Retrophisch

links for 2009-11-13

retrophisch — 2009-11-13T22:07:20-06:00

The Healthy Way To Work | Men’s Journal

"Five relatively minor adjustments to prevent big chronic problems later."

(tags: ergonomics health)

Economic Myths and Irrelevancy

retrophisch — 2009-11-09T18:55:28-06:00

There is no more reliable rule than the 95 percent rule: 95 percent of what you read about economics and finance is either wrong or irrelevant.

[…]

[T]he most repeated statement about the cause of the U.S. Great Depression is that it was caused by the October 1929 stock market crash. How could that be? By April 1930, the stock market had recovered to its pre-crash level. What is not taught in history books is the Great Depression was caused by a massive government failure. The most important part of that failure were the actions by the Federal Reserve Bank that led to the contraction of the money supply by 25 percent. Then, in the name of saving jobs, Congress enacted the Smoot-Hawley Act in June 1930, which increased U.S. tariffs by more than 50 percent. Other nations retaliated and world trade collapsed. U.S. unemployment rose from 8 percent in 1930 to 25 percent in 1933. In 1932, the Herbert Hoover administration and a Democratic Congress imposed the largest tax increase in U.S. history, raising the top tax rate on income from 25 percent to 63 percent. The Roosevelt administration followed these destructive policies with New Deal legislation that massively regulated the economy and extended the Great Depression to after World War II.

Have today’s politicians and their economic advisers learned anything from yesteryear’s policy that turned what would have been a short, sharp downturn in the economy into a 16-year affair? The answer is very little.

Obama and the Liberal Paradigm

retrophisch — 2009-11-04T17:30:24-06:00

John Steele Gordon:

Not only does the liberal paradigm not even come close to agreeing with the social and economic reality on the ground today, worse, it has largely congealed into a political religion, especially in the nearly 30 years since Ronald Reagan shifted the nation’s political center of gravity, just as FDR had done 48 years earlier. Since liberals care about the sheep, all who disagree with liberalism must not, making them morally inferior if not downright immoral. Thus the nastiness in American politics is largely on the left. Whatever you think of Sarah Palin, her treatment in the liberal press was ugliness personified.

links for 2009-10-27

retrophisch — 2009-10-27T23:08:00-06:00

How Red Cross Delivers Messages To Hostages : NPR

In case you've ever wondered, as I have.

(tags: hostage redcross terrorism)

Too bad we haven't abided by this in decades

retrophisch — 2009-10-25T01:28:40-06:00

“[T]he present Constitution is the standard to which we are to cling. Under its banners, bona fide must we combat our political foes — rejecting all changes but through the channel itself provides for amendments.” —Alexander Hamilton

links for 2009-10-21

retrophisch — 2009-10-21T23:07:30-06:00

Voting Present Is Not an Option - Victor Davis Hanson - The Corner on National Review Online

Not surprisingly, more common sense from VDH on what our President should be doing with regard to Afghanistan.

(tags: Afghanistan nationalsecurity Obama politics terrorism)
Incredible Pictures Formed by Thousands of US Soldiers | WildAmmo.com

"Astounding photographs taken by photographers Arthur S. Mole and John D. Thomas. These photos display tens of thousands of American soldiers posing as symbols of American history."

(tags: army art history marine military photo photography soldier)

links for 2009-10-15

retrophisch — 2009-10-15T23:06:52-06:00

The cast of Seinfeld on Twitter. - By Frank Ferri - Slate Magazine

If Twitter had been a subject of conversation during an episode of Seinfeld.

(tags: humor Seinfeld Twitter)

links for 2009-10-12

retrophisch — 2009-10-12T23:06:37-06:00

It Was The Best Night Ever

And how many of you, hitting this site after seeing tonight's How I Met Your Mother, suddenly had some late '80s/early '90s big hair band MTV flashbacks?

(tags: fun music parody television video)
Star Wars: A New Hope Lego Chess - a set on Flickr

This is pretty amazing.

(tags: chess Flickr fun LEGO starwars toys)

The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran

retrophisch — 2009-10-12T20:41:49-06:00

Jamie Glazov interviews Robert Spencer for FrontPage Magazine, on Spencer’s new book, The Complete Infidel’s Guide to the Koran (Amazon link).

Money quotes:

Spencer: Political correctness would have us believe that the Koran is a book of peace, and that anyone who says otherwise is “bigoted,” “hateful,” and “Islamophobic.” But is it, really? What the Koran really says can easily be verified. If the Koran really curses Jews and Christians (9:30) and calls for warfare against them in order to bring about their subjugation (9:29), it is not “Islamophobic” to forewarn Infidels by pointing this out. It is simply a fact. And it should go without saying that it is not a fact that should move any reader of my book to hate anyone. The fact that the Koran counsels warfare against unbelievers should move readers to act in defense of freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the legal equality of all people, before it is too late.

[…]

But most government and media analysts dare not even question the assumption that the Koran is peaceful, for they believe that any insinuation to the contrary is racist, bigoted, and effectively brands all Muslims as terrorists. In other words, they think the implications of the possibility that the Koran teaches warfare against unbelievers are too terrible to even contemplate. Thus, many policymakers simply assume the Koran teaches peace without bothering to study the text. They do this to their own peril — and ours.

links for 2009-10-11

retrophisch — 2009-10-11T23:04:30-06:00

The Weekly Standard - Meet the People Who Were Passed Over for Obama

The Nobel Committee could have given the Peace Prize to: an Afghan women's rights activist who opposed the Taliban during its rule; a former hostage held for six year; a Congolese doctor who founded a hospital and has dedicated his life to helping women and girls who are victims of rape and other sexual violence; an organization dedicated to clearing land mines; or two Chinese activists, each imprisoned for their outspokenness on the need for reform in China.

But let's roll with the done-nothing empty suit instead…

(tags: nobel obama politics)

Seven

retrophisch — 2009-10-11T11:26:40-06:00

Wow. Seven years as of yesterday.

Seven years ago, I had a great job. A career in IT.

Seven years ago, we hadn’t been in our new house even a full year.

Seven years ago, we were churchless.

Seven years ago, we were childless.

Now, I do not have a career in IT, but I do have a job: being a stay-at-home dad. And it’s awesome.

Now, we’ve been in the house nearly eight years.

Now, not only do we have a church, but that church has given me my best friend, and yet another purpose: leading some of our collegians in Bible study.

Now, we have two wonderful boys, six and thirteen months. They are absolute joys.

I’m blogging less. Twittering more. Chasing a little guy all around the house. Having fun.

It’s not all a bed of roses, but there are more ups than downs, and I thank God for all of these blessings.

Disastrously bad, ridicule-inviting choices

retrophisch — 2009-10-09T13:20:01-06:00

Tony Woodlief:

It seems to me that if you’re going to be in the business of making disastrously bad, ridicule-inviting choices, you need to select people with a long track record of feckless, reckless, irrelevant, crowd-pleasing stupidity on an international scale. People like Jimmy Carter, in other words.

Seriously, couldn’t the committee find a murderous thug who, seeing that his bread might be buttered on the side of temporary peace, recently signed some meaningless treaty? And if they wanted an American, couldn’t they find someone with a solid history of lecturing his countrymen about our moral failings?

What’s missing this year, in other words, is outrage. There’s just nothing to be incensed about. Obama certainly shows plenty of promise of becoming Carteresque, what with looming inflation and a seeming inability to make decisions about the military, but he needs time to stumble into that role. Giving him the award now just makes everyone go “Huh?” And I think what the committee is really looking for is “Ack!”

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...

retrophisch — 2009-10-09T00:03:44-06:00

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can… from Chris Turner on Vimeo.

So back on the first of September, a mere week after the boy started full-blown walking, I find Samuel attempting to climb atop the ottoman. So I grabbed my camera and started shooting. So far as we know, this was his first summit attempt and success.

We need a bigger House?

retrophisch — 2009-10-06T23:52:58-06:00

Jonah Goldberg, National Review Online :

Beyond principle, there are practical reasons to expand Congress. For decades, presidential candidates have promised to change the “way Washington works.” But once elected, they’re soon captured by their own congressional parties, which are in turn beholden to the “old bulls” and constituencies rooted in interests outside their districts.

A Congress of, say, 5,000 citizen-legislators would change that overnight. Would it cost more money? Yes. But today’s huge staffs could be cut, and perks and pork might even be curtailed by using the old chewing gum rule: If there’s not enough for everyone, nobody can have any.

Term-limit activists have the right idea — getting new blood in Washington — but their remedy is anti-democratic. The trick is to swamp Congress with new blood and new ideas. Want more minorities in Congress? Done. Want more libertarians? More socialists? More blue-collar workers? Done, done, done.

In free-speech debates, it’s often said that the cure for bad speech is more speech. Well, the cure for a calcified Congress just might be more members; the remedy for an undemocratic system, more democracy.

It’s certainly interesting to think about. Be sure to read the whole thing. The representation of Montana versus Rhode Island should immediately show you something’s wrong.

links for 2009-10-04

retrophisch — 2009-10-04T23:05:19-06:00

First Look: 2011 McLaren MP4-12C

It hasn't displaced Aston Martin on my fantasy super cars-to-own list, but it did knock the Porsche GT3 down a notch.

(tags: automobiles cars mclaren)