Key words designed to catch your attention...

Part of marketing is to use key words to get your attention, which is especially true when it comes to credit card offers. It stands to reason when you see something like, 0 apr 15 months it's going to catch your interest. While I always recommend reading the fine print, the whole goal of marketing is to first draw your attention to the major selling point of the product.

T-shirts with humor and at times not always funny...

I have quite a few t-shirts with sayings that I don't always wear but are almost like a collection, normally I prefer funny t shirts though I have quite a few from a variety of political campaigns. One that strikes me as becoming more and more of how I feel but is designed to be in humor is this saying:



There's quite a bit of temptation in that motto for 2009...

Libertarians want there to be no Government?

The headline of this opinion piece caught my attention, How America's Greatest Libertarian Experiment failed; but as I sat down to read it, I have to say I did not agree with a great deal of what was stated. What I thought might be an interesting post turned out to be one that was not only not correct but was an anti-libertarian piece:

As an example:

One way to view them is this: Libertarians are to Government as Atheists are to Religion. Atheists want there to be no God. Libertarians want there to be no Government.

Atheists don't believe there is a God, therefore it's not a matter of them "wanting" there to be no God, that would imply they believed he existed. Nor do Libertarians want there to be no Government. They want a more limited government, one that is more true to the functions of the Constitution and one where personal freedom is not overly impacted by Government.

This article though is a good example of the misconceptions out there that exist about what Libertarianism is.

The latest on the weight loss product world

In the past few years there have been a variety of products that have hit the internet and store shelves designed to help people loose weight. From different types of berries or fruits to different chemical compounds the diet industry has grown to be a multi-billion dollar one. The most recent product to get quite a bit of attention is alli which has not only been advertised online and on television but there was a huge display with information and the product at several local grocery stores in town. It's interesting to watch which products go mainstream and which ones remain an internet focus.

Will the toaster make it through security...

My oldest daughter is home visiting and she has decided that she wants to take her toaster back with her when she goes back to California. My husband is convinced that if she tries to take it in her luggage as a carry on that it will never pass through screening, that she'd be lucky to have it pass through as a checked bag.

He's offered to ship it to her, but the reality is since it was an inexpensive toaster it would realistically almost be cheaper to buy a new one there than it would be to ship it. How will this end? I'll keep you updated as to the next episode of "As the Toaster Travels".

A Libertarian Defense of Social Conservatism

I'm not sure I agree with everything that Randall Hoven wrote about liberals, but his piece A Libertarian Defense of Social Conservatism makes some points that are worth not only reading but discussing. A small bit of what he shared:

Who are the true liberty killers?

The most obvious point to me is that it is the do-gooding liberals who are telling us all what we can and can't do. The religious right usually just wants to be left alone, either to home school, pray in public or not get their children vaccinated with who-knows-what. Inasmuch as the "religious right" wants some things outlawed, they have failed miserably for at least the last 50 years. Abortion, sodomy, and pornography are now all Constitutional rights. However, praying in public school is outlawed, based on that same Constitution.

Just think for a moment about the things you are actually forced to do or are prevented from doing. Seat belts. Motorcycle helmets. Bicycle helmets. Smoking. Gun purchase and ownership restrictions. Mandatory vaccines for your children. Car emissions inspections. Campaign ad and contribution restrictions. Saying a prayer at a public school graduation or football game. Trash separation and recycling. Keeping the money you earned. Gas tax. Telephone tax. Income tax. FICA withholding. Fill in this form. Provide ID.

For the most part, the list just cited is post-1960. Neither Pat Robertson nor James Dobson ever forced any of that on us.

Fat burners make me think about the other fat

Whenever I see commercials or websites about fat burners I can't help think about what if there was a magic cure that could make fat disappear from more than just people. What if there could be a quick and painless way to cut fat from a budget, or a company or an educational system. Of course there isn't just as even with some of the fat burning products out there it always requires a bit more than just taking a product, it requires following a reasonable eating plan and exercise...

Would a Republican return to "morality" help the Libertarian Party?

This comment that was left on my other blog made me think...It was on the topic of the Ohio Republican party being split on should their focus be on social issues and morality or fiscal conservative/small government. There appears to be a split where some from the part of the party that supports the social issue/morality aspect wanting to have the candidate for the new director of the Ohio GOP not be selected:

I think myself that the Republican Party needs to be the party of "morality". We already have a party that looks after least government: the Libertarian Party. The Republican Party has been whoring after the "Religious Right", and now is thoroughly associated with it. If I want to vote for a party whose only interests is fiscal responsibility I think Libertarian, not Republican. Hopefully, the Republican Party will split between the "moralists" and "fiscal conservatives". It looks like we'll be seeing a new tripolar political system in the next election.

Credit and car insurance...

The reality is the insurance industry is in existence to make a profit, else they would not exist, what I've always found interesting about car insurance is the fact that it's not just your driving record in some places that affect what your rates will be, your credit history can also have an impact. It's as if the implication is being made that if you have bad credit you will somehow be a bad driver. Ironically most of the bad drivers I know, have enough money that the fear of increased rates doesn't seem to affect their ability to change their driving habits...

What if Bob Barr had won?

I came across this article that was written on November 4th that takes a look at what would have happened had Bob Barr won on election night. Of course we know with the way the media and the political process is set up to keep us attached to the two party system what a long shot this would be, but rather than take a serious look at what Barr could have accomplished? We have pieces like this one that are mocking:

JULY 4, 2009

Standing outside of Faneuil Hall in Boston, Barr delivers an Independence Day speech denouncing "tyranny in all its forms," citing especially Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and cookbooks. "Who is Irma Rombauer to tell you how to braise that coq au vin?" he tells a confused crowd. Gourmet magazine achieves political awareness.

DEC. 17, 2009

Prostitution is officially decriminalized. Eliot Spitzer high-fives an imaginary friend and returns to begging for change.

Is it any wonder few take the National Post serious?