Perspective Sucks

"Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."

-Obi Wan Kenobi

Would that we had Ben here to help us out with the economy. AIG is about to give out $165M in bonuses after receiving $173B in government bailout (taxpayer) money. Am I outraged?

Nope.

I did the math:

165,000,000 / 173,000,000,000 = 0.00095 = 0.095%

In other words the bonuses are less than one tenth of one percent of the bailout money. That's like spending 25 cents on a candy bar on the way home with your $300 Christmas bonus.

So the bonuses, which are paid according to employment contracts established before AIG received bailout money, are not the travesty. The travesty is that candy bars cost way more than 25 cents.

Atlas Shrugged - Part II

According to the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights sales of Ms. Rand's 1957 novel Atlas Shrugged set record sales in 2008. And thus far in 2009 sales have tripled over 2008 numbers for the same period. It seems people are finding Ms. Rand's vision of a socialist America interesting, if not a little frightening. Frighteningly real.

I recently placed my "Who is John Galt" sticker on my car window. I've received a few inquiries, but for the most part it's just my way of letting others of like mind know I am one of them.

What to do, what to do?

Tea party?

Go Galt?

I can't really afford to drop out. Or at least I haven't thought of a way just yet. So that leaves organizing or participating in a tea party. Yes, I think that is what I will do.

I'm in it for the Corn

I think I will spite the world around me and be happy.

I think I will shrug off the power bill and mortgage payment and water heater repair bill and vet bill and be happy.

I will whistle through 50-hour weeks and fast food lunches and hours hunched at my laptop at the kitchen table late at night and be happy.

I will do this because perhaps prosperity follows those who need it least for their own happiness.

Besides, I have all my teeth.

There's No Place Like Home

One more utterance of the supposed democracy in which we live and I will barf.

The United States of America is a constitutional republic. Look for the word democracy in the Declaration of Independence. Look for the word democracy in the Constitution of the United States.

"A democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where fifty-one percent of the people may take away the rights of the other forty-nine."

-Thomas Jefferson

Not an Option

I told my wife some time ago that we could lose everything - absolutely everything - and I would be okay with that. As long as I have the essentials I will be okay. I need, and I mean need, my wife. If I have my kids on top of that, better than good.

I have faith that we would do whatever it takes to get by. I am not above living in my parents' basement. Or attic. Or wherever. I am not above flipping burgers or delivering pizza. (Actually, delivering pizza is an awesome job.) I don't expect it would be easy or that I wouldn't want something better for my family.

But this is not an option:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/01/28/family.dead.california/index.html

Atlas Shrugged - Part I

"Every government interference in the economy consists of giving an unearned benefit, extorted by force, to some men at the expense of others."

-Ayn Rand

Back On or Near the Top

I recently puzzled over the order in which the blog links on my wife's website were arranged.

Alphabetically? Nope.

In order of most preferred? Surely not; mine was near the bottom.

Randomly? Perhaps.

Then I realized the blogs with the most recent posts were at the top. Lazy posters such as myself were delegated to the rear, as it were.

So I post.

Limelight, you are mine!