tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870562011-06-07T23:47:23.516-07:00Random ThoughtsThe rest of the world may not care, but I do.Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.comBlogger1111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1093913945319777662004-08-30T17:41:00.000-07:002004-08-30T17:59:05.320-07:00John Kerry seems genuinely surprised by his fellow veterans attacks on his anti-war activities after he returned from Viet Nam. He seems actually to believe that Bush is somehow behind the Swiftvets ads. This attitude might be surprising if one weren't aware of his prior activities. Take his Senate Testimony in 1971. He provides a lengthy list of supposed war crimes committed by U.S. troops:
Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1093645433763834782004-08-27T15:04:00.000-07:002004-08-27T20:33:17.820-07:00Howell Raines asks the following question in today's Washington Post
Does anyone in America doubt that Kerry has a higher IQ than Bush?
He follows up his post with what he believes is a partial answer.
I'm sure the candidates' SATs and college transcripts would put Kerry far ahead.
Let's examine Howell's claim. Bush and Kerry both attended Yale and we don't have Kerry's records so that Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1093267933571058202004-08-23T06:31:00.000-07:002004-08-23T06:32:13.570-07:00Inequality
Here's an interesting observation on inequality from Amity Shlaes from today's Financial Times
All of which brings us to the larger question: is unequal income distribution always bad? The answer is no. Historically, uneven income distributions tend to correlate with strong growth. In societies with the rule of law, that wealth tends to turn into opportunity. Societies in which Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1093267290239079272004-08-23T06:04:00.000-07:002004-08-23T06:21:30.240-07:00Property Rights
Here's a good example of the importance of property rights to economic growth (from today's Financial Times):
China's land reforms have had two stages. The first, from 1979 to 1989, entailed breaking up the Maoist collective farms and granting farmers 15-year rights to individual plots of land. The result was a huge increase in rural wealth. In the 1980s the value of China's Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1092268304421994172004-08-11T16:37:00.000-07:002004-08-11T16:51:44.420-07:00Aaron's post on CAFE's side effects notes that the rise of the SUV can be attributed - at least in part - to CAFE. CAFE has other side effects. The downsizing of cars to increase gas mileage has decreased safety. And Detroit's efforts to comply have hit the bottom line. In order to sell larger vehicles that get lower gas mileage, Detroit (particularly GM) lowered the prices of small cars. Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1091993335981566892004-08-08T12:12:00.000-07:002004-08-08T12:32:40.570-07:00Unintended consequences
The idea behind CAFE standards is that if the government regulates the minimum amount of gas mileage a car must have to be sold at a dealership, then this will help improve fuel efficiency in the long run. For example, the current standard for automobiles is 27.5 miles per gallon and 20.7 miles per gallon for light trucks. The CAFE standards prevent Ford from selling an Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1091992319039955532004-08-08T11:59:00.000-07:002004-08-08T12:11:59.040-07:00Why socialism won't work
Here's Dostoyevsky's take on it (p. 256 from Crime and Punishment)
"N-nothing is admitted!" Razumikhin interrupted hotly. "I'm not lying!... I'll show you their books: with them one is always a 'victim of the environment' - and nothing else! Their favorite phrase! Hence directly that if society itself is normally set up, all crimes will at once disappear, because there Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1091841037662920892004-08-06T17:55:00.000-07:002004-08-06T18:10:37.663-07:00The What-did-Kerry-really-do-in-Vietnam? story is spreading throughout the blogosphere. As usual, Instapundit has the story. The story also making the rounds on the talk shows. Even these guys played the ad. Boortz was also talking about it. He mentioned the letter that the DNC sent to threatening to sue stations that aired the ad. This station initially backed down. A caller on Boortz mentioned Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1091159079931080142004-07-29T20:36:00.000-07:002004-07-30T20:46:04.560-07:00I made the mistake of watching John Edwards' speech last night. I didn't find him particularly effective; he blinks more in a minute than the average person does in an hour. And he has a used-car salesman's smile, insincere and somewhat sleazy. More importantly, his absurd two America's riff and his supposed eagerness to carry the war to the terrorists were laughable. Had I known of this, I Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1091150062313567152004-07-29T18:03:00.000-07:002004-07-29T18:16:19.066-07:00The theme of the Democratic convention seems to be that John Kerry is qualified to be president because he spent four months in Viet Nam. This is completely ridiculous. But assume it's true. If so, isn't what Kerry did in Viet Nam a legitimate campaign issue? According to these veterans, Kerry's service actually disqualifies him for the presidency. More can be found here. To say the least,Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1091137681603214702004-07-29T14:42:00.000-07:002004-07-29T14:48:33.720-07:00This is good news:
In the fall of 1995, Dr. Reid Lyon, who directs research in the neuroscience of reading and learning disorders in children at the National Institutes of Health, got an unexpected call from first-year Texas governor George W. Bush. "Look," Bush said, getting right to the point. "I have lots of kids who are not reading well. What's the science on this that can guide us?" After Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1091049189632281542004-07-28T14:01:00.000-07:002004-07-28T16:46:55.006-07:00I always thought that a unionized workforce was the antithesis of a meritocracy. In a corruption of Ben Franklin's wisdom, unions seem to believe that "Workers must all fail together or most assuredly, they may succeed separately." What better proof of this axiom than this: (link requires subscription)
Paying different salaries to different teachers based on their performance or the subject Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1090976707839239602004-07-27T18:01:00.000-07:002004-07-27T18:57:27.883-07:00Insight from the gutter
I hate to admit it, but aside from the Simpsons, the best shows on TV are reality shows. Though frequently in the gutter, this genre often provides insight into human behavior. Take Trading Spouses. In this show, two mothers trade places. This week's episodes find a wealthy suburban family swapping mothers with a poor black, apparently inner-city, family. The rich Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02537830407280247087noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1090775896020436762004-07-25T10:08:00.000-07:002004-07-25T10:18:16.020-07:00Life without God
Another passage from The Adolescent (pp. 55-56):
An exceptionally intelligent man once said that there's nothing more difficult than to answer the question, 'Why must one behave honorably?'.... I once went to school with a boy called Lambert who, when he was sixteen, told me that, when he inherited the money that was coming to him, his greatest joy would be to feed his dogs Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1090775152492906632004-07-25T10:02:00.000-07:002004-07-25T10:31:37.030-07:00Doesteyevsky part II
Here's another cool passage from The Adolescent (p.77):
One point, however, I'll grant you: when I said that it's all very simple, I forgot to add that it's also the most difficult thing there is. All religions and all moral teachings can be boiled down to the simple maxim: "Love virture, flee vice." Can there be anything simpler than that? All right, then, try to do Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1090774624606471932004-07-25T09:42:00.000-07:002004-07-25T10:24:35.706-07:00Can someone be godless?
Doesteyevsky thinks not. Here's his thoughts from The Adolescent (pp. 372-73):
"Perhaps even now, though," Makar went on with concentration, "I'd be frightened to meet a truly godless man, but let me tell you, Doctor, my friend, I've never really met a man like that. What I have met were restless men, for that's what they hsould really be called. There are all Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1089940071266101822004-07-15T17:53:00.000-07:002004-07-15T19:13:40.470-07:00What do the following people have in common? Gloria Steinem, Susan Sarandon and Sting. These fools purchased artwork from a man who is awaiting execution on Texas' death row. And what do these people have in common? Robert Redford, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Ted Turner and Elizabeth Taylor. These fools provided letters of support and encouragement to the same killer. And this particular killer doesAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1089939147766442002004-07-15T17:42:00.000-07:002004-07-15T20:17:37.346-07:00I have no faith in the Federal government's ability to improve our nation's educational system. That job is properly performed by local governments. But the No-Child-Left-Behind Act appears to be accomplishing its goals. Unfortunately, none of these goals seem to indicate an improving education system. Particularly laughable is the fact that 65 percent of the schools are on track to have Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088963213866864562004-07-04T10:17:00.000-07:002004-07-04T14:13:03.420-07:00Church
Another good sermon today. Today's sermon was based on Proverbs 1:8-19.
The pastor began the sermon by discussing the relationship between freedom and authority. Are they compatible? He noted that many people believe that freedom exists when authority is absent and contrasted this idea with the philosophy of our founding fathers. He noted that the genius of our system is that our Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088872659917500742004-07-03T09:14:00.000-07:002004-07-03T10:47:46.940-07:00Central African Republic
What a sad country.
The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries on earth. The average person earns less than $1 per day. With that level of income, its a safe bet that vast portions of the population are suffering from a lack of access to things that we take for granted everyday like food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, etc.
What's the governmentAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088726201916200432004-07-01T16:51:00.000-07:002004-07-01T17:00:50.513-07:00Molly Ivins raises an oft-cited liberal complaint about the religious:Is it Christian to cut money for Head Start? Is it Christian to cut poor children off health care? Is it Christian to cut old people off Medicare? Is it Christian to write memos justifying torture? Is it Christian to cut after-school, nutrition and AIDS programs so multimillionaires can have bigger tax cuts?
Aside from the Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088646590033105772004-06-30T18:48:00.000-07:002004-06-30T18:49:50.033-07:00I've never been too concerned about the hysteria over outsourcing. But this has me worried. If this can be outsourced, what is sacred?Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088646393007966422004-06-30T18:43:00.000-07:002004-06-30T18:47:18.246-07:00Mark Steyn wonders:
I can understand the point of being Michael Moore: there's a lot of money in it. What's harder to figure out is the point of being a devoted follower of Michael Moore. Apparently, the sophisticated, cynical intellectual class is so naïve it'll fall for any old hooey peddled by a preening opportunist burlesque act.
I'm with Steyn. If a man cannot master basic grooming habits,Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088548330331778742004-06-29T15:19:00.000-07:002004-06-29T19:18:06.773-07:00The War on Wal-Mart
In today's Wall Street Journal, Steven Malanga discusses the questionable sexual diiscrimination case against Wal-Mart. (link requires subscription). Malanga notes the general war on Wal-Mart here. Here's (link requires registration) a perfect example of the war. Seeking comment on the lawsuit, who does the Atlanta Journal-Constitution turn to? Barbara Ehrenreich, a Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088468343563082632004-06-28T17:10:00.000-07:002004-06-29T19:18:42.526-07:00Who's Really Black?
The New York Times is not sure what a black person is. Does an African immigrant or a recent arrival from the Caribbean count? According to Henry Louis Gates and Lani Gunier, when it comes to affirmative action, maybe not. Examining Harvard's students, they noted the following.Only about a third of the [black] students were from families in which all four grandparents wereAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088375258001715732004-06-27T15:26:00.000-07:002004-06-29T19:19:34.460-07:00An Alternative to My Life
I had high hopes for Clinton's book. Perhaps he had overcome his self-indulgent, frivolous past. Perhaps not. The book is "sloppy, self-indulgent and often eye-crossingly dull." One wonders why so many waited overnight to be one of the first to suffer through 947 pages of this. For those not so-inclined, I can point to Howard Raines' description of the New York Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1088364604044225192004-06-27T12:18:00.000-07:002004-06-27T13:22:33.266-07:00Church
I liked today's sermon. It was on Matthew 13:44-58.
The sermon was an exposition of Jesus' teaching on the parables relating to the kingdom of heaven. One of the main points that has stuck with me is the challenge the preacher offered: wherein does my treasure lie?
In Matt 13:44, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a treasure in a field. A man happens across the treasure in theAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1087997662578124142004-06-23T06:32:00.000-07:002004-06-23T06:34:22.576-07:00Lileks versus Savage
I thought this entry from James Lileks was hilarious - particularly, because I am a big fan of Lileks and don't like Michael Savagae that much...
Almost, almost, almost done. One more column to go, and so far it is screamingly inadequate. No surprise, given how this day began: moments before I woke, I dreamed that talk radio host Michael Savage was reading one of my pieces Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1087655054306924872004-06-19T07:22:00.000-07:002004-06-19T07:24:14.306-07:00Walter Williams on Price Discrimination
Suppose you saw a fat, old, ugly, cigar-smoking man married to a beautiful young lady, what prediction would you make about the man's income?
If you're like most, you would predict he has a lot of money. In effect, that fat, old, ugly, cigar-smoking man tells the woman, "I can't compete for your hand on the basis of a guy like Williams, so I'm going Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1087568298465349852004-06-18T07:09:00.000-07:002004-06-19T06:49:14.576-07:00Insightful Juxtapostion
James Lileks is having a debate with someone that he refers to as The Drunk. He reports some of their debate on his blog, which is very interesting.
It was all very depressing, but revealing: in his long list of grievances and horrors, there was one conspicuous absence: terrorism. Not even on the radar. Enron, yes. Islamic fascism, no.
Lileks then comments on the Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1086874042789720722004-06-10T06:25:00.000-07:002004-06-10T06:27:22.790-07:00Two quotes of the day
From Donald Luskin
One awaited Paul Krugman's New York Times column commemorating the death of Ronald Reagan with all the joy of watching a hoodlum approach the Mona Lisa with a can of spray paint.
That's like naming Bill Clinton the Model Husband of the Year because he remembered to send Hillary a Mother's Day card.
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1086181743114023112004-06-02T06:07:00.000-07:002004-06-02T06:09:03.116-07:00President Bush's record
From Bruce Bartlett in today's Washington Times:
• President Bush supported "compassionate conservatism," which implied unqualified conservatism is uncompassionate, as liberals have always charged.
• He rammed through Congress an education bill written by Ted Kennedy that did almost nothing to improve education. It just threw more money at the problem. And now Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1085502898163975062004-05-25T09:10:00.000-07:002004-05-25T09:34:58.163-07:00How to Ruin a Country
Thailand is providing an excellent example. The country is pretty poor to begin with - a GDP per capita of about $8 per day (the U.S., by contrast, is about $89 per day). The government's strategy to promote economic development in rural areas is to create cartels, subsidize the production of key commmodities, and provide government backed loans to these businesses.
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1085453055171448042004-05-24T18:41:00.000-07:002004-05-24T19:44:15.170-07:00Are rising gas prices the same thing as a tax?
Many people argue that rising gas prices are the same thing as a tax on consumers. This analysis is wrong as argued by Caroline Baum.
Economics 101 teaches that a tax shifts the demand curve backwards if it is a tax on consumers or the supply curve backwards if the tax is assessed on producers. Either case, the amount supplied falls. The Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1085409763042639322004-05-24T07:38:00.000-07:002004-05-24T07:43:43.170-07:00Costly Regulation
Bruce Bartlett writes in today's Washington Times about the costs of a regulation passed by a Republican congress and a Republican White House. The regulation is the Sarbanes-Oxley act which requires businesses to step up internal controls for financial reporting.
The cost of the regulation (and this is a conservative estimate):
A recent study by industry group Financial Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1085408343001290082004-05-24T07:04:00.000-07:002004-05-24T07:19:03.003-07:00More on oil
Interesting statistic from Tom Bray in today's Washington Times:
In 1981, according to the National Petrochemical and Refiners Association, 321 refineries pumped out 18.6 million barrels a day of gasoline. Today only 149 refineries, run by 60 companies in 33 different states, pump out 16.8 million barrels of gasoline daily — almost 2 million barrels a day less. They are operating atAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1085280054204144862004-05-22T19:17:00.000-07:002004-05-22T19:40:54.206-07:00Why is the price of gas so high?
The Economist gives three reasons and argues that the most likely culprit - OPEC restricting output - isn't the reason. The Economist argues that with the price of oil reaching over $40 a barrell OPEC countries have an incentive to produce as much oil as possible. Indeed, OPEC production is above their quotas. What are the reasons then? First, economic growthAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1085233348572874732004-05-22T06:40:00.000-07:002004-05-22T08:33:59.336-07:00Excellent Questions
Thomas Sowell asks three excellent questions in Friday's Washington Times:
Two questions would destroy at least half the agenda of the political left: "Compared to what?" and "At what cost?"
A third question would wipe out most of the rest of the left's agenda and demolish the vision behind that agenda: "What hard evidence do you have?"
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1083728298218893722004-05-04T20:29:00.000-07:002004-05-04T20:50:28.513-07:00Am I old???
So, I wanted my parents to read my previous message because I thought they would think it was funny. I think I had an ulterior motive (on a subliminal level) as well: I wanted them to read it and tell me how crazy I was for thinking that I am entering middle age. After all, they are both 60 - wouldn't 35 seem young to them? To my utter disappointment, they called me up to let me Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1082863487329938122004-04-24T20:11:00.000-07:002004-04-25T07:04:33.513-07:00I'm not old!
That's what I keep telling myself. Yes, I am 35 years old, which I don't think is that old. Most people tell me that I don't look my age, but I think I am getting to the point where I am crossing some line...I think it is a line between youth and middle age (pre-middle age?). A couple of things have happened to me recently that have made me feel older. First, I was talking Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1082596370266855472004-04-21T18:02:00.000-07:002004-04-22T07:20:50.746-07:00What do you qualify for?
In this week's Weekly Standard, Andrew Ferguson writes about a government website that allows you to determine what government programs you are potentially eligible for. I decided to visit the website to see what I would qualify for.
A little information about me...
I'm single
I'm 35
I'm male
I have a ph.d.
I am a full-time employee
I rent an apartment
I live in Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1082417725662406112004-04-19T16:33:00.000-07:002004-04-19T16:42:14.826-07:00Trade...and the long run
Here's an excellent argument from cafehayek about one of the faulty arguments for protectionism.
This justification for protectionism – that protectionist policies are justified because they diminish pain and anxiety today, while the costs of protectionism emerge only in the less-significant tomorrow – is faulty on a variety of fronts. Perhaps the biggest flaw of this Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1082317152880790992004-04-18T12:24:00.000-07:002004-04-18T12:42:27.653-07:00Coveting
My pastor has just finished going through a series of sermons on the 10 commandments. Today he covered the last commandment: You shall not covet...
How do you know if you are coveting?
1. What do you think about? If you think more about the things of this world than the things of God, then that is a sign that you may be coveting.
2. What consumes your time? Is your time with God Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1081995947920546352004-04-14T19:10:00.000-07:002004-04-18T12:44:15.560-07:00Tax day
Well, I just filled out my taxes and am in a grumpy mood. I moved to Indiana from Virginia this year - filling out those part-year resident forms is a real headache! But what really upset me was the income tax I had to pay for living in St. Joseph's county. The tax was .0035 percent of my income. The problem with these taxes is that they start small, but end up only going up. Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1081909755343303682004-04-13T19:17:00.000-07:002004-04-13T19:32:05.780-07:00Mad Regulations?
Marginal Revolution reports a story from the NY times about the Department of Agriculture refusing to allow a Kansas beef producer from testing its cows for mad cow disease. The beef producer, which exports beef to Japan, needs to test the cows to meet Japanese standards. The beef producer is losing $40,000 per day and has had to lay off 50 employees because the DOA regulationsAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1081818652942741002004-04-12T18:04:00.000-07:002004-04-12T18:13:42.513-07:00Taxes
According to Amity Shlaes in today's Financial Times, "A Congressional Budget Office study released even as Mr Kerry was preparing his speech shows that the top 1 per cent of earners pay 34.4 per cent of the income taxes. The top 5 per cent pay more than half of such taxes."
The top 1 percent earn an annual salary of $311,950.
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1081612835778336422004-04-10T08:59:00.000-07:002004-04-10T09:03:23.076-07:00Fighting terrorism
Walter Williams explains his foreign policy philosophy in today's Washington Times:
You might ask, "Williams, are you a warmonger?" No, I'm not, but here's the way I look at it. If you hate my guts and have designs to hurt me, and I see you building a cannon aimed at my house, I am not going to wait for you to finish constructionAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1081565208511670742004-04-09T19:46:00.000-07:002004-04-12T18:04:29.793-07:00Cross of Christ
I'm reading the Cross of Christ by John Stott right now. One passage has really stuck with me, especially after seeing The Passion. Stott writes about Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemene: "Father, if it is possible take this cup from me, but not my will but your will be done." Stott asks what was the cup that Christ wanted taken from him? Was it the physical sufferingAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1081551584487652642004-04-09T15:59:00.000-07:002004-04-09T16:02:30.280-07:00Cheap gas prices?
Pete du Pont writing in the Washington Times yesterday points out that in inflation-adjusted dollars, gas prices are not near as expensive as they have been in the past. According to du Pont, "... for 64 of the past 85 years, the real price of gasoline has been more expensive than today." In 1981, for example, the real price of gasoline was $2.83 per gallon. Another blogger Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1081374107967645252004-04-07T14:41:00.000-07:002004-04-07T14:44:32.093-07:00Is Wal Mart good for the economy?
Who would have ever thought that a company that is able to consistently sell products at a very low price - a boon for low-income people - would be attacked by the left? The left argues that the low prices Wal Mart gives is great, but the wages are too low.
I think one of the problems with this argument is that it ignores the fact that Wal Mart employees are Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1080512998989022732004-03-28T14:29:00.000-08:002004-03-28T14:32:57.966-08:00Urban Legend
A couple of students from Bethel College went to church with me this morning. On the way to church, they told me about an Mishawaka/Bremen urban legend. Supposedly, along the Bremen highway two young twins were killed (I'm not sure how) a few years ago. The mother dresses two dolls that supposedly look like the twins. If you drive by the house you might see the dolls looking outAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1080483140596445062004-03-28T06:12:00.000-08:002004-03-28T06:14:54.640-08:00Painful Choices
Writing in the Financial Times (March 2), Martin Wolf points out the dilemma facing policy makers: they can't get everything they wish for. So many people (particularly on the left) fail to recoginize the trade-offs associated with public policy. Yes, it would be great if third world countries could share the labor standards that we have, but the labor market in third world Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1075517751169252582004-01-30T18:55:00.000-08:002004-01-30T18:59:59.530-08:00Oops
The White House reports that the new prescription drug benefit that President Bush just signed is expected to cost an extra $140 billion dollars over the next 10 years. That works out to about an exta $1,100 in taxes for every working American. President Bush's attitude is fairly cavalier about his $140 billion mistake saying that the
"the government has plenty of money."
Also, on the Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1074705967499453642004-01-21T09:26:00.000-08:002004-01-21T09:27:34.403-08:00New Favorite Food
I've just discovered cinnamon roasted peanuts produced by the Nut Bar Co. (I prefer the peanuts over the almonds). I can't stop eating them. The bag says that there are about 16 servings in one bag. I've gone through two bags in about 6 days, which works out to about 5 servings a day. The bag says that 1 serving is about 15 peanuts, which I think is a bit unreasonable for Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1074120780475151662004-01-14T14:53:00.000-08:002004-01-14T14:54:45.280-08:00Going to the Moon...
Thank God for this blog... Everytime I hear about George Bush's proposal to send a man to the moon, it makes my blood boil. It is nice to have a place where I can write out how I feel.
This proposal drives me crazy because I think it is so typical of the Bush administration. It seems to me that George Bush determines how to spend money by sticking his finger in his Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1071355457986387612003-12-13T14:44:00.000-08:002003-12-15T09:17:39.826-08:00One of life's embarrasing moments
On my way home from Washington D.C. over Thanksgiving break, I decided that I would stay at my parent's house rather than drive all the way home to Mishawaka. My parents were in Florida, but I was tired and was ready to stop. One of my favorite things to do at my parent's house is sit in the hot tub, which happens to be outside the house. This time, however, Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1070904929707449012003-12-08T09:35:00.000-08:002003-12-08T09:36:12.966-08:00Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment
Here are some interesting facts about unemployment (from today's WSJ):
People that lose their jobs are usually unemployed for a short period of time:
*Since 1970, the median duration of unemployment is 8.2 weeks in the years following a recession; 6.6 weeks at other times.
Paying people to not work (unemployment insurance) results in them not working:
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1070737811723300512003-12-06T11:10:00.000-08:002003-12-06T11:22:10.483-08:00Manufacturing and the economy
I wonder what the Bush administration is thinking right now regarding its recent initiative to promote the manufacturing sector. It's actually kind of funny (in a sad way). During the last recession, output and employment fell in the manufacturing sector (not surprisingly). The manufacturing sector lobbied the Bush administration to do something...Bush responded Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1066705521668604762003-10-20T20:01:00.000-07:002003-10-20T20:05:21.720-07:00A dangerous job
Running for office in Colombia has its risks:
This election season, 26 candidates have been assassinated — 34 percent fewer than in previous elections — and 136 have dropped out, the Defense Ministry said.
From today's Washington TimesAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1066014038486571982003-10-12T19:51:00.000-07:002003-10-12T20:07:00.500-07:00Replacing God
I've been to a couple of events recently that have got me thinking about how we might replace temporal things for God. One event was a conference for conservatives - it was a great conference that I very much enjoyed, but I came away from it thinking that for, some of the people, the conservative philosophy had become their religion. In many respects they treat conservative Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1064179126333966412003-09-21T14:16:00.000-07:002003-09-21T14:18:46.233-07:00Economic Impact of Hurricane Isabel
Here's a Letter to the Editor that I wrote to the Washington Times about the economic impact of hurricane Isabel. It was published on September 20.
Isabel will profit few
Donna De Marco's article "Economic toll" (Business, Wednesday) about the economic impact of Hurricane Isabel makes the startling claim that "economists agree that the aftermath of a Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1063929152232350092003-09-18T16:38:00.000-07:002003-09-18T16:52:32.440-07:00Rich getting richer
Forbes released its listing of the wealthiest American's today. It's a pretty incredible statistic: the 400 wealthiest individuals in America constitute about $955 billion (almost 1% of GDP). I've never really understood the inequality argument. I'm happy for Bill Gates and co. and I hope that they make more. I believe the more they make the better off we all will be. Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1063570334623537882003-09-14T12:58:00.000-07:002003-09-14T13:12:14.676-07:00Church was very good today. I'm attending Grace Fellowship Reformed Baptist church in Bremen, IN.
The pastor is starting a new series on the pharisees. Today's sermon was based on Matthew 16:5-12.
The pastor's main points were the following:
Jesus gives a double warning to his disciples - and to Christians today - to be on guard against the teachings of the pharisees. In verse 6 Jesus Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-1063493311412660592003-09-13T15:39:00.000-07:002003-09-13T15:49:52.616-07:00I'm back after a long absence...
I have left the Heritage Foundation and now am teaching economics at Bethel College. I'm really enjoying it so far, although I still get pre-class jitters. But that can be a good thing, I think. It gives me a bit of energy before I go teach - I imagine if I had no nerves, my energy level might be very low. The students are great at Bethel. They are very Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-797868212002-08-03T16:24:00.000-07:002002-08-10T17:06:24.000-07:00deleting a postAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-794349342002-07-26T05:50:00.000-07:002002-07-26T05:50:12.556-07:00Subsidizing farms
This is what Zoellick has to say regarding the U.S. farm bill:
"But the bottom-line message is that the United States will protect its interests fully within WTO rules. If other countries agree with us that world agricultural tariffs and subsidies are too high, then we urge them to join us at the negotiating table. We're ready to cut if others step up to the plate, too."
IAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-794086612002-07-25T14:12:00.000-07:002002-07-25T14:12:37.120-07:00The One Percent Solution
The latest proposal coming out of the UN to promote economic development is to put a guilt trip on you and me for the poverty in underdeveloped countries.
Here's the proposal:
The One Percent Solution: Commentary At the UN Millennium summit the
world community committed itself to a set of goals, the Millennium
Development Goals, Peter Singer of Princeton University Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-793703272002-07-24T17:54:00.000-07:002002-07-24T17:54:24.290-07:00If God were a cowboy...
I had one of the most interesting cab rides I've ever had in DC today.
The cabdriver took me from Heritage to USAID and she talked to me the entire way. Of all the topics she discussed in the space of about 10 minutes (topics ranged from conspiracy theories where "we'll all be dead someday" to her philosophy on attending church), my most favorite was the song she wrote Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-789428582002-07-14T12:35:00.000-07:002002-07-15T17:03:03.000-07:00Only 16,436.25 more days
If I live as long as statistics say I should live, then I figure that I have about 16,436.25 more days remaining (that includes leap years). That doesn't sound that long to me, espeically considering how fast the days go by. I've been thinking about this because I've been having another tough time at work. I figure that if I put the next 30 days or so in perspective, Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-787481482002-07-09T14:59:00.000-07:002002-07-09T15:01:53.000-07:00U.S. stock market part II
The stock market is down 178 points today because investors were disappointed with President Bush's remarks regarding how the government might respond to the corporate scandals. I wonder if investors have forgotten the euphoria they experienced on July 5, when they were relieved there was no terrorist attack and went on a buying spree pushing the stock market up over Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-785899772002-07-05T10:23:00.000-07:002002-07-06T05:42:53.000-07:00U.S. stock market
I am getting really annoyed with the U.S. stock market. Yesterday, the U.S. stock market was up 300 plus points. I checked the Wall Street Journal as to why it rose so much yesterday and they report that stocks rose because of no terrorist act on the 4th. Apparently, investors are now looking for bargain stocks because of the recent decline. I think investors completely Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-785219442002-07-03T13:32:00.000-07:002002-07-03T13:32:20.220-07:00U.S. economy
Here are some interesting facts about the U.S. economy (info comes from The Region which is published by The Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis). The article was about how difficult it is to measure GDP and why the government has to revise the data. It pointed out that the due to the unavailability of some data, the government estimates GDP based on what data is actually known atAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-784430452002-07-01T18:51:00.000-07:002002-07-01T18:51:50.153-07:00Baptized
I was baptized on Sunday. I am really glad that I did it. It was a bit nerve-wracking because I had to give my testimony in front of about 500 people, but it wasn't as bad as I anticipated. When I was standing up at the pulpit and looking into the church, I noticed that the church that I am presently attending is very young. It kind of reminded me of when I teach my class at NOVA. Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-783229942002-06-28T11:59:00.000-07:002002-06-28T11:59:58.540-07:00Update on getting up early...
I'm really tired.
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-782898622002-06-27T16:56:00.000-07:002002-06-28T12:00:24.000-07:00Trade and Pears
According to the Financial Times (click here for article) In the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) of 2000, the United States lowered tariffs on pears from 15 percent to 0 percent. The elimination of tariffs on pears was one of few success stories for South Africa from the AGOA (the other two commodities are ice and windbreakers). But now it is likely to be reversed Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-782405602002-06-26T14:36:00.000-07:002002-06-26T14:36:50.066-07:00Getting Up Early
I'm trying to start a new habit of waking up early and getting into work by 7:00. I've managed to be into work around 7:00 the last three days (and last night I had only 4 hours of sleep). If I can do this regularly, it would give me 2 hours extra each day to get things done that I sometimes don't get to do like read the newspaper or go through my emails or work on my Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-779579872002-06-19T18:00:00.000-07:002002-06-19T18:01:11.000-07:00Motivation
I need motivation. One thing that gets me motivated is listening to or reading books on success. So, tonight I checked out a Brian Tracy tape series called The Psychology of Achievement. I've listened to a few of his tapes before and I usually change my habits for a couple of weeks then revert back to my oldself. Well, I'm ready to have a spurt of productivity - even if it is only Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-778875852002-06-18T06:30:00.000-07:002002-06-18T06:30:07.983-07:00President Bush on the farm bill
"And the farm bill I signed recognizes the importance of trade. To put it
in fancy Washington talk, it's what we call WTO compliant. It means we've
honored our trade agreements when it comes to agriculture. But it also
recognizes there needs to be a safety net for the American farmer....
I signed a good farm bill. It's good for the American
farmer and it's Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-775056722002-06-08T11:39:00.000-07:002002-06-08T12:10:59.000-07:00Dealing with Stress
When I am stressed, I usually will exercise, watch t.v., go to a movie, call a family member or a friend. Sometimes I pray. But even those times that I do pray, what usually happens is my mind starts to wonder - I start thinking about the problem, which makes me wonder if I was really even praying to begin with.
I think one of the best verses in the Bible that deals Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-773576832002-06-04T19:48:00.000-07:002002-06-08T11:40:27.000-07:00Church
I finally met with a pastor from the church I am attending (Capitol Hill Baptist) about becoming a member of the church. I have to be baptized in order to become a member. Prior to attending this church, I never thought much about my baptism when I was an infant, other than what I was taught about it in college. My professors convinced me that infant baptism was biblical. I have had a Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-771557132002-05-30T14:19:00.000-07:002002-05-30T18:14:35.000-07:00Africa
I attended a meeting yesterday to listen to some representatives from NGOs in Africa talk about AGOA. After listening to them speak I am not surprised Africa is as poor as it is today.
For example, one speaker said that they didn't understand why wealthy nations do not invest in Africa. The speaker questioned why wealthy nations invest in countries like Italy and the United States andAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-770788652002-05-28T14:45:00.000-07:002002-05-28T14:47:18.000-07:00Manufacturing and Trade
In the June edition of Harper's magazine, Barry Lynn writes how he is concerned that the United States is becoming too dependent on foreign producers. Lynn is worried that the world is becoming too specialized. He worries that if any disruption to the system anywhere along they supply line occurs, then this might wreak serious havoc to the United States and the world Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-770777712002-05-28T14:14:00.000-07:002002-05-28T14:46:15.000-07:00Unintended Consequences of Protectionism
The FT has a good article (click here to read the article) on one of the unintended consequences of President Bush's recent protectionist initiatives.
The article points out that one of the consequences of America's recent protectionist policies is that it is making it more difficult for politicians in other countries to support free trade. Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-769034762002-05-23T17:29:00.000-07:002002-05-25T08:46:21.000-07:00Signs of wasteful government
I had to listen to a presentation today from an official from the Small Business Administration.
The speaker talked about all the accomplishments of the SBA in assisting small business's export their products to overseas markets.
One of the accomplishments the speaker highlighted was a "letter of intent" to sign a "memorandum of understanding" in Chile and Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-768969442002-05-23T14:08:00.000-07:002002-05-25T05:53:45.000-07:00Antidumping
Antidumping laws are flawed to give U.S. producers a favorable ruling and do not match up to the rhetoric on why the U.S. maintains antidumping laws.
Here are some examples of how U.S. antidumping laws are flawed (information comes from Brink Lindsey and Dan Ikenson, Cato)
1. If a foreign company sells a good in the US market at a price below the price at which they sell it in Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-768917482002-05-23T11:41:00.000-07:002002-05-23T11:41:24.720-07:00Update on steel tariffs
Here is a list of the retaliatory tariffs other countries will impose against the US if the WTO rules that the tariffs on steel imports were illegal.
EU $583 million
Japan $123
China $ 94
Norway $ 6
Switzerland $ 3
Total $809 million
Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-768642702002-05-22T18:45:00.000-07:002002-05-22T18:52:26.000-07:00At least, be honest
President Bush's record on trade policy has been horrible. From day one he has preached free trade, but he has done very little of substance to advance free trade. For those who believe in free trade, President Bush's record has been pretty disappointing.
One thing that is starting to really bother me is to listen to President Bush and Robert Zoellick (USTR) talk about Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-768466132002-05-22T10:14:00.000-07:002002-05-22T10:15:26.000-07:00U.S. leadership
Here's a good example of why the United States must take a lead on trade issues:
According to the BNA, "[China's Vice Minister of Trade, Long Yongtu], who served as China's chief trade representative in negotiations leading up to China's entry into the WTO last December, called the U.S. farm bill "an embarrassment" to Chinese officials who have been the architects of China's Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-768246732002-05-21T19:56:00.000-07:002002-05-22T07:01:11.000-07:00Chad and Pam
I just spoke to my Mom on the phone tonight. It's about the first time I've spoken with her in two weeks because I've had problems with my cell phone. I found out tonight that my brother, Chad, is getting married to his fiance, Pam, on October 5. I was kind of surprised because when I last talked to Chad and Pam they said that they were going to get married next May. My Mom Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-767806392002-05-20T18:58:00.000-07:002002-05-20T19:05:42.000-07:00Embargo on Cuba
President Bush announced that he would not lift the trade embargo against Cuba today. His reason is that lifting the trade embargo on Cuba will only help Fidel Castro's regime. I think this is true to a certain extent. My understanding is that the only people who have money to buy American goods are those in power.
On the other hand, I think the embargo is ineffective. Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-767072072002-05-18T17:51:00.000-07:002002-05-21T09:08:03.000-07:00World Trade Week
Spread the word! President Bush has just declared the week of May 19-25, "World Trade Week." President Bush wants all Americans to "observe this week with events, trade shows, and educational programs that celebrate the benefits of free trade to our economy and the global economy." So, what do you say, do you think we should celebrate free trade this week?
It looks like Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-766393242002-05-16T18:36:00.000-07:002002-05-16T18:42:37.000-07:00President Bush and Big Government
I wonder how conservatives can like President Bush. I think it is very hard to find a policy that has been enacted during his Presidency thus far that conservatives can be happy about. When I ask my conservative friends what policy they think President Bush has been good on, the first thing that is usually said is taxes. I think it is good that President Bush Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-766382412002-05-16T18:05:00.000-07:002002-05-16T18:26:37.000-07:00Star Wars
I thought the movie was all right. I thought the worst part of the movie was the dialogue. It was so bad that the audience at the 12:01 showing - which mainly consisted of Star Wars fanatics - was actually laughing at some of the lines that weren't supposed to be funny. I kind of felt embarrased for the actors/actresses in the film in some of the scenes. It was kind of like when Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-766209822002-05-16T08:06:00.000-07:002002-05-16T08:06:32.333-07:00Steel Disputes
According to the BNA, "New Zealand becomes the seventh WTO member to initiate dispute proceedings against the U.S. steel tariffs, following the European Union, Japan, South Korea, China, Switzerland, and Norway."Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-765915562002-05-15T14:44:00.000-07:002002-05-15T18:56:56.000-07:00There are some things Christians should not talk about.
The origin of souls is one of them.
I am reading The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel right now. In this book, Strobel takes some of the key objections to Christianity and interviews some of the leading Christian thinkers about how they would respond to the objections. Some of the arguments are good, while others are horrible. For example, Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-765911322002-05-15T14:31:00.000-07:002002-05-15T17:55:16.000-07:00President Yoweri Museveni
I had the opportunity today to meet the President of Uganda today along with J.C. Watts (R.-OK). After I shook President Yoweri Museveni's hand I heard him say that he needed to find a restroom where he could go wash his hands. I thought that maybe I ought to go wash my hands too!
The meeting was a discussion between Watts and the President. President Museveni madeAaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-765602432002-05-14T19:18:00.000-07:002002-05-15T11:44:48.000-07:00Losing weight
It's so much easier writing posts that are not about a serious topic. I was told by the one other person that I know who reads my blogs that she prefers the meaningless posts to the more serious ones, which I can fully understand (just for the record, the one person that I know who reads this site, calls her significant other "tweetums" - does anyone else out there have a problem Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-765137272002-05-13T16:21:00.000-07:002002-05-13T16:33:13.000-07:00Allergies
I really don't like my allergies (I bet my co-workers don't like them either!). I don't have them that bad, but occaisionally I'll have a bad day. Today was one of them. I probably drove my co-workers nuts with all the sneezing I did today. I finally called it quits around 2:30 went home and took a great nap. I feel really groggy though still.
I've got to get my dissertation up Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-764734592002-05-12T16:14:00.000-07:002002-05-13T09:00:13.000-07:00Southern Africa
Here is an amazing statistic: In Botswana, life expectancy is expected to drop from 64 years in 1998 to 42 years by 2010. The reason is because 38.5% of the population (the worst in the world) is infected with HIV. The situtation is not much better with Botswana's neighbor's South Africa and Mozambique, according to the Economist. In South Africa, for instance, 5 million people Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3487056.post-764429772002-05-11T17:28:00.000-07:002002-05-12T16:23:57.000-07:00Grill
This weekend I bought a grill. I thought it would be great to have a grill because its easy to use (very little clean up) and I like the taste of grilled food. So I went to Home Depot. I picked out a grill and asked the customer service rep about how easy it was to assemble. He told me that they can assemble the grill at the Home Depot in about 30 minutes, but that it would probably Aaronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08441751716183633386noreply@blogger.com0