A New Direction

I think a new direction for this blog is in order.  Due to my time constraints recently, I have not been able to discuss current events in any sort of capacity but I would still like to point people to stories that interest me.  For this reason, I am going to start posting articles that I find interesting, disagreeable, funny, or the like.  It seems to be a better format than posting stories on Facebook (we all know how annoying that is).  Basically, this is going to be an outlet for me to show you all what it is I read on the Internet.  I might give brief descriptions of the articles, reasons for liking or not liking the content, etc. for the things I post.  I don't really want the blog to turn into a "news aggregate" site, but I guess that is the risk that is involved with just posting stories or links.  Anyway, I hope that you all enjoy this new format.  Please make sure to follow the blog, because I will be posting stories that are relevant to our current political discourse, humorous videos, and things that you may well find interesting.  Thanks again!

A little something about the Chicago Teacher Strike

The strike is very telling to me about teacher unions.  Also about an inherent monopoly unions have over their members.  No competition generally tends to make the sole proprietor of a service lax.  Without competition for the service, there is no need to innovate to "beat out" other competitors.  I know it seems impractical to have unions compete for business, but it is worth investigating.  The author of this article is a proponent of a voucher system, which he paints in a very positive light.  I'm obviously not an expert on education, and I have some reservations about a voucher system, but it seems like it could be a positive step.


Libya and Egypt Protests

First and foremost, there was tragic loss of life in Libya today, and that should not go unmentioned.  In light of that, the events open up discussion on the role of our country in the Middle East (which I have included to mean Northern Africa).  In previous posts I have been both sympathetic to the Administration and the State Department for their role in supporting democracy across the Middle East.  I've also written about how American interventionism in the Middle East has historically produced lousy results (support for Bin Laden against the Soviets, support for Saddam Hussein against the Iranians, etc.).  Are recent uprisings in Egypt and Libya, the heart of this supposed "Arab Spring" a snapshot of what lies ahead in the region?  Did American interventionism again provide the catalyst for radical change in the Middle East?  With the American Embassy in Egypt attacked yesterday, and our Ambassador to Libya murdered early this morning, the direction of the fledgling democracies is in question.  The United States supported the overthrow of two relatively stable (though sometimes reprehensible) regimes for two big unknowns.  What will be the price?  Should the United States always promote democracy at any cost?  I don't have the answer.  NOTE:  The State Department have put other US Consulates in the region on alert for other protests.  Murder of an ambassador and his staff seems like a bit of an overreaction for offense cause by a movie.  I trust that you'll agree with me on that.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/powerrankings
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigten/post/_/id/57849/big-ten-power-rankings-week-3-3

My two favorite teams, the Indianapolis Colts and the Indiana Hoosiers, are ranked dead last in the NFL and Big Ten Power Rankings, respectively.  Sad day for this Hoosier...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ktlincoln/how-to-streak-at-a-sporting-event-and-get-away-wit

And I leave you with this link, about how to get away with streaking at an athletic event.  If that's your thing!