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Foundations
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What I'm For
and Against
PRO
- Atomic power
- Space Exploration
- Free Trade
- Capitalism
- Home Schooling
- Liberty
- Amendments IX and X
- 10th Commandment
- Good Manners
ANTI
- War on Drugs
- "Universal" Health Care
- Religion-based government
- Big Government of any kind
- Compulsory government monopoly mass schooling
- Income Tax
- Windmills and other government-subsidized "alternative" energy boondoggles
- The idea that electing the "right" person will make everything better
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Clock
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This excellent clock comes from the Poodwaddle web site. Yes, that's what it's called!
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TC Archive
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DownsizeDC
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The Town Crank
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| Author: |
Steve Erbach |
Created: |
Thursday, November 13, 2003 8:30 AM |
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| Just shut yer yap, leave me alone, and stop raising my blankety-blank taxes! |
By Steve Erbach on
Sunday, May 30, 2010 3:12 PM
There are way too many people in the world who are beyond parody. Oliver Stone has just joined the ranks with his documentary of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. From the AP story:
The Oscar-winning director hopes his documentary will help people better understand a leader who Stone said is wrongly ridiculed "as a strongman, as a buffoon, as a clown."
"This is a positive portrayal of a man who Americans do not have access to," Stone said. "He is demonized in the American and European press as a monster."
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By Steve Erbach on
Friday, May 14, 2010 12:23 PM
Ladies and gentlemen, Hizzoner Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey scores:
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, May 13, 2010 3:07 PM
...then I can only conclude that you're generally in favor of most of what the government decides is good for "us". I say "us" meaning "other people, not me".
The Healthy Choices Act--introduced by Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee--would establish and fund a wide range of programs and regulations aimed at reducing obesity rates by such means as putting nutritional labels on the front of food products, subsidizing businesses that provide fresh fruits and vegetables, and collecting BMI measurements of patients and counseling those that are overweight or obese.
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, April 29, 2010 7:54 AM
Eleanor, her teammates, and her teacher, Mr. Hopfensperger, are featured in this this Fox 11 report from last night.
When I first watched this report I was amused by Raven Wallene's assertion that "We picked some and noticed kind of doing bad so we tossed a few of them and then picked some new ones..." I think that perhaps she may have been coached to say something more dramatic about the game than simply, "We bought our stocks in February and sat on them," which is what they really did!
I can't quibble too much. The kids got to be on TV for the first time in their lives.
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By Steve Erbach on
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 4:47 PM
Should the FDA mandate a less salty diet?
(published 3-May-2010, Appleton Post-Crescent)
The Dallas Morning News reported that "The government intends to work with the food industry and health experts to reduce sodium gradually over a period of years to adjust the American palate to a less salty diet." I am utterly, unashamedly relieved that the government is going to do this. I have been contemptibly timid about reducing my own salt intake. It's disgusting, really, my pusillanimous inability to recognize the deadly facts about salt. Why, if it weren't for the government, I'd likely overdose on Lays potato chips. What a revolting, pitiful development that would be. What citizen in his right mind would object to the government completely controlli ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Saturday, April 24, 2010 6:13 AM
Except for the final auditing to be done by the SIFMA Foundation for Investor Education -- the organizer of the event -- the 5th-grade Tullar Elementary School team, #26, won the Spring 2010 state-wide Stock Market Game competition.
My daughter Eleanor's Tullar Elementary School team, advised by 5th-grade teacher Tim Hopfensperger, beat out 1,387 other teams state-wide. I don't know the total participation of high schools, middle schools, and elementary schools, but I do know that out of the top 100 teams, 61 were high school teams, 32 were from middle schools, and 7 were from elementary schools...and five of those were from Tullar!
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By Steve Erbach on
Friday, April 23, 2010 5:20 AM
I have to admit that yesterday upon posting the Stock Market Game results I had my doubts that Team 26 could remain in first place with the De Pere High School sharks circling below. But lo! and behold! the team's lead has increased from $3,258 to $6,771!
Here are the top 15 Stock Market Game teams in the state of Wisconsin (out of 1,388 teams) with one day left in the contest:
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, April 22, 2010 4:21 AM
A quick recap:
The SIFMA Foundation (Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association) has run the Stock Market Game since 1977. During that time over 10,000,000 school children have participated in a live simulation of the stock market. The program is now available in all 50 states.
The Wisconsin Stock Market Game, as all others across the country, allows 4th-12th grade student teams to begin with $100,000. The team may borrow additional funds up to its total cash balance. Stock trades take place on the NYSE and Nasdaq exchanges. Teams may sell short as well as buy, but no penny stocks. Broker fees and loan interest are charged. The Foundation for Investor Education makes sure the stock market data is accurate.
The winning Wisconsin team gets to go to New York City on a whirlwind tour of the New Yo ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Wednesday, April 21, 2010 5:29 AM
Yes, yes, I know...you'd rather read about global warming or animal husbandry or metal annealing or something...anything but yet another brag about my daughter, right? Well, too bad!
Eleanor's team is still way out in first place in the entire state, but by not as large a margin...and the formerly 2nd place Tullar Elementary School team has fallen to 5th place, nosed out by three De Pere High School teams.
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By Steve Erbach on
Tuesday, April 20, 2010 6:21 AM
Still in front by $16,750:
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By Steve Erbach on
Monday, April 19, 2010 9:05 AM
There are five days left to go in the Stock Market Game Eleanor is playing at Tullar Elementary School.
Eleanor did, indeed, come home with "the goods" on how to log into the game's web site to check the standings. On Friday afternoon I could only see results up through Thursday, Apr. 15th; but on Saturday I got the straight scoop for Friday. Here are the top 15 teams state-wide:
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By Steve Erbach on
Friday, April 16, 2010 9:34 AM
This is a funny story. It involves my darling, self-contained, blasé, 5th grade daughter, Eleanor.
On Tuesday evening, I helped Miss E with a homework assignment. She had to print out pages from the Yahoo! Finance web site for three of the eight companies her team was tracking for the stock picking game they're playing. I had known about the stock picking game for a couple of weeks. Every kid in the two 5th grade classes at her school were members of various teams of 3-5 kids in this game. Eleanor had done a couple of things over those couple of weeks but I didn't really think much about it as she didn't say much. I figured it was simply an educational exercise that her teacher, Mr. Hopfensperger, had cooked up to help kids get a start on learning about the stock market.
So I helped Eleanor print out some company info pages and some graphs for each of ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Friday, April 09, 2010 6:48 AM
This story from AOL News concerns the dismal level of civics knowledge even among college graduates:
For the past five years, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute has tried to measure how well colleges and universities do in giving their students a basic understanding of America's core history, key texts, and enduring political and economic institutions.
The results aren't pretty.
Half of the 14,000 incoming freshmen tested failed the 60-question multiple-choice test, getting just half the questions right. Worse, they barely know any more when they graduate, with seniors scoring 54 percent correct. No school, not even Harvard or Yale...
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, April 08, 2010 12:45 PM
What do you think about President Obama's change in nuclear strategy?
(published 12-Apr-2010, Appleton Post-Crescent)
What doesn't change is the huge committment of U.S. forces to defend other countries. Thanks to us, the whole of Europe, practically speaking, has been able to enjoy a much slower economic decline – complete with universal health care – because they haven't had to spend money on their own defense. The President's goal of "a world without nuclear weapons" is built upon the hard work done by Ronald Reagan. Don't forget that the Soviet Union panicked over Reagan's insistence on building a "Star Wars" missile shield. They couldn't figure out why he offered to share it with them either.
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By Steve Erbach on
Friday, April 02, 2010 10:18 AM
Why was there a violent reaction to health reform?
(published 5-Apr-2010, Appleton Post-Crescent on-line)
The over-the-top reactions will be used in many specious arguments to "prove" that one end of the political spectrum is unhinged or on the verge of extinction. It is completely apparent to me what will happen when this bill finally kicks all the way in. You've no doubt seen all the warnings against universal coverage, including the economics of setting price ceilings that invariably create shortages; eliminating disqualifications for pre-existing conditions (unbelievable!
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By Steve Erbach on
Sunday, March 28, 2010 5:37 AM
Another wonderful concert by the Lawrence Academy of Music Girl Choir. This concert was even more special for me because all of my brothers and sisters were able to attend: Jane Zatkowsky from Manassas, Virginia, Mark Ebben from San José, California, Dan Erbach from some undisclosed site in Afghanistan, and Kate Erbach from Appleton, Wisconsin joined me and our mother, Phyllis Ebben for the 2:00 show.
My wife, Janet, played accompaniment for three of the six choirs...and she was the expert page turner for another accompanist. Just about bust my buttons, I did!
I attended both performances. For the first I played unofficial photographer. I took a total of 210 pictures with my wife's Canon EOS digital. I'd taken the trouble to haul along a tripod because the light levels are pretty low in the Lawrence Chapel. That made all the difference.
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By Steve Erbach on
Friday, March 26, 2010 11:57 AM
Once again, Janet was able to practice by herself on the concert grand piano at the Lawrence Memorial Chapel in Appleton. Both Eleanor and I accompanied her this time.
The Steinway was level with the proscenium this time and I placed my recorder on a chair about 8 feet away. My mistake was to set it to its hottest record level. The Olympus DS-30 is a nice recorder but its method of adjusting recording levels is a 3-way switch on the side: Dictation, Conference, and Lecture Hall. The Lecture Hall setting provides the hottest levels and I should have used the Conference setting to tone it down a bit. There are some resonances in the piano which seem to reverberate a bit on the harsh sid ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Friday, March 26, 2010 4:46 AM
I attended last night's forum for the two candidates for Mayor of Neenah. As I often do at Council and committee meetings, I recorded the proceedings. I'm not acting as a reporter, as such; there are things said that I find worth reviewing from time to time. Last night was one of those times.
I transcribed the introductory remarks of Neenah Council President, Todd Stevenson and posted them in their entirety at my NeenahPolitics.com blog.
Duke Behnke, the Neenah beat reporter for the Appleton Post-Crescent, was there. He heard Stevenson address the slur made about his thinking abilities by a sitting Council member while campaigning for Stevenson's opponent, Mayor Scherck. Behnke witnessed how quiet it got in the Council chambers as peop ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 5:34 PM
Last week Thursday I recorded Janet playing the Lawrence Chapel Steinway grand piano as she practiced for this Saturday's Lawrence Academy of Music Girl Choir performances. She played a couple of her favorites and then set to work practicing in earnest.
I kicked myself for not bringing a camera because it was sunny out and the light streaming through the Chapel's stained glass windows was, in a word, beautiful. I will bring a camera tomorrow when Janet practices there again. I'll also post the songs she was playing. The piano sounds wonderful.
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, March 11, 2010 5:34 PM
Are holds a necessary Senate tactic? Or do they impede progress?
(published 15-Mar-2010, Appleton Post-Crescent)
Anything that impedes legislation gets my support. Gridlock is good. Filibusters are fine. Holds are wholesome. Super-majorities are sublime. This 51-49 stuff is for the birds. I never thought I'd say this, but California has the right idea, at least for its budget: a 2/3 super-majority is required to pass it. Especially if it's a vote on "progressive" legislation to extend government control over yet another aspect of our over-regulated lives. "Progress" has come to mean "some bureaucrat who thinks he knows better than you is going to make your decisions for your own good because you really aren't capable, you poor thin ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, March 11, 2010 9:37 AM
Census question 9 reads: "What is person 1's race?" Please check the "Some other race" box and write in "American".
Teddy Roosevelt said,
"There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all…
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, March 04, 2010 11:41 AM
A semi on its side. A fully-loaded semi overturned at the corner of Bell St. and Brooks St. in Neenah at about 8:15am, Thursday, March 4th, 2010. I drove by just moments after it happened and went back home (about 2-1/2 miles) to get Janet's camera.
The scene from a block west of the accident. By this time the police have arrived and set up traffic cones. The truck wasn't blocking traffic at all. The driver had managed to just about complete the turn onto Brooks St. from Bell when the truck tipped onto its side.
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By Steve Erbach on
Monday, March 01, 2010 9:23 AM
Should parents remove books from libraries?
(published 1-Mar-2010, Appleton Post-Crescent online)
It isn't so much the books in the library that bother me, it's the textbooks. I've sustained three waves of elementary school social studies, math, and science books for my three kids (now 23, 19, and 11). Social studies books have to top some sort of list of vapid, insipid, and gormless works intended to instruct schoolchildren. The explicit political cant, moral equivalency, and cultural superiority are maddening. Math books are just about as bad, though for different reasons. My favorite -- that is to say LEAST favorite -- math book folly was the double page color photograph showing half a dozen multi-cultural children playing with a huge model city and roadway as the introduction to a chapter on geometric shapes. Just the pi ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Monday, February 22, 2010 7:33 AM
How much power does the Tea Party effort wield?
(published 22-Feb-2009, Appleton Post-Crescent online edition)
It reminds me of the Reform Party USA – sometimes confused with the competing American Reform Party – that formed in the wake of the Presidential candidacy of Ross Perot. Jesse Ventura ran on the Reform Party ticket and became governor of MN. The Wikipedia entry for the Reform Party contains this telling sentence: "Since [Ventura's victory], the party has been fraught with infighting." Even though I am sympathetic to the Tea Party movement (I attended the first one in Appleton on April 15th last year) it seems to me that unless it is led and unified by well-known people it will suffer the same fate as the Reform Party. Notwithstanding the fact that Sarah Palin was the keynote speaker, the quarrels at the Nati ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, February 11, 2010 12:57 PM
What's the best thing we can do to grow jobs?
(published 15-Feb-2010, Appleton Post-Crescent)
The self-help book by James Newman provides a clue: "Release Your Brakes!" With respect to growing jobs the "brakes" are: government regulation, high taxes, and anti-business legislation. It's trivial to suggest that we reduce or eliminate them; how easy it is to accomplish is another matter. I'll bet some Reader Reaction Forum posts echo economist Paul Krugman's declaration that Washington should spend more stimulus money than it already has to "create" jobs. There's a pertinent scene in "Live Free or Die Hard". The country's infrastructure is imploding because of hacker infiltration. Justin Long knows the score but Bruce Willis can't ...
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By Steve Erbach on
Monday, February 01, 2010 8:45 PM
...since Nobel Laureate, Paul Krugman, said this in a bizarre column in the New York Times on September 14th, 2001:
It seems almost in bad taste to talk about dollars and cents after an act of mass murder. Nonetheless, we must ask about the economic aftershocks from Tuesday's horror.
These aftershocks need not be major. Ghastly as it may seem to say this, the terror attack -- like the original day of infamy, which brought an end to the Great Depression -- could even do some economic good.
Apparently, Mr. Krugman never heard of the "broken window" fallacy in economics, first refuted by Frederic Bastiat in the 1850's.
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By Steve Erbach on
Sunday, January 31, 2010 5:43 AM
I love the fact that British newspapers show a studied restraint still, from time to time. That restraint may be tongue-in-cheek -- as I suspect of this latest example -- but the restraint is no less delightful.
I'm speaking of the story in the UK Telegraph detailing the latest embarrassment to be visited upon the most recent report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- the IPCC. It is almost too delicious to relate.
Several days ago I had occasion to comment on the first crack in the facade of respectability afforded to the IPCC's 4th Assessment Report.
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By Steve Erbach on
Thursday, January 28, 2010 8:50 AM
How will Brown's win affect health reform? (How should we proceed from here?)
(published 1-Feb-2010, Appleton Post-Crescent)
Some say that Scott Brown's election makes President Obama a lame duck already. Obama even said to Diane Sawyer, “I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president.” The Republican win in Massachusetts, while unusual for such a reliable blue state, is just another result of the electorate being pushed too far too fast. After Obama was elected, one got the impression that the Democrats said, "Oh boy! Now we can really go to town!" ... that is, "fix" everything.
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By Steve Erbach on
Tuesday, January 19, 2010 5:32 AM
In 1999 an Indian scientist (make that "little-known Indian scientist", according to the Times Online), speculated that the Himalayan glaciers in the central and eastern parts of that enormous mountain range would all be gone by 2035. It was just a guess, and he was the only one saying it. His remarks never appeared in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
New Scientist magazine interviewed the scientist, Syed Hasnain, by e-mail and reported his comments. Hasnain was at the time the chairman of the International Commission on Snow and Ice's working group on Himalayan glaciology.
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By Steve Erbach on
Wednesday, December 30, 2009 2:56 PM
Should Wisconsin legalize sobriety road checks?
(published 4-Jan-2010, Appleton Post-Crescent)
How about this instead? A new federal subsidy for all bars, restaurants, and nightclubs that serve alcohol to hire sobriety testers. These people would sit at all the exits and observe patrons as they leave. They would spot anyone exhibiting signs of drunkenness. Each drunk would be pulled aside and asked a battery of confusing questions. The tester would then use one of those newfangled passive alcohol sensors. Now here's the beauty part of my idea: If the drunk flunks, the tester would call a cab...and the cab fare would be subsidized, too! At a much reduced rate, of course, like Medicare payments to doctors. Isn't that brilliant? We'd probably pay as much for sobriety testers in bars as we ...
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Tea Partyer
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U.S. Congressman, Maxine Waters, says that the TEA Party "can go straight to hell." Well, after you, Maxine!
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Our Founder
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"Just shut yer yap, leave me alone, and stop raising my blankety blank taxes!"
You are free to add your two cents to any blog entry; but if you want to send a deeply personal message to Our Founder, [click here].
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