Category Archives: Current Events

Ranking the football teams in the SEC West in 2012

August 2, 2012 – 7:36 am

Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze speaks to the media at the Southeastern Conference NCAA college football media days in Hoover, Ala. on Thursday, July 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Photo by Butch Dill

Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze speaks to the media at the Southeastern Conference NCAA college football media days in Hoover, Ala. on Thursday, July 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

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The SEC West will finish 1. Arkansas, 2. LSU, 3. Alabama this year.

SEC: Very Early Predictions for 2012

2012 Very Early SEC West Predictions

1. LSU

Key Returnees: RB Spencer Ware, RB Michael Ford, RB Kenny Hilliard, WR Russell Shepard, WR Odell Beckham, LT Chris Faulk, C P.J. Lonergan, RT Alex Hurst, DE Sam Montgomery, DE Barkevious Mingo, DT Bennie Logan, LB Kevin Minter, CB Tyrann Mathieu, CB Tharold Simon, S Eric Reid, K Drew Alleman, P Brad Wing

Key Losses: QB Jordan Jefferson, QB Jarrett Lee, WR Rueben Randle, LG Will Blackwell, DT Michael Brockers, LB Stefoin Francois, LB Ryan Baker, CB Morris Claiborne, SS Brandon Taylor

A great regular season in Baton Rouge was overshadowed by an awful performance in the national title game against Alabama. The Tigers navigated a difficult regular season slate unbeaten, but that won’t wash away the disappointment from the 21-0 loss to the Crimson Tide in New Orleans. Although the loss still stings at LSU, the Tigers have to be ecstatic about what’s returning in 2012.

Quarterback play was a huge issue in the national title game and will enter 2012 as a question mark. Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee depart, leaving Zach Mettenberger as the team’s No. 1 option entering spring practice. Mettenberger saw limited action in 2011, completing 8 of 11 passes for 92 yards and one touchdown. Not helping Mettenberger’s cause was the departure of receiver Rueben Randle. With uncertainty surrounding Mettenberger, expect the Tigers to lean heavily on the rushing attack once again. Michael Ford, Spencer Ware, Alfred Blue and Kenny Hilliard combined for 2,338 yards and 30 scores in 2011 and will be helped by the return of four starters on the offensive line. LSU should have one of the top rushing attacks in college football, but Mettenberger’s development will be crucial to winning a national title.

Despite the loss of a few starters, LSU isn’t going to suffer much of a drop-off on defense. The defensive line should be among the best in college football, especially with ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo returning after registering 17 sacks in 2011. Tackle Bennie Logan also returns after picking up 57 tackles last season. Two starters depart in the linebacking corps, but the backups have experience. Morris Claiborne was one of the top cover corners in the nation and may be missed more than some believe. However, the cupboard isn’t bare in the secondary, as Tyrann Mathieu, Eric Reid and Tharold Simon return in 2012.

2. Alabama

Key Returnees: QB AJ McCarron, RB Eddie Lacy, WR Kenny Bell, OL Barrett Jones, OG Chance Warmack, RT D.J. Fluker, DE Damion Square, DE Quinton Dial, DE Jesse Williams, LB Trey DePriest, LB Nico Johnson, LB C.J. Mosley, CB Dee Milliner, S Robert Lester, S Vinnie Sunseri

Key Losses: RB Trent Richardson, WR Marquis Maze, WR Darius Hanks, TE Brad Smelley, C William Vlachos, RG Alfred McCullough, OG Anthony Steen, LB Dont’a Hightower, LB Courtney Upshaw, NG Josh Chapman, CB Dre Kirkpatrick, CB DeQuan Menzie, S Mark Barron

The Crimson Tide will be replacing a plethora of key players, but is there really any doubt this team will be back in the mix for the SEC and national title?

Quarterback AJ McCarron was a key factor in Alabama’s national title win over LSU and he will be the focal point of the offense in 2012. McCarron threw only five picks and completed 66.8 percent of his throws in 2011. The junior will have to adapt to a new offensive coordinator (Doug Nussmeier) next year with Jim McElwain’s departure to Colorado State. With receivers Marquis Maze and Darius Hanks out of eligibility, the Crimson Tide needs Kenny Bell, DeAndrew White and Kevin Norwood to become the go-to weapons for McCarron, especially while a talented freshman class learns the ropes. Replacing Trent Richardson’s production at running back likely won’t come down to one player. Look for Eddie Lacy, Dee Hart and Jalston Fowler to share the initial workload in the backfield, while incoming freshman T.J. Yeldon will have an opportunity to work his way into the mix. The offensive line has to replace stalwart center William Vlachos, but Barrett Jones, D.J. Fluker and Anthony Steen are back.

After finishing first nationally in rush, total, scoring and pass defense, it’s nearly impossible to expect a repeat of those numbers in 2012 – especially with the loss of several key contributors. Coach Nick Saban and coordinator Kirby Smart will have their work cut out for them this offseason, as the defense loses linebackers Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw, while Dre Kirkpatrick, Mark Barron and DeQuan Menzie all depart from the secondary. Jesse Williams and Damion Square return on the line, but the Crimson Tide needs to find a new nose guard with Josh Chapman and Nick Gentry departing. There’s no shortage of young talent, but it may take five or six games for the right pieces to fall into place for this defense.

3. Arkansas

Key Returnees: QB Tyler Wilson, RB Knile Davis, WR Cobi Hamilton, TE Chris Gragg, OG Alvin Bailey, C Travis Swanson, DE Tenarius Wright, DT Byran Jones, LB Alonzo Highsmith, CB Tevin Mitchell, CB Isaac Madison, S Eric Bennett

Key Losses: WR Joe Adams, WR Jarius Wright, OG Grant Cook, OT Grant Freeman, DE Jake Bequette, LB Jerry Franklin, LB Jerico Nelson, CB Isaac Madison, S Tramain Thomas

The Razorbacks are coming off back-to-back double-digit win seasons for the first time since 1988-1989. Now that Arkansas seems to have closed the gap on LSU and Alabama, can it win the SEC West in 2012?

There’s a mixture of good and bad news for the Razorbacks’ offense next year. Running back Knile Davis is back after missing all of 2011 due to a leg injury, which should provide a spark for the rushing attack. However, Arkansas must replace three receivers, including playmakers Jarius Wright and Joe Adams. Quarterback Tyler Wilson turned down an opportunity to enter the NFL Draft and he should contend for first or second team All-SEC honors next year. The offensive line struggled at times during the 2011 season but figures to be improved in 2012.

If the Razorbacks want to close the gap and play for the SEC Championship next season, the defense has to continue to improve. New coordinator Paul Haynes did a good job containing Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl, but he will lose some of the unit’s key performers. End Jake Bequette, linebacker Jerry Franklin and safety Tramain Thomas will be missed and won’t make Haynes’ job any easier next year. Arkansas still trails LSU and Alabama in defensive strength, but it will be interesting to see how Haynes fares with a full year on the job.

4. Auburn

Key Returnees: RB Onterio McCalebb, WR Emory Blake, TE Philip Lutzenkirchen, C Reese Dismukes, DE Corey Lemonier, DE Nosa Eguae, LB Daren Bates, LB Jake Holland, CB Chris Davis, CB T’Sharvan Bell, S Demetruce McNeal, S Erique Florence

Key Losses: RB Michael Dyer, RT Brandon Mosley, LB Eltoro Freeman, S Neiko Thorpe

One year after winning the national title, the Tigers slipped back to the pack, finishing with an 8-5 record and a victory in the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Virginia. After losing so many key players from the 2010 team, there was no doubt Auburn was due to for a fall. The Tigers will enter 2012 with new coordinators on both sides of the ball and a roster that is still one of the youngest in the conference.

Gus Malzahn’s up-tempo offense (and Cam Newton) was a big reason why Auburn claimed the 2010 national championship. However, Malzahn departed to be the head coach at Arkansas State, which certainly raises the question of whether or not the Tigers will continue with a similar offensive scheme in 2012. Regardless of scheme, settling the quarterback position is going to be crucial to Auburn’s success in 2012. Clint Moseley, Kiehl Frazier and incoming freshman Zeke Pike will compete for the job in spring practice. With the quarterback position in flux, the Tigers will lean heavily on the rushing attack in 2012. Michael Dyer also departed for Arkansas State, leaving Onterio McCalebb, Florida transfer Mike Blakely and Tre Mason to battle for carries. The offensive line loses tackles A.J. Greene and Brandon Mosley, but center Reese Dismukes is coming off a solid freshman campaign.

Youth and inexperience played a huge role in Auburn’s defensive struggles last season, but this group never really seemed to show much progress throughout the year. The Tigers ranked near the bottom of the SEC in rush, pass, total and scoring defense last season. Coach Gene Chizik made a good move when he decided to hire Brian Van Gorder from the Falcons to coordinate the defense. Van Gorder has some nice talent to work with on the defensive line, as Corey Lemonier, Jeffrey Whitaker, Gabe Wright and Nosa Eguae are all returning. The secondary has been a source of criticism over the last two years, but could benefit from a better pass rush.

5. Texas A&M

Key Returnees: RB Christine Michael, WR Ryan Swope, LT Luke Joeckel, C Patrick Lewis, RT Jake Matthews, DE Spencer Nealy, DT Eddie Brown, LB Jonathan Stewart, LB Sean Porter, LB Steven Jenkins, LB Damontre Moore

Key Losses: QB Ryan Tannehill, RB Cyrus Gray, WR Jeff Fuller, DE Tony Jerod-Eddie, CB Coryell Judie, CB Terrence Frederick, S Trent Hunter, K Randy Bullock

2012 represents a new era for Texas A&M athletics. The Aggies decided to leave the Big 12 for the SEC, joining the nation’s toughest conference for college football. While this is a big challenge, Texas A&M has the resources necessary to eventually compete in the SEC West. Could this move help the Aggies on the recruiting trail versus Texas? Only time will tell, but for 2012, Texas A&M has a lot of work to do in order to reach the postseason.

Along with the move to the SEC, the hire of coach Kevin Sumlin has built some positive momentum in College Station. Sumlin’s spread offenses at Houston were among the best in the nation, but the going will certainly be tougher in the SEC. Quarterback is a huge question mark entering spring practice, as Matt Joeckel, Matt Davis, Johnny Manziel and Jameill Showers will compete to replace Ryan Tannehill. With a young quarterback taking over, look for the Aggies to lean on the rushing attack and offensive line. Running back Christine Michael returns after missing the final four games due to a torn ACL. Michael will anchor the backfield, but Ben Malena will be a nice change of pace option. Whichever quarterback wins the job will have a solid group of receivers to throw to, including All-SEC candidate Ryan Swope.

It will be interesting to see how Texas A&M’s defense transitions to a 4-3 under coordinator Mark Snyder in 2012. After running the 3-4 under Tim DeRuyter, the switch may take a year or two to get the right bodies in place. Losing end Tony Jerod-Eddie is a tough blow for the line, but Spencer Nealy and Eddie Brown Jr. earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors last season. The coaching staff needs to decide if Damontre Moore fits at end or linebacker, especially after he recorded 8.5 sacks in 2011. The linebacking corps should be a strength, as Jonathan Stewart, Sean Porter and Steven Jenkins return. The secondary was a weakness in 2011 and will be losing cornerbacks Terrence Frederick and Coryell Judie and safety Trent Hunter. Even though the SEC has struggled to get great quarterback play across the board, the secondary is going to be under fire early and often in 2012.

6. Mississippi State

Key Returnees: QB Tyler Russell, RB LaDarius Perkins, WR Chad Bumphis, LG Gabe Jackson, DE Kaleb Eulls, DT Josh Boyd, LB Cameron Lawrence, LB Deonte Skinner, CB Johnthan Banks, CB Corey Broomfield, S Nickoe Whitley

Key Losses: QB Chris Relf, RB Vick Ballard, LT James Carmon, RG Quentin Saulsberry, RT Addison Lawrence, DE Sean Ferguson, DT Fletcher Cox, LB Brandon Wilson, SS Charles Mitchell, FS Wade Bonner

The Bulldogs have emerged as a solid bowl team under coach Dan Mullen, but can the program take it to the next level? Mississippi State has yet to beat any SEC West team outside of Ole Miss under Mullen’s watch, which is something that has to change if the Bulldogs want to contend for a spot among the top three in the division.

While Mississippi State has made progress under Mullen, the going won’t get any easier in 2012. With Texas A&M joining the SEC West, the Bulldogs have another difficult obstacle to get bowl eligible. And there are a lot of question marks for this team going into spring practice. Quarterback play was an issue in 2011, with Chris Relf and Tyler Russell both getting significant snaps. Relf has expired his eligibility, leaving Russell as the team’s No. 1 quarterback. Running back Vick Ballard must be replaced, but LaDarius Perkins has averaged 5.3 yards per carry during his career and should be a solid replacement. Additionally, three starters must be replaced on the offensive line.

The Bulldogs allowed only 20 points a game last season, but ranked seventh in the SEC in rush defense, allowing 153.5 yards per game. The defense was dealt a blow when tackle Fletcher Cox decided to leave for the NFL, but fellow tackle Josh Boyd is back for his senior year. The Bulldogs caught a break when cornerback Johnthan Banks decided to return for his senior year, but the secondary must replace safety Charles Mitchell. This unit shouldn’t suffer too much of a drop-off, but could struggle to stop the run without one of its key defenders on the interior of the line.

7. Ole Miss

Key Returnees: RB Jeff Scott, WR Donte Moncrief, WR Nickolas Brassell, LB Mike Marry, LB D.T. Shackelford, FS Charles Sawyer, P Tyler Campbell

Key Losses: RB Brandon Bolden, LT Bradley Sowell, RT Bobby Massie, DE Kentrell Lockett, S Damien Jackson

A disastrous 2011 season brought change to Oxford. Out is Houston Nutt as the Rebels’ coach and in is former Arkansas State head coach (and Ole Miss assistant) Hugh Freeze. The new coaching staff has a lot of work to do to get the Rebels back in a bowl game and considering the returning personnel, it may be a year or two before that happens.

Three quarterbacks received snaps in 2011, but none performed well enough to claim the job entering spring practice. Randall Mackey, Zack Stoudt and Barry Brunetti all return for 2012, but will face competition from incoming JUCO Bo Wallace. Jeff Scott is the team’s top returning rusher (529 yards), but at 5-foot-7, the Rebels don’t want to give him 250-300 carries. The receiving corps has some promising youth returning, as Donte Moncrief and Nickolas Brassell – both freshmen last year – ranked No. 1 and No. 2 on the team in catches last year. The offensive line will be a concern next year, especially with Bradley Sowell out of eligibility and Bobby Massie declaring for the draft.

As if the offensive struggles weren’t enough last year, the Rebels were one of the worst in the SEC in defense. New co-defensive coordinators Dave Wommack and Wesley McGriff have to figure out ways to generate a pass rush after the Rebels averaged only one sack a game in 2011. Linebacker D.T. Shackelford missed all of 2011 due to a knee injury and his return should add some much-needed punch to the run defense. 

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Arkansas at LSU in 2001

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

What is the true cost of public education?

August 2, 2012 – 12:19 am

The cost of public education per student is too high. Over $28,000 for kids in Washington D.C. and over $12,000 in Houston, Texas.

Uploaded by on Mar 5, 2010

What is the true cost of public education? According to a new study by the Cato Institute, some of the nation’s largest public school districts are underreporting the true cost of government-run education programs.

http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=11432

Cato Education Analyst Adam B. Schaeffer explains that the nations five largest metro areas and the District of Columbia are blurring the numbers on education costs. On average, per-pupil spending in these areas is 44 percent higher than officially reported. Districts on average spent nearly $18,000 per student and yet claimed to spend just $12,500 last year.

It is impossible to have a public debate about education policy if public schools can’t be straight forward about their spending.

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Washington Times article supports Chick-fil-A day of Appreciation

August 1, 2012 – 10:26 am

Washington Times article supports Chick-fil-A day of Appreciation

NANCE AND DIAZ: Happy Chick-fil-A Day of Appreciation

Americans fight anti-Christian bigotry

By Penny Young Nance and Mario Diaz

Chick-fil-A may not represent Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s perception of “Chicago values,” but it sure represents the values of “We the People.” Today, millions of Americans, including the half-a-million members of Concerned Women for America (CWA) will show their appreciation for those values by joining the Chick-fil-A Day of Appreciation. Aside from the fact that every single time that Americans have had the chance to vote on the definition of marriage they have elected to preserve the traditional definition of one man and one woman, Americans love and treasure their First Amendment rights.

Those rights are under assault today with the recent anti-Chick-fil-A efforts by government officials. These officials are not just exercising their First Amendment rights. What we are witnessing is the government using its force to squelch speech, suppress religion and punish anyone who dares live out their Christian beliefs.

For example, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino says he will block Chick-fil-A from opening a facility in his city. “Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the City of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion,” he spouted.

In Chicago, Alderman Proco Joe Moreno said he will block the company from building a second store in the city. Councilman Jim Kenney in Philadelphia is telling the business to “take a hike.” Here in Washington, D.C., Mayor Vincent Gray says he will oppose the expanded presence for Chick-fil-A in the District, calling it “hate chicken.”

Even the extremely liberal American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) recognizes the disturbing nature of these statements. Senior Attorney Adam Schwartz, of the Illinois chapter of the ACLU, told Fox News, “When an alderman refuses to allow a business to open because its owner has expressed a viewpoint the government disagrees with, the government is practicing viewpoint discrimination.” That is crystal clear.

But the dangerous practice that might go unnoticed here is the more subversive part of this anti-Christian bigotry. These city officials are speaking within their capacity as officials. When a mayor makes such a statement on behalf of the city, the consequences are a bit more elusive, yet very real.

Certainly everyone, including a city mayor, is entitled to their opinion, and people can vote with their pocketbooks by going somewhere else to eat their “chikin.” But what is happening here, again, is something our Founding Fathers tried to guard us against —― government using its power to suppress viewpoints and expressions with which it disagrees. That’s something that, just as in this situation, is usually accomplished in a subtle way at first.

How many other businesses got the message not to do business with Chick-fil-A if they want to do business in these cities? It’s been reported that the Jim Henson Co., producers of the Muppets, canceled an agreement with Chick-fil-A, as a result of this controversy. Why now? Chick-fil-A has not changed. They have always supported traditional marriage. Could the pressure applied by government officials have played a role in that decision? Could it play a role in similar decisions moving forward?

When government shows its force, the ramifications are innumerable.

How many business owners who may believe as Chick-fil-A’s founder does about marriage and family now feel that they must be silent if they want to retain their business in these particular cities?  Not only that, but these officials’ comments empower others within their administration to apply the same prejudices in their own area of control. The First Amendment is being trampled, and we all lose when our constitutional rights are diminished.

Chick-fil-A posted annual sales of more than $4 billion last year. It employs hundreds of Americans, providing them excellent benefits and a great environment in which to work. This year, it will award $1.6 million in scholarships to its restaurant team members. Keep in mind that this is in a time when national unemployment rate is 8.2 percent. In the District of Columbia and Chicago it is 9 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively.

Chick-fil-A’s WinShape Foundation does incredible charitable work, operating foster homes and camps for disadvantaged youth, among many other endeavors. It’s all born out of the same deeply held religious beliefs that lead them to support traditional marriage — the same beliefs for which it is being singled out and discriminated against by these local government officials.

All Americans should stand with Chick-fil-A today, Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal, Christians and non-Christians. Freedom breaks through all stereotypes, reaching to the heart of what it really means to be an American.

Penny Young Nance is president and CEO of Concerned Women for America (CWA). Mario Diaz is CWA’s legal counsel.

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“Woody Wednesday” Allen on the meaning of life (part 2)

August 1, 2012 – 5:46 am

Ecclesiastes 1

Published on Sep 4, 2012

Calvary Chapel Spring Valley | Sunday Evening | September 2, 2012 | Pastor Derek Neider

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Ecclesiastes 2-3

Published on Sep 19, 2012

Calvary Chapel Spring Valley | Sunday Evening | September 16, 2012 | Derek Neider

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September 3, 2011 · 5:16 PM

Woody Allen on the Emptiness of Life

In the final scene of Manhattan, Woody Allen’s character, Isaac, is lying on the sofa with a microphone and a tape-recorder, dictating to himself an idea for a short story. It will be about “people in Manhattan,” he says, “who are constantly creating these real unnecessary, neurotic problems for themselves” because they cannot bear to confront the “more unsolvable, terrible problems about the universe.” In an attempt to keep it optimistic, he begins by asking himself the question, “Why is life worth living?” He gives it some thought. “That’s a very good question,” he says, “There are certain things, I guess, that make it worthwhile.” And then the list begins: Groucho Marx, Willie Mays, the second movement of Mozart’s ‘Jupiter Symphony,’ Louis Armstrong’s recording of Potato Head Blues, “Swedish movies, naturally,” Flaubert’s Sentimental Education, Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, “those incredible apples and pears by Cézanne, the crabs at Sam Wo’s . . . Tracy’s face.”

This list acts as an important hinge in the film’s narrative, the point at which Isaac suddenly becomes aware of his feelings for Tracy and resolves to go after her. But within this list there is also something greater being communicated, something which, I believe, can be described as the central subject of nearly every Woody Allen film, or, perhaps, what compels him to make films in the first place. Isaac is conveying here a belief in the sheer power of art, its ability to provide a sense of worth to an otherwise empty existence. Art, Woody Allen seems to be saying, is the only valuable response – or the only conceivable response – to the dreadful human predicament as he sees it.

~ ~ ~

“My relationship with death remains the same: I’m strongly against it.”

~ ~ ~

Recently, at the Cannes Film Festival, Woody Allen was asked about what motivates him. He simply laughed and said, “Fear is what drives me.” Work, for Allen, is a wonderful distraction from the “terrible truth” – the ostensible meaninglessness of life, the apparent futility of all human endeavour, the inevitability of sickness, the unescapable prognosis of death. Film-making, like the “unnecessay, neurotic problems” dreamt up by the characters in Isaac’s short story, diverts Allen’s attention away from this reality, from the fear that presents itself when he stops to think about the fact that eventually everybody dies, “the sun burns out, and the earth is gone, and . . . all the stars, all the planets, the entire universe, goes, disappears.” So this fear is the reason for his prolificity, the impulse behind all of his artistic achievements. Manhattan, Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Sleeper all came about, first of all, as distractions, projects that prevented him from having to “sit in a chair and think about what a terrible situation all human beings are in.”

I believe that there is a lot of truth in Woody Allen’s perspective. We distract ourselves constantly, we refuse to think about the meaning of our existence, we skirt around the inevitable. Certainly – and he acknowledges this – Allen is not the first person to have hit upon this truth. It has been recognised by such thinkers as Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre, the Buddha and the writer of Ecclesiastes. And Allen knows, too, that one cannot live in perpetual awareness of this fact. Such a life would be crippling torment. Indeed, it is this very torment that Tolstoy found himself in after having realised that there was “nothing ahead other than deception of life and of happiness, and the reality of suffering and death: of complete annihilation.” After realising, in other words, the sheer absurdness of human existence, the meaninglessness of life without God. In his Confession he writes:

My life came to a standstill. I could breathe, eat, drink and sleep and I could not help breathing, eating, drinking and sleeping; but there was no life in me because I had no desires whose gratification I would have deemed it reasonable to fulfil. If I wanted something I knew in advance that whether or not I satisfied my desire nothing would come of it.

One cannot live like this, says Woody Allen. One must provide oneself with necessary delusions in order to carry oneself through life. He remarks that it is in fact only those people whom he calls “self-deluded” that seem to find any kind of real satisfaction in living, any peace or enjoyment. These people can say, “Well, my priest, or my rabbi tells me everthing’s going to be all right,” and they find their answers in what he calls “magical solutions.” This recourse to the “magical” he dismisses as nonsense.

It is worth comparing Woody Allen’s pessimistic agnosticism with the utopian atheism of someone like Richard Dawkins. Evidently, the former worldview is entirely consistent with non-belief in God, whereas the latter is not. In fact, it is unfounded, false. Dawkins removes God from the picture entirely, yet clings persistently to a belief in life’s meaning, grounding this meaning, it appears, in natural selection. There is a contradiction in Dawkins’ thought: on the one hand, he claims that science “can tell us why we are here, tell us the purpose of human existence,” yet, on the other, he insists on characterising natural selection itself as a blind mechanism, containing “no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pointless indifference.”

Whilst I do not share Woody Allen’s agnostic belief, I can respect his consistency, his willingness to acknowledge an existence without God for what it really is: “a grim, painful, nightmarish, meaningless experience.” His worldview follows naturally from what Heidegger termed the state of human “abandonment,” the absence of God in all human affairs. Dawkins’ worldview, on the other hand, does not . . . It is an embarrassing mishmash of strict empricist and naturalistic belief with what really amounts to a kind of foggy mysticism, a belief system according to which human beings can create for themselves an objective purpose. What he fails to realise is that this purpose is nothing more than a delusion, a mere appearance of purpose. It might get us up in the morning, but, once again, it is no more real than the manufactured neurotic problems of Isaac’s characters.

~ ~ ~

“It is impossible to experience one’s death objectively and still carry a tune.”

~ ~ ~

Let us return to Woody Allen’s seemingly affirmative opinion of art, as exemplified in the final scene of Manhattan. Given his lifelong insistence on the belief that human existence is “a big, meaningless thing,” how are we to make sense of Isaac’s list? Is it really possible to reconcile Woody Allen’s adament nihilism with his invocation of the power of art, its ability to stand firm in the face of such a terrible truth? The point to be made, I believe, is a very subtle one. In that same interview at Cannes, Woody Allen talks about the role of the artist as he sees it. The artist, essentially, must respond to the question that Isaac poses, “Why is life worth living?” Faced with the emptiness of life, she must try to “figure out – knowing that it’s true . . . knowing the worst – why it’s still worthwhile.” Allen is not, I believe, claiming that art can provide objective meaning to life. Such an assertion would conflict with his unswerving pessimism. Instead, he is saying that the essence of art, what animates it, what inspires it to flourish, is a courageous struggle against this “terrible truth.” The artist, he says, must confront the futility of life, look at it in the face, embrace it in all of its hopelessness and despair, and provide humanity with an honest reply. The question, then, is not, ‘Can Woody Allen justify his belief in an objective meaning as embodied in art?’ I do not think that he believes in an objective meaning, a necessary purpose for human existence. Rather, the question becomes, ‘Is it possible for the artist to look squarely at the human predicament and supply humanity with a worthwhile answer?’

This, I want to say, is still not possible. As we have seen with the example of Tolstoy, one cannot live one’s life in a full awareness of its futility, of the imminence of death, of the falsity of one’s happiness, and yet carry on as normal. One would end up utterly debilitated. And if this is indeed how artists have been living for centuries, confronting the inevitable, facing the dismal truth, then art itself becomes an inexplicable phenomenon.

~ ~ ~

“On the plus side, death is one of the few things that can be done just as easily lying down.”

~ ~ ~

The answer is not to appeal to art as something that can provide human existence with objective meaning. Such a ‘faith in art’ would merely beg the question, ‘But why is art so special?’ How can art, if viewed as just another custom, an event within the world, give purpose and value to human life? It remains to be explained how that which is within the world can provide meaning for that which is within the world. Meaning, I believe, can only come from without, from that which transcends the world, and yet instills human existence with significance and worth. It is the purpose of art to direct us to this very transcendence, the ground of being itself. The same higher power, in fact, that Woody Allen – perhaps rightly! – dismisses as “nonsense” in its rigid, institutional form.

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The Bible and Archaeology (1/5) The Bible maintains several characteristics that prove it is from God. One of those is the fact that the Bible is accurate in every one of its details. The field of archaeology brings to light this amazing accuracy. _________________________- I want to make two points today. 1. There is no […]

“Woody Wednesday” How Allen’s film “Crimes and Misdemeanors makes the point that hell is necessary (jh 14)

Crimes and Misdemeanors: A Discussion: Part 1 Adrian Rogers – Crossing God’s Deadline Part 2 Jason Tolbert provided this recent video from Mike Huckabee: John Brummett in his article “Huckabee speaks for bad guy below,” Arkansas News Bureau, May 5, 2011 had to say: Are we supposed to understand and accept that Mike Huckabee is […]

Agnostic Allen notes, “The people who successfully delude themselves seem happier than the people who can’t” (Woody Wednesday Part 5)

Woody Allen interviews Billy Graham on Religion This article below makes we think of the lady tied to the Railroad in the Schaeffer video. Dr. Francis schaeffer – The flow of Materialism (Modern man sees no hope for the future and has deluded himself by appealing to nonreason to stay sane. Look at the example […]

A review of Woody Allen’s latest movie “Midnight in Paris” (Woody Wednesday Part 4)

Midnight in Paris Not Dove Family Approved Theatrical Release: 6/10/2011 Reviewer: Edwin L. Carpenter Source: Theater Writer: Woody Allen Producer: Letty Aronson Director: Woody Allen Genre: Comedy Runtime: 100 min. MPAA Rating: PG-13 Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kurt Fuller, Kathy Bates Synopsis: Midnight in Paris is a romantic comedy that follows a family travelling […]

Woody Allen films and the issue of guilt (Woody Wednesday Part 3)

Woody Allen and the Abandonment of Guilt Dr. Marc T. Newman : AgapePress Print In considering filmmaking as a pure visual art form, Woody Allen would have to be considered a master of the medium. From his humble beginnings as a comedy writer and filmmaker, he has emerged as a major influential force in Hollywood. […]

According to Woody Allen Life is meaningless (Woody Wednesday Part 2)

Woody Allen, the film writer, director, and actor, has consistently populated his scripts with characters who exchange dialogue concerning meaning and purpose. In Hannah and Her Sisters a character named Mickey says, “Do you realize what a thread were all hanging by? Can you understand how meaningless everything is? Everything. I gotta get some answers.”{7} […]

“Woody Wednesday” Part 1 starts today, Complete listing of all posts on the historical people mentioned in “Midnight in Paris”

I have gone to see Woody Allen’s latest movie “Midnight in Paris” three times and taken lots of notes during the films. I have attempted since June 12th when I first started posting to give a historical rundown on every person mentioned in the film. Below are the results of my study. I welcome any […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Toughest schedules in the SEC? (Part 2)

July 31, 2012 – 6:51 am

Arkansas was going to play Tennessee in 2012 but that got taken off the schedule. Tennessee has to play a Missouri team that in my view is unpredicable. Alabama and LSU play tough schedules every year. Tennessee usually plays a top 10 like Oregon to start off the year but they play NC State instead this year.

2012 SEC Schedule Analysis

Ranking the SEC Schedules (from easiest to toughest):

1. Georgia Bulldogs
Face Ole Miss and Auburn in crossover and play only three true road games in weaker East.

2. Vanderbilt Commodores
Face Ole Miss and Auburn in crossover with Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee at home.

3. Mississippi State Bulldogs
LSU and Bama are losses anyway and both on the road, but five of other six are winnable games.

4. Arkansas Razorbacks
Plays managable road slate; gets Bama and LSU at home and Kentucky in crossover.

5. Missouri Tigers
Four of first five are at home with winnable road trips to Tennessee and Texas A&M.

6. Tennessee Volunteers
No LSU or Arkansas in crossover helps with Florida and Mizzou at home.

7. Alabama Crimson Tide
Brutal road slate – at LSU, Arkansas and Missouri — with a much easier home schedule.

8. Kentucky Wildcats
At Hogs and Mississippi State at home in crossover. Trips to Mizzou, Florida and Tennessee.

9. Florida Gators
At Texas A&M and LSU at home is tough crossover. But only three true road games

10. Auburn Tigers
Toughest games at home and trip to Bama. Winnable road games at Ole Miss, Vandy and Mississippi State.

11. South Carolina Gamecocks
LSU (road) and Arkansas (home) in crossover, with trips to Florida and Vandy in division.

12. LSU Tigers
Florida (road) and South Carolina (home) is a tough crossover. Visits A&M, Auburn and Arkansas as well.

13. Ole Miss Rebels
Hmmm: At Bama, at Arkansas, at Georgia, at LSU?

14. Texas A&M Aggies
Will play five of the top seven teams in the league — and Auburn, Mississippi State.

2012 SEC Conference Schedules:

ALABAMA
Sept. 15: at Arkansas
Sept. 29: OLE MISS
Oct. 13: at Missouri
Oct. 20: at Tennessee
Oct. 27: MISSISSIPPI STATE
Nov. 3: at LSU
Nov. 10: TEXAS A&M
Nov. 24: AUBURN

ARKANSAS
Sept. 15: ALABAMA
Sept. 29: vs. Texas A&M
Oct. 6: at Auburn
Oct. 13: KENTUCKY
Oct. 27: OLE MISS
Nov. 10: at South Carolina
Nov. 17: at Mississippi State
Nov. 24: LSU

AUBURN
Sept. 8: at Mississippi State
Sept. 22: LSU
Oct. 6: ARKANSAS
Oct. 13: at Ole Miss
Oct. 20: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 27: TEXAS A&M
Nov. 10: GEORGIA
Nov. 24: at Alabama

FLORIDA
Sept. 8: at Texas A&M
Sept. 15: at Tennessee
Sept. 22: KENTUCKY
Oct. 6: LSU
Oct. 13: at Vanderbilt
Oct. 20: SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 27: vs. Georgia (Jacksonville)
Nov. 3: MISSOURI

GEORGIA
Sept. 8: at Missouri
Sept. 22: VANDERBILT
Sept. 29: TENNESSEE
Oct. 6: at South Carolina
Oct. 20: at Kentucky
Oct. 27: vs. Florida (Jacksonville)
Nov. 3: OLE MISS
Nov. 10: at Auburn

KENTUCKY
Sept. 22: at Florida
Sept. 29: SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 6: MISSISSIPPI STATE
Oct. 13: at Arkansas
Oct. 20: GEORGIA
Oct. 27: at Missouri
Nov. 3: VANDERBILT
Nov. 24: at Tennessee

LSU
Sept. 22: at Auburn
Oct. 6: at Florida
Oct. 13: SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 20: at Texas A&M
Nov. 3: ALABAMA
Nov. 10: MISSISSIPPI STATE
Nov. 17: OLE MISS
Nov. 24: at Arkansas

OLE MISS
Sept. 29: at Alabama
Oct. 6: TEXAS A&M
Oct. 13: AUBURN
Oct. 27: at Arkansas
Nov. 3: at Georgia
Nov. 10: VANDERBILT
Nov. 17: at LSU
Nov. 24: MISSISSIPPI STATE

MISSISSIPPI STATE
Sept. 8: AUBURN
Oct. 6: at Kentucky
Oct. 13: TENNESSEE
Oct. 27: at Alabama
Nov. 3: TEXAS A&M
Nov. 10: at LSU
Nov. 17: ARKANSAS
Nov. 24: at Ole Miss

MISSOURI
Sept. 8: GEORGIA
Sept. 22: at South Carolina
Oct. 6: VANDERBILT
Oct. 13: ALABAMA
Oct. 27: KENTUCKY
Nov. 3: at Florida
Nov. 10: at Tennessee
Nov. 24: at Texas A&M

SOUTH CAROLINA
Aug. 30: at Vanderbilt
Sept. 22: MISSOURI
Sept. 29: at Kentucky
Oct. 6: GEORGIA
Oct. 13: at LSU
Oct. 20: at Florida
Oct. 27: TENNESSEE
Nov. 10: ARKANSAS

TENNESSEE
Sept. 15: FLORIDA
Sept. 29: at Georgia
Oct. 13: at Mississippi State
Oct. 20: ALABAMA
Oct. 27: at South Carolina
Nov. 10: MISSOURI
Nov. 17: at Vanderbilt
Nov. 24: KENTUCKY

TEXAS A&M
Sept. 8: FLORIDA
Sept. 29: vs. Arkansas
Oct. 6: at Ole Miss
Oct. 20: LSU
Oct. 27: at Auburn
Nov. 3: at Mississippi State
Nov. 10: at Alabama
Nov. 24: MISSOURI

VANDERBILT
Aug. 30: SOUTH CAROLINA
Sept. 22: at Georgia
Oct. 6: at Missouri
Oct. 13: FLORIDA
Oct. 20: AUBURN
Nov. 3: at Kentucky
Nov. 10: at Ole Miss
Nov. 17: TENNESSEE

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (0)

Milton and Rose Friedman “Two Lucky People”

July 31, 2012 – 6:43 am

Milton Friedman on Hayek’s “Road to Serfdom” 1994 Interview 2 of 2

Uploaded by on Oct 26, 2011

2nd half of 1994 interview.

________________

I have a lot of respect for the Friedmans.Two Lucky People by Milton and Rose Friedman reviewed by David Frum — October 1998. However, I liked this review below better. It is pointed out that Milton and Rose became known by the common man after their book and film series “Free to Choose” came out. In that book the Friedman’s demonstrate that the free market and not socialism is the answer to our problems in the USA and around the world. No wonder we now have such a large budget deficit in the USA and Europe is having so many problems since we have allowed government to spend so much of our money.

Take a look at this review below:

Reviewer: Timothy F. Bresnahan  
  Affiliation: Trinity University  
  This book review appeared in the Winter 1999 issue of The Independent Review  

When interviewing student candidates for prestigious national scholarships, my favorite question runs something like: “If you had unlimited funds for planning the perfect dinner party consisting of any ten people you choose, whom would you invite? And why?” Their responses tell me volumes about the students’ range of interests, knowledge, verbal talent, and ability to think on their feet.

Like solitaire, the “ideal dinner party” game can be played alone, and I often play it when I am bored. Although my guest list changes slightly from time to time, depending on my mood and current interests, invariably at the very top of my roster are Milton and Rose Friedman. The Friedmans are my automatic selection not only for my perfect dinner party but as the persons I would most like to accompany on a long journey. Reading their revealing and stimulating memoirs is the next best thing to taking that voyage. They place the reader in the company of two of the most remarkable people of our time.

The memoirs extend from the Friedmans’ early years to 1997. The earliest times are recounted in separate voices by Rose and Milton, each telling her or his own story seriatim. For the later years, their narrative voices are presented sometimes jointly and sometimes in tandem. This method adds a great deal to the readability and interest of their story. It allows the reader to get different impressions of the same people and places and brings out the (rare) disagreements between the two authors. It provides more information and presents a more vivid picture than is typically the case in memoirs by a single author.

Rarely and after a long interval there emerges an economist whose name is destined to become associated with a whole epoch of economic thought and policy. In the period since 1930 only two such names have surfaced: John Maynard Keynes is one of them. His ideas about the causes and cures of unemployment dominated the teaching and research of economists during the period roughly from 1936 to 1970.

Milton Friedman is the other name in the pantheon of recent greats for whom epochs are designated. By one empirical measure he is by far the most influential economist in America, as John Huston and I have shown (“Reputation versus Influence: The Evidence from Textbook References,” Eastern Economic Journal 23 [Fall 1997]: 451–56). But how did he reach this pinnacle? And by what criteria might we judge his achievement? There are two major rubrics under which one might place Friedman’s most important work.

First are the contributions he made to the development of economic theory, what Alfred Marshall, in an earlier century, referred to as the “engine of analysis.” The committee that selected Friedman for the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Science in 1976 placed great emphasis on that aspect of his output.

The second criterion is harder to characterize and yet is of paramount importance. It might be referred to as the influence Friedman had in affecting the intellectual and social currents of his era. That influence would include not only his impact on economic and social policy by inspiring legislation and court decisions, but his role in determining the very issues that would be debated.

Of course the two categories are not mutually exclusive and often are so intertwined as to be inseparable. Keynes, for instance, developed a new “box of tools” (in Joan Robinson’s phrase)consisting of such technical arcana as the consumption function, the investment multiplier, the liquidity-preference function, and the marginal efficiency of capital, among othersthat changed the vocabulary and way of thinking of economists who deal with aggregate income and employment problems. But Keynes did more than provide a new arsenal of weapons to be used in what later came to be called macroeconomics. For his ideas had enormous consequences for the practical policy debates of his time. Without his ability to impress his fellow economists with his talents for theoretical abstraction, it is highly unlikely that Keynes would have had much impact on the economics profession and ultimately on public officials.

Like Keynes, Friedman developed new theories (and ingenious ways of testing old ones). His work led to an exhaustive reevaluation of the efficacy of fiscal and monetary policy and to a revisionist view of America’s monetary history, especially in relation to the Great Depression. His statistical testing of Keynes’s consumption function resulted in an alternative view of the relation between consumption and income; and his famous Workshop in Money and Banking at the University of Chicago eventuated in a more sophisticated version of the quantity theory of money, a theory that in its more naive formulation had led Keynes and his disciples to underestimate the potency of monetary factors in economic change. These contributions have become part of the modern economist’s vocabulary and way of dealing with economic issues. One chapter of the memoirs is devoted to a lucid discussion of Milton’s scientific scholarly work in a manner that laymen should be able to follow without difficulty. In this illuminating discussion Friedman commands a very simple and straightforward style of saying very complicated things.

But far more important than his abstract theorizing and statistical techniques has been his impact on the agenda of economic debate. There is hardly a major controversy among economists in the post–World War II period that hasn’t taken Friedman’s work as its point of departure: fixed versus flexible exchange rates; the relationship between political and economic freedom; an all-volunteer army versus a conscripted army; positive versus normative economics; the deregulation of industry; fixed rules versus fine-tuning in economic policy; the causes of the Great Depression; a flat tax versus a progressive income tax; the legalization of drugs versus prohibition; a voucher system versus socialized schoolsall of these debates were initiated by a provocative article or book by Friedman. No other economist in his day, or perhaps in the twentieth century, has broken ground in so many areas later tilled by others.

Many of these ideas were developed in collaboration with Rose Director Friedman, his co-thinker and wife, whom he met when both were graduate students at the University of Chicago in the 1930s. One of their professors seated the students alphabetically so that Milton and Rose found themselves next to each otherjust one example of the good luck they have enjoyed throughout their lives, which gave their joint autobiography its title. A friendship developed between Rose and Milton, eventually leading to marriage in 1938. Although a well-trained economist herself, Rose decided from the beginning that Milton’s career should come first. She would be a mother first and an economist second. In Rose’s words, “I have never had the desire to compete with Milton professionally (perhaps because I was smart enough to recognize that I couldn’t). On the other hand, he has always made me feel that his achievement is my achievement” (p. 87). And with good reason. After her children were grown, Rose began collaborating with Milton on some of his most important projects.

The fruit of their first collaboration was published in 1962 (Capitalism and Freedom [Chicago: University of Chicago Press]). It contains the essence of Milton Friedman’s economic policy counsel and shows the interconnection between much of his earlier work in pure theory and his espousal of a coherent classical liberal philosophy that holds individual freedom to be paramount. Because Friedman’s ideas were out of keeping with the left-liberal dominance of economics and politics at the time, the book was not reviewed by any major national publication. Eventually, however, it sold over a half-million copies, was translated into eighteen languages, and became one of a small handful of books that “along with books and writings by Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek played a major role in spreading and keeping alive an understanding of the meaning of a free society” (p. 340). In the fullness of time the royalties from the book paid for the Friedmans’ hexagonal dream house in rural Vermont, which they named “Capitaf.” (Some of the most delightful parts of their memoirs are descriptions of their life in that idyllic setting).

The academic year 1962–63 gave evidence of astonishing industry on Friedman’s part. In addition to Capitalism and Freedom, he published Price Theory: A Provisional Text (Chicago: Aldine, 1962) and his magnum opus, co-authored with Anna Jacobson Schwartz, A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960 (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1963). Those works and the output of the previous decade were beginning to bear fruit all over the world. Consequently he began to have an impact on politics, which changed his life from the relative simple one of a typical academic to that of an international celebrity. He was the subject of a Time cover story in late 1969, and the New York Times Magazine followed with a Friedman cover soon afterward. He became a columnist for Newsweek, was the subject of an interview in Playboy, and appeared regularly on television talk shows. Eventually he hosted his own ten-part TV series called “Free to Choose.” The book that accompanied that project was co-authored with Rose and became a best-seller. Milton’s name and face became instantly recognizable by large segments of the general public.

In 1976 Milton Friedman was awarded the Nobel prize in economics. His fame was to carry the Friedmans around the globe many times. Milton lectured, studied, met with top-notch scholars and high-level government officials the world over, all the while working on material for articles and books.

But the Friedmans always seemed to find time for sight-seeing and recording their impressions in lengthy informative letters to family and friends. Because neither kept a diary, they found those letters invaluable for refreshing their memories for their joint autobiography. Large segments of the book consist of their reactions to many of the people and places they visited. Here the reader will be grateful for the authors’ perceptiveness, their shrewd insights, and their acute generalizations based on keen powers of observation. They record their impressions in a way that makes vivid almost everything of interest that they encountered. Thus, the reader will be treated to fascinating accounts of politicians for whom Milton became an unofficial adviser: Barry Goldwater, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan. Friedman also consulted with foreign leaders, including Margaret Thatcher and Menachem Begin, among others. On a visit to China in 1988 he engaged in a lengthy dialogue with Zhao Ziyang, at the time the general secretary of the Communist Party. That dialogue, along with a memorandum Friedman sent to Zhao, appears as an appendix (pp. 607–16).

The self-confidence that Friedman displayed in his meetings with powerful world leaders helps explain his amazing career. To this factor I would add his seemingly unlimited energy, uncommon brilliance, creative mind, andas he and Rose would insistluck.

To read Two Lucky People is to get on intimate terms with a wholly delightful and wholly admirable couple. Here is a book to savor. Instructive and endlessly entertaining, it brings to life a whole era from the Great Depression to the present day.

By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Milton Friedman | Comments (0)

Milton Friedman remembered at 100 years from his birth (Part 4)

July 30, 2012 – 6:16 am

I ran across this very interesting article about Milton Friedman from 2002:

Friedman: Market offers poor better learningBy Tamara Henry, USA TODAY

By Doug Mills, AP
President Bush honors influential economist Milton Friedman for his 90th birthday earlier this month.
About an economist
Name:Milton FriedmanAge: 90Background: Winner of the 1976 Nobel Prize for economic science; senior research fellow, Hoover Institution at Stanford University since 1977; adviser to presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan; awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Medal of Science in 1988.He’s in the news because an idea Friedman proposed in 1955 is the subject of a pending U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Friedman’s idea: to give low-income parents tax money, in the form of vouchers, so they have the option of sending their children to private or religious schools.Education: B.A. in 1932, Rutgers University; M.A. in 1933, University of Chicago; Ph.D. in 1946, Columbia University.

WASHINGTON — Milton Friedman is a Nobel Prize-winning economist who rubs elbows with the rich and powerful and was recently feted on his 90th birthday by President Bush. But few people know that Friedman is also a champion of poor families who want a better education for their kids.

Friedman is considered “the father of vouchers,” the controversial idea that low-income parents should get tax-supported vouchers to send their kids to private and religious schools.

“Look, what is this all about? Who is it that suffers most from our present school system?” he asks. “It’s the low-income, particularly the blacks. There’s no doubt they’re the great victims. Here’s a program that will help them tremendously.”

Friedman proposed the idea 47 years ago and says he never imagined that the debate would become so intense that the U.S. Supreme Court would have to offer a definitive ruling on the issue. A high court decision is expected soon on the constitutionality of a program in Cleveland, where the majority of the students getting $2,250 a year in vouchers use the funds to attend religious schools. Opponents say this violates the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state. But Friedman says most parents will have limited school choices as long as the government controls public education.

Private-school vouchers were “such a profoundly insightful idea that it stunned me with its clarity and how sensible it was, but yet how radical it was,” says William “Chip” Mellor, president of the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public-interest law firm that favors vouchers. He first read about the idea while in law school and says he’s known Friedman more than 15 years and considers him “a hero.”

Friedman’s slight, 5-foot frame belies his stature. He was a member of President Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory board, and even now, when his pal Alan Greenspan and the U.S. Federal Reserve Board adjust interest rates, experts look for Friedman’s reaction. His memoirs, written with his wife, Rose, in 1998, recall how in Europe in 1950, he wrote the draft for his classic essay, “The Case for Flexible Exchange Rates,” as part of his contribution to the rehabilitation of Germany after World War II.

Five years later, education hit Friedman’s radar screen.

In 1955, he wrote a paper on the role the federal government should play in various areas: monetary matters, international trade and education. A professor at the University of Chicago at the time, Friedman published a separate article questioning why government wanted to run schools. He proposed vouchers as a way to separate government financing of education from government administration of schools.

Now, nearly a half-century later, he remains just as energetic about his idea — although no program has come close to what he first proposed.

Vouchers are not just an academic interest. Friedman and his wife, a constant companion for 63 years, created the Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation to fund research and support the voucher issue. “We set up the foundation because we were getting to an age in which we weren’t going to be able to do very much ourselves,” he says.

The spry nonagenarian lives in San Francisco and still works as a senior researcher at the conservative Hoover Institution, a position he has held since 1977.

Why would a wealthy economist focus so much effort on black kids from the inner city? Friedman bows his head and knits his fingers together. “What are we here for?” he asks. “We’re here to try to make the world a little better than we found it.”

He appears ill at ease with any compliment. Asked about the “father of vouchers” title, he flicks his hand and says, “Movements have lots of fathers.” He cites writings of Adam Smith and Thomas Paine in 1776 as hinting at the idea of competition and choice in education.

“Yes, it was a radical idea in its day,” Friedman says. But he frowns at today’s view of radicals as rabble-rousers who lead marches and protests. Friedman’s radicalism focuses mainly on voicing unorthodox views.

“I was not unaccustomed to having people disagree with me. To begin with, (the voucher idea) took up very rapidly. But every time people would gather strongly in favor of it, they would come up against the teachers’ unions and the educational bureaucracy, the government civil service.”

New Hampshire was the first state to express an interest in the 1970s, and five of its cities were willing to try an experiment drafted by a group at Dartmouth College, Friedman says. But he notes the teachers unions worked diligently to kill the plan before it got off the ground. A similar situation occurred in Connecticut. Milwaukee was the first city to try a voucher experiment in 1990, followed by Cleveland in 1995. Florida has the nation’s first statewide program, enacted in 1999.

Friedman says the key flaw with all the programs is that government continues to call the shots. Also, he says, voucher amounts are too low to interest entrepreneurs in opening new schools.

Friedman gives unfavorable reviews even to President Bush’s new, highly touted education law, allowing children in failing schools to receive vouchers. The problem: The bureaucracy is allowed to set the definition of a failing school.

Refundable tax credits, viewed by many as a back-door voucher, are not popular with Friedman, either. He sees them as a political game.

“Why fool around? I’d prefer to do it straightforwardly, as a voucher. We want competition. We want diversity, variety. But we want it free, not controlled or directed by any third party.”

However, Bob Chase, president of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teachers’ union, says Friedman’s theories counter America’s concept of public education.

“When Americans first developed the concept of public education, it was conceived as a community effort — supported by taxpayers, governed by local citizens, and involving parents and others in nurturing children.

“Milton Friedman would turn this long-standing American success story on its head, creating a system that is essentially ‘every man for himself.’ ”

Chase says the “most significant obstacle” to vouchers is “parents who have clearly said, in polls and at the ballot box, that they would prefer to see improvements in existing schools.”

Friedman, who attended public schools in Rahway, N.J., remains undaunted in his mission and only chuckles when asked why his influence in economics doesn’t extend to education. “It’s hard to sell any idea. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a good thing that it’s hard to sell ideas. The government does enough harm as it is.”

True market-driven education will come, he says. “It will be by accident, absolutely. Somewhere everything will fit together. It will be a place where teachers unions aren’t very strong or have fallen out of favor, where both the governor and legislature are in sync.”

Will Friedman, who admits he’s a quintessential optimist, live to see the day? “I would hope so, but I don’t have that much optimism, no.”

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Milton Friedman – Redistribution of Wealth Uploaded by LibertyPen on Feb 12, 2010 Milton Friedman clears up misconceptions about wealth redistribution, in general, and inheritance tax, in particular. http://www.LibertyPen.com _______________________________ Many times in the past our government has tried to even the playing field but the rich and poor will always be with us as […]

 
By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Milton Friedman, Vouchers | Comments (0)

“Music Monday” Switchfoot is a Christian Band with a great message (Part 1)

July 30, 2012 – 5:08 am

Switchfoot is a Christian Band with a great message (Part 1)

My niece Mallory Nail went to see Switchfoot in concert at John Brown University on Oct 14, 2011 and I am very jealous.

969 Switchfoot Interview #2

Interview with Tim Foreman and Chad Butler airing March 13th, 2007.
Discuss: idea of success, fan interaction
________________________________________

Switchfoot is a Christian Band with a great message (Part 1)

One of my favorite bands is Switchfoot. Tim Foreman is the front man and this band has always been very vocal about their Christian faith. I am really enjoying this series on their band.

Switchfoot: Tim Foreman
by Robert Frezza
Static Noise
http://www.staticnoise.net

Rock band Switchfoot took the stage in Buffalo last night with label mates and co-headliners Copeland. I was fortunate not only to watch the show, but to interview both bassist Tim Foreman from Switchfoot and lead singer Bryan Laurenson from Copeland as well. Here is what they had to say:

StaticNoise: Switchfoot was first noticed as Christian band. Is that a stereotype or mold that the band is trying to break now??
Tim Foreman: “We’ve always been pretty honest about our faith. From one sense it is a compliment. To be associated with Christ, in my opinion, it is a really high honor. As an artist, though, it is can be limiting in the scope that what you are trying to do if you are grouped in that genre. If I was not a Christian, I wouldn’t listen to the songs and somehow they would not relate to me. We always tried to write music for everyone. We’ve been labeled a lot of things—Christian, Political, etcetera, but we just want to make music that is outside of the box.”

SN: Tim Palmer, who is noted for his work with U2’s Joshua Tree and Grammy award winning producer Steve Lillywhite worked on your latest album Oh! Gravity. Was this the first time you worked with both producers??
TF: “Yes! It seems like you have to be British to work on the track.” Foreman says with a chuckle. “Those guys are our heroes. They have been involved with a lot of our favorite records. What they both brought to the table was a big picture perspective. Lillywhite was big on not soloing tracks. Lillywhite wanted us to hear it when things came together.”

SN: So is the more edgier Switchfoot, then??
TF: “It’s a little bit more reckless. More reckless in the way that it’s not taken itself too seriously. When we started recording Oh! Gravity, we weren’t trying to make a record. We just had some free time and some songs and we wanted to record an EP. I think when you are recording when not thinking about it, there’s a lot of freedom there.”

SN: What is the best city you have played in so far on this tour and where do you think Buffalo will rank after tonight??
TF: “We had some great shows so far and I expect big things from Buffalo after tonight.”

By Everette Hatcher III | Comments (1)

Mike Huckabee and Chick Fil-A

July 27, 2012 – 2:08 pm

I will be eating there on August 1, 2012. Yesterday I was in Memphis on a business trip and I heard Mike Huckabee’s radio show. On the show he quoted his good friend “Houston Nutt” who told his players not to stoop to antics when they score but to act like they have been there before when they get to the endzone. Likewise Mike urged his radio listeners to go to ChickFila and buy something on August 1 but they don’t have to stand out front and hold signs, but instead just act like you have been there before.

John G. Malcolm

July 27, 2012 at 10:13 am

Same-sex marriage is a hot-button issue that divides the country and arouses passions on both sides. Dan Cathy, the president of Chick-fil-A, in a recent interview with the Baptist Press responded to a question about opposition toward his support of the traditional family that he was “guilty as charged.” Cathy continued, “We are very much supportive of the family—the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

This was too much for Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino, who announced that Chick-fil-A was not welcome in his fair city and that, “If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult – unless they open up their policies.” In a letter to Mr. Cathy, Menino wrote, “[t]here is no place for discrimination on Boston’s Freedom Trail and no place for your company alongside it.” When subsequently pressed by a reporter, he stated, “I think businesses should be neutral on [the same-sex marriage issue]. They should be selling chicken.” Does anybody believe that if a prospective store owner had publicly announced that he favored same-sex marriage, Mayor Menino would have said, “Shut up and sell chicken”?

Not to be outdone, Chicago Alderman Proco “Joe” Moreno announced: “Because of [Cathy’s] ignorance, I will now be denying Chick-fil-A’s permit to open a restaurant in the 1st Ward.” In the Windy City, they have a quaint little tradition called the aldermanic privilege in which City Council members defer to the opinion of the ward alderman on local issues.Moreno said he would not change his view until Chick-fil-A does “a complete 180,” including issuing a public apology from Cathy.

Shortly thereafter, Mayor Rahm Emanuel chimed in that “Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago values.…And if you’re gonna be part of the Chicago community, you should reflect Chicago values.” A spokeswoman later clarified, though, that Emanuel “did not say that he would block or play any role in the company opening a new business” in Chicago.

While a government official may deny a business permit (or take any number of other official actions) for non-discriminatory, relevant reasons, he may not do so because he doesn’t like things that the applicant has said. In Board of County Commissioners v. Umbehr (1996), the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of speech prevented the Board from terminating its contract with Umbehr solely because he had said critical things about the Board. Speaking for the majority, Justice O’Connor stated:

Recognizing that constitutional violations may arise from the deterrent, or “chilling,” effect of governmental efforts that fall short of a direct prohibition against the exercise of First Amendment rights, our modern “unconstitutional conditions” doctrine holds that the government may not deny a benefit to a person on a basis that infringes his constitutionally protected freedom of speech even if he has no entitlement to that benefit.

If individuals choose to boycott Chick-fil-A or express their outrage, that is their right. Private individuals, unlike government officials acting in their official capacity, can engage in all sorts of viewpoint discrimination. Similarly, if Chick-fil-A violates any federal or state anti-discrimination laws in its hiring or serving decisions, it can expect to suffer the consequences.

However, unless and until that happens, the owners of Chick-fil-A are well within their rights to say what they want and to put into effect their professed desire to operate Chick-fil-A based “on biblical principles.” Fortunately, Mayor Menino now appears to have backed off his initial stance, thereby indicating that perhaps there is a place for freedom of speech on Freedom Trail. Let’s hope that Chicago follows suit soon.

As Sir Winston Churchill once stated, “Everyone is in favor of free speech. Hardly a day passes without its being extolled, but some people’s idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.”

The power that government officials have when it comes to regulating businesses (and individuals, for that matter) is great, and the danger that those officials will pick winners and losers of the government’s largesse based on who the applicant supports or what the applicant believes, rather than on the merits of the application itself, is high. Let’s hope that cooler heads, and the First Amendment values that we all hold dear, prevail.

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Mike Huckabee and Chick Fil-A

  I will be eating there on August 1, 2012. Yesterday I was in Memphis on a business trip and I heard Mike Huckabee’s radio show. On the show he quoted his good friend “Houston Nutt” who told his players not to stoop to antics when they score but to act like they have been there […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Also posted in Mike Huckabee | Comments (3)

Top football stadiums in the country (Part 21)

July 27, 2012 – 8:08 am

Uploaded by on Nov 23, 2011

Alabama teammates and brothers Barrett and Harrison Jones talk about growing up together and playing together at Bama.

Red Parker was the coach of Clemson in 1975 when this game was played.

Alabama Football Coach Paul ‘Bear’ Bryant Interviewed in 1973

Here is a list of the top football stadiums in the country.

Power Ranking All 124 College Football Stadiums  

By Alex Callos

(Featured Columnist) on April 19, 2012 

When it comes to college football stadiums, for some teams, it is simply not fair. Home-field advantage is a big thing in college football, and some teams have it way more than others.

There are 124 FBS college football teams, and when it comes to the stadiums they play in, they are obviously not all created equal.

There is a monumental difference from the top teams on the list to the bottom teams on the list. Either way, here it is: a complete ranking of the college football stadiums 1-124.

_________________

Most people in this part of the country knew that Alabama was going to be close to the top of the list. I have seen Alabama play several times over the last 3 decades and they are the real deal.

 
aka: Paul William Bryant

Paul William “Bear” Bryant is one of America’s all-time most successful college football coaches. At the time of his death, he had won more games than any other coach, including the legendary Amos Alonzo Staggs and Pop Warner. Arkansas-born Bryant remains an icon not only for athletic accomplishments but for personal strength, determination, and the will to win.

Paul William Bryant was born on September 11, 1913, near Kingsland (Cleveland County) in south central Arkansas, to William Monroe Bryant, a farmer, and Dora Ida Kilgore Bryant, a homemaker. Bryant was the eighth surviving child (three died at birth) of a total of nine. He had four brothers and four sisters and was the youngest boy, with one sister born four years after him. Their home was a three-square-mile area called Moro Bottom (sometimes referred to as Moro Bottoms), an unincorporated place where seven families lived.

Due to his father’s ill health and the family’s poverty, Bryant often stayed with his grandfather, W. L. Kilgore, in nearby Fordyce (Dallas County), where he discovered football, playing for the Fordyce High School Redbugs. In 1927, he entered a contest at the Fordyce Theatre promising a dollar to anyone who could wrestle a bear. The teenage Bryant was never paid but acquired the nickname “Bear.”

His 1930–31 Fordyce team had a perfect season and won the 1931 Arkansas High School Football State Championship. An assistant coach from Alabama came to Fordyce in 1931 to scout two other players (who decided to go to the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville) and ended up signing Bryant to an athletic scholarship for the University of Alabama.

As an Alabama player, Bryant helped his team win the Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship during the SEC’s inaugural season in 1933, playing right offensive end. During a 1935 game against Tennessee, Bryant led Alabama to a 25–0 victory despite playing with a broken bone in his leg. That same year, he married campus beauty queen Mary Harmon Black, with whom he had two children, Mae Martin and Paul Jr. Before graduating from the University of Alabama in 1936, Bryant played in the Rose Bowl and helped his team claim the national title.

In 1941, after coaching at Union College (now Union University in Jackson, Tennessee) and Vanderbilt University, Bryant was on his way to Arkansas, where he was being considered to be head coach of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, when he heard that World War II had begun. He promptly enlisted in the Navy rather than join the Razorbacks. After his military service, he coached football at universities including Maryland, Kentucky, and Texas A&M, where his legend grew in a game when his Aggies trailed 12–0 in the final two minutes yet still managed to win. Bryant had told his team there was still time for them to win if they believed they could, and they went on to score twenty unanswered points, winning the game.

In 1958, Bryant began his twenty-five year tenure as head coach of the University of Alabama. Under Bryant, the Alabama Crimson Tide won national titles in 1961, 1964, 1965, 1978, and 1979. Bryant won this last championship with a perfect season, including his defeat of Lou Holtz’s Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sugar Bowl. He announced his retirement in 1982, with the Crimson Tide winning his last bowl game, the Liberty Bowl in Memphis, on December 29. His record at Alabama was 232–46–9, with his team playing in twenty-four consecutive post-season bowl games. Bryant was Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year ten times, a four-time National Coach of the Year, and he received one and a half votes for the Democratic presidential nomination at the 1968 Chicago convention.

Less than one month after winning the 1982 Liberty Bowl, sixty-nine-year-old Paul “Bear” Bryant died of a heart attack. Following a funeral procession which ran for three miles, he was buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Birmingham, Alabama. A month after his death, he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award, by Ronald Reagan. At the time of his death, he was the all-time most successful coach in American college football history.

For additional information:
Barra, Allen. The Last Coach: A Life of Paul “Bear” Bryant. New York: W. W. Norton, 2005.

Briley, John David. Career in Crisis: Paul “Bear” Bryant and the 1971 Season of Change. Macon, GA: Mercer University Press, 2006.

Bryant, Paul W., and John Underwood. Bear: The Hard Life and Good Times of Alabama’s Coach Bryant. Chicago: Triumph Books, 2007.Dunnavant, Keith. Coach: The Life of Paul “Bear” Bryant. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996.

Herskowitz, Mickey. The Legend of Bear Bryant. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1986.

Puma, Mike. “Bear Bryant ‘simply the best there ever was.” ESPN Classic. http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Bryant_Bear.html (accessed December 20, 2005)

 

2. Bryant Denny Stadium: Alabama Crimson Tide

Bryant-denney_display_image

Bryant-Denny Stadium is the fifth-largest stadium in the country with a seating capacity of 101,821 people.

It was constructed originally in 1921, and at that point, only had room for 12,000 fans. They have since made a few additions to the place.

Tailgating here is a must, as motor homes can seemingly be seen for miles around the stadium.

The team makes the “Walk of the Champions” before the game. The crowd is screaming and yelling throughout, giving the Crimson Tide the biggest home-field advantage in the SEC.

 

1. Memorial Stadium: Clemson Tigers

250px-memorialstadiumsept2006_display_image

Known nationwide as “Death Valley,” this venue is the best place in the country to enjoy a college football game.

It seats 80,301 and was built in 1942. The stadium will be filled with orange, as the crowd loves to support their Tigers.

There are not many fans in the country that are more passionate about their team than this group.

When Clemson is playing well and the game is going good, the noise in here is as loud as it gets in college football.

 

______________

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