Saturday, May 31

About Henry Brown
Came across a new blog of possible interest to South Carolina Lowcountry readers about (click on the name)Congressman Henry Brown. The blog reports on Mr. Brown's record of service, citing chapter and verse, and is not likely to be favorite reading in the congressman's office.

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#126

Tuesday, May 27

Saudi litmus test
"I will believe the Saudi rulers are serious about combating terrorism only after we see a few public beheadings in the public square in downtown Riyadh, preferably broadcast live on CNN."
(Letter to the Editor, The Post & Courier, Charleston, SC, May 25, 2003)
#125


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Saturday, May 17

Armed Forces Day
Today we recognize Armed Forces Day and pause to say a prayer for the men and women who wear the uniform, defend our country and go in harm's way.


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#124

Monday, May 12

A dissenting voice
A reform but not a stimulus
"Sadly, Mr. Bush's claims are not convincing. The notion that a tax plan's ten-year price-tag provides any measure of its efficacy as a short-term stimulus is absurd. The central component of Mr. Bush's tax plan—the elimination of dividend taxation—would improve the tax code and, probably, long-term growth, but it would do little to boost the economy now. Mr. Bush's people say that ending dividend taxation would raise share prices, which in turn would boost spending. Most economists reply that the boost to share prices would be fairly undramatic (a 5-15% jump is the consensus guess); and any effect on spending would be small and gradual." (The Economist, May 10, 2003, pg. 26).


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#123

Friday, May 9

Consequences

Robert Ingersoll said, "In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments - there are consequences." Last night I learned that the hard way. After struggling for two years to clear my backyard pond of algae and clear the water so we might enjoy the fish, I finally succeeded this week. It is not important what all the theories, trials and guesses were over the past two years. Only the consequences matter. During the night a heron or egret visited my pond and ate all but two of my fish. Gone are six two-year old comets and shumukins, as well as two new koi and about ten small gold fish I had introduced a week ago. My wife was up around four this morning for a few minutes and looked out the kitchen window. She saw the bird standing tall at the edge of the pond. Since it was still dark and she was only minutes out of bed she thought it was a new piece of statuary I had purchased. When she later got up for good the bird was gone and we discussed it. An examination of the pond established Ingersoll's insight.


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#122

Thursday, May 8

Doesn't "Andre" sound French?
This week in Columbia, SC, the Lt Gov, Andre Bauer, was held at gunpoint by a cop after the Lt Gov swept through two red lights, was clocked speeding 60 miles an hour in a 35 zone, and jumped out of his car in an aggressive manner that scared the officer. The Lt Gov said later he exercised bad judgement but he was running late on his way to preside at the opening of the Senate (about all a Lt Gov in the Palmetto State has to do). Some sort of weird behavior for a man whose name smacks of the French.

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#121