“Whether one is a conservative or a radical, a protectionist or a free trader, a cosmopolitan or a nationalist, a churchman or a heathen, it is useful to know the causes and consequences of economic phenomena.” That quotation, from Nobel laureate George J. Stigler, is how Dr. Thomas Sowell begins the fifth edition of “Basic Economics.” It’s a book that explains complex economic phenomena in a way that many economists cannot. And, I might add, it provides an understanding of some economic phenomena that might prove elusive to a Ph.D. economist. “Basic Economics” is a 653-page book, not including the … Continue reading

We all do it – and that includes the cops who spend their days giving ustickets for doing it. Of course, they enjoy legal impunity to speed as much as they like, as often as they like. “Speed” only “kills,” it seems, when one is not wearing a special costume. At any rate, since we all drive faster than the posted speed limit, at least occasionally – even Clovers – it seems right and proper that we do what we can to avoid being dunned for doing it. And feel no moral guilt about practicing such avoidance. Our ancestors felt no … Continue reading

After the tragic shooting at a provocative magazine in Paris last week, I pointed out that given the foreign policy positions of France we must consider blowback as a factor. Those who do not understand blowback made the ridiculous claim that I was excusing the attack or even blaming the victims. Not at all, as I abhor the initiation of force. The police are not blaming victims when they search for the motive of a criminal. The mainstream media immediately decided that the shooting was an attack on free speech. Many in the US preferred this version of “they hate … Continue reading

A team of Indonesian navy divers has located both black boxes from an AirAsia airliner that crashed two weeks ago, which is believed to have exploded as it hit the sea. Indonesian officials announced on Monday that the first black box, the flight data recorder, had been retrieved from the Java Sea for analysis. Hours later they said the cockpit voice recorder had been located but not yet brought to the surface. Flight QZ8501 crashed on 28 December on its way from Indonesia’s second-biggest city of Surabaya to Singapore, killing all 162 people on board. The plane lost contact with … Continue reading

As increasingly has become the common circumstance, the upside revisions in headline monthly numbers simply are constructs of highly unstable, inconsistent and questionable seasonal adjustments being shifted between months.  The unadjusted data do not revise, but the adjusted data pick up bogus growth from gimmicked reporting . . . Counting All Discouraged Workers, December 2014 Unemployment Was 23.0%. . . . More than anything else, though, what removes headline-unemployment reporting from broad underlying economic reality and common experience simply is definitional.  To be counted among the headline unemployed (U.3), an individual has to have looked for work actively within the … Continue reading

“We will bring together all of our allies to discuss ways in which we can counteract this violent extremism that exists around the world.” (Emphasis added) Eric Holder . Violent extremism?  There must be something special when these two terms, violent andextremism, are joined together.  What is Holder talking about?  Let’s unpack this phrase: Violent: acting with or characterized by uncontrolled, strong, rough force; caused by injurious or destructive force; intense in force, effect, etc.; severe; extreme. We know that governments of the west don’t mind violence – being the leading cause of violent death and destruction on the planet.  … Continue reading

Years ago, I watched the movie Live Free or Die Hard which dealt with the hero, John McClane (Bruce Willis) versus a team of cyber criminals who were trying to bring down the country’s financial, transportation and power infrastructure.  At that time the idea was scary but seemed farfetched;  these days, it seems a lot more plausible.  Cyber attacks are increasingly common these days, from almost daily reports of department stores being hacked to a massive breach of security of a major motion picture company.  Many tech experts predict an ever increasing likelihood of cyber attack. Although economic collapse is … Continue reading

The new year brings more than cold weather every year. It’s tax season again. For those who are expecting to receive a tax refund, it is time to start gathering the information, documents, and receipts necessary to file their 2014 tax return. For those who are expecting to make a tax payment, all of this can be put off until the April 15th deadline. The bad news for 2014 taxes (thanks to Obamacare) is that if you or your dependents did not have health insurance in 2014, you have to pay a penalty, the “individual shared responsibility payment,” when you … Continue reading

I Love Lucy (1951) The mother of all the scripted comedy series, shot in front of live studio audiences, it starred the glamorous Lucille Ball and her real life husband Desi Arnaz, playing a glamorous but ditzy wannabe singer and her bandleader husband. I LOVE LUCY was a show that ran and ran in many incarnations, and still is seen around the world. The Phil Silvers Show (1955) Phil Silvers crafted Ernest G Bilko into the greatest TV comedy character of the Fifties. In THE PHIL SILVERS SHOW, more commonly known as Bilko, his Master Sergeant was an incorrigible gambler and conman in … Continue reading

Yeast overgrowth, also known as Candida, is one of the most common issues I see in almost everyone – especially now after too much holiday food. Common symptoms of yeast overgrowth include gas and bloating, indigestion or heartburn, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, sugar/carbohydrate cravings, blood sugar swings, food sensitivities, sensitivities to smells, insomnia, prostatitis, PMS, endometriosis, urinary tract infections, headaches, allergies, eczema, rashes, hives, skin tags, weak and pealing fingernails, memory loss, arthritis, eye problems, sinusitis, thick & ropy saliva, coated tongue, and fungal infections such as athletes foot and fingernail/toenail infections. If you have any of these, it is likely … Continue reading

Western media are declaring the million-man march in Paris, where world leaders paraded down Boulevard Voltaire in solidarity with France, a victory over terrorism. Isn’t it pretty to think so. Unfortunately, the massacre at Charlie Hebdo, its military-style execution, the escape of the assassins, and their blazing end in a shootout Friday was a triumph of terrorism not seen since 9/11. Unlike the Boston Marathon bombing where the Tsarnaevs did not know or care whom they maimed or killed, the attack on Charlie Hebdo by the Kouachi brothers was purposeful and targeted terrorism. And like a flash of lightning in … Continue reading