In Our World
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Get Tough on Criminals
I love this story about Sheriff Joe Arpaio. It offers perhaps my favorite quote ever. When the inmates complained about the lack of coffee, having to wear pink, having to work on chain gangs and perhaps, above all, not being able to smoke, he told them: "This isn't…
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Running up the Score
An article this morning talks about a coach who was suspended for running up the score on the other team. The final score was 55-0. In softball. I'm not sure how to take this. If you're talking a game like soccer (as is referenced in the article) or…
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Do Subsidies Ever Stop?
The government has been subsidizing Amtrak for ages. Jumping in the wayback machine, as of 1997, they had received $13 billion since 1972. It's undoubtedly much higher by now. Charlotte has given the green light to more than one hundred thousand dollars in incentives for a company who…
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Dollars and Sense of Pro Sports
The City of Charlotte gave the NBA expansion Bobcats $300 million for a new arena. No, we didn't hand them a check, but we are building the arena for them and they get to reside in it, operate it and even keep the profits from it. Charlotte is…
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The Price of a Tree
Before I even get started, let me say that I like trees. I've planted trees. Just after I moved into this house (nearly 6 years ago!), I put a nice Green Ash in the front yard. I joined the National Arbor Day Foundation a year or two ago….
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A Bit of Compassion
I can't count how many times I have seen someone move like lightning because the next checkout lane over suddenly opened, and that person wanted to be the first person there – no matter if they were the last person to arrive in the current line. Does anyone…
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Schiavo Showdown
Hmm. I don't know that I'd really call it a showdown, but increasingly that seems to be what it is. Or at least what it is that the press would like us to think it is (accurately or not). I'm still trying to decide how I feel about…
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Are Speed Monitors Useful?
It seems that nearly every time I drive these days, I see those monitors that provide you with the speed you are traveling, in conjunction with the speed limit for that area. As a bonus, when you're above the speed limit, the displayed speed flashes. If you're way…
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Moron Satellite Radio
Now I'm really sure that I'm not a demographic target. I'm apparently so far out that I can't even understand that anyone would get it on some of these things. But nonetheless, I can only assume that there is some reason for it. Companies aren't that stupid, are…
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Lawsuit Happy
As if the government weren't bad enough, we see another reason that illustrates exactly why we are in such a pickle. Yesterday's paper brings us this article, where we find that someone is suing Caterpillar for their role in a tragic incident. It seems that Caterpillar manufactured the…