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SpaceBeagle

  • Potato chips

    I just read today that a British Court of Appeal ruled that Pringles' potato chips are indeed "potato chips" thus making the chips subject to the UK's 15% Value Added Tax (VAT).

    In the UK most food is exempt from VAT but chips are not so clearly the [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2009, 3:24pm EDT

  • "Modernizing" Minnesota Government

    Ed Lotterman is a regular columnist for our Pioneer Press newspaper here in Minnesota. His recent column, "Government needs to catch up to the times", argued that given "today's modern world" we don't need the decentralized government the founders of the state created due to technological change, etc. His column [...]
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    Posted: April 21, 2009, 12:07pm EDT

  • Minnesota Department of Economic Development

    Tell me again why we even bother spending tax dollars on economic development in Minnesota?

    Given this pending legislation the entrepreneurs who create new jobs will be inspired to move to South Dakota and Florida which do not punish achievers:

    Editorial: The new 'sin tax'The New Ulm Journal [...]
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    Posted: April 21, 2009, 11:42am EDT

  • Theatre deemed a Vital Local Service

    So the City of Burnsville, Minnesota's controversial (and publicly financed) Performing Arts Center (PAC) is running a current annualized deficit of about $276,000 yet in a recent newspaper article (www.startribune.com - by Dean Spiros) it was reported that Burnsville is "trying to trim 12 to 15 jobs through buyouts'" [...]
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    Posted: April 08, 2009, 4:01pm EDT

  • Talk Radio Changes

    Ok, I don't understand all the changes at my favorite talk radio station in Minnesota -- KSTP AM 1500, www.am1500.com .

    Earlier this week Dave Thompson was released (fired?) from his noon show and today I read that Bob Davis was gone/fired from his 9 am talk show.' [...]
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    Posted: April 08, 2009, 11:24am EDT

  • National Bargain Association

    Reminder -- I primarily blog at this site now: www.regularfolksunited.com

    Today's Wall Street Journal sports page (page B16 if you love the paper copy like I do) noted that the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association recently sold game tickets for 10 cents if you bought' [...]
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    Posted: April 07, 2009, 2:25pm EDT

  • Drunk Driving in Minnesota

    I don't know Daryl Dean Fleck and I have no idea if he has a drinking problem but based on the article I read (www.twincities.com - March 25, 2009) I have to applaud his decision to avoid drunk driving.

    Mr. Fleck , age 55, was arrested on June' [...]
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    Posted: March 30, 2009, 5:30pm EDT

  • More Football This Year!!

    The United Football League - www.ufl-football.com - is set to kick off its inaugural season in October 2009 which is great news not only for football fans but also for the US economy since they have many jobs to fill to run the league.

    I have been very [...]
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    Posted: March 24, 2009, 4:22pm EDT

  • French Women

    My local newspaper recently carried a book review for "French Women Don't Sleep Alone: Pleasurable Secrets to Finding Love" by Jamie Cat Callan. The review stated that "Callan is clearly trying to cash in on 'French Women Don't Get Fat'" by Mireille Guiliano.

    So that got me wondering about [...]
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    Posted: March 24, 2009, 1:03pm EDT

  • Time for a Blood Test

    Today is "Alert Day" for the American Diabetes Association:

    www.diabetes.org

    So please get off line for 5 minutes today to call your doctor for scheduling a routine blood test. Then once you get your appointment schedule please send an email to your friends and relatives to join [...]
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    Posted: March 24, 2009, 11:36am EDT

  • Sharing Books

    I had lunch at Potbelly Sandwich Works last week (www.potbelly.com) where I noticed a book shelf with a sign on it -- "Take a book, leave a book".

    I thought this was a nice feature for the restaurant so patrons could feed their head along with their stomachs!!
    [...]
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    Posted: March 20, 2009, 4:31pm EDT

  • Pension Funds

    Reminder - I primarily blog here now: www.regularfolksunited.com -- so if you have a few extra dollars please consider an online contribution to keep the site going. Thanks!

    Now for something completely different! In a recent edition of the Financial Times newsletter an article about a Canadian pension [...]
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    Posted: March 09, 2009, 10:55pm EDT

  • NBA could learn from the CBA

    I have to guess most readers/sports fans don't know that the "CBA" is the Continental Basketball Association which is a minor league team unaffiliated with the National Basketball Association (NBA). Instead of cutting a deal with the CBA (perhaps they tried and I missed it) the NBA created their own' [...]
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    Posted: February 19, 2009, 3:43pm EST

  • One Year Old

    This weekend we celebrated our son's first birthday with a party for friends and family at the Pool and Yacht Club (ok - it is mostly pool with no yacht but the dock is always open for you to visit!!).

    Amazing, one year old already. I can't speak [...]
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    Posted: February 17, 2009, 12:47pm EST

  • Retirement Plans

    Ah, no retirement plans for me now that I have seen the results of the class action shareholder lawsuit I was involved in for my former employer today!! Retirement was on my mind -- public employee pensions to be exact -- when I read the "Top 25 List" in the [...]
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    Posted: February 11, 2009, 4:06pm EST

  • Really Big Snake!!

    Our local newspaper carried a Los Angeles Times article last weekend entitled,

    "Huge Snake Fossil Found in Colombia"

    Now I am not a herpetologist but I do admit unique stories such as this one command my attention. First I should note this newly discovered beast has been named [...]
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    Posted: February 10, 2009, 2:53pm EST

  • The Decline of Newspapers

    Dear Readers (yes both of you!),

    I primarily blog at this website now - www.regularfolksunited.com -- but still post here at Space Beagle on a wider variety of topics so I hope you enjoy the postings.

    I admit it -- I probably should have been born around [...]
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    Posted: January 28, 2009, 2:30pm EST

  • Letter to President Obama

    Reminder to my loyal readers (yes both of you!!) -- I am now regularly blogging at this website:

    www.regularfolksunited.com

    But will post commentaries that don't fit this website's focus here at my original "Space Beagle Notes".

    Please check out the advice letter I posted for President [...]
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    Posted: January 21, 2009, 12:04am EST

  • Lee Iacocca

    As 2008 drew to a close I completed reading Lee Iaccoca's most recent book -- "Where have all the leaders gone" which I family friend suggested I should read.

    Overall I found that the book was two books in one -- a completed anti-President George W. Bush (GWB) bitch' [...]
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    Posted: January 20, 2009, 11:46pm EST

  • Coleman vs. Franken

    The State of Minnesota has a long history of clean elections and high voter turnout so this year's US Senate race between Norm Coleman and Al Franken is a black eye for the North Star State.

    The problem is that lawyers - not voters - will determine the final' [...]
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    Posted: December 30, 2008, 3:22pm EST

  • Unemployment Forecasts for 2009

    Today's local newspapers in Minnesota reported the following unemployment forecasts for 2009:

    Upper Peninsula of Michigan -- 11.4%
    Minnesota -- 7%
    Wisconsin - 5.6%
    Montana - 4.3%
    North Dakota - 4.1%
    South Dakota - 3.4%

    Source: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

    The 11.4% rate in the UP' [...]
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    Posted: December 18, 2008, 4:27pm EST

  • German culture

    Finally after numerous years of living in the Twin Cities of Minnesota I visited the German American Institute in St. Paul today.

    My intent was simply to tour the building but when I walked in I was asked "are you here for the German language lunch?" so I was [...]
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    Posted: December 10, 2008, 12:36am EST

  • Billions of Barrels of Oil

    There is nothing like the long Thanksgiving Day weekend which allows us to relax with some light reading (when we aren't watching football games of course) such as this item I noticed in the November 29/30 Wall Street Journal:

    "Proved Reserves, 2007, Top 10 Countries in Billions of Barrels"[...]
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    Posted: December 01, 2008, 5:40pm EST

  • A Peaceful Divorce

    Today's newspaper reports show that 76% of voters in Greenland -- currently a territory of Denmark - cast "yes" votes in a national referendum yesterday calling for greater home rule. Twenty four percent of voters said "no" in the official results.

    The plan spelled out in the referendum calls' [...]
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    Posted: November 26, 2008, 12:50pm EST

  • 100% better than Applebee's!!

    Just on the border of Apple Valley and Burnsville, Minnesota is located an excellent family dining experience called - Giuseppe Restaurant -- located at 14600 Wood Park Shoppes. I must say the strip mall exterior is very deceiving.

    This Italian restaurant is managed by the brother of the [...]
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    Posted: September 30, 2008, 3:37pm EDT

  • new website needs writers

    If any of my blog readers share my world view which I roughly summarize as:

    "fly over country" is a great place to livegovernments cause more problems than they "fix" many big government advocates actually want to keep the poor and ignorant in our country, poor and ignorant God, [...]
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    Posted: September 03, 2008, 11:42pm EDT

  • Homerun!!

    Yes of course we are fast approaching the Major League Baseball playoffs followed by the World Series which for me is the ideal metaphor for the US president elections but that is a commentary for another time -- then again I have to guess George Will has already written it [...]
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    Posted: September 03, 2008, 11:33pm EDT

  • Labor Day

    Hello from the host state of this year's Republican Party national convention which begins this Monday, September 1st - Labor Day.

    I have to sit back and simply laugh. The Republican convention begins on Labor Day! Just imagine the amount of overtime pay required to get the labor union' [...]
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    Posted: August 31, 2008, 10:35pm EDT

  • Sad Day in Sports

    Yesterday was truly a sad day in sports. No, no athlete died yesterday but the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Baseball (MLB) chose to do things that not only altered their sports dramatically (in a negative way) and from my perspective - harmed their consumers in the process.
    [...]
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    Posted: August 29, 2008, 11:36pm EDT

  • Encouraging

    First let me be clear -- Thomas R.Voyt of Andover, Minnesota, 55 years old -- is a pedophile who deserves the punishment he received from the Ramsey County Court if not more for his actions. Our local newspaper reported that Mr. Voyt was sentenced to 90 days in a workhouse [...]
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    Posted: August 28, 2008, 3:39pm EDT

  • Raising Children

    Now that my wife and I are raising children - "future taxpayers" as the IRS likes to say - I definitely spend time reading the family/child rearing articles in the newspapers. So this posting is inspired by yesterday's USA Today Snapshot bar graph and today's Wall Street Journal's Work and' [...]
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    Posted: August 27, 2008, 3:01pm EDT

  • Wind and Pigskins

    Last week my time was consumed with traveling to Fargo, North Dakota for an event on wind energy featuring T. Boone Pickens who has launched a campaign at:

    www.pickensplan.com

    I had not visited Fargo for a few years so it was interesting to see the Fargo Dome [...]
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    Posted: August 25, 2008, 7:52am EDT

  • Top 5

    I have to admit it I love the "Labels" feature on Blogger which allows blog writers to give each of their postings a label/category. For no other reason then pure curiosity (something lacking in many classrooms today) I decided to do a tally count of my "Top 5 Labels" for [...]
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    Posted: August 19, 2008, 11:08pm EDT

  • Science Teachers

    Today the State of Minnesota released the test results of a "new, interactive, online science exam, the first of its kind in the nation.........." according to our Pioneer Press newspaper. This exam was given to 5th graders, 8th graders, and high school students.

    Overall only 40% of students tested [...]
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    Posted: August 19, 2008, 10:33pm EDT

  • Bear Hug

    Sadly the Russian occupation of the Republic of Georgia continues through this weekend. My prayers are with the families of my friends Paata and Gia as they face this life threatening situation. It is an amazing coincidence that Paata and Gia were scheduled to host this year's "European Resource Bank"' [...]
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    Posted: August 18, 2008, 12:34am EDT

  • No Loitering

    During a neighborhood dinner one of our city leaders informed me that our city government had to continue owning the local liquor stores because then we "can better control underage drinking........." To which I replied -- "since we are a suburb surrounded by other suburbs don't you think kids would'" [...]
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    Posted: August 18, 2008, 12:27am EDT

  • ACT scores and Education Reform

    Well the college entry ACT test scores state rankings were released yesterday so here are the top three states for highest average scores:

    Minnesota
    Iowa
    Wisconsin

    Nationally the report noted that the average ACT score dropped from 2007 to 21.1 (36 is the highest possible score) for the [...]
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    Posted: August 13, 2008, 10:58am EDT

  • Eat Local Food

    This weekend our family toured the annual Dakota County Fair which I always enjoy as a way to connect the kids with the land/agriculture a little given our suburban lives. Despite being the third largest metro area county in Minnesota nearly 70% of our county's land is still zoned for [...]
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    Posted: August 11, 2008, 11:07am EDT

  • Obesity Taxes

    Two related news stories in the last week from France and Mexico dealt with obesity so I trimming the fat to combine them into one positing today :-)

    • France - despite the best selling book, "French Women Don't Get Fat" , apparently they do in France since their Budget [...]
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    Posted: August 11, 2008, 10:52am EDT

  • Cuba - Part 2

    My earlier posting on Cuba advocated lifting the USA's trade embargo against Cuba as a counterweight to Russia's Prime Minister Putin's recent call for Russia to "re-establish our presence in Cuba..........." Hello - US Congress! Did you notice this weekend that Russia was bombing the Republic of Georgia while tanks [...]
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    Posted: August 11, 2008, 10:42am EDT

  • Cuba

    "We should restore our position in Cuba and other countries" Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister of Russia August 4, 2008 quote by Interfax News Agency

    Of course the last "position" Russia (then the Soviet Union) including the installation of nuclear missles aimed at the USA so Mr. Putin's neo-imperialiam rhetoric [...]
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    Posted: August 06, 2008, 12:53am EDT

  • Roe vs. Wade

    Clearly it is election season here in the USA judging from all of the bumper stickers on automobiles I saw today. For example a car next to me had these three attached:

    • Coexist -- with the "o" being a peace symbol
    • Obama '08
    • I vote for kids

    Let me zero in on [...]

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    Posted: August 04, 2008, 10:41pm EDT

  • NOLA -- further thoughts

    As noted earlier I attended the annual meeting of the National Conference of State Legislatures (www.ncsl.org -- if readers want to know more but I can tell you that these people simply want to consume more of your wealth to pay for more government programs) in New Orleans last [...]
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    Posted: July 29, 2008, 11:18pm EDT

  • NOLA

    Since my professional work requires me to attend numerous conferences this week I find myself staying in New Orleans, Louisiana yet again. I believe I have been in this city at least four times now so before and after Hurricane Katrina to be exact.

    While I did not [...]
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    Posted: July 24, 2008, 11:24pm EDT

  • Advancement via Competition

    Finally something for the conservative base to get excited about in terms of the McCain for President!! During Senator John McCain's speech to the NAACP - National Association for the Advancement of Colored People - in Cincinnati Senator McCain stated that as president he would --

    "expand education opportunities, [...]
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    Posted: July 23, 2008, 11:04pm EDT

  • Created by Consumers

    Today's Financial Times included a chart detailing the "World's Largest Companies" (by market capitalization) in the world today. This top ten listed included:

    1. ExxonMobil - US$431 billion
    2. PetroChina - $384
    3. Gazprom - $298
    4. General Electric - $279
    5. China Mobile - $268
    6. Microsoft - [...]
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    Posted: July 23, 2008, 12:32am EDT

  • Algae - the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

    Any blog posting on "algae" is probably out of the ordinary anyway so no one will be surprised that I am reversing the order of this posting's title as I comment:

    UGLY:

    Algae itself is a very simple life form and is not particularly attractive -- essentially it [...]
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    Posted: July 21, 2008, 2:55pm EDT

  • Spas and Election Campaigns

    Years ago when I worked on political campaigns full time I would have loved to been able to take some time off to visit a day spa just to relax a little but two major reasons I did not -- we worked nearly 7 days a week and I was [...]
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    Posted: July 14, 2008, 10:25pm EDT

  • Absolutely No Change

    During this year's presidential election Senator Obama/Democratic National Committee talking heads have consistently used the messaging that "electing Senator John McCain is the same as giving President George W. Bush a third term.............." to help reinforce Obama's "Change we can believe in" campaign theme.

    Before I get to the [...]
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    Posted: July 07, 2008, 11:24pm EDT

  • Teaching Obesity

    Well between a family vacation to my home state of Iowa last week and an unplanned business trip to Washington DC on Sunday and Monday this week I have not focused on posting on this blog but wonders of all wonders -- the nation's capital inspired me to write!!

    [...]
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    Posted: July 01, 2008, 11:30pm EDT

  • Chrysler

    Based on today's Wall Street Journal article, "Chrysler taps $2 billion credit line from owners", we have clear evidence that former President Jimmy Carter should have stuck to his initial instincts - a belief in the free market system -- when he was asked by Chrysler in the late 1970's [...]
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    Posted: June 25, 2008, 11:53pm EDT

  • Iowa Flooding

    My apologies for the lack of recent posts on my blog but due to family business last week I had to travel from Minnesota to my home town are in Northwest Iowa -- "where God vacations" -- as we used to say when we were kids.

    While Governor [...]
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    Posted: June 23, 2008, 10:39pm EDT

  • Jimmy Carter should fight this Thugocracy

    As the old joke (used to go ) goes - "Jimmy Carter is by far our best former President (of the USA), the sad thing is that he had to serve as President first to become a "former" president..........."

    Perhaps that was true at one time given his [...]
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    Posted: June 17, 2008, 3:13pm EDT

  • Hiring Freeze

    While reading an article in yesterday's newspaper regarding the Vice President running mates choices that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama face a New York University professor suggested that our future President should appoint their Vice President to be responsible for a "massive overhaul of the federal government." This professor [...]
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    Posted: June 17, 2008, 2:56pm EDT

  • Debt-for-Nature

    In Malcolm Gladwell's second book, Blink, the focus is on our natural, immediate response when exposed to something based on our instincts and experience. One of Gladwell's examples was an art expert who simply glances at a painting then immediately replies, "this is a copy not an original......." -- well [...]
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    Posted: June 12, 2008, 11:23pm EDT

  • Monks and Comedians

    The military generals who currently rule Burma (Myanmar) showed the world that they are ruthless dictators via their crack down earlier this year on peaceful Buddhist monks who were simply protesting the dictatorial rule of their country. At the time of this crack down I said to a friend -- [...]
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    Posted: June 12, 2008, 12:48am EDT

  • Budweiser

    Since most Americans are focused on rising gasoline prices and the "home mortgage crisis" I have to guess most people completely overlooked some very encouraging economic news in today's newspapers. Anheuser-Busch of St. Louis, Missouri announced that they will be launching Budweiser beer is none other than Vietnam!

    Now [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2008, 10:06pm EDT

  • Deep in the Heart of Texas

    While I often say when it comes to government -- "I do not seek office but instead I seek to eliminate offices........." I must admit I have a soft spot for the concept of state governments having a "Governor's Mansion" although a better name might be the "Taxpayers' Mansion" but [...]
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    Posted: June 09, 2008, 11:53pm EDT

  • Hong Kong insights

    The Pacific Rim Policy Exchange conference that I am attending this week in Hong Kong ended last night with a dinner that featured Mr. Jimmy Lai Chee Ying, the founder of Next Media which includes the newspaper, Apple Daily.

    Impressive is the best way to described Mr. Lai. [...]
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    Posted: June 06, 2008, 7:50am EDT

  • Obama Wins!

    Indeed this was a very historic week in the USA with US Senator Barack Hope Obama securing enough delegates for the Democratic Party nomination for President of the USA. Not only was this an historic event because he is the first black/African-American to secure the nomination of a major political [...]
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    Posted: June 05, 2008, 11:02am EDT

  • Signs of Hong Kong

    This week finds me attending the Pacific Rim Policy Conference - an annual gathering of free market think tanks from around the region plus a few political operatives like myself. During our bus tour today on the way to dinner at Watermark Restaurant two posted signs caught my attention.
    [...]
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    Posted: June 04, 2008, 10:43am EDT

  • Power versus Freedom

    Last week I attended the Republican Party of Minnesota's convention in Rochester, Minnesota. While there I also went to a fundraising lunch for US Senator Norm Coleman who is up for re-election this year.

    During this Senator Coleman lunch I sat at a table that included a retired state [...]
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    Posted: June 03, 2008, 12:35am EDT

  • Amnesty Programs

    Judging from the lack of recent media coverage the handgun/firearm amnesty programs must have achieved great success since I haven't seen any mention of these programs for at least one year. Perhaps it was the fact that I was driving alone (thus in deep thought............) in my gas-guzzling SUV today [...]
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    Posted: May 28, 2008, 11:02pm EDT

  • Transparency Revolution

    All those hours of reading news stories/think tank reports/etc. and posting comments on this blog paid huge dividends recently!! The Star Tribune newspaper in Minnesota published an editorial focused on my personal campaign to ensure the State of Minnesota complies with a 2007 state law which requires our Department of [...]
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    Posted: May 27, 2008, 10:19pm EDT

  • OPIC

    As a free market economist the last thing that I wanted to see created is another cartel especially one created by nation-states. However, I also believe in age old rule -- "never bring a knife to a gun fight" -- so perhaps it is time to create a cartel (oh, [...]
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    Posted: May 26, 2008, 10:24pm EDT

  • More math classes and fewer press releases please

    Growing up in Northwest Iowa we always had a nice laugh when we heard the "poor" local farmers complain about crop prices, the weather, etc. while they were driving around down town in their brand new vehicles.

    I had a flash back to this childhood memory tonight as I [...]
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    Posted: May 22, 2008, 11:20pm EDT

  • US Senator Ted Kennedy

    Political news in the USA this week has been dominated by the disclosure that US Senator Ted Kennedy (D-Massachusetts) has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. According to today's Wall Street Journal (front page coverage in fact!) the life expectancy for the type of tumor Senator Kennedy has is about [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2008, 11:23pm EDT

  • Klansmen for Obama

    Throughout my nearly 20 years working in politics I have built and have witnessed some creative coalition building but yesterday's news out of West Virginia is perhaps the best one yet.

    US Senator Robert "Name Another Building After Me Paid With Your Tax Dollars" Byrd of West Virginia endorsed [...]
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    Posted: May 20, 2008, 10:38am EDT

  • Oil Imports, Economic Stimulus, and Free Trade

    This weekend's Wall Street Journal ("WSJ" -- oh, if only more Members of Congress read this sacred text!) featured an article reporting on the recent failure by President Bush to convince the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to produce more oil. This request was designed to increase world oil supply to [...]
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    Posted: May 18, 2008, 10:21pm EDT

  • Obama and Clinton Cutting a Deal

    As the Democratic Party presidential nomination winds down to what appears will be a victory for US Senator Barack Obama all the pundits are speculating what will become of his challenger - US Senator Hillary Cattle Futures Clinton.

    From what I have seen all the speculation has focused on [...]
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    Posted: May 17, 2008, 9:48pm EDT

  • Follow The Money

    Since American taxpayers lose nearly 50% of our wages -- when you add federal, state, county, city taxes together -- due to the tax burden we suffer in this country we have every right to demand where OUR money is spent. Don't you agree?

    Here in the State of [...]
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    Posted: May 13, 2008, 4:19pm EDT

  • Run Hillary Run!!

    Via my blackberry news service I just heard that former US Congressman Bob Barr of Georgia has announced he will run for President of the USA under the Libertarian Party (LP) banner. While this news will no doubt excite many of my conservative friends especially the Ron Paul supporters I [...]
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    Posted: May 12, 2008, 12:57pm EDT

  • Elitists for Hope and Change

    In the run up to the Democratic primary election in Pennsylvania in April this year US Senator Barack Hope Obama (BHO) was pummeled by US Senator Hillary Change Clinton (HCC) for his comments regarding voters which were considered to be "elitist" in nature.

    Now that is progress in the [...]
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    Posted: May 09, 2008, 4:12pm EDT

  • Yes to Yurts and No to TSA

    This past weekend my family and I went on a "world tour" via the Festival of Nations (www.festivalofnations.com) in St. Paul, Minnesota. This annual event could best be described as a three ring circus since the festival had three major components:

    1. Country specific food booths featuring cuisine from [...]
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    Posted: May 07, 2008, 7:42pm EDT

  • North to Alaska

    Following my trip to Atlanta last week while attending the "Heritage Resource Bank" conference of free market think tanks I traveled on to Anchorage, Alaska for a few days of business meetings -- and perhaps a football game -- where we talked business of course.

    Since it was [...]
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    Posted: May 01, 2008, 11:52pm EDT

  • Sweet Tea

    "Yawl want some sweeeeeetea.................?"
    Hello from the capital of the "New South" , Atlanta, Georgia (aka "Hot-lanta") where I am attending the annual Heritage Resource Bank (www.heritage.org) conference for the free market think tank community. The other partners of this conference include the Atlas Foundation (www.atlasusa) and [...]
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    Posted: April 25, 2008, 11:21pm EDT

  • Shakira

    While reading today's USA Today newspaper I noticed a photo of musician, Shakira, during her recent visit to Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Shakira was using her star power to promote the "Global Campaign for Education" to call attention to the need for education around the world.

    It is [...]
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    Posted: April 24, 2008, 12:49am EDT

  • Zoo + Zoo = One

    Here in Minnesota our state constitution mandates that the legislature must adjourn by May 19 so with less than a month to go before we taxpayers are safe again the final legislative pieces of the puzzle are being determined. One perfect example is the "bonding bill" whereby the State of [...]
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    Posted: April 22, 2008, 8:35am EDT

  • "Going goofy"

    Yes it has been several days since my last posting but with good reason -- the family and I took advantage of my wife's maternity leave and a speaking opportunity I had in Honolulu, Hawaii to create a "working vacation". This "working vacation" concept has to be the greatest oxymoron [...]
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    Posted: April 21, 2008, 12:28pm EDT

  • Stick it to the corporations!!

    Let me offer an easy wager -- $20 says that you can survey 10 people on the street and not be able to find that even 2 of them agree with me when I say --

    Businesses don’t pay income taxes – the “ C.E.O.” pays these taxes [...]
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    Posted: April 09, 2008, 1:17am EDT

  • 2:32 AM

    In our modern consumer world where stores are open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week I was struck by how different the world of government operates. Here are two prime examples from my State of Minnesota that showcase how governments simply do not operate like the rest [...]
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    Posted: April 07, 2008, 11:42pm EDT

  • Alycia of Troy

    Yet another US political family has been rocked by a sex scandal - this time in the state of Michigan where US Senator Debbie Stabenow's husband, Thomas Athans, "told police he paid a prostitute $150 for oral sex at a hotel", according to a Troy, Michigan police report cited in [...]
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    Posted: April 04, 2008, 12:05am EDT

  • Living with the Parents

    No, no I am not living with my parents again (at age 42) but Jo Ann Bauer, at 50 years old, is living in her childhood bedroom in her parents' home in Eden, Wisconsin. This according to an Associated Press (AP) article by Emily Fredrix (March 22, Pioneer Press) that [...]
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    Posted: April 02, 2008, 11:28pm EDT

  • Pizza - Minnesota

    The Grand Avenue area of St. Paul, Minnesota is populated with unique stores and quality restaurants so the city council takes their planning and zoning duties VERY seriously. First a little history -- late last year a planned "Noodles and Company" location on Grand Avenue was vetoed by the planning [...]
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    Posted: April 01, 2008, 11:59pm EDT

  • Starbucks

    Since today's work schedule started with a meeting at a Starbucks location in Minneapolis, Minnesota I was reminded of the court judgement in California they lost last week. This class action lawsuit forces Starbucks to pay $100 million in back tips plus interest to current and former baristas (fancy word [...]
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    Posted: March 28, 2008, 2:38pm EDT

  • Wireless Soldiers

    While sorting through my office mail today I found a business reply envelope from an organization called -

    Cell Phones for Soldiers
    [www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com]

    This is a non-profit group based in Massachusetts which is working with a Michigan-based company, "ReCellular", to recycle cellular telephones for use by US [...]
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    Posted: March 27, 2008, 11:28pm EDT

  • Economic Waste NOT Stimulus

    The US Congress recently approved an "economic stimulus" package whereby they borrow money to give checks to us today in the hope the economy will improve regardless of their mis-guided decision so they can be re-elected in November 2008 elections.

    Now I think the economics of this "stimulus" package [...]
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    Posted: March 26, 2008, 3:38pm EDT

  • School Choice

    Yesterday's Easter dinner attendees included two family friends from the education world -- a current elementary teacher and a retired teacher -- who do not support any form of school choice. Most readers out there will already know that most etiquette counselors tell us the topics that should be avoided [...]
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    Posted: March 25, 2008, 12:36am EDT

  • Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing

    No doubt my younger readers out there are wondering what I am talking about when I say - "Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing" (MMM) but if I mention "3M" and "Post-It Notes" then I would connect with you. MMM was the original company name that evolved with societal and economic change [...]
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    Posted: March 20, 2008, 6:09pm EDT

  • Defend our Wallets First THEN our Borders

    My thanks to the recent edition of Parade magazine (www.parade/intel) for their annual installment -- this one always comes before the April 15 income tax filing date it seems! -- entitled, "Government Watch -- Where Your Money Goes."

    As reported the U.S. federal government spending levels for 2008 [...]
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    Posted: March 17, 2008, 11:26pm EDT

  • Keeping People in Poverty

    Since a few of my European friends read my blog I wanted to share this information with them so we can compare personal income tax rates:

    Single Person - 2007 USA Federal Income Tax Brackets

    US$ to $7,825 = 10% federal income tax rate
    $7,826 to $31,850 = [...]
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    Posted: March 15, 2008, 2:56pm EDT

  • Pizza - Part 2

    Clear evidence that people read my blog this week as I received two posted comments on my "Pizza" posting regarding the largest pizza companies in the USA. Sadly though -- the topic of "pizza" garnered more comments than my past postings regarding income tax reform ideas but there in lies [...]
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    Posted: March 15, 2008, 2:37pm EDT

  • FOIA

    "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance. And a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." James Madison Fourth President of the USA and Father of the Bill of Rights

    During lunch today I attended the "2008 Freedom of Information [...]
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    Posted: March 14, 2008, 11:18pm EDT

  • Tax Filing Time

    American tax slaves (aka employed and even retired/non-working people since their income streams are taxed in the USA) have about one month before the infamous April 15 federal income tax deadline is here so we stay in compliance with the Internal Revenue System. The only option of course is not [...]
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    Posted: March 13, 2008, 12:14pm EDT

  • Pizza

    Yes the residential housing market is the worst in nearly 10 years and our job growth rate is essentially 0% here in Minnesota but some encouraging business news was reported by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recently.

    Indeed -- Little Caesar's Pizza has returned to the Twin Cities market [...]
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    Posted: March 12, 2008, 11:01pm EDT

  • Times Have Changed

    Years ago while walking through an airport I purchased a copy of Rolling Stone magazine which featured a young, female singer I had never heard of before. As it turns out it the singer was Britney Rehab Spears and it was the same day I noticed that I was clearly [...]
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    Posted: March 10, 2008, 11:40am EDT

  • Party of the Common Man

    As the USA's presidential campaign continued this week with primary elections/caucuses in Texas, Ohio, Vermont, and Rhode Island several things became clear/official:




    • US Senator John McCain (Arizona) will officially become the Republican Party's nominee at their September 2008 convention

    • The fight for the Democratic Party's [...]
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    Posted: March 07, 2008, 5:15pm EST

  • Skol Favre!

    Well it is official -- Green Bay Packers quarterback, Brett Favre, announced his retirement from the National Football League yesterday. I have to admit that while I am a Minnesota Vikings fan I always had great respect for the way Mr. Favre played the game.

    So here is the [...]
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    Posted: March 05, 2008, 12:32pm EST

  • Social Security and Marijuana

    Today's newspaper featured a crime story from a neighboring community - Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. Apparently, Doanzell Geiddarr Johnson , AGE 37 (thirty seven years is key here), was arrested for possession - he says delivery only since he did not own it -- of 213 pounds of marijuana.
    [...]
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    Posted: February 29, 2008, 5:05pm EST

  • Census for 2010

    In the year 2012 the US House of Representatives elections will be conducted within new congressional districts created by the various state governments based on the 2010 US Census data. This is a once every ten year process known as "reapportionment."

    Based on a recent newspaper article I [...]
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    Posted: February 25, 2008, 4:22pm EST
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