We’re all a Bunch of Cheaters

 

In a perfectly transparent and infinite economy, all investment risk would be evident and calculable. As a result, all business profits from like-term investments would be the same. Citizen Bob and Citizen John would share the opportunity to earn the exact same profit from a 2-year corporate bond, a 2-year loan to a lemonade stand, or a 2-year certificate at their local credit union. Competitor A and Competitor B would earn the exact same profit on a 24-month credit card loan as they would on a 24-month auto loan. They would both realize the same final profit on a 10-year treasury as they would a 10-year interest-only mortgage portfolio.

At a perfect and infinite equilibrium, all investment products of like-term would yield a homogenous profit.

Because of this, it can be said that all business is an attempt to cheat. Every single one of us is trying to cheat the equilibrium. And let me tell you – some people really suck at cheating. I fear I may be one of them.

Jolt

Obama: “The federal government is the only entity left with the resources to jolt our economy back into life.”

Translation: “It is the right and responsibility of this government to plan, control, and maintain this society.”

People just eat this up without questioning it on a second level. It frustrates me to no end. The federal government should never have become so large an entity that it can “jolt” (or control) the entire economy. The implied power in this statement is what we fought a bloody revolution to escape from.

Stalin: “The central government is the only entity left with enough troops to put down these constant rebellions.”

Hitler: “The government quarter in Berlin is the only entity left with enough power to watch and control every aspect of my Aryan society.”

Serpent: “My fruit is the only food left that can really provide you with what you need.”

Autumn Emotion

Here I am with you. We rustle the leaves as we stroll. We pretend it’s just part of the walk. Adults don’t swish the leaves. That’s for children.

But we all kick the leaves on purpose.

You say the thing to say: “The color in the leaves is so beautiful.” Your words have no lie in them. Your offering is real.

“Yes it’s wonderful. The changing colors make it all worth while. I love this time of year,” I say, convincing you of my heart for this world.

Is this bailout constitutional?

We are now experiencing what can be easily be regarded as an unprecedented economic crisis. We have no historical data to draw upon that would have saved us from this catastrophe.

As with all such situations, we often find that there is no precedent for a solution. It is during these times that we must be more than careful with our chosen responses.

A Response to My Readers

The following is a response to a posting by “Jazz” in the blog entry immediately before this one. It is an important enough topic for it to be it’s own post.

For those that would care to continue, this short posting is a simple response to a criticism of my beliefs as a Libertarian.

A Libertarian’s Perspective on the Mortgage Giant Bailout

You may have noticed on the news yesterday (9/7/2008) that the US Government just took over the two “mortgage giants,” Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

 

The Mortgage Bankers Association, which has been monitoring mortgage markets for 40 years, also just published that 9.2% of all U.S. one-to-four-family mortgages were delinquent or in foreclosure proceedings. This is the highest it’s ever been since they started gathering data. Look around your neighborhood. 1 in 10 of your neighbors is essentially going bankrupt – as in, the kids are eating Top Ramen and Daddy is paying all the bills a month behind just to stay afloat.

Dangerous Idealism

In general, I don’t like people who think the world is a big dark secret on the verge of going belly-up. They’re most definitely incorrect the majority of the time, and they’re terribly difficult to communicate with.

Even worse, however, are those in the opposite camp. I have no tolerance for people who allow their neighbors’ freedoms and liberties to be taken captive because they’re too busy watering their happy-happy-sunshine garden of unattainable ideals.

In the extreme political left of the United States, I am endlessly frightened and annoyed by an entire society of happy-happy-sunshine gardeners. These superliberals play too violently with the delicate fabric of our political culture in their short-sighted attempts at obtaining utopia.

Unfinished Blog Entries

Does everyone else in the world write 80% of a blog and never finish it? I have about 10 blog entries that are all about 80% of the way finished. For some yet unknowne reason, I tend to abandon my writing at the 80%  mark, which means I never end up publishing the entries.

Movies that Make Me Cry

If you meet a man and he tells you that he doesn’t (and hasn’t ever) cried at a movie, there are two distinct possibilities:

1. He’s full of lies and deceipt.
2. He has a cold black heart made of tar and death.

Winston Strikes Again

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My beloved Winston (aka “Short Bus”) has caused havoc, yet again. One of these days he might just be on the next bus to Mexico.

Your own loneliness factor.

Are we all just as lonely as the next person? Of course not. We all have our own particular level of loneliness. But, what really defines that level? How in the world can you change it?

I don’t offer any magic in this blog. I only want to provide you with the important opportunity to look in the mirror with a new perspective.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Women

What a fantastic film. This work of art is by no means the shallow, fun-loving movie that many people take it to be. Sure it has its points of light-hearted humor, but there are some very important social commentaries to be found in this 1961 classic.

The Mighty Pen

It is an unusual thought to associate any evil with the inventions of the printing press and the typewriter. These two instruments, and their offspring, have transported humanity into an entirely new era of intellectual freedom. Unfortunately, as is the case of most new developments, people inevitably lost their respect and for the intellectual freedom they now take for granted.

In my humble opinion, all sense of honor has gone out of mankind.

This blog is not an attack on the news media, nor is it a commentary on the wayward nature of so much of the literature we find in our modern culture. Rather, this is a slap on the wrist to our whole society for the fact that we no longer lend the appropriate weight to the choosing of our words – both in writing and speech.

Convinced of My Deception

I’m really not sure that I like this process of getting to know myself. It always seemed like such a noble task when I was younger.

I’m sure that this, and near-future blog entries will be a bit on the melancholy side. However, I’m also convinced that the honesty will be valuable and nothing short of an oasis for anyone of like-mind.

Music Recommendations

My soul is soothed by music.

“Well, of course.”

SSL Certificates in a LAMP/Plesk Environment

For anyone out there who is trying to setup shared certificates in a LAMP/Plesk environment, let me start by saying you should stop now. You should also rejoice in your decision to go with this type of server. Of course, it is definitely possible for you to force this type of SSL setup to work. It is also a very bad idea, and one that has a much better alternative.

Allison Kristine Hahnel

Earlier this week, my mother commissioned me to write an article on my sister. Here is what we came up with together:

Allison Kristine Hahnel

Much like yourself, I’m only human. I imagine that the two most human questions would be these (and in this order): Are you okay? What happened?

Well, no, I am not okay. As for what happened – I could tell you to “read between the lines” in the above obituary, but that would be nearly as cruel as it would be useless.

War & Terrorism

Recently I was indicted by one of my good friends over my support of a conservative article written by Ben Stein. I was compelled to make my response public. If you would like to know me better, read on…