Dr. Rizzo on Buying Local & Locavores

Dr. Rizzo on buying local, and other similar nonsense.

The Anti-Humanity of “Community” - The Unbroken Window: "I typically enjoy reading articles about local currencies, local farms, buying local, etc. - they are choc full of economic nonsense that make for great teaching. But every once in a while a piece comes along that demonstrates the anti-humanity of the community-minded folks who often support such ideas. Note that I celebrate the use of local currency, local farming, etc. so long as it is voluntarily chosen, and so long as my tax dollars are not used to support entities that would otherwise not exist. But I simply cannot let the smug superiority of many of the folks behind such movements pass me by - while these movements on their face seem to be nice, Americana-type ideas, they are often covers for something far uglier than a Normal Rockwell painting."

Scientists call for 20-year fishing ban in a third of the world's oceans

Any guesses as to why this won't work? Hint: it's the same reason the problem exists to begin with ... tragedy of the commons, lack of private property rights.

Scientists call for 20-year fishing ban in a third of the world's oceans - Environment - The Observer: "A third of the world's oceans must be closed to fishing if depleted stocks are to recover, scientists and conservation groups have warned. Such a measure could 'set the clock back 200 years' and reverse the decline in fish populations, after which responsible fisheries management could regenerate the industry.
...
The proposal comes in the wake of a green paper calling for radical reform of the Common Fisheries Policy, which EU ministers admit has failed. It reveals that 88% of EU stocks are overfished (against a global average of 25%) while 30% are "outside safe biological limits" – meaning they cannot reproduce as normal because the parenting population is too depleted. In the North Sea, 93% of cod are fished before they have had a chance to breed."

Thursday Grab Bag

Food / Drink. (pic from Pepsi Throwback)
Pepsi Throwback - Uncrate (more here)

Architecture.
Grand View House by Angelo Cassiello
Five-bedroom art deco house at South Cliff
CedarWorks: Eco-Friendly Custom Playsets

Computers.
5 great free CD and DVD burning apps for Windows
Panda introduces free, cloud-based antivirus for Windows

Watches.
Seiko & Citizen Forum: SAGK003 unveiling
The Awesomer - Casio G-Shock Gulfman
Omega Pocket Watch From The 1900 World's Fair

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Clairefontaine Spiral Basic Notebook with and without Pockets

Cars.
TimeZone: California Mille started Monday
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Manages to Get 81.5 MPG
TimeZone: A century of San Francisco style auto show

Style.
New shoes from Koronya NY course (Beautiful!!!)
J.Crew Aldridge Suit Jacket - Uncrate
How to Dress for the Kentucky Derby
Wielądek's shoes in close up

Swine Flu.
U.S. officials want 'swine' out of flu name
Air France crew refuse to board flight to Mexico
Swine Flu Mustache [PIC]

Misc.
The Five Most Annoying Gadget Shoppers
Obama On Flickr: The First 100 Days and More
Human landscapes from above - The Big Picture

What Is The Antidote For Nine Months Of Poison?

What Is The Antidote For Nine Months Of Poison? If you're the Chicago Board of Education, the answer is, "three more months!"

Chicago Tests a Year-Round School Schedule - On Education (usnews.com): "Some of Chicago's public elementary school students better brace themselves for an all new kind of fun this summer: They will be spending it in school. And we're not talking about the summer school that students are sent to for remedial purposes. The Chicago Board of Education recently voted to put more than a quarter of elementary school students in the nation's third-largest school district on a 'year-round' schedule."

Signs Of The Times: Tupperware & Sleeping In Airports

A few items of note. (pic via Tupperware)

Tupperware likes the 'frugal consumer' trend - BloggingStocks: "Tupperware will benefit from the trend toward many, many more leftovers and fewer meals out, as Americans rebuild savings amid the housing and stock market slumps."

Airport Reviews - Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports: "For travellers who are REALLY on a budget and are looking for a way to skim a few bucks off their travel expenses, why not consider sleeping in an airport? Why spend money on a night in the airport hotel when an inflatable raft on airport floor is free?"

Repair businesses thrive in downturn - The Boston Globe: "Cash-strapped consumers are postponing purchases and attempting to make do with their possessions, repairing old clunkers, mending clothes that haven't left the closet in years, and reviving troublesome laptops and broken blenders. The new thirst for thriftiness is providing a windfall to those on the front lines of repair - the cobblers ..."

Staples joins the office supply store war with free resumes, business cards: "First, it was FedEx Office, and then Office Depot. Now Staples wants you to know that you can copy your resume for free at its stores, from Monday, April 27 through June 13."

Recession careers: "Con" Artist: "Luckily, however, there is another route for the dashing and criminally-minded: Art. Art doesn't require a MBA from an Ivy League school, nor does it necessarily involve creating collateralized or securitized debt."

Another Reason Not To Worry About Peak Oil

Good piece in yesterday's WSJ.

Squeeze That Sponge - WSJ.com: "Nearly two-thirds of crude still gets left in the ground. With enhanced oil recovery, companies are determined to lower that number. Often stymied in their quest for new crude, Western oil companies are squeezing more out of the reserves they already have. Despite the engineering advances of the past century, nearly two-thirds of crude still gets left in the ground. So oil companies are raising the ante, investing billions of dollars in cutting-edge technology to increase the amount of crude they can tap. The potential rewards are huge: Raising the average recovery rate world-wide to 50% from 35% would boost the world's recoverable oil by about 1.2 trillion barrels -- equal to the whole of today's proven reserves, the International Energy Agency says."

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via DesignCrave)
Superkül Contemporary Canadian Cottages
Aqua Casa Houseboat (I LOVE this!)

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Hacking Moleskine 2.0 - Vox
How to Make a Moleskine PDA
A.Lange & Söhne: Datograph / Double Split
J. Herbin Bleue French Lavender Scented Fountain Pen Ink

Watches.
Thomas Prescher Triple Axis Tourbillon Regulator
Original Bell & Ross Chronograph Made By Sinn

Cars.
Prius Owners Experience Unintended Acceleration
Billion-Dollar Baby: We Drive the Chevrolet Volt

Swine Flu.
Swine Flu Is the Health of the State
‘No surprise’ of the day: Linking flu with climate change
Congressman Paul on the Recent Swine Flu Scare

Computers.
Nokia announces 5800 Star Trek edition, complete with phaser
4 Applications That You Do Not Know (But Should)

Secession.
Ron Paul - Secession: the Ultimate States' Right
Secession Is in Our Future - Clifford F. Thies

Misc.
Monster Cable's monstrous claim: lower prices and increased performance
8 Obscure Rules From the World of Sports

What Is The Proper Way To Lace An Oxford?

Up until now all of my shoes have been laced using the traditional criss-cross method. Sneakers, dress shoes of all types, everything.

[update: What Are Bluchers and Balmorals?]

Then I saw how much cleaner and more elegant oxford/balmorals look when laced using the straight lacing method. Many of the official marketing pics we see use straight lacing [see official AE Strand pic]. . I laced my strands using the Straight (Bar) Lacing method. See the pic at right for an example. I also laced my AE Drydens using the similar Straight (European) Lacing method.

Apparently, oxfords/balmorals traditionally use straight lacing, while derbys/bluchers traditionally use criss-cross lacing. Though admittedly I would be surprised if anyone was called to task on it. ;-)

In a few days I'll see if it was worth the trouble, and if it feels annoying around the vamp of the shoes. Click on either pic to see full-size.

Related links:
Ian's Shoelace Site - Shoe Lacing Methods
Ian's Shoelace Site - Straight (Bar) Lacing
How to "Bar Lace" your Boots
Ian's Shoelace Site - Straight (European) Lacing

Fact of The Day: 8.25 billion gallons of bottled water.

Wow!

Green for less: Don't let bottled water drain your budget: "In 2005, according to the Bottled Water Association, in 2006 8.25 billion gallons of bottled water were sold, a 9.5% increase over the previous year."

Tuesday Grab Bag

Architecture.
The Green House of the Future - WSJ.com
Modern Hillside House Rules the Hills in Berkeley, CA

Style.
Ten Mens' Suits Under $500 - Forbes.com
A Suitable Wardrobe: Suits Sans Socks

History.
Gideon Welles' Heirs Battle Over Lincoln Artifacts

Watches. (pic via Omega & MoodieReport)
Omega chooses moon in new JFK ad campaign (more)
Hyunsuk's Military Watch Gallery

Computers.
Uh-oh! Time to Patch Google Chrome
Find Great Wallpaper Using Google Image Search
G.E.’s Breakthrough Can Put 100 DVDs on a Disc

This looks safe. ;-)
Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab (1950)

Unions.
Farewell Union Transparency - OpenMarket.org

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen Review
Hold More Ink in Your Cartridge Fountain Pen
Noodler’s Eternal Luxury Blue Fountain Pen Ink Review

Markets.
Thousands of Women Swap Clothes Online to Save Money in a Recession

Misc.
The Legacy of Bond, James Bond
A Defense of the Incandescent Light Bulb - Green Inc. Blog

Teachers' Unions: Looking Out For Kids?

The evidence certainly appears to point to 'No.'

Teach for (Some of) America - WSJ.com: "Here's a quiz: Which of the following rejected more than 30,000 of the nation's top college seniors this month and put hundreds more on a waitlist? a) Harvard Law School; b) Goldman Sachs; or c) Teach for America. If you've spent time on university campuses lately, you probably know the answer. Teach for America -- the privately funded program that sends college grads into America's poorest school districts for two years -- received 35,000 applications this year, up 42% from 2008. More than 11% of Ivy League seniors applied, including 35% of African-American seniors at Harvard. Teach for America has been gaining applicants since it was founded in 1990, but its popularity has exploded this year amid a tight job market. So poor urban and rural school districts must be rejoicing, right? Hardly. Union and bureaucratic opposition is so strong that Teach for America is allotted a mere 3,800 teaching slots nationwide, or a little more than one in 10 of this year's applicants."

Related post:
All previous education posts

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Castillo Del Lago, Estate of the Day
Rustic Mountain Cabin in WA - simple and cozy

Computers.
Lifehacker - Five Best Malware Removal Tools
28 Online Photo Editing Websites To have Fun With
Obama to Get Back BlackBerry at Last, Toughened by NSA
13 Free Mac OS X Apps That Can Make Your Lives Easier

Swine Flu Updates.
The Government's Flu Panic Patrol
U.S. Declares Public Health Emergency Over Swine Flu

Healthcare.
Slide Show: 7 Artificial Valves That Lend Hearts a Helping Hand

Watches.
TimeZone: So I sold my Rolex, and got this instead (Omega)
Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time Platinum Watch
Omega Speedmaster Professional Moon Watch 40th Anniversary
TimeZone: Review of my D. Dornblüth & Sohn 99.2

Travel.
Singita Game Reserves in Tanzania

Cars.
Diesel Motorcycle Helmets (more here)
Ass-Kickin' Engine Of The Day: Chrysler IV-2220 V16 (more here)
CycleKarting: Extreme Vintage Go-Karting

What's Left of Your Liberty, UK Style.
Fast food police: Caribbean takeaway closed down for opening too close to schools

Misc.
Peering into North Korea - The Big Picture

What Bank Earned $32 billion In 2008?

Thanks to Dr. Newmark for the link.

What Bank Earned $32 billion In 2008? - Forbes.com: "WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Last year was a bad one for most banks. The IMF estimates that since the credit crisis began, financial institutions have taken about $1 trillion in write-downs. But lending of last resort is still a winning proposition. The Federal Reserve released its annual financial statements Thursday, revealing that in 2008 it earned $32 billion, even as it absorbed assets from the collapse of Bear Stearns and AIG ( AIG - news - people ) and launched unprecedented programs to revive the economy, purchasing mortgage-backed securities and creating new lending facilities. Profits from the programs are forked over to the Treasury."

The 'Teen Buzz' Ringtone ...

Amusing.

Bloggers Chat About 'Teen Buzz' - CBS News: "In the age-old battle between teenagers and adults, teens may be gaining ground...at least when it comes to cell phones. In what sounds like every teacher's and parent's nightmare, a new ring tone has been created that many adults over 40 are simply unable to hear. The ring tone is a spin-off of technology that was originally meant to repel teenagers. A Welsh security company developed the tone to help shopkeepers disperse young people loitering in front of their stores while leaving adults unaffected. The company called their product the 'Mosquito.' (Think dog whistle, with a twist.) The ring, named Teen Buzz, is a high-pitched sound, based on the fact that most adults lose the ability to hear high-pitched sounds. It has spread like wildfire over the Internet."

Related links:
The Mosquito - Wikipedia
Teens Turn 'Repeller' into Adult-Proof Ringtone : NPR

Donald J. Boudreaux's Economics in Many Lessons: Ask The Protectionist

Always good to read Dr. Boudreaux's columns.

Donald J. Boudreaux's Economics in Many Lessons: Ask the protectionist - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "Protectionism is a disease that feeds on fear and ignorance. With an unusual amount of economic uncertainty sparking an unusual amount of economic fear, protectionist sentiments today are growing. Blatant protectionist pundits such as Lou Dobbs, and blatant protectionist politicians such as Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), enjoy larger platforms than they had even just a few years ago. Protectionism's allure is understandable. 'If we make it harder for Americans to buy foreign-made goods,' alleges the protectionist, 'we increase the demand for American-made goods. With more goods being made in America, more Americans will find jobs. QED.' In this case, though, 'QED' should be read as standing for 'Quite Especially Dumb.'"

Obama: Give Me Ideas on Tightening Federal Belt

This is almost comical. Thanks to the Unbroken Window for the link.

Dr. Rizzo explains it well.

Obama: Give Me Ideas on Tightening Federal Belt - ABC News: "Federal workers, have any good ideas to tighten federal belt? Obama wants to hear from you"

Sunday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Gruene Homestead Silo
Claremont House by Brininstool Lynch
Peru Modern Architecture - the house or the location?

Real Estate.
America's-Most-Dangerous-Cities
Americas-Top-Selling-Luxury-Neighborhoods
Tulsa-on-Top: Top 10 places to live in 2009

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links (great stuff!)

Style.
Stuff We Like: The Yuketen Blucher moc
Alden Shoes - Hampton Flex V-Tip : Leather Soul Hawaii

Cars.
Starline model motorcycles

Watches.
The Sturmanskie Gagarin Chronograph

Misc.
Bull in an Irish shop | World news | guardian.co.uk
Did the USSR have a Secret Space Program?

Saturday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Inhabitat - Container Homes for the Tropics
Modern Architecture From a Lens’ Perspective
River House by Ziger/Snead Architects
Inhabitat - A Home Built Around 3 Trees

Watches.
TimeZone: The Coolness of Alaska! (Omega Speedmaster)
Rolex: History of the Cosmograph part II (Part I)
Basel 2009 novelties-Ulysse Nardin
Jaquet Droz 'La Machine à Ecrire le Temps' writes time magically

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Good Pens: Parker 51 Down!
J. Herbin Meets G. Lalo - An Inkophile’s Blog
Review: J. Herbin Vert Pre Fountain Pen In
Whitelines Notebooks Review & Giveaway Contest

Style.
New & Lingwood: The most wonderful leather in the world
Why Does No One Understand Lodger?
Bata Shoe Museum, Toronto ( a shoe museum? ;-)

Cars. (ht: Dr. Newmark)
Retro Thing: Royal Enfield Bullet G5 Classic
Top 10 Tricked Out Athlete’s Cars
BMW 750Li: The dance of the electronic fairies

Sports.
Snap Judgments in the NFL - WSJ.com

Misc.
Couple dress as Shrek and Princess Fiona for wedding
Man shot in head with nail gun 30 times - Telegraph
10 Things Your Farmer's Market Won't Tell You

Markets in Everything: French Cheese In U.S. Homes

Kind of an amusing story. (pic via WSJ/Andrei Jackamets)

'In Promotional Push, France's Wine, Cheese Will Be Guests of Honor in Selected U.S. Homes'

French Recipe for Launching 1,000 Parties - WSJ.com: "On June 4, a thousand American homes will hold wine-and-cheese parties courtesy of the French government. France has long played up its culture of culinary excellence. But now the government fears the country's highbrow food traditions may have alienated the average consumer. So, in an effort to boost sales of wine and cheese -- two of France's more lucrative exports -- it is trying to promote the laid-back apéritif, a moment before dinner when the French kick back with a glass of wine and some finger food. To get the message across, the French Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, along with various wine and cheese producers, is spending around €1.6 million ($2.1 million) to sponsor cocktail parties in 19 countries across the world, including the U.S., Canada and Spain. The French government will cover 60% of the overall cost of the program, and the wine and cheese companies involved are underwriting the rest."

George Will on Obama's $3.5 Trillion Budget

I don't agree w/ Will on everything, but he makes some excellent points in this column.

George Will: Compassionate Liberalism: "WASHINGTON -- Monday morning the government braced for austerity, as the government understands that. Having sent Congress a $3.5 trillion budget, the president signaled in advance -- perhaps so his Cabinet members could steel themselves for the new asceticism -- that at the first meeting of his Cabinet he would direct the 15 heads of departments to find economies totaling $100 million, which is about 13 minutes of federal spending, and 0.0029 percent -- about a quarter of one-hundredth of 1 percent -- of $3.5 trillion.
...
The president, peering from beneath his green eyeshade at the secretary of agriculture, might remember this from The Washington Post of Jan. 24:
'Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack ... learned that his new workplace contains a post office, fitness centers, cafeterias and 6,900 employees. But he remained uncertain about exactly how many employees he supervises nationwide. 'I asked how many employees work at USDA, and nobody really knows,' he said.'"

Friday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Khyber Ridge / Studio NminusOne
The SchwimmHausBoot by Flo Florian
Vienna Way Residence by Marmol Radziner
Lofted Forest Home: Organic Curves & Natural Materials

Watches.
Paneristi Public Forum: THE 312 HAS LANDED!!!
The Ultimate Watch For Geeks (1984)

I WILL NOT miss Crocs! ;-)
Twelve Major Brands That Will Disappear - 24/7 Wall Street

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Review: Montblanc Dostoevsky
Unposted: Moon Dust
Review: J. Herbin Bouton D' Or Fountain Pen Ink
Review: Sakura Grosso Gel

Style.
The Value of a Black Suit - WSJ.com

Cars.
RM auctioning rare Ferrari 330 P4 competition car

Computers.
Autoruns for Windows
64 Things Every Geek Should Know
Lifehacker - Best Malware Removal Tool?
How to Bypass Firewalls & Get into Blocked Websites

Misc.
Polar Exploration for Armchair Travelers - WSJ.com (more here)
The Measure of Genius: Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel at 500
Blueberries – a hedge against beer bellies
BBC NEWS - Why does Robin Hood keep coming back?
Sleep Like A Log In Your Loge

Recycling Is A Religion For Some

Almost as much as light-rail. ;-)

GREAT column. Definitely read the whole thing, it's brief. Thanks to Dr. Rizzo at the UoR for the pointer.

Doubting recycling theology - Berkshire Eagle Online: "On 'Earth Day' our children's schools will be festooned with reminders of the supposed importance of recycling. No one will question the presumed moral imperative that 'everyone should recycle.' Education, in short, will yield to indoctrination. All too often in our schools, recycling is not assessed impartially; it is promoted as a supposedly costless and virtuous deed, to the extent that its practice has come to resemble a religious rite. But whether to recycle is not a sacrament but a personal choice and many of us, to the consternation of 'green' zealots, prefer rational inquiry to theology. Whether to recycle is, after all, a question of resource utilization in a world in which resources are scarce relative to our various competing demands for them. There is a well developed social science designed precisely to address this reality. That science is economics."

Poverty Is The Normal Order Of Things

Thanks to Dr. Boudreaux for reminding us. There is no need to search for the 'cause' of poverty; poverty is the natural order of things. It is wealth that has causes. A simple point, but of profound importance.

Cafe Hayek: Foolishness on Film (Or, Wiping the Sheen Off of Silliness): "Or as I recall Peter Bauer's way of putting the matter: 'poverty has no causes; wealth has causes.'"

Thursday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via DesignCrave)
Japanese House Design – three-wall design houses
15 Cool High School, College and University Building Designs
American Architecture Awards: 10 Best American Homes of 2009

Style.
How to Match Belts and Shoes - Esquire
BBC NEWS - Luxury wool suit sold for £70,000 (more here)
The Details on Khakis - The Selvedge Yard (also here, here, and here)

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Good Pens: Wing Sung 612
Three New Primary J. Herbin Inks
Platinum Preppy Fountain Pen Review

Cars.
A time to get: AEV Jeep J8 MILSPEC
Fisker Karma Review - Esquire
Sheik from Qatar Spends Millions to Support His Drag Racing Team

Animals.
Thor the Siberian Husky
Flock of cranes learn to migrate by following a microlight aircraft
Meet Jasmine, the rescue dog who has become a surrogate mother for the 50th time

Watches.
Perpetuelle.com - Concord C1 Retrograde
Patek Philippe:5110 or 5130, what's your favourite?
IWC For Prada Ref. 3708 Limited Edition Watch

Dr. Williams Explains Secession.
Walter E. Williams: Parting Company

Signs of The Times.
This Guy Beat Out 1,400 Others for a Job - ABC News
NPR: The 'Cadillac of Unemployment'

Misc.
Earth Day 2009 - The Big Picture
Leave it to the Brits: Pub air laced with gin and tonic
Spies Who Spilled Atomic Bomb Secrets - Smithsonian
oobject - 12 tiny Indian school buses

Earth Day Round-Up ...

Brilliant! ;-)

Cafe Hayek: What Earth Day Means to Me: "My son, Thomas (a sixth grader), has a homework assignment today: write an essay entitled 'What Earth Day Means to Me.' I will help him out with my own essay. Earth Day, to me, means an opportunity to express thanks for all the ways that capitalism makes our lives and environment cleaner and healthier."

Earth Day 2009 - The Big Picture - Boston.com: "Today is Earth Day, a day set aside for awareness and appreciation of the Earth's environment, and our roles within it ..."

Groupthink - Obama: Shovel-Ready on Lenin's Birthday / Earth Day: "A symbol of suffering and sacrifice for The Greater Good™. Used in hard labor therapy or in self-criticism sessions to redeem potential thought crimes. Every citizen must keep his or her shovel in good repair at all times and bring it to the railroad station if called to duty by the Commissar. The shovel is an important part of Earth Day festival, or Sacrificial Earth Shoveling Day, celebrating the death and rebirth of Great Lenin."

Inhabitat - Screw Earth Day! One Day is For Amateurs: "For some, Earth Day is a reconciliatory one day affair - a way to make all of your eco-wrongdoings from the past year disappear. While Earth Day has certainly provided critical impetus in years past for environmental awareness and action, it is not enough. In order to truly affect change, Earth Day must be every day - which is why Grist has started its Screw Earth Day campaign!"

Related links:
Alternative Fuels and Brainwashing Kids
Remember Earth Day and Earth Hour?
Gore: Lighting candles while cursing the light (more here)
Earth Hour 2009 - The Big Picture
Today's Quotes - Environmentalism

Markets in Everything: Old Nokia 1100 Cell Phones To Hack

Amazing. People will always find a way. (pic via Yahoo!)

Old Nokia 1100s prized by criminal underground - Yahoo! Tech: "Got an old Nokia 1100 sitting around? You may be sitting on a fortune... albeit with a catch. Certain circles are said to be paying upwards of $32,000 for the handsets, at least those made in Nokia's Bochum factory in Germany. Why? According to reports, the criminal underground has found a way to hack into the phones' firmware to allow for illegal bank transfers by reprogramming the phone number on the handset. Changing the phone number would give hackers the ability to send and receive text messages via the handset, which would in turn open the door for completing basic bank transactions, particularly in Europe. The details of the hack involve the transmittal of something called a mobile Transaction Authentication Number (mTAN), popular in many overseas countries, which are one-time codes that are sent to customers via text message and are used to complete financial transactions online. Having the mTAN gives hackers the final piece in the puzzle they need (assuming a user ID and password have already been obtained) to drain a bank account under your very nose."

Why Is Light Rail A Religion For Some?

I've asked this question before ... why do so many on the left have a fetish and almost religious zeal for public transportation in general, and light rail in particular?

Economist Robert Higgs weighs in. And don't miss this great post from The Unbroken Window.

Why Do Progressives Love Trains? by Robert Higgs: "The headline reads “Obama’s Rail Plan Speeds Ahead,' and the article explains that President Obama has “unveiled his plan to develop a high-speed passenger rail (HSR) system in the United States.' These 'specifics' are evidently not actually very specific, however, because reporter Bruce Watson tells us only that the plan is three-fold: 'initially, it will pour investment into infrastructure upgrades that have been approved but not yet funded. Later, it will fund high-speed rail planning and, subsequently, construction. In the process, it will also seek to improve rail service along existing lines, increasing the quality of current rail service and laying the track (as it were) for faster, more efficient rail in the future.' Watson spends the rest of his article rhapsodizing about the glorious possibility that the Obama administration will succeed in 'changing American patterns of behavior,' not simply by improving rail transportation, but also, along the same lines, by establishing “a strong moral counterbalance to the ‘greed is good’ ethos that has ruled much of the last 28 years.” You would have trouble making up this stuff."

Related links:
Obama Does Not Watch the Simpsons
Does Obama Want Amtrak on Steroids?
All Previous Amtrak Posts

Wednesday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via DesignCrave)
Phoenix Mountain Home By Eddie Jones
Floating to Sleep: Hanging Hideaway Loft Bed Design
Hidden Water Pools - Environmentally Friendly Pool
Georgica Pond - House from Steel, Aluminum and Glass
Villa Wickie, Estate of the Day

Watches.
Speake-Marin Piccadilly meets Piccadilly Serpent
Chronoswiss for Audi Design Tachoscope Watch

Secession, The Pledge of Allegiance, & Francis Bellamy.
The Pledge of Allegiance is more Socialist than you thought
Ron Paul on the Importance of Secession

Style.
Alden Shoes - Perf Straight-Tip
Alden Shoes - Plaza Semi-Brogue in Shell Cordovan
Thin Red Line Half Brogue in Willow Calf
Ties - A Brief Tutorial
Bryan Ferry wouldn't buy my clothes
Custom Quoddy Trail Canoe Mocs Handmade in Maine

Computers.
6 Reasons Why Firefox Dude May Want to Switch to Chrome

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Gray Inks Are Not Created Equal
Review: J. Herbin Diabolo Menthe Fountain Pen Ink

Misc.
10 Health Habits That Will Help You Live to 100
Gadget Lovers: 4 Sites That Offer Big Savings
Spelling Of Lake's Name Was All Wet - NPR
mental_floss Blog - 7 Barons Behind Popular Beers

Today's Quotes - Taxes

"I don't like the income tax. Every time we talk about these taxes we get around to the idea of 'from each according to his capacity and to each according to his needs'. That's socialism. It's written into the Communist Manifesto. Maybe we ought to see that every person who gets a tax return receives a copy of the Communist Manifesto with it so he can see what's happening to him."
-- T. Coleman Andrews
Commissioner of Internal Revenue
Source: May 25, 1956 in US. News & World Report

"But how is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply.
See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them,
and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong.
See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another
by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime."
-- Frederic Bastiat
(1801-1850) French economist, statesman, and author.
Source: "The Law" by Frederic Bastiat (1848)

"To take from one, because it is thought his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, the guarantee to everyone the free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it."
--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Joseph Milligan, 6 April 1816

"The government taxes you when you bring home a paycheck.
It taxes you when you make a phone call.
It taxes you when you turn on a light.
It taxes you when you sell a stock.
It taxes you when you fill your car with gas.
It taxes you when you ride a plane.
It taxes you when you get married.
Then it taxes you when you die.
This is taxual insanity and it must end."
-- J. C. Watts, Jr.
(1957- ) US Congressman from Oklahoma (R), former
quarterback in the Canadian Football League

Review: J. Herbin Fountain Pen Ink - Cacao du Brésil

Here's another nice J. Herbin fountain pen ink I received from Exaclair. Last month I reviewed the J. Herbin Scented Fountain Pen Ink, Encre Bleue. See all of the colors here.

This time it's the chocolate brown fountain pen ink, Cacao du Brésil. It has a bit of a 'retro' feel to it that I like. In short, like all of the other J. Herbin inks I've tried, I love it, highly recommended! ;-)




Related links:
Review: J. Herbin Scented Fountain Pen Ink - Encre Bleue
Quo Vadis Blog
Swatches of all J. Herbin fountain pen inks (PDF, 860k)
Exclusive U.S. distributor of Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Quo Vadis, Exacompta, J. Herbin
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Russell Simmons Pimps RushCards

I'd never heard of the RushCard until yesterday, via a NYT piece. From what I can tell, a RushCard is simply a branded Visa debit card, presumably part of the Russell Simmons empire. (pic via RushCard)

A few thoughts on this NYT post.

1. The existence of this and similar financial products make it clear that no one is forced to use relatively expensive check cashing services.

2. I'm both amused and disappointed to see Simmons throw the term 'under-served' around. What does that really mean? I'm not sure, but by the connotation it's presumably bad. Bank and other financial institutions are literally everywhere.

3. Let's look at this quote from Simmons.

"Some people pay a lot to have a bank account. The average US household pays over $340 a year in bank insufficient fund fees. In fact, most of these are paid by members of underserved communities totaling over $1,300 per year per household. I have read that we are somehow trying to take advantage of people by charging high fees. It’s a very competitive space and even Walmart, the largest retailer in the world, has followed us with their own prepaid card."

He's kind of all over the place here. First we learn that a group of people are under-served, then we learn that they are charged a great deal of money for services and that 'it’s a very competitive space'. Those two points would seem mutually-exclusive. Also, no one is forced to pay the fees he mentions, I think those are the result of bouncing checks.

In the end, regardless of Simmons's motivations and strange comments, I'm glad to see more evidence that markets work, and another option for those in the market for financial instruments.

Related links:
The Prepaid Visa Rushcard
The Prepaid Visa Rushcard: Features & Benefits

Brazilians Hacking U.S. Military Satellites?

Interesting story. (pic via Wired & Divulgação/Polícia Federal )

The Great Brazilian Sat-Hack Crackdown: "CAMPINAS, Brazil — On the night of March 8, cruising 22,000 miles above the Earth, U.S. Navy communications satellite FLTSAT-8 suddenly erupted with illicit activity. Jubilant voices and anthems crowded the channel on a junkyard's worth of homemade gear from across vast and silent stretches of the Amazon: Ronaldo, a Brazilian soccer idol, had just scored his first goal with the Corinthians. It was a party that won't soon be forgotten. Ten days later, Brazilian Federal Police swooped in on 39 suspects in six states in the largest crackdown to date on a growing problem here: illegal hijacking of U.S. military satellite transponders. 'This had been happening for more than five years,' says Celso Campos, of the Brazilian Federal Police. 'Since the communication channel was open, not encrypted, lots of people used it to talk to each other.' The practice is so entrenched, and the knowledge and tools so widely available, few believe the campaign to stamp it out will be quick or easy."

Tuesday Grab Bag

Architecture.
Gallant Sea Manor, Estate of the Day
Mod.Fab - Selectism.com
Barrow House / Andrew Maynard Architects

Cars.
The Cars That Drove Detroit's Customers Away

Mix In A Salad, Save The Planet.
Stay slim to save the planet

Going Green.
Empire State Building to go green
Pope Pursues Heavenly Power With Plant Harnessing Sun

Watches.
Chopard Tech Twist - Fun, Funky
Urwerk's Otherwordly UR103T - Forbes.com

Fountain Pens / Writing.
Quo Vadis Blog - Chinese ink sticks
Progress: Cheap pens that write right (and don't smear)

Food.
10 Foods to Make You Sleepy
17 Foods With The Most Caloric Bang For Your Buck

Style.
How to Sew on a Button - Sew Buttons - Esquire
How to Shine Shoes - Shoe Shine Products - Esquire (more here)

Misc.
Cassini's continued mission - The Big Picture
Study: 'Green' Training Ammo Carries Cancer Risk
BBC NEWS - Tree planting in the driest place on Earth
Top Ten Mascots

Can One Become Too Green? And What Is An Eco-Coach?

I suppose they're free to live their lives as they wish, though I fear they want to force the rest of us to live as they do. As an aside, I think 'Eco-Coach' might be nearly as big a scam as carbon credits. ;-)

Washington Area Residents Take Green Living to the Extreme, Perturbing Families - washingtonpost.com: "Across the Washington region, a few residents have embraced eco-friendly living with a fervor that makes Al Gore look like an oil company lobbyist. They give up everything from furnace heat (too many emissions) to store-bought meat (too much factory farming) to plans for a second child (too much of everything, given the average American's environmental impact). But for the people who have to live with these enthusiasts, this much green can sometimes be hard to take. In many households, the result is a bubbling mix of bemusement, tension and furtive resistance. But the Washington area has already had at least one green divorce."

The Communist Manifesto - Let's See Where We Stand

Not only do a see a great deal of the following items already in place to one degree or another, the trend seems to be in that direction, rather than in the direction of liberty and prosperity.

I don't blame Obama alone, though he certainly seems to be doing all he can to move us along. Bush and numerous presidents before him, along with many (okay, most) in Congress over the years are at least as guilty.

1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
5. Centralization of credit in the banks of the state, by means of a
national bank with state capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralization of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the state.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the
state; the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the
improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
8. Equal obligation of all to work. Establishment of industrial armies,
especially for agriculture.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries;
gradual abolition of all the distinction between town and country
by a more equable distribution of the populace over the country.
10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of
children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education
with industrial production, etc.
-- Karl Marx
(1818- 1883) Father of Communism, Author of the 'Communist Manifesto'
Source: Manifesto of the Communist Party, 1848, Marx/Engels

Chrysler Asks CAW For Concessions, CAW Burns Letters

I see this is going well. ;-)

I especially liked this part:

"To cheers, Joe Comartin (NDP — Windsor-Tecumseh) said government ministers should 'keep their noses out of the negotiations' ..."

Now I realize that this is Canada and not the U.S. But I wonder if these people feel these same way about government sticking its nose into commerce and creating the NLRA/NLRB with the Wagner Act? (pic via Dan Janisse, The Windsor Star)

Workers burn Chrysler execs' letter: "Workers at Chrysler’s Windsor Assembly Plant were quick to respond to a plea for help from Chrysler executives, but it was probably not the one hoped for by the company. “We’re pissed off. This should be dealt with at the bargaining table and not on the shop floor,” said Sandra Dominato, recording secretary with CAW Local 444. Within hours of being handed an appeal by Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli and president Tom LaSorda urging employees directly to push their leadership towards additional labour concessions, hundreds of plant workers rallied outside during the lunch break, tossing their letters into a barrel for incineration. “We’re getting tired of every working person in this plant being blamed. They’re doing nothing but trying to break our union,” said Dave Gibb, a forklift operator who was handed his letter during work."

Wombat Poo - The Next Big Thing In Stationery?

I hope not. ;-) (pic via Wiki)

BBC NEWS - Tasmania's wombat poo paper a hit: "Wombat droppings are helping an industrial city in Australia fight the effects of the global financial crisis. Burnie, in the north-west of the state of Tasmania, has been hit by repeated rounds of job cuts. But despite the gloom, one local industry is thriving by producing handmade paper out of a material no-one else wants - wombat poo. The novelty paper is a hit with tourists keen to buy a distinctly Australian souvenir from the area. In recent years, a company in the port city has been experimenting with paper made from kangaroo droppings - but its popularity has been eclipsed by wombat-inspired products. Creative Paper manager Darren Simpson says the manufacturing process can be rather unpleasant.
...
All the paper is made from the dung of a single animal called Nugget that lives in a wildlife park near Cradle Mountain, one of Tasmania's most popular tourist destinations. Every day Nugget's droppings are collected by his keeper and sent off to the factory. "

Monday Grab Bag

Architecture / Design.
Innovative Two Way Doors
Marcio Kogan Osler House
Schwimmhausboot, confused-direction
Hollywood Hills Architectural Masterpiece

Computers.
Lifehacker - Five Best Screen Capture Tools

Style.
Before he speak, his shirt bespoke
How Charles II Invented The Three-Piece Suit

Your Tax Dollars at Work.
Marginal Revolution: Not from the Onion, Homeland Security
Central Islip, East Islip school district wages posted
Murtha's Earmarks Keep Airport Aloft
What recession? U.K. Councils offer 'bizarre non-jobs' including roller disco coach and toothbrush adviser for infants

Cars.
Lotus and Harman to Make Hybrid Cars Louder
Up, Up, and Away! 7 Modern Flying Car Designs

Misc.
Is it really illegal to put boogers in a sandwich? - Slate
Community colleges lure in career-changing Boomers

Sunday Grab Bag

Watches. (pic via Sotheby's)
Sotheby's: King Ludwig II of Bavaria Watch offered (more here, PDF)
TimeZone: Independent Horology: Finally...
Omega: Basel 2009

Architecture.
Couran Point House by Arkhefield Architects

My advice: lots of reading, and keep them away from govt. schools.
How to Raise A Child's I.Q. - NYTimes.com

Travel.
One-Track Wonders: Early Monorails

Computers.
How To Scan and Fax Documents Online for Free
This USB drive will self-destruct in 24 hours

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Pen Addict: Ink Links
J. Herbin Ambre de Birmanie Ink

Misc.
Daisy the Golden Retriever

Barney Frank Just Can't Help Himself

Don't worry, Uncle Frank is on the case. (pic via WSJ)

Barney Frank's Double Indemnity - WSJ.com: "Barney Frank's track record as a financial analyst is, shall we say, mixed. The House Financial Services Chairman said for years that a collapse of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac would pose zero risk to taxpayers. For most people, a mistake of that magnitude would trigger introspection, if not humility. But not the sage of Massachusetts. He's cooking up another fantastic subsidy -- and like the last one, he swears taxpayers won't feel a thing. In his words, 'it would cost the federal government zero.' Uh oh.
...
One Fannie Mae debacle ought to be enough for any career, but Mr. Frank wants taxpayers to double down on his political guarantees. There are currently some $1.7 trillion in municipal bonds held by the public, and Barney thinks we can insure them at 'zero cost.' Considering the source, and the potential size of the bill, someone in Congress needs to sound the alarm."

It's NHL Playoff Time, and Claude Lemieux is Back!

One of my favorite sports times of the year. Nothing quite like playoff hockey. And one of my fav. all-time players, Claude Lemieux is back and playing for the San Jose Sharks. Since my Sabres are in the cellar again I'll root for him.

Lemieux is also one of the finest post-season NHL players. We'll see how his 43 year old body holds up. (pic via WSJ)

NHL 'Clutch' Players Who Exceed Expectations - WSJ.com: "With the ice heating up amid the NHL playoffs, consider this: About 10% percent fewer goals are scored in the playoffs than in the regular season. It's logical, since the worst goalies either are not in the playoffs or are riding the bench the whole time.
...
Who are the leaders in the 2009 playoffs? Sergei Federov has a clutch score of +24 points. Recently un-retired Claude Lemieux, who has won the Stanley Cup with three different teams, is at +22. Will the Sharks make it his fourth team and possibly in his final season? It all depends who performs in the clutch."

Saturday Grab Bag

Architecture. (pic via Trendir)
Mountain Home Design Inspired by Views
Point Dume Residence by Griffin Enrigh
The Osler House by Marcio Kogan
Monasteries: The Latest Boutique Hotels (ht: Neatorama)

Style.
Alden Long Wings: One Shoe to Rule Them All (I LOVE these)
George F. Will - America's Bad Jeans

Computers.
Plush Steve Jobs Now Available for Sale (and this)

Watches.
Faceless Watch Tells the Time – Without a Face
World's most accurate clock unveiled
Awarding of the Timezone "Watch of the Year 2008"

Fountain Pens / Writing.
The Art of Letter Writing
10 Affordable Pens Geeks Love

Markets In Everything.
Yankees sod available at Home Depot for $1.25 per square foot

Misc.
Maya nut changes lives while aiding the rain forest
A 'Copper Standard' for the world's currency system?
17 Unusual and Creative Mailboxes
20 Outstanding & Outrageous Concept Cars
$20 artificial knee for patients in the developing world
Typeface Inspired by Comic Books Has Become a Font of Ill Will

Alternative Fuels and Brainwashing Kids

Two good (if unsettling) pieces from yesterday's WSJ. (pic via Wiki)

Scary Green Monsters - WSJ.com: "If you have somehow missed the fact that April 22 is Earth Day, it's probably because you are grown up. Were you a child, there's not a chance you'd be allowed to miss the urgent chthonic nature of the day -- nor the need to recycle, to use water sparingly, to protect endangered creatures and generally to be agitated about a planet in peril. Contemporary children are so drenched with eco-propaganda that it's almost a waste of resources. Like acid rain, but more persistent and corrosive, it dribbles down on them all day long. They get it at school, where recycling now competes with tolerance as man's highest virtue. They get it in peppy 'go green' messages online, on television and in magazines."

Alternative Fuel Folly - WSJ.com: "All of which has allowed the paper industry to start collecting giant federal payments for doing nothing more than what it has done for decades. And in fairness, why not? If Congress is going to lard up the tax code with thousands of complex provisions designed to 'encourage' behavior, it shouldn't be surprised when those already practicing said behavior line up for their reward, too. In March, International Paper announced it had received $71 million from the feds for a one-month period last fall. The company is on track to claim as much as $1 billion in 2009. Verso took in nearly $30 million from the operation of just one mill in one quarter of last year. Other giants are gearing up to realize their own windfalls. Wall Street has gone wild, pushing paper-company stocks up dramatically in recent weeks."

Misc. links:
Spokane residents smuggle suds over green brands

Markets in Everything: Gorilla Friendly Glasses

Brilliant! ;-) (ht: Neatorama)

I Believe in Advertising: BokitoViewer: "On 18 May a gorilla named Bokito escaped from Rotterdam Zoo. During his escape the animal attacked a female visitor, who had frequent eye contact with the animal. This presumably led to the attack, since gorillas do not like direct eye contact. Health insurance company FBTO always offers simple solutions, so the weekend after the escape we distributed more than 2.000 so-called BokitoViewers at the entrance to Rotterdam Zoo."

The Union War on Charter Schools

This is a must-read. The union and Democrat talk about educational reform and improvement is apparently just that, talk. Don't miss these quotes.

When school children start paying union dues, that's when I'll start representing the interests of school children.
-- Albert Shanker, Former President of the American Federation of Teachers

The Union War on Charter Schools - WSJ.com: "In New York, for example, the unions have backed a new budget that effectively cuts $51.5 million from charter-school funding, even as district-school spending can continue to increase thanks to local taxes and stimulus money that the charters lack. New York charters already receive less money per pupil than their district school counterparts; now they will receive even less.
...
The most telling study is by Harvard economist Tom Kane about charter schools in Boston. It found that students accepted by lottery at independently operated charter schools significantly outperformed students who lost the lottery and returned to district schools. But students accepted by lottery at charters run by the school district with unionized teachers experienced no benefit. When charter schools unionize, they become identical to traditional public schools in performance. Unions may say they support charter schools, but they only support charters after they have stripped them of everything that makes charters different from district schools.
...
Despite their talk, charter spending constituted less than one-quarter of 1% of education spending in the stimulus package. And the Obama administration has done union bidding by killing the D.C. voucher program. They did this in the face of solid evidence of academic progress for the voucher students, and despite their stated commitment to do "what works for kids" regardless of ideology."

Related links:
Democrats and Poor Kids: Thrown Under The Bus
Obama: Double-Standard On Education
Dems Choose Teachers' Unions Over Kids and Education
How Can They Deny Educational Freedom?
Today's Quotes - Education - I
Today's Quotes - Education - II
Today's Quotes - Education Socialism
The Real Obama on Education
Sidwell Friends and School Choice
School Choice is for the Privileged Class Only