PoopReport

Having watched people poop on the streets in Mumbai, wanting to help stop that, and not knowing what to do, I was pleased to come across the PoopReport's project to help people in India. Specifically, schoolgirls in Uttar Pradesh. They can build a composting toilet for $250, which is a fair sum, but less than the computer you're using to read this posting. Granted, it's not Mumbai, but the problem is still the same.

Mercantilism is not the key to job growth

Our new governor says that state government needs to do more to lower cost of doing business in New York:

To create a more conducive climate for business, the governor said New York must make doing business in the state cheaper by investing in infrastructure and reducing high energy and health care costs.

How the heck is he going to do that? By pressing the "lower energy costs" and "lower health care costs" buttons? He's a Democrat, and Democrats are historically unwilling to do what is actually needed to lower these costs: nothing. Government needs to get out of the way of creative resourceful people with ideas. Government has a positive role to play while getting out of the way: by ensuring that all relations between people are peaceful. But that's government's only role.

He goes on to say:

For his part, Gov. Paterson reiterated his commitment to belt-tightening and fiscal prudence. "Our economy is still reeling," the governor said. "When this storm hits, we can't simply do what Albany usually does: turn around and tax the first business or the first resident we see. Rather, we have to cut wasteful spending."

No, David, you need to cut all spending, not just the wasteful spending. You need to do less for us, you need to do less to us. You need to do less, period. Shut down department after department, and send the people home to get productive jobs. Most of what New York State does is either irrelevant or actively harmful.

Anti Social damage at Little London Playing Fields

Understanding the Stimulus 2

Earlier I spoke about the "stimulus" when it was still merely under discussion. Today comes a LA Times article saying that most recent public opinion polls found that, on the eve of distribution of the stimulus checks, most Americans plan to save the stimulus rather than spend it. Of course, the stimulus serves NO PURPOSE WHATSOEVER if people save it.

Jeremiah Wright and Animal House

By Cameron Clark

Who knew Reverend Jeremiah Wright was such a great fan of the "White American" comedy classics like National Lampoon's Animal House? Reverend Wright has obviously been studying the subtle humor and undertones of this movie for quite some time, as the expanded version of the movie's drollery has made its way into his sermons and speeches.

For example, when Wright said, "In the 21st century, white America got a wake-up call after 9/11/01. White America and the western world came to realize that people of color had not gone away, faded into the woodwork or just ‘disappeared’ as the Great White West kept on its merry way of ignoring black concerns," he was just expounding on Flounder's line:

"The Negroes stole our dates!"

Here's a short list of Reverend Wright's comedic musings that have been misinterpreted:

"We bombed Hiroshima, we bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon, and we never batted an eye."- Jeremiah Wright

This is just an expansion of Belushi's infamous "Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?" analogy.

"Hillary is married to Bill, and Bill has been good to us. No he ain’t! Bill did us, just like he did Monica Lewinsky. He was riding dirty."- Jeremiah Wright

Easy to explain as well. This is one was an adaptation of Boone's "We're willing to trade looks for a certain morally casual attitude."

"Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run!…We [in the U.S.] believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God."- Jeremiah Wright

Derived from yet another great line: "Boone, I anticipate a deeply religious experience."- Eric "Otter" Stratton

So, when Rev. Wright was quoted on Sunday as saying "It is not an attack on Jeremiah Wright. It is an attack on the black church," when addressing the recent barrage of criticism he has endured for his erratum statements, he drew upon this bit for his deflection:

"But you can't hold a whole fraternity responsible for the behavior of a few sick, twisted individuals. For if you do, then shouldn't we blame the whole fraternity system? And if the whole fraternity system is guilty, then isn't this an indictment of our educational institutions in general? I put it to you, Greg - isn't this an indictment of our entire American society?

Well, you can do whatever you want to us, but we're not going to sit here and listen to you badmouth the United States of America. Gentlemen!"

Think about it while you enjoy your Tuesday!