The Only Orthodoxy is Reason

A report this morning indicated that the idea of formally taking over mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (henceforth “FMs”) has crossed the minds of the president and his advisers. 
For the mortgage layman, an introduction to the mortgage process is in order.  It begins when a prospective mortgage borrower applies for a loan with […]

In May, the California Supreme Court held “unconstitutional” a California statute defining marriage as existing between one man and one woman. The opinion issued by the Court went out of its way–or, as Shakespeare might say, protested too much–to assure the people that the Court was not making policy, but only applying simple, well-recognized […]

In mid June, Montreal Superior Court Justice Suzanne Tessier created a crisis by overturning a father’s decision to ground his daughter.  Justice Tessier ruled that the father had no right to inflict an “unduly severe punishment” (in this case, denying his daughter permission to attend a school trip). Even for Canada this decision is unprecedented; […]

A report from January of this year estimated the total US federal government’s 2007 debt to be $163 Billion, or about 1.16% of GDP.  This is certainly not ideal, but with consistent economic growth the situation might prove at worst benign.  Unless, of course, I told you that these figures aren’t based on accrual accounting.
For […]

During much of 2007, illegal immigration became an issue of tremendous importance in America. Ordinary citizens rose up en masse to reject the McCain-Kennedy immigration bill in June; the Republican presidential candidates talked about the need for border security and argued about how we should handle the millions of illegal immigrants living there. […]

A 53 year-old man has liver failure. His liver is bad mostly because he drank heavily for 20+ years, and now he needs a new liver. His liver function has become poor enough that he now has hepatic encephalopathy, a condition where cognitive function declines because of poor clearance of toxic substances (from the blood […]

I recently (re)read Bram Stoker’s classic “Dracula.” Much has been written, and will not be here repeated, concerning the infernal Count’s symbolic nature, and I agree with the literary consensus that he stands for unrestrained sexual desire. It’s nearly impossible to read Dracula and miss the symbolism, unless you are one of […]

I’ve lived long enough to have learned
The closer you get to the fire the more you get burned
But that won’t happen to us
‘Cause it’s always been a matter of trust
– Billy Joel, “A Matter of Trust”
About a year ago, I and some fellow English teachers were at the local foreigner bar (appropriately named The Western), […]

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
- United States Constitution, 1st Amendment
Last Friday, a judge […]

For those of you who are new to the 2008 US Presidential campaign, here is a quick layman’s overview.
            *Barack Obama is black.  His time is now.  Change.  He was against Iraq from the beginning.  Has a racist pastor.
            *Hillary Clinton is experienced.  She’s a woman.  Snipers shot at her, or something.  Superdelegates.
            *John McCain […]

In the time to come, the media and biographers will doubtless give us an overly complete picture of the professional, personal, and political life of Charlton Heston.  I like his movies, but I couldn’t tell you even half his filmography from memory.  I don’t know much about his personal life, and I’m sure I remain […]

Late last week, the Dutch politician Geert Wilders released his highly controversial film, Fitna, on the internet. Wilders is a conservative politician who has called the Koran a fascist book and denounced Islam for its violent teachings.  Public figures in Europe and the Middle East denounced the film before it was even released, fearing that […]

Dear Mr Bernanke, 
I certainly don’t envy your job lately.  Congratulations on surviving a tough initial period of your tenure.
 
As you probably already know in theory, it is unlikely that the decision-making role of the Federal Reserve will grow easier before it becomes more difficult.  Unfortunately, sir, this is in no small part your fault nor […]

“I’m personally opposed to slavery, but I don’t want to force my opinion on people who support the right to own slaves.”
This statement probably sounds ridiculous to most people, but it was, more or less, the position of Stephen Douglas, the Democratic candidate for president in 1860. Douglas is famous for his failed attempt to […]

Early in World War II, Japan considered invading the mainland of the United States. Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander in chief of the Japanese naval forces and architect of the Pearl Harbor bombing, advised against invading. Twenty years prior, Admiral Yamamoto had spent a few years in the United States studying at Harvard University. […]