Congrats to Ben and Jenn!

I heard that Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner just had a new baby boy and wanted to extend my congratulations. It seems a rare thing these days to hear about celebrities having kids and the parents actually be MARRIED. Good for them!

Apologies

This is so dang beautiful it brings a tear to my eye...

What's a politicians most important job? Getting Re-Elected.

Great article that illustrates the political dilemma that our country faces.  The two paragraphs that are the most telling: "The minimum wage is one of the most studied economic policies. Hundreds of studies have concluded ‘that raising it destroys jobs while doing nothing to reduce poverty. One leading authority on the topic, economist David Neumark, recently observed, “Based on 20 years of research, I doubt there is ever a good time to raise the minimum wage.”  AND   "Still, the minimum-wage hike is gaining traction in both states in this election year because Democrats and Republicans in swing districts hope it’ll win them votes. Both groups are hoping to pressure Govs. Christie and Cuomo into endorsing a wage hike to strengthen their own positions with sympathetic voters."

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/killer_stimulus_ScvgdRPBbq77Mr7Ej1p5qO#ixzz1nL5pnAwg


This just again shows that in regards to politicians, the overwhelming majority of them believe that their most important job is getting re-elected not supporting the people of their districts. 

We will never get out of the mire that we are in as a country, when politicians knowingly put themselves over the public good. 

Contraceptive Rant Redux

The editorial board of the Seattle Times believes that pharmacists should be COMPELLED to dispense contraceptives.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2017581754_edit24pharmacy.html


Compelled.  People are ignorant of reality when they start wanting others to be compelled to do something.  Or when they want something banned.  Or when they want something mandated.

If you compell a Pharmacist to sell something that he is morally against, where does it stop? 

This editorial mentions (in a roundabout way) that the state's interest in this is that more pregnancies could be prevented by having more access to these contraceptives.  So money, as it always does, is the root of the issue? 

If that is really the case, I say we COMPELL all people from having sex until they are 30.  At that time they should be well enough along in whatever career they choose, that if they do get pregnant they can take care of the child, without making me, a taxpayer, have to pay for the child.

When people start asking the government to compell, ban or mandate something they are taking the easy/cowards way out.  Education, education, education is the answer.  It's a slow process but it is infinitely better than forcing a change in a specific behavior.

RIP USPS

The USPS announced today that they would be poop-canning 35,000 people. As to why the post office has turned out to be a miserable failure, the answer is simple: CONGRESS. Plain and simple, they stifled them by not allowing the post office to adjust to market conditions.

Check out this article for more on what happened and how the USPS may still be saved. Interesting reading!

Makers and Takers: By the Numbers

                                                                                    
Makers and Takers.  50% of Americans only pay 3% of taxes.  The upper 10% pay 70 % of taxes.  And we want to increase taxes on which group???


Fair is in the eyes of the beholder

One thing leads to another

Now this is an interesting case. I have had experience with the "gay roommate" thing and so has Mr. Upton, so this one hits kind of close to home. Neither of us had webcams at the time, though.

My concern here is that authorities want to hold Mr. Ravi responsible for the suicide of his roommate. Sure, it was wrong of him to take video of his roommate, but at the same time it was his dorm room, too. Also, they are trying to portray the "victim" (aren't you your own victim when you kill yourself?) as being extremely shy, yet dude was combing the Internet looking for hook-ups and inviting strangers back to his dorm room. That doesn't sound very shy to me.

This whole ordeal is why I don't like the idea of a "hate crime" and what it implies. Yes, Navi is a crappy person, but at the same time I understand him not liking his roommate taking over the room for a rendezvous with a stranger. I had a straight friend in my dorm whose straight roommate did the same thing. He'd wake up at 2am to hear his roommate and some random girl going at it. To me, that is very disrespectful.

It is unfortunate what happened to Mr. Clementi and I feel sorry for the loss experienced by his family. However, I can't help but think that this young man had other mental issues if he was so quick to go throw himself off a bridge. That implies bigger problems, and I don't see how Navi can be held responsible for the independent actions of another person. Furthermore, it has already been determined that the Westboro Baptist "God Hates Fags" hate group are protected by free speech, and if they can protest friggin' military funerals then I think Navi has the right to know what's going on in his own damn room filled with his belongings. A room in a dorm is not free, either.

What I take away from all this is that if you want privacy then go somewhere private. Don't expect privacy in a room you share with someone you just met, especially if you are hooking up with someone else you just met. Like the saying goes - GET A ROOM!