tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57355022011-04-21T21:49:45.263-04:00 Like everybody else, commentary and opinion on matters of social and political interest (or disinterest). I don't know nearly as much as I'd like to, and always have more questions than answers. Hopefully, I can help stimulate some critical thinking through these writings. ***************************** semipundit(at)comcast.netSemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comBlogger661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1096047861182994292004-12-10T13:36:00.000-05:002005-04-22T13:44:23.370-04:00

I recently became aware of this article by Philip Agre. It is one of the most interesting and descriptive I have read on the nature of conservatism and what it seeks to accomplish.It is a bit long, and requires some attention, but is well worth it. You will be rewarded with knowledge.Also, please refer the link to his article to others.

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1093504823472168742004-08-25T22:00:00.000-04:002004-10-04T23:49:06.403-04:00

Dr. Steven Miles, Professor of Medicine and Ethics at the University of Minnesota, appeared on CSPAN's Washington Journal this morning (Wednesday, 8/25/04) to discuss the actions of medical personnel at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. He has authored an article on the subject in which he documents the failure of medical personnel to report the abuses and injuries. Such behavior is at odds with

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1091082030814696522004-07-28T22:14:00.000-04:002004-07-29T02:43:26.796-04:00

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.  This world in arms is not spending money alone.  It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.  This is not a way of life at all in any true sense.  Under the

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1086719790146306142004-06-08T14:32:00.000-04:002004-06-08T14:49:57.863-04:00

During past G-8 Summit Meetings, there has been no lack of effort to disrupt the proceedings by those in opposition to them. For this round of meetings at Sea Island, Georgia, planning officials have borrowed from some older, rather effective technology to protect and sequester the participants. In the old days it would have been called a moat. Look for far less trouble this time.

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1083527912208563772004-05-02T15:58:00.000-04:002004-05-03T23:53:33.606-04:00

According to news service reports, Thomas Hamill, the former Mississippi dairy farmer who was kidnapped by Iraqui insurgents, has escaped his captors. Way to go, Tommy! Hank, Jr. said it best: "A country boy will survive." It won't be long before we'll see a made-for-TV movie out of this story. I hope he gets a good deal--he's earned every nickel of it. CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1081239119012610222004-04-06T13:15:00.000-04:002004-04-06T13:18:52.250-04:00

Take a look at this interesting article by Laura Flanders that sheds a little more light on the background of Elaine Chao, who may be more the Secretary of Labor for China than for the United States. Her rags-to-riches story may be more riches than rags after all. Ms. Chao has proved herself to be arrogant and disconnected from the working people of this country at a time of massive job

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1080238703814282962004-03-25T13:18:00.000-05:002004-03-25T13:20:54.903-05:00

In his remarks this morning in the Senate, Mitch McConnell stated gravely, “These terrorists don’t hate us because of our policies; they hate us for who we are.” And who are we? We are a country whose policies have caused a lot of people to hate us. CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1079814484633507992004-03-20T15:28:00.000-05:002004-03-20T15:33:47.623-05:00

Howard Dean's organization is now operating from a new website, called Democracy for America. Check it out. Also, I have a friend who, along with his wife, paid 2003 federal income taxes on a combined income of $43,800--all from wages. He tells me that their tax cut amounts to about $350. That's the good news. The bad news is that his employer, a customer service organization, is moving its

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1077992119829108752004-02-28T13:15:00.000-05:002004-02-28T13:17:24.966-05:00

Excerpt from a Reuters report today: The informant who helped lead the U.S. military to ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's two sons has been paid most of a $30 million reward for the tip-off, the State Department said on Saturday. "The informant who gave us information on the whereabouts of Uday and Qusay Hussein has been paid the bulk of the reward within the last couple of days, and has

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1077831879258701112004-02-26T16:44:00.000-05:002004-02-26T16:46:44.513-05:00

"Talk to your kids--they'll listen." This is just about all the advice the folks in charge seem to have for us these days regarding drugs, alcohol, smoking, and sex. The commercials they put on TV, with a few exceptions, present a simple and naïve approach, such as the one in which a mother stops her son on the way out the door to ask where he's going, who he's going with, and what they'll be

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1076791727608866102004-02-14T14:39:00.000-05:002004-02-24T02:57:32.043-05:00

As is often the case for me, I somehow manage to get behind in my newspaper reading. I am envious of those who claim to run through several different papers while having morning coffee, since I can barely get through one before I must move on to my daily duties. If an article relates to human interest, technical matters, or other non time-sensitive topics, I will tear it out and toss it into a

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1075494839521422402004-01-30T15:33:00.000-05:002004-01-30T15:35:40.746-05:00

Wesley Pruden might benefit from taking a refresher course in accurate reporting. If it were left to me, I’d just rap his knuckles with a ruler and stand him in the corner for awhile. The Washington Times published an article today by Mr. Pruden, its Editor in Chief, in which he selectively quoted John Kerry’s 1971 Senate committee testimony on Vietnam atrocities. Kerry’s words, from today’s

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1074503660320132212004-01-18T22:06:00.000-05:002004-01-25T06:04:40.983-05:00

"And when the towers did come down, they brought with them 400,000 tons of structural steel, 208 passenger elevators, 46,600 windows, 220 acres' worth of reinforced concrete flooring, 6 acres of marble, 49,000 tons of air conditioning equipment, 12,000 miles of electrical cable, 23,000 fluorescent light bulbs, 198 miles of heating ducts, 300 computer mainframes, and the accumulated materials of..

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1074026802346884992004-01-12T23:46:00.000-05:002004-01-13T15:52:39.793-05:00

George Soros, the wealthy investor, has been criticized for his financial support of MoveOn.org, and other "liberal" causes. Now, there's something we really should do something about--billionaires getting involved in politics. Here is an article recently published in the Atlantic which says a lot about where he is coming from. CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1072944773850354512003-12-31T23:31:00.000-05:002004-01-01T03:39:06.796-05:00

According to this article , we've all been worrying way too much about American jobs being shipped overseas. Even InstaPundit has concerns about this issue. It seems that there is particularly good news for American workers. Freed from the drudgery of routine tasks, they could then step on up to higher-level jobs that better utilize their skills and open up new opportunities. You know--like

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1072927210253165912003-12-30T22:17:00.000-05:002003-12-31T22:21:16.873-05:00

" First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." - Mahatma Gandhi CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1072345844603982002003-12-25T04:50:00.000-05:002003-12-25T05:19:17.750-05:00

On this beautiful Christmas day, let us all nurture hope for the safety of our sons and daughters as they serve their country. Let us also hope that our leaders will selflessly guide them with honor, integrity, and compassion. For their dedication and sacrifice, our soldiers deserve no less. CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-107234724619903992003-12-24T23:55:00.000-05:002003-12-25T05:15:06.280-05:00

Bill O'Reilly on his Fox News program this evening alluded once again to the idea that National Public Radio and Public Television are state-run. We must ask ourselves, however, that if they are influenced by our current government, wouldn't their messages be different? There is little question about whose side Fox is on. In addition, I have never known of Rupert Murdoch resorting to a telethon

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1072004623349402342003-12-19T22:57:00.000-05:002003-12-21T06:20:09.873-05:00

Most of us would probably not consider $11 an hour to be an excessively high wage for factory workers who assemble bicycles. In fact, for most jobs in America that involve skill and dexterity, an ability to work for long periods of time at repetitive tasks, and an alertness to problems in processes and material quality, we would not consider that amount to be an unreasonably high wage. That is

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1071592584215667442003-12-16T11:36:00.000-05:002003-12-16T11:37:15.356-05:00

While reading the comments to a post by South Knox Bubba, I came across a reference to a letter to the editor in the Atlanta Journal Constitution. I haven't decided yet who I think is most worthy of the Democratic nomination, so this is not my endorsement of Howard Dean. However, I do think that in her letter the writer nails the issue with elegant simplicity. Here is the text: Lots of benefits

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1071536202525841502003-12-15T19:56:00.000-05:002003-12-15T19:57:33.560-05:00

I came across this article today in Al Hayat. The writer sheds some light on how Saddam's capture is viewed by many in the Arab world. It is interesting to note that, in their view, his greatest transgression has been that of opening the door to Western interference in their social and political affairs. Whether or not I agree with opinions I read in the foreign press, I make an effort to

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1071296352355903872003-12-12T22:58:00.000-05:002003-12-13T01:20:00.340-05:00

If the Bush administration has its way, many skilled American workers will discover that they are “professionals” for the first time in their careers. The effort to modify overtime law, spearheaded by Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao, is the most ambitious plan yet to squeeze more out of American workers. I suppose you could technically call it a tax cut if you earn less money to pay taxes on.

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1071277684271977822003-12-11T23:27:00.000-05:002003-12-12T20:15:20.153-05:00

Recently I came across a Washington Post article from earlier this year by Dan Morgan which I believe contains an excellent definition for the political term, "Neoconservative". Concise and complete, it reads: "...members of an amorphous political group that has its origins in the defection of left-wing Democrats to the GOP during the Cold War. Neoconservatives tend to favor the use of U.S.

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1070918965618866122003-12-08T16:29:00.000-05:002003-12-08T16:30:09.250-05:00

Senator John Kerry shook things up a bit this week with a comment he made in his interview with Rolling Stone magazine. For those unaware of his iniquity, he used a semantically efficient, unsavory word to describe his assessment of Mr. Bush’s bungling of our foreign and domestic affairs. Read the interview for context and perspective. This has raised eyebrows all around. The White House has

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1070483078459802682003-12-03T15:24:00.000-05:002004-01-02T14:39:30.496-05:00

Asa Hutchinson, Undersecretary for Border and Transportation Security, of the Department of Homeland Security, was a guest on CSPAN this morning. He discussed the measures that have been put in place to protect us from those who would enter our country to do us harm. Two main topics emerged during the conversation with the host and the call-in participants. One was the idea of increased

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1070482945789742012003-12-02T23:18:00.000-05:002003-12-03T15:23:58.750-05:00

New definition: Forest Thinning Program (reduces fuel for uncontrolled forest fires) Old definition: Logging CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE NEW LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1069794219887398122003-11-25T16:03:00.000-05:002003-11-26T12:20:35.123-05:00

I don’t recall being consulted by the AARP on the recent change in federal health policy for our senior citizens. It could be because I’m not a member—at least not yet. When I heard about its backing for the Republican plan to replace Medicare, my first thought was to throw away the application form that has lain on my desk for several days. For many millions of AARP members who feel betrayed

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1069695295520294802003-11-23T23:30:00.000-05:002003-11-24T12:38:03.373-05:00

After reading this story in the London Sunday Mirror, it becomes much clearer to me why the Queen wasn't all smiles during Mr. Bush's recent visit. CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE NEW LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1069426456272720892003-11-20T21:49:00.000-05:002003-11-21T09:54:42.326-05:00

Here's an interesting little article about a small-town election gone wrong. It points up some of the concern about the foibles of electronic voting. Perhaps the folks in Smyrna could use some help from the U.S. Supreme Court to settle this thorny matter. Freedom hangs in the balance. CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE NEW LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1069253333595214372003-11-19T09:48:00.000-05:002003-11-19T09:49:17.780-05:00

This morning, President Bush delivered a variant of his now familiar speech #39 in London before a hand-picked crowd at Whtehall. He did not address the British Parliament because of concerns that he would be poorly received, as he was on his recent appearance before the Australian Parliament. Neither did he address the British citizenry, because large crowds of protestors have assembled all

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1069170202517316072003-11-17T22:43:00.000-05:002003-11-18T10:52:50.340-05:00

Rush Limbaugh is finally back on the air after completing the initial phase of his treatment for addiction to pain medications. There is a lot at stake for him, not the least of which is a line of ambitious successors to his throne who are lean and hungry. His audience is said to have been the largest ever for his show. No doubt the number was swelled by those who are not regular listeners but

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1068836992074901642003-11-14T14:09:00.000-05:002003-11-14T14:29:46.153-05:00

I was unable to post any comment this past Tuesday regarding Veteran's Day. So, better late than never, I offer my appreciation for the service of so many of my own extended family and friends over the years, and of those many thousands who we will never know, but to whom we owe so much. I especially thank my brother. In the summer of 1967, we were both at the top of the draft list in our home

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1068836322829365472003-11-13T23:29:00.000-05:002003-11-14T14:11:15.500-05:00

It was announced today that Rush Limbaugh has completed the first phase of his rehabilitation and will soon return to hosting his radio program. I offer my sincerest wishes to Rush in his recovery, since I have seen first hand the effects of addiction in my own family. Upon hearing the news, Laura Ingraham was said to be inconsolable and is now resting at a secure, undisclosed location. CLICK

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1068473792652167762003-11-09T23:54:00.000-05:002003-11-14T14:32:32.763-05:00

"Jobless Recovery" -- An economic term that has come into popular use in the U.S. It refers to profitability gains for American companies that are brought about through the low production costs of foreign workers doing what used to be American workers' jobs. CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE NEW LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1068404969784968272003-11-09T14:09:00.000-05:002003-11-09T14:30:41.980-05:00

As I write this, I’m sitting here watching Tony Snow on state-run television. It seems that “time is running out for the Iraqui governing council”. The coalition authorities (aka Paul Bremer & Co.) in Baghdad are growing increasingly impatient with them for their ineffectiveness and complaining, and may have to crack down, making any changes that may be needed. Doesn’t this reflect poorly on

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1068026823216911682003-11-04T23:29:00.000-05:002003-11-05T05:07:01.756-05:00

Laura Ingraham appeared this evening with Bill O'Reilly on state-run television. As usual, she ranted and railed about the "elites", as is her custom. Problem is, I'm having trouble figuring out who these elites are. An excerpt from her biography: "Laura served as a law clerk to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and subsequently worked as a white-collar criminal defense attorney at Skadden

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1067929159523961822003-11-04T01:59:00.000-05:002003-11-04T02:06:39.986-05:00

The Bush administration in particular and Republicans in general may have finally turned the corner. It appears they now own the economy lock, stock, and barrel, as the saying goes. They have owned the situations in Iraq and Afghanistan from the start. By now, even among their own leadership, the “but Bill Clinton…” excuses don’t seem to have much tread left. A too-simple example might be: If

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1067907147756878752003-11-03T16:29:00.000-05:002003-11-03T19:52:25.820-05:00

Linda Tripp Gets $595,000 from U.S. in Privacy Suit Wouldn't it be nice if she would share some of that money with Monica Lewinsky? CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE NEW LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1067721943867662432003-11-01T16:25:00.000-05:002003-11-01T16:25:42.566-05:00

This afternoon I was talking to one of my neighbors, a 17 year-old high school student, when he asked me if it was possible that any of the millions of dollars paid out in rewards to Iraquis could have found its way to the terrorists and insurgents? As I recall, we paid over 15 million dollars each for Uday and Qusay, and have another 25 million dollars on the board for Saddam (preferably dead,

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1067438525305790112003-10-28T23:03:00.000-05:002003-10-29T09:42:04.210-05:00

Talk about unintended consequences..... CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE NEW LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1067326186666348882003-10-28T02:29:00.000-05:002003-10-29T19:25:16.480-05:00

This week Paul Wolfowitz, one of the Bush administration’s most vocal and fervent proponents of preemptive war, probably came as close to combat action as he ever will. In fact, he now has, figuratively, more stripes on his sleeves than almost all of the administration’s top decision makers. For most of them, their closest brush with injury has been that of slipping in the shower. He was in

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1067319493683462852003-10-27T23:36:00.000-05:002003-10-28T00:41:21.636-05:00

This evening, Bill O’Reilly proudly reported on his Fox News program, The O’Reilly Factor, the results of an internet poll of his audience. The respondents were asked to state whether their movie viewing choices are affected by the political views of the actors in the movies. Ninety percent of them (remember--O’Reilly Factor viewers) reported that the actors’ political stands did influence them

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1066885453108740222003-10-22T22:00:00.000-04:002003-10-23T03:19:20.440-04:00

I have just returned from a short visit to New England, which I probably should remind some in these parts is not located in “Old Europe”. Following the usual chores and rituals attendant to getting back from a trip, I spent a little time catching up on email. I tossed out those that continue to offer me male enhancement. I canned one from a lonely Russian woman who is looking for an American

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1066335303570459872003-10-16T16:30:00.000-04:002003-10-21T10:09:29.260-04:00

Today President Bush gave another televised speech—this one in California in an appearance with Governor-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger. The topic was the War on Terror (I suppose by now it is appropriate to capitalize it). As I listened to his remarks, I realized that, until he mentioned this morning’s United Nations resolution concerning a timetable for Iraqui self-governance, I could not

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1066299233305174232003-10-15T22:41:00.000-04:002003-10-16T06:13:53.243-04:00

Many thanks to South Knox Bubba for the kind words and inclusion in the RTB.

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1066115015841394032003-10-13T14:48:00.000-04:002003-10-23T01:28:22.930-04:00

On the street they say payback’s a bitch. In the light of his recent troubles with addiction to and alleged illegal trafficking in pain medication, Rush Limbaugh probably couldn’t agree more. All of us, out of Christian charity (or Muslim, or whatever), should have compassion for one of us who has trouble with drugs, especially the thousands of our citizens who are sitting in jail right now for

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1065846504214058192003-10-10T22:00:00.000-04:002003-10-11T01:17:50.010-04:00

Weapons of Mass Destruction, take two..or three..or, what the heck--plug in a number. In true Neo-Con style, Charles Krauthammer continues to nibble around the edges of this issue looking for a soft spot to sink his teeth into. I continue to wonder if he and his cohorts actually believe that Saddam Hussein really was a madman poised on the edge of taking over the world, or are just working

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1065771019506934872003-10-09T07:30:00.000-04:002003-10-12T14:10:45.216-04:00

“Kill the chief! The others will lose the will to fight and will run away.” When I was a kid, I heard that in a lot of the action films our parents took us to see at the local drive-in theater. The line coming from John Wayne’s or Clark Gable’s character didn’t give much credit to the hundreds of rank-and-file Indians or African natives who were bent on finishing off the unwelcome intruders.

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1065632002533289402003-10-08T12:53:00.000-04:002003-10-08T14:09:14.466-04:00

Lester Thurow, Professor of Economics in the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, appeared on CSPAN’s Washington Journal this morning to discuss globalization of trade and the world economy, as well as his new book, “Fortune Favors the Bold”. He is a well-respected economist who is unmistakably a capitalist and, on first inspection, appears to be

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1065431911219342712003-10-06T05:18:00.000-04:002003-10-06T05:26:15.170-04:00

CLICK TODAY'S ARTICLE TITLE FOR THE NEW LINKS PAGE

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1065290572235054582003-10-04T14:02:00.000-04:002003-10-05T11:26:48.463-04:00

Roy Moore, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Alabama, was a guest on this morning’s CSPAN program, Washington Journal. The discussion, of course, centered on his effort to keep the 5,280 pound monument containing the Ten Commandments (dubbed Roy’s Rock) on public display in the State Supreme Court rotunda. Pending resolution of the matter, the monument is secured in a closet elsewhere in

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064896928339363372003-09-30T00:42:00.000-04:002003-10-03T04:08:43.463-04:00

Outsourcing has become the love object of American business, an affair that has been going on for quite a few years now. And why not? Why should we do it ourselves if we can get somebody else to do it cheaper? Fair enough, but there are tradeoffs, the greatest being a loss of control, which can be strategically risky. It is one thing to contract out the office janitorial services to a

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064848658915708962003-09-29T11:17:00.000-04:002003-09-29T12:20:54.210-04:00

Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) appeared briefly on CNN today to discuss the idea of anti-missle defense technology for commercial airliners. He stated that there have been at least 35 known attempts by terrorists to shoot them down since 1978, and that there are an estimated 500,000 of the shoulder-fired rockets dispersed througout the world right now. According to him, the cost per plane would

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064773096756231702003-09-28T13:49:00.000-04:002003-09-28T23:56:24.490-04:00

It's a beautiful fall afternoon here in east Tennessee. Right now, at this time and place, it is hard to think anything but good and pleasant thoughts. I, along with, I'm sure, many others feel bittersweet about it. Sometime this week, perhaps even today, somewhere in America, an unfamiliar car will pull up into the driveway of a home where a real-life American family lives. A pair of

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064693239896124962003-09-27T16:07:00.000-04:002003-09-27T16:07:19.966-04:00

One of this morning’s guests on CSPAN’s Washington Journal was Casey Lartigue of the Cato Institute; the subject under discussion was school vouchers. If the concept is so good, then why isn’t the case to support it more solid and logical? It should make sense to all of us. Instead, Mr. Lartigue, as do many other supporters, offered the same scripted package of lame arguments. Further, he

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064597596076111732003-09-26T13:33:00.000-04:002003-09-26T13:38:28.786-04:00

Oops! Here's an update on the national do-not-call list ball game. Another federal judge, this one in Denver, has now set Congress back. Presumably it’s all about the free speech rights of the telemarketers. There seems to be a problem in that charitable organizations would be able to continue calling while those promoting goods and services would not. For me, the charitables get off on the

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064550142941634692003-09-26T00:22:00.000-04:002003-09-26T00:22:22.790-04:00

Congress took a decisive step yesterday to get the national do-not-call list back on track. Its implementation on October 1 would have been delayed by a judge’s ruling that the Federal Trade Commission did not have the legal authority to establish the list. One could only guess who the plaintiffs were in this court action. Besides, did it actually take this long for the parties involved to

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064522327809247572003-09-25T16:38:00.000-04:002003-09-25T16:38:47.433-04:00

Bring back the regular conservatives-- please. I miss the old crowd that advocated the tried and true ways of running the country, even though I often thought they were behind the times. I miss the conservatives who insisted on restraint in spending and the expansion of government, although I believe there are a lot of things that only government can and should do for its citizens. Without

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064289454693663442003-09-22T23:57:00.000-04:002003-09-23T00:03:13.150-04:00

Hopefully George Bush will get a good night’s sleep tonight. He’ll need to be well rested when he addresses, once again, the United Nations tomorrow morning. It is foolish to expect that he will go contritely to plead for their help in controlling the situation in Iraq—nor should he. However, a little humility might be in order. As surely as he realizes that the outside world will be acutely

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064167803528742912003-09-21T14:10:00.000-04:002003-09-21T14:10:03.543-04:00

Here’s something I’ll admit that I hadn’t thought about before—computer viruses as analogous to the public health problem of infectious disease. Recently I was having lunch with a co-worker, a lowly 17 year-old high-school kid. In the course of our conversation the subject of computer viruses came up. He knows a lot more about this stuff than I do, so he caught my attention when he said that

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1064086565963367482003-09-20T15:36:00.000-04:002003-09-20T15:36:05.600-04:00

The conflict surrounding federal judiciary appointments is, of course, not new. The White House and Congress have always engaged in debate that reflects the political interests of each of the stakeholders, and that is the way it will be from now on. The scenario is always the same: The administration contends that the nominee is highly qualified and deserving of the opportunity to serve,

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1063949239778640662003-09-19T01:27:00.000-04:002003-09-19T02:54:27.470-04:00

Dick Grasso has, at last, been forced to step down as head of the New York Stock Exchange. I feel sympathy for him in his plight, but hopefully the $140 million he earned for his unique and gifted leadership should help tide him over until he finds another job. I’m sure that his cohorts on the board will be good for a meal now and then, or an overnight sleepover on the couch until he gets back

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1063343902944641742003-09-12T01:18:00.000-04:002003-09-19T02:48:38.523-04:00

I recently received a summons for jury duty here in Knox County, Tennessee. This will be the first time for me, and it will be my pleasure to serve (although I may have a change of heart by the time I'm done). Being a citizen of this country is a unique privilege, and such service is one of the ways we pay for the ride. Participation in our civic responsibilities gives us standing when we

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1062597916769719062003-09-03T10:05:00.000-04:002003-09-05T02:53:33.386-04:00

When will the Democrats in Congress admit that their voting to let President Bush proceed with the war on Iraq was actually an effort to keep their jobs? If it weren’t such serious business, I’d be amused. Whenever they are backed into a corner by critics who note that they originally supported the war, but are now opposed, they always say that they were misled by the administration. Perhaps

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1062349631316722202003-08-31T13:07:00.000-04:002003-09-03T18:55:26.876-04:00

Here's a thought: Proponents of the death penalty often cite, other than justice, of course, the financial cost to society of housing and feeding a capital criminal for the rest of his or her life. How is it, then, that they are often willing to support "three strikes and you're out" laws, which involve similar long-term expense for what can be only a string of minor non-violent offenses? Would

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5735502.post-1062095281028117242003-08-28T14:28:00.000-04:002003-11-04T17:03:46.080-05:00

Well, they're at it again. Now they want international cooperation to control the chaos in Iraq-- but only if all the other countries fortunate enough to get in will allow the U.S. to control the entire process. Isn't that like asking someone to come over for a turkey dinner and then asking them to bring the turkey?

SemiPunditnoreply@blogger.com