On the Cable News Coverage of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions

One part blueplate, one part boilerplate, one part straight out of central-casting. In the words of Dave Moss from "Glengarry Glen Ross", "I think I'll pass."

The Anatomy of Intellectual Dishonesty

a) An inconsistent application of moral principles.......b) The playing with of language in order to win an argument.......c) Twisting/misrepresenting and/or omitting/cherry-picking evidence in an effort to buttress one's viewpoint.......d) No concessions, ever (a dogmatism that borders on paranoia) .......e) An extreme paucity of critical thinking.......f) A delusional belief that the other side is always wrong and that your side is always right.......g) A total lack of respect for the other side.......h) A penchant for hyperbole and imbecilic extrapolation (always inflammatory, never nuanced).......i) An incapacity/unwillingness to comprehend the limits of human understanding.......j) The discounting of evidence that a vast percentage of sane individuals would clearly accept (the National Journal's conservative and liberal ratings, for example).

Oh What Might Have Probably Wouldn't

This whole notion that a President Gore would have been able to somehow prevent 9/11 is thoroughly amusing. I mean, come on here, folks. Was the Clinton-Gore team able to prevent the first attack on the WTC? The attack on the USS Cole? The bombing of the U.S. embassies in Africa?  And the fact that these fellows had numerous opportunities to kill Osama bin Laden (as opposed, I'm saying, to simply blowing up aspirin factories and a bunch of empty tents) and didn't makes them look even more ineffectual.............................................................................................Look, I'm not saying here that Mr. Bush shouldn't be held accountable. There are more than likely a shit-load of dots that fellow didn't connect and/or respond to. But to go from there and say that some Democrat (disregarding that Democrat's record, especially), simply due to the fact that he IS a Democrat, would have been able to foresee such a calamity and prevent it nothing short of rank partisanship. Thankfully, dumb opinions such as this tend to be confined.

Frederick Hayek on the Buffoonishness of Central Planning

"The curious task of economics is to teach men how little they know about what they imagine they can design."............I would simply add that it's also a difficult task, and especially so when it comes to educating the bureaucrat/politician/ideologue.

My Top 15 Favorite Coffee and Tea Places in New England

15) Beach Rose Cafe - Wickford, RI.......14) Essex Coffee and Tea Company - Essex, CT.......13) Woodland Coffee and Tea - New Haven, CT.......12) Fuel - Great Barrington, MA.......11) Passiflora's Tea Room - New Hartford, CT.......10) Cakewalk Cafe - Lee, MA.......9) Jojo's Coffee and Tea - New Haven, CT.......8) Mocha Joe's - Brattleboro, VT.......7) Front Street Coffeehouse - Salem, MA.......6) Pleasant Street Tea Company - Gloucester, MA.......5) Prime Roast Coffee - Keene, NH.......4) Mornings in Paris - Portland, ME.......3) Lone Gull Coffeehouse - Gloucester, MA.......2) Empire Coffee and Tea - Newport, RI.......1) Haymarket Cafe - Northampton, MA.............Marcus, please comment. I know that you've been to at least 5 of these (and #2 hopefully in November).

A Quick Synopsis on the Tax Policy Center's Study of Romney's Plan

1) The authors made certain critical assumptions; namely, that Mr. Romney would never do away with the deductions for municipal bond and life insurance savings interest and that he WOULD do away with the deduction for mortgage interest even for the middle-class (this, ostensibly, to make Mr. Romney look preposterous). 2) Mr. Romney has never spoken of or affirmed any of this.

The Ghost of Labor Day Weekend Envious

There's this vascular surgeon and he makes $280,000 a year. "Wow, that's a lot of money", say the practitioners of resentment and jealousy....And they proceed to say that this (1%) individual needs to pay more to the federal government in taxes.........................................................................................Of course what these same practitioners neglect or refuse to tell you is that this person had to also undergo 11-12 years of education (often involving massive student loans), internship, and residence (often involving 70-80 hours a week) even to become this surgeon, and that he or she had to flat-out work numerous years more in order to build a viable practice. Nope, they want you to think that these people were hatched or that the system (which they maintained is rigged) somehow made it easy for them....Gee, maybe if they actually tried to accomplish something themselves they'd at least have an appreciation for it.