CBS is hiring!

Are you looking for a job as an environmental reporter? Great news. CBS is hiring. Here is the job description:

CBS is expanding its coverage of the environment. We seek a talented reporter/host for Internet video broadcast. We are looking for smart, creative, hard working up and comers, who can bring great energy, creativity and a dash of humor to our coverage. A deep interest in the environment and sustainability issues will serve you well.

You are wicked smart, funny, irreverent and hip, oozing enthusiasm and creative energy. This position requires strong people, reporting, story telling and writing skills. Managing tight deadlines should be second nature. Knowledge of the enviro beat is a big plus, but not a requirement.

Responsibilities include reporting and hosting two to three news packages per week plus daily writing for our blog. You should be comfortable using a video camera and the Internet. Be prepared to see America. Heavy domestic travel.

Colorado Politics Prediction Market

A good friend has started a prediction market for all Colorado House races and Allard's Senate seat.



You can sign up at inklingmarkets.com to play on existing markets or to create a new (say, Pennsylvania) market.

Leopard Is Vista

We haven't had an OS war for a while.

I have been very disturbed by the Mac commercials slamming Vista. Macs are verboten where I work, but enforcement is rare. As a result, I have seen a steady stream of emails detailing serious security flaws and have heard a lot of internal complaints about Leopard.

Mostly, the commercials just make me nervous because I believe that all software is going to break, and it seems in poor taste to imply in a commercial that yours won't. If Toyota claimed their cars never broke down, people would say "yeah, right" even though Toyotas are known for reliability.

PC Magazine's Oliver Rist seems less than convinced that the new MacOS is perfect:

I'm not sure what ticks me off more about Leoptard (I can't take credit for that nickname—some Brit coined it): the fact that so many of the semi-important changes don't work, the fact that Apple turned a stable OS into a crash-happy glitz fest, or that the annoying, scruffy Live Free or Die Hard actor infecting my TV (and our Web site, by the way) is pretending that Leopard is better than Vista. It's not better than Vista. Leopard is Vista. And Tiger is better than both of them!

All ThreeSourcers Will Ace This

A Quick Quiz with some interesting facts at the end.



Hat-tip: Gregory Mankiw

The End of Hurricane Hugo?

The American Magazine is a bastion of optimism (its Editor infamously wrote the book "Dow 36,000.") I'm fine with optimism; as Larry Kudlow would say, I've been optimistic for 25 years and it has served me well. Roger Noriega writes today of The End of Hurricane Hugo

In recent days, more and more Venezuelans have come to realize that the sweeping constitutional reforms championed by President Hugo Chávez represent a mortal threat to democracy. As the December 2nd referendum approaches, Venezuelans are contemplating the downside of dozens of radical changes that were approved by Chávez’s rubberstamp national assembly.

I'll plug the magazine once more. Even if you don't subscribe, they have just started a daily e-mail -- I'd recommend signing up.

What Ails Fred, What Alis the GOP

Kim Strassel has a smart column today (not unusual). She further develops the questions about Fred Thompson's campaign. I linked to a Mark Steyn Corner post yesterday asking why the man with the ideas has no campaign. Ms. Strassel relates it to his plan for a "new campaign" which ignores the old rules.

While it isn't clear who set the "rules" for this manic election, they're set. Voters may only pay attention at the end, but having an infrastructure to make sure those voters hear you in the final months is the work of years. By sitting back, Mr. Thompson allowed his rivals to scoop up the well-connected policy wonks, committed state activists and aggressive fund-raisers that oil a campaign. His own refusal to "do" the media and public-event circus has muzzled his message, as the failure of his tax-plan announcement shows.

Think back to 1999, when Gov. George W. Bush -- who knew something about campaigns -- unveiled his own tax outline. His people had a dozen brainy conservative economists at the ready to blitz the media. Outside business groups stood by with glowing press releases. Average families were found to serve as real-life examples of how the tax cut would help. The campaign staff fanned out and joined local activists to manage the grass roots. The candidate himself devoted endless time to flogging his idea in public appearances and to every press person and editorial board around.

None of this happened in the wake of Mr. Thompson's Fox announcement. The campaign simply didn't have the stuff to pull it off. Worse, its own leader refused to do what is expected. A look at Mr. Thompson's schedule revealed not a single public appearance for three days after the release, right up to Wednesday's highly uninformative CNN debate.

The GOP went into this race thinking itself the likely loser, and that fear has defined the primary. The candidates aren't vying to lead a wayward party out of malaise, or energize voters with new ideas. They're instead trying to be the answer to a question: Who can beat her?

That's made the race about biography, in particular on issues like national security and immigration, where Republicans hope a Hillary Clinton will be weak. Mr. Giuliani's campaign is about his past as a New York tough guy who can face down terrorists. Mr. Romney's, his past as an MBA who can manage our border. Mr. McCain's, his past as a Vietnam vet who recognized the problems in Iraq. There's no future in this present, and Mr. Thompson's lackluster delivery of his own agenda has allowed the front-runners to continue avoiding the big debates.

The Broncos Will Win the Super Bowl

The other AFC teams. The Patriots and the Colts. Are losers. They don't have talent and their coaches don't understand the game. Coach Michael Shanahan is a winner.

The Broncos will win the AFC. The NFC Teams that you hear so much talk about: the Cowboys, and the Packers, even the Philadelphia Eagles -- they don't have what it takes to win the Championship. The Broncos do. The Broncos will be the next NFL Champions.

In other news, Lileks brings us this dedicated Ron Paul Supporter:




Sorry, Rep. Paul fans. One more debate and this guy just does not do it for me. I am intrigued by Insty's suggestion that if he can get traction perhaps libertarian ideas are more popular than expected.

RON PAUL: He's just terrible, even when -- which is often, once he's off the subject of the war -- I agree with him. His voice is too high, he can't remember who the Kurds are, and he often comes off like a crazy old man in a bus station.

But that's good news, in a way. Paul's doing better than anyone expected. It's abundantly clear that he's not doing it on charisma and rhetorical skill. Which means that libertarian ideas are actually appealing, since Ron Paul isn't. Paul's flaws as a vessel for those ideas prove the ideas' appeal. If they sell with him as the pitchman, they must be really resonating. I suspect Paul himself would agree with this analysis. Er, except maybe the bus station part.

Fred's Sails In The Sunset

Mark Steyn not only crafts that superb headline, he also succinctly captures my views on Fred!

I wrote about the Republican and Democrat presidential candidates last weekend, and got a lot of mail from Fredheads and others demanding to know why I hadn't mentioned Senator Thompson. The reason is I've no handle on what it is he thinks he's doing. Every time I see a Fred policy plan, he seems to have by far the best ideas, and the necessary zeal for reform, on taxes, Social Security and much else. But every time you see him in these TV debates he has the listless air of a bored grandparent at a dreary school play.

And seeing him live in person isn't that easy to do. I get campaign e-mails about New Hampshire appearances by John McCain and Mrs Clinton and lots of others. Mitt's guys clogged up my in-box with so many urgent releases in the hours after last night's debate that it's seriously impacting my ability to order generic Viagra and e-mail my bank details to Nigerian dictators' wives. But nary a word from Fred.

What's the strategy here? Why does he have great ideas but no campaign?

Huckabee Wins Debate

I have not seen or read any punditry on last night's GOP debate. I have a superstition that requires I post my thoughts first, lest my pliant and malleable intentions are swayed.

• I liked the YouTube format. It did provide tougher questions and it did give the evil folks at CNN opportunities to dive into areas where pro journalists might not. But hard is good.


• My candidate, Mayor Giuliani, did not have a great night. I was disappointed that he agreed with Gov. Romney that farm subsidies were important "for the food supply" and "to level the field with more-heavily-subsidized Europeans." Ouch. He was okay on the other answers but I'm tired of NYC crime stats.


• I'm also tired of the childish sniping. Romney struck a low blow with a reference to Bernard Kerik, and while the "Sanctuary Mansion" was a good laugh line, Romney has the high ground on that. Reagan’s 11th, gentlemen, Reagan's 11th...


• Immigration will ruin this party -- did I mention that? The immigration questions seethed with hostility, the answers were not much better.


• Lastly, yeah, Gov. Huckabee was affable, humorous, and statesmanlike. I quickly joined Harrison Bergeron yesterday in saying that if the GOP goes Huckabee's direction, I won't follow. (I would not abandon the party if he is a running mate). But, you have to appreciate those who can play this game, and the Governor was good. Scary good.

UPDATE II: American Spectator wonders why Giuliani bothered to pander to the Farm Lobby if he's written off Iowa:

Romney's response was at least consistent with what we know about him, and has an electoral logic to it. He has a history of saying whatever is most politically convenient at the time, and winning Iowa is a central part of his strategy.

For Giuliani, however, it doesn't add up. One of his greatest appeals is that he is a blunt, no-nonsense guy who has the guts to say and do what others don't. When it was suggested that New York City raise taxes after 9/11, Giuliani responded that it would be "a dumb, stupid, idiotic and moronic thing to do." Had he said the same thing about farm subsidies last night, he would have become an instant hero among fiscal conservatives. But aside from that, it would have made political sense. Unlike Romney, winning Iowa is not central to Giuliani's strategy, so he doesn't need to pander for votes there. Much more important for him is winning New Hampshire. Had he come out firmly against farm subsidies last night, he would have had a great issue to use against Romney in the more libertarian Granite State.

Kind Words for a Bush Appointee

Gregory Mankiw says choosing Keith Hennessey to replace Al Hubbard as the head of the National Economic Council is "an excellent choice."

Thought Jocks

Super Guest Editorial in the Wall Street Journal today (Rupert, tear down this wall!)

Monday: After a long day at his New York City private school, Ben, 16, heads to my creative writing lab to work on his heartfelt memoir about his parents' bitter divorce. Tuesday: Alison, 15, rushes from her elite private school in the Bronx to work on her short screenplay about a gifted, mean and eccentric boy. Lily, 13, pops in whenever she can to polish her hilarious short story narrated by an insomniac owl.

Ben, Alison and Lily, along with another few dozen who attend my afterschool writing program, also attend top-notch New York private schools that cost upwards of $25,000 a year.

But some, and ironically those who attend some of the most desirable schools in the region, feel the reverberations in deeper, more painful ways. "Two years after my son left a school that prohibited him from entering a national math competition," says one mother, "he still writes angry essays about why the jocks in his former school were allowed to compete throughout the city while he wasn't allowed to win the same honors for his gifts." Sam, her son, felt uncool in the eyes of his peers, and undervalued (and sometimes even resented) by the administration.

Mike Taxabee

Just a quick rant:

According the latest Rasmussen poll, Mike Huckabee now leads the field in Iowa.

For better or for worse, I am a registered Republican and as I see it, this election is a watershed moment in the history of the party. Mike Huckabee represents a direction I will not follow and the support that he has received from not only prospective voters, but also so-called conservative pundits is a great source of frustration. The Republican party has always been a source of frustration (as is any given party), but increasingly conservatives are becoming a source of frustration.

Huckabee will not win the presidential nomination, but should he receive the vice presidential nomination, I will not vote for the Republican candidate. Period.

The party needs to return to its days of limited government and lower taxes, not kowtow to social conservatives...

Cyber Monday Sets Record

WSJ:

Consumers responded eagerly to online retailers' promotions for "Cyber Monday," setting a record for single-day online retail sales.

Online sales for the Monday after Thanksgiving rose 21% to $733 million, according to comScore Inc., a Reston, Va., market research company that tracks Internet sales and traffic.

Cyber Monday, a phrase coined by the National Retail Federation's Shop.org online-retail unit in 2005, is the day consumers return to their high-speed computer connections after the Thanksgiving holiday and start shopping on the Web, often from work. The day brings the first jump in online holiday spending, and merchants offer promotions around it.

Per-person Spending Plunges 12%

Saddled with ballooning subprime mortgage concerns, with spirits dampened by the ongoing war in Iraq (see related story on Abu Ghraib), consumers seemed to find temporary respite in online shopping...

Pharma Sector Bad, Journalists Good.

"If you can't get a drug on the market with that kind of data, we should stop developing drugs."

Taurel adds journalists to that list. When Lilly stopped a trial to ensure patient safety, the press smelled blood in the water:

When it comes to describing the benefits and risks of prescription drugs, the hyper-competitive, around-the-clock media is rarely at its best. Call the following a case study in the challenge of doing right by doctors and patients -- in spite of the need to feed the media beast with copy.

Don't Click

If you read this Instapundit Post, quantum theory dictates that the dark energy stabilization clock is reset, threatening the stability of space and time.

You're on your own recognizance...

A Really Inconvenient Truth

You would think the inventor of the internet would keep on up security.

A blog set up to promote former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's film, "An Inconvenient Truth," has been hacked and is hosting links to Web sites hawking online pharmaceuticals.

The links appear to have been created as part of a scheme to boost the Web traffic for sites that promote the drugs, security experts said Monday. They contain titles such as "Xanax On Line," "Viagra," and "Buy Valium Online."

Cyber scammers have been using this technique for months now, packing hacked Web sites with links to their products in hopes of bumping up their rankings on search engines such as Google and Ask.com. Another similar tactic, known as "comment spam," involves flooding the comment sections of Web sites with these types of links.

Mississippi Christmas

Brendan Minter in the Political Diary says "Christmas Comes Early in Mississippi"

The scuttlebutt is that Trent Lott's departure will make it even more difficult for Republicans to pick up seats in next year's elections. Mr. Lott is the sixth Senate Republican to announce his retirement, meaning the GOP now will have to defend a total of 23 Senate seats next year, while Democrats will have to defend just 12. Not only is his departure a sign of insider skepticism that Republicans will be able to recapture control of the Senate anytime soon. When it comes to legislating, Republicans will also be without one of their more effective politicians in rounding up votes.

But there's ample reason for conservatives to view Mr. Lott's retirement as an early Christmas present. Though a strong supporter of tax cuts and the military, he also frequently behaved as a typical Congressional pork barreler during his the 34-year career. Just this month, he voted with 78 other senators to override a presidential veto of a $23 billion water-projects bill loaded up with 900 pork barrel projects. Mr. Lott, who presumably knew he didn't have to worry about reelection, still couldn't resist the urge to shovel money back home to make his contributors and lobbyist friends grateful.

Mr. Lott has also been a serious hindrance to conservatives in the crucial battle for tort reform. He's the brother-in-law of tort lawyer extraordinaire Dickie Scruggs, whom he joined after Hurricane Katrina in suing insurance companies for not paying off claims that were explicitly not covered in the insurance policies that Mr. Lott and other homeowners bought. Nor did he serve the conservative cause well with his careless remarks five years ago in praise of Strom Thurmond's 1948 presidential run, on a segregationist platform.

True to custom, President Bush nonetheless lauded the retiring senator for his services to Mississippi, while House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (another wishy-washy conservative) praised his friend for teaching him the tricks of the trade. Even insurance lobbyists wished the senator happy years ahead. In truth, though Mr. Lott is only 66, his departure means one fewer Republican remnant hanging in the way of building the party's future. Principled conservatives will have one fewer incumbent to apologize for. There's also little chance Democrats will capture Mr. Lott's seat in 2008, so, on the whole, his departure is a reason for conservative satisfaction.

One Star for Mister Krugman

Gregory Mankiw links to an excellent Amazon Review of Paul Krugman's "The Conscience of a Liberal."

Krugman's vision for the future has three key premises, all wrong.

First, he believes progressives can win on a platform of redistributing from the rich. However, no one cares about inequality. People care about injustice, unfairness, poverty, sexual predators, family values, gay marriage, terrorism, and many other problems of everyday life. People don't care about Gini distributions and other abstractions. Moreover, Krugman should know that if the wealth were redistributed to the middle class, the US investment rate would fall, since the rich save their money and it is translated into investment, whereas the middle classes would spend their gains on consumption, thus driving out investment. A "soak the rich" policy simply cannot work to the advantage of the middle classes.

Second, Krugman would strengthen the labor unions, which he credits for their egalitarian effects. However, unions were strong only when industry was highly non-competitive in such areas as automobiles and steel. The oligopolistic character of mid-twentieth century industry, with a few countries in the lead, made fighting over the excess profits highly rewarding. With globalization, there are no excess profits to be fought over. Thus, it is not surprising that most successful unions in the USA are public service, not private (e.g., teachers, government employees). There is no future in unionism, period.

Third, Krugman believes that liberalism can be restored to its 1950's health without the need for any new policies. However, 1950's liberalism was based on southern white racism and solid support from the unions, neither of which exists any more. There is no future in pure redistributional policies in the USA for this reason.

The Twelfth Imam

Osama Bin-Laden had it all wrong. Why convert the Infidel with the sword?

The 7th Century is over and the Great Satan is now for sale:

NEW YORK - Wall Street rebounded sharply Tuesday after the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority said it will invest $7.5 billion in Citigroup Inc. — a vote of confidence for the nation's largest bank, which has suffered severe losses amid the ongoing crisis in the mortgage market. The Dow Jones industrials rose 150 points.

UPDATE: I removed a line with which I was not comfortable, celebrating Persian and Arab successes in innovation and trade. It was complimentary but I don't want to get into ethnic stereotyping.

Obama Does It Again

Another classic comment from Obama regarding Hillary's "experience":

"I think the fact of the matter is that Sen. Clinton is claiming basically the entire eight years of the Clinton presidency as her own, except for the stuff that didn't work out, in which case she says she has nothing to do with it," Obama said, and added, referring to his relationship with his wife, Michelle, "There is no doubt that Bill Clinton had faith in her and consulted with her on issues, in the same way that I would consult with Michelle, if there were issues," Obama said. "On the other hand, I don't think Michelle would claim that she is the best qualified person to be a United States Senator by virtue of me talking to her on occasion about the work I've done."

With Republican's Like These...

That should probably be a category -- or a whole new blog: with Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?

I wrote about Michael Powell in May of 2003:

Chairman Powell is Colin Powell’s son. As much as I respect Dad, Michael’s policy and beliefs comport better with mine, and he clearly is the better for spending fewer years with the striped-pants crowd at the State Department. He is pushing to bring FCC Regulations into the 21st Century. Regulations on ownership that were crafted when America got its news from Eric Sevareid can be relaxed now that many get news from Andrew Sullivan. Chairman Powell understands the effect of cable TV and Internet information sources and he believes in the free market enough to fight for a more modern approach.

At a meeting scheduled for tomorrow, Chairman Martin plans to push a slew of new regulations on cable operators. Among other things, he wants to force cable companies to reduce, by as much as 75%, the already regulated rates they charge to lease channels to programmers. He also wants to require cable operators to settle carriage disputes, like the current one involving the NFL Network, through an arbitration system set up by the FCC. Apparently Mr. Martin, a Republican appointee to the agency no less, has lost faith in the free market's ability to handle commercial disputes. Either that, or he has some personal animus against cable.

Mr. Martin says more regulation is needed because monopolistic players are dominating the cable industry. But his premise doesn't remotely square with reality. Comcast, the nation's largest cable provider, recently reported a drop in subscriptions. Cable share prices generally are getting hammered, trading near 52-week lows. According to a report last week in Broadcasting & Cable, since Comcast's last earnings report its stock is down 17%; Time Warner is down 21%; Cablevision is down 16.5%; and Charter Communication is off 47%.
[...]
To justify his meddling, Mr. Martin describes a marketplace that doesn't exist. He pretends there's no DirecTV and EchoStar option. He pretends that Verizon and AT&T's video offerings pose no threat to Comcast and Time Warner. But if the FCC chairman is most concerned about costs, the goal should be more competition via different platforms. In other words, he should want current trends to continue. His odd and untimely proposals are more likely to retard them.

UPDATE: Never give up hope. The vote may be in trouble:

WSJ
WASHINGTON -- A vote Tuesday on a proposal that could lead to stricter regulation of the cable industry was in jeopardy Monday, as internal squabbling at the Federal Communications Commission and outside pressure from Congress and the White House threatened to delay, if not completely derail, the plan.

MIT

The good folks at MIT dreamed up this voice activated blender. Sadly, there are no plans to release a commercial version.

Hat-tip: Pillage Idiot

The Fed is Defended

Mirabile dictu -- by Milton Friedman.

Clinton Would Boost Funding

HOLD THE PRESSES! The Junior Senator from New York has finally found something she thinks the government should spend money on: Autism.

"Driven by their love and devotion, mothers and fathers across the country have raised awareness, demanded funding, and opened our eyes to the needs of so many children," she told a crowd of hundreds gathered at the Jesse E. Marshall Boys Club of Sioux City. "It's up to us to reclaim the future for our children, and ensure that every child can live up to his or her God-given potential."

Senator Clinton will surely seek more "Funding" (the AP did not call it spending) for every one of these soft, supraconstitutional endeavors. It's going to be a long campaign and, quite likely, a long four years.

The Patriarchy is Alive and Well

Gregory Mankiw links to the Crimson:

How long does it take to grab a cup of coffee? If you happen to be a woman, plan on adding 20 seconds to your morning ritual. That’s how much longer women wait to get their coffee compared to men, according to a study by Middlebury College economics professor Caitlin Knowles Myers, Myers and five of her students timed 295 transactions at eight Boston-area coffee shops. Her study controlled for complicating factors, including the complexity of the drink order (skinny? soy? 3 percent milk?), the appearance of the customer, and the length of the line. But even after accounting for these factors, women waited about 20 seconds longer.

When do we want 'em? NOW!

Reagan, Thatcher, Sarkozy!

Air traffic controllers, mine workers, rail workers. The NY Sun says Collapse of Rail, Subway Strike Is a First Success for Sarkozy

"We think a dynamic of return to work has begun," Julie Vion, a spokeswoman for France's state-owned railroad network, SNCF, said.

Union leaders began to concede defeat yesterday. "We have to face reality. Since yesterday's negotiations, things have changed. The strike is no longer the solution. The strike strategy is no longer winning," a leader of the Sud union representing Paris underground railway workers, Philippe Touzet, said in an interview with Bloomberg News.

Hat-tip: Insty.

What About Teal Tuesday?

Is Black Friday really the busiest shopping day of the year?

Between 1993 and 2002, it cracked the top five just three times, never rising higher than the fourth-busiest day of the year, according to snopes.com, a Web site that debunks urban myths.

The early word seems to be pretty positive, though the AP reporter Anne D'innocenzio can't bear to type it.

NEW YORK - Shoppers — shrugging off a spate of lead-tainted toy recalls and higher prices for food and gas — jammed stores before dawn Friday to grab discounted TVs, toys and the hard-to-find Nintendo Wii, for the official start of the holiday season, expected to be the weakest retail showing in five years.

Stores, including Toys "R" Us and Macy's Inc. said more people were showing up this year for pre-dawn specials but merchants need them to keep coming throughout the holiday season to make their sales goals.

Hat-tip: Everyday Economist

Happy Thanksgiving, John Stossel

When I am President, I will hand out medals to Jimmy Pethokoukis and John Stossel. Today, Stossel shares the lost lesson of Thanksgiving.

When the Pilgrims first settled the Plymouth Colony, they organized their farm economy along communal lines. The goal was to share everything equally, work and produce.

They nearly all starved.

What private property does -- as the Pilgrims discovered -- is connect effort to reward, creating an incentive for people to produce far more. Then, if there's a free market, people will trade their surpluses to others for the things they lack. Mutual exchange for mutual benefit makes the community richer.

Secure property rights are the key. When producers know that their future products are safe from confiscation, they will take risks and invest. But when they fear they will be deprived of the fruits of their labor, they will do as little as possible.

Hat-tip: Prof Mankiw who also brings us the Milton Friedman Choir

Tomorrow's Inflation Basket

We've been having a fascinating [we do know how to have a good time!] discussion of monetary policy and inflation around here.

The American Magazine links to an American Farm Bureau report that details the cost of a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for ten. It's up to 42 bucks this year, but it's growing at a rate lower than inflation:

The AFBF survey was first conducted in 1986. This year’s average cost of $42.26 is equivalent to $20.46 in inflation-adjusted dollars. The real dollar cost of the Thanksgiving dinner has declined 9 percent in the last 20 years, according to Sartwelle. While Farm Bureau does not make any statistical claims about the data, it is a gauge of price trends around the nation.

I think this study puts a fork in the food commodities claim [little holiday humor there -- put a fork in it...]. The health care claim is specious because a richer society chooses to spend more on health care, that is not inflationary. Education is over-regulated and subsidized by Government, surely the price data is suspect as best. Energy is over-regulated, cartelized, and subject to demand pressures in an unprecedented global boom.

Give thanks, inflation is under control! Pass the yams, please.

Only In Boulder

Boulderites love the phrase "Only In Boulder." It is used as a compliment. I saw a guy at the dog park in a tux and high tops last night -- OIB...

The city has much to recommend it. I am not impervious to its charms, but I am deeply suspicious of its politics. David Harsanyl, a Denver Post reporter who has written a book about the Nanny State, has a frightening story about its capital:

The story is so absurd, so unfair, so ludicrous, I had a difficult time believing that it could actually happen - even in Boulder.

Former Boulder District Judge, Boulder Mayor, RTD board member - among other elected positions - Richard McLean and his wife, attorney Edith Stevens, used an arcane common law called "adverse possession" to claim the land for their own.

All McLean needed was to develop an

"attachment" to it.

Undoubtedly, his city connections couldn't have hurt, either.

Only in Freaking Boulder.

Hat-tip: Insty (oddly, the place I learn about something that happened ten miles from my home...)

What Experience?

Quite possibly the most annoying thing about Hillary Clinton is the claim that she has some type of experience in the White House. She has repeated said things like, and I am paraphrasing, "the President of the United States is not a position where you want to see on the job training." This would ultimately limit our options for president in 2008 to Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Of course, according to her logic, this includes her as well.

Thus when she asserted her experience in dealing with economic issues, it was nice to see Obama respond to Hillary's baseless claims with this:

My understanding was that she wasn't Treasury Secretary during the Clinton administration. I'm not sure what experience she is claiming . . .

Don't Tell the "High Life' Man

Even the NYTimes is reporting good news from Baghdad today, Breitbart finds
Baghdad by night -- juice bars, neon lights, bustling streets

And then, suddenly, you've arrived and the mirage has become an oasis of generator-driven light; a colourful jumble of trendy juice bars, cosy restaurants, fruit shops, roadside eateries and fish vendors, where children play, families dine and lovers meet.

"Even two or three months ago we would have been afraid to come here at night," said 20-year-old Hussein Salah, an off-duty soldier, slurping a milkshake with his wife, Shihad, at the Mishmesha (apricot) juice bar in Baghdad's relatively safe Karrada suburb.

"Now we sometimes sit outside here till one or two in the morning. It is quite safe. The security situation is vastly improved," said Salah, the orange light from a nearby flashing palm alternatively brightening and dimming his clean-shaven face.

Declines in Iraqi civilian casualties and a sharp reduction in bomb and mortar attacks have sparked optimism that the capital is at last starting to revive.

Hat-tip: Hugh

Fred! on Larry

In fairness, I have to post that Senator Fred Thompson was superb in his interview with Larry Kudlow on CNBC last week. I should have captured some YouTube clips. I only keep two episodes and now it has been deleted. I was surprised to find nobody else posted any clips.

Fred! looked great, answering questions with conviction on tax cutting and regulation limiting. At the same time, he passed some opportunities to pander. When Lowes CEO John Tisch suggested lowering the corporate capital gains rate, Senator Thompson considered it without a knee-jerk acceptance that his interviewer and the other guest clearly wanted.

It was the best interview I have seen Senator Thompson give and it firmly cemented Fred's #2 spot on my GOP list.

Governor Romney was on the next night and I found him a lot less impressive. Both Hizzoner and Fred! spoke from deep conviction on pro-growth policies. Governor Romney seems much more political. I hate to use this adjective against a good Republican, but he seems almost Clintonian at times. In fairness, I should note that Romney's interview captivated Kudlow guest James Awad, who declared him "the best President for the stock market."

I also wonder if I need to subtract points from Mayor Giuliani -- I did not know that Larry was a key advisor during his tenure as mayor. I read this in the cover story of this month's Reason magazine. The campaign chose not to participate in the interview (wha?) but the author claims Kudlow was the architect of Giuliani's tax cutting. Assuming that's true, it's no wonder Rudy! would have so many of the right answers at the ready.

I'm still with Hizzoner, but I had to post this in fairness to the Fredheads around here. He was in top form last Thursday.

Me Work?

I have to be onsite all day today and most of tomorrow. I'll sneak in some reading but no posting.

I didn't want you to think I stopped caring...

UPDATE: Don't miss ThreeSources friend Everyday Economist's superb column on TCSDaily.

Before it scrolls away

Interesting comments brewing against my suggestion in Au Shucks.

All of it negative, sigh.

VDH

Professor Hanson points out that the gains in Iraq are not getting the press that Abu Ghraib did. Ever cautious, he wonders if we have indeed passed a turning point:

Nevertheless, we may be witnessing one of those radical, unforeseen reversals in America's wars that have often changed our history.

The White House was burned by British forces in late August 1814; a little more than four months later, the British were routed at New Orleans. During the Civil War, the Union army was on the ropes in July 1864 yet outside Atlanta by September. The Germans were driving through France in March 1918, but fleeing toward the Rhine by August. The communists took Seoul in early January 1951, yet were pushed back across the Demilitarized Zone a little more than three months later.

Of course, we don't know the final outcome in Iraq, given the remaining problems of Shiite militias and diehard al-Qaidists - and the question of our own remaining resolve.

I'm Doing My Part

The amount of traffic flowing through Starbucks Corp.'s U.S. stores fell during the fourth quarter for the first time since the company began disclosing the figure three years ago – a sign that the Seattle coffee giant is having a more difficult time attracting customers as it moves into the holiday season. The company also reduced its earnings estimates for the coming year.

Starbucks also plans to launch its first national television advertising campaign ever starting tomorrow. In an interview, Starbucks CEO Jim Donald called the campaign "a very culturally sensitive, product driven" marketing effort. He says Starbucks is getting into television advertising because "as we grow our stores, we're trying to reach out to this broader audience that maybe [has] not had a chance to experience Starbucks."

Mr. Donald said that the dip in average transactions per store in the U.S., which fell by 1%, was not a sign that the company had built stores too quickly in the U.S. or that the market was showing signs of saturation. "The saturation comment's overblown," he said.

He said Starbucks now plans to open 1,600 stores in the U.S. next year, or 100 less than it had projected earlier in the fall, because the company is "taking a little more deliberate approach."

Jokes about the ubiquity of Starbucks have become almost as common as the coffeeshops themselves. There are so many, a comic once cracked, that one had just opened in his living room.

Starbucks has about 10,500 locations in the U.S., or about 3,000 more than it did just two years ago. In its hometown of Seattle, there is one Starbucks for every 10,000 residents. That doesn't mean there isn't room for more Starbucks in the U.S. For example, Vermont, the state with the fewest Starbucks locations, has just four. The company plans to almost double its presence in the U.S. by one day having 20,000 locations.

I hold these lines up as proof that times are not as bad as the Krugmanites say. When there's a long line at the Lafayette Starbucks at 4PM, I don't see that the consumer is tapped out.

UPDATE: I just went (poor guys, I felt bad). Four cars lined up at 4:24 -- I'm not shorting just yet.

Fortunes

Two good cookie inserts in as many weeks. The first may be my new all time favorite:

And the second is the archetypal advice to bloggers:

Clarkson Vs. Monbiot

Samizdata picked this up as a "Quote of the Day," but the post must be read in full.

Climate Resistance asks "Why Monbiot is So miserable?" George Monbiot is a writer for the Guardian who makes Paul Krugman look balanced, and Dennis Kucinich moderate. I, like many, assumed Perry DeHavilland coined the phrase "Moonbat" in his honor -- Perry denies this.

The post discusses the relentless negativity of the European Left chattering classes, and compares it to the spirit and spunk of Top Gear:

George's problem is that the culture he wants us to be part of is entirely negative. In contrast to this cultural pessimism, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May celebrate human achievements - however shallowly, and appear to risk their lives for their passions, while Monbiot considers us to be a destructive plague on the planet. Clarkson is a hero, and Monbiot is a chicken. Clarkson bumbles his own way into making history by doing dangerous things like driving to the North Pole, while Monbiot twitches behind his curtains, tutting about what other people are getting up to. Clarkson, for all his faults, is full of spirit, letting bad things bounce off of him. Monbiot dwells on the fantasy dystopia he's read about. The irony here is that while the things that Top Gear represents are somewhat coarse, it is Monbiot's dark dark narrative which creates apathy. The only reason he can think of for organising our collective efforts is that if we don't, we will all drown. What George needs to realise is that people don't drive cars because they watch Top Gear, they watch top Gear because they love cars and the positive things that cars represent. Environmentalism offers us nothing positive.

If things were better, Top Gear would be just another program. But they aren't, and it's not. If we want to know why Clarkson is the last bastion of resistance to dull orthodoxies such as environmentalism and political correctness, don't watch Top Gear, read Monbiot - but don't take his word for it. It is relentlessly bleak, shrill and hollow. The cultural norms that environmentalism wants to establish have been established within the political and cultural elite, yet he continues to whine that the masses will not march to his command. Monbiot will tell you that people don't want it because they are influenced by the cultural dominance of Top Gear, but the truth is that people have a much better understanding of their own interests, and a better nose for bullshit than he gives them credit for. They are not blindly following the doctrine of Clarksonism, and shame on Monbiot that he thinks they are. People are resistant to Monbiotism precisely because they are not blindly obedient.

Clarkson is a British conservative. He has no love for anything American unless it has four wheels and was made before Nixon was President, but he has a zest for life that the left has completely abandoned.

The Unitary Executive

"I'm John Edwards and I approve this message." It's clearly unconstitutional, but it beats the heck out of a Musharref-like promise to disband Congress and institute Socialized medicine by Executive Fiat (we know, we tested each on focus groups).




Besides, my hair looks really good in the light, and that syrupy background music is just perfect.

Hat-tip: RedState

Layers

This is an effect of the layers upon layers of editorial oversight in the mainstream media.

In a Nov. 13 story, The Associated Press incorrectly reported that Paris Hilton was praised by conservationists for highlighting the problem of binge-drinking elephants in northeastern India. Lori Berk, a publicist for Hilton, said she never made any comments about helping drunken elephants in India.

Just a hunch.

Au Shucks

Picking a fight with my economic betters again, I commented on Everyday Economist blog (backstory here). The EE sent me a couple of thoughtful emails.

I'm willing to concede on all his economic points, but I'm not abandoning my defense of David Frum's main point: it is a mistake (Frum calls it "crank monetary policy") for Rep. Ron Paul to expound on the gold standard. Considering all of the abuses to our freedom that our government practices, it seems to me that he is dwelling on a fringe issue. Even if I agreed with the good Doctor, I wouldn't advise a candidate to highlight it as Rep. Paul has.

Feel free to disagree. Last night, however, I thought of a philosophical objection to the Gold Standard. Since I have a blog login, I thought I would share my own "crank monetary policy" with you good people.

Why Gold Is Inferior to Paper Money
Money is virtual. Wealth is created, ex nihilo and it makes no sense to have currency tied to a limited, real asset. Just as man learned to count higher than ten by using numbers instead of fingers, we must grow into a post-metallist economy that allows wealth to exceed the planet's physical assets. We make microchips out of sand and software out of thought; we should not be limited to Earth's resources.

By being limited, gold backed wealth is zero-sum. Imagine if Bill Gates wants to have all his wealth in money, so he can roll around in it a la Scrooge McDuck. Hey, it's his money. Without reserve banking, will there be enough money for him? What if he wants to double it? If the world's money is all tied to Gold, every dollar that Mr. Gates earns is a dollar somebody else does not have. That is not the way wealth works.

"Aha, jk, you are conflating wealth and money," you say. "You bastard," you might add. I'll ignore the name calling, but address the point. Wealth and money are separate precisely because we have separated them. I know it is extreme to call this wealth limiting, but it strikes me as a step away from the creation of virtually-denominated wealth that I celebrate.