March 29, 2013

Just for the Heck of It

Hare Palin! Hare Palin!
Palin! Palin! Hare! Hare!

Hare Sarah! Hare Sarah!
Sarah! Sarah! Hare! Hare!

Burma Shave

March 28, 2013

"Conservatives" Who Know What God Wants

Afaic if gay marriage and abortion were outlawed, it wouldn't take long before religious kooks concocted other demands that are flatly unacceptable to much or most of society.

In fact, this piece claims that the abortion issue is itself a fabrication by Pat Buchanan and Nixon.

March 26, 2013

HQ Beancounters Wrecking Walmart?

Apparently the stores don't have enough staff to keep the shelves stocked.

It's one thing to push a system right up to the point of diminishing returns. That's the culture I thought Sam Walton created; it wasn't touchy-feely, but it worked superbly. It's quite another thing to push a system beyond the point of diminishing returns. Bonus-hungry wise guys in management?

This kind of thing happens on Wall Street and at start-ups that are being mismanaged into the ground, but I didn't expect it at Walmart. Where else is it going on? Are US business leaders afraid to stick their necks out by hiring even though they know they should?

March 21, 2013

Cyprus Hicks and the Sophisticated EU

Daydreams:

Wouldn't it be something if Cyprus accepts bankruptcy---and emerges reinvigorated while the EU continues to flail?

Wouldn't it be something if Cyprus accepted Russia help in exchange for a naval base?

Addendum 20130330. According to news released late Friday afternoon, the Cyprus government is stealing the money outright.

March 19, 2013

Theft in Cyprus

I never expected to be cheering for the Russians to squash the Europeans.

Self-congratulatory Western ruling classes are terrific at centralizing their power at the expense of their societies' overall health. IMO they have no idea how outmatched they'd be at existential power politics.

"Do not call up any that ye cannot put down." Fools. Culpable fools.

Addendum 20130321. The EU is cracking the whip on the government and citizens of Cyprus. Not a peep about having the French head of the IMF resign or go on leave after her home was raided in a corruption investigation. No, it's almost as though Lagarde asked to have her home raided.

We are ruled by crooks who lecture us about morality.

March 14, 2013

Gender Segregation at University College London

Here. Unbelievable.

More unbelievable is that debater Krauss participated under those conditions but does not want to debate a philosopher about the underpinnings of physics. (HT: Peter Woit)

March 13, 2013

Foreign Online Threats

Reuters headline: Cyber threats against U.S. 'ramping up,' Obama says

I am concerned that SOPA may be slipped into cybersecurity legislation. That says something about me and, IMHO, it says much more about my corrupt government. I am balancing the threat from foreign governments against the threat from my own.

March 9, 2013

Massachusetts Banned Road Travel

Signed by the governor at 12:15 8 February 2013. The ban is effective at 1600. Its duration is indefinite, i.e. it remains in force until withdrawn. It was posted on the state website at 1502.

Addendum: The ban was withdrawn 24 hours later. Okay, Deval, but don't make a habit of it. (Roads were not closed during the major snowstorm a month later. However, the amount of snow greatly exceeded forecast expectations.)

Disgusting

Headline: Royal Navy girl who fought in Afghanistan told to cover up uniform on Virgin flight in case it offended other passengers (HT: Instapundit)

Maybe Virgin doesn't want to offend the traitors, Commies and jihadis among its passengers.

The Daily Mail piece concludes with a comparison of how Americans treat behave toward troops with how Brits behave theirs. The way our serving military, draftees in many cases, were treated during the Vietnam conflict is a national disgrace. Just possibly we've learned from it. (Travesties do occur in America, but if they come to light, the blowback of public anger against the responsible organization apparently is greater than in the UK.)