Quotes for Today

Some quotes I hope may resonate with you.

"Work is how you settle your financial and emotional debts - so that your travels are not an escape from your real life, but a discovery of your real life." - Rolf Potts

"I try to learn from the past without being inspired by it." - Scott Belsky

"Be the silence that listens." - Tara Brach

"Like Gulliver, tied down by thousands of little strings, we lose our freedom one regulation at a time." - Elon Musk

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The Biltmore Orioles suspending Kevin Brown is nothing less than censorship. It's a slippery slope.

- The definition of heavy handed regulation. Not a fan as many incandescent lightbulbs are made in Mass.

- The Daily Coach interviews NBA Hall of Famer Pau Gasol. Interesting.

- Speaking of interesting - the PGA/LIV deal may not get done.

Ridiculous

Opening a restaurant in Boston takes 92, steps, 22 forms, 17 office visits, and and $5,554 in fees. Killing the American dream.

Why? Let's start with the fact the last Republican mayor of Boston was in 1930. 

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- Not sure if this should be filed under "unintended consequences of government programs" or "perverse incentives backfire"

- Cool - the Dzhanibekov effect

- Very good list. Agree 100%. (Via Steve Layman)

- See - no excuses! Do something with your life!

- Producing graphene from carbon dioxide

- More cool physics

- Why Hong Kong is so important. Also can I admit that I find the term "Gucci serfdom" to be a brilliant phrase (and it would make a great name for a band).

Freedom of Speech vs Economic Liberty

George Will makes a very interesting argument - the same people who would attack attempted regulation on free speech are often the very same people who promote regulations that stifle economic liberty. I had not thought of it that way before.

In short - some people think the freedom to talk about your pursuit of happiness without government intervention is an unalienable right but the ability to try to act on getting that happiness by labor unencumbered by government regulation is not OK.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Yesterday would have been Phil Hartman's 63rd birthday. He's perhaps the most under-rated member of SNL's long history. Here's a link to some of his classic sketches... It occurred to me that Obama's new Buffett Tax will impact not just "millionaires and billionaires" but anyone making over $250,000 per year. I will assume that billionaire Warren Buffett's secretary is pretty well paid. I'd guess she would even be in the over $250k crowd. So in essence - Barack Obama will be raising her taxes so chances are she will still be paying a higher rate than her boss. Happy secretaries day honey... Who knew? Until just recently it was illegal to sell Sangria in California. What a perfect example of stupid government regulations... I wonder if the Marlins will try to trade Josh Johnson in the offseason? Johnson is coming off injuries that cost him most of the 2011 season and next year he is scheduled to be paid $13.75 million. He's under contract for both 2012 and 2013 so a team should be willing to give up some top prospects. When healthy Johnson is among the best pitchers in the game. This is worth keeping an eye on... JRR Tolkien, Hobbits and beer... Perhaps my favorite quote from the GOP debate the other night: "Yo gay guy in the military I'm gonna let you finish but DADT was one of the best military policies of all-time" - Rick Santorum... I love history like this. The time Notre Dame played the New York Giants to help the unemployed...