Innocent Bystanders

No House For You!! June 25, 2016

Since the President has assured us that we’re doing great economically, I’m sure it’s just residual racism and xenophobia that make me alarmed at certain facts. Such as:

Home ownership is at a 48-year low, driven in part by a shocking pattern of foreclosure that put 9.4 million out of their homes during the recent recession, according to a Harvard survey.

In its “State of the Nation’s Housing 2016,” Harvard said that “the U.S. homeownership rate has tumbled to its lowest level in nearly a half-century.”

Figures from the St. Louis Fed showed a homeownership rate of 63.5 percent. The last time it was lower was in 1967.

Yep, I’ve got a bad case of racism and xenophobia cropping up right now.

Best Article on Economic Policy This Year June 24, 2016

As Instapundit likes to say, “Analysis: True.”

Men Did Greater Things When It Was Harder To See Boobs

To make America great again we may need to make seeing boobs rare again.

The Financial Press Doesn’t Understand That It’s Explaining Brexit with Every Article It Writes June 24, 2016

I certainly didn’t have a dog in the Brexit fight – I guess I have a slight preference for UK independence just because the world seems like it’s getting too monolithic and homogenous. And, of course, the central planning of the EU has all the problems that central planning always does, so philosophically I like to see more localized decision-making. Still, though, it’s a weak academic preference.

But the unexpected amusement value of watching all the proponents of the EU freak out is making me a big fan of Brexit. For example, I think that the coverage of the reaction of the stock markets, is hilariously myopic. The financial press is doing its Chicken Little “OMG, Brexit is crashing the world’s finances,” as in this article from Bloomberg:

The world’s 400 richest people lost $127.4 billion Friday as global equity markets reeled from the news that British voters elected to leave the European Union. The billionaires lost 3.2 percent of their total net worth, bringing the combined sum to $3.9 trillion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

It’s just stunning that these reporters can’t turn that factoid around, because it explains why Brexit really happened. Rather than just lamenting those financial losses (which are certainly mostly transient), if you step back for a moment you can see who benefited most from EU membership.

Very simply, those who are losing the most right now are the very people that the EU served best. For the little guys, not so much. Central planning always works out well for the central planners and those who can influence the central planners. The hoi polloi? They’re just money crops for the planners and their cronies.

So there’s no mystery as to why the Brexit vote went the way it did. It’s the same situation as our throw-the-doors-open-wide immigration policy, which makes companies more profitable and raises stock prices, but which compromises the lifestyle, safety, and economic opportunities of the folk at the lower end of the income spectrum.

Which brings us to Trump, who, very unfortunately, is the only candidate who seems to have grokked this fact. Hence his popularity.

Not Your Grandparents’Slide June 23, 2016

In my youth I would have flown to the UK just for this:

But now? I think I’d just watch from some nearby pub (assuming there are any left).

This, BTW, is London’s brand new attraction, called The Slide. You go up 377 feet and enjoy the view, and then slide down through 12 complete turns on a 40-second ride to doom. And the transparent sections along the way mean you can enjoy a last look at the world before impact.

Does kind of look fun, though.

The 4th biggest fear June 23, 2016

There’s a joke on Archer about his greatest fears being alligators , crocodiles and brain aneurysms. He should add this to the list because I’ll probably have nightmares about it and I’m not even involved. That terrible earworm theme song is gnawing my brain right now.

You’re Charged with Inconsiderate Behavior of the First Degree June 22, 2016

I guess the US and Singapore are completely different worlds:

Actress Rui En charged for inconsiderate driving

If the US had an “inconsiderate driving” law, the entire driving populations of Boston and New York would be behind bars.

Don’t Worry, Do the Summation Over Certain Reward and Be Happy June 21, 2016

Want to know the recipe for happiness? Well, I don’t have a recipe, but I do have the formula, thoughtfully provided by the earnest researchers of University College London.

This is really only happiness based on how you do at gambling, with the fortunes of your co-gamblers factored in (the “CR” term is “Certain Reward,” hence the title of the post). But it’s graphable, which is all that really matters, isn’t it?*

*Maybe my personal formula for happiness needs a term involving charts

Some Father’s Day Advice June 19, 2016

This is a slightly (I changed the years) updated post I wrote for the benefit of the many younger fathers I know from my church. I shared it with them via Facebook several years ago and I think it’s still good basic guidance for the dads out there.

Yes, that is the digitalbrownshirt making the dumbass face next to his father, his sister and a random baby that photobombed us.

I’ve been a dad for 27 years now and thought it might be good to pass along some advice to the men I know who have kids or will have kids in the future. As my own kids can tell you I’ve screwed up every one of these at some point along the journey, but I still kept walking the path.