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Cardinal Dolan on "Meet The Press": The Church has been "outmarketed" when it comes to homosexual marriage...

11/30/2013

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Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York is a guest tomorrow on NBC's "Meet the Press" with moderator David Gregory. In the interview, Cardinal Dolan states that the Roman Catholic Church has been "outmarketed" on the issue of gay marriage and has been "caricatured as being anti-gay."

With the 16 states having legalized so-called "homosexual marriage," Cardinal Dolan notes:

     I think I'd be a Pollyanna to say that there doesn't seem to be kind of a
     stampede to do this. I regret that.

Gregory noted that the Church is obviously on the losing side of the debate. Dolan responded:

     Well, I think maybe we've been outmarketed sometimes. We've been
     caricatured as being anti-gay.

As evidence, Cardinal Dolan, argued:

     When you have forces like Hollywood, when you have forces like
     politicians, when you have forces like some opinion-molders that are
     behind it, it's a tough battle.

The Motley Monk agrees with Cardinal Dolan that it is a tough battle, yes, one about truth. But, as Cardinal Dolan knows, Church teaching oftentimes doesn't cater to the desires of the masses. Instead, She must proclaim the truth, as revealed in Scripture and Tradition. Inevitably, there will be a confrontation and people must make choices.

Cardinal Dolan’s comments likening this type of confrontation to a "marketing" battle--"Tide vs. Gain" (detergents), "McDonald's vs. Wendy's (burgers), or "Morton's vs. Ruth's Cris" (steaks)—got The Motley Monk thinking.  Would it now embolden those whose ultimate desire is for the Church to repackage (or, worse yet, change) Her teaching so that it is more consumer-friendly? In the mind of those who assert this position, the Church will gain market share as people come back to or enter the Church which welcomes rather than judges them.

The Motley Monk thinks not.

Those who are agitating for homosexual marriage will never be attracted to the Church by the truth of Her teaching. Simply repackaging the truth so that it’s more user friendly is a dangerous approach to evangelization, The Motley Monk thinks, one that very well lead advocates of homosexual marriage to accuse the Church of "deceptive marketing."

That said, many friends have taken The Motley Monk to the woodshed over the years for maintaining that position. His opponents argue that The Motley Monk’s proposition would inevitably relegate the Church to a minority position in society, leaving Her able to exert little if any substantive influence on the surrounding culture.

But, The Motley Monk has always opined, that position and two dollars will yield exactly two dollars.

Why?

When it comes to confronting sin--think of a drug addict--repackaging the message to make it more consumer friendly doesn't work. Until the addict is aware of the truth and what the addict's choices have meant for his or her life, conversion isn't likely in the cards. Repackaging the message may work for changing the minds of consumers, but not those of sinners.

In Splendor veritatis, Pope John Paul II discussed how the truth illuminates the mind, in effect drawing the mind to evaluate “what is” against the standard of “what ought to be.”  This conversion of mind (metanoia) then causes the sinner to will to order one’s life according to the dictates of truth.

Market the truth in such a way as to draw sinners into the Church so they then will hear the truth in its fullness? How about proclaim the truth to the ends of the earth so that people come to the Church to be healed of sin?


Let the discussion begin...

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"Caveat benefactor": Where are your charitable dollars going?

11/29/2013

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With the holiday season nigh upon us, many people express their generosity each year by donating money to deserving charitable causes. The Motley Monk recently received an email from Second City identifying organizations that deserve to receive donations because a high percentage of those donations go directly to the people served by those organizations.

Consider donating money to the following organizations:

1.  The Salvation Army (a $2B organizations)
     Commissioner Todd Bassett receives a salary of $13k/ year plus housing.
     96% of donations go directly to the cause.
2.  The American Legion, The Veterans of Foreign Wars, The Disabled
     American Veterans, The Military Order of Purple Hearts, The Vietnam
     Veterans Association
     The National Commanders receive a salary of $0.00. 100% of donations
     go to help Veterans, their families, and youth.
3.  The Make-a-Wish Foundation:
     100% of donations go to fund trips or special wishes for a dying child.
4.  St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital
     100% goes towards funding and helping Children with Cancer who
     have no insurance and cannot afford to pay.
5.  Ronald McDonald Houses
     100% of donations go to house and feed parents whose children are
      hospitalized in critical care.
6.  Lions Club International
     100% of donations go to help the blind, purchase hearing aides,
     support medical missions around the world. Their latest undertaking
     is measles vaccinations (for $1/innoculation).

But, then, there are those other "charitable" organizations where high percentage of those donations go directly to the people working for those organizations.


Be wary of donating to the following organizations. Their expenses are too high:

1.  The American Red Cross
     President and CEO Marsha J. Evans' salary is $651,957 plus expenses.
2.  The March of Dimes
    Only 10 cents of every $1 goes to research.
3.  The United Way
     President Brian Gallagher receives a $375k base salary along with
     numerous expense benefits.
4.  UNICEF
     CEO Caryl M. Stern receives $1.2M/year (that's $100k/month) plus all
     expenses including a Rolls Royce. Less than 5 cents of every donated
     $1 goes directly to children.
5.  GOODWILL 
     CEO and owner Mark Curran profits $2.3M/year. Donations to Goodwill
     are sold for profit after paying workers the minimum wage to repair
     those items.

The Motley Monk understands that a reasonable percentage of every $1 donated needs to pay for operating expense. The idea is simple: Charitable organizations should be directing the lion's share of funds raised directly to the people or causes served by those organizations. Funding lavish lifestyles and programs that have little or no direct connection to the donors' intention is fraudulent as is publishing misleading financial reports that underreport expenses and where those donations have been directed.

"Caveat benefactor"--let the donor beware!


Let the discussion begin...

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On Thanksgiving Day 2013...

11/28/2013

0 Comments

 
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The Car Allowance Rebate System: An inefficient clunker of a program...

11/27/2013

1 Comment

 

Remember "Cash for Clunkers"? An environmentalist's dream come true!

The idea was that the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), known popularly as "Cash for Clunkers," allowed consumers to trade in older, less fuel-efficient vehicles for voucher they could apply toward the purchase of newer, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Administered by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), here's how CARS worked:
  • Participants would trade in the  "clunker" at a dealership. The vehicle's engine was destroyed to ensure its permanent removal from the U.S. vehicle fleet.
  • Vouchers for either $3.5k or $4.5k were provided, depending on the difference in fuel economy between the trade-in vehicle and the new vehicle.
  • Nearly 700k clunkers were traded in between July 1, 2009, and August 24, 2009. The eight-week NHTSA spending spree cost taxpayers anywhere from $2.45B to $3.15B.

Announcing CARS, President Obama promised taxpayers that the price tag would be a wise "investment." It would would provide a temporary stimulus to counter the economic contraction. CARS would also reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

Part of the President's promises were fulfilled:
  • CARS did incentivize the sale of more fuel efficient vehicles. How? By motivating people to buy now rather than down the road (pardon the pun).
  • CARS also caused a slight improvement in fuel economy and some reduction in carbon emissions.
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But, welcome to the Land of Oz!

According to a Brookings Institution report, although CARS did result in a small and short-lived increase in production, gross domestic product, and job creation, the implied cost/job created was much higher than alternative fiscal stimulus policies would have been. In addition, the stimulus effects did not account for the depletion of the capital stock that resulted from the destruction of used vehicles.

But, economic facts don't matter in the Land of Oz!

Most importantly, the cost/ton of carbon dioxide that CARS reduced suggests that it was an inefficient (meaning "not cost-effective") way to reduce emissions. Yes, CARS was more cost effective than some other environmental policies, such as the tax subsidy for electric vehicles or the tax credit for ethanol. But, as with most environmentalists' ideas that get enacted as public policy, they waste taxpayers' hard-earned money when they don't have to.

Who should give a hoot? After all, it's all a grand experiment along the "Yellow Brick Road."

We're all off to see the Wizard!


Let the discussion begin...




To read the Brookings Institution report, click on the following link:
"Cash for Clunkers: An Evaluation of the Car Allowance Rebate System."
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Read a little bit each day and cover the gospels or the Catechism of the Catholic Church in one year...

11/26/2013

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The folks over at Flocknote, in partnership with Lighthouse Catholic Media and Ignatius Press, offer a wonderful program for readers of The Motley Monk who may be interested in learning a little bit more about the gospels.

"Gospels of the Year" is an email and text messaging tool that uses the Ignatius Study Bible for the scripture translation and the commentary that's sent each day to those enrolled in the program. Those participating in the program for one year will cover the four gospels...brick-by-brick, a little bit of faith formation each day.

This program follows on the heels of Flocknote's other highly-successful program, "Catechism in a Year" which uses YOUCAT--an accessible, official Catechism of the Catholic Church in Q&A format. Partnering with Lighthouse Catholic Media, Ignatius Press, Flocknote and Catholic Cross Reference, participants cover the content of the Catechism of the Catholic Church over the course of one year...brick-by-brick, a little bit of faith formation each day.

Both programs provide an excellent opportunity to engage in faith formation in a way that's affordable (free), timely (fits each participant's schedule), and comprehensive (a complete program).

The Motley Monk recommends giving one program a try during the upcoming New Church Year which begins on Sunday, December 1.


Let the discussion begin...





To access the "Gospels of the Year" program, click on the following link:
http://flocknote.com/gospel

To access the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" program, click on the following link:
http://www.flocknote.com/catechism
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What's coming to the USA: How unions (don't) work in France...

11/26/2013

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With the liberals in the United States attempting to transform the nation's economy, one element of that transformation includes radically expanding the number of citizens who belong to labor unions, like the Service Employees International Union.

Rather than argue with the liberals, why not simply examine the effects of their pro-union policies upon other nations?

Like France, where the Socialist Party President, Francois Holland, is presiding over an economic debacle.

How bad?
  • 11% unemployment;
  • ~0% economic growth; and,
  • convoluted, rigid, and anti-growth labor laws, like those that restrict working during night hours.

What does restricting work during night hours have do with the lack of economic expansion in France?

According to France 24, the upscale French cosmetics change Sephora was ordered by a Paris Appeals Court to close its flagship boutique on the Champs Elysees Boulevard at 9:00 p.m. Previous to the Appeals Court order, the store was open Monday through Thursday until midnight and as late as 1:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

That is, until France's largest unions sued Sephora, citing labor laws that restrict working at night time. The unions don't want their members working at night time, so they are suing to keep any firm that might do so to prevent them from doing so.

To what end?

According to one salesperson:

     I want to cry.  I see all my co-workers who are going to lose their jobs
     and who have been ruined by this decision...they have taken away our
     right to work without even asking us....

"Growth is starting to take off again," President Holland insists.

Not during night hours at Sephora. But, perhaps at France's houses of il repute.


Let the discussion begin...





To read the article in France 24, click on the following link:
http://www.france24.com/en/20131002-france-business-retail-work-hours-sunday-monoprix-sephora
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Eating more healthy: Five surprising tips...

11/25/2013

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The Motley Monk is always on the hunt for better ways to eat without sacrificing any of the wonderful tastes accompanying food that's been well-prepared. It often seems that "healthy" is an antonym to "flavorful" and "good for you" is an antonym for "will kill you."

The recent edition of Men's Health offered five tips regarding healthy and good that appeared, at first, counterintuitive to The Motley Monk.

The headline: "Even if you opt for whole foods packed with vitamins and minerals, simple mistakes in the kitchen could be sapping them of their health benefits."

How so?

Heat, water, storage, and exposure to air can all cause certain foods to lose their nutrients in different ways.


According to the article, cooks make five common mistakes in their kitchens that destroy valuable nutrients. Each mistake is easily fixed.

1.  Vegetables

     The mistake: Microwaving or boiling them
     The fix: Steam them

Why steaming works: Steaming helps retain cancer-fighting nutrients in broccoli better than other cooking methods. Sulforaphane—a plant compound with strong anti-cancer properties—is abundant in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and arugula. The enzyme myrosinase is necessary to release the compound, but most cooking methods destroy it. Steaming is a slower, gentler heat, and isn’t intense enough to kill myrosinase. Cook broccoli in a steaming basket for 3 to 4 minutes for the biggest cancer-fighting boost.

Hmm...The Motley Monk steams his vegetables in the microwave. Perhaps it's time to stop that!

2.  Strawberries

     The mistake: Slicing them before eating
     The fix: Eat them whole

Why whole strawberries work better: Whole strawberries contain 8% to 12% more vitamin C than the cut fruits. Vitamin C begins to break down when exposed to light and oxygen. Store whole strawberries in the refrigerator, as cool temperatures help retain vitamin C.

Hmm...Whole strawberries just don't look nice on the top of summer pies!

3.  Wine

     The mistake: Letting a bottle “breathe"
     The fix: Pour and enjoy

Why it works: Decanted for long periods of time—up to 12 hours—the organic acids and polyphenols in red wine begin to break down. Leaving the bottle open overnight negates the benefits associated with glass of red, including decreased depression, increased testosterone, and a healthier heart.

Hmm...The Motley Monk will have to finish off what's leftover before retiring to bed.

4.  Tomatoes

     The mistake: Eating them raw
     The fix: Heat them up

Why it works: Tomatoes may lower the risk of stroke, fight prostate cancer, and preserve brain power as human beings age. But, heating tomatoes significantly increases their levels of lycopene, the chemical that can raise antioxidant levels. Eating mostly uncooked produce can lead to a lycopene deficiency. The most nutrition comes when tomatoes are cooked in olive oil. Why? Lycopene is fat-soluble, meaning the fat from the olive oil enables the body to absorb the lycopene properly.

Hmm...How about stewing tomatoes in olive oil (a little onion, celery, salt, pepper, and some toasted bread crumbs on top)?

5.  Frozen Produce

     The mistake: Frozen produce takes second place to fresh produce
     The fix: By frozen produce

Why it works: In two out of three cases, frozen fruits and vegetables have higher levels of antioxidants—including polyphenols, vitamin C, and beta-carotene—than fresh vegetables. How so? As produce ages, nutrients begin to change and break down. Produce that's frozen at prime ripeness with nutrients intact is better than week-old produce that has lost its beneficial chemical makeup.

Hmm...The Motley Monk had been of the opinion that fresh is always better than frozen, thinking the convenience of frozen vegetables trumped their nutritional value.

So, here's the deal as The Motley Monk understands it: Steam vegetables, wash them down with red wine, and have a few whole strawberries before bed. It could be the perfect prescription for health and longevity!


Let the discussion begin...




To read the article in Men's Health, click on the following link:
http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/5-foods-youre-eating-wrong
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The "mirror image fallacy": Charles Krauthammer is right about so many things...

11/24/2013

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The former psychiatrist-turned-FoxNews political commentator who coined the term "Bush Derangement Syndrome," Charles Krauthammer, wrote in 1983 about another syndrome, what he called the "mirror image fallacy." 
The idea is that people across the globe--men and women of every race, nationality, and creed--are just like Americans. They possess the same dreams and hopes as Americans.

In a recent interview in Townhall magazine, Krauthammer opined that the mirror image fallacy is the "primary affliction of liberalism...the primary core of our liberalism."

But, this idea is nothing more than political insanity, according to Krauthammer.

Yes, all people have hearts, feelings, and children. All people love and strive. The commonalties are obvious and explain why medicine works. What liberals overlook is that politics begins where those commonalties end. There are different languages, histories, aspirations, and moral systems. These differences provide the fecund breeding ground for political conflict.

Simply put, the mirror image fallacy doesn't explain politics and that's where liberals get it wrong. Believing that everyone is just like them, liberals propose what Krauthammer believes are totally useless and ineffectual political solutions--like arms control and chemical weapons treaties. Then, when violations occur, and they will due to those differences, liberals wonder how such misconduct was possible.

Krauthammer believes the mirror image fallacy has evidenced itself most recently in the liberals' embrace of the so-called "Arab Spring." Liberals were convinced that democracy and peace would result from the marches and protests. Instead unrest continues in Egypt, the conflict continues in Libya, and Syria is now engaged in a deadly civil war.

Unable to explain why conflict continues since every person in the Middle East must desire peace, liberals continue to rely on the mirror image fallacy. Why ever would liberals believe that solving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the biggest, if not only, key to peace in the Mideast, Krauthammer asks. Ditto for calling domestic terrorism of the type perpetrated by Major Nadal Hasan "workplace violence." He's just like us, no?


The answer to that question is pretty straightforward. Liberals propose easy ways out of very complex problems because they believe that everyone else is just like them. Conflict cannot exist in that worldview.


And that is insane, politically speaking.


Let the discussion begin...




To read the interview of Charles Krauthammer in Townhall magazine, click on the following link:
http://townhall.com/tipsheet/conncarroll/2013/10/23/a-conversation-with-charles-krauthammer-n1729025

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More on "hopium and changeum" not...

11/23/2013

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With the media keeping its eye trained on the failed launch of Obamacare, don't be lulled into complacency on another front: Hypocrisy associated with President Obama's 2009 "economic stimulus" package.

Remember the Solyndra debacle that left American taxpayers on the hook for $535M?

Yesterday, Fisker Automotive Inc., whose $103k plug-in hybrid sports sedan--the "Karma"--which operates in all-electric mode or in tandem with a small gasoline engine, hit the wall of fiscal reality in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the District of Delaware (Wilmington). According to Bloomberg, court documents reveal that U.S. taxpayers lost $139M of the $192M loan Fisker received from the Department of Energy.

Guess who partnered with the Silicon Valley venture company Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers to back the original Fisker loan? Yesiree, none other than former Vice President Al Gore who even purchased a Karma to demonstrate his commitment to the plan.

The soaking could have been worse for taxpayers, however. Although the Karma was produced in Finland, Fisker had planned to use most of its $529M Department of Energy loan commitment to develop a second model at a former GM plant in Delaware. That hopium never turned into changeum--Hurricane Sandy destroyed the plant--and the Department of Energy stopped loaning the remainder of its commitment to Fisker because the company could make a payment on the loan.

Of the bankruptcy, Fisker's Chief Restructuring Officer, Marc Beilnson said:

     After having evaluated and pursued all other alternatives, we believe

     the sale to Hybrid and the related Chapter 11 process is the best
     alternative for maximizing Fisker Automotive’s value for the benefit
     of all stakeholders. Fisker Automotive technology and product
     development capability will remain a guiding force in the evolution
     of the automotive industry under Hybrid’s leadership.

This is where the story gets interesting and why people should keep their eyes trained on this story, too, insofar as The Motley Monk is concerned.

The Energy Department decided to auction its interest in Fisker after it defaulted on its loan without making a payment and attempts to find a buyer failed. However, a newly-formed group--Hybrid Technology LLC--has paid $25M to win the Energy Department's auction to take over Fisker’s defaulted taxpayer loan.


Hopium reigns supreme, as the Energy Department is once again betting that Hybrid Technology LLC will produce the Karma.

Well, guess who's representing Hybrid Technology? A strategic communications firm, the Glover Park Group. Its leadership team includes Joe Lockhart. Remember him? Lockhart was one of Bill Clinton's White House spokesmen.

This revelation comes only weeks after the Daily Caller revealed that First Lady Michelle Obama's Princeton classmate, Toni Townes-Whitley, is a top executive at the company that earned the contract to build the failed Obamacare website.

Forget the charge of making "reckless gambles" with taxpayer money. 


Remember when then-candidate Barack Obama accused President George W. Bush of “crony capitalism”?

The hypocrisy is worse.


Let the discussion begin...




To read the Bloomberg article, click on the following link:
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-22/fisker-to-sell-assets-in-bankruptcy-at-139-million-loss.html

To read the Daily Caller article, click on the following link:

http://dailycaller.com/2013/10/25/michelle-obamas-princeton-classmate-is-executive-at-company-that-built-obamacare-website/
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Public transportation: The ideal Obamajob...

11/22/2013

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The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART)--the rail system that serves metro San Francisco--has had a bad spell the past six months or so. BART's unions, the Amalgamated Transit Union and the Service Employees International Union, organized a five-day strike that affected 400k passengers each day. Then, a 60-day cooling-off period didn't work. Instead, another strike occurred in mid-October.

The strikes were partly due to workers being disgruntled over low pay.
  • Prior to the first strike, BART management offered salary increases of 5% to 8% over 4 years. Employees would contribute small percentages to their pensions.
  • The two unions demanded a 23% increase.

After both strikes, BART employees received a 15.4% salary increase.

Sounds to The Motley Monk like Europe. Workers demand unreasonable salaries, protest layoffs, stifle reforms, and strike. With no competition, the losers are the passengers who experience poor service and taxpayers who pour even more of their hard-earned dollars into subsidies for public transportation.

According to Scott Beyer whose article appears in National Review, the issue isn't substandard performance. No, BART provide an object lesson in the power of a public monopoly to soak taxpayers.
  • The current average salary for BART workers is $82k, which include overtime that is added to their 37.5-hour work week.
  • Fringe benefits (health care and pensions, for the most part) average ~$51k.
  • Total compensation for BART employees is $130k/year.

37.5 hours/week for $130k? Now that's an Obamajob!


Let the discussion begin...






To read Scott Beyer's article, click on the following link:
"System Derailed."
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Regarding the PreK fairy tale...

11/21/2013

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Universal PreK: Its promises are nothing more than the stuff of a fairytale...

11/21/2013

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Those pushing for universal PreK education are citing as evidence for their cause a study demonstrating the large vocabulary gap between low- and high- incomes two year olds. Yes, the government must fund universal PreK.

But, why?

Two year olds who live in high-income families have larger vocabularies than do those who live in low-income families. Those low-income two year olds are doomed to a life of misery and poverty.

This is the stuff of "the preschool fairy tale," according to the William E. Simon Fellow at the Manhattan Institute, Kay S. Hymowitz. In her article in Time magazine, Hymowitz, notes:
  • While researchers have found a few high quality programs that do yield some benefits, they haven't discovered anything indicating that universal PreK will bridge the gap.
  • In fact, the research inadvertently demonstrates that it is extremely difficult for the government to compensate for family breakdown. Those in poverty oftentimes live in chaotic homes where children go through many "transitions" (e.g., disappearing fathers, new stepparents who frequently leave for other relationships, and stepsiblings and step-grandparents who are just passing through). In transitions like these, parents are probably more preoccupied with picking up the pieces of their own lives than with enriching their children's vocabulary. The more transitions children experience (boys in particular), the worse their educational outcomes.

The "takeaway"?

Parents--not formal education--make most of the difference for young children's readiness for school as well as for success once they get there. This finding is nothing new, of course. Decades ago, the sociologist James Coleman's research indicated as much (see especially pages 109-113).

For those who believe in the PreK fairy tale, however, massive government intervention in PreK programs will compensate for or change parents who are not or cannot be fully invested in their children's development and education. All it requires, after the government takes its cut, is to tax the rich and redistribute the proceeds to the poor in the form of yet another entitlement program.

Sorry, The Motley Monk notes. To this point, the facts continue to suggest that this emperor is naked. Universal PreK is a thinly-veiled, government-sponsored, and unsurprisingly expensive form of daycare.


Let the discussion begin...




To read The New York Times' article touting PreK research, click on the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/22/us/language-gap-study-bolsters-a-push-for-pre-k.html?hp&_r=1&

To read Kay Hymowitz's article in Time magazine, click on the following link:
"Universal Pre-K Won't Solve Vocabulary Gap (Or Inequality)."

To read James Coleman's research, click on the following link:
http://courseweb.lis.illinois.edu/~katewill/for-china/readings/coleman%201988%20social%20capital.pdf
0 Comments

Perhaps Bernanke and crew are brilliant...

11/20/2013

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The Motley Monk is no fan of the outgoing Fed Chief, Ben Bernanke. The reason is simple: Printing all of that money (called "Quantitative Easing" or "QE") and reducing interest rates will eventually lead to inflation and perhaps hyperinflation. For people in the middle class who have saved or are saving for retirement, for example in an IRA, they stand to lose a whole lot of money long after Bernanke and crew have departed Washington, DC.

Yet, a report from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) indicates that QE has saved more than $1T in national debt since 2007.

How so?

According to MGI, the federal government profited by issuing Treasury debt that pays interest at a reduced rate. To wit: The effective rate on outstanding U.S. debt fell 50% between 2007 and 2012 (from 4.8% in 2007 to 2.4% in 2012). The scheme saved the US Treasury $900B in interest payments over those five years.

Is The Motley Monk wrong? Should the nation's taxpayers should be jumping up and cheering? After all, the federal deficit is $17B not $18B (5.83% less than it otherwise would have otherwise been), all due to Bernanke and crew's crafty scheme.

Well, wait just one minute!

MGI notes that QE and ultra-low interest rates have had the negative effect of creating some losers, namely, American households. On average, they lost $360B in net interest income. In addition, Americans aged 75+ lost an average of $2.7k/year in interesting income (or, a total of $13.5k over those five years).

Time to take Bernanke and crew out to the woodshed?

Maybe not. After all, this is economics and MGI also notes that QE and those ultra-low interest rates raised U.S. household wealth an estimated $5.6T. In turn, that increase translated into ~$167B in additional consumer spending in 2012, strengthening the nation's overall economy. Those effects far outweigh the household income lost. In addition, even if ultra-low interest rates continue (and they are expected to for the near term), the folks at MGI don't foresee inflation to be a "major" risk.


So, after reading the MGI report, should The Motley Monk just calm down about the potential negative effects of QE and ultra-low interest rates? Even if unemployment and underemployment in the labor market will continue at present rates due to weak economic growth?

It all depends on whether one evaluates the glass to be "half empty" or "half full." Unfortunately, those economic prognosticators who are correct in their analysis are known only long after the effects of policies, like QE and ultra-low interests rates, are evident. And, like Bernanke and crew, are long gone from the scene.


Let the discussion begin...




To read the report published by the McKenzie Global Institute, click on the following link:
http://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/McKinsey/dotcom/Insights/Economic%

20Studies/QE%20and%20ultra-low%20interest%20rates%20Distributional%20effects%20and%20risks/
MGI%20QE%20and%20ultra-low%20rates_Full%20report_Nov%202013.ashx

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Where's my Obamaphone?

11/19/2013

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Anyone who has carefully examined a monthly cellphone bill knows that there's all sorts of fees and taxes attached. One of those fees pays for so-called "Obamaphones." That is, qualifying individuals are entitled to free cellphone service, even illegal immigrants.

What most people don't know is that the federal government spent $2.2B in 2012 for nearly 20M Americans to use Obamaphones (or, $110/Obamaphone). According to an article in the Fiscal Times, 41% of those Obamaphone users (that's 6M!) couldn't demonstrate eligibility or failed to respond to request for certification.

How exactly does someone qualify for an Obamaphone?

If anyone in a household participates in any government assistance program--from food stamps to unemployment--or if the total household income is below the federal poverty limit, presto! That individual is entitled to free cellphone service, courtesy not of President Obama but of the nation's cellphone users!


It's called a "use tax." It's similar to what's being contemplated in Congress to pay for repairing the nation's roads and bridges because Congress has bankrupted the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Heard this narrative before?

Of course, conservatives are upset with the Obamaphone program, citing the fraud and waste associated with what's nothing other than another taxpayer-subsidized entitlement program. And, of course, the liberals contend that without phone access, those in poverty or near-poverty have no way to get help in emergencies or to respond quickly to job opportunities.

That's all well and good. But, all The Motley Monk can afford is "old technology," that is, a "flip (cell) phone." As of this month's bill, those "add on" taxes add nearly 20% to The Motley Monk's monthly cellphone bill.

So, The Motley Monk asks: "What's next?" Unlimited texting? Free high-speed access to the Internet? 4G android phones to watch videos, movies, and Hulu on an Obamaphone? How about Obama-Iphones?


Having paid that use tax on his flip cellphone for nearly 5 years, where's an Obamaphone for The Motley Monk?


Let the discussion begin...




To read the article in the Fiscal Times, click on the following link:
"What that Sneaky Fee on Your Phone Bill Means."

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Marion Angelini' "Simple Summer Lime Pie"...

11/18/2013

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The Motley Monk has posted a recipe for very good lime pie, a recipe adapted from Marion Angelini's "Simple Summer Lime Pie.

To access the recipe, click on the following link:
Marion Angelini's "Simple Summer Lime Pie"...
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Forget about walking to work: It's anti-environmental...

11/18/2013

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Apparently driving a mile to work is less polluting than is walking to work...unless you drive one of those "monster" cars.

"Balderdash!" those who worship at the altar of environmentalism cry out. Not allowing the facts to interfere with their ideology, they are deceived by appearances.



In an interesting compilation of research, the Walter B. Gerken Professor Emeritus in Economics and Management at the Merage School of Business at the University of California-Irvine, Richard McKenzie, examined what happens when the calories burned in walking are replaced. As it ends up, walking to work pollutes the atmosphere 150% to 200% more than driving a car.

Why?

Growing crops and raising animals so that they can be consumed and digested by humans involves a food-supply chain that now extends to all corners of the earth and consumes a lot of energy.

Rather than "feel" about it, as those who worship at the altar of environmentalism are wont to do, McKenzie considers facts:
  • Most farm equipment consumes as much gasoline and pollutes the atmosphere as those 18-wheelers on the nation's highways.
  • Lots of electricity is required to run irrigation equipment and heating/cooling systems for cattle barns, pig or poultry pens, and animal waste disposal plants.
  • Nearly 20% of the fossil energy burned annually in the United States is by the nation's food industry.
  • Carbon-based energy goes into the production of food regardless of whether it is harvested, transported, shelved, consumed, or thrown away. Only 50% to 67%, of the food produced on the farm is consumed.
  • The single largest for of waste found in the nation's landfills is food that consumers have tossed into their trash bins.

Concluding his article, McKenzie's quotes the Professor of Engineering at the University of California-Irvine and environmentalist, Derek Dunn-Rankin, who states:

     [Dunn-Rankin]...computes that a 180-pound person walking one mile
     to and from work at a pace of two miles per hour will burn 200 calories
     above the 2,000 calories burned each day to maintain the body's basic
     metabolism. However, the production of those 200 calories in food takes
     fifteen to twenty times as much energy in the form of fossil fuels. This
     means that driving a high fuel economy car (40 miles per gallon) will use,
     in fossil fuel energy, only about two-thirds to one half the energy that
     the person uses in replacing the calories expended on walks. (Heavier
     walkers use even more energy when they walk and when they replace
     the greater calories they expend in moving their weight.) Energy use
     and pollution do not have a one-to-one correspondence, which causes
     Dunn-Rankin to conclude, "My bottom line would be that walking can
     be 1.5 to 2 times more polluting than driving (if you use a high mileage
     car). If you use a monster car, you are better off walking always.

Let the discussion begin...




To read Professor Richard B. McKenzie's study, click on the following link:
"Why Walking to Work Can Be More Polluting Than Driving to Work"
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An object lesson in fearless when defending Church teaching...

11/17/2013

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The Motley Monk has posted a commentary over at The American Catholic discussing the Rite of Exorcism that Bishop Thomas Paprocki (Diocese of Springfield, Illinois) will be performing on Wednesday, November 20. Bishop Paprocki believes that so-called “homosexual marriage” is the work of the devil and, in this instance, Satan not only can inhabit people but also can invade the Church and the government. About this, he said: "We must pray for deliverance from this evil which has penetrated our state and our Church."


Take a read and weigh in...


To access the post at The American Catholic, click on the following link:
http://the-american-catholic.com/2013/11/17/an-object-lesson-in-fearless-when-defending-church-teaching/

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The real stuff of "grit"...

11/17/2013

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The First Lady is correct: Grit they key to success in college...

11/17/2013

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There isn't much about which The Motley Monk finds himself agreeing with the nation's First Lady. But, when she told students at Washington, DC's Bell Mulicultural High School--where 98% are eligible for free or reduced-price meals and 88% of the students are Hispanic--that overcoming doubts and adversity and that attitude and commitment count most in academic success, The Motley Monk had to applaud her.

According to CNSNews.com, here's what Mrs Obama said:

     You decide how high you set your goals. You decide how hard you're
     going to work for those goals. You decide how you're going to respond
     when something doesn't go your way.

     And here's the thing: Studies show that those kinds of skills--skills like
     grit, determination, skills like optimism and resilience--those skills can
     be just as important as your test scores or your grade scores--or your
     grades. And so many of you already have those skills because of
     everything you've already overcome in your lives.

     Maybe you've had problems at home and you've had to step up, take
     on extra responsibilities for your family. Maybe you come from a tough
     neighborhood, and you've been surrounded by things like violence and
     drugs. Maybe one of your parents has lost a job and you've had to
     struggle just to make it here today.

     One of the most important things you all must understand about
     yourselves is that those experiences are not weaknesses. They're not
     something to be ashamed of. Experiences like those can make you
     stronger and more determined. They can teach you all kinds of skills
     that you could never learn in a classroom--the skills that will lead you
     to success anywhere in life. But first, you've got to apply those skills
     toward getting an education.

That's excellent advice, no?  Way to go, Michelle O!

But, sad to say, the First Lady then turned all of that positive into a complete negative, telling the students how the federal government will provide them everything they will need beyond personal attitude and commitment. She said:

     We, with the help of (Education Secretary Arne Duncan) and 
     President and everyone in this administration, we're going to do
     everything we can to help connect you to all the resources that are
     available to help you on your journey--many resources that weren't
     around when I was your age.

Here's two of those goodies:
  1. The College Navigator and College Scorecard will help students find affordable programs that fit their interests and goals. The Motley Monk asks: Aren't school guidance department personnel already paid to provide that information?
  2. Websites like StudentAid.gov, which will assist students apply for grants and loans as well as a year-by-year checklist to know what they should be doing to get into college or whatever program they need to get to. The Motley Monk asks: Isn't that something homeroom teachers and advisors ordinarily do as a routine part of their jobs?

In the end, it's all about hiring more unionized "specialists" in the nation's public schools which only drives up the cost of educating young people. Who needs a "navigator" or "checklists" if one possesses the personal attitude and commitment to succeed?


Even when political liberals--"statists" is what they really are--say something that's spot on and to be applauded, they just aren't capable of shutting their yaps. Instead, their ideology somehow seizes their minds, takes control of their lips, and all of that Nanny State claptrap flows forth from their mouths, like sewage into a sewer.

Try inspiring the nation's young people to greatness. Guess what? They will achieve greatness.


Let the discussion begin...





To read about the First Lady's educational event, click on the following link:
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/penny-starr/first-lady-plugs-college-low-income-students-says-grit-important-grades

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The Motley Monk's balsamic reduction glaze...

11/16/2013

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The Motley Monk has posted a recipe for very good balsamic reduction glaze that can be added to a variety of recipes, including salads, soups, vegetables, meats, fruits, and desserts.

To access the recipe, click on the following link:
TMM's very good Balsamic Reduction Glaze...
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A follow up on the Common Core: The NCEA responds...

11/16/2013

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In a post last week entitled "The NCEA and the Common Core: Who speaks for Catholic schools?," The Motley Monk reported that in September 2013 the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) accepted $100k+ from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

"So what?", many people may ask. "The NCEA got money from the Gates Foundation to use to assist Catholic schools to implement the Common Core. They should be grateful to have received the grant money." 

Insofar as The Motley Monk is concerned, the problem isn't that the Gates Foundation has been very active in promoting the Common Core (CORE) moment--a controversial set of standards, curriculum, and assessments imposed by individual states with funding from the federal government--as an antidote to what ails the nation's public schools.

Nor is the problem that the NCEA will use the money to support teacher training and materials for implementing CORE standards, ostensibly in Catholic schools.

The problem is that research conducted by the Cardinal Newman Society indicates that 60 principals representing some of the nation's top Catholic high schools have expressed strong reservations about adopting the CORE.

That's what's important: The nation's Catholic schools must not be CINO ("Catholic in Name Only")--very good private schools with a patina of "Catholic" that keeps bishops, pastors, and parents happy. They must be imbued with a Catholic ethos that animates everything transpiring in the school.

The Cardinal Newman Society is now reporting that the NCEA President, Brother Robert R. Bimonte, FSC, has responded to the questions raised concerning the grant money. In an email to NCEA members, Brother Bimonte noted that his organization is committed to working with its members to build academic excellence, defining that as "a rigorous curriculum infused with Catholic values as we prepare our students for this life and life everlasting."

In Brother Bimonte's defense of the NCEA, it seems to The Motley Monk that he may have put the proverbial "cart before the horse." Catholic values--the "grammar of Catholic schooling" that distinguishes the ethos of education as distinctively Catholic--come first, not a "rigorous curriculum" that educators then then "infuse with Catholic values" in much the same way that cooks sometimes infuse their Thanksgiving turkeys with broth to add moisture and additional flavor.

This isn't nitpicking simply because those values aren't "add on's" to a curriculum. No, they must be embraced and shared by every educator in every Catholic school...that is, if their schools are to distinguish themselves as Catholic schools.

Brother Bimonte's listing of other Catholic organizations that have received grants from the Gates Foundation--including the Archdiocese of Seattle, Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services, the Catholic University of America and the Cristo Rey--is irrelevant. Why? An examination of those grants by the Cardinal Newman Society reveals that none are related to the CORE.

In his previous post, The Motley Monk concluded by writing:

     For more than 100 years, the NCEA has presented itself as the
     organization that speaks on behalf of U.S. Catholic elementary and
     secondary education. In this instance, The Motley Monk wonders
     whether the NCEA may not be speaking on behalf of Catholic schools
     nationally, having embraced the secularist educational agenda those
     60 principals fear may compromise their schools, including their
     Catholic identity and curriculum.

Brother Bimonte's email fails to address that issue and doesn't inspire confidence. As NCEA President, he may have put the horse before the cart.


Let the discussion begin...




To read The Motley Monk's post "The NCEA and the Common Core: Who speaks for Catholic education?", click on the following link:
http://www.richard-jacobs-blog.com/5/post/2013/11/the-ncea-and-the-

common-core-who-speaks-for-catholic-schools.html

To read the Cardinal Newman Society's first report about the NCEA's grant, click on the following link:
http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/

tabid/102/ArticleID/2661/EXCLUSIVE-National-Catholic-Education-Association-
Gets-Gates-Foundation-Grant-to-Promote-%E2%80%98Common-
Core%E2%80%99-in-Catholic-Schools.aspx

To read the Cardinal Newman Society's follow-up report about the NCEA President's response, click on the following link:
http://www.cardinalnewmansociety.org/CatholicEducationDaily/DetailsPage/

tabid/102/ArticleID/2678/BREAKING-National-Catholic-Educational-Association-
Responds-to-Common-Core-Concerns-and-Gates-Foundation-Grant.aspx
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What didn't President Obama say?

11/15/2013

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Are as many Americans as STUPID as the President thinks?

11/15/2013

1 Comment

 


In his press conference yesterday, President Obama played on the idea that most Americans are, well, um--how else can The Motley Monk put it other than--STUPID.

Finding himself backed into a corner of his own making, the President attempted to get beyond the public embarrassment caused to the Office of President of the United States by the rollout of Obamacare--the website as well as the cancellation of what's estimated this morning to be at least 5M and potentially 10M+ health insurance policies--by offering a "fig leaf" to his opponents.

What fig leaf?

In gesture of gracious yet illicit generosity, President Obama will allow those Americans whose health insurance policies have been cancelled effective January 1, 2014, to keep them for one more year. The President didn't offer a one year delay of the implementation of the so-called "individual mandate," as Republicans and many Democrats have called for. Instead, those Americans whose health insurance policies have been cancelled will be able to go back to their insurers and get their back for another year.

How does this political solution betray President Obama's belief that most Americans are STUPID?

Answer #1: The President of the United States is the head of the executive
                   branch of the federal government, not the legislative branch. His
                   place is not to make or amend law but to "faithfully execute" the
                   law. Yes, President Obama's Democrat-controlled Senate could
                   amend Obamacare. But, it is unlikely that the Republican-controlled
                   House is going to "compromise" this time around. They want
                   Obamacare repealed and replaced.

On this score, perhaps the President is correct, as research has consistently demonstrated that most Americans lack basic knowledge of civics. So, why not use that to his political advantage? He's certainly not STUPID.

Answer #2: In the years after Obamacare was enacted amidst much fanfare,
                   healthcare insurers have been formulating business plans to survive
                   in a new, less-competitive environment featuring government
                   exchanges. As healthcare insurance executives figured out early
                   on, they no longer would be able to offer the policies that many
                   Americans want because, as the President noted time and again
                   during yesterday's press conference, those policies are
                   "substandard" (using as the standard of measure what Obamacare
                   requires to be included in every healthcare insurance policy issued).
                   Got the picture? Providing individual healthcare insurance policies
                   will no longer be a profitable business, so the insurers planned
                   to drop those policies and only offer group insurance plans,
                   moving forward after January 1, 2014. The President knew this
                   and those who formulated Obamacare knew this because their
                   desire was to throw for-profit healthcare insurers under the bus
                   by laying the groundwork for a single-payer system...in a decade
                   or so, the President told audiences while campaigning.

On this score, too, perhaps the President is correct, as he knows that those cancelled policies will not be renewed and cannot be renewed because the healthcare insurers have already moved forward with their new business plans. At this late hour in the fiscal year, the ship cannot and will not be turned around in the political seas President Obama is churning because for-profit businesses are not run on hope but on rational calculations. When those policies are not renewed, the President is betting that those 10M+ Americans are so STUPID they will get angry at the insurance companies. The President will then be able to call out those insurance companies and tout their lack of cooperation as yet another reason why national healthcare insurance was needed in the first place.  He's certainly not STUPID.

But, President Obama sure thinks that many Americans are STUPID.

It would be great if those Americans demonstrated they weren't as STUPID as the President of the United States thinks.

How?

By electing representatives who are committed to repeal and replace Obamacare. What's needed is a sane and sensitive market-oriented solution that provides every American choice concerning the healthcare insurance each needs and offers limited healthcare--much like the way food stamps are provided--for those who are temporarily unable to purchase healthcare insurance. In addition, the replacement should not drive the nation into bankruptcy.


Let the discussion begin...
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Divorce and remarriage among Catholics: Theology, canon law, and Church teaching count…

11/14/2013

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The Motley Monk has posted a commentary over at The American Catholic discussing recent events concerning divorce and remarriage among Catholics spurred by Pope Francis' off-the-cuff remarks made during his return trip from Rio de Janeiro.

Take a read and weigh in...


To access the post at The American Catholic, click on the following link:
http://the-american-catholic.com/2013/11/14/divorce-and-remarriage-among-catholics-theology-canon-law-and-church-teaching-count/

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Beer afficionados be on the alert: The BEER and Small BREW taxes...

11/14/2013

1 Comment

 

Currently, two bills in Congress aim at reducing the excise tax on beer in different ways:
  • The Brewers Excise and Economic Relief Act (BEER) Act would cut the standard excise tax rate for beer sold in the United States by 50%--from $18 to $9/barrel. That's a tax savings of $1.68B/year, based on 2012 numbers. This bill benefits the entire brewing industry.
  • The Small Brewer Reinvestment and Expanding Workforce (Small BREW) Act maintains the current $18/barrel excise tax rate for beer, but lowers the reduced rate for small brewers to $3.50/barrel for the first 60k barrels produced and to $16/barrel for barrels 60k+ through 2M. That's a tax savings of $65M/year, all of which would go to brewers producing <6M barrels/year. This bill benefits the craft beer industry.

Enacting either bill would be a victory for the beer industry and consumers, resulting in increased profits for brewers and their shareholders, more advertising, business expansion, and job growth. It may also lower prices to beer consumers.

A Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute,Michelle Minton, and a graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Law and practicing attorney in Philadelphia, David Scott, argue in CEI On Point that the best course of action is for Congress to repeal the excise tax.

Why?

Doing so would help produce all of the job creation and business expansion benefits of the BEER and Small BREW Acts to an even greater degree. It would also increase personal freedom by making a significant step toward eliminating controls on alcohol consumption that have dominated the alcohol industry since Prohibition's repeal.


Or, in shorthand, "let the good times roll!"

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The Motley Monk highly recommends a Chimay Grand Reserve crafted by the Belgian Trappists.


Let the discussion begin...




To read Michelle Minton and David Scott article, click on the following link:
"BEER and Small BREW Can Be Good for You."
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