Let's run the numbers

Condo Business Condo business is still keeping me busy. This will ensure blogging will be spotty until mid-February. In the meantime, here's an article from the Onion, America's Finest News Source. Bush 2004 Campaign Pledges To Restore Honor And Dignity To White House "The people have spoken," Bush said. "They said they want change. They said it's time to clean up Washington. They're tired of politics as usual. They're tired of the pursuit of self-interest that has gripped Washington. They want to see an end to partisan bickering and closed-door decision-making. If I'm elected, I'll make sure that the American people can once again place their trust in the White House." Bush said the soaring national debt and the lengthy war in Iraq have shaken Americans' faith in the highest levels of government. "A credibility gap has opened between the Oval Office and America," Bush said. "The public hears talk, but ...

State of the Union Mrs. Datanerd spent the evening yelling at the TV. I can't blame her, in fact I appreciate it. She has forbidden me to yell at the TV, because I tend to get more profane and we don't want the neighbors hearing me swearing at that lying so-and-so. Ahem. I loved this part, cited in the Washington Post : "Democrats surprised Bush by applauding when he observed that 'key provisions of the Patriot Act are set to expire next year,' leaving Republicans to applaud alone when Bush called for the act's renewal." His said his tax cuts have driven the economy forward. Well, yes, but straight off a cliff. I didn't want to go there, I wanted to see economic and employment growth. And he wants his to make his tax cuts permanent, costing the federal government over $1 trillion over ten years. These tax cuts have not brought us anthing but continuing deficits as far as the eye can see, and continuing stagnation in the job market. Oh...

Of dogs and pandas I've had enough downers tonight, and I'd normally be more cheerful, except I'm going to watch the State of the Union speech. But on Jim Capozzola's blog, he mention his dog's infatuation with a panda. The Rittenhouse Review: MILDRED, MY VERY CONFUSED BULLDOG For the Love of a Panda Cub Most readers are familiar with, to say nothing of having grown fond of, my English bulldog Mildred (officially, Chadwin VII’s Mildred Pierce). Mildred is “fixed.” Daddy likes it that way. Mildred is also a virgin. Daddy likes it that way. And so does Mildred. Although she is the most gentle and loving dog I ever have known, when the boys get too curious “back there,” watch out! She’s having none of that. Daddy likes it that way. I like this because it’s saving me some $50,000 a year that I might otherwise be paying to a protective and sheltering convent school in Switzerland or Croatia or something. Virtuous as she is, sometimes ev...

Three Perspectives Jim Capozzola has a piece that cites three articles, one on the working poor, one about the Galbraith article mentioned below, focusing on the immigration aspects, and one about IBM moving programming jobs offshore. I should read Mr. Capozzola more often; I've added him to my blogroll to remind me. The Rittenhouse Review: Working In America Today, Or Not Working in America

Latin Americanization David Neiwert is worried about America. All of America, but especially the middle and lower classes. This is the first of two posts I'm going to link to that rely in part on an article by Jamie Galbraith, in Salon. I'll get around to reading it in an hour or two. In the meantime, go read this, and weep. This is the state of our union, and it isn't pretty. Orcinus: Latin Americanization : I wound up interviewing Church several times, and much of what I learned from him has stuck with me over the years. It indeed seems to me relevant today. 'Choose your enemies wisely,' he counseled, 'for you will become like them.' He was describing the American government's propensity for imitating in substance and nature the behavior of Soviet communists -- but his warning could just as easily reflect the current 'war on terrorism.' One comment in particular, however, stands out in my mind these days. We were talking about A...

Kerry takes Iowa According to CBS news, 9:25 PM.

CNN Early Results Kerry 37, Edwards 33, Dean 18, Gephardt 11, with 32 percent reporting. So sayeth CNN .

Iowa Caucuses I've never quite understood how the caucus system worked in Iowa. Right now, 8:51 PM, on CSPAN 1 and 2 are live coverage of the Iowa Democratic caucuses. This will be edifying. UPDATE: Darn it, it looks like they're winding up at 9:04 PM. I should have tuned in earlier, but was out to dinner. Oh well, "Citizen King", about Martin Luther King and his later years, is on Public TV.

On CAPPS II and Privacy I've been thinking about national security for a while now, and our responses to the threat of terrorism. I've come to the conclusion that 95% of the response has been enhancements in law enforcement for normal crimes, and little or no response that actually deals with the threat of terrorism. The PATRIOT act has yet to be used against a terrorist. It, however, has been used by Federal prosecutors in an investigation of prostitution in New Orleans. Justice department prosecutors have been instructed to use it aggressively for prosecuting any crimes that fall under it, not just terror crimes. The extensions of PATRIOT signed into law last December allow the FBI to "execute warrants without court approval to follow suspected terror finances through pawnshops, casinos, travel agencies and other venues not traditionally considered financial." Note that this also means that they can go demand financial records from just about anybody...

Distractions I've been appointed to my condo board. So, I've been distracted of late. I'm reminded what Brad DeLong said about faculty committees, and how it also applies to condo boards: The Non-Work Side of the American Economic Association's Annual Meeting (January 05, 2003) : "Well, we do have a strong system of faculty committee governance. But that isn't a blessing: it's a curse. You see, rule by faculty committees translates into rule by those who come to meetings and stay a long time. And thus it becomes rule by those who have nothing better to do--rule by those who place a very low valuation on their time. In most cases, those who place a very low valuation on their time are correct in doing so. It's thus a form of rule by the incompetent."

What happens here, stays here, unless the FBI asks us about it Saw this first on South Knox Bubba. Remember that Patriot Act expansion I blogged about here ? It was used to demand individual names, addresses, and other personal information from Vegas hotels, casinos, and airlines. Now, at best, we're like France, where every person checking into a hotel has to fill out a card which is sent to the internal security services. At worst? Then soon we'll all know someone who was taken in for questioning for an hour, a day, or more; or we'll pretend we do so we fit in. TalkLeft: Las Vegas Casinos, Airlines Ordered to Give FBI Information : Still think the Patriot Act and similar legislation won't be used against you? Then we hope you didn't go to Vegas for New Year's. The FBI ordered Las Vegas casinos and airlines to give them information on guests and travelers: Las Vegas hotel operators and airlines serving McCarran International Airport are being r...