User Profile: PoleSitter

Member Since: September 05, 2011

CommentsDisplaying PoleSitter's 10 most recent comments.

  • It seems only fair that free money given the Government isn’t free… that you’ll at least have to pay taxes on that. In fact, this should be generalized so that those receiving Free Money (Welfare, MediCaid, WIC, Earn Income Tax Credits) should also have to declare these as income. It would “normalize” the income distribution curve… and even poor people (with whom I sympathize) would have “skin in the game” when it comes to Tax Rates. N’est Pas?

  • The basic point, as I understand it, is that Mortgage RATES drive home prices. When Mortgage rates are low, say 3%, the a family making $60K/year can afford a $1050 monthly payment on a $250,000 home. However, when the rates go to 7%, that same monthly payment jumps to $1667. Can’t afford it? Buy a cheaper home… and when everyone buys a house that they can “afford” at $1050 a month… at 7%… that home cost $160,000…

    If you believe that people “buy a home they can afford” then higher interest rates mean people will be forced to buy less expensive homes… and that will drive home prices down… which lowers your Line of Credit – and – Net Worth.

    KEEP THE RATES LOW and the PRICES HIGH!

  • “who are increasingly looking for more premium ingredients with a healthier image”… Healthier Image? I have eaten these things… and I don’t know how you’d qualify them as “Healthy” anything. They taste fine… but are not as filling or as healthy as a Subway Turkey sandwich. Is the a press release for McDonalds? I would never have considered these two products in the same category… or is that just me?

  • Cass wants to be known for the quality of his ideas, not his personality or political affiliation. I’ve read some of his work and it’s good… so good that I’ve wondered… “What if this guy were working on the side of good instead of socialism?” Conservatives could learn a thing or two from Sunstein. But they don’t… they want the world to be more simple and understandable… which is why the Dems always “parse” them out and destroy them… Small steps people… small steps.

    The Leadership in DC for the R’s is weak and willing to take small steps in the Wrong Direction – choosing to wait for some Home Run. They think each at bat is a potential Home Run – which it ain’t. I’m NOT saying compromise… but Conservatives can’t often tell a success from a failure.

    The Socialists know this. Why can’t the free market Conservatives learn?

    Read “Nudge” and learn… how to do it, how to stop it, how to recognize it.

    And stop whining… or you become easy prey for STM and others.

  • Heffe44… you make a good point. When I try to analyze charts like this I like to imagine the data I’m looking at as not existing… so completely ignore the red line and focus on the ones above. You’ll see that it was the Post WWII “truman” recession caused by too many men coming back from war without enough employment – but rebuilding Europe quickly supplied jobs. This one is worse, starting in 2007 – Bush’s/2006 Congress’s Fault. But what’s different is the long time of recovery. Unprecidented. *Something* has changed. We saw similar *long*long*long* recovery curves with FDR. What’s changed is the Feds trying to “solve” the problem which prevents the natural course of things… in this case… prolonging the agony. Would you rather have intense pain for a short period – or moderate pain for a long time. Give me the short duration pain. The Government doesn’t have enough “knobs on the machine” to fix this… best to take a few small steps… and stay out of the way. The Economy is far to multi-variant for Krugman/Bernacke to “fix”. I could point you to a few helpful books that discuss complex systems – and how little control you really have… except in screwing things up.

  • Student’s Clever Response to Test Question Goes Viral

    February 25, 2013 at 5:05am

    In reply to pwatkins.

    The “What Rock?” comment left out one crucial detail. The Student was supposed to pick up the rock and place it in his pocket before leaving… thus leaving the Professor without anything substantive to prove wrong. Alter the game — change the outcome.

    The brilliance of the “What Rock?” (with removal) is that the actions and words show a mastery of the material. I’ve studied enough philosophy over the years to see the insight such a play would demonstrate… However… and in philosophy there is always a however…

    Brilliance and laziness are close cousins. I would have most likely failed this student for such actions… but then again, the whole exam being “Prove this rock…” is absurd. So I think this is one of those little stories Grad Students/Professors tell to make a point — cause thought — wonder — and not actually prove anything.

    [And frankly, am I the only one who doesn't see a controversy here? A kid posting something under someone else name? Hello... 2013... internet... Don't trust anything you read - even this.]

  • I encourage Blaze readers to visit Esquire’s website (link in article) and read the whole thing. It’ll make you laugh, make you cry… mostly cry. The personal traumas we put these Special Force through… I’m honored to have them protecting us. And they deserve better. How about retirement at 15 years for Special Forces? 20 years for Non-Combatant military (desk jockies)?

    Read every word. It’ll change your view of the world and the wars.

  • The current Administration cannot decide what the Capital of Isreal is… Tel Aviv? Jerusalem? (See J Carney’s press conference). I wonder where the meeting will take place… Will he visit temple mount… will he kiss the Wailing Wall? Will he visit a city where the Gaza Rockets come raining down on civilians? It would make a cool photo-op…

  • One argument to advance the First Amendment is to promote peace. When individuals do not believe they can express their point of view then they may resort to violence. We see this in the West when someone commits a crime in order to get attention so they can make their voice heard. What’s odd here is that Islamic Radicals have the same access to a Free Press… but they find that their arguments do not find a receptive audience. Westerners are skeptical… and Islamists make wild and unsubstantiated claims… and this “social rebuke” leads to violence. What a strange society that rejects *more* freedom for *less* – and seeks to restrict it for others. Stranger still are those who surrender their freedoms (self censorship) to pave the way for those who would take your freedeom by force. What an odd world we live in.

  • Ultimately I hate to see anyone lose their job. But in this case, I think this “public” firing could be beneficial. I hope he learns from his mistakes… matures a bit… and does better next time. Adversity can bring growth… but if he doesn’t learn Life’s Lessons… then he’s missed an opportunity… and should probably not “serve” others for a living.