Friday morning ramble: It’s ‘Berlin Wall Week’!

Remember, remember the ninth of November, the day twenty years ago that communism fell … openly at least.  All the best links on that happy occasion, and on the murders and aftermath at Fort Hood. But first:

• GOOD: Russian Prime Minister Medvedev has given a reformist speech. BAD: Remember, Rule #7 to a happy life, which is "never trust a Russian"
  http://bit.ly/4E1vuN [hat tip Willy S.]
• "Bill English says it’s time to withdraw stimulus" Time for real budget cuts? Time to can some bureaucrats? Time, perhaps, for those tax cuts? Remember them ... ?
  http://bit.ly/CKBzx
• Ayn Rand once said that when her ideas are being promoted in comic books she’ll be on her way to success.  Dim Post's favorite comics author steps up to "defend" Ayn Rand. With friends like these, however...
  http://bit.ly/37hxSD
• Marketer CJ Lambert has concluded she is “totally confused by the Yellow campaign and it won't sell ads.So there.”  I confess, I quite liked it.
• Obama has a "trade" plan to present to the APEC conference.  It looks like this: APEC countries should import more FROM the US, and export less TO the US. And he calls this free trade?
  http://bit.ly/1REMt4
• Obama has also announced a "Job Creation Summit" for December. NZ got there first, & showed how effective it can be politically . . . and how totally ineffective economically. look how well that worked.
  http://bit.ly/2WV1RD
• Good article here about Zimbabwe economic recovery after hyperinflation: An Austrian prescription, perhaps?
  http://www.editurl.com/54z [hat tip MarkHubbard33 ]
• Ski resorts self-report 23 percent more snowfall on weekends.
  http://bit.ly/VcIdV [hat tip EricCrampton]
• Chris Knox & Toy Love!! Thought this was gone for good. Squeeze on Oz TV music programme, Countdown, from back in the day.
  http://bit.ly/2q079A [hat tip theBatsNZ ]
• Diana Hsieh has posted Explore Atlas Shrugged, Session 5 -- Podcast & Questions. Check it out:
  http://bit.ly/soZ3K
• LEAKY HOMES, Part 1: The myth of a deregulated building industry.
  http://bit.ly/29zScy
• American Footballers realise it's about time to retire the football helmet. AFL footballers could have told them that years ago.
  http://bit.ly/2MtTJR
• Naturally, it’s a subject Austrian economists find fascinating.  Why? Because Incentives Matter.
  Incentives matter: football helmet file  [Paul will love getting this one before Eric)
• New!! Three new online university courses now available using Reisman & Rand as texts. Scholarships are available for these courses that can be taken from anywhere in world! Information here:  http://bit.ly/1lRRiy
  And here:  http://bit.ly/1lRRiy
• A man who got 12 women pregnant after meeting them on Facebook has been dubbed "The Sperminator"
  http://bit.ly/1ORYbI
• The European Commission, whose job it is to promote the European Union, has made its YouTube debut with a forty-four second ad showing “selected love scenes” from European films. True story:

• When does "consultation" become bribery? The hidden costs of Resource Management Act consultation.
  http://bit.ly/qLLfR
• How innovative entrepreneurs think: "...innovators not only learned early on to think differently, and act differently …"
  http://bit.ly/3UZ09Z

 

QUOTE OF THE MORNING: Seen on a Nudist Camp sign : “Sorry, Clothed for Winter.”

 

• Why life in America is 40 times better than in 1900 (and 255 times better now than in 1800):
  Why life in America is 40 times better than in 1900
• Stimulus Fail: US unemployment Jumps to 26-Year High. Yaron Brook evaluates the results of govt stimulunacy on PJTV":
  http://bit.ly/1I7hFd
• The impact on one heroic women of Islamic ideas in the Middle East:
  http://bit.ly/4xyuHz
• Who are YOU to deny global warming, eh?
  http://bit.ly/3ohHGq
• "Trees cause trouble." - discover the power of a good story.
  http://bit.ly/16uUSt
  

 

• Q: What do Jesus, Frankenstein, Dracula and a Zombie have in common? A: http://bit.ly/3OAeS4 1:58 PM Nov 10th from TweetDeck
• The Real Climate blog authors, paid by Al Gore to blog, are exposed as a lying warmist shill. 'Hockey stick' temperatures of its authors are literally upside down.
  http://bit.ly/1qjOJK
• Here’s the truth about unemployment in a recession: “The less sticky wages are, the less unemployment the economy faces." And it turns out wages in NZ are not as sticky as first thought.
  http://bit.ly/2ytbSu
• New Zealand is now literally a nanny state.
  http://bit.ly/2BEJzz
• How to avoid doing what you need to do for another 4 min. 16 sec. Procrastination. It’s a wonderful thing. http://bit.ly/4GDJSL [hat tip Joe Green]
  

 

• NASA gets a new Moon picture, and this one is, well, it's a *good* one. One Giant Leap seen again. You think this will shut up the lunatics? What do you think.
  http://is.gd/4RpqC
• Victoria Postrel explains why you should work less during a recession, (but what about innovation? New services?)
   http://bit.ly/3EhoNQ
• The Epic Beer Family get together for a beautiful Family Portrait 2009 http://ff.im/-bhljt Very tasty indeed:
  
  
  

BERLIN WALL LINKS:

• One thing the anniversary of Berlin Wall should remind us "unequivocal economic superiority of freedom" - http://bit.ly/3c61Ks 35 minutes ago from TweetDeck
• When today’s Russian & East German youngsters favor capitalism more than US youngsters, you know American culture is in trouble
  http://bit.ly/4qVC5B
• Debi Ghate interviews Yaron Brook and Onkar Ghate on the history of the Berlin Wall, and the meaning of its fall. http://bit.ly/3HbStC
  
  
  
  
  

FORT HOOD LINKS:

• Fort Hood: Reaction, Responses and Rejoinders -- from the inaccurate to the unworthy, and worst.
  http://bit.ly/1ok4Vv
• Week's Best Headline: 'Lessons of Ft. Hood: Military Bases Need More Mental Health Professionals.'
  http://bit.ly/zdpho
• Iowahawk uncovers truth behind Ft. Hood killer’s murderous rampage: ‘He Had Access to Fox, Talk Radio & Right-Wing Blogs’
  http://bit.ly/3pdYM5
• Why does Obama keep saying the Fort Hood massacre was "hard to comprehend?" Hasan's lecture was plain as day:
  http://bit.ly/qNEhm
• Muslim soldier Hasan to military MDs: "We love death more then (sic) you love life!” Viva diversity!
  http://bit.ly/qNEhm
• "U.S. Knew of Suspect’s Ties to Radical Cleric"
  NYT: http://bit.ly/14H10K

More to come shortly . . . or keep track on my Twitter feed . . .