Is the cure to what ails public health more bicycle riding? Well, it can’t hurt. View colleague Ingrid Jacques mentions that being in the Heartland of America need not be a hindrance to getting a high ranking on the American Fitness Index. Specifically, she mentions the Twin Cities of Minnesota, where I live. You might say that we have a “sports-recreational-industrial complex” here–in 2008, voters opted […]
Michigan View
Republicans should not expect another Reagan
As Republican activists start contemplating which candidate they will support for 2012, expect to hear more complaints about how there’s no Ronald Reagan. Such despair and longing is misplaced. Why? Reagan was not uniformly embraced by conservatives even during his tenure in office, so there’s a danger of putting on some rose-colored glasses before looking into the rear-view mirror. For another thing, the world is […]
The train guy and Amtrak schedules
One of my college classmates was someone I’ll call “Train Guy.” He hailed from the Northeast, where mass transit makes sense–or at least more sense than it does here in the Midwest. Some people memorize baseball statistics. Train Guy, by contrast, had the Amtrak schedule committed to memory. When a train rolled through town, just a few blocks from campus, he could tell you where […]
When will the bulb ban burn down a house?
Congress has ordered a gradual ban of the incandescent bulb, and its replacement has many defects–including the fact that it can catch on fire. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that some fluorescent bulbs are too dangerous to have in your home. Here’s what the CPSC had to say: “Telstar Recalls Energy-Saving Light Bulbs Due to Fire Hazard.” The Great Green bulbs are already a hazard […]
The Nerd is Governing as He Campaigned — Muddling Through
So Gov. Snyder wants to take $500 million in money to burn on Government Rail. Why am I not surprised? Perhaps the history so far of the Tough Nerd proves that O’Sullivan’s law applies to individuals as well as organizations. Here it is: All organizations that are not actually right-wing will over time become left-wing. As I recall, Snyder went out of his way during the campaign […]
GOP Smackdown, Round One
First impressions from Thursday’s first official presidential “debate” of the looooong 2012 season. The lineup: GOPers who have jumped in the presidential ring. Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico I want to like him, but he acted too much like an earnest professor (or worse, kindergarten-class teacher), often clasping his hands. He spoke a lot of sense, but got energized only when he was […]
The Daily Grope: bin Laden’s revenge
OBL is dead, which is good news. The bad news is that even from the grave he exerts an influence on not only how we fly, but on how we view government. As Randall Holcombe says, “Most people don’t question things we’re told to do for our safety”. He adds, “We have been intimidated, by bin Laden’s terrorist network and our own federal government, into complying […]
Sorry, public radio, I gave at the IRS
One of the PBS stations in my part of the country is having a beg-a-thon, asking listeners for money. The station, which occupies one of the presets on the radio in my car, plays classical music. Since I don’t have an MP3 player hooked up through my car’s audio system, it’s one way to add some variety to my musical selection. I might be tempted […]
A George Bush clone?
Republicans looking for a suitable presidential candidate for the 2012 election might be interested in Texas Gov. Rick Perry. A recent article in National Review planted a wet, sloppy kiss on Gov. Perry. Perry is a booster of federalism, which is once again in vogue. As NR author Kevin D. Williamson quips, “Lots of conservatives have been in fights over public displays of the Ten Commandments, […]
US State Announces Passport Application Worthy of Kafka
One fundamental element of a free society is the idea that government operates by clearly defined laws. We’ve abandoned that concept in so many ways (tax code, ObamaCare, etc.) But now it’s threatened in something as basic as the freedom of movement. Want to travel outside the U.S.? You need a passport. The State Department is proposing some new regulations on passports, which will require […]