I woke up to discover that conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart had died suddenly at the age of 43. The media commentary on him and his untimely demise consisted of much praise and...
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A tale of two graphs
I was going to write a longer article on this subject, but I decided to be brief this time. (And #$!#$ Blogger swallowed my post). Here are two graphs showing the historical costs, over the past...
View ArticleMore on the politics of high gas prices.
In the last post, we noted that the political response of the US public to high gasoline prices is, how shall we say it, more severe than the political response to high healthcare costs. And therein...
View ArticleOccupy Tea Party?
In his New York Times column this morning, Ross Douthat noted the apparent demise of Americans Elect, the group that was trying to nominate a third-party centrist candidate to run in the middle,...
View ArticleThe health-care play by play I'd love to hear
If politics is football, here's the play-by-play I'd love to here."What a ballgame, folks! We've had several lead changes in the fourth quarter, and now the Elephants have just called time. They have...
View ArticleHonest politician refuses to kiss ugly baby
Sabine Parish, LA (AP)A candidate for the Louisiana House of Representatives caused a minor stir today when he refused to kiss a baby offered by a supporter at a political rally, saying that the child...
View ArticleMore Gilbert and Sullivan--this time for the President
When the GOP's not causing unemployment (unemployment)And trying to drown the baby in the tub (in the tub)On the golf course Speaker Boehner gives enjoyment (gives enjoyment)Though he thinks that I...
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