tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34539182012-01-23T21:02:06.294-08:00Politics, Science, and Religion. And sometimes intersections among themKendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.comBlogger33521100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-81007036697688772202012-01-20T07:46:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:47:09.878-08:00

Warren Buffet calls the bluff of congressional Republicans.  McConnell challenged him to send in a voluntary contribution to pay the national debt.  Buffet countered with an offer to match whatever congressional millionaires contribute.  For Mitch, he would even go 3-to-1.  From the Republicans?  Crickets....

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-39576877916872860492012-01-20T07:41:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:49:03.924-08:00

With the stroke of a pen, Obama could expose big corporate political contributors.  That would shine a light on corporations that make their money off the taxpayers and try to influence elections.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-12225248666001447682012-01-20T07:38:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:50:32.285-08:00

A low voltage electrical shock can safely kill bacteria in ground beef.  And it would certainly be less controversial and safer to producers than irradiation.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-41687588689606571162012-01-20T07:36:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:50:18.483-08:00

How would it change things if there were a simple substance that inoculates against drunkenness?  Perhaps as an after-party pill?

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-32096627763456155622012-01-20T07:34:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:51:00.419-08:00

It's interesting that Romney's business experience consists, essentially, of borrowing great sums of money to buy out troubled companies and resell parts of them.  Do the Republicans really want this debt-hog in the White House?

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-9253616883362258702012-01-20T07:25:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:51:27.409-08:00

A study finds that abortion rates are higher where it's illegal. So that is what all those pro-life folks are unknowingly trying to achieve.  When we outlaw abortions, there will be many more of them.  On the other hand, access to contraception and comprehensive sex education have proven to bring abortion rates down.  Remember. the cause of most abortions is unwanted pregnancies.  And therein

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-9330791025310661102012-01-20T07:13:00.000-08:002012-01-20T07:52:02.164-08:00

Paul Krugman, once again, points out that low taxes on the rich don't help the economy. Three quarters of the nation's capital gains income goes to the top 1 percent and that income is taxed at 15%. Back in the days when the source of income didn't affect the rate (before W), the economy did just fine. Those who want "fair" taxation should start here. For completeness, here's the smoke and

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-34396583210286686462012-01-09T10:07:00.001-08:002012-01-09T11:19:51.047-08:00

The argument against the healthcare mandate is that the government can't force people to participate in a section of commerce against their will.  But since our laws require care for the uninsured, they already participate by making the insured bear the cost.  Either the Supreme Court will acknowledge this or there will be some really tortured reasoning in the majority opinion.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-37982801453065437412012-01-09T10:05:00.001-08:002012-01-09T11:15:23.911-08:00

Most of those who occupy the top tiers of the income spectrum benefit from the birth lottery.  With the current assault on programs that level the playing field for the lower classes, we can expect America to be less and less a meritocracy and more and more an aristocracy.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-70805830542162518312012-01-09T07:12:00.000-08:002012-01-09T11:15:02.586-08:00

It appears that claims that a pest has increased its destruction because of genetically modified corn don't withstand scrutiny. Every time the green folks jump too quickly to conclusions, they hurt the credibility of a truly valuable cause.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-64507156396820663292012-01-08T17:39:00.000-08:002012-01-08T17:39:38.464-08:00

When the military successes of Rome brought in all those slaves it wasn't too long before your lower- and middle-class Roman had no way to earn a living.  Slaves were doing all the work.  To keep the peace, the ruling class had to give away food and create increasingly elaborate forms of entertainment. In our modern empire, the role of the slaves has been replace by automation and cheap foreign

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-14375851441895202042012-01-06T17:43:00.000-08:002012-01-09T11:11:54.774-08:00

The real winners are the 1,250 new workers Chrysler will hire.  And Republicans thought Obama should have let Chrysler fold.  Wrong, again.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-11871318346722855342012-01-04T10:24:00.000-08:002012-01-09T11:09:19.571-08:00

To protect our wealth, banking should be tightly regulated and boring.  In the run-up to the 2008 meltdown, Canadian banks were prohibited from taking the kinds of risks that the U.S banks were taking.  Their profits weren't as good, but they didn't destroy the economy either.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-38658386288782451352012-01-04T04:35:00.001-08:002012-01-09T11:09:01.370-08:00

Where the lobbyists get their mojo on.  This organization is like a trade convention for lobbyists and the government officials they want to buy.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-38440693659996105812012-01-03T20:52:00.000-08:002012-01-09T11:05:06.017-08:00

Even though the Supreme Court may have decided that corporations have the same free speech rights as individuals, the facts of Montana's history lead that state's high court to rule to the contrary. An analysis of the Montana Supreme Court's chances is here. 'via Blog this'

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-57665452366260968052012-01-03T12:16:00.003-08:002012-01-09T10:57:42.838-08:00

Given that the evils of unchecked capitalism are so apparent in today's economy, it's not surprising that young people are looking for an alternative.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-43592594166472893132012-01-03T12:16:00.001-08:002012-01-09T10:49:13.284-08:00

Psychopaths may always be with us but we need to learn how to keep them away from the reins of power. They “largely caused the crisis” because their “single- minded pursuit of their own self-enrichment and self- aggrandizement to the exclusion of all other considerations has led to an abandonment of the old-fashioned concept of noblesse oblige, equality, fairness, or of any real notion of

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-17385130816642347422012-01-02T16:43:00.000-08:002012-01-09T10:57:26.544-08:00

Debt, by itself, isn't bad.  But you must have good discipline to handle it. The real problem is that Republicans in Congress don't have a informed, mature attitude about it.  The investments our country made with borrowed money during and after WWII brought about a period of good economic growth.  It's too bad the facts are on the wrong side of Republican conventional wisdom.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-16813638474849191842012-01-02T16:33:00.000-08:002012-01-09T10:57:03.198-08:00

Reagan raised taxes and expanded government.  Not only that, the economy did quite well.  But Eric Cantor and other Republican ideologues just blow their circuit breakers when asked to think about that.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-10016103862905976522011-12-31T10:11:00.000-08:002012-01-08T17:34:29.791-08:00

Can you believe that last year the top US export was fuel?

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-59657480113520332422011-12-31T09:37:00.000-08:002012-01-08T17:32:55.132-08:00

It looks like Columbus traded his European diseases like smallpox for the American disease, syphilis.  I think both sides got the wrong end of the deal.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-25072826175490015472011-12-29T21:45:00.000-08:002012-01-08T17:27:11.276-08:00

The real-life incident that inspired Hitchcock's "The Birds" has been identified.  That's one of the spookiest movies I ever saw as a kid.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-5415936941472363752011-12-29T14:37:00.001-08:002012-01-09T10:58:45.109-08:00

Criminal charges are being prepared for the BP Oil Spill.  About time, I say.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-84023793701541886012011-12-28T14:29:00.001-08:002012-01-09T10:55:11.971-08:00

How would it be to use a permanently stable calendar in which holidays always fall on the same day of the week year after year?  Months would be uniform in length making financial periods truly equal in length.  (In order for our computer programs to run the same each month, my company closes it's periods on the 27th.)

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-91572151259824700002011-12-21T13:06:00.001-08:002011-12-29T16:18:11.866-08:00

I participate in the AREVA political action committee to encourage better energy resources in the US.  As a part of their policy the PAC offers to make a charitable contribution on a member’s behalf to a charity of his or her choice.  That is, unless the charity is to Planned Parenthood.  Women’s reproductive health is just too controversial for AREVA to write a check to them.  Sad.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-22780706893630170642011-12-20T14:45:00.001-08:002011-12-29T16:10:02.543-08:00

Bruce Bartlett explains why just cutting tax rates really don't produce much growth.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-7142330724268842632011-12-19T15:08:00.001-08:002011-12-29T16:05:50.933-08:00

Democracy and a constitutional government is no guarantee that things can't turn very, very bad.  Hungary is being taken over from the inside.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-88421724838673810492011-12-19T12:59:00.001-08:002011-12-29T16:02:15.921-08:00

In case you haven't heard about it lately, it should be noted that the the Affordable Care Act is working.  Jobs are being created.  More people are insured.  Small businesses are benefiting from tax breaks.  And much of the law is not even in effect yet.  One should also note that if Republicans repeal the law, all that good progress will simply disappear.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-60377326377622777682011-12-19T10:51:00.001-08:002011-12-29T15:58:14.782-08:00

If OWS is going to be anything other than a footnote in the news cycle, it needs to mature into well-organized movement.  It requires translating all that fire into the energy to do the grunt-work of building an organization that works the media, puts affiliated officials into office, and builds a reputation for putting words into actions.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-6428547115005570292011-12-19T10:19:00.001-08:002011-12-29T15:49:52.163-08:00

Here's an interesting idea.  Don't just increase taxes on the rich, tax inequality itself.  If the goal is to bring the bottom up, index the tax rate on how big the spread is.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-8897484858864026982011-12-17T16:35:00.000-08:002011-12-29T15:47:02.455-08:00

While it is technically true that unemployment benefits increase unemployment, the effect is so small that it is essentially negligible.  Watch out for those disingenuous folks that use this as an argument for ending unemployment payouts.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-79114370571733837882011-12-16T15:07:00.001-08:002011-12-29T15:41:16.446-08:00

You are in a rowboat hundreds of miles from land when it is capsized by a freak wave.  Read how determination and calm thinking brought about the rescue.  [By a cruise ship which happened to have Dr. Ruth on board, no less.]

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-27039547425635174242011-12-16T13:35:00.001-08:002011-12-29T15:41:41.069-08:00

With the marriage prayer, a Minnesota archbishop pronounces the church's stance on institutionalized inequality of homosexuals.  So when does the Catholic church lose its tax-exempt status?

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-30696214092454280842011-12-16T11:10:00.001-08:002011-12-29T15:32:12.748-08:00

Not everyone who support Occupy Wall Street are outsiders to the world of finance.  Here's a story about OWS financial insiders.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-51708270166485492902011-12-16T11:05:00.001-08:002011-12-16T13:26:33.645-08:00

Krugman destroys Ron Paul's economic fantasy.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-6254050265936986492011-12-16T10:50:00.001-08:002011-12-16T13:24:30.152-08:00

In order to keep the people of her state from enjoying the benefits of the Affordable Care Act, Haley spends $1 million to pretend to study setting up a state exchange.  But all along she made sure what the results of the study were going to be.  We don't need no stinkin' data.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-24241127356872869832011-12-15T09:43:00.001-08:002011-12-16T13:14:28.562-08:00

Despite doing everything right, a freak richochet sends a cannonball through a nearby house. 

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-29679202919442184452011-12-15T09:26:00.001-08:002011-12-16T13:12:26.842-08:00

If state governments don't fight the good fight, well-heeled insurance companies are poised to pillage the business community and the rest of us as well.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-81922805854877657392011-12-14T14:48:00.001-08:002011-12-16T13:09:40.633-08:00

The economic situation is really, really bad.  But students of the Great Depression say we can get out of it if we have the courage to do so. ...the economy will not bounce back on its own, at least not in a time frame that matters to ordinary people. Yes, all those foreclosed homes will eventually find someone to live in them, or be torn down. Prices will at some point stabilize and even start

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-81798252510356125262011-12-11T10:10:00.000-08:002011-12-12T19:00:19.562-08:00

When Lindsey Graham invokes Stalin, you can be sure that the thing he is criticizing is genuinely worthwhile.  You see, he really, really wants the financial folks to be able to rip off the American consumers with impunity.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-52185709223509723902011-12-09T15:11:00.001-08:002011-12-16T13:01:54.541-08:00

This is why we will be in recession for a long time. "Basically we're still stuck in the situation we were three years ago and we haven't made any progress at all except that our problems are much worse because of political reasons, because we now have a crazy party in charge of one of the Houses of our Congress and they won't allow anything to happen because it's in their vested interest to

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-14903680061968425802011-12-09T09:41:00.001-08:002011-12-09T11:16:04.214-08:00

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the fact is that the welfare states run smaller deficits than the more lassiez-faire U.S. 

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-86224732098511381432011-12-09T09:37:00.001-08:002011-12-09T11:15:36.875-08:00

The rich get richer by destroying jobs, not making them.  The more wealth that has to spread to employees, the less there is for the people at the top.  On the other hand, the more a company can automate and have high productivity per employee, the more wealth there is available for the few who are still working.  This is product of free-market capitalism.  Without an opposing force, it leads to

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-52787982368081932702011-12-09T09:32:00.001-08:002011-12-09T11:20:37.580-08:00

The critics of FDR say that the New Deal jobs program didn't do much to get us out of the Great Depression.  They say that it took World War II to get the economy back on its feet.  This is the actually a huge vindication of Keynesian economics.  WWII was a massive governmental job creation program that could not have been conceived unless it were forced upon us. The lesson we can take from that

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-9635060999067262272011-12-08T12:09:00.000-08:002011-12-09T11:25:21.002-08:00

In a recent finding, the EPA points the finger at fracking as the cause of groundwater contamination in Wyoming.  Not only is increased use of natural gas problemmatic from a CO2 and climate change standpoint, the recent "improvements" in the methods of extraction need appropriate regulation to protect public health.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-65781229756468545852011-12-08T11:58:00.001-08:002011-12-09T11:35:39.460-08:00

Here are more details on how WiFi depends on an idea by Hedy Lamarr.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-36614888986371107442011-12-08T11:44:00.001-08:002011-12-09T11:46:21.171-08:00

When the energy models run the numbers for solar power, they misstate the current level of the technology.  Today, solar power is much more efficient and productive than it was when the mathematical models were first established.  It may be reaching a "tipping point".

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-37873229377705867772011-12-07T10:13:00.001-08:002011-12-16T12:59:00.914-08:00

It's nice to know that bloggers in Washington state are protected by a journalists shield lawe.  That's not the case in Oregon.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-34539471869420744112011-12-06T15:26:00.000-08:002011-12-09T19:36:55.207-08:00

The money is there to expand the economy. We just need to have the demand so companies start spending the money they are sitting on to expand. The solution is simple. Make it so folks can buy things.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-67081988692236506762011-12-06T09:35:00.001-08:002011-12-09T11:53:01.025-08:00

A former opponent of Obamacare apologizes.  Turns out her life has been saved by the provisions of this landmark legislation.  One among many.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-35165877609721399612011-12-06T09:14:00.001-08:002011-12-09T11:54:44.568-08:00

A Democratic candidate makes no apology for her progressivism. Dayim!

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-60281607724043443212011-12-05T18:52:00.000-08:002011-12-09T19:16:07.098-08:00

A report from the OECD makes it clear that the trickle-down theory of economic growth is just a theory and a bad one at that. It just doesn't happen in reality. Even in places like Sweden and Denmark, the rich are tending to get richer while the middle class doesn't.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-67071655943914873312011-12-05T14:32:00.001-08:002011-12-16T12:56:47.820-08:00

A Countrywide Mortgage whistleblower talks about all the fraud that enabled the mortgage meltdown to occur. There are reasons a bank should take proper deliberation when supplying a loan.  Robo-signing without proper documentation is just another way of swindling.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-41802273562922985842011-12-04T08:38:00.000-08:002011-12-04T08:38:16.183-08:00

Robert Orlando talks about a new view on the life of Paul, the Apostle. His vision of the Christian movement differed greatly from the leaders in Jerusalem. It's surprising the Church survived the winds of history. The central authority disappeared with the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattered congregations were fractious at best.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-52875888050113493662011-12-02T16:50:00.001-08:002011-12-16T12:50:23.760-08:00

Jack Abramoff's message is one the country needs to hear.  He knows from the inside how moneyed interests have corrupted the public trust.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-6955976241285346652011-12-02T12:39:00.003-08:002011-12-16T12:46:26.657-08:00

In these depressed times it's a good thing when the government spends money to reduce future costs.  The economy needs the stimulus and the energy upgrades to the buildings will be money well spent.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-41581470264066571482011-12-02T06:58:00.000-08:002011-12-02T06:58:04.008-08:00

When you cut the staff that monitors the contracts, government spending goes up. I wouldn't be surprised that this is what the right wing really wants. Carp about big government while their buddies steal the taxpayers blind.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-18279357559696572672011-12-01T13:39:00.001-08:002011-12-02T06:46:39.406-08:00

Washington state's own Gary Locke is already one of the most popular U.S. ambassadors yet.  The Chinese love him.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-88555385088748169592011-12-01T13:34:00.001-08:002011-12-02T06:51:42.231-08:00

Amnesty International calls for Bush's arrest in Africa for his sponsoring of torture.  If it's good enough for Ratko and Slobodan, it's good enough for George W.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-66623068559370029752011-12-01T13:33:00.001-08:002011-12-09T19:20:45.441-08:00

A banker actually says it out loud.  We were happy to take unreasonable risks because we knew the government would bail us out.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-88167668823247924802011-12-01T13:31:00.001-08:002011-12-09T19:24:08.133-08:00

The tax-dodging rich are not job creators. That’s why I can say with confidence that rich people don’t create jobs, nor do businesses, large or small. What does lead to more employment is the feedback loop between customers and businesses. And only consumers can set in motion a virtuous cycle that allows companies to survive and thrive and business owners to hire. An ordinary middle-class

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-50668888173580079102011-12-01T13:29:00.001-08:002011-12-09T19:26:15.754-08:00

Frank Luntz advises the GOP on how to torture the language when talking about the Occupy movement.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-18638521835184835272011-11-30T12:22:00.001-08:002011-12-01T06:12:24.031-08:00

Yet another study correlates abstinence-only sex education with increased rates of teen pregnancy.  I grant that correlation isn't causation, but if such education really worked, one would expect the effect would be seen in the statistics.  Sadly, the reverse appears to be true.  It's time to bust this myth.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-27857592577384128042011-11-28T11:11:00.001-08:002011-12-01T06:08:39.182-08:00

Taxing opportunities are plentiful.  As noted elsewhere, excessive income doesn't translate into increased happiness.  But it does channel resources into activities that benefit the few instead of society as a whole.  Appropriate taxation would bring the system back into balance.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-36169424354009497202011-11-21T21:51:00.000-08:002011-12-01T06:31:01.533-08:00

Talk about your unintended consequences.  Willkommen auf Gestapo Amerika.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-27649970396774688852011-11-19T06:47:00.000-08:002011-11-19T08:57:18.122-08:00

The OCCUPIED amendment to get corporations out of direct political contributions probably has as much chance as Boehner's balanced budget amendment.  But it would do a great deal more good for the country.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-81214117473228328282011-11-18T14:51:00.001-08:002011-11-19T08:59:41.166-08:00

The orange-colored sweet potatoes are not really yams. We just call them that.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-26546848142461485112011-11-18T14:48:00.001-08:002011-11-19T09:04:56.105-08:00

Scientist have determined happiness doesn't increase with incomes higher than $75K.  What would our tax structure look like if  there were a $75K standard deduction and highly aggressive tax brackets above that?

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-7796522786190047552011-11-18T14:44:00.001-08:002011-11-19T09:07:55.138-08:00

Here is an example of how powerful people just don't have to follow the same rules as everyone else.  Without enforcement, rules don't mean much.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-69213672073934151172011-11-18T13:30:00.001-08:002011-11-19T09:14:09.045-08:00

When Republicans generate rules for voting that effectively limit voter participation, we need to be sure to point out that they have nothing to do with voter fraud.  A study of New Mexico voting shows that it simply doesn't exist.  Everyone should call the Republicans on their BS.  Why would they want to put energy into solving a non-existent problem when the solutions for it have the by-product

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-68251458717504845302011-11-10T07:36:00.000-08:002011-11-10T07:36:15.465-08:00

If you want any appearance of compassion from our local (Republican) state legislators you must accede to their agenda.  That's how they think.  If they can just make it bad enough for enough people, eventually the Democrats will have to play by their rules.  In other arenas of life, this is called extortion.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-6811335883685300542011-11-10T07:28:00.000-08:002011-11-10T07:28:34.484-08:00

Turns out there really was a sabre-toothed squirrel.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-19749555743373937992011-11-10T07:25:00.000-08:002011-11-10T07:26:33.014-08:00

There may be reason to expect a food quality crisis in the future akin to our recent banking crisis because similar regulatory practices are at work.  Regulation has to be independent.  Otherwise, given financial pressures and human nature, it is prone to corruption.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-17584883064346954502011-11-09T06:54:00.000-08:002011-11-09T06:54:49.489-08:00

How often do you see a mountain casting a shadow on the clouds above?  A spectacular photo.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-5856745424105723392011-11-09T06:51:00.000-08:002011-11-09T06:52:40.181-08:00

Bruce Bartlett confesses that the idea that regulation costs jobs was just made up back in the Reagan days.  It isn't regulations or lack of cash in the hands of millionaires that are the cause of our bad economy.  It's the lack of demand.  Prudent economic policy should channel money out of the hands of the rich folks and into the hands of the poor and middle-class so they can spend it on goods

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-40004434042529000912011-11-09T06:44:00.000-08:002011-11-09T06:44:56.653-08:00

The Republican majority in the House is in danger.  We would be so much better off when sanity finally returns to our government.  Just think of it: responsible fiscal policy, real banking reform, healthcare that works, genuine infrastructure investment for future growth.  The possibilities boggle the mind.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-47181957962087070102011-11-09T06:39:00.000-08:002011-11-09T06:39:44.408-08:00

The internet and the its requisite server farmers account for two percent of the global energy use.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-36423039375622341502011-11-09T06:37:00.000-08:002011-11-09T06:37:32.587-08:00

A recent geothermal survey shows that potential sites for energy production are spread across the country.  Newer techniques require less intense heat sources and that broadens the potential even further.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-91703548190824191012011-11-07T16:38:00.001-08:002011-11-17T18:03:16.195-08:00

The problems with Solyndra notwithstanding, solar power is on its way. Solyndra’s failure was actually caused by technological success: the price of solar panels is dropping fast, and Solyndra couldn’t keep up with the competition. In fact, progress in solar panels has been so dramatic and sustained that, as a blog post at Scientific American put it, “there’s now frequent talk of a ‘Moore’s law’

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-66908483375654879502011-11-07T16:35:00.001-08:002011-11-17T17:59:56.295-08:00

A recent poll shows that moderates and independents are waking up to the idea that Obama is trying to do something constructive while Republicans just want to block everything.  They will do everything they can to stop his policies and then blame him for lack of accomplishments during the election.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-56032189257227724662011-11-04T15:34:00.001-07:002011-11-10T11:43:30.728-08:00

Peter Goodman makes the case that the to reduce joblessness in uncertain economic times is for the government to put people to work doing things that have value; education, infrastructure, etc. Only ideological silliness (and, let's face it, Republican obstructionism), prevents the obvious fix: having the government put people back to work in the service of public goods such as infrastructure,

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-25970240165114530772011-11-04T13:14:00.001-07:002011-11-10T11:30:37.008-08:00

The concentrated wealth problem: Anyone who has tracked this issue over time knows what I mean. Whenever growing income disparities threaten to come into focus, a reliable set of defenders tries to bring back the blur. Think tanks put out reports claiming that inequality isn’t really rising, or that it doesn’t matter. Pundits try to put a more benign face on the phenomenon, claiming that it’s

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-56145527910051382152011-10-29T23:03:00.000-07:002011-10-29T23:03:55.339-07:00

A good candidate for a natural source of life is found in the mud volcanoes of Greenland.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-11790302760442369122011-10-29T23:01:00.000-07:002011-10-29T23:01:37.942-07:00

So wrong, again.  They were told that sectors of our economy need immigrant labor.  But some people have to learn the hard way.  I look forward to the day when these fools stop wasting money building fences and constructively engage in crafting a solution to our foreign labor needs.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-62780740987567521782011-10-29T22:57:00.000-07:002011-10-29T22:57:20.811-07:00

Even the skeptical scientists concede that global warming is real.  It only took 20 years.  Maybe in another 20 years they will agree that human activities are a major contributor.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-49342440027290922712011-10-29T22:54:00.000-07:002011-10-29T22:54:10.092-07:00

Break-even fusion has been just around the corner for decades.  But that corner could be as close as next year.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-83905571366053828442011-10-14T21:13:00.000-07:002011-10-14T21:13:14.312-07:00

In a word, no.  Those who are saying it did can be put in the collection of folks that have a casual relationship with the truth. Along with many other experts, the nine members pointed to considerableevidence that, despite large losses, these government-sponsoredenterprises (GSEs), as they are known, bought or guaranteed too fewhighly risky loans, and did so too late in the 2000s, to cause

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-64816801871456451982011-10-14T21:10:00.000-07:002011-10-14T21:10:23.492-07:00

All the ways the Republican economics narrative is dead wrong. This recession was caused by too little effective regulation, not too much. The bad loans were made by the private sector, not the government. Ben Bernanke has done too little to end the recession, nothing to cause it. Deliberate inflation could be a remedy for recessions like this, not continued deflation. Tax cuts didn't work during

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-70148292022722974272011-10-14T20:57:00.000-07:002011-10-14T20:57:55.715-07:00

The head of the Natural Resources Committee  has a complete failing grade with the Sierra Club.  I'm sure his constituents are proud, real proud.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-40580355432240580292011-10-14T20:56:00.000-07:002011-10-14T20:56:11.769-07:00

With stem cells extracted from their brains, diabetic rats have been cured.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-53963835254047225382011-10-14T20:53:00.000-07:002011-10-14T20:53:21.496-07:00

And the immigrant experiment begins.  Alabama will be the first state to show how jobs and the economy are affected when draconian immigration laws are in effect.  Let's all watch.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-41494410766796809002011-10-14T20:50:00.000-07:002011-10-14T20:50:52.371-07:00

Janet Napolitano gives an update on the current illegal immigration figures and border security. ...we have seen dramatic declines in illegal immigration and dramatic increases in seizures of illegal weapons, cash, drugs and contraband. This year, we will yet again see a historic drop in illegal crossings, and more and more contraband seized. So any claim that this border is overrun or out of

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-82390788013998943172011-10-14T17:18:00.000-07:002011-10-14T17:18:15.483-07:00

In her first debate appearance, Elizabeth Warren has a good night.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-46727007073023104652011-10-14T17:14:00.000-07:002011-10-14T17:14:49.024-07:00

Russ Feingold's take on Occupy Wall Street is that more and more people are recognizing that the big corporations are in the business of ripping-off the little guys.  When this reaches the tipping point, the TEA Party will look like a tea party.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-28681550224853329892011-10-04T15:35:00.000-07:002011-10-04T15:36:20.197-07:00

Researchers have been able to induce Alzheimer's by injecting malformed proteins into the brains of mice.  This implies that some of it could be infectious like mad cow disease where prions are the vector.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-40358928590352981462011-10-04T15:31:00.000-07:002011-10-04T15:36:20.202-07:00

A study at a figure of  $6.7 billion wasted every year on unnecessary tests and prescriptions.  Eighty-six percent of that was for expensive brand-name statins to do things like lower cholesterol when cheaper generics work just as good.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-23081520911424721242011-10-04T15:28:00.000-07:002011-10-04T15:36:20.191-07:00

By targeting a different part of the flu virus that doesn't change much over time and from strain to strain, they may be able to develop  a vaccine that lasts for many years.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-19917126181923857242011-10-04T15:24:00.000-07:002011-10-04T15:35:55.172-07:00

The experiment is on.  Can a state's economy thrive if it kicks out all illegal immigrants?

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-39525805235802593472011-10-04T15:22:00.000-07:002011-10-04T15:35:44.096-07:00

Krugman pleads for reason.  But alas, little is to be found on the right. The bad news: Republicans, aided and abetted by many conservative policy intellectuals, are fixated on a view about what's blocking job creation that fits their prejudices and serves the interests of their wealthy backers, but bears no relationship to reality

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3453918.post-38652624231003054372011-10-04T15:20:00.000-07:002011-10-04T15:35:44.092-07:00

Not only are they not perfec, they aren't even good.  Our securities world depends on honest assessment of creditworthiness.  Without it, we can expect more financial disruption in the future.

Kendallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08966361160882453496noreply@blogger.com0