Redundancy

(><) People laugh at me because of my penchant for redundancy.

But as you get older there are more "senior moments" although they are experienced by everyone.

As people live longer, the rates of dementia and Alzheimer's climb. It is very scary prospect.

So I have a second set of keys, stash a few bucks in some unexpected places, kep an extra cred card.

There are so many codes, passwords, and phone numbers to learn.

Some good tricks:

From 100 subtract 7. That is 100 - 93 - 86 - 79 - 72 ...

Keep lots of photos --- old and new. That's the class picture from high school. My friend Herbo, and Davey and Red and Leon.

It helps.

Ben

PS: This may be repetitive because I am doing books, blogs, articles, columns --- and probably because of Senior monets, too.

Halloween !!!

My kids all used to go out trick or treating.

They loved it but they did not often get tricked.

In college I once particpated in a stunt ginned up by a big, handsome --- dope.

We went into the residential neighborhood of Geneva, N.Y. --- home of my alma mater Hobrat College.

Big Dope let the air out of all four tires of a car in a middle class neighborhood.

It turned out to be the car of Hobart's biggest basketball then --- and perhaps to this date.

I have never seen Halloween celebrated with such vigor and originality as I did today.

Space cadets, Where's Waldo, Superman, witches, goblins --- everywhere.

One of my daughters was dressed as a gnarled old witch on one Halloween.

She looked at herself and shrieked --- eek !!!

My guidance: Lots of treats and gentle and funny tircks.

Ben

Who is ridiculous ?

(><) A pychiatrist told me the story of a worried boy. He was concerned, properly enough, about dying.

He was afraid of being bit by a rabid dog. Ridulous, said the doctor, that's a one in a million shot.

What about cancer of the pancreas? "Very rare," said the doctor.

How about being hit by a meteor? "Bizarre," thundered the psychiatrist, "that's a one in million chance..

"But," said the boy, "one is number."

The boy was right.

All the fractions add uo to 100.00 %

We all go out in a box. Nothing is as certain as death and taxes.

It is scary. But probably less scary than living forever.

Ben

Where is everybody ???

(><) Have you ever wondered: Where everyone is and what are they doing now?

Your cousin in Vermont? A dear friend in Chicago? An fine assistant in the NW quadrant of the WashDC metroplex?

The de-composed atoms of the cavemen?

Have they re-formed and come back as a salamander, or as a snake?

Whatever happened to the molecules that made uo the dinasaurs???

Hmnn...

Ben

Newt...

My colleague at AEI, and former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich is a most unusual man, with enormous talents.

He recently wrote a fund-raising letter for the RepNatComm addressed to "Dear Conservative Americans."


A good tactic. True believers on each side of the spectrum tend to be the biggest givers.

But some of Newt's ideas --- on medical care in particular --- are not very conservative.

He would deny it forever, and ever, but those ideas sound like neo-conservative one to me.

Eek !

PS: Newt may run for President. Why not? It's a free countriy. And there are not very many people known by just their first name: Hilary, Condi, Madonna, Pele', Cher, Bono etc.

Mr./Ms/Mrs A why are you A when de-faming **** general?

Fomer SecState Colin Powell, four stars, is smart, brave, savvy and gentle and nice.

Maybe so. But he wasn't smart enough to avoid making a fool of himself in front of the UN, thereby putting the kibosh on any future political ambitions.

In that vein, I can unhesitatingly say this: he was better than Rice. Which, unfortunately, isn't saying much.

Ben's response:

I think four star **** General Powell told the the truth as he understtood at the the time. Do we know of any instance where an officer of high rank told an out-right, bald-face lie?

You should not de-fame someone and remain annonymous. That is gut-less A-person.

Ben

Hmnn...

Click here: In Son’s Race, Father Sees Cuomo Comeback - New York Times

Is this nepotism or:

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree?

I would suspect the latter.

Ben

Aach's post

At the moment I suspect there is little economic intersection between oil and nuclear power in the United States. Oil is used primarily for transportation and as a manufacturing commodity, while nuclear is used solely for electric power production (along with coal, natural gas, hydropower, geothermal, and solar/wind). They are not interchangeable, though I imagine the cost of electriicity does have some minimal effect on the oil market. If we have electric-only or hydrogen cars (H2 is made with electricity) then oil and nuclear would be direct competitors.

That comment aside, I believe one of the difficulties in any discussion of energy policy is that few involved in the discussion have a clear sense of how energy is produced - particularly electric energy. This is certainly true of nuclear energy - where I've worked for 20 years. BUT, it is also true that there has been no good way for the lay person to learn about the real world of nuclear power. Atomic energy is much different than its portrayals in the media, good or bad.

To offer a base of knowledge and perspective , I've written a novel that provides an insider's view of the US nuclear energy industry. It is available at no cost to readers - and they seem to like it, judging from their homepage comments. Whole Earth Catalog founder Stewart Brand (another noted environmentalist taking a second look at nuclear power) has seen the value of this approach and has been kind enough to endorse my book. It's worth taking a look. You might actually find it entertaining as well. http://RadDecision.blogspot.com

Ben's response:

Sounds reasonable to me...

I'd like to see that book or bullet points on in it.

Perhaps we could do a Think Tank on it.

--
Posted by James Aach to Wattenblog at 10/05/2006 03:03:52 PM

Well...

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "10/27/2006 09:41:00 AM":

Since you didn't publish the anonymous comment about Einstein (and therefore leaving the readers of your blog similarly confused), I can only assume you are talking about me, but I can safely say that I have never met you.

The question about whether Einstein made that comment about compound interest has been asked by many people and has been written about in numerous places (including the Internet, in Wikipedia.) You shouldn't assume you know me just because I said something that someone who actually does know you said to you in person.

And for the record, you said that Einstein "reportedly" said that compound interest was the greatest force in the universe, not "allegedly" said it.

The difference being that when you say "reportedly" you are repeating the statement that you heard said by anothe person, and you are unsure (or do not care about) whether Einstein actually said it or not.

The responsible thing to do would be to stop attributing the comment to Einstein and instead say, "someone once said, 'compound interest is the greatest force in the universe.'"

Ben's Response:

Well --- pardon me (as ex-President Richard Nixon was said to have said to President Ford.)

If you're so smart, you are probably rich.

But why are you annoymous Mr. A ???


Publish this comment.

Dot,--- dot,---dot --- dash

(><) When the Nazzis ( as Winston Churchill called them, which drove Hitler nutso ) ran over France and the Low Countries at the very early stages of World War II, it looked bleak for Western Civilization.

Thornton Wilder's wonderful play The Skin of our Teeth made the point that the advance of civilization was often threatened, and survived only by the "skin of their teeth" --- what a great phrase !

The political cartoonist ( an often under-rated profession ) David Low inked a a single panel showing Churchill with his famous "V-for-victory" sign. ( Turn this > clockwise)

A statue based on the cartoon is prominently displayed in the front of the handsome English Embassy on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington D.C. and --- I imagine at many other places as well.

The Morse code for the letter "V" is dot-dot-dot-dash. It became the signal for resistance all over the world at a bleak moment.

And dot-dot-dot-dash are the stark opening strains of Ludwig von Beethoven's famous Fifth Symphony, about which books and learned essays have been written.

That work and LvB's Ninth Symphony are the signature work of the man who may well have been the greatest composer who ever lived.

Talk about courage: He wrote his later great works when he was deaf !!!

Those works cast a lasting shadow of strength and fortitude (chazak v' amatz in Hebrew, another favorite of mine.)

Beethoven wanted to leave his mark, as we all do, through our children, our work, our love.

(So did the cavemen who drew pictures on the side of a cave 25,000 years ago.)

When things get bleak in your own life think of that line "Very well, alone."

It can help.

It is often darkest before the dawn.

PS. Albert Einstein was chosen as Time magazine's Man of the Century.

For my money, it should have been Churchill, a weird and wonderful man.

He got us out by the skin of our teeth.

Ben






Einstein + Beethove + Me...

Once again...

Check out Budgets Falling in Race to Fight Global Warming - New York Times

If global warming is caused largely through greenhouse gas emmission X population growth, and global pop growth is going down more rapidly than expected, then why don't people understand that there is less to it than meets the eye?

Ben

Birth, Fertility, welfare

http://www.ncpa.org/sub/dpd/?page=article&Article_ID=13674

Yes. The teenage birth and fertility rates are way down, particularly among unmarried, out-of-wedlock mothers are way down. Euphemism: The pheonomenon was once called "bastardy."

In the good old days (ubi sunt) welfare families ran 4-6-8 children. In too many cases, "children were having children" to get a larger welfare payment. (I have a tape segment of an interview we did for a Think Tank special in Kansas City MO, where some welfare moms, mostly African Americans but with some whites --- relate and condemn the practice.

You can cjeck it out at PBS.org

Now, thanks to long-overdue welfare reform --- a counter-productive program if ever there was one --- those rate are are down to below two children per woman.

It took many years to change AFDC (Aid to Families withe Dependent Children) fighting some sky-is-falling gloom-mongering.

But the result --- surprise ! --- is better than could have been expected. It costs more, not less. But people who really need a helping hand are getting one. And the cheats, crooks and swindlers are getting way less.

It usually takes government a long time to change a program with a constitueny. There is always the lurking danger of the Neo-Con mantra "The Law of Unintended Side Effects.")

But in this case it seems to have worked out just fine.


Ben

Helen Keller

(><)One of the most remarkable people --- ever --- was Helen Keller and her dedicated teacher Annie Sullivan.

HK could not speak, nor hear, nor see, nor talk.

But sign language is very expressive. So is the human face --- That's what the "smileys" are all about. It is hard to learn, but it works.

So too, there are computer languages which are, for me, harder than speaking in tongues.

Ben

More on the move from nice to nicer...

(><)

As I have said, ad nauseum --- interesting phrase that --- I am moving from a nice to much nicer apartment in what might be the best city in the world --- it's capitol --- Washington D.C.

As I have also said ---ad nau---I am a technophobe.

I am a bachelor --- a tentative condition, I hope.

The array of new technology is staggering.

DVDs, Tivos, cell phones, picture-in-picture TVs, the 'Net vs. DSL --- many of them operating counter-intuitively --- with bells & whistles go off all night --- is maddening.

It's great stuff --- but staggering. Fun and frustrating... awesome and anger-generating.

Ben

Annonymous wondered why electric blankets would be stressful.

Ben' response:

Why? Because I have been told that you can fry, sizzle, burn or boil in such a wondrous device.

That's why, Annon.

(Why don't y'all post with a name? Either way is OK, but I prefer your name. I've become pen pals with some posters.}

Neurology

(<>) I have been to my share of doctors over the years.

But never to a neurologist.

I am fine.

What a fascinating array of tests ! ! !

Blood pressure, balance, remember words forward and backwards, I made some mistakes, but so did the neurologist.

There is a German word for it schaudenfreude --- taking pleasure in the mis-fortune of others.

(Very German concept, I suspect.)

So far, so good, on the super-duper-monster-move from nice apartment to nicer one.

Who cares?

Me.

You may ignore posts marked (><)

At your peril.

Ben

Markets --- Dow down, others too.

As promised, your poster boy posts the good and the bad.

Dow down 73 --- other markets too.

It's Friday. Wait until Monday.

All will be well, I'd guess.

Long Boom, yada. yada, yada,

Ben

Normal human activity

(><)

As I've posted, the human body can be likened to a bowling ball atop a pencil. (What an image !) Unstable.

As a species we are wise, wonderful, wicked and weird.

The bodily functions are normal, yet sometimes regarded as talkable aboutable only in euphemisms "He/she relieved him/herself."

But why, if they are totally normal, are certain smells regarded as terrible. If you have ever been to an outhous, you know what I'm talking about.

Ben

bodily functions ???

(><)

As I've posted, the human body can be likened to a

Katrina

re: Katrina, you write: "Four storms hit at once causing chaos and confusion."Not an acceptable excuse, Ben. Not after 9/11. We expect government to respond to disasters, whether natural or terrorist-made. You would be appalled if Washington had been hit by a smallpox attack and it took the federal government 2 or 3 days to get its act together. And its even more inexcusable to be caught off guard since Katrina was trackable with radar (just turn on the Weather Channel!) -Robert, Washington DC --Posted by Anonymous to Wattenblog at 9/25/2006 08:36:14 AM

Ben's response:

Robert:

I would be appalled but not surprised. The "fog of war" is quite apparent in moments of stress.

During WWII American planes bombed to USS Indianapolis in the Coral Sea. Nine hundred American sailors were killed.

Imagaine what would happen if it happened during the Iraq War in a 24/7 Info Supehighway world

*&&^!!!

Ben

Ben's response:

Mr. A...

I think I know who you are... nyah, nyah.

I do believe I wrote "allegedly" because I heard you talk about it.


Ben

Markets --- I promised you...

I promised you the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the bitter and the sweet.

The markets opened down this morning, not enormously, but clearly.

Markets often go down on Fridays, when traders sell to make sure they don't get caught with their pants down.

(What a language!)

Never sell America short.

Ben

Moving Day, 2006

(><) I am moving from a nice apartment, to nicer one.

In the good old days ("ubi sunt") it was surely a stressful situation.

But that was before code-words, internet connections, area codes, forced air versus moist heat, lap-tops, DVDs, vibrating beds, electric blankets.

It can be maddening.

Lucky for me: My entire immediate family is in the area, and they are flourishing.

I love my work.

That is a blessing as we soon gather together to ask the Lord's

Ben

The markets...

I know some of my readers get a little bored with these posts.

But money can serve some very useful purposes. (Flash!)

According to one recent estimate, more than 50% of Americans owned financial intstruments, in pension plans, mutual funds, 401-Ks, Roths etc.

By borrowing against their net worth they can do wondrous things: Send their children to college, finance a home of their own, see to it that they and their loved ones get the very best medical care.

It's not just the money, stupid.

As noted here I believe that we are in the fairly early stages of what economist Wasilly Leontiff called "a long boom."

This can not only make rich people richer, but not-rich people richer.

This is beneficial to all.

Cautiously, if you can, get on board --- when you are young --- and stay in for the long haul.

Albert Einstein --- Time magzaine's Man of the Century --- it should have been Winston Churchill, I think --- reportedly said "compound interest is the greatest miracle in the universe."
I assume he did not count in The Big Bang --- whenever and wherever that took place, and in what space and time.

If you can --- go for it. Diversify. Never sell America short. Climb the Wall of Worry.

Of course, I am not a Registered Representative etc. etc. etc. --- but some of them are big jerks.

I have a fine combination going for me: My broker is quite cautious, I like taking some risks.

The Greeks, as usual, had a way to say it: "Moderation in all things."

Ben

Announcement of some importance to those who find it important:

Your poster, me Ben, is in the process of a move to more spacious quarters, that in my mind has the earmarks of the logistics of the Normandy invasion. Yes, it has all the earmarks of an ear.

Codewords, driver's license, phone numbers, keys etc. etc. etc --- canging.

This blog seems to be taking off. I will probably be able access it, but I am not sure, or from where.

So keep posting responses or original thoughts.

Ben

Whee ! ! ! All aboard !!!

The market indicies soared today.

What is happening has all the earmarks of an ear.

If it walks like a duck and talks like a duck --- it's probably a duck.

This has all signs of Leontiff's "Long Boom."

I do not think I have to say I am not a RegRep etc. etc. etc.

But always be cautious. Diversify. Buy low. Sell high. Climb the wall of worry.

Bulls make money. Bears make money. Greedy pigs do not make money.

Ben

DVD's

(><) Now watching Gallipoli on DVD.

What a treat they are! Stop-pause-director's cut-music only-freeze-frame- sound up-sound down.

Some are good, some not.

But I think the scenery is most always accurate. Saddles, cannons, stirrups, horses, clouds, fish, mountain tops and soo much more.

King Soloman, Croesus and more didn't have.

We do.

Ben

Gobble gobble, --- more...

Ben's response: There have been harvest festivals since times immemorial, and raind dances and songs: Shine on Harvest Moon, etc. But I think, among most peoples, there was resentment, anger, and killing amongst the new settlers --- which was displayed later on this sub-continent. In this instance it seems there was amity. So they gathered together to ask the Lord's Blessing, To Hasten and Chasten his Will to Make Known (whatever that means.) Ben


1 – 50 of 74 Older ›


Ben, you should know that Thanksgiving is not an "... Ben, you should know that Thanksgiving is not an "exceptionally American holiday" as you said in an earlier post. The feast we know as Thanksgiving is closely related to an annual tradition called the "Harvest festival," which has occurred all over Europe since pagan times, particularly in the United Kingdom. Canadians celebrate it as well -- in fact, the first Thanksgiving in North America predated the Pilgrims, occurring in 1578 in what is now Newfoundland. On United States soil, the first Thanksgiving actually occurred in Texas, among the expedition of Spanish conquistador Francisco Coronado. He had made friends with a group of Texas indians, which had helped him find food. "In the sense of a feast in gratitude to God celebrated by Europeans in North America," this was the first Thanksgiving in the US, according to Wikipedia.
Publish Reject 1 – 50 of 74 Older ›


Ben, you should know that Thanksgiving is not an "... Ben, you should know that Thanksgiving is not an "exceptionally American holiday" as you said in an earlier post. The feast we know as Thanksgiving is closely related to an annual tradition called the "Harvest festival," which has occurred all over Europe since pagan times, particularly in the United Kingdom. Canadians celebrate it as well -- in fact, the first Thanksgiving in North America predated the Pilgrims, occurring in 1578 in what is now Newfoundland. On United States soil, the first Thanksgiving actually occurred in Texas, among the expedition of Spanish conquistador Francisco Coronado. He had made friends with a group of Texas indians, which had helped him find food. "In the sense of a feast in gratitude to God celebrated by Europeans in North America," this was the first Thanksgiving in the US, according to Wikipedia.
Publish Reject
Ben, you should know that Thanksgiving is not an "... Ben, you should know that Thanksgiving is not an "exceptionally American holiday" as you said in an earlier post. The feast we know as Thanksgiving is closely related to an annual tradition called the "Harvest festival," which has occurred all over Europe since pagan times, particularly in the United Kingdom. Canadians celebrate it as well -- in fact, the first Thanksgiving in North America predated the Pilgrims, occurring in 1578 in what is now Newfoundland. On United States soil, the first Thanksgiving actually occurred in Texas, among the expedition of Spanish conquistador Francisco Coronado. He had made friends with a group of Texas indians, which had helped him find food. "In the sense of a feast in gratitude to God celebrated by Europeans in North America," this was the first Thanksgiving in the US, according to Wikipedia.
Publish Reject

Anatomy more...

(><) I was at a party for the "naming" of a beautiful Jewish baby. Only about 100 guests.

One of the guests was a stunning blond actress from NYNY. (Not Jewish) She was thin, but with curves in all the right places.

In her stocking feet she must have been 5'10" tall. She wore stilleto heels which must have put her at about 6' 1."

The human anatomy has been likened to a bowling ball sitting atop a pencil.

Not very stable. Which can be dangerous if you fall.

A dog, or a bear, walks on four feet. More stable, by far.

A dachshund is unlikely to take a tumble.

The biblically despised snake certainly won't fall.

Might human beings not be the smartest species?

Ben

I am a Jew --- so are lots of people...

Are you a Christian now, Ben? I thought you were J... Are you a Christian now, Ben? I thought you were Jewish. I didn't know Jews used the word "Lord" these days. Doesn't that mean "Jesus"?

You said in this post: "that exceptionally American holiday, Thanksgiving, when we gather together to ask the Lord's blessing..."

Publish Reject

Ben's Response:

The Old Testament is full of references to Adonai Eloheinu, The Lord our God.

There are lots of people with "Jewish blood."

After all, there were the Lost Tribes of Israel, the Maranos (sp?) in Spain. Some people believe that Christopher Columbus was one such.

The early Christians, of course, regarded themselves as Jews.

Jesus Christ died on the Cross as a Jewish Rabbi.

On the other hand, I know Israelis with high cheekbones and sort of "yellowish" pallor. There is little doubt in my mind that they trace their lineage back to the Mongol Horsdes of Ghenghis Kahn.

Indeed I find demographics fascinating. One never knows what comes next...

As recounted here earlier, I believe, I recently met a woman from Israel at the Hip-Hop Modern Orthodox schul I now sometimes attend. She had five children. Her sister had elevn children (! ! !)

If each of the five children had five children and each of the eleven had eleven children, there would be an escalating geometric spiral of significant dimensions.

Many secular Jews are concerned that the Orthodox will inherit the mantle of Judaism.

But just think of how many current Jews, or Jews for Jesus, or conversos, had Orthodox roots.

Take a look at the the stunning DVD of Chaim Potok's The Chosen.

The bright lights and big cities are very attractive to very many.

Moreover, these days, some secular Jews turn to Orthodoxy as they see their children drifting away from Judaism.

It is a very complicated world.

As I get older, my favorite saying is Chazak v' Amatz, strength and fortitude in Hebrew.

Shalom,

Ben

I write about demographics...

I have written about demographics for many years, and find it entrancing.

But I do not understand why about 104 girls are born for every 100 boys.

Any ideas?
.
TK (to come, in publishing lingo):

Posts re: Why identical twins are different, the five senses, the long boom in equity prices, why I do believe the GOP will do better than expected, and that exceptionally American holiday, Thanksgiving, when we gather together to ask the Lord's blessing... and much more.

I love blogging: It is fun and frrrustrating.

Ben

Did you ever notice...

Check out FOXNews.com - Bush, Commanders Meet to Review Iraq Strategy - Polit

Did you ever notice in the phot-ops that when meeting with subalterns, the President of the U.S. of A. , is almost invariably the least well-dressed, most casually attired man in the room?

He doesn't have to "put on the dog."

What a language ! ! !

We have a clear concise cliche' for most every situation.

Even the proud French marvel at it's scope, breadth and versatility.

Ben

Politics...

Click here: Barron's Online - Login

That's about the way I figure it. Actually I think the GOP may do better than that.

The scandal regarding Rep. Mark Foley's sexual activity is of an equal-oppotunity kind.

Politicians --- and people --- have displayed behavior that disgusts others (with merit in my judgement).

The number of U.S military KIA in Iraq --- (all volunteers) --- is tragic --- but relatively low by earlier standards.

The U.S. Civil War --- yes we had one too --- as has most every nation in the world --- was the must violent in our history --- and until the weird, wacky, wonderful, bizzarre and brutal
20th Century the ugliest miltary action in history.

Brother killed brother, the prisons in the South were notorious, and to so good in the North.

The march of William Tecumseh Sherman's troops from Atlanta to the sea --- under the direction of Ulysses S. Grant --- previously a drunken failure --- under the direction of President Abraham Lincoln was murderous.

(Father Abraham is regarded by some as the greatest prose stylist in American history)

Read Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind.

Curiously, we now now re-enact Civil War battles, as sport, with bullets made of paint.

Bang-bang-you're-dead.

Fun, huh?

Ben

ubi sunt...

(><) The much-revered Chairman of the English Department of the English department of Hobart & William Smith College, Otto August Eugene Richard Schoen-Rene', told his students that it was an age-old notion that people harked back to times gone by and asked Where Are ("ubi sunt" in Latin, I think) Are The Good Old Days?

Well, the Good Old Days weren't so great: Outhouses, slavery, frigid cold, tropical heat, the general inability to travel appreciable distances (The German philospher Immanual Kant never went beyond eight miles from Koeingsberg), the absence of airplanes, electricity, movies, radios, books, maps, dictionaries and so much more.

Modern "forced air" heat is a bummer. It dries you out.

Ubi sunt the days of steam radiators?

Ben

One strange dude...

Click here: The God Delusion. By Richard Dawkins - Books - Review - New York Times

We had RichDawk on ThinkTank a few years ago.

He said God is a silly myth, Now how does he know that?

I said that the great sociological journal USA Tooday, which records pop sociology about as well as anyone, had reported on a survey that showed that people who wer Believers lived longer healthier lives.

He snorted, and said "Rubbish ! ( or somesuch).

I asked how he would think about the matter, if it meant that his children might live longer and healthiers lives.

He was truly angry, and emotion that has show up only rarely on TT's 12 years + history.

For my money, TT may well be the single best source of the political, geo-political, demographic material of our time.

Lots there as well about music, art, sports etc. Watch for future poats.

Ben

King Solomon, Ozymandias, the Pharohs... me & you

King Soloman, the Pharohs, the mythical Ozymandias, were very rich indeed.

They had wives and concubines, people to fan them, dress them, amuse them, serve them spices and myrhh.

What did they not have?

The ability to see the world from the sky. To travel long distances, safely. Air-conditioning. Electricity.

The did not have the ability to see movies and television.

I am in my recliner Chair watching a DVD of Dr. Zhivago, which may be the most beautiful movie ever.

What a treat!

Ben

Well, sort of...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/17/AR2006101701652_pf.html

The French are indeed doing better than most of the European countries.

Allons enfant de la Patria...

But the Total Fertilty Rate is still below replacement value.

Most Frenchpersons --- no ethnic slurs here --- yet --- hate the idea of immigration from Norht Africa.

They hate Gypsies.

The Corsicans and Basques hate them.

Nice huh?

Ben

Anyone who knows anything about this.. please

Click here: 1950 College Basketball Recap — Infoplease.com

"Leopard Ed" Warner was a couple of years ahead of me at DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx,NY,

The game against the University of Kentucky's Wildcats was --- I think --- for the NIT championship --- at that time more important than the NCAA.

UKy was the overwhelming favortite.

CCNY --- all Jews and blacks --- all freshmen I believe --- won by 90-45.

It changed the Mid-South's view of minorities. Joy in rapture in NYNY.

Then a number of Coach Nat Holman's players were indicted in a point-shaving scandal.

Gloom.

I love the theme of sports & society.

Think: Jackie Robinson, soccer wars. ping-pong diplomacy, drug scandals, Roberto Clemente who called himself a Double-N , as recounted in WashPostie's David Marannis wonderful new book.

Arthur Koestler (Darkness at Noon) gave up writing about politics at an advanced age to write a book about the Lost Tribes of Israel in the real Caucases (not in Iowa.) (sp?)

The need to re-invent oneself is a powerful human emotion.

So I am am planning a Next Book on all aspects of the great game and the great season --- triuph and tragedy..

Anyone with any information is invited to inform me.

I would be most grateful.

Ben

DICK IS VERY OFTEN DEAD WRONG

The following article has been forwarded to you by a reader of NewsMax.com. To visit NewsMax.com, point your browser to http://www.newsmax.com. Forwarded by: David der Cousiner (dgutmann2004@yahoo.com) Comments: Ben - Is - God Forbid!! - Dick Morris correct in his psephology? David Dick Morris Says GOP Sunk in '06, Hillary Wins in '08 The GOP is [rearranging] "deckchairs on the Titanic," and single women will propel Hillary Clinton to the White House in 2008, says political analyst Dick Morris. Republicans are watching their base shrink dramatically in the wake of the Mark Foley scandal, said Morris, appearing on "Your World" with Neil Cavuto. The former Clinton advisor and confidante pointed to a recent Gallup poll that revealed what has happened among church-going whites, whom Morris called "the ultimate GOP base." They are "splitting 47-47 in their vote," he told Cavuto, who said "Then it's a matter of just sitting home [on election day] but they're actually voting for the other guy." . . . To read the rest of this article Click Here.

Markets sideways...

Markets moved sideways in a very tumultuous time, on a Friday, often when traders like to stay safe.

Looong boom still looks good.

Ben

Markets

Yes but all the indices are up.

You are surely correct about the price adjustments, but that has happened before, in economically good times, i.e. the 1960s.

Ben

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "1. The Dow":

you said 12,000 by close of business... the Dow has yet to actually close at 12,000. It hit 12,000 during intraday trading but hasn't closed at 12,000 yet. What did you mean by your bet? I don't think it should count unless the Dow CLOSED at 12,000.

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Posted by Anonymous to Wattenblog at 10/18/2006 07:20:05 PM

Yup.

Click here: Newhouse A1

Yes, I did indeed write that speech for LBJ (speech-writers back then were not supposed to ever acknowledge authorship.)

But LBJ, a great President in my judgement, is long gone, and he can't pick me up the ears the way one did with a beagle of his.

Even then, enviros were complaining that it was too crowded in the USA.

We weren't then, and we aren't now.

As Julian Simon titled a wonderful book, the mind of of man is The Ultimate Resource , and a renewable one at that.

Ben

Don't mean to be a pest but...

All market up --- again.

Watch for the looong boom

Ben

Thanksgiving Day

(><) Thanksgiving Day is a lovely holiday for us to gather together to ask the Lord's Blessing.

This year it is celebrated on 11/23.

Have a real feast. You probably deserve it.

Brown meat, white meat, candied yams, with cranberry sauce.

Don't feel too sorry for the gobblers. Most all of us are carnivores, for good or for ill.

Moreover the turkey is supposed to be a particularly dumb bird.

But they can fly.

We can't.

Except in super-sonic jets.

Ben

If Max Boot wrote it...

Max Boot's new book--- War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of
History, 1500 to Today --- is being released today by Gotham Books.

If Max Boot wrote it the chances are 99.44% that it makes sense.

Ben

Whee !!!

Dow now over 12,000.

I offered a one (1) dollar bet that it would close at that lofty height.

I am prepared now prepared to bet one (1) dollar, even money, that it closes 2006 at over 13,000 !!!

Any takers???


Ben

Redundancy...

(<>) Ours is a more complicated society than we might ever have expected.

There are so many keywords, passwords, code numbers, security devices, ID pass-w0rds like your mother's maiden name.

Some people, of course, have unbelievable memories.

A man in Japan recently multiplied by itself the value of pi (I think I reported it as 2.11, but I think it is 3.11) for 22 consecutive hours.

But there are "Senior moments", and not only among seniors.

I find it useful to have second, or third, copies of things, passwords, medications etc. etc.

It seems to help.

Ben

The Dow

Once again, the Dow plowed ahead into record territory, approaching 12,000.

The Nasdac was down a bit.

I don't know that any of you took me up on my offer to cover a $1 even-money bet that the Dow would reach 12,000 by year's end.

I am now prepared to extend that to 13,000.

Any takers?

Ben

It is complex, but so is life.

Click here: PREVIEW: Against Relativism

Interesting, that a Brit gets what so few Americans get.

It is indeed a complex persuasion, tendency, orientation, political philosphy, whatever.

Senator Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson's slogan for the the 1972 primary contests seem to get it best: Common Sense, for a Change.

That and American Exceptionalism, "Ideas have Consequences" and "The Law of Uninitened

Consequences" also express what's going on.

Many people are Neo-Cons, without even knowing it. They believe in helping the needy but not the cheaters; in free markets, with reasonable regulations; in a global economy with help to those who hurt by the "creative destruction" of democratic capitalism.

Ben


unintended

Life style drugs...

The advent of Prozac, Viagra and other such medicines was promoted by the drug companies for their own qualities.

The Pharma companies said that it pushed men to come in for a check-up --- which they tend not to do.

These days some doctors want to see their patients regularly and many tests.

Others say, listen to your body.

Ben

Dow ... Whee !!!

Dow breaks 12,000.

I think a "long boom" a'comin....

Ben

I sleep fairly well...

"Dow opens ---up again":
"Dow opens ---up again":
"Dow opens ---up again":
Re: New comment on Dow opens ---up again

Like many people who are getting a little long in the tooth, I sleep fitfully.

When I get up, I blog a little. I really enjoy it.

In that, I am fortunate.


Ben

Dow opens ---up again

Dow opens up --- again.

I repeat: I think we say we are in for a Leontiff- style "long boom."

Ben

Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty

During the Cold War --- and still today --- Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty beam out messages to once un-free nations, at their request, or publicly whispered to us by freedom-seeking dissidents.


Just a few days new headquaters were opened in Prague. A Think Tank team was there to record the events and interview one of the great men of our time, Vaclev Havel. I expect to interview him later when he comes to Washington.


For about a decade I was Vice-Chaiman of the Board of RFE/RL.

First Frank Shakespeare and Malcolm "Steve" Forbes were the Chairmen.

We had, it was said "the best Board in Washington." Other members included Lane Kirkland head of the AFL-CIO, James Michener, and Ed Ney who ran Young and Rubicam, one of the worlds largest advertising agencies.

Today when I am in a cab in New York City with a Soviet-era driver I mention my role in RFE/RL.

He usually glows and Radio Svoboda, it kept hope alive. I glow too.

Ben

Background music

(<<)

People around the world are tapping their toes to American music.

Much of it comes from American television, musical comedies and movies.

The opening medley from Guys and Dolls is modelled on a Bach fugue. The score is by Frank Loesser. The movie stars Marlon Brando and Jean Simmons.

Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin, and other well-known names have contributed.

Their works have contributed greatly to the global culture.

At least some of it isn't violent or obscene.

Ben

You're confused ... I'm confused

( <> ) I am working to keep my memory sharply honed. The mind is a muscle. It too can get tired, like most muscles.

I sometimes get confused, but I think with good reason.

I' m writing a book Tales of a NeoCon (which is counter-intuitive: Iraq has not been a rotten, nutty, screwy, secretive, manic war.)

I am doing this blog (which is fascinating anf frrrustrating.)

I have immoderated 12 years of Think Tank, done many other documentaries (one of which, The Firt Measured Century, I hope to put into theatrical release.)

I wrote about 1,000 newspaper columns from 1981 (I thought many of the the pieces were quite good.)

I burnished those for CBS Spectrum ( an elementary teacher of mine told me she goes sleep with it on --- good job, you get to sleep with your teacher.)

I've written about a dozen books (Tales is the first narrative, and I think will be the best.)

I've been interviewed on hundreds of radio and television programs (of which the ones with Brian Lamb were probably the best.)

I've had a rich full life, (with a dinner table as a child loaded with an interesting and fascinating people, often arguing in aspirited way.)

I went to a fine small college with a Great Books core curriculum (Hobart College in Geneva, NY)

I've hung my hat at The American Enterprise Institute ( the world's most important think tank.

So: When I blog, write, broadcast, it's more than a little confusing to know what came from where,

I am not now, nor ever have been a braggard.

Ben

This is amazing...

These are the ones I think you should have!! and they all MOVE

The face expresses most ever conceivable emotion: come-hither, frown, laugh, giggle, arch your eyebrows, snarl and more.

It is said that a person's history can be read in his/her face.

I believe it

Ben

The mind ...

( <> ) (My symbol for musings rather than hard news)

The human anatomy has been likened to a bowling ball sitting atop a pencil.

The human mind can perform such remarkable feats. A man in Japan recently multiplied Pi (2.1777777777) for 22 consecutive hours !

The splendid DVD Ackmeda and the Bee (sp?) shows a a small African-American girl from South Central Los Angeles winning the Scripps spelling Bee in Washington DC. Tutored by a brilliant linguist and philologist (Samuel L. Jackson, I believe) she is told to learn them not only by rote, but by it's roots in Greek, Latin, English/American, German, Hebrew etc.

She jumps rope to link the words toto the roots and definitions.

Weird.

All that stored in a pound or so of grey matter.

Now get this: Certain herbal teas --- like chamomille --- produce a calming effect. Even a whiff will do.

I admire those who believe they know how the world works.

I don't.

But I do what I love, I love my family, I am better situated financially than I ever dreamed --- not wealthy --- and doing just fine, thank you.

Ben

elinks most every conceivable word

Chamolille

Market is up ---

Once again the markets are up in turbulent time.

I think we are in for Leontiff's "Long Boom"

Ben

I've a smile on my face...

(<> ) (sign for remembering and reflecting rather than hard news)

The theme song of Jerry Lester, a popular late night comic of my youth, "I've a smile on face, for the whole human race, and it's almost like falling in love."

His straight lady was the busty Dagmar.

It's a sentiment apparent in most every culture.

It makes sense

Ben

Ben's brief response, interspersed

In a message dated 10/15/2006 9:43:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, anonymous-comment@blogger.com writes:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Thank you Vr":

I very much enjoyed this broadcast of Think Tank. GOOD : THE MAGIC WORS. Both guests seem to have a respectable academic pedigree and it was nice that they conducted themselves in a cordial manner toward one another. I believe the Intelligent Design vs. Evolution debate is at the forefront of the culture war in America today and I appreciate that Think Tank had the courage to host the debate. SO IT IS; IT WAS DRIVEN BY MY 22-YEAR OLD REASEARCH ASSISTANT. All in all, well done.

As to the debate itself, I am a bit disappointed that the debate never really got to the merits of the scientific argumentsI AM NOT AT ALL SURE THAT STUDIES AND SCIENCE CAN DEAL WITH THIS ONE. AS JOB IN THE OLD PART OF THE GOOD BOOK. While I am not sure it was intentional, Dr. Ruse, appeared to keep steering the discussion toward the religious beliefs of Dr. Meyer, as if to completely discount his scientific pedigree and expertise. I THOUGHT DR MEYER WAS RATHER CAVALIER ABOUT CIVIL LIBERTIES: YOU CAN TEACH THAT YOU CAN'T TEACH THAT. When Dr. Meyer introduced the topics of “cellular circuitry” and “digital coding”, Dr. Ruse stated that Intelligent Design scientists had an “anti-scientific, anti-naturalistic attitude” and again turned the discussion to religious ideas rather than address the issues head on. It struck me that if an “evangelical christian” scientist developed a promising AIDS vaccine, Dr, Ruse would argue against funding because of the religious beliefs of the scientist involved. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT STUFF...

I would hope that in the next session of the debate you will compel the guests to focus on the merits of the competing scientific theories rather than avoid them by changing the subject and turning the debate into an ad hominem attack, albeit a cordial one, attempting to personally discredit a professional scientist, simply because of his personal religious beliefs. Please lets us hear the empirical evidence—the science—and compel the guests to stick to it. WE SHALL TRY,,,

Thank you again and I look forward to Part 2.

Richard Harris


PS Tell me /us about yourself.

Who is "Vr"

Anonymous to Wattenblog at 10/15/2006 06:49:26 PM

Ben J. Wattenberg
American Enterprise Institute
1150 17th St. NW
Washington D.C. 20036
202-862-5908 Bwattenberg@aei.org
Fax: 202-862-5821

or

Ben J. Wattenberg
3003 Van Ness St. NW
(Apt. W-433)
Washington D.C. 20008
(202-363-2821) wattenberg@aol.com
Fax:202-363-1075

Women in the military ...

Click here: FOXNews.com - 2 U.S. Servicewomen Die After Being Hit by Train in Germany - International News | News of the World

This is a fascinating situation.

Some feminists --- who wouldn't dream of pulling the pin on a grenade --- insisted that women be allowed to serve in combat alongside men. The symbolism was important.

Some women have indeed shown themselves to be courageous in combat with nerves of steel.

We have a clee-shay for most everything, don't we? I like most of them because everyone know what they mean,

Other women apparently got antsy and wanted out.

Even during my time in the USAF --- 1956-1958 --- a WAF I knew handed in a specimen ---not her own --- to show that she was pregnant. ( ! )

Ben

Tastes

Some people don't like these discursive non-news items.

I do.

It's my blog.

I will try to mark these sorts of posts this (^ ) sign...

Marcel Proust in Remembrances of Things Past notes that taste is a powerful human sense.

I find it so. One day it is cole slaw just as my mother used to make it. Another day it pulled pork Bar-B-Q. Right now it watermelon.

I am told that certain foods/liquids make you tired --- like valerian tea --- as in valium --- make you tired.

Artificicial flavors like Red Bull keep you awake.

Any information would be appreciated, plus that about the alledgedly very common but exasperating "dries " --- eyes and tears.

Be gentle, I am something of hypochondriac. Why isn't everyone?

Ben







I will try to keep

Oops !

Senior moment !

I thought today was Monday not Sunday.

I think I may have been confused by Columbus Day. But it happens as you get older --- and lots of young people forget things.

It is so amazing that we can cram so much information in such a tiny brain. Did you see Akmeda and the Bee? It is an amazing story of young black girl from South Central Los Angeles --- tutored by Samuel Jackson

Embarassing ? Yes.

But: I get some extra time to be with family and friends --- and even do the kind of work I love.

That is a true blessing as you age: Enjoying your work.

That lets you be more productive and happy, which lets you help those you love, and lets you connect with good new friends of both genders, sexes, persuasions etc.

Ben

I went to college with Brock Yates and...

Brock Yates is a prolific author, a radio and TV commentator, a race car commentator, and has raced. (Cannonball Express with Burt Reynold was partly his work, I think.)

He has been a good and warm friend over the years.

(I once waited tables at his fraternity before becoming steward of my own.)

He made an interesting point in an article in the WSJournal not long ago:

1) That many deaths by auto accident are due to the driver falling asleep at the wheel and

2) That many auto deaths are acts of suicide ! ! !

Withal, auto deaths per driving mile mile are down substantially.

Ben

One more factor

Click here: It’s Official: To Be Married Means to Be Outnumbered - New York Times

This is one more factor in the amazing decline of birth and fertilty rates.

One bright spot seems to be emerging: Married couples with spacious and not very expensive (relatively speaking) seem to be having more children.

I do not think it will compensate for late marriage, cohabitation etc. etc.

We shall see...

Ben

Market

Market up again, approaching 12,000.

Even money bet of $1 that it closes above 12,000 by year's end. Similar bet, with reasonable odds in my favor, is available.

I am not a RegRep etc.

Ben

Not sure who is who.. but...

I forget who was which.

I generally sided with the fellow who took the position that ID was legit as a topic for study.

John Frantz has left a new comment on your post "Thank you Vr":

I was wondering if someone knew where I could get a hold of a video of the Design/Evolution debate between Meyer and Ruse. The PBS station in Syracuse does not carry Think Tank. I am not surprised to learn that you thought Stephen made the better argument. I have seen him a number of times, read some of his work and most recently (last night) watched him in what was billed as a "conversation" at Washington State University with a fellow scientifical type by the name of Peter Ward (I think I remember that name right), and Meyer really knew his stuff.

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Posted by John Frantz to Wattenblog at 10/14/2006 06:42:12 PM

As they used to say ,,,

Ben, you've been asking this question since the fi... As they used to say in the balloons above a comic book chracter's head : sigh

I'm still not sure I believe it. I know some people who offer cross-links to 30-40-50 media sites
and whoe blogs have less inherent interest than mine.

Ben

***

Ben, you've been asking this question since the first day you started your blog: "How can I gain some mass distribution and cross-linking for this blog?"

If you want to get your blog listed on a big website like Jerusalem Post or Australian, etc., you have to develop a relationship with the person or persons that are in charge of running them, and then ask that person to list your blog on their website. There is no magic bullet that will get you instantly listed on dozens of big websites. The bloggers that you see crosslinked on other websites had to work hard to get those links, sometimes for many months or years, establishing a reputation and trustworthiness before other websites crosslinked to them. There's no other way to do it, you just have to be patient and people will start linking to you without you even asking.

Publish Reject

Importan --- Raison d'etre for this blog

Some people like the Blog, some don’t, some like some parts of it .

I’m me; they’re them, It is more important to me that I write than that they read.

Many bloggers expect hard news, politics, geo-politics, climatolgy and, best for me, demographics. That I will provide. I have either studied these fields --- or learned by reporting and investinging the matter at hand, with colleagues --- mostlty the latter, by far,

But I am in a remembering, wondering, amazed, astonished, joyful, pensive, sad mood as I see that although I have miles to go before I sleep, there are fewer miles left.

Topics would include: The five senses, physics, mind-body, DVDs, art, music, hi-tek, technophobia, redundancy, diet, mind-games, enjoying-what you-are doing, priorities, family and the meaning of life. More such topics will come.

Because I fear losing one a looooong post falling off the ether, perhaps I will indicate each such post with a symbol like “##”, unless some can tell me how to easily access ,say, a dagger, or a copywright sing.

What do you think?.

Ben

I welcome Mr. Aach...

Sounds good to me, MrJA.

Does anyone know how to link to lots of site/blog linx at once, i.e. The Australian, Fox, CNN, AlJazeera, The Jerusalem Post ????

Ben

James Aach has left a new comment on your post "Nukes":

If there is ever to be public acceptance of nuclear power, it will have to come as much from our culture as from think tanks and newspaper editorials. (France has achieved this.) As an energy professional, I know that almost no one in the United States outside of the electric power industry has a real "feel" for just how hard it is to produce large amounts of electricity, and what the real pros and cons are of the various generation options - fossil, nuclear, wind, etc. I have tried to combine the cultural aspects of the energy debate with my insider knowledge of nuclear power by writing a thriller novel called "Rad Decision". My book discusses the people, the politics and the technology of nuclear energy. Many of the points Mr. Wattenberg lays out above are portrayed. The book is available online at no cost to readers - and they seem to like it judging from their homepage comments. It has also been endorsed by Stewart Brand - a prominent "greenie" who has called for a second look at all our energy supplies.

I hope Mr. Wattenberg will be kind enough to allow this message to be posted - and perhaps a few interested folks might take a look.

RadDecision.blogspot.com

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Posted by James Aach to Wattenblog at 10/14/2006 11:00:37 AM

Nukes

Click here: The Safety in Loaning Nuclear Fuel - washingtonpost.com

The WashPost is the only newspaper I know of that has a special column on what the various tanks are up to,

Tanks? You're welcome.

Regarding nuclear power: It is an ongoing scandal that we --- here and in the more "modern" nations--- have been held hostage by the Greenies.

Nuclear power, when it first came to be, was said would be "too cheap to meter." That was silly. But costs have been run up by a series of often-mindless regulations, often regarding waste diisposal.

Recall:

The French do disposal best, by vitrefying the waste material and sinking it into deep wells. We put the waste in "slackwater pools and argue --- for 20 years now --- whether we can used Ucca Mountain as a repository.

Nuclear power is free of greenhouse gases and should be worshipped by environmentalists, not condemned by them.

The supply is near-inexhaustibe, be it from uranium, thorium --- whatever.

It is safe. Chernibyl was a primitive facility. In America we built one-of-a-kind plants, each one needing specialized personnel, manuals, reduindancy, etc.

The French stamp them out as if from a cookie press.

Allons en'fant

Monsieur Ben

Point Well Taken

Ben said:

Some wonderful tekkies, at the office and at home have ascertained that I have posted about 400 blogs. ! ! !

Respondent said:

You have only one blog. A blog is a collection of posts, or entries. So you have posted a total of over 400 times to your blog. Or written (and posted) a total of over 400 blog entries.

Ben says

I'm a still a blogger, yes?

I still post blogs, yes?

That's fine.

Ben

.The body....

How many things can you keep in you mind simultaneoulsy?

A long-ago walk in the woods stripping bark off a birch tree to make post-cards from it? A picture on you wall of your mother and father? Your uncle's paintings? The smell of smoke around a bonfire? A fire-engine clanging in the night? Putting a night-crawler on a barbed hook to catch bass? Your first car? Your first girl-friend ? The ride to Gull Lake in Minnesota? The first time you almost got killed? Hitting a soft-ball over a short right field wall?

The human body has been likened to a bowling ball on top of a pencil.

So much is crammed into the command and control center called a brain.

A massive complex brain has lobes, nerve endings, synapses, proteins --- what elese.

It has lobes and nerve endings.

A yawn can be purposefully begun --- and is then almost impossible to stop.

When does your brain inform you that you love a girl? When you like a girl? When lust after a girl.

A new study shows that men are more courageuos than women. Really? Men could you give birth? Once? five times? Ten times?

DNA, different blood types, kidneys, liver, eyes,ears, nose and throat. Also: Taste buds, hair, finger and toes.

I think everyone has a unique odor.

The skin shivers. It gets goose bumps (derivation of that is WHAT) It turns blue when it is cold.

It comes in many varieties: Black, white, yellow, and tan.

Tap just below your knee and you get a knee-jerk response.

Jewish men don'y usually drink too much, but I found myself drinking a little more than I wanted to. I haven't had a drink in about five years. Machoman --- me, who once opted to fly in combat and fight bulls (did neither) --- feared what might happen to me if I had just a taste of the stuff.

I found today that Listerine has alcohol in it .

Let's go have a beer.

Ben

Predictable ....

Click here: Free Fall Radio: Air America Goes Bankrupt - October 13, 2006

Long, long before Rupert, Rush and "fair and balanced", talk radio was what is now called by limousine liberals "right-wing."

I experienced it in Denver, Boston, NYNY --- lots of it in NYNY --- Chicago, Minneapolis and more.

It don't think it was.

It gave Americans news and opinions, fair and square.

They deserve as much.

Ben

Tom Kean and Tom Kean and Nepotism and Nepotism

Click here: FOXNews.com - Free Video Player

Tom Kean is running for Governor of New Jersey.

His father was Governor of New Jersey, and a very good one,

The Keans are a brand name in New Jersey.

Is this nepotism???

I think not...

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

Ben

But ...

Click here: Democratic Faces That Could Launch Thousands of Votes - washingtonpost.com

Isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder?

Ben

Believe it or not ! ! !

Some wonderful tekkies, at the office and at home have ascertained that I have posted about 400 blogs. ! ! !

Some are flash news --- the markets etc.

But some are more pensive: The nature of the universe, how many things you can think of at one time, how many different ways people kill people, are human beings the only species that kills its own kind? etc. etc. etc.

Some of my viewers just want hard news: Politics, geo-politics, demographics etc.

But I love the ruminative ones.

I'm me. They are them.

If they don't like what I'm doing --- don't read it.

(I also just got a keyboard with an optical mouse ! Technophobia be gone.)

Last question for now: How can I gain some mass distribution and cross-linking for this blog? Some sites have scores of links: The Australian, Al Jazeera, The Jerusalem Post etc.

I can't believe the web-masters got them one-by-one, begging, as I am doing.

How do you get a bunch at a time?

Do any of you know ?

Ben






Wattenberg@aol.com wrote:


> Many many thanks...
>
> Can you estimate how many posts I have?
>
> My *&^%!! computer only shows the last few days...
>
> In my dream world I want to publish some of them as a companion volume to my
> new book Tales of NeoCon.
>
> I love the format. It fits my quirky style just fine.
>
> Thanks
>
> Blogger Ben
>
>
> Ben J. Wattenberg
> American Enterprise Institute
> 1150 17th St. NW
> Washington D.C. 20036
> 202-862-5908_ Bwattenberg@aei.org_ (mailto:Bwattenberg@aei.org)
> Fax: 202-862-5821
>
> or
>
> Ben J. Wattenberg
> 3003 Van Ness St. NW
> (Apt. W-433)
> Washington D.C. 20008
> (202-363-2821)_ wattenberg@aol.com_ (mailto:wattenberg@aol.com)
> Fax:202-363-1075
>
>
Glad to help. I've enjoyed your work in the past, and look forward to
your book.

--Bob Waters

Market up slightly,again

Closing in on 13,000. Usually the markets dip on Fridays.

Not today, not even Friday the 13th.

Ben

Thank you Vr

Sir,

Thank you for hosting a discussion on Darwin and Intelligent Design. I saw portions of the program today on PBS. One comment: When you asked Stephen Meyer whether it mattered which class that Intelligent Design is taught in, either science or philosophy classes, you seemed to miss that your question made the point. I believe your implication was that why would proponents of Intelligent Design care which class as long as their view point was presented to the kids. If it doesn't matter, then why would the Darwinian "side" mind if Intelligent Design is taught in the science class?

My personal view is that Stephen made the better argument.

Again, thanks for holding the "debate."

Vr

Shawn Grenier

Worth perusing.

The US Census Bureau does great work. Their data is endlessly fascinationg to me.

Note particulalry the immigration data: More then than now ! ! !

It was controversial then too, even more so than now...

Ben


# # #
* Special Edition *
300 Million

Our nation’s population is expected to reach 300 million the later part of
this year. To help spotlight this occasion, the Census Bureau steps back in
time by comparing contemporary life and statistics to those in the time
periods in which the nation reached other noteworthy population milestones
— in 1967 (when the population reached 200 million) and in the year 1915
(when it reached 100 million). America, how you have grown and changed.

Note: If data are not available for the specific year highlighted, we have
provided data available closest to that year.

President
2006: George W. Bush
1967: Lyndon B. Johnson
1915: Woodrow Wilson

Price of a new home
2006: $290,600
1967: $24,600 ($149,147 in 2006 dollars)
1915: $3,200 ($64,158 in 2006 dollars)

Cost for a gallon of regular gas
2006: $3.04 (as of Aug. 7)
1967: 33 cents ($2.00 in 2006 dollars)
1915: 25 cents ($5.01 in 2006 dollars)

Price of milk
2006: $3.00 gallon
1967: $1.03 gallon ($6.24 in 2006 dollars)
1915: $ .36 gallon ($7.22 in 2006 dollars)

Cost of a first-class stamp
2006: 39 cents
1967: 5 cents
1915: 2 cents

Notable Events
2006: The 20th Winter Olympic Games take place in Turin, Italy.
1967: Dr. Christiaan Bernard performs the first heart transplant;
the first Super Bowl
is played.
1915: World War I continues in Europe.

Pop Culture
2006: iPods and “American Idol” reign supreme and cell phones are the
rage.
1967: Color TV is the rage. “The Lucy Show,” “Andy Griffith” and “Gomer
Pyle” are
the top-rated television shows.
1915: The “Model T” and silent movies are the rage. Raggedy Ann,
aspirin in tablet
form and processed cheese are introduced. The milk carton
is invented.

World Population
2006: 6.5 billion
1967: 3.5 billion
1915: 1.8 billion
(Sources: World Population Clock at Data pertain
to 2006. Data pertain to
1967. Data pertain to 1910.)

Tying the Knot
Median age at first marriage for men and women, respectively.
2006: 27.1 and 25.8
1967: 23.1 and 20.6
1915: 25.1 and 21.6
006840.html> Data pertain to 2005.
Data pertain to
1967 and 1910.

Coming to America
2006: 34.3 million
Number of foreign-born people. They comprise 12 percent of the total
population. Mexico is
the leading country of origin. (Source: American FactFinder) Data pertain
to 2004.

1967: 9.7 million
Number of foreign-born people. They comprised 5 percent of the total
population. Italy was the leading country of origin.
Data
pertain to 1960.

1915: 13.5 million
Number of foreign-born people. They comprised 15 percent of the total
population. Germany was the leading country of origin. Data pertain to
1910. (Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times
to 1970)

From Desert Outpost to Major Metropolis
The growth of Phoenix symbolizes the nation’s movement South and West.

2006: 1.5 million
Population of Phoenix, making it the sixth most populous city. Data pertain
to 2005.


1967: 439,170
Population of Phoenix, making it the 29th most populous city. Data pertain
to 1960.

1915: 11,134
Population of Phoenix. It was not among the 100 most populous cities. Data
pertain to 1910.



The Rise of the Sunshine State
Since 1915, Florida has been transformed from almost an afterthought to our
nation’s fourth most populous state.
2006: 17.8 million
1967: 6.2 million
1915: 923 thousand
(Sources:
006142.html> Data pertain to 2005. Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the
United States 2007; data pertain to 1967 and 1915.)

Our Incredible Shrinking Households
Average household size.
2006: 2.6 people
1967: 3.3 people
1915: 4.5 people
006840.html> Data pertain to 2005.
Data pertain to
1967. ,
1999 edition,
Table 1419. Data pertain to 1910.

Tuberculosis
Death rate from this disease per 100,000 population.
2006: 0.2
1967: 3.5
1915: 140.1
(Sources: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States 2007; data
pertain to 2003 and 1967.
, 1999
edition,
Table 1420. Data pertain to 1915.)

Homeownership . . . the American Dream
Percentage of the nation’s householders who owned the home in which they
lived.
2006: 68.9%
1967: 63.6%
1915: 45.9%
Data
pertain to 2005 and 1967.
Data
pertain to 1910.

Our Aging Nation
Number of people age 65 and older.
2006: 36.8 million
1967: 19.1 million
1915: 4.5 million
Data
pertain to 2005.
Data pertain to
1967 and 1915.

Median Age of the Population
2006: 36.2
1967: 29.5
1915: 24.1
Data
pertain to 2005.
Data pertain to
1960 and 1910.

Living Longer
Life expectancy at birth.
2006: 77.8 years
1967: 70.5 years
1915: 54.5 years
, Table 96. Data
pertain to 2005.
(Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970
; data pertain to 1967 and 1915.)

Working Women
Percentage of women in the labor force, age 16 and older (10 and older for
1915).
2006: 59%
1967: 41%
1915: 23%
, Table 585. Data
pertain to 2004.
(Source: Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970
; data pertain to 1967 and 1910.)

Education
Percentage of the population, age 25 and older, who had at least a high
school diploma.
2006: 85.2%
1967: 51.1%
1915: 13.5%
Data pertain
to 2004 and 1967.
Data pertain
to 1910.

Earnings
2006: $34,926 and $23,546
Median wage and salary income in 2005 for male and female wage and salary
workers, respectively.


1967: $5,974 and $2,295 ($29,589 and $11,367 in 2005 dollars)
Median wage and salary income for male and female wage and salary workers,
respectively.

1915: $687 (Constant dollar figure not available.)
Average annual earnings for workers (excluding farm labor). (Source:
Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1970)

Names
The most popular baby names for boys and girls, respectively.
2006: Jacob and Emily
1967: Michael and Lisa
1915: John and Mary
(Source: Social Security Administration, at
Data pertain to 2005, 1967 and 1915.)

Our Love Affair with the Motor Vehicle
Number of motor vehicle registrations.
2006: 237.2 million
1967: 98.9 million
1915: 2.5 million
(Sources: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States 2007; data
pertain to 2004 and 1967.
, 1999
edition, Table 1439.)

Safer on our Roads
2006: 42,643
Number of traffic fatalities in 2003. This amounted to 1.5 fatalities per
every 100 million vehicle miles traveled.

1967: 51,559
Number of traffic fatalities. This amounted to 5 fatalities for every 100
million vehicle miles of travel.

1915: 6,779
Number of traffic fatalities. This amounted to 35 fatalities for every 100
million vehicle miles of travel.

(Sources: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States 2007;
, 1999
edition,
Table 1439, ,
Table 1086.)

The Military
Active-duty military personnel.
2006: 1.4 million
1967: 3.4 million
1915: 174 thousand
(Sources: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States 2007. Data
pertains to 2005.
, 1999
edition,
Table 1444. Data pertain to 1967 and 1915.)

Down on the Farm
Number of farms.
2006: 2.1 million
1967: 3.2 million
1915: 6.5 million

Not...

KL has left a new comment on your post "Watch it":

Why are you giving air time to the now throughly discredited Discovery Institute? They do no research, publish no scholarly articles, and try to push their propaganda into schools. (and lose court cases or get school boards overthrown when they do) I expected better of PBS.

Ben's response:

Bruce Chapman, who runs Discovery is a very intelligent man.

We had a vigorous debate between two panelists. It was fairly edited.

I think: It may well be that most people pushing Intelligent Design are creationists.

But, many people who believe in Intelligent Design are creationist. Einststein had an ID. Aristotle did. Sir Francis Bacon did. And so did Charles Darwin. He thought he knew how the world worked --- although he was religious. (Perhaps that disqualifies him.) I think not.

Also: Unless it is wholly egregious, it is my call, not that of PBS. Also: Public stations not affiliated with PBS run the program. PBS is primarily a distributor not a network that produces it's own shows. It is a bizaare system with a redeeming feature: It broadcast probably the best programs, perhaps anywhere.

Eek ! it is Friday the Thirteenth, Superstitous? Not, Not, Not, Me, Me , Me...

Ben

Ben

Thanks; major breakthrough; maybe

Many, Many thanks.

This is very important to me.

I just want to know (roughly) the number of blogs that have posted. My computer only goes back a a few days when I click the blue word Wattenblog.

The blog is at Mozilla Foxfire. But I don't see how to reach them via E or post.

I can be reached at the Wattenblog or at

Ben J. Wattenberg
American Enterprise Institute
1150 17th St. NW
Washington D.C. 20036
202-862-5908 Bwattenberg@aei.org
Fax: 202-862-5821

or

Ben J. Wattenberg
3003 Van Ness St. NW
(Apt. W-433)
Washington D.C. 20008
(202-363-2821) wattenberg@aol.com
Fax:202-363-1075

EMail is better than phone. The phones are scewed up.

Technophobic

Ben

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "All I'm trying to do is....":

I am not an expert, but:

I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF MY ENTIRE BLOG HAS BEEN SAVED SOMEWHERE AND WHETHER I CAN RETREIVE IT. IT IS QUITE IMPORTANT TO ME...

I understand your desire, which is perfectly reasonable. I would say in general I would expect that your blog posts and comments -- an archive of all that, if you will -- is available. But it may depend on how you have gone about the technical aspects of putting up and maintaining your blog, and also on the service level you have with the company that hosts your blog. I can only repeat: your blog is hosted somehwere. On a server. This server is the computer that answers hits -- queries -- on your blog and sends back the data so your blog is seen. Who, meaning what company, is

Publish this comment.

Reject this comment.

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Posted by Anonymous to Wattenblog at 10/13/2006 02:16:55 AM

Stand/Deliver. Who are you? You are wrong.

MY DEAR MR WRONG

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "And please remember...":

You have been provided with a lot of statistical evidence -- largely ignored on your part -- that proves everything you say here is false; that in fact Hispanics are, on average, developing into a new underclass, WRONG, MR WRONG,JUST PLAIN WRONG with significantly higher criminality CERTAINLY NOT IN THE SECOND GENERATION, CERTAINLY NOT WHEN COMPARED TO HOMEGROWN AFRICAN-AMERICANS. and much lower academic success rates IN THE FIRST GENERATION PERHAPS. SOMETIMES IN THE SECOND, AND MOST OFTEN NEARLY DISSAPPEARED IN THE THIRD.

THINK RICHARD RODRIGUEZ, HENRY CISNEROS, BILL RICHARDSON AND THE TAN ATHLETES WHO NOW GRACEFLULLY DOMINATE MAJOR LEAUGUE BASEBALL.

THE FANS WERE VERY NERVOUS IN PTTSBURGH WHEN ROBERO CLEMENTE CAME TO PLAY. CLEMENTE CALLED HIMSELF A "DOUBLE NIGGER" --- BLACK AND LATINO --- AS RECOUNTED IN DAVID MARANNISS' FINE BOOK CLEMENTE.

PITTSBURGH WAS THEN A TOUGH REDNECK TOWN. TODAY THERE IS BEAUTIFUL STATUE OF CLEMENTE OUTSIDE THE BALL YARDA in the first generation, not to mention arriving in such large numbers that they are, in a growing number of areas, replacing Whites as the majority THEY ARE GROWING FASTER IN SOME AREAS BUT THEY ARE A LONG LONG WAY FROM BECOMING A national MAJORITY, WHICH HAPENS TO BE THE WAY WE GOVERN OURSELVES. IF THEY DO EVENTUALLY DO THAT THEY WILL BE LIKE THE SCOTCH-IRISH-GERMAN-WELSH BLENDS THAT HAVE SO ENRICHED AMERICA. YOU WON'T BE BALT TO TELL YHE PLAYER WITHOUT A SCORECARD.

MOREOVER. MEXICANS IN MEXICO ARE HAVE VERY FEW CHILDREN, ACTUALLY MEXICO IS ALREADY HAS BRITH AND FERTILIT RATED THAT ARE "BELOW REPLACEMENT" AND SINKING.

MEANWHILE QUITE A NUNBER OF YANKEES ARE GOING TO MEXICO.

MEXICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIERS WIN PROPORTIONATELY MORE IMPORTANT COMBAT MEDALS THAN ANY OTHER GROPUP IN THE POPULATION GROUP AS A WHOLE. I SALUTE THEM.

Ben

THEY, THE IMMIGRANTS, BECOME JUST PLAIN AMERICANS. I THINK EVEN SLAVE-DESCENDED BLACKS ARE CLEARLY MOVING INTHAT DIRECTION. ALBEIT FOM A LOWER BASE. in other words, overturning the historic demographic makeup of the American nation. Which is a form of national suicide -- nothing less. MEXIAnd according to every poll I have seen, this is against the wishes of most Americans, who want illegal immigration stopped and legal immigration reduced. VERY MIXED DATA, WITH CLEAVEAGES AMONG GROUPS, WHICH CHANGE OVER TIME, AND VARY GREATLY WHEN LEGAL AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. No doubt because they see and have to live with the everyday consequences of it.

So far it has to be concluded: you are too intellectually dishonest to fairly address this evidence and acknowledge the problem; this is probably because you are paralyzed by political correctness -- afraid to be called names like 'racist' and 'xenophobe'. THE JEWS, THE ITALIANS, THE IRISH, THE KOREAN, THE CHINESE, THE JAPANESE HAVE GONE THROUIGH THE SAME PROCESS AND ARE NOW OFTEN HONORED AS MODEL MINORITIES IN THE SECOND GENERATION.

I NEVER CALLED NO ONE NUTTIN'.

So it would be a waste of time to have a further dialogue with you about it. YOU MAY TAKE YOU BLOG AND GO HOME OR STAND AND SLUG IT OUT ON THIS LINE ALL FALL.

I AIN'T CUTTIN' AND RUNNING.

YOUR CHOICE, MR WRONG.

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE, WRONG,

Not to mention the total disaster of the formatting of your blog and your blogging practices, e.g. comment moderation. YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THAT. TELL ME HOW TO DO IT BETTER. I'M ALL EARS.

BEN





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Posted by Anonymous to Wattenblog at 10/12/2006 11:15:20 PM