Apple Is Said to Face Inquiry About Online Music

This NYTimes article is about a situation a little on the goofy side (IMHO). Amazon is doing an antitrust inquiry on Apple on the basis that it (Amazon) is not allowed by Apple to make an exclusive contract with a record company. I can imagine the suit going the other way. Seems like Apple is keeping two big players in the music business. The antitrust police should thank them.

Talking about "stupid," yours truly wasn't too smart today, thinking he could manage a real estate tax appeal. He failed, and now is going to hire an expert to take over. In the meantime, he (I) missed a day of art making and used up lots of good time and paper.

Socrates was told by the oracle that he was the wisest man in Greece. He (not being so wise as to not believe an oracle) spent his life figuring out how this could be, if he hardly knew anything. (My wife gets on me for these double-negatives). Anyway, he found that even people who knew things had no idea what they didn't know. I should know that I don't know how to deal with the tax assessor's office. If you ever see me in person, please remind me!

I ordered an iPad today. Perhaps a completely useless device, and perhaps the new canvas and the new library. It won't come for a couple of weeks (hopefully in time for my birthday). And don't tell my wife. I want to break the news with some flowers (oh... are you reading this?).

Our bout with dog-sitting is over. I was threatened with a suit for dog cruelty when I photographed the dog with the sign around its neck. I can see child-labor issues, but dog cruelty? It sure is quiet here without a creature stirring around. Maybe I should get a noise machine?

And last, Tuesday is when I'm doan in the temple, which means I'm the time-keeper and bell ringer. I did everything perfect tonight except ring the bells at the right time, and ring them with the right sounds. I need to learn to watch the priest while keeping my eye on the bell. They are about 190° apart. I think I will have my right eye repositioned into my right ear. That will make things easier.

Not Happy Forever

Crisis Imperils Liberal Benefits Long Expected by Europeans

Most of the universal health care discussions mention Europe and how far behind we are. I was fascinated by the above article, and by the coming demise of socialism in Europe (others may call it something different). In 1980 the European Union countries devoted 16% of their  GDP to welfare and in 2005 devoted 21%, with France at 31%. We devote 15.9% to welfare. Because of the reduction in workers, they are in a bind. Their lifestyle, healthcare and early retirement are not sustainable. Retirement ages are increasing, and healthcare benefits reducing. Are we attempting to copy a broken model?

Kim and Linda's

We've been babysitting this dog. Maya is unusual in that she can read and write. That's what she gets for having been raised by Ms. Dr. in Literacy and a very smart father too. Anyway, she came into my office a few minutes ago with this sign that she had written. I'm sure her old parents will be disappointed... but dogs have rights too... and possession is 9/10 of the law, isn't it?

Accidents Just Happen

Rand Paul yesterday criticized Obama for lashing out at BP, saying that they never said they weren't going to be responsible for the spill. I agree that Obama is the president of the entire country and shouldn't pick enemies with such facility.

But I was dismayed with Rand's assertion that "accidents just happen." I started going through accidents with which I was familiar. Yesterday I melted butter in a small glass. My wife warned me about doing this for years. Finally she started doing it herself. Then I got brave and melted a little more butter than usual for some artichokes. That was enough to break the glass. "You should have used pyrex," she said. An accident? Not really. I was living on the edge (so to speak), and paid dearly (well, not so dearly...the glass probably cost 25¢).

BP didn't just have an accident. They were rushing things, and they had been warned about various violations in their drilling. They are living on the edge, and now we (including the oceans) are all paying. And there are over 3000 similar drilling operations in the gulf. Are we going to wait for other accidents to "just happen?" Being sloppy here is a threat as great as any terrorist attack. Telling companies that they can do what they want as long as they are responsible for the damage is not enough. Somehow the oil companies need to insure us that they are taking all steps* to not have "accidents just happen." Sorry, Mr. Rand Paul, I'm not with you on this one.

*I can imagine independent regulatory organizations that could watch over drilling operations. We don't need to give this role to Uncle Sam. We merely need to require that they have been certified to be "safe" as we do with the medical profession.

Thanks to AR for the drawing to "alter."

Capitalists are Ruthless

R wore a t-shirt the other night with the slogan "capitalists are ruthless." He said (from a Buddhist perspective) that no matter what you think about them, that's what they do. I didn't argue, but I thought to myself that "ruthless" has negative connotations. Yes, some capitalists probably get pleasure from stomping on people, but so do some socialists. Certainly some level of shrewdness helps a capitalist become successful, but calling them all ruthless might be going too far.

As I drive down the street, I'm amazed that most of what I see are comforts created by capitalism. Houses, cars, landscaping, and roads are all put into place to make someone money. Someone wanted to make a buck, and in doing so, improved another's quality of life. That "someone" might have been ruthless. They might have charged "as much as the market would bear." In doing so, they created a better world. I wonder what alternatives we have?

Exxon-Mobil doesn't have a great reputation for being committed toward helping others, though their foundation is quite generous, with a very generous donation to Texas Universities. Maybe not generous enough for some, but certain in the league of other large companies.

Ron Paul's Son, Rand

I think Rand is being honest when he says that he abhors discrimination. I also think he's playing with words when he says that he will not work to repeal the Civil Rights Act. Not that he wouldn't like to repeal it, but he knows that to attempt to do so would be political suicide.

There are many ways to skin a cat (why one would want to do so is beyond me). There are many ways to change behavior. One is through law and another is through persuasion (either by thoughts or action). Libertarians wish to follow the latter, when possible, knowing that when we use the law to change behavior we run into two risks: one that we may be wrong in our determination about what is "right action" and second, there may be unintended negative consequences from the law. One of these consequences is the limit that each law has on our freedoms.

Most people embrace laws that jive with their beliefs. If I were king, I'd make a law that no one can wear any clothes that cost more than $10. And no human should eat meat. And no one should smoke cigarettes in the presence of a kid. And on and on. Maybe you'll agree with my laws when they match your beliefs. But is that the society that is the "home of the free?"

Just because someone doesn't believe laws are a preferred means toward regulating humans doesn't tell you much about their beliefs. One problem with discrimination laws is that they give us a false sense of accomplishment. Yes, African-Americans can sit anywhere on the bus, but, as Kate pointed out, the bus is still not integrated. That will take a change of heart.

(Note: I vowed to write no more opinion pieces. That was until this issue made the news, and I saw a man struggling to explain himself, and in the process, compromise his integrity by not really explaining what he believes.)

It was just play.

I played a stone mason today,

chiseling angles from limestone

that we set around the pond.

After an hour in the hot sun,

I put my tools aside and

took a shower, 

deciding

the wall could wait

until tomorrow.

It was just play.

I think of a real

stone mason, who

comes to work at 8 am,

and chisels and

hauls rubble

until 5 pm.

Hour after hour

day after day

week after week

year after year.

A real stone

mason

works in

hot sun and

cold rain,

without neither

excuses, 

nor
choices.