FRIDAY MORNING RAMBLE: Look what I found on the internet, dear

And you wonder why councils are all in debt?
Candidate stunned at council paying skateboard ambassadors – NZ HERALD
Come On Council, What Does This Cost? – Stephen Berry, AFFORDABLE AUCKLAND

Will central government step in to stop one of the biggest local government rorts of recent years? They will if they’re serious about making cities affordable again. But are they?
Why Development Contributions Are a Crappy Tax Rort – Policy Parrot, WHALE OIL 
Bye Bye Excessive Development Contributions – Policy Parrot, WHALE OIL

Every year the NBR publishes the Rich List. And every year with that publication, we discover which politicians see the rich as milch cows. This year, it’s would-be Labour leader Andrew Little.
NBR Rich List – Inequality … No, No, No – Don’t Go there – Mark Hubbard, LIFE BEHIND THE IRON DRAPE

It doesn’t protect us any better, so surely there must be some kind of logic to allowing our spooks to spy on us? Oh, you mean it’s that kind of logic.
The political logic behind National’s proposed GCSB reforms – Pablo, KIWIPOLITICO

It took a while to find the balls to say it, didn’t it. However…
Labour would repeal GCSB law – Shearer – NZ HERALD

I wonder if the council’s bans on smoking outside are supported by anti-smoking hysteria, or by hard data?
Outside smoking bans not supported by data – WHALE OIL

It's wrong for someone to confiscate your money, give
it to someone else, and call that "compassion." 
- Harry Browne

You might have thought the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman tragedy would have left the news by now, but racialists still want to have their way with it. Here’s a few buckets of cold common sense to throw on the racially charged flames.
Who Is 'Racist'? – Thomas Sowell, TOWN HALL
Print the Legend: Thoughts on The Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman Tragedy – Peter Schiff, CAPITALISM MAGAZINE
Culture of Psychotherapy versus Truth and Rights – Prodos, THE PRODOS BLOG
Michael Yon: Obama is a racist. Trayvon Martin old enough to join the Marines. – Prodos, THE PRODOS BLOG

Highly recommended by our friends at Small Dead Animals, “in this podcast, James Delingpole and Tim Stanley discuss a series of topics, including L.A. street gangs, Detroit's trajectory from wealthiest city in America to disaster, global warming hypocrites, why crony capitalists love big government, the Royal Baby, and more. Absolutely delightful!”
Episode 40, Radio Free Delingpole – MEDIA RICOCHET

So much for Hollande & anti austerity - not working.
About That PMI: Unemployed French Rise To New Record – ZERO HEDGE

And while we’re talking podcasts, Don Watkins recently appeared on The Tammy Bruce Show, with Amy Peikoff hosting. “We talked the role of government, our current economic problems, and immigration among other things.”
Immigration In The Free Market – LAISSEZ FAIRE

Worried about immigrant use of welfare? Then build a wall around welfare, not around the country.
Building a Wall around the Welfare State, Instead of the Country – Alex Nowrasteh & Sophie Cole, CATO

There’s plenty more bad news where that chart above came from.
A Tour Of The Post-Crisis World Economy In 10 Easy Charts – ZERO HEDGE

Inflation or deflation. It appears to be this week’s debate.
The Hissing Sound You Hear Is Not Inflation…It’s Deflation – Vern Gowdie, PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Inevitable Inflation? – Ed Bugos, NOT PC
The Improper Use of Historical Data in Economics: An Example (From, who else, Paul Krugman) – ECONOMIC POLICY JOURNAL

“The key to blowing up a successful asset bubble is that you must constantly attract new money into the asset class you’re trying to inflate.”
New Australian Home Buyers Aren’t Convinced – Dan Denning, MONEY MORNING AUSTRALIA

I wouldn’t imagine the figures would be very much different here, would you?
Federal Regulations Have Made You 75 Percent Poorer: U.S. GDP is just $16 trillion instead of $54 trillion – Ronald Bailey, HIT & RUN

Hmm, so the unfunded liabilities of the U.S. Government represent a sum more than the entire world possesses, and growing. There’s a word for that, and it’s…
Terrifying – Don Watkins, LAISSEZ FAIRE

Never mind Marc Hotchin et al. How about we convict the real criminals of the global economic crisis.
Big Government and Central Banks: The Real Criminals – Steve Forbes, FORBES

“Supply-side economics”—or voodoo economics as it’s been called--has a bad rap. Well, it did create the huge government deficits of the Reagan years. But does it have anything decent to teach us?
Supply-Side Economics in One Lesson: What the Critics Don't Tell You – Gary Galles, THE FREEMAN

Okay, so this is the first and last time I’m likely to post a video of Bono, so make the most of it.  After many years of blowhardery, he’s apparently discovered that capitalism is the only way for Africa to prosper.
U2's Bono Speaks at GU Global Social Enterprise Event from Values & Capitalism on Vimeo.

The very interesting account of one man’s complete reversal on the very controversial issue of catastrophic anthropogenic global warming.
My personal path to Catastrophic AGW skepticism – WATTS UP WITH THAT

The very interesting account of one woman’s complete reversal on the very controversial issue of fracking.
How Tisha Schuller went from environmental activist to industry champion  - WEST WORD

Does fracking contaminate water?
Pennsylvania Fracking Study Shows Chemicals Did Not Contaminate Water – HUFFINGTON POST

The best antidote to genetically-modified food hysteria is truth. See the ten reasons we need biotech food and crops.
GLP Infographic: 10 reasons we need crop biotechnology – GENETIC LITERACY PROJECT

“I can’t see how a sea level rise of less than 1 foot in a century makes any
difference, and it certainly is no reason for busybody politicians to launch
grand schemes in a variant of the old protection racket of organized crime.”
- Princeton physicist Will Happer

And you wonder why so many cities are full of architectural dreck? Because they have to pass architectural urban design panels full of tools favouring “the "bland, creamy and homogenous."
How The West Was Lost – Architecture: Christchurch Rebuilding – Mark Hubbard, LIFE BEHIND THE IRON DRAPE

Pop corn, potatoes and chocolate-not to mention alcohol and coffee. Just five foods with a bad rap that are actually good for you. So try all 18.
18 foods with a bad rap that are actually good for you – LIVE STRONG

Now this is important work.
The Sociology of Bar Fights – FREAKONOMICS

How to live well and meet scores of people? Read lots of books. At once.
My Rich Society: Novels, etc. – Tibor Machan, TIBOR’S SPACE

Fair question, right.

This is serious, mum.
”The Internet is Killing Hyphens” – THE ATLANTIC

Let’s make a list for Ne Zealand.
8 (UK) government policies which look like satire but aren’t – Tom Pride, PRIDE’S PURGE

If you’re like me, this will be fascinating.
JFK Library releases Hemingway scrapbooks (online) – HISTORY NEWS NETWORK

Who could forget John Key’s famous three-way handshake at the Rugby World Cup Final. He should have read this first.
4 Reasons Handshakes Can Go Horribly Wrong – FAST COMPANY

I think John Key just missed out on the chance to win $200.
Smallest Penis Contest Winner Tells Us Why He's Proud To Be Less Endowed – THE GOTHAMIST

So, not so many like the new and unfamiliar after all.
We Don't Like Unfamiliar Music, Even Though We Claim We Do – SCIENCE DAILY

Get rid of the film producer to bring back creativity, says Orson Welles. This fascinates organisation theorist Peter Klein.
Orson Welles on Organizational Structure – Peter Klein, ORGANISATIONS & MARKETS

If the grey ones get out of the way, the future will be amazing.
First successful transplant of retinas made from embryonic stem cells- FIERCE BIOTECH

Your primer on online privacy:

There is some astonishing footage of the Duke Ellington orchestra on the internet.

I love this. You can just smell the sea. (Thanks, APO, for a great performance of it last night.) Can you spot the connection with the Ellington vid above?

And didn’t Australia do well in the cricket…

[Hat tip Shane P., Gene Callahan, Geek Press, Jason Stotts,  Climate Depot, Robert Tracinski, Peter G. Klein, Tom Pride, Richard Calhoun, Cathy, Will Wilkinson, Steve Forbes]

Thanks for reading,
have a great weekend!
PC