Brainsurfing...

[elfs]

Clinton's pastor defends Obama's pastor

To evaluate his dynamic ministry on the basis of two or three sound bites does a grave injustice to Dr. Wright, the members of his congregation, and the African-American church which has been the spiritual refuge of a people that has suffered from discrimination, disadvantage, and violence. Dr. Wright, a member of an integrated denomination, has been an agent of racial reconciliation while proclaiming perceptions and truths uncomfortable for some white people to hear. Those of us who are white Americans would do well to listen carefully to Dr. Wright rather than to use a few of his quotes to polarize.

Oh, but what does Pastor Dean Snyder know anyway?

It's a profit and loss system, Dummy!

I heard this on NPR last night. Professor of Economics Russell Roberts states the obvious:

In a world where people who make bad decisions are spared the full consequences, only one thing is certain. We've encouraged more people to make more bad decisions in the future. The real price to be paid isn't the dollar costs of any bail out, but the encouragement of recklessness and irresponsibility. That will make all of us poorer down the road.

The one thing he didn't point out is that invention is one of the seeds of growth, and invention requires both regulatory freedom and the chance to fail.

Is Cheney betting on Economic Collapse?

Tinfoil-hat article suggesting that Cheney's investment strategy, which is apparently public knowledge, is heavily skewed toward non-dollar holdings, short-term bonds, and other financial instruments that would do much better than average if the economy's pooch gets buggered

11 Year Old Girl Dies Because Parents Choose Prayer Over Medicine

The girl has three siblings, ranging in age from 13 to 16, the police chief said.

"They are still in the home," he said. "There is no reason to remove them. There is no abuse or signs of abuse that we can see."

Uh, hello? Their sister just died because their parents believe insane things about the way reality does and does not work. She died of a completely manageable form of diabetes, and her mother continues to insist that her daughter might still be resurrected! If this isn't the most horrible form of child abuse-- a reckless course of action that results in a slow, lingering, painful death-- what the fuck is?

Dean Kamen invents ultra-efficient water purification system for third world villages.

Ultra-efficient vapor-compression distiller married above a Stirling engine which generates electricty; the waste heat from the engine drives the compressor for water distillation. If it works as advertised, it's a serious step in the right direction for dealing with the world's water shortages.

Prada Prostitutes

An interesting article for writing about sex. Deals mostly with the lack of introspection among sex memoirists, but I'm wondering: what does the writer of the article really want from these people?

Protection Portfolios for the Home

Does it mean I'm old when stuff like this gets my attention?

The Real Cost of Financial Clutter on the Road to a Remarkable Life

I think I'm getting older...

50 Tips And Resources to Better Sleep

Yep, definitely getting older.

Comments

Re: Hmm

[ideaphile.livejournal.com]

Let me see if I understand.

I'm self-righteous because I believe some of my opinions are better than those of other people. Well, I can't argue with that. Of course, you should understand that I don't discuss all of my opinions because I'm not so confident about some of them.

I'm pompous because I write in complete, grammatical sentences? I'm just guessing on that one. If that's it, I'm guilty.

I'm close-minded because I won't reconsider my conclusions? Oh, not guilty. I do that all the time, whenever I become aware of new data. I rarely get presented with new data during casual conversations, but I'm always open to it. Alas, you're not offering any.

I'm a twit? I can't even guess what you mean by that.

I have no concept of what I'm talking about? I think if that were the case I'd have no ability to offend you. In this case I'm expressing fundamental elements of economic theories that have earned Nobel Prizes for multiple economists. Do you accuse them of ignorance because they expressed beliefs you don't agree with? I hope not.

Perhaps you're reacting like this because you're experiencing a conflict between what you want to be true and what you know is true. You appear to feel that it can't be wrong to help people. In many cases, that's true. But you may also recognize the obvious fact that too much help, or the wrong kind of help, leads to dependency that can be worse than the original problem.

Or maybe I'm reading too much into what you've said, and if so, I apologize.

. png

Re: Hmm

[lisakit.livejournal.com]

economic theories that have earned Nobel Prizes for multiple economists

I have a problem with theories. Can you site any of these theorists who've had actual experience with welfare? Do they involve the human equation or just look at numbers? I don't think anyone can make generalizations with any real accuracy. I'd like to see them get into the trenches as it were.

Yes, there's a pervading sense of hopelessness and giving up among those on welfare. But I maintain that it's not because of the system itself. It's like trying to treat a chronically ill patient for depression and ignoring the disease (and it's reduction to quality of life) that's causing the depression.