Considerations

An Israel-Palestine Partition After Current Negotiations?

Samuel J. Scott — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 01:52:03 +0000

JERUSALEM — I was going to write an analysis of the current Israeli-Palestinian negotiations occurring right now in Washington, D.C., but I could not think of anything interesting to say since the present talks are nothing more than political theater. So, here some interesting articles after which I will provide further commentary. Stratfor, a non-partisan [...] Related posts:

Wives and Concubines in Modern Dating

Samuel J. Scott — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:14:19 +0000

The Spearhead (ahem) looks at Western society and sees more and more women purportedly choosing to become "modern concubines": If one takes a close look at contemporary American society, it appears that concubinage is gradually reasserting itself in Western culture and law. This is an inevitable result of the idea that men have an obligation [...] Related posts:

The End of the Music Album and David Bowie Lyrics

Samuel J. Scott — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:44:58 +0000

For several decades, there was a trend in popular music named the “concept album.” Sadly, however, the trend seems to be dying: For decades, the music industry has been looking to the album charts to establish what made a hit. In the past 10 years, though, album sales have plummeted, sales of singles have surged [...] Related posts:

Letter from Israel: Theories of Poverty in America and Israel

Samuel J. Scott — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:49:10 +0000

Twentieth in an ongoing series JERUSALEM — As much as I love working and writing from home during the day, there is one negative: The children next door. No, I don’t hate kids. Let me explain. Israel is a small, dense country. As a result, most people live extremely close to each other. The picture [...] Related posts:

Improving Journalism Worldwide Despite Political Bias

Samuel J. Scott — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:16:52 +0000

BOSTON — When I was an editorial assistant at the Boston Globe while in college in the summer and fall of 2000, the newspaper went through a major redesign. The “Metro” section was renamed “City & Region” (to improve branding in suburban areas). The newsprint, font, and type size were changed (to make the print [...] Related posts:

Understanding Politics and Partisanship

Samuel J. Scott — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:37:12 +0000

BOSTON — New York Times columnist David Brooks proves once again why he is my favorite Republican: Many conservatives declare that Barack Obama is a Muslim because it feels so good to say so. Many liberals would never ask themselves why they were so wrong about the surge in Iraq while George Bush was so [...] Related posts:

How to Deal With Bill Collectors Calling at Work

Samuel J. Scott — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:18:12 +0000

In 2009, U.S. consumer debt was $2.5 trillion. In January 2008, more than 4% of credit cards were more than thirty days past-due. The total amount of U.K. consumer debt now exceeds the country’s GDP. These are just a few of the available statistics. I am sure it has only become worse. As a result, [...] Related posts:

Sarit Hadad Lyrics and Israeli-Music Culture

Samuel J. Scott — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:00:27 +0000

JERUSALEM -- From Britney Spears in the United States to Sarit Hadad in Israel to the Bendaly Family in Lebanon, everyone seems to like cheesy, pop music. It might be the only thing that these three countries have in common. In a recent episode of the Israeli version of "American Idol," pop singer Sarit Hadad [...] Related posts:

Can Game Dating Help Men to Pick-Up Girls?

Samuel J. Scott — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:00:38 +0000

Roissy in D.C., now Citizen Renegade, usually writes about the "Game" tactic of dating for men and how feminism is purportedly destroying Western society. In a recent post, he rattles off dating tips for men. Some of his tips, with my commentary, are below. I have left out many that are vulgar. Marriage counselors could [...] Related posts:

Demographic Factors, Changing Demographics, and Economic Trends

Samuel J. Scott — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 23:08:36 +0000

Mark Steyn has made a living from his catchphrase “demographics is destiny.” He is usually referring to the higher birth-rates of Muslims in Europe than native Europeans and the continent’s possible demographic future as a result. But the phrase may be useful in economic analysis as well. Goldman Sachs recently published a paper entitled “Current [...] Related posts:

Housing Bubble Blog: After the Housing Boom

Samuel J. Scott — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:50:26 +0000

Did anyone who has been paying attention not see this coming: Sales of previously built single-family homes plunged in July to their lowest level since May 1995 as job fears trumped today’s low mortgage interest rates and relatively affordable home prices. The sales of existing single-family homes, condominiums and townhouses fell to a seasonally adjusted [...] Related posts:

Barack “Hussein” Obama, Birthplace, and Globalization

Samuel J. Scott — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 17:01:23 +0000

JERUSALEM — David P. Goldman, a.k.a. Spengler, argues that the “debate” whether Barack Obama is a Christian or Muslim misses the real point: Today’s Google News leads with a new poll showing that 18% of Americans think that Barack Hussein Obama is a Muslim. Only 34% of Americans think he is a Christian, down from [...] Related posts:

Gypsy News: France Expels Many Romany Gypsies

Samuel J. Scott — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 23:00:13 +0000

LONDON — Europe is starting to get sick of modern-day Gypsies: More than 100 Gypsies, or Roma, were put on a charter flight to their native Romania on Friday, the second day in a row that France has expelled Roma in a much-criticized government crackdown… President Nicolas Sarkozy announced the crackdown on Roma in late [...] Related posts:

Geotagging Photos

Samuel J. Scott — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:39:13 +0000

The photos you post online may reveal more about yourself than you know. See here. Related posts:How SEO Killed Headlines Related posts:

How SEO Killed Headlines

Why Economic Growth Will Not Return After Banking Crisis and Inflation

Samuel J. Scott — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:32:32 +0000

The latest government financial-aid package seems again to help the banks more than the public: Banks will get the biggest benefit from an Obama administration housing program designed to help unemployed homeowners escape foreclosure. Housing experts expressed concern that banks, not homeowners, will be helped by the White House’s $3 billion funding infusion — $2 [...] Related posts:

Men Work More than Women

Samuel J. Scott — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:11:15 +0000

A common response to posts like mine on why modern women are angry is something like “men and women both work, while women still do most of the housework and more work overall.” Well, that would be wrong: A study published this week by Dr Catherine Hakim of the London School of Economics has found [...] Related posts:

Why Men and Women Cheat and Online-Dating Websites

Samuel J. Scott — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 14:00:58 +0000

A new study validates common sense: Men are more likely to cheat when they earn less than their wives, and women who are financially dependent on their husbands are less likely to cheat as well. As I wrote in a prior essay, men have an inherent need to feel like providers, and they prefer that [...] Related posts:

Hindenburg Omen: Bad Sign?

Samuel J. Scott — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:27:47 +0000

A recent drop in the U.S. stock market has triggered the “Hindenburg Omen.” Worrying sign, future self-fulfilling prophecy, or faulty indicator? Related posts:Angry Suburban Populists? Lower Interest Rates — Then What? 77 Percent Haggling Comes to America Credit Crunch Related posts:

Financial Help and the Myth of Higher Education

Samuel J. Scott — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:19:48 +0000

Everyone, say it with me: “College degree” is not synonymous with “education.” But U.S. President Barack Obama is perpetuating the lie that proclaims otherwise: Saying that the country’s long-term economic recovery depends on a wholesale improvement in education, President Obama on Monday pledged his administration’s best efforts toward increasing the number of college graduates. In [...] Related posts:

Blue States, Red States, and Fiscal Policy

Samuel J. Scott — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 12:57:08 +0000

Every time I watch Fox News now, there are pundits claiming that so-called Blue States like New York, Illinois, and California are the ones facing bankruptcy because of “liberal” fiscal policies. Well, the Blue States are the ones that pay more in taxes than they receive in federal aid. Red States are the opposite. Whenever [...] Related posts: