Starting The New Year With A Broken Resolution

Darn. My annual "Cut back on the Krugman-bashing" resolution goes into the shredder on Day One.

The former Enron advisor and current multi-millionaire provides a great moment in self-awareness:

Privilege, Pathology and Power

Wealth can be bad for your soul. That’s not just a hoary piece of folk wisdom; it’s a conclusion from serious social science, confirmed by statistical analysis and experiment. The affluent are, on average, less likely to exhibit empathy, less likely to respect norms and even laws, more likely to cheat, than those occupying lower rungs on the economic ladder.

And it’s obvious, even if we don’t have statistical confirmation, that extreme wealth can do extreme spiritual damage. Take someone whose personality might have been merely disagreeable under normal circumstances, and give him the kind of wealth that lets him surround himself with sycophants and usually get whatever he wants. It’s not hard to see how he could become almost pathologically self-regarding and unconcerned with others.

Regarding "merely disagreeable under normal circumstances" - Paul Krugman was an "enfant terrible" long before he picked up a Nobel prize.

As to the column itself, if only George Carlin were here to add "serious social science" to his list of such classic oxymoronic phrases as "military intelligence" and "jumbo shrimp". The link provided goes to TIME magazine, which leans on this Piff study from 2013:

Wealth and the Inflated Self: Class, Entitlement, and Narcissism

Let's just say that any extrapolation of this paper to the souls of billionaires is going way beyond the range of the actual experiment. Most of the studies were of undergrads, and the study focused on "social class" as measured by their parents' educational attainment and a guess at their income. Above $150,000 per year was the top slot, so there was plenty of room for the progeny of non-billionaires.

The one study that used adults found online volunteers willing to participate for a chance at a $50 gift certificate. Of course I am only guessing, but I doubt many billionaires or their spouses were enticed. Probably not a lot of millionaires, for that matter. But Boo the Rich! The science is settled!

Oh, sorry - Boo the Republican Rich. No Democrats come to Krugman's mind here:

But it’s also true that those empowered by money-driven politics include a disproportionate number of spoiled egomaniacs. Which brings me to the current election cycle.

The most obvious illustration of the point I’ve been making is the man now leading the Republican field.

That would be Trump, of course. Is there any chance anyone anywhere in TimesWorld could characterize Hillary as an egomaniacal blowhard? Naah - running up a spousal net worth over $100 million by cashing $200,000 checks from Goldman Sachs for a twenty minute speech doesn't say anything about a person's self-regard.

Krugman then cites two other annoying right-side billionaires that aren't the Koch brothers. Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, convicted pedophile and registered sex offender, has been in the news recently and by any reasonable standard has a troubled soul. But it seems to be progressive one, so move on.

Comments

[Threadkiller]

I'm with you on the resolution struggles, TM.
:-)

http://citizenwells.com/2016/01/01/vermont-ted-cruz-eligibility-challenge-update-january-1-2016-h-brooke-paige-v-state-of-vermont-attorney-general-bill-sorrell-neglects-to-file-timely-answer-notice-of-default-court-request-for-se/

A Democrat AG? Uh oh.

[henry]

In this case I applaud your increased speed to the shredder.

[henry]

"Serious Social Science"

Hahahahahahahahahaha!

[Bori]

Happy New Year to JOM'ers

[GUS]

it's called the FULL COMMIE.

Commie for THEE but not for ME.

I asked Mrs.Gus is she was aware of JOE STALIN being a COMMIE.
She said she was aware.
I corrected her.
Joe wanted YOU to be COMMIE not him.

[GUS]

The rich aren't empathetic??? They merely pay the bills for the poor.

[henry]

Gus, Happy (non-commie) New Year to you, Mrs Gus and Gus Jr.

[lyle]

Huh. Take "kind of wealth" out of the last sentence of the first blockquote and replace it with "the White House" and tell me who Krugnuts is describing. What an effing hack.

[henry]

Nice catch Lyle!

[henry]

The Ox half of SARBOX died today. Rep Mike Oxley died of lung cancer at age 71, he is best known for a law in response to frauds like Krugman of Enron.

[GUS]

Happy New Year Henry!!

[JMHanes]

"Most of the studies were of undergrads…"

I suspect that you'll find undergrads under the hood of a whole lot of specious "scientific" social research. My favs are the studies which attempt to prove that conservatives have more primitive brains than liberals, which periodically emanate from places like Berkeley. Does anyone ever challenge the use of collegiate teenagers as stand-ins for fully formed, real world, adults?

[henry]

JMH, I questioned that when taking Psychometrics in my PhD program. The answer was the undergrads were human ergo a useful stand in for reality... Unless you needed MBA students for business stuff. i.e., it's all crap and they know it (at least the smart ones do).

[buccaneer morgan]

Of course I brought Steve rattner quadrants insurance scammer, the head of chase's subprime division, where is beaks, just a few others that come to mind.

[Jim Miller]

Tom - Thanks for doing this post. I had the same reaction when I read that column this morning.

It occurred to me that Krugman might still be able to save his soul by giving much of his fortune away to, for instance, impoverished adjuncts.

(Maybe this will inspire me to do a post on Krugman's 12/25 column, which also needs a little criticism.)

JMHanes - Yes, people (including me, from time to time to time) have criticized that reliance on American undergrads.

What makes it even worse is that we Americans are, compared to the rest of the world -- let's not say weird, let's say "outliers" -- really different in many ways, so making global inferences from American undergrads is especially dubious.

(I've just started on Haidt's "Righteous Mind", which has some cross-class, cross-cultural studies.)

[Frau Karpfen]

Fishing in academia:
Carp in, carp out.

[Jeff Dobbs]

We've made it back home! Yay!

TCFAB!

And pool!

Turns out the hotel the airline put us up at had what was billed as one of the biggest New Year's Eve parties in Dallas.

Ay yi yi!!! We checked in around 10:30 and things were really swinging into gear. Lots a gals dressed like hookers . . . and probably a few of them were. When checking in the gal at the front desk assured us we wouldn't be able to hear the parties (there were 3 separate parties at the hotel) from our room.

Well, the dunz dunz dunz bass thumping was certainly audible in our room. Turned up the air in the room and it wasn't that bad.

Oh, and in case you were wondering....yes, I've been watching the skies over Pasadena.

Here's a familiar craft:

That little plane in the middle looks like he's the skywriter.

Ok, I'm off to the pool hall.

[Jack is Back (but On Alert)!l]

Reposting from last thread:

We were out driving around Key Biscayne after breakfast and our beach walk when we ran into police tape on Harbor drive. Iit was all because of a 17 year old local kid drving too fast in a Porsche with an 18 year old girl in the back seat, who was killed. He ran through 3 trees, hit a light pole and a driveway gate.

Anyone familar with Key Biscayne knows the speed limit is 25 and most people do less than that since the preferred mode of transport are 4 and 6 passenger golf carts. But my question is what kind of parent gives his 17 year old son a high performance Porsche to tool around in on New Years' Eve/Day?

http://www.topix.com/city/key-biscayne-fl/2016/01/teen-killed-two-others-injured-in-new-yeara-s-day-crash-in-key-biscayne

As the chief notes: This could have been prevented. Yep. By the parents.

[narciso]

like I say, even margot robbie doesn't save this film,

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2015/12/the-big-snort.php

[maryrose]

Happy New Year to Everyone
Tried something new for New Year's Eve
Chinese food
It was great and it was SRO to get into King Wah's
I will be returning to my former high school as a long term sub and counselor starting on Monday
Wish me luck as I have been retired for 5 and a half years
I also will have less time to post but will try to catch up on reading the threads in the evenings
I will go until June 7th
Hit
As they say There's no place like home!

[GUS]

See Krugman was right, the rich folks with the Porsche are murderers. Bad rich folks. Bad.

[narciso]

and this is zaphod's penpal,

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2016/01/01/erdogan-says-hitlers-germany-exemplifies-effective-presidential-system/

[maryrose]

Narciso
I read the book and was looking forward to seeing the movie
Now I'll just wait for it to hit HBO

[henry]

GUS, my parents let me loose with a 62 Vette at that age. Difference-- I could drive.

[narciso]

surprise, surprise,

http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/01/01/us-delays-imposing-sanctions-on-iran-for-missile-program/#

[JMHanes]

We got yer banana republic ratchyere.

In re Ignatz' "Judicial Coup" in Venezuela. I figured the vote in Venezuela was so lopsided that it just overwhelmed the Madura folk's ability to manufacture a different outcome, but I don't expect the socialists to go quietly. It reminds me of the "Joy as Turkish election result puts pro-Kurdish party into parliament." Erdogan has been busy routing celebrants ever since. HDP's leader, having predicted the eventual rise of an independent Kurdistan, is being investigated for "crimes against the constitutional order and the functioning of this order" as a result, which, oddly enough, somehow precludes his party from participating in upcoming constitutional negotiations. Per Old Lurker, Erdogan is now citing Hitler as a model Chief Executive, in what The Guardian hilariously describes as "a Turkish version of the system in the US, France and Russia."

Alas, that equation is not nearly as amusing as it might once have seemed, is it? We've only just begun to see how much an American president can, in fact, do by fiat, and how thoroughly the executive branch bureaucracy can be corrupted by political appointees -- not to mention how fast. I really blame Congress for this. There are the obvious monstrosities, like omnibus spending, but fiscal irresponsibility is not the crux of the problem.

We are looking at a systemic breakdown in the separation of powers, by way of a Congress which has been ceding its legislative responsibilities to the Executive Branch, in concrete ways, for decades. They pass laws which explicitly instruct those legions of "career professionals" down the street to fill in the blanks, both in terms of designing the relevant bureaucratic architecture and formulating the necessary "rules." The latter is where the Executive Branch jumps its enforcement mission shark.

The literal letter of the law is written in bureaucratic back rooms, which have proven increasingly immune to politicized Congressional oversight, let alone popular scrutiny and accountability. The ever-metastasizing results are easy to see at the EPA and HHS. Pelosi was dead right when she said we had to pass Obamacare to see what's in it. Only then could Kathleen Sebelius tell us what it meant. Even a "Dear Colleague" letter written by a random DoJ minion with an agenda now carries the weight, if not the full force, of federal law. How long will the last teetering vestige of oversight, in the form of Inspectors General, survive?

During the Dec. debate, everybody hooted when Chris Christie said, "If your eyes are glazing over like mine, this is what it's like to be on the floor of the United States Senate." Unfortunately, such legislative weeds can make all the difference. Think about Judd Gregg's certification amendment or Rubio's anti-bailout provisions. You can bet HHS didn't lobby for such language. It's a rare CEO who will voluntarily curtail his own prerogatives. Faced with similar gridlock, would a President Christie or a President Trump et al be any less inclined than Obama to pursue his objectives by executive orders, too? If you're a President with the power to make judicial appointments and control of law enforcement, with de facto legislative authority wrapped up in a blanket of executive privilege, and a foreign policy mandate that has begun to look as useful as the commerce clause for expanding federal purview in these globalized times, how much does Congress really matter to you?

Just in case anyone was wondering if I could start the New Year with a broken resolution, too…. Why, yes. Yes, I can!

[Sandy Daze]

Earlier I mentioned heading out to St. Anthony's for Mass, today being the Solemnity of Mary.

Noon Mass (23°F outside and snowing) was packed, SRO, and attending in addition to our Priest, were one of two Deacons, and Eleven (11) Altar Servers.

A good time had by all--certainly much better than that had by Notre Dame, or so far by Iowa--ouch !

[Extraneus]

Tried something new for New Year's Eve
Chinese food

Same here. Happy New Year everyone!

[daddy on iPad]

And it’s obvious, even if we don’t have statistical confirmation, that extreme wealth can do extreme spiritual damage. Take someone whose personality might have been merely disagreeable under normal circumstances, and give him the kind of wealth that lets him surround himself with sycophants and usually get whatever he wants. It’s not hard to see how he could become almost pathologically self-regarding and unconcerned with others.

Yeah, but did you see the crease in his pant?

[Stephanie]

Isn't the weather awesome JiB? Dreading getting in the car in the morning and having to steadily add clothes as we head back. Temps here 84/76 Atlanta 53/32. Ick.

Can someone check Australia's news and post the winning lottery numbers for tonight? :) we can split it between JOMers and purchase a Key or two and secede. Problem solved. No Obama and no gopeepee.

As some idjit on Facebook once posted, it IS tomorrow in Australia and they should know all our news already (she was miffed that they didn't notify us about 9/11 since it was already tomorrow there when it happened)

[Frau Karpfen]

" ...how much does Congress really matter to you? "
We're living the answer, aren't we?

Is it worse to pass on making resolutions or to make them and then break them? I won't feel guilty either way.

[narciso]

speaking of creased pants, Pinnette is showing his concern for us hobbits again,

[James D.]

There's no point, because it's not like Krugman would ever listen to reason or make the slightest pretense towards intellectual honesty, but...

Does it ever occur to him that extreme power likely has exactly the same corrupting and damaging effects he believes wealth has? Or that the list to control others is no different and no better than the plain old lust for money?

No, probably not.

[Michael (fpa Patriot4Freedom)]

maryrose - Are congratulations in order?
(iow - Choice, or Necessity?)

Best of luck in going back to your former school. I'm sure that you'll do just fine.

Just don't give spelling lessons using your phone's autocorrect function . . . the kids will never understand some of the words that your phone comes up with. :)

[daddy on iPad]

"Most of the studies were of undergrads…"

Well this makes perfect sense, because via polls and in MSM Media, the American Undergrads of 1939 thought Adolf Hitler was the greatest living human. And why not, since in 1939 when TIME Magazine had some supposed "Journalistic Respectibility," TIME Magazine, which I am unfortunately unable to post a visual link to via iPad, Declared Adolf Hitler " The Man Of The Year for 1938.

So damn those kids for paying attention to the news, but thankfully according to CNN's Don Lemon, all that stuff is now taught in Public Schools, just after they do their in-depth coverage teaching Don Lemon's daughters the particulars of Bill Clinton's rape of Juanita Broderick.

Who?

Exactly.

[narciso]

And of course Henry Luce is screaming at the pastiche that his lifework has become,

[lyle]

I highly recommend Insty's link to D. Gelertner's piece in the WS in which he attempts to answer the question, "What Explains The Vicious Left?"

[GUS]

Krugman is mentally ill. He's an ideologue like Commander Lady Jeans, numb nuts like Krugman always reverse engineer. It's always a political opponent that is the evil one. The Police, the guy owning guns to defend himself from the Democrats criminal constituents, the Christian clinging to his Bible, the Wealthy guy who has VERY LARGE portions of HIS/HER money confiscated by the LIBTARD BUREAUCRACY that feeds it to even more LIBTARD CONSTITUENCIES, the morally principled Soccer Mom who finds paying PLANNED DEATH HUT a half billion dollars to OFF BABIES and sell their parts, on and on and on. The guy who owns a small business that employees and feeds 2 or 3 dozen families. Our disturbed Presidunce actually said the business owner "didn't build that".
The LEFT can never be satisfied and placated, because what they do is irrresponsible and causes so much harm, that never gets fixed.
The war on poverty is a rich guys fault.
Black family disintegration is the rich guys fault.
Yet the left Brays like a pack of Jackasses in heat about how wonderful they are, because they hand out CANDY that RICH GUYS PAY FOR.

[Comanche Voter]

I read this load of codswallop, and harking back to those glory days of the late 50's and early 60' think Krugman's real name is Kodak. He's one heck of a projector.

[narciso]

well they answered red queen's challenge, islamic state, takes longer,

http://www.thedailybeast.com/cheats/2016/01/01/trump-stars-in-jihadist-recruitment-vid.html

[Thomas Collins]

My wife's and my Christmas gift to Deadhorse, daddy, was round trip plane tickets for the Northwestern-Tennessee game. She was very excited to go. I wonder how she feels now. At least she got to reconnect with some of her college friends who also went to Tampa for the game.

[narciso]

their shamelessness is up to 14 now

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/12/gowdy-217238

[Buckeye]

henry

One of the well to do 20 somethings in town when I was about 18 let me drive his 67, the one with 435hp and those glorious side pipes.

Of course he was sitting in the passeger seat screaming for me to slow down nearly the whole time. A few blips of the throttle dealt with that.

[Rick Ballard]

In re undergraduates as the pool in which the social deviants scientists like to fish - the pool is further refined by fishing primarily in the buildings with the SLOW CHILDREN - PLAYING signs designating the desired majors.

[henry]

Buckeye, :)

[JMHanes]

Frau:

"Is it worse to pass on making resolutions or to make them and then break them?"

I suppose that depends on whether or not you already know you're going to break 'em when you make 'em. I'm hoping for better odds in my resolve to banish guilt forever.

[GUS]

One other thing on Krugman. WTF is his expertise again?? ENRON????
He's a libtard hack.

[clarice]

I'm sure you'll do very well, Maryrose.

JMH, it's past time for the judiciary to put some limits on law making by bureaucrats..I think that day is coming. Just as I think prosecutorial immunity is soon going to be trimmed.
A sociologist of my acquaintance was always furious at goofy studies--His favorite was one which concluded that women acted more often on their beliefs than men--a conclusion drawn from the fact that about 100% of college coeds who said they believed in premarital sex , engaged in it, while only a smaller fraction--let's say (cause I don't remember exactly) 50% of college men who believed in it, engaged in it.

[JMHanes]

narciso:

"shamelessness," indeed. At least Politico included a relevant quote from the Republican spox. Don't think I'll ever forgive Kevin McCarthy though.

Ignatz:

In re THE YEAR IN PICTURES: I see what you're doing there. :-)

[lyle]

Condolences to any Hawkeye JOMers. At least Iowa didn't get skunked...

[narciso]

and another rocket surgeon missing the point,

http://www.marclynch.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Lynch-JOD-Trashing-Transition.pdf

[JMHanes]

clarice:

"I think prosecutorial immunity is soon going to be trimmed"

I sure hope so! I also think that the ubiquitous use of plea bargaining to circumvent due process is a scourge, and that obstruction has become the all-purpose generic charge of choice, when you've got insufficient evidence of an actual crime. Corrupt and corrupting practices, both.

[daddy on iPad]

Maryrose, now that you're headed back to High School, a simple suggestion---Please refrain from having sex with your students.

I know that apparently hasn't been stressed much here at JOM over the last few years, but regardless whether TM, Clarice, Iggy, Janet, MM, etc have fallen down on the job of reminding you of that fact, I'm simply suggesting that it might be apropos not to engage in such apparently current common behavior, unless of course RSE recommends you start banging the Socialiogy teachers in order to gain influence over their pernicious doctrine and subtly shift it Away from Conmon Core. GO JeB!

Not being on the school board of course wherever you live, I feel entirely free to bitch, so best of luck wonderful friend, and please do consider us here as your "sanctum santorum" when you need to vent, and please also give us thumbs up positive stories which we very desperately crave here at JOM.

BTW, ADN does a decent story on my daughter's High School Calc Teacher who is just retiring and moving out of state: ZoBob loved the guy!

I can't link it via iPad, but if anyone is interested "Varsity Calculus: The amazing legacy of math teacher Chuck Strauss." Always nice to give credit to a decent prof. My 2 both had him ast as their primary and advanced Math teacher in High School so the way things have turned out we were obviously lucky. C

QED:)

[narciso]

here you go, daddy

http://www.adn.com/article/20151230/varsity-calculus-amazing-legacy-math-teacher-chuck-strauss

[lyle]

I have an unusual last name but I'm glad it isn't Shittu. (Stanford D lineman)

[narciso]

spot the category error here:

http://theweek.com/articles/596823/cognitive-dissonance-conservative-nsa-hawks-1-telling-episode

[lyle]

Oh, and best of luck, maryrose!

[lyle]

Belated condolences to GMax, our resident MSU Spartan. And et al for others I don't know of.

[Jack is Back (but On Alert)!l]

daddy,

Do you read about teacher/student sex anywhere outside of The Daily Mail? I don't think I have ever read a story in the American press of these trysts. Seeing you are posting at 1:44am your time in Gay Paree you must have had a great night at the Canadian.

[Janet]

lyle's 7:05 link - http://www.weeklystandard.com/what-explains-the-vicious-left/article/2000390

[narciso]

oh it gets a fair amount of attention,

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2011/05/the_gitmo_files_an_i.php

the latest lad, to be released from our tropical papillon,

[daddy on iPad]

my Christmas gift to Deadhorse, daddy, was round trip plane tickets for the Northwestern-Tennessee game. She was very excited to go. I wonder how she feels now. ?

TC, even at the Great Canadian Pub they pulled the Tennessee slaughter of Northwestern off the tube well before it stunk up ended in the slightly malodorous cacophony of their shrieking women and children bemoaning not again their shameful fare.

Kudo's to the Great Canadian!

[anonamom]

Instapundit links about three stories a week of female teachers being prosecuted for sexually assaulting students JiB.

[lyle]

Thanks, Janet! Best thing I've read today.

[maryd]

Maryrose, the kids have lucked out! Best wishes and have a wonderful time!

[clarice]

jmh, Yes, the obstruction statutes need to be changed--ditto the conspiracy ones, Too much power in the hands of prosecutors who have proven themselves corrupt.

[maryrose]

I am replacing someone who had a baby and will be on maternity leave
I am excited and already was able to attend the Christmas party
Narciso
Thank you for linking that inspiring story about math teacher Chuck Strauss
I wish I would have had a teacher like him
Thank you all for the good wishes
I have really missed the interaction with the students
Michael
I'll not use my I-phone for spelling
daddy
I really get upset when teacher student scandals occur
I was always taught that the teacher is in loco parentis
We need to look out for them

[Jack is Back (but On Alert)!l]

Thanks, anonamom. I get all my salacious stories from the Daily Mail.:)

Don Surber says Trump is the Al Czervik of Politics. Could not agree more.

As a tribute here is short reminder from our great friend Rodney Dangerfield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai_imjgKPas

[daddy on iPad]

Question:

Do you guys think Trey Gowdy's endorsement of Rubio has done more among the masses to energize Rubio or to build up the outsiders like Cruz and Trump?

My. thought is the latter. No healing is accomplished In my view but a definite diminution of Trey's influence will occur due to his now every word being parsed in suspicion.It bums me to say that, but Trey, whom I have loved like no other house champion, seems to have misread the feelings of the base, and is either not on the same page with millions of Americans, or 2) he is trying to minimize GOP damage by contributing his hard earned respect to Rubio.

My knee jerk is that his valuable support is now squandered. I absolutely do not consider it a venal consideration because of my previous perception of Trey, but I am definitely offput.

[narciso]

just another day in paradise,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3381263/Soldiers-open-fire-car-tried-ram-mosque-France-bullets-wounding-driver-passenger-nearby-worshipper.html

I think there are some strong institutional constraints on Gowdy's investigation, due to it's connection to the bipartisan consensus then on the arab spring, of course 'if all you have are nail, everything is a hammer,

[Jack is Back (but On Alert)!l]

narc,

IRS, Benghazi and F&F were going nowhere even with smoking guns due to the Dems having the MFM on their side as Propaganda Ministry. And they wonder why the Left is so violent? Because they can get away with it and they know it.usine

Look at how they are going after Adelson's recent purchase of the Las Vegas paper. One that is inconsequential compared to all others but not to the left. How dare a right leaning billionaire enter the propagada business. That is reserved for Bezos, Pinch, Soros and the Steyers of the world.

[Jack is Back (but On Alert)!l]

No idea how the word "usine" got included there. Probably fat fingers and typing too fast.

[daddy on iPad]

Thanks Narciso, good friend, for the Math teacher link.

[lyle]

My opinion of Gowdy slides daily. Sigh.

[Sandy Daze]

My opinion of Mr Gowdy is diminished in the wake of his endorsement of Mr Rubio.

In deed, considering his recent performance with the Benghazi committee hearings, I have begun to wonder if my previously very high opinion of him was in error all along.

[lyle]

I stand with Mr. Daze. We're getting gaslighted from even our putative allies. Dammit.

[narciso]

well the committee's output has been limited, the fact they allowed the hiring of that yutz staffer,
although that might have been a poison pill by Mike Rogers, why has Judicial Watch and a humble Romanian hacker been able to get results,

[narciso]

and so it goes,

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/freddie-gray/bs-md-ci-freddie-gray-back-injury-20151231-story.html

[narciso]

and our saw dust caesar doth feed,

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-obama-guns-idUSKBN0UF1XS20160101

[narciso]

you know this fellow, beasts,

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/01/01/marco-rubio-campaign-donor-behind-anti-trump-sky-writing-rose-bowl/

[Sandy Daze]

To all of the JOM Clan,

Happy 2016 Birthday. If you are having a birthday this year, if a family member or friend is celebrating a birthday this year, if your pet dog /cat or other companion is having a birthday please accept these wishes for a very happy day meeting or exceeding your (or their) expectations.

Happy 2016 Anniversary. If you and your significant other are celebrating some number of years together, or you or a significant person in your life are celebrating an anniversary of sobriety, inebriated, or perhaps a health milestone of some sort (cancer in omission, etc), congratulations!

I miss too much day to day to catch everyone's moment, and would regret not extending wishes to someone one day, after having extended wishes on days prior or subsequently.

When I read all of the good wishes, I telepathically send next wishes too, you probably don't notice, and I don't expect you to do so. But, I do.

Bottom line, happy - happy, congratulations, and many more.

Take good care.

Vires et Honestas,
Sandy

[MaryD]

Thank you very much Sandy. And the same good wishes to you, my friend.

[narciso]

a rare misfire on his part I think,

http://www.breitbart.com/london/2015/12/31/the-force-awakens-is-the-worst-thing-ever/

[narciso]

remember that scene at the end of raiders,

http://twitchy.com/2015/12/31/anderson-cooper-investigates-is-kathy-griffin-hotter-without-her-shirt-on/

[Miss Marple]

Thanks, Sandy!

Good wishes to you and yours as well!

[Miss Marple]

Well, this is a bad sign:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3381159/Customers-outraged-Chick-fil-announces-dropping-coleslaw-KALE.html

This is just stupid. People do not go to Chik-fil-A for health food. It's a deep fried breaded chicken breast on a white bun with criss-cross fries. A kale salad doesn't go with it.

This has to rank up there with New Coke as a stupid idea, and one would think someone from the South would remember THAT fiasco!

[Sue]

Trey Gowdy...from hero of the TEA party to goat. All because he endorsed Marco Rubio. I like Rubio. Not sure what that makes me.

[narciso]

he has been acting like a Tusken raider,

https://twitter.com/Lileks/status/682653911325503488

[Miss Marple]

This is the most intelligent explanation of the Trump phenomenon, as well as UKIP and Marine Le Pen.

The GOPe had an opportunity to undercut Trump by adopting some of his policies, but instead treated people with contempt.

REALLY excellent article!

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429144/conservative-party-failures-populist-alternatives

(My apologies if this got linked earlier today. I cleaned house and then had my sister here for dinner, so may have missed it.)

[Buckeye]

I'm with you MM.

If I want a kale salad (rarely), Buckeyette will whip it up in a jiffy and make enough for her also.

Having BBQ or fried chicken without coleslaw is just wrong.

[Rick Ballard]

Sue,

It puts you in violent agreement with most casual close observers of the race. The latest posts on Josh Jordan's twitter account show why.

Rubio probably won't be leading after SEC Super Tuesday but he has the clearest path from then to the convention.

[narciso]

well i'd go for an extra round of fries, I think I referred to that piece, but I may not have linked it, Thatcher was O'Sullivan's mentor, and I recall in retrospect how the cognoscenti like Salman Rushdie treated her on the eve of her landslide
victory in 1984,

[Dave (in MA)]

remember that scene at the end of raiders,

remember that scene with Mr. Creosote,

[Jeff Dobbs]

TC:
My wife's and my Christmas gift to Deadhorse, daddy, was round trip plane tickets for the Northwestern-Tennessee game. She was very excited to go. I wonder how she feels now.

All hail J. Dobbs!!!!!!!!!11!!!!!

[Miss Marple]

Hillary is sure to pick up some points with this:

http://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/264567-soccer-powerhouse-wambach-to-campaign-for-clinton

Also: LENA DUNHAM!

[Miss Marple]

Buckeye,

There is a Chik-fil-A about 5 minutes from me. It's my go-to place when I need fast food for the grandkids, as they love it. I also occasionally stop there myself.

About 20% of the time I get cole slaw with my order, particularly if it is summer.

Per cent of times I will get a kale salad: 0.

[narciso]

well that I suspected,

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/dubai/12076792/Dubai-skyscraper-fire-new-years-eve-2015-live.html

[Jeff Dobbs]

Posted by: Sandy Daze | January 01, 2016 at 09:24 PM

It sure would save me a lot of trouble if everyone would just do this (and Jane wouldn't mock me for missing the every-so-often birthday).

In other news, since we got delayed in Dallas, I'm making my Beer-eyed-black-eyed-peas tomorrow. I stopped by the store to get the ingredients tonight...

http://thechefinmyhead.blogspot.com/2010/01/beer-eyed-blackeyed-peas.html
(my sis-in-law's blog post on my recipe)

http://www.craftbeer.com/recipes/beer-eyed-black-eyed-peas
(my sis-in-law's submission of my recipe to craftbeer.com)

I didn't get any greens because the store I went to had a really dicey selection. If I get up in time and get out to another store, I'm certain to pick some up...

JMH, if you are available, you're invited!

[Buckeye]

MM

Unfortunately, closest one to me is 20-30 minutes away, so rarely go there.

Too bad because I really like it. I always get coleslaw side.

[Art in Newport]

I missed the part where coleslaw is unhealthy.