It's Coming True!

I posted this over at the New Clarion a few minutes ago. Now I post it here.


In Ayn Rand's 1957 classic Atlas Shrugged, one of the bureaucrats, in response to the nation's economic collapse, provides his reasons for Directive No. 10-289.

"The picture now is this, said Wesley Mouch. "The economic condition of the country was better the year before last than it was last year, and last year it was better than it is at present. It's obvious that we would not be able to survive another year of the same progression. Therefore, our sole objective must be to hold the line. To stand still in order to catch our stride. To achieve total stability. Freedom has been given a chance and has failed. Therefore, more stringent controls are necessary. Since men are unable and unwilling to solve their problems voluntarily, they must be forced to do it." He paused,picked up the sheet of paper, then added in a less formal tone of voice, "Hell,what it comes down to is that we can manage to exist as and where we are, but we can't afford to move. So we've got to stand still. We've got to stand still. We've got to make those bastards stand still."
(Page536 in the large edition, 491 in the small paperback)

I was reminded of this quote when I read this article at Digital Trends. (Hat tip to OActivists) The first paragraph:

"The Federal Communications Commission just handed down new regulation designed to protect small, independent networks, and cable providers are getting seriously riled up. The FCC’s “standstill order” states that cable providers can’t pull networks off the air during contract disputes."

This demonstrates how government regulations create the need for more regulations, and what happens when the powers that be cannot properly adjudicate property rights which said regulations work to thwart. This incident should tell Republicans of the need to replace government regulations with market regulations. Sadly, I don't think there are but a few Republicans who even know what market regulations are or how they work. That is why the 2012 election is so important. The events in Atlas Shrugged are materializing faster now than in previous decades.

Objectivist Round up June 23.

This weeks Objectivist roundup is at "Parenting is..." where you'll find articles on economics, politics, parenting, culture and much more.

Objectivist roundup June 19th.

This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Noodle Food where you can read articles of the GOP's attempt to combine Jesus and Ayn Rand, parenting, economics and much more. Enjoy!

Paleo Rodeo # 63

The latest Paleo Rodeo is up at Modern Paleo where you can read about exercise, parenting with paleo, learn new recipes, and much more.

Objectivist Roundup April 28th

The Objectivist Roundup April 28th is at J. J. Mcvey's site. Great articles on things like induction and the arbitrary. Also posts on reforming health care, integrative abstract reading and much more.

Objectivist Roundup April 21

This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Reepicheep's Coracle. There are good essays on politics and culture and movie reviews including the Atlas Shrugged movie.

Paleo Rodeo # 057

This week's Paleo Rodeo is up at Modern Paleo where you can read about some good recipes and articles of fitness, supplements and paleo from a variety of perspectives. I liked toe one on raising HDL.

Paleo Rodeo # 056

The Paleo Rodeo is now up at Modern Paleo where you can get tips on healthy eating and living.

Paleo Roundup April 8th

This week's Paleo Rodeo is up at Modern Paleo. There, you can get some good low carb or Paleo recipes plus some good posts on things like snacks, cheap eats, magnesium, protein bars and much more.

Paleo Roundup April 1st.

The paleo rodeo is now up at Modern Paleo. You can find info on supplements, recipes, exercise, and much more. Enjoy.

March 24 Objectivist roundup

The March 24th Objectivist Roundup is at Rational Jenn. There are a few good essays on rational parenting, on economics, a paleo recipe and much more. Enjoy!!

March 10th Objectivist Roundup

The March 10th Objectivist Roundup is at The Little things where you can read great articles such as Dr. Paul Hsieh's 'socialized medicine, theory and practice' and Alex Hrin's post of solar energy, is it a path to prosperity? Plus many others. Enjoy!

Objectivist Roundup March 3rd

This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Reepicheep's Coracle where you can read great post on parentin, economics, politics, and even some good recipes.

Feb 10th Objectivist Roundup

The Feb 10th Objectivist Roundup is at Erosophia where you can read posts on retirement plans by David c. Lewis at The Revolution in Retirement Planning, and John Drake posts at Try Reason on being conscious of your actions in all contexts including with your children.

Objectivist Roundup Feb 3rd 2011

This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Rant from the Rock. It's where you can read an inflation primer by C.W. or The Perils of a Siege Mentality by Ed Cline and much more.

Objectivist Roundup Jan 27th. 2011

This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Three Ring Binder where you can read articles such as Rachel Miner's recommendation of two new sites that deal with autistic learning. Then Zip reports on the Canadian Farce of Rights and Freedoms Pt1 and Pt2 plus much more. Enjoy!!

Woe is Michigan

I published this post at The New Clarion a few days ago. I repost it here to let my readers know why I don't think Gov. Rick Snyder will have the solutions to Michigan's problems.

After reading news articles on Michigan's new Republican Governor Rick Snyder's State of the State address I'm disappointed. He ran on a platform of making the state government smaller, more efficient and called for a return to free market principles. But it looks to me like Mr. Snyder is not going to be the solution to Michigan's woeful economic problems.

His slogan "reinvent Michigan" is one telltale sign. Michigan doesn't need to be 'reinvented.' It needs to be freed from the job killing regulations and taxes that have chased businesses out of the state.

Another telltale sign is his decision to go with a government owned second bridge--Detroit River International Crossing, DRIC--over the Detroit river connecting Detroit to Windsor Canada. I had hoped Snyder would have at least opened up the bidding to private enterprise, especially since Matty Marroun, the owner of the Ambassador Bridge from Detroit to Windsor has offered to build the second bridge and pay for it himself. (Yes, the Ambassador is the only privately owned international bridge in the nation)

Snyder, a businessman and former CEO of Gateway, knows that private enterprise is much more efficient than government sponsored enterprises yet he chose the public option anyway. Why? He was lured by the promise of federal Transportation Dept. loot. From a 1/21/11 Detroit News article by Tom Greenwood:

"Snyder, a businessman-turned politician, told The Detroit News that it was the "old accountant" in him that made him ask the federal government whether a $550 million loan from Canada to cover Michigan's share of the roads for the bridge project could be used to leverage matching federal dollars for other roadwork in Michigan.
"That's part of the value-added we brought to the table," Snyder said."

Unfortunately, for several years, the Michigan toll receipts will be handed over to Canada to repay the loan.

This is pure pragmatism on the part of Gov. Snyder. Pragmatism of course is a range of the moment expediency sans concern for long range consequences i.e. unprincipled. It is this kind of thinking that brought Michigan's economy to ruin in the first place.

Now, Snyder want's to replace the oppressive Michigan Business Tax--credited with chasing many small businesses out of the state--with a 6% tax on corporate profits. This despite the fact that he knows wealth creation and therefore a rising standard of living come from only one place--profits. So it seems then that he wants to sacrifice the profits of big business to small business. Neither this nor the public bridge option are free market principles. Then again, pragmatists disdain principles.

All is not lost yet though. Gov. Snyder does want to repeal the item pricing law that forces retailers to price mark every item they sell. In another News article by Jaclyn Trop we learn:

"The law mostly affects retailers that sell many different items, such as grocers and hardware stores, costing them more than $2 billion annually in labor and materials, according to a report by the Anderson Economic Group that Snyder cited"

It is on things like this that the new governor needs to be concentrating. Reduce crippling regulations and he wouldn't need to replace the Michigan Business Tax. He could just repeal it.

But that is just one of the regulations Snyder considers 'needless' implying that others are needed. He does not understand that all government regulations are 'needless.' I know this was just Mr. Snyder's first major speech and I shouldn't be too pessimistic yet. But it's hard to be optimistic when I see business groups applauding his speech. Back to the Greenwood article:

"Business leaders 'thrilled'
Members of the Detroit Regional Chamber also applauded the governor's endorsement.
"We were thrilled that the governor said he was all in for the DRIC," Detroit Regional Chamber chief executive Sandy Baruah said. "I love the fact that he found a very inventive way to tie the interests of the DRIC to every legislator in the state of Michigan by tying those transportation dollars to the DRIC project. I thought that was brilliant. I think it will be the key that gets the DRIC done."

The editor of the Detroit News also hailed the Governor's pragmatism in a 1/23/11 editorial in which editor Nolan Finley says:

"Rick Snyder's first substantive speech as governor left a lot of folks scratching their heads, trying to figure out which political slot he fits into.
The answer is, he doesn't.
He's not a politician. He's a businessman. If that wasn't clear during the gubernatorial campaign, it should be now that Snyder's opening State of the State address is out of the way.
It will be pragmatism rather than partisan ideology that guides his administration."

And:

"That was best demonstrated during the speech by his embrace of the Detroit River International Crossing. Conservatives chafe at government involvement in building a new bridge, since a private investor claims to be willing to build one with his own money.
But for Snyder, it was just a big real estate deal, and one he feels he got the best of by convincing the Obama administration to permit the leveraging of a $550 million loan from Canada to repair Michigan's highways.
He wasn't about to let a debate over the free market system get in the way of a windfall."(MY emphasis)

To be fair the editorial did go on to extol Snyder's pledge for accountability for all money spent and to get rid of growth inhibiting regulations. All nice sounding words until one reads this:

"Likewise, liberals will find unexpected opportunities to applaud the governor, as they did his view that the state must nurture education from the womb through adulthood, and that government has a stake in the waistlines of its citizens."

AARRRG!! Michigan is joining California in committing economic and educational suicide with the blessings of media and business.

When I look at Michigan and the new governor I feel like that adult who has explained to an adolescent that doing X will result in failure and misery for him but who still insists on doing x anyway suffering the adult to a future of having to watch the calamity unfold. Sigh.

Maybe some of the newer State Republicans will guide him in a better direction. Not holding my breath though.

Objectivist Roundup Jan 20th. 2011

This week's Objectivist roundup is at Reepicheep's Coracle. You can read posts on such subjects as

The scarecrow of violent Language by Ed Cline
or
Robert Sarrionandia's views on the value of debating.
and
Ritter's "New Energy Economy" Based on old fallacies by Ari Armstrong

Enjoy!

Jan 14 Objectivist Roundup

The Jan 14th Objectivist roundup is at Jenn Casey's site here.
Many great essays this time on subjects like the spread of mysticism or the Road to Hell at the New Clarion and more. Enjoy!

Objectivist Roundup New Year Edition

The newest Objectivist Roundup is at Uncommon Sense which includes essays on raising children, the hierarchy of knowledge, developing habits, abortion, immigration, sacred cows and much more. Enjoy!

Objectivist Roundup Dec 24th. 2010

This week's Objectivist Roundup is at Mother of Exiles. Great reads all.

The latest Objectivist round up is at Reepicheep's Coracle here. enjoy reading objective posts on politics, culture and a variety of subjects from an Objectivist perspective.

Thanksgiving is over, or is it?

Over at my blog at the Detroit Free Press, Mike's Michigan Musings, I posted about Thanksgiving day being over but giving thanks should not be and some of the things I'm thankful for.

Objectivist Roundup Nov 18th.

This week's Objectivist roundup is at the Secular Foxhole and is full of great posts. Enjoy.

Dems Offer No Hope for Michigan

The election is tomorrow and so far the Democrats are staying with their anti-business philosophy. About three weeks or so ago I received in the mail campaign promotion material from the Michigan Democratic state central committee. It was headlined "The main street agenda" and featured the pictures of candidates Virg Bernero for Governor, Brenda Lawrence for Lieut. gov, Jocelyn Benson for sec of state and David Leyton for Atty gen. The bottom of the flyer contained a partial picture of New York stock exchange overlaid with the words "not a Wall Street CEO."

I'm disappointed to see the Democrats continuing to cash in on the false notion that the people on Wall Street are the enemies of the people on main street. This ad represents all that is wrong with Michigan (and national) politics. Readers are presumably supposed to be relieved that these Democrats are anti-wall street. It is blatantly anti-business in tone. And yet it is only businesses that can create productive jobs. Government cannot create jobs. All government has to offer is force and the threat of it. And for decades government has used this power to chase businesses out of Michigan.

It's time to get government out of the way and let business do what it does best: create prosperity.

Local blog activism

The Detroit Free Press has allowed my to have a blog at their online paper. I haven't been very active but now I intend to get busy. It is here.I hope to get more readers with increased blogging.

Fire Levin, Time for Real Change

Pursuant to my last post below, Mr Don Volaric has added a new site "Fire Levin" which I recommend. Mr Levin has been in office way too long. He has overseen the destruction of the national as well as the Michigan economies, the near total destruction of the auto industry and the banking industry.

When looking at a problem, real or imagined, instead of asking "what tax or regulation can be repealed to help this problem?" Sander Levin has chosen to issue more dictates (regulations) then sit back and wait for obedience. This is not the practice of those defending freedom. Mr. Levin, like so many of the lifer politicians today, can no longer think outside the box. They know they have placed burden after burden on the backs of business chasing most of them out of the state. But rather than checking their premises, examining the principles on which their policies are based, they continue with business as usual placing even more burdens on business hoping against hope that businesses will find a way to stick around and continue to create jobs.

It's time for change and for this election Don Volaric represents that change.

Political Activism in Michigan

I have decided to get active in local politics for the first time in decades. I'm backing republican Don Volaric for the seat of Sander Levin in the US House district 12 here in Michigan. so here is a little promo for those of you who may live in this district.
*********************************************8

"How much would you PAY to get rid of a Levin??

Don Volaric, candidate for U.S. Congress in the 12th District, had almost 4,000 more votes than the incumbent, Sander Levin, in the primary for Macomb County! That hasn't been done before and it is a great sign of what is to come this November.

How much would you DO to get rid of a Levin??

The Volaric campaign needs your HELP to defeat Sander Levin this November. We are looking for volunteers to do door to door with our literature, phone calls, help with office work, etc. Signs will be available soon! We have window stickers available now.

How much would you PAY to get rid of a Levin??

Sander Levin is FOR Amnesty, FOR Obama Care, FOR Big Government, FOR Higher Taxes, FOR Cap and Trade, all while he is selling our children's and grandchildren's futures down the drain, while taking our seniors to the woodshed with his Medicare deception and lies.

Vote for the real citizen's representative, Don Volaric, not the status quo. Go to www.VolaricForCongress.com to donate and volunteer today.

70 days and counting... Remember in November!"
************************************************8

I decided to back him because he was one of the few Republicans to explicitly use the phrase 'individual rights' in his speeches. And also because I want Sander Levin out.

Political link

Here is a good effort that may be worth joining at least in a political context: There is no doubt that America needs a reorientation.

Little Thinkers

I sometimes marvel at the sharp memories and ideas four and five year olds have. I was at a restaurant with wife and 5 year old grand daughter Taylor and her mom. I had arrived first and had ordered before the others since I had to leave first. Taylor and I both like eggs and sausages. She would reach over to my plate and swipe a sausage piece and I would pretend not to notice saying "There must be a mouse in here swiping my sausages" and she would laugh. When her food came she said to me "Grandpa, you can't take my food" and I said "Why not?" to which she replied "Because you're on a diet, remember?" sigh. They're right about that female memory thing.

A few days later she was at our house pretending to be talking to a friend on the phone. She wrote down her imaginary friend's number on a paper. She wrote 9 numbers. Observing this Grandma said "Most phones have 7 numbers." She thought for a few seconds and said "Well my friend has a bigger phone."

Rational literature in elementary school.

From the VanDamme academy is this 5 min video on what rational literature for the very young should look like.

Notice: OLists for Better Living Info

Because I am a lurker (reader) on most of these lists below and have started commenting on the OGardeners list, I want to recommend these lists to my readers via this announcement by Diana Hsieh:

Hi, I'm Diana Hsieh (http://www.DianaHsieh.com). I'm an Objectivist and a recent Ph.D in philosophy.

I oversee an independent network of e-mail lists for friendly discussion and information-sharing among advocates of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism. They are the "OLists" : http://www.OList.com

The common goal of the OLists is to serve the real-life values and interests common to subscribers -- such as activism, blogging, parenting, health, productivity, firearms, gardening, and academia. These lists have been active, informative, and useful to their hundreds of subscribers; they've helped connect Objectivists with values in common. In case you've not heard of them, I invite you to see whether they might foster your values too.

Please note that these lists are not free-for-all discussion lists. Each list has a clear purpose, as well as definite membership criteria. Also, some lists are limited to Objectivists, while others welcome non-Objectivist lurkers. Please check the list's purpose and membership criteria before you request a subscription.

Without further ado, the OList e-mail lists are...

OActivists: http://www.OList.com/oactivists

OActivists is an e-mail list for Objectivists committed to fostering positive cultural and political change. Its purpose is to encourage and assist effective advocacy of Objectivist ideas in non-Objectivist forums by facilitating communication between Objectivist activists. Membership is limited to Objectivist activists. It is managed by Tammy Perkins.

OBloggers: http://www.OList.com/obloggers

OBloggers is an e-mail list for Objectivist bloggers. Its purpose is to facilitate communication about matters of mutual interest, such as upcoming events, blogworthy links, posts of interest, blog promotion, and best blogging practices. Membership is limited to Objectivist bloggers. It is managed by Kate Gerber of CareerMama ( http://www.careermama.com ).

OGrownups: http://www.OList.com/ogrownups

OGrownups is an informal e-mail list for for Objectivists and others interested in raising and educating children well. Its basic purpose is to facilitate discussion amongst Objectivists about child development, discipline techniques, education methods, parenting resources, and more. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Jenn Casey of Rational Jenn ( http://rationaljenn.blogspot.com ).

OEvolve: http://www.OList.com/oevolve

OEvolve is an informal e-mail list for Objectivists and others interested in the proper application of evolutionary principles to diet, fitness, and health. Its basic purpose is to facilitate discussion and information-sharing amongst Objectivists about the practical sciences of cooking, nutrition, fitness, health, and more. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Monica Hughes of Ancestral Generation ( http://ancestralgeneration.com ).

OProducers: http://www.OList.com/oproducers

OProducers is an e-mail list for Objectivists and others committed to improving their habits of productivity in their careers, projects, and other pursuits. Its purpose is to facilitate discussion and information-sharing amongst Objectivists about practical methods for better management of time, projects, money, people, and other resources. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Tod of Optimal Living ( http://blog.bytod.com ).

OShooters: http://www.OList.com/oshooters

OShooters is an e-mail list for Objectivists and others enthused about firearms and committed to gun rights. Its basic purpose is to facilitate discussion and information-sharing amongst Objectivists about firearm models, shooting techniques, gun ranges, gun laws, and the like. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Santiago Valenzuela.

OGardeners: http://www.OList.com/ogardeners

OGardeners is an informal e-mail list for Objectivists and others interested in gardening and landscaping. Its purpose is to facilitate discussion and information-sharing amongst Objectivists about the cultivation of flowers, vegetables, shrubs, and trees. Non-Objectivist lurkers are welcome. It is managed by Kelly Elmore of Reepicheep's Coracle ( http://reepicheepscoracle.blogspot.com ).

OAcademics: http://www.OList.com/oacademics

OAcademics is an e-mail list for Objectivist academics to discuss teaching, research, coursework, dissertations, job prospects, publication, and all other aspects of life in (or after) academia. Membership is limited to Objectivist academics. It is managed by Diana Hsieh of NoodleFood ( http://blog.dianahsieh.com ).

If you have any questions or comments about the OLists, please feel free to e-mail me at diana@dianahsieh.com.

-- DMH

Diana Hsieh (Ph.D, Philosophy, CU Boulder)
E-mail: diana@dianahsieh.com
NoodleFood: http://www.dianahsieh.com/blog
NoodleCast: http://www.dianahsieh.com/cast
ModernPaleo: http://www.ModernPaleo.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/DianaHsieh

--
OGardeners @ OList.com --
List Address: ogardeners@olist.com (or ogardeners@googlegroups.com)
Public Web Site: http://www.olist.com/ogardeners
Private Group: http://groups.google.com/group/ogardeners/
Web Archives: http://groups.google.com/group/ogardeners/topics
Edit Membership: http://groups.google.com/group/ogardeners/subscribe

Proper Philosophy of Education

If you haven't subscribed to Lisa VanDamme's U-tube videos I urge you to do so now. It's free. This one is about her favorite story at the VanDamme Acadamy. You can subscribe here. One of my favorites is "Why WE Take Tests" which explains the importance of testing.

This is the kind of pedagogy that most American public schools desperately need especially in the wasteland that is the DPS Detroit Public Schools.

Tax Day Tea Party Sterling Heights Michigan

Sorry about being a day late with this but here are pics of the Tea Party I went to in Sterling Heights on Thursday 4/15. There were about 400 to 500 people there including several dozen union and government people on the other side of the street carrying pre-made signs saying SOS for Save Our Services. Evidently they don't like the idea of smaller government. Click on any image for larger view.

I went to a few Tea Parties this past week. The first was Sunday 4/11/10 at the Clinton Twp Civic Center. It was sponsored by MEDEFCO (Metro Detroit Freedom Coalition) and featured a stop by the Tea Party Express folks. Two bus loads of speakers and entertainers pulled up.

There was about 3000 people there according to one local newspaper. A sampling of the people by me revealed Republican, Democrat and lots of independent voters present. The singing was quite good and all the speakers mentioned the need for smaller government and less taxes and less regulations. I'll post on the other Party tomorrow.

Blogroll Update Mar. 2010

It's time again for another blogroll update. Not all of the sites below are hosted by objectivists but are still very rational, enjoyable reads.

First will be Jihad Watch a blog devoted to watching and tracking the jihadist movement within Islam.

Second will be the music of M. Zachary Johnson. A good sampling of his own compositions on Sax.

Third is Illustrated Ideas hosted by Robert Tracy, a military man.

Fourth is STATS, a blog of statistical assessment at George Mason University. If you're sceptical about so-called scientific studies that purport to tell you what's good or harmful for you, STATS likes to go over those studies with a fine tooth comb and show you what's wrong with them.

Fifth is The Anger of Compassion where Craig Ceely is again reporting on current events.

Sixth will be Alaxander Marriott's Wit and Wisdom. Alex's blogging may be light for a short time but he promises to get back to it soon.

Seventh is The Advice Goddess where journalist Amy Alkon gives advice on almost anything.

The next four are about paleo dieting and living which I recommend. Being on a low carb regimen myself I have found valuable low carb recipes, info on vitamin supplements, exercise and more. Their blogrolls lead to more sites of interest.

Eighth is Free the Animal. Here Richard Nikoley blogs not just on paleo eating but paleo living.

Along the same line, #9 is Modern Paleo, a new blog by Christian W. and Diana Hsieh on paleo eating and living written by objectivists.

Number 10 is Mark's Daily Apple another good paleo site.

Eleventh is OEvolve, another good objectivist list of rational eating managed by Monica Hughes that you can just observe as a lurker, like me, or sign up to be a poster on your experiences and ask questions as well.

Twelfth is another good blog on parenting by Rachel Miner called Playful Spirit.

That's it for now but there will be another update in April. Enjoy!

Urgent Action Required.

With his permission I'm reprinting this post by Dr. Paul Hsieh and I recommend everyone contact your House Rep. and urge them to vote no on the health bill now before the House.


This upcoming week will be *the* critical week in the health care
fight. Speaker Pelosi is expected to start the process for the House
to hold its final vote to approve the Senate Bill. The vote will
probably take place at the end of this upcoming week.

Right now, they are probably still a few votes shy of the majority
they need:

"Dem House vote-counter lacks health care votes now"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100314/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul

"Can Nancy Pelosi Get the Votes?"
Michael Barone, Wall Street Journal, 3/11/2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703701004575113292688090292.html

Hence, this is an *extremely* risky move by the Democrats.
Normally, a Speaker wouldn't plan on voting on such major
legislation unless he or she was sure of having enough votes.

But the Democrats are also (correctly) concluding that time is not
on their side. They have made the calculation that if they push for
it now, then maybe then can squeeze out the last few votes via a
combination of threats and bribes. For example, they have
"sweetened" the deal for the wavering moderates by promising
billions of dollars of new student loan subsidies:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100314/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_overhaul

On the other hand they recognize that if they wait much longer,
then when these wavering Congressmen go back home for the
Easter recess, they will get an earful from their constituents who are
strongly opposed to the bill, and they'll lose even more support:

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/health-care-end-game-begins-monday

Hence, from the Democrats' perspective, it's now or never.

From our perspective, this means three things:

1) We are winning. We have a chance to defeat this terrible bill.

In particular, do not get discouraged when you read the inevitable
news stories about how the Democrats are "close to getting the
votes" or how Pelosi is "confident she'll have the votes". She has
to exude an aura of public confidence, otherwise her coalition will
quickly unravel.

Polls repeatedly show Americans opposed to ObamaCare:

"Why Obama Can't Move the Health-Care Numbers"
Rasmussen and Schoen, Wall Street Journal, 3/9/2010
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704784904575111993559174212.html

Similarly, head counts of House Democrats also show that they
don't quite have enough votes yet:

"Scrambling for votes, Democrats face uphill climb to pass
healthcare reform"
The Hill, 3/13/2010
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/86577-scrambling-for-votes-dems-face-uphill-climb-to-pass-health-reform

"The Hill's 'Whip Count' on ObamaCare -- as of 3/13/2010"
http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/2010/03/13/the-hills-whip-count-on-obamacare-as-of-today/

If they had the votes, they'd have already passed it by now.

2) We have to keep the pressure up. The Democrats are pulling out
all stops to find some way to get this through now, before the
critical Easter recess.

At this point in time, the single most important thing you can do is
tell your Congressman to vote "NO" on this bill:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

This is especially important if your Congressman is one of the
undecided or swing votes on this "Code Red" list:

http://www.nrcc.org/CodeRed/targets/
http://www.teapartypatriots.org/BlogPostView.aspx?id=84e5b956-bfe9-4024-9fd3-aaf17cc00012

But even if your Congressman is a firm "Yes", it's still important to
let them know. If even the liberal Democrats from "safe" seats
consistently hear that their constituents are against it, it will give the
wavering moderates more political cover to vote "No". They can
tell their Pelosi, "Even *your* constituents hate this thing -- there's
no way I can support it".

*** Our counter-pressure is our best weapon against the pressure
that the statists will exert on these wavering Congressmen. ***

Your letter doesn't have to long or eloquent. It just has to convey
certainty, passion, and moral conviction. Something short and
simple like:

"Please vote NO on this terrible health care plan! If you vote yes,
you will destroy the ability of me and my family to receive good
health care in the future. This is personal! If you vote yes, we will
never forgive you for hurting our lives and trampling on our basic
freedoms."

(You may wish to adapt that to suit your own style and values.)

Feel free to use all contact methods - phone, fax, and e-mail. And
please feel free to contact them multiple times over the upcoming
week. In this context, repetition is a virtue!

And of course, if your Congressman is a probable or firm "No",
then thank him or her for his position. They also need our moral
support.

3) If you have friends or family in other parts of the country, tell
them to do the same thing and contact *their* Congressmen:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

If you need intellectual ammunition for them, one of my personal
favorites is from the AFCM website:

"Fifty Fallacies About Health Care" by Richard Ralston
http://afcm.org/fallacies.html

Jared Rhoads' Lucidicus Project also has a good set of OpEds:
http://lucidicus.org/editorials/archive.php

And of course, FIRM has its archive of articles/OpEds:
http://westandfirm.org/articles.html

I personally think that the most important thing we can do in the
next few days will be to directly contact our Congressmen and have
friends/family do the same. LTE's and OpEds will still be
important, but not as much as before. (That said, I'm stilll going to
continue writing and/or disseminating some of my earlier writings
to people I know around the country.)

This is the endgame, folks. Most political observers regard the
health care bill as a 50-50 "toss-up" or "too close to call". It really
could go either way. What happens this week will set the course of
this great country (for good or for ill) for decades to come.

Your voice could be the critical difference in swaying the right one
or two minds. If you value your lives and your freedom, the time
to speak up is *now*!

(Anyone is welcome to forward or repost this e-mail to any
appropriate recipients or venues.)

-- Paul
--------------------
Paul Hsieh, MD

A Grandpa's Notes on Discipline

As a grandpa who does a lot of babysitting--I have 5 grand kids under the age of 4 1/2 with another on the way--I believe in the theory of positive discipline. Info on this can be had at the sites of Rational Jenn and The Little Things.

But I want to focus on one aspect of discipline: talking to young children when they are behaving badly. I've seen adults yell at their kids saying things like "You're being bad" or You're a bad boy/girl" and "What's wrong with you?" and so on. I am afraid though that a steady diet of words like that might cause the kids to conclude that there is something innately wrong with them over which they have no control. I don't want to take that chance.

Now I like to use different words and phrases. When they are being defiant or otherwise misbehaving, I tell them they are making bad decisions or bad choices and I try to follow that up with reasons why that they will understand. I think this reinforces in their mind the fact of free will while informing that not all choices will be good for them.

Of course it's a law of nature that kids forget fast, so constant repetition is needed. So is lots of patience. This is because their desire to use their free will can be almost irresistible. That can lead to conflicts.

Of course the flip side of this coin is commenting on when they do good. I like to see them get their happiness from the achievement of things without me saying anything. But young kids often want to share a new accomplishment with their adults so when I comment I say things like "Good job" or "Well done" or "Good thinking" and so on. I try to avoid "You're so smart" or 'You're really good" etc.

Positive Discipline has more to say on these subjects so be sure to visit the above links.

January 2010 VDA Newsletter

Once again and because education is so important here is the latest newsletter from the VanDamme Academy.


Pedagogically Correct Volume 4, Issue 2
January 22, 2010

"Pedagogy": The art and science of teaching.
:: Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
:: Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
:: Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog


Follow this link for the latest VanDamme Academy Newsletter, which features the following article entitled "What Did You Learn Today" (Written by Kyle Steele-ME)


I was sitting on the floor, fixing a desk, when one of my students and her mother came into the room. They were unaware of my presence as the mother helped her daughter gather her homework. Looking at the board, she said, "Nothing is written down for math. What did you do in math today?" Her daughter's response was, "Well... basically, we drew a mountain and that's about it."

If her summary of the day's events hadn't been so comical, I would have been mortified by her answer. Was this all she remembered from my complicated lecture on long division? Though I was tempted to hide myself further under the desk, I stood up and probed my student's memory further. With the right questions, she was able to tell me that the mountain was a metaphor for the steps involved in learning long division and that we'd spent most of the class discussing quotients and remainders.

Her mother was satisfied with this but I was not. My student, quite understandably, remembered the most unusual and silly part of the class and not the lesson. While I'm happy that my students have vivid memories of the metaphor, it is useless unless they recall the metaphor's meaning! I was concerned that this might be the typical kind of answer parents received to that age-old, important question, "What did you do in school today?"

At the end of the next day's lesson, I decided to ask that question myself. "If I were your father and I asked you what you did in class today, what would you say?" The response I got was interesting. Most children could give a vague answer, but not as specific as I would have liked. They could tell me we did long division problems, but it would have been more accurate to say we did problems with a four-digit dividend. I helped them to form this more precise answer.

This exercise, naming what we've learned at the end of each class, has become a routine part of the class and the kids love it. Each of them is eager to come up with the most precise answer. They strive to capture the finest detail that separates today's lesson from previous lessons. I love it, not because it prepares my students to be questioned by their parents, but because my students are refining their own understanding.

It's very easy for a student to let the activities of the day become a blur. Even the best students in the best classes can go through the routine of the day without taking a moment to reflect. But by taking a few minutes each class to discuss what we've learned and give a name to the work we've done, the knowledge they've gained is no longer a blur, but a firmly held concept. It becomes a hard piece of knowledge with clear edges.

Furthermore, this exercise helps the motivation of my students. Naming what we do helps them to remember that each day holds a new lesson. It is very satisfying to look back on a class and say, "We've accomplished this." One of the things that sets VanDamme Academy's curriculum apart from others is that we want our students to hold their knowledge conceptually; knowledge that can be put into words and has a clear connection to reality. It is a goal we pursue doggedly. Naming each lesson is one more way we achieve that goal.




Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
Now Anyone Can Understand The Fundamental Principles of Science Better than Most Scientists
"Fundamen tals of Physical Science: A Historical, Inductive Approach"
By David Harriman, Historian and Philosopher of Physics

Learn all about it at our brand new website.

Here's what other Pedagogically Correct Readers are Saying:

"I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in physics, and I was amazed at how much I learned from David Harriman's course. This course stands head and shoulders above any other course or textbook I have encountered."

"It's perfect for someone relatively new to physics like myself; it's perfect for even advanced people who want a deeper historical perspective than is usually taught...I found Mr. Harriman's physics course to be an exciting walk through the fascinating world of physics."

"I think this type of course is needed for everyone, as in my experience, it's so far above the courses I've had throughout my life as far as the actual transmittal of knowledge is concerned...In short, this course has made science and math much more intelligible for me, and was completely worth the time and cost - I highly recommend it."

I was a physics major when I entered college, yet I can easily say that my actual understanding of physics is much greater as a result of this course than I can credit to any other class I've taken.

www.vandammescience.com

With this course you will:
* Finally understand the world around you, the world of science and technology, in a way you never thought possible. (No, you don't have to be a math wiz.)
* Learn the thinking methods of the greatest minds in history.
* Understand what all those physics equations and formulas you once memorized really mean.
* Be inspired by scientists' amazing 2500-year quest to unlock the mysteries of the physical world.
* And have a great time in the process!

All thanks to a one-of-a-kind science teaching methodology available in no other course or textbook.


www.vandammescience.com


Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
Lisa VanDamme's educational career began when a group of parents, disillusioned with standard public and private schools, hired her to educate their children. In 1998, she chronicled her successes homeschooling and explained the methods that made them possible in a lecture, "Reclaiming Education." The audience, fascinated by her insights about education, and inspired by the stories she told, gave her a standing ovation. In 1999, she made "Reclaiming Education" available in written form, to the delight of thousands of readers. Since 1999, the essay version of "Reclaiming Education" has been unavailable. Until now.

For the first time in almost 8 years, we will make this remarkable work available. And we are giving it away for FREE as an e-book to those who help us grow Pedagogically Correct by recommending it to their friends. Just send enter the email addresses of at least five friends who might appreciate an invitation to receive PC--along with a brief personal note, or our standard note below. We will not add anyone to our email database without their permission.


Click here to refer five friends and get your copy of "Reclaiming Education."

Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
www.pedagogicallycorrect.com
Check out our 'blog, which will contain much (but not all) of the material we sent out in our newsletters. Spread the word!




VanDamme Academy encourages you to forward our newsletter to your friends or post it on your website or blog. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can sign up to receive Pedagogically Correct for free, at www.vandammeacademy. com.

Happy Learning!

VanDamme Academy--Experience the Power of a Real Education



VanDamme Academy
email: custserv@vandammeacademy.com
phone: 949-510-4861
web:http://www.vandammeacademy.com

Where'd I put that?

Yes, I can relate to this video.

Happy New Year!

A happy and prosperous New Year to all my readers!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all my readers.

Sand Animation

This is a video of an incredibly talented Ukranian girl at sand animation. I've heard of this art form but never observed it till now. She's tells a story with her animation.

Support Anthem Foundation

According to this Detroit News article Chase is giving away $5 million to your favorite local 501(c)3 charities. ARI is not listed but the Anthem Foundation is so I signed up and voted for Anthem. The drive ends in 19 days but you can vote once every day. I think this could be a good opportunity for some positive activism. I posted a notice of this on my facebook page.

Update 11/28/09: The Ayn Rand Institute is on Chase's list so you can vote once for the Anthem foundation and once for ARI. The above is in error in that you can't vote every day for the same charity. Round 1 will be over Dec. 11th. Round 2 voting will begin Jan 15th and end Jan 22nd. It's important to join Facebook if you haven't already and vote for these two charities. The ARI has a program called "Free Books for Teachers" which is well worth the effort of joining Facebook and voting.

Pedagogically Correct Newsletter Oct 2009

Here is another edition of Pedagogically Correct because education is so important.

"Pedagogy": The art and science of teaching.
:: Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
:: Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
:: Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog


Follow this link for the latest VanDamme Academy Newsletter, which features the following article entitled "VanDamme Academy Presents: Music Appreciation"


Two years ago, Mr. Travers introduced art appreciation into the VanDamme Academy curriculum. Like the name suggests, the purpose of this course was neither to teach students the history of art nor to train them in the production of art. Rather, his goal was to help them learn to deeply, sincerely enjoy or appreciate art.

Toward that end, Mr. Travers teaches students how to look at a painting or sculpture. He demonstrates to them that looking is not automatic-it is actually an active-minded, methodical, purposeful process. Students learn to do a "reading" of a work of art: noticing and cataloguing all the details, making connections and generalizations about what they observe, comparing and contrasting their observations with other, similar pieces, arriving at a basic theme of the work, and finally, connecting that theme to their own lives.

This process integrates perfectly with the VanDamme Academy literature curriculum, for which the process of analysis is much the same. And indeed, Mr. Travers often makes a point of finding artworks that reflect the values and characters presented in the novels students are reading for literature.

This year, Mr. Travers has introduced music appreciation into the junior high curriculum.

In music appreciation, students listen to a short composition with a definite emotional tone and are asked to describe the scene that plays through their mind in connection with the music. I witnessed one of these classes, and the results were remarkable. First, though the scenes they recounted varied greatly from student to student, the commonalities were fascinating to note. Second, the students' writing was delightfully uninhibited-this assignment really allowed them to be creative free spirits. Lastly, I was moved by the variety of ways in which their performance on the assignment reflected their education overall: the compositions were articulate and eloquent, they often related to great scenes from history or literature, and they showed a capacity for a deep and meaningful connection to art. Listening to Mr. Travers read the students' work aloud while the music played, I was moved to tears.

Here are some samples of the students' writing about Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." I recommend that you listen first, and then read.

"A wave comes onto the shore, bringing a man to his home town. He is dead. Memories flash of his life as the procession leads him to his grave: his wedding, his first born son, his captaincy. Nothing is banal any more."

"An army has just defeated their enemy. However, their greatest hero has fallen. It is raining, and everyone is crying, especially the hero's family. The hero had hugged his family right before he was shot. It is pitch black except for one light that is shining on the hero."

"Trees are swaying in the forest as the flowers are slowly blooming. They twirl at the sun's powerful heat. One day, they suddenly shrivel up. Kids are staring down at their once beautiful flowers, depressed and heartbroken. The trees begin to shrivel. The pinecones open up to let new seeds be planted."

"I see a boy walking up to a large building in New York for the first time and he can't believe its size. He is amazed and his mouth is ajar. He goes into it, and he is riding up in the glass elevator. He has reached the top; he looks at the view and yells happily off into the city. He is overwhelmed. He feels like a small sand in the desert."



Calling All LifeLong Learners: Learn Science the VanDamme Academy Way!
Now Anyone Can Understand The Fundamental Principles of Science Better than Most Scientists
"Fundamen tals of Physical Science: A Historical, Inductive Approach"
By David Harriman, Historian and Philosopher of Physics

Learn all about it at our brand new website.

Here's what other Pedagogically Correct Readers are Saying:

"I am currently a Ph.D. candidate in physics, and I was amazed at how much I learned from David Harriman's course. This course stands head and shoulders above any other course or textbook I have encountered."

"It's perfect for someone relatively new to physics like myself; it's perfect for even advanced people who want a deeper historical perspective than is usually taught...I found Mr. Harriman's physics course to be an exciting walk through the fascinating world of physics."

"I think this type of course is needed for everyone, as in my experience, it's so far above the courses I've had throughout my life as far as the actual transmittal of knowledge is concerned...In short, this course has made science and math much more intelligible for me, and was completely worth the time and cost - I highly recommend it."

I was a physics major when I entered college, yet I can easily say that my actual understanding of physics is much greater as a result of this course than I can credit to any other class I've taken.

www.vandammescience.com

With this course you will:
* Finally understand the world around you, the world of science and technology, in a way you never thought possible. (No, you don't have to be a math wiz.)
* Learn the thinking methods of the greatest minds in history.
* Understand what all those physics equations and formulas you once memorized really mean.
* Be inspired by scientists' amazing 2500-year quest to unlock the mysteries of the physical world.
* And have a great time in the process!

All thanks to a one-of-a-kind science teaching methodology available in no other course or textbook.


www.vandammescience.com


Recommend Pedagogically Correct to five friends, get Lisa VanDamme's e-book, "Reclaiming Education," for free!
Lisa VanDamme's educational career began when a group of parents, disillusioned with standard public and private schools, hired her to educate their children. In 1998, she chronicled her successes homeschooling and explained the methods that made them possible in a lecture, "Reclaiming Education." The audience, fascinated by her insights about education, and inspired by the stories she told, gave her a standing ovation. In 1999, she made "Reclaiming Education" available in written form, to the delight of thousands of readers. Since 1999, the essay version of "Reclaiming Education" has been unavailable. Until now.

For the first time in almost 8 years, we will make this remarkable work available. And we are giving it away for FREE as an e-book to those who help us grow Pedagogically Correct by recommending it to their friends. Just send enter the email addresses of at least five friends who might appreciate an invitation to receive PC--along with a brief personal note, or our standard note below. We will not add anyone to our email database without their permission.


Click here to refer five friends and get your copy of "Reclaiming Education."

Announcement: Pedagogically Correct Blog
www.pedagogicallycorrect.com
Check out our 'blog, which will contain much (but not all) of the material we sent out in our newsletters. Spread the word!


VanDamme Academy encourages you to forward our newsletter to your friends or post it on your website or blog. If this newsletter has been forwarded to you, you can sign up to receive Pedagogically Correct for free, at www.vandammeacademy. com.

Happy Learning!

VanDamme Academy--Experience the Power of a Real Education

VanDamme Academy
email: custserv@vandammeacademy.com
phone: 949-510-4861
web: http://www.vandammeacademy.com

Post Follow Up

Pursuant to my last post, here are the details: for quite awhile my house's interior in the kitchen, dinette, living room and hallway had white ceiling, walls and trim. Boring! Now I have a flat white ceiling, beige walls and pure white trim. I must say I really like it. So does the wife.

My sister came to see me and the kids, and their kids, then went to see another brother in S. Carolina. She hadn't seen us in 21 years. Plans are being made to do it again next year. I really loved reconnecting with her. She was the only girl out of the seven of us kids. Yeah, she was spoiled, just a little. It's been raining here in Detroit all day. I guess the clouds are crying because my sister went back to California.

On Sept. 21st, I became a grandpa again. Introducing Allison Rose Neibel:

.

.

Doctor says she's in good health and her older sister Payton, 18 months, seems to be taking it quite well wanting to give lots of kisses.

Back to Blogging

It's been a busy two months what with trying to paint the inside of the house with the ceiling one color, the walls another color and the trim still another. Plus my sister whom I haven't seen in 20 years came for a 6 day visit, a most happy time for me, and I became a grandpa for the fifth time. Her name is Allison Rose.

More on the above soon.

Good News

I see via HBL that an Objectivist organization-Ayn Rand in India-is taking roots in that nation. Right now there are discussion/study groups in three cities, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi. For more information click here.

The spread of Objectivist ideas can't happen fast enough. The Hitler and Stalin wannabes are rising to the top of the political spectrum everywhere and are taking notes on what the current crop of statists are getting and not getting away with. So the spread of rational ideas in India, however modest, is a very good thing.

Blogroll additions Sept. 09

It's time for another blogroll update. I like doing this because the growth of objective, rational blogs pleases me.

First is Erosophia where Jason has posted a link to the essay by Dr. John Lewis at Cap Mag titled "Suppose auto insurance were made to be a right," and where Megan posted on "The emptiness of environmentalism."

Second is Bathtub Gin Brigade where Michael Labeit posts on "Private Factor Ownership and Effective Government."

Third shall be "Beyond the Wall of Sleep" at which Matt posts a 1 1/2 minute video of security guard Cheeks telling protesters this ain't America any more.

Fourth is Rachel at Brass in Pocket who has a good essay on why it's a bad idea to turn to religion in search of justice.

Fifth to be added is Reepicheep's Coracle where Kelly has an insightful look at "Children's Needs and Selfishness."

The sixth addition is The TK Lounge where TK has a post near and dear to my heart, how the press discredits science.

Seventh is MGTutoring where Michael Gold presents a rational perspective on education and has a great painting and a post on the poor philosophy of teacher training.

Number eight is Art, Love & Philosophy at which I liked the acrylic art displayed.

Nine is A is A the blog of cedrac who posts on the "Importance of Amazon's Kindle 2"

Tenth, I want to recommend the site of sculptress Sandra J. Shaw.

Eleventh and last for today is Principled Parent, an Objectivist and blogging mommy.

Happy reading!

On the Other Hand...

I was once told by an acquaintance that a man should always try to be the best in his field. Since I partially disagree with this, since a man should be the best he can be within the context of his ability and education, I decided to challenge his point with a little satirical devil's advocacy. I responded with "Oh no! Don't you know that it's always the second mouse that gets the cheese?"

Anyway, in that light hearted vein I recommend this piece at Live Oaks.

(It certainly shows how ugly spectator sports--and by implication ordinary life--would be.)

Attention Students

If you're a student and would like to know more about Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, but there is no Objectivist club on your campus, please be informed that there will soon be a virtual Objectivist club in which you can participate. I recieved this email from Keith Schacht today and reprint it below.
************************************

I helped start the Objectivist Club Network (OCN), an organization dedicated to helping all Objectivist Campus Clubs. OCN is not affiliated with the Ayn Rand Institute, although we support them and regularly communicate with them to ensure our respective organizations are not duplicating efforts.


Recently we've expanded our efforts to solve a new problem: there are students interested in joining an Objectivist club where no club exists. Some of these students start their own club, but others don't have time to start a club or do not find enough participants on campus to form a club.

We've created the Virtual Objectivist Club (VOC) for these students -- a phone-based discussion group dedicated to the study of Objectivism. Meetings will be weekly, beginning this September, each moderated by an experienced Objectivist. The group is open to any current students who would like to learn more about Objectivism.


My request: Please help spread the word to any students you know who may be interested in learning more about Objectivism. The deadline for applying to the VOC is August 31st. Students can learn more and apply at: http://www.oclubs.org/voc


Please let me know if you have any questions and we greatly appreciate you sharing this with others!


Keith & the OCN Team

If the link above doesn't work try here.

I Went to a Tea Party

(To the tune of Rick Nelson's Garden Party)

>I went to another tea party,
>to protest the health care bill,
>to mix with people of like mind and to,
>share in a little good will.

>There were signs saying no to coercion,
>and leave my doctor alone,
>There's no reason for government to be,
>barging into my home.

>Well it's, all wrong now.
>But it's, going to be OK,
>people are beginning to realize that,
>freedom is the way.

>There's Waxman, Reid and Pelosi,
>Obama and Emmanual too,
>they tell us they're going to save the world but they,
>haven't got a clue.

>There are people in academia,
>in the House and Senate of course,
>for us they say they know what's best and will
>get it with physical force.

>Well it's, all wrong now,
>but it's, going to be OK,
>people are beginning to realize that,
>freedom needs to stay.


The scene of this party was outside US Congressman Sander Levin's office here in Roseville, Mi on Saturday 8/23. I estimate about 75 to 85 people were there holding signs protesting Obama's health care plan. Again I was pleasantly surprised at how many people said they read Ayn Rand's books especially Atlas Shrugged. Lots of motorists beeped their horns is support.

The people were mostly blue collar workers and some elderly. Almost all of them were worried about how many 'life years' they'd be allotted once Obama care was enacted.

(Update Aug 28th, edited and added to the above lyrics and corrected a typo.)
(Update Sept 3rd. corrected another typo)

The Value of Null Findings

Over at The New Clarion two days ago I posted on the fact that when statistical studies result in a null finding they are rarely published and how misguided this practice really is. I reprint that post below.

The Value of Null Findings

"Sandy Szwarc at JunkfoodScience has an in-depth look at a health science topic. Although it's titled "The Myth About Unhealthy Belly Fat" the article's theme is, 'the importance of null findings', and properly laments the fact that the media seldom reports them. This is very true and also very important. That's because:

"Null findings enable true scientists to know they’re looking in the wrong direction and that it’s time to go back to the drawing board and develop a different hypothesis. They also enable us to stop needlessly worrying about something that doesn’t matter."

Also, many if not most studies that purport to show a health problem actually turn out to be false and these revelations are often not published as well.

Just as knowing that something is a threat to health and life is important, so is knowing when something is not a significant threat, especially when alleged professionals are telling us it is a threat. However, we also know that the media often prefers hype and sensationalism vs boring news about non-threats. So the media has a built in bias that is heavily weighted in favor of fear-hype while a study showing that last month's health scare is actually false will tend not to get printed. This will mislead thousands if not millions of people. As the saying goes 'you can't unring an alarm bell.'

But this situation has other consequences. It creates a fearful citizenry eager to donate their money to NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations, mostly non-profit foundations) who promise to do research (more statistical studies) to find ways to protect them from all the alleged hazards of a modern, technological society.

It sometimes works like this: NGOs fund studies that try to determine what is bad for us. When a study is completed a press release is announced. The media picks up the release and reports the findings which are usually that X (say, fast foods) is bad for us. Politicians then stand on the floor of their chambers, news reports and studies in hand, announcing that congress must address this threat to public health by passing legislation more heavily regulating the use of X. They then stand before us proclaiming how good they are at protecting us from all the harmful Xs out there and therefore we should reelect them. That is what we see.

What we don't readily see is that the funding NGO has been getting large donations from companies that produce products Y and Z (say, treadmills and diet books). Also mostly out of view is the donations by companies Y and Z to the politicians' reelection campaigns. And even further out of sight is the fact that no one looked at the study, not the reporter, the editor nor the politician, to see if the study had any statistical significance or was a null finding being passed off as having significance. This last happens often.

We have to educate ourselves to what is valid science and what is pseudo science because the press isn't doing it. Pseudo science isn't just coming from NGOs either. Government agencies fund lots of it. I recommend reading the entire article and visiting JunkfoodScience often. Her blogroll is a good source for others who actually read these so called scientific studies and then examines them for our benefit."

Health care has become so politicized that one literally has to fact check every alleged harm for oneself. The problem is that grant money is not earned money. It is handed out to applicants on the basis of the applicant's desire to see if there is a problem regarding food X's effect on say, disease Y. The granting agencies are virtually buying problems the government can try to fix with more regulations over you and me. Are we to believe that the applicant's supply of grant money will continue if they produced studies showing 'no problem here' i.e. a null finding?

The solution is to remove government encouragement from the market place especially from education and science. Government control of education is the open door to government control of everything else.

Another Activist Day

My congressman Sander Levin D-Mi. held a town hall meeting today at which I arrived late. He had finished his speech and was meeting people one on one. The line was long and I really didn't want to speak to him anyway so I went outside and passed out some literature. I handed out about 30 copies of the essay "It's a Matter of Justice" with the essay "The Significance of Atlas Shrugged" on the back side. I gave out 4 copies of the Ayn Rand Sampler and about 30 copies of a short note I wrote myself with a quote from Amy Ridenhour, with her permission, which is posted below.

Again I was surprised at how many people had read Atlas Shrugged and liked it. There were a few others outside carrying signs saying in essence No to Hr 3200. Here is the other note I handed out.

Two Thoughts

1) Why a public health care system does not work:
To meet budget targets, governments reduce payments to providers and to buy equipment. This reduces the supply of people willing to provide health care services (doctors, nurses, medical staff and support) and the supply of equipment (hospital beds, diagnostic tools, etc.). Shortages develop, and those who are sick or injured, suffer.

They find themselves with health care coverage, but without health care.

By Amy Ridenhour, director National Center for Public Policy Research



2)Dear Fellow Citizen:

I don't want to go under the knife of a doctor who resents my congressman, my senator, my president, telling him, his nurses and his technicians how much money they are permitted to make, how many hours they must work, and how to care for me. Even more troubling is the thought that I may have to go under the knife of a doctor and staff who DON'T resent it.

When there is a transaction between a doctor and a patient a certain cost will be mutually agreed upon. But when a third party, government, interjects itself it too must collect a paycheck and will raise the cost of the transaction for everyone. Remove the third party, government, and the costs will come down.

The proper job of government is to protect our rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We have made the mistake of allowing the government to provide our happiness, our daily bread. Trouble is, because the government has a legal monopoly on the use of force, it is the government who gets to define and enforce what shall be our happiness and daily bread. I don't want that.

Our country is on the verge of perishing from an orgy of government enforced altruism. There is of course, nothing wrong with individuals helping those in need if one is able. Americans have always been generous to those trying to help themselves. But when the government decides it wants to provide for everyone's needs, it usurps the entire field of morality for itself creating a society where only government officials are considered moral and the citizens are considered immoral, or at best amoral, in need of forceful guidance by their moral leaders. All dictatorships are created by this mindset. Right now our Congress is infected with too many of this mindset. We citizens need to start weeding them out in the next few elections. We can do this by letting our politicians know, if they want our vote, to embrace the concept of individual rights which includes the rights of doctors and patients to make their own decisions.

Citizen Michael Neibel
*************************************************

I just finished listening to a podcast of Alex Epstein and Richard Salsman on Business Talk Radio. Mr. Epstein defended oil companies and Mr. Salsman defended capitalism. They did quite well. You can listen to the podcast here. Click on Aug 13 hour #2. Mr. Epstein's interview starts at about 7:35 into the show and Mr. Salsman's at about 41 min in. Enjoy.