We are all collectively the “point one percent” now.  That is, we live in an economy that measured ,1% (you read that right) growth in GDP in the first quarter of 2014.  Are we in for a “double dip” recession–have we really emerged from the previous one, despite fine economic definitions (and let’s be clear, […]

Readers should check out this short article in Investors.com on United States regulatory costs (April 30, 2014).  The article is entitled “U. S. Regulatory Costs are World’s No. 10 Economy.”  As the title suggests, the total cost in one year to affected parties of all Federal regulations is larger than all but ten of the […]

You know someone is not really concerned about carbon emissions if they reject natural gas and nuclear energy You know someone is not really serious about getting the deficit under control if they are in favor of near-term stimulus (more spending) and long-term spending cuts (i.e., when they are out of office) You know someone […]

Pity the poor people of Illinois.  They have perhaps the worst government policies in the nation, and have less than 43 cents on the dollar funded of their pension liabilities for the large public sector.  The state settled with the SEC in March after it was charged with securities violations in fraudulent reporting of its […]

http://youtu.be/A7vdAlzh-jo Truth is sometimes uncomfortable, especially for those of us who want to cheer, sometimes uncritically, for one “side” versus the other. Fandom and devotion can be truth’s enemies, even in the political realm. Our preferred labels often override anything resembling objectivity. At its worst, this practice degenerates into a justification of “us” as we […]

It isn’t widely reported, though religious liberties organizations are well aware, but religious liberties are under attack from a significant portion of the modern liberal political class.  More than that however, religion in general, specifically the Christian religion is being mocked by that same element.  Snickers could almost be audible when some public figure or […]

The Cliven Bundy-Bureau of Land Management “range wars” have been all over the news lately—well, all over many news outlets.  Even Harry Reid finally spoke up, and, as he usually does, in an obsequious manner and with such exquisite irony (which he probably didn’t catch).  I now feel compelled to weigh in.  The conservative news […]

On Good Friday I was watching a “debate” between the conservative Roman Catholic Raymond Arroyo and the Christian Left activist Jim Wallis on the subject of income inequality and the pronouncements of Pope Francis on economics and justice.  The Fox News host Bill O’Reilly began with quotes from one very far left writer, Bill Scheer, […]

When politics is paramount, nothing is sacred. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), the U.S. House Minority Leader, joined a San Francisco priest, and other elected officials, in a foot-washing ceremony for immigrants. Stunningly, Pelosi also used the occasion to talk about passing HR15 – bipartisan immigration legislation that her office says would “reduce the deficit by nearly […]

My relationship with comic book films is sort of like my relationship with science fiction novels–it’s complicated. There are some that rise to the level of art (The Dark Knight), while others are less than drivel (Iron Man 3). I find it hard to be truly a fan when the cycle swings so dramatically. In […]