In re C.J. Sykes' book "Nation Of Moochers"

A video interview by the Instapundit (Glenn Reynolds) with a very self-righteous social conservative name Charles J. Sykes who has written a book called Nation of Moochers.

I have some problems with Sykes' approach. The crony-capitalist, rent-seeking corporations and special interests rig the system in their favor and then complain when the marginalized, downsized, and thoroughly beat down working classes are forced into expensive governmental dependency is a classic blame the victim dodge on their part. The problem I have with conservatives and libertarians such as Sykes and his ilk is that they will happily defend all but the worst excesses of this system which benefit them so handsomely but then go on to complain of the costs both social and financial. Go figure?

I call bullshit on all that. What has really gone on here for a few decades is that the ownership class and their lackeys in the government have turned millions of Americans into unemployed or low wage chavs and are now complaining that there are too many chavs! And to add insult to injury they bitterly piss, moan, and bitch that the chavery should go get a job or three and pay more in taxes. Again, go figure?

Don't call it theft. More like "holding it for ransom".

Police affiliated tow companies are prowling metro-Detroit (and Ann Arbor) streets looking for cars to high-jack and hold for ransom says this Detroit News article. Back in the old days when we all rode horses they used call what these tow companies are doing horse theft.  The remedy for that problem in those days was to routinely hang horse thieves, just to show how seriously this crime was taken. Just sayin'.

The era of having numerous nation-states is coming to an end; but what will replace them?

So will we end up with few huge tyrannical mega-states (like China, Russia, USA), bumbling nanny states (EU, Canada, Oz) or violent chaotic but largely free anarchist groupings (Somalia, Afghanistan, Mexico)? Good question and one that this article in New Geography speculates upon. The author maintains that the cultural elite leadership class for such global entities is in place now and is largely in control already. Now if only those ignorant yahoos who inhabit the world would just stop clinging to their guns and religion and let them run things their way it would all be good. Sheesh.

Ann Arbor rated "6th gayest city" in America

What?

"The Advocate magazine has ranked the gayest cities in America according to its own admittedly unscientific and somewhat quirky criteria, such as the number of nude yoga classes and International Mr. Leather Competition semifinalists in the city. (To be fair, we’ll note that the criteria also include things like the number of LBGT elected officials and number of transgender legal protections.)"[Ann Arbor.com]

The People's Republic of Ann Arbor is quite tolerant of sexual and life-style choices but it isn't "gay" in the sexually freaky sense as The Advocate crowd seem to think. The number of "nude yoga studios" a city has is more an issue of its own sleaziness than sexual/life-style tolerance. AA doesn't even allow XXX bookstores or "Asian massage parlors". Too sleazy, tacky, and low class.

Even people who benefit from big government love it less when they have to live under it.

What a shock eh? It's way easier to build an ideal society with other people's money, I guess.

Ann Arbor.com sniffing through the dirty linen of UM undergrad who happens to play footbal

Some Michigan football player apparently partied away his athletic scholarship stipend money instead of paying his rent. This is newsworthy because as we long-time Ann Arborites all know young undergrads always behave responsibly with their funds and in their personal lives, right? AA dot com needs to step up their journalistic standards as to what is newsworthy and what is just prying into people's private business for website hits and which isn't.

Sign of the times: Kwame Kilpatrick redux

Disgraced & imprisoned ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick "writes" a tell-all book (Doug Guthrie, Detroit News)

Remember this headline?

Even given that its been co-written with/by his cousin and has been heavily redacted by his legal team and all notwithstanding it might still be a fun read just to hear him explain the lies and spin he dished out for six years. All the perjury, cronyism, nepotism, incompetence, corruption, no-bid contracting and so forth that Kwame, his family and crew engaged in he says was done in order to "empower Detroiters" whatever the hell that means. I find that kind of stuff from the likes of him unintentionally hilarious. Watching this goof try yet again to spin his way back to a good reputation is like watching a pompous ass strut around with a long piece of toilet paper stuck to bottom of their shoe. Mean-spirited but fun, eh?

You know I may even score a copy of this book just for my personal library and which I could do in good conscience because an arrangement has been entered into by the Wayne county circuit court to sieze the profits (if any) from the sales of the book. Kilpatrick according to the Detroit News story still owes $860,000 in restitution.

weblog

Richard Florida Discusses The Great Reset of Urban Development in Economic Downturns - Reason Magazine

Professor Florida strikes me as a lesser version of Thomas Friedman and his fast talking state-capitalist techno-babble schtick.