Friday Morning Ramble: The ‘Waitangi/Rand’s Day’ edition

Yesterday was Rand’s Day: Ayn Rand’s birthday. Not everyone wants to celebrate that, but I do.
Not every country has a reason to celebrate its birth. We are one of those happy few, yet we don’t.
So how about more Rand and less Waitangi today. Deal?

• This Waitangi Day ‘celebration’ is likely to be as fractious as every other Groundhog Day celebration of the nation’s birth has been since Geoffrey Palmer stuck his oar into race relations, and the Marxists figured they could use the Treaty as a wedge issue.
  Rather than repeat myself as I do every year, let me instead just link here to what I said last year, and would have said again on Monday if you’d let me.
  Why not print it out and read it out loud to your breakfast companions on Monday.
  Why not celebrate One-Law-For-All Day instead? - N O T P C
• Big news yesterday was Facebook’s launch as a public company. But why would you invest in them when their revenue model is so, well, lame.
  Is a 0.014% ad CTR Facebook's weakest link? – Z E R O   H E D G E
  The unbearable vagueness of Mark Zuckerberg – F I N A N C I A L   T I M E S
  Ten Reasons not to invest in Facebook – F O R B E S

“A new report says that Facebook has created over 450,000 jobs. Unfortunately
photos posted on Facebook have ended 550,000 jobs.”
- Fallon

• This is the guy who says we have to live with less?
  Cameron buying 2,600 acres of land in NewZealand – A P
• Ministerial briefings to new ministers are being censored. This incenses the political opposition. These briefings, says Eddie at The Standard, “give the public (via the media) an insight into on coming challenges in portfolios, elaborate on how election promises will be converted into real policies, and—most importantly—reveal things the government is planning. So, it's disturbing that the Nats are censoring them,” says Eddie.
  “Arrogant and unresponsive,” says Labour’s Clare Curran.
  “Cult of secrecy”! says Idiot/Savant. “We should not tolerate it.”!
  So down with censorship; and all power to transparency!
  On the other hand, information about school performance (or lack thereof) must be kept from prying eyes, says Trevor Mallard, who wants to make school level assessment information more secretive than security information held by the SIS.
  So down with transparency; and all power to censorship!
  Don’t bother to examine such a blatant contradiction. Ask yourself only what it achieves.
  For your eyes only – Eddie,  T H E   S T A N D A R D
  Is Amy Adams’ work programme a state secret? – Clare Curran,  R E D   A L E R T
  No right to know – Idiot/Savant,  N O   R I G H T   T U R N
  The hypocrisy of Robin Duff -  W H A L E   O I L
  More on Education and OIA-  K I W I B L O G
• Eric Crampton finds much to celebrate in Treasury’s briefing paper.
  Treasury! O F F S E T T I N G  B E H A V I O U R

Good advice from Imperator Fish:
“With all these folk swearing off the booze for February, it is important
that the balance of the universe be maintained. Time to up my game.”

• It’s a slam dunk. New Labour MP Raymond Huo takes aim at the Chicago School of Economics: it’s all their fault, he says, “that particular school of thought … is one of the main reasons the western world is in the doldrums.” From the financial crisis, to growing income inequality in Europe and the United States, to leaky buildings … it’s all their fault for promoting unfettered free market and deregulation!
  Naturally, since he’s writing on a blog, numerous more intelligent commentators leap to their keyboards to put him right—both politely and succinctly.
  It’s a slam dunk.
  Everybody loves Raymond – W H A L E   O I L
• Auckland welcomed its 1.5millionth citizen this week. But how will the city accommodate its growing population with the grey ones so firmly in the way?
  Are we there yet? Auckland welcomes 1.5 millionth citizen –  Phil McDermott, C I T I E S  M A T T E R
• “Once again I am shocked at how easily and automatically so many intellectuals are willing to use compulsion to solve problems.”
  Another anti-freedom conservative: David Brooks – S T E P H E N   H I C K S

"Achieving life is not the equivalent of avoiding death."
- Ayn Rand. Atlas Shrugged 

• With the coming to these shores of Charter Schools, it’s time to take up the catchphrase “Separation of School and State!”
  Restore the Separation of State and School – T H E   U N D E R C U R R E N T
• You’ve all heard the Keynesian litany from every alleged economist from Krugman to Hickey to Morgan: the world’s economies are collapsing and there’s a worldwide shortage of demand; governments are deeply in debt and can’t provide the necessary investment to make up the shortfall.
  What a shame they’re talking crap.
  Is government spending really "investment"? – K R U G M A N  I N  W O N D E R L A N D
• Oh, for those of you wishing to gain some insight into our genius overlords' thinking, these four “classes” by Ben Bernanke (Central Planner in Chief) might be of interest.
  You could call them a “Master Class,” i.e., lessons the Class of your Overlords.
  Make sure you pack some difficult questions.
  Bernanke to teach class on Fed at GW in March – M A R K E T   W A T C H
• Antarctica is melting! says Al Gore, Richard Branson, James Hansen and Kevin Trenberth.
  Um, no it’s not, points out Steven Milloy.
  Al Gore’s ‘melting’ Antarctic claims refuted by reality – J U N K   S C I E N C E
• Some people buy gold. Others buy cheese. Here’s how to make your fancy cheeses last.
  How to make your expensive wedge of cheese last for weeks – F O R B E S
• World-Wide Factory Activity, by Country.
  World-Wide Factory Activity, by Country. -  W A L L  S T R E E T   J O U R N A L
• You know what’s holding us all back here? Don’t worry, the Ministry of Economic Development has all the answers.
  Most notably, they’ve determined that what ails us economically is not their fault. Got that? It’s not taxes, regulations, public sector idiots or bureaucracies getting in our way. No, says the Ministry, it’s not that at all.
  No, it’s all our fault.
  Arseholes.
  Ministry suggests poor management holding economy back -  R A D I O   N Z

"The man who lets a leader prescribe his course
is a wreck being towed to the scrap heap."
Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

• A message from Nancy Pelosi:
  Do Whatever, Taxpayers will Pay For It -  T H R U T C H
• Want less inequality? Then how about less government? “Between 1997 and 2010, Govt spending on social services increased by almost 20% more for households in the top half of income spectrum.”
  Stephen Whittington - T W I T T E R
• A modest proposal to solve inequality at a stroke…
  Income inequality and broken families — a modest proposal – S T E P H E N   H I C K S
• Do smokers pay for themselves? Do junk food eaters get any benefits from their eating?
  Healthist bean counters say no. But what would these arseholes know.
  Anti-paternalism – O F F S E T T I N G  B E H A V I O U R
  Gimmie some sugar – O F F S E T T I N G B E H A V I O U R

"A creative man is motivated by the desire to
achieve, not by the desire to beat others."
- Ayn Rand

• Guess what? Yesterday was Ayn Rand’s Birthday—and some folk had a great idea to make February 2nd, Rand’s Day,  a day worth celebrating!
  Randsday is Justice Day. Give YOURSELF a present.
  Rand'sDay -  A Y N   R A N D  M Y T H S
• And why is a philosopher who died thirty years ago still have Tea Partiers, political commentators, and politicians still taking (and arguing) about her now?
   ppy Birthday, Ayn Rand -- Why are you still so misunderstood? 
  – Don Watkins,  F O X   N E W S
• Ayn Rand: 10 more great quotes on her birthday
  Ayn Rand: 10 great quotes on her birthday 
  -  C . S.    M O N I T O R

"The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny
individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities."
- Ayn Rand

• From our environmental page … there is hope for the weka, but only if the grey ones get out of the way.
  Hope for the weka? -  O F F S E T T I N G   B E H A V I O U R
• And on Waitangi Weekend, it’s appropriate that environmentalists ask themselves: “Were Maori environmentalists?” Most NZ environmental law assumes they were.  So if they weren’t…
  Were Maori environmentalists? -  N O T   P C ,  2 0 0 6
• Some environmentalists don’t like oil drilling because of oil spills. But what if you could fight oil spills with cool technology like this?
  Magnetic soap made for oil spills -  F U T U R E   O F   T E C H N O L O G Y

"Money demands that you sell, not your weakness
to men's stupidity, but your talent to their reason."
- Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead  

• You think that Wank Phone in your pocket was invented just last week? Last year?
  No, there were folk writing about them way back in 1978!
  HP Calculators in 2025, As Predicted In 1978  -  G E E K   P R E S S
• Want to create a great company? Get rid of your bozos.
  Why Every Company Needs A "No Bozos" Policy  - F O R B E S
• Competitive advantage for entrepreneurs.
  Want to Stand Out From the Crowd? 3 Tips on How to Do It.  - F O R B E S
• In Praise of Private Equity: "Private-equity or venture capital investors don't owe society a thing"—Jonathan Hoenig
  In Praise of Private Equity – S M A R T  M O N E Y
• Know what the worst thing about growing up poor and making it later on? You have stupid habits that are hard to shake.
  The 5 Stupidest Habits You Develop Growing Up Poor – John Cheese,  C R A C K E D
  5 Things Nobody Tells You About Being Poor - John Cheese, C R A C K E D
• Sometimes you need to remind yourself what a thieving arsehole Donald Trump is.
  Donald Trump’s eminent-domain empire – M I C H E L L E   M A L K I N
• Sexting for Grammar Nerds. You know how you are.
  Lucy Carter – T W I T P I C
• “The myths of all major religions are so absurd that any new religions would be wholly different. The reason is simple: they're fantasies based on the desire to believe. Science, in contrast, is based on observations of empirical facts. That's the difference that makes all the difference!” – Dian Hsieh
  The Impossibility of Re-Creating Religions – Diana Hsieh,  P O L I T I C S   W I T H O U T   G O D
• I don’t know about you, but I never knew Salvador Dali illustrated an edition of Alice in Wonderland! The master surrealist meets the Mad Hatter!
  Salvador Dalí Illustrates Alice in Wonderland, 1969 – B R A I N   P I C K I N G S
  
• Wow! Now this is good news. Hell, it’s great news! The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has finally allowed the great man’s beautiful drawings to be sold as beautiful prints at affordable prices.
  Time to fill your boots and buildings up with gorgeous drawings like these while the NZ dollar helps you out!
  Frank Lloyd Wright Archival Reproductions Now Available – P R A I R I E   M O D

[Thanks to readers Shaun H, Julian D., Paul van D. and hat tips to Thrutch, Anne McElhinney, Stephen Hicks, Bosch Fawston, Noodle Food, Geek Press, ]

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PC