1. Looking at Keynes.
2. UK demographics.
3. To avoid 3 common fees.
4. Getting ready for Lent 3 weeks to go and it’s not just about eating the meat out of fridge and freezer.
5. Filled with extraordinary, uhm, wouldn’t that mean just ordinary?
6. I concur 100%, and I certainly am a fan of that genre.
7. Translate: asian?
8. Cool animation.
9. Where build bridges means, bring on the concessions … we’ll give not an inch.
10. Testing and failure, epic variety.
11. Predator.
12. On Mrs Palin.
13. Crises and profit, how the “gouger” outperforms government disaster relief.
14. Biden’s remarks on competence.
15. Evaluating Presidential performance.
16. Theology and ecumenical movement.
17. Is unconditional pacifism immoral, an interesting look.
18. Looking for love in 2009.
19. I spotted 2 problems … how about you?
20. Toward the up and coming collapse of environmental policy.
21. What rugged Yankee individualism looks like in 2009. Don’t tread on me indeed.
22. Becker/Posner usually debated unite against pay caps (here and here).
23. Not socialism, participatory fascism.
24. Christian blogger held in Egypt, where is the (muted) joy in Christian communities. We used to celebrate martyrdom, why do we whine today?

1. Heh.
2. Ayers returns … but Rick (?) more than Bill.
3. Heh … LOL Saints.
4. Some items in the Pork package … which has no earmarks because you can’t tell. More on “clean coal”.
5. Real … or satire, hard to tell sometimes.
6. Great blessing of water … where cold means cold.
7. Signs.
8. One consequence of Obama in the WH, Chicago dirt is getting some light.
9. A true statement about economics … which is one more reason to doubt the wisdom of the stimulus bill.
10. How can you tell if a politician is lying … Obama no different. Surprise! or not.
11. Mr Carter and legacy.
12. A book about a book reviewed.
13. Does the government create jobs? Technically yes, practically no.
14. Duality in math is often beautiful. In politics not so much.
15. Remarks on Obama from a speech writers blog.
16. Obama looking at Islam with the same pair of tinted glasses as Mr Bush.
17. Zoooom. Reprised.
18. Big snake boogie … which begs a question. One reason I’ve heard on my kids dinosaur type planet Earth dvds is that in the ages in which larger critters (dinosaurs and the like) dominated one reasons they were so big was that the earth was warmer and had higher levels of CO2 which enabled more plant growth and provided more energy for the biosphere. So then why is this a bad thing for Mr Gore and company?
19. Disposable income, where is the crises?

So. Our Congress critters are concerned about jobs and the economy. A few innocent questions:

1. Consider the minimum wage. If I cut it in half, I can hire twice as many people for low skilled positions. So then, does increasing or decreasing the minimum wage increase employment? If the answer is decreasing, how long will it take our Democratic dominated beltway to remember this?
2. I’d support eliminating a national minimum wage in favor of a international one. Currently that would set the minimum wage at what, about $1 per diem. Perhaps a push for an Kyoto-like international accord moving that to $3 or so would push more money to the actual poor in the world instead of the relatively wealthy poor in this country.
3. How long will it take for the current Democrats in the Beltway to forget that welfare reform worked and return to the welfare policies that destroyed our inner cities in the 60s?

1. As the Administration tacks limits on salaries … they might look to their own profligate wasteful spending as well.
2. A cancerous parable.
3. Christian martyrs in 16th century Japan remembered.
4. Africa and an aid (not AIDS) pandemic. Read the Bottom Billion.
5. A Protestant hesychast? If he starts talking about “the Taborite light” that will really give him away.
6. If you can’t find a man with integrity find a man with ambition … Obama or Grave’s Caligula?
7. Stimulus to get behind.
8. That rap be really bad .. no not just bad but really really horrible.
9. Elitism in politics starts young. No sir, you’re just not qualified to run?
10. The Christian carnival.
11. Spending and the current downturn. So, if spending isn’t the problem … why would stimulus fix that?
12. Global persecution and the Christian faith.
13. A case for blogging.
14. Why I’m not in politics … I like cookies. And cake too.
15. Road signs not just for zombies anymore.
16. Another view of the stimulus.
17. Science fiction and politics a continuing series. I wonder if the Dorsai stories enter into discussions of war at some point.
18. Politics and fear mongering. The left complained about the Bush Administration doing that … Will they defend it when it’s coming from their camp?
19. Are high tension lines and step up/step down transformers too confusing … cause with all that copper up there, I don’t think they are more expensive.
20. Obama and abortion … is he stupid or evil (my paraphrase of the beginning of the last paragraph)?
21. Luck.

1. Fire … in Chicago.
2. If right, perhaps it’s too bad that it will happen before any stimulus bill’s effects really kick in. But then that bill isn’t about stimulus … it’s about paving the road to serfdom.
3. A wicked woman.
4. Treason?
5. Risk and banking.
6. Lots about Doug (I also played AH strategy games a lot when I was younger).
7. One … getting less excited about the next Star Trek film.
8. A man’s passing noted.
9. St. Maximus.
10. A question asked … my answer … “Well, that’s because their parents are very rich and influential.”
11. A Marine in Anbar on the election.
12. From back when “be a man” had meaning.
13. Hmm.
14. A suggestion … simplify taxes … no no really really simplify them.
15. A leftist arguing in bad faith … that conservatives are acting in bad faith.
16. Art … from China.
17. Math tricks.
18. Color me unsurprised.
19. Medical ethics or the lack thereof.

1. Ben Myers lists 10 virtues for theology students, although looking at his list of virtues I’m not sure why students needs qualification.
2. Not impressed with TIME.
3. Dan asks why?
4. Wei Hsien on St. Ephrem on Jonah.
5. He didn’t just do it once but it looked like after every play … and if you watched his lips I think he was saying “Lord have mercy” … a phrase used more than once in Orthodox liturgy.
6. Consumer reports … little (motor) bikes.
7. An early look at USB 3.0.
8. A mythic conversation.
9. Huh?
10. Right left and … youth?
11. Witness and the hand grenade.
12. Imperial clothing … or Mr Daschle and the promise of “no lobbyists.”
13. Will it catch on?
14. Girls. Bikes. What’s not to like? (HT: Jussi)

1. Quantum computer as reality … a problem.
2. I don’t think his hermeneuticalness is a word … but perhaps it should be.
3. Prison and Islam.
4. Parody or not?
5. The Hybrid-Starfish and church. Huh?
6. A homily.
7. A power “behind the throne?”
8. Metropolitan Jonah addresses the crowd.
9. Homophobe … the weasel word for the day.
10. St. Maximus and hospitality via ontology.
11. That Brazilian hasn’t been to Chicago yet.
12. Obama and the tyrant.
13. Netflix’s next move?
14. Computer nerds through the ages.
15. CAIR.
16. A film reviewed: Taken.
17. The revolving door and the Democratic party.
18. Of course not.
19. Libs against Dashle, one and two. And a view from the right.
20. Hair, puns and nationality.
21. Why is Obama singling out Rush? One view.

1. An economist looks at the numbers for Q4, here and here.
2. A thought experiment, the pork bill, and the election.
3. Large scale math, a social experiment.
4. RAM expands.
5. Carbon and economic expansion … not what you’d expect. Also examine this goofy statement by a Berkeley commission … are they insane?
6. From the “hate filled” religious right … or “If you do not love your enemies then you do not know God.”
7. Brrr … horse’s ass version.
8. It might not be just corruption … the economic downturn might have a big part too.
9. Consequences of not turning to the desert.
10. Italian Job a solution.
11. Islam in Brussels.
12. Popular cinema, the Old Testament God, and a question.
13. Mr Obama’s thermostat problem, or yet another carbon hypocrite.
14. Meaning and text.
15. Let your “yes be yes”.
16. From Sirach.
17. Big, bad and beautiful.
18. Euthenasia and Montana.
19. Modern “lovers of wisdom” … are not exactly lovers of wisdom.
20. Grrrrrr.
21. A book recommended. Another.
22. Life after fame.

1. David’s cancer events/story continues to unfold.
2. Geek games.
3. If the progressives want to claim credit, blame must also follow.
4. A film noted.
5. A discussion of Islam and conversation.
6. In name at least.
7. What “hoping he fails” looks like.
8. Brrrrr.
9. Cosmos.
10. Stimulus, billions for ACORN, hmm.
11. Netflix reminisces.
12. Candid camera.
13. Comparison … possible media bias?
14. Party lines.
15. Le Tour … of Missouri.
16. Moving of goalposts. I wonder why we aren’t coining the influx of new troops into Afghanistan as a surge?
17. Forgetting innocent until proven guilty.
18. The more I hear about it, the more I think the “stimulus” package should be called the porkulous stuffsack.
19. Jails … worse for women … because of the other women.

1. The Onion noted at the Corner.
2. A big day of remembering Saints/Doctors of the Church. East, West, and Evangelical.
3. Setting the record straight.
4. Quoth many a tyrant, if not so outspoken about it.
5. Perhaps a group to watch.
6. Very close.
7. Mr Updike’s passing noted.
8. A Roman liturgy blog looks East.
9. A question not answered.
10. I’m thinking … hopefully March not tomorrow.
11. On that “right to choose” thing.
12. Our Southern border.
13. Well, I have to agree, I hope Mr Obama fails at much of what he hopes to accomplish. I have no yearning for a precipitous slide (slouch) down the Road to Serfdom, as it were.
14. Discussing the bike design contest winner.
15. Another big day noted … the ending of 900 days.
16. Keeping the banks afloat … laundry?
17. Axios indeed.
18. Monasticism looked at frankly.
19. Some statistics, if you believe that sort of thing is worth the paper it’s written on.
20. Why big projects today aren’t “shovel ready” … that would be, uhm, obstruction from the left. Put that in your stimulus pipe and smoke it.
21. Nero’s political trajectory, dates, and St. Paul’s Romans.
22. When Gay bashing is mostly from the left.
23. More on the SSPX reconciliation … more here.
24. Moscow.
25. Heh.
26. Spector dissed … for doing exactly what I’d advised (and done).
27. A Silver Star.

1. Choosing one’s passing, heh.
2. Of Daphny van den Brand.
3. Now that’s what I call short term thinking … increase debt to decrease the population and thereby decreasing the numbers of those who will be paying down that debt in the future. And it’s not just Ms Pelosi pushing that tale.
4. Speaking of demographics … why is Europe committing demographic suicide?
5. Popular Culture meets philosophy.
6. Barack on spending.
7. I’ve always ended that prayer “a sinner” not “a servant.” I wonder if that’s how some teach it to kids.
8. Heh. (literally)
9. I’m with him 100% on that first one. And I like a lot of other Kubrick films.
10. Benedict, the church and the SSPX bishops … it’s not “about anti-Semitism” but is also badly handled “PR.”
11. Will the economic stress fracture the Euro?
12. Stopping sans brakes.
13. Stimulus bill = “the worse bill in galactic history?”
14. For the girls (a book).
15. A good question, “what kind of person takes Che for a hero?” … or Mao? Or Lenin?
16. Hmm, media bias perhaps?
17. Patriotism, two posts (here and here), I was going to write a whole essay last night on these two. I think Mr Brayton and Mr Beinhart don’t get it at all and prefer instead to demonize or trivialize views of the “other” … which is by and large far easier.
18. So, CO2 caused the tsunami?

1. A suggestion for an econ primer.
2. A rising tide.
3. The New Martyrs.
4. If … there are no earmarks in the “stimulus package” why is ACORN expecting dough? And what is that expected to “stimulate?” In other news … why are bridges and roads always mentioned along with the earmark, err, stimulus bill if it’s such a small part of it?
5. Of celibacy and the early church … laity.
6. A Sunday homily courtesy of Mr Daniels.
7. Tweeet. Wheee … and other celebratory noises.
8. An evangelical remembers St. Gregory.
9. An Amen! offered.
10. Or perhaps it’s not all about you. Mr Schraub notes … “I think institutional Christianity has long since proven that its default position is of hostility to Jews.” which of course explains perfectly the rise of Antisemitism in Europe (see #2 above) as institutional Christianity wanes.
11. Of making oaths under false pretenses.
12. Virtual fraud.
13. Another Sunday homily … this from from Mr Weedon.
14. So … remind me why this guy is exemplary?
15. Why I ride a road bike (disturbing image … be warned).
16. A quiet voice in a cave?
17. The UAW and why in an economic downturn support of the unions is not in our best interest.
18. Mr Colson roils the waters.
19. 2010 … better or worse than today?
20. A great cathedral noted.
21. Or … faith groups don’t read the fine print.
22. That change we can believe in … or not.
23. A magazine released.
24. Today’s economy in perspective.
25. Obama as Palpatine?

1. Where will they go?
2. Temperature and Li-ion batteries.
3. The press, still superficial and stupid. I suppose one might also consider … the audience?
4. A question. An answer.
5. Numbers, economy, and Zimbabwe.
6. Not impressed by marketing … although I think “drinkability” is the worst, sort of an intentional self-damning with faint praise.
7. Exactly on target.
8. So the stimulus bill will, “not contain any earmarks”, seeing that it ontologically is basically a huge earmark that makes no sense.
9. A RvW anniversary post.
10. So, in Mr Geithner’s case … does character matter?
11. Coptic beauty and a book.

1. Well, what to do with illegal combatants. A deadline? It seems to me deadlines are a somewhat moveable feast.
2. Some thoughts on abortion.
3. The invisible dead. The global variant of the black on black violence of which nobody can speak?
4. Frankly my yearly fitness goals should really be a two year plan, but I’ll put it in ink. I’m hoping to ride a 58 minute 40k (I just barely broke the hour before my hiatus). That admission is spurred on by this.
5. Psychology and eBay bidding.
6. Girls in the springtime of their life.
7. Blaaaaasphemer!
8. The non-Islamic roots of our President’s moniker.
9. 1982’s economy and today. Until y’all start acting happy the beatings will continue.
10. Or the simpler explanation. He’s a crook.
11. In which Soviet failure to engender love of being ruled by Moscow is somehow relevant. Read the COIN manual.
12. One might as well wonder why the “don’t tread on me” state want’s to be tread upon.
13. Something else is going on here, doncha think?
14. Progress on an old simply stated but hard to make progress on problem.
15. In a word, blech.
16. Hmm.
17. A study running counter to the assumptions of those pushing progressive policies.
18. I don’t think they’ll notice.
19. What not to eat.

1. Looking at the beginning of Genesis.
2. Modern religious art from Moscow.
3. Pay them no mind … or not? Hamas tortures and kills members of Fatah.
4. Interesting poster, heh.
5. I’m assuming he knows that’s a Texas longhorn thing.
6. Part of a conversation on purgatory.
7. I have no idea what the problem is or why praying for Mr Obama’s family is racist.
8. Kind of what I was saying in last night’s post.
9. Prayers needed for Anastasia.
10. Difficulties faced by the corner marshal, I’ve done that job (at smaller races) and it’s difficult at times to cajole the people to keep the race (and themselves) safe.
11. A liberal unimpressed by liberal behavior.
12. Self-professed inaugural grinch?
13. David continues to relate his cancer journey.
14. Is it worse or just equally problematic?
15. Perhaps it should be said that “those who don’t know history, are bound to quote and say stupid things?” ‘Cause that quote is at best wrong, makes no sense, and means little.
16. Spiderman stops cars.
17. Two criticisms of Mr Obama’s speech yesterday. Here and here.
18. It remains to be seen if, as it seems, the current Administration co-opts for its own many of Bush’s strategies and policies. But if they do, it is highly unlikely that credit will be given where due.
19. Sometimes I wonder how the “don’t be consumers” cry comes together with “let’s all have gainful employment making stuff.”
20. PR and reality.
21. Obama -> Robert E. Lee or Lincoln?
22. Snow viewed from the South.
23. For uneasy nights?
24. End these cliches in fiction and cinema. Please.