Friday Morning Ramble: The ‘Anniversary?’ Edition

“Our research shows there’s no great mystery as to why house prices are stable in some countries whereas in New Zealand and Britain they are rising so fast that first-time buyers are rapidly being priced out of the market … It’s about supply.”
Rising house prices not a natural law – NZ INITIATIVE

John Key, the deal-maker. “Here, have some money.”
Key ignored advice over smelter deal: Treasury – NZ HERALD

Why is this supposedly politically neutral non-partisan government body not so?
CERA - Now with Added John Key – Steven Cowan, AGAINST THE CURRENT

Remember this week in 2012? What was the big difference between Benghazi and Watergate? At Watergate, no-one got killed.
Hilary Clinton's State Department was told Benghazi was a terror attack just minutes after it began – JIHAD WATCH

“Twelve years have passed since September 11, 2001, when Islamic terrorists attacked the United States, murdered nearly 3,000 Americans, and tore apart the lives of countless more. During these years, Islamic terrorists have continued plotting, attacking, and killing… What has the U.S government done to eliminate the fundamental cause of 9/11 and these ongoing assaults? Worse than nothing.”
On the Anniversary of 9/11, Relativism and Religion Still Paralyze American Self-Defense – Craig Biddle, OBJECTIVE STANDARD

“"Islam means peace"? What does Islamic peace mean?”
Islamic 'Peace' Explained – Bassam Tibi, BOSCH FAWSTIN

“I believe Barack Obama will be the most successful President in history. He came into office wanting to increase state power at home and weaken America’s power abroad. He did both.”
Obama’s Whimsical Foreign Policy – Myrhaf, THE NEW CLARION

George Orwell had had many insights into the nature and ends of totalitarianism that are particularly relevant today.
Orwell, Obama, and Totalitarianism – Edward Cline, RULE OF REASON

Despite President Barack Obama's change of tack, the threat of war has not dissolved.
Stratfor Warns "It Is Not Ending, But Evolving" In Syria- ZERO HEDGE

PODCAST: Should the US take military action in Syria …

Listen To Politics Internet Radio Stations with Don't Let It Go...Unheard on BlogTalkRadio

And while the world talks, Putin acts. Putin is readying delivery of more S-300 air-defence missile systems to Iran, continues to discuss ‘working together in the nuclear energy sphere, while experts suggest operational problems could derail obtaining international control, much less actually destroying Assad’s arsenal of chemical weapons.
Meanwhile, This Is What Putin Is Doing... – ZERO HEDGE

“Will a transparently token military action preserve American credibility? And dare we risk an unintended escalation, such as began both World Wars in the 20th century?”
Syria and Obama – Thomas Sowell, CAPITALISM MAGAZINE
Syria and Obama: Part II – Thomas Sowell, CAPITALISM MAGAZINE

Come on folks, let’s get behind it! Why? Because Obama!

Inquiring minds just might be asking "Where the hell did all the fiscal stimulus, financial aid, and monetary stimulus go?"
94.4% of Crisis Aid Went to the Financial Sector; Surprise? Or Not? – MISH’S GLOBAL ECONOMIC TREND ANALYSIS

If one of the leading symptoms of economic depression is a widespread plague of bankruptcies, then this …
Fewer people going bust- NZ HERALD

Guess what "stabilising" event took place almost exactly one hundred years ago, in 1913.
Two Centuries Of Inflation – ZERO HEDGE

“Lawmakers are tied up in knots over increasing the debt ceiling this fall. But they eventually will. The only question is how messy the process will be.”
The never-ending charade of debt ceiling fights – Jeanne Sahadi, CNN MONEY

What’s a Federal Reserve to do when it promises to target unreliable unemployment statistics?
Lies, damned lies and the US unemployment statistics – Gavyn Davies, FINANCIAL TIMES

“I get asked all the time, ‘doesn't the financial crisis mean we need more regulation?’ They seem to think ‘regulation’ is something you pour in like gas in the tank. Or maybe they envision ‘regulation’ as a simple set of impartial rules. You know, there is a 50 mph speed limit, which everyone routinely violates, a huge crash, so we enact a 30 mph speed limit and put a lot of cops on the road.  No, ‘regulation’ means we put 50 cops in your car.”
Banking news – John Cochrane, THE GRUMPY ECONOMIST

“Most bizarre about this whole episode is the reverence with which the commentariat still treats the central bankers.”
Markets reject ‘forward guidance’ – for good reason – Detlev Schlicter, COBDEN CENTRE

Bad news. Hard money advocate Detlev Schlicter has written his last blog … and the debasement of paper money still continues.
Detlev’s final blog – COBDEN CENTRE

"Most of the harm in the world is done by good people"
-Isabel Paterson, from “The Humanitarian With The Guillotine”

Study: ‘All 65 climate-models used by IPCC to predict future impact of CO2 on climate – every last one of them – failed to foresee 17-year pause in temp rise.’
Running on Empty – Lorne Gunter, SUN NEWS NETWORK, CANADA

Oops. Again.
Peer Reviewed Study: More IPCC Climate Model Problems - Can't Simulate Carbon Cycle Correctly – C3

Bummer.
Terrifying Flat Global Temperature Crisis Threatens To Disrupt U.N. Climate Conference Agenda – Larry Bell, FORBES

“A richer but warmer world is better for human
welfare than a colder but poorer world would be.”
- Christopher Monckton

“Ahhhh… remember the days of yore when the debate was over?”
Funny post-election Aussie headline: ‘Those who believe in climate change would welcome debate’ – JIUNK SCIENCE

“There are consequences for allowing faith to substitute for markets when it comes to energy.”
The Green Energy Religion Meets the Real World – The Bionic Mosquito, ECONOMIC POLICY JOURNAL

While other countries back off climate commitments, Obama doubles down.
On Climate Change: President Obama goes one way, the world goes another – Sterling Burnett, MASTER RESOURCE

Pascal can save his money.
Pope Francis assures sceptics: You don’t have to believe in God to go to heaven – INDEPENDENT

It’s all good. Well, other than the death threats.
7 Things Happen to You When You Are Completely Honest – James Altucher, ALTUCHER CONFIDENTIAL

“Almost everything most people (except Cuban exiles) think they know about Cuba isn’t just wrong —  it’s almost the exact opposite of the truth.”  And as for Hemingway…
Author: Hemingway watched Che’s firing squad massacres ‘while sipping Daiquiris’ – Jamie Weinstein, DAILY CALLER

An interview with the family of the Delhi rape victim.
‘Make Your Daughters Tougher’ – WALL STREET JOURNAL

Drug policy has unequivocally curtailed your basic civil rights, regardless of whether you're a user.
6 ways your life is personally affected by the War on Drugs – SALON

Humanitarian capitalism.
Graphic: Ikea flatpack refuge tent for use in Syria – TELEGRAPH…

So maybe not completely hacked?
NSA Leak Leaves Crypto-Math Intact but Highlights Known Workarounds – TECHNOLOGY REVIEW

"Could iPhone's fingerprint sensor help kill off passwords?" Maybe not.
Could iPhone's fingerprint sensor help kill off passwords? – BBC

So take a pad.
Students’ use of laptops in class lowers grades: Canadian study – GLOBE & MAIL

From sex position to sandwich filling. These are a few of …
Britain's favourite things – DAILY MIRROR

“When I was pregnant, I wondered, as many women do: Can I have a drink?”
I Wrote That It's OK to Drink While Pregnant. Everyone Freaked Out. Here's Why I'm Right. – Emily Oster, SLATE

“The purpose of life is to rule others.” “No! The purpose of life is to serve.” Had you ever considered the purpose of living a good life is to be happy?
Selfish Things to Do in Life – JOHN McCASKEY

Who doesn’t love window seats?
10 Inspiring and Cozy Window Seats – APARTMENT THERAPY

“This just in from the archives of drinking lore: poorly chosen beer can give you the head-ach, and warm beer is nauseating.”
How to Drink Beer, 1623 – ADVICE FROM OLD BOOKS

The only thing missing in this good news story is the craft beer.
DB eyes lucrative Europe for craft label – NZ HERALD

The exact moment a Soyuz spacecraft touched down in Kazakhstan this week…

Just one of 27 Incredible Views You’d Only See If You Were A Bird…

Zeppelins were once considered the future of air transport - but after the horror of the Hindenburg disaster, they disappeared from the skies for more than 75 years. Now a pioneering aviation firm hopes to bring back the airships…

[Hat tips On Liberty Street, Yeastie Boys, Ron Manners, Atlas Shrugged The Movie, Terry Verhoeven, The Objectivist Observer Blog, Geek Press, Small Dead Animals, Steve Milloy, WIRED, Steve Clark, heywho, MarketWatch, Steve Milloy, Catherine, Steven Cowan, Dave Bremer, Libertarianism.org, jo, Peter Schiff, Mark Thoma]

Thanks for reading,
and have a great weekend!
PC