Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Merry Xmas from Ayn Rand


Twenty more, if you can stomach them.  Too late as a season's greeting for all my Republican friends this year, but next year...

The conservo-libertarian goddess also has some reviews of family movies.

“101 Dalmatians”
A wealthy woman attempts to do her impoverished school friend Anita a favor by purchasing some of her many dogs and putting them to sensible use. Her generosity is repulsed at every turn, and Anita foolishly and irresponsibly begins acquiring even more animals, none of which are used to make a practical winter coat. Altruism is pointless. So are dogs. A cat is a far more sensible pet. A cat is objectively valuable. —No stars.

“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”
An industrious young woman neglects to charge for her housekeeping services and is rightly exploited for her naïveté. She dies without ever having sought her own happiness as the highest moral aim. I did not finish watching this movie, finding it impossible to sympathize with the main character. —No stars.

“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory”
An excellent movie. The obviously unfit individuals are winnowed out through a series of entrepreneurial tests and, in the end, an enterprising young boy receives a factory. I believe more movies should be made about enterprising young boys who are given factories. —Three and a half stars. (Half a star off for the grandparents, who are sponging off the labor of Charlie and his mother. If Grandpa Joe can dance, Grandpa Joe can work.)

Fifteen more, including "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".  (Three stars.)  Happy holidays!

Monday, December 22, 2014

Scattershooting lame ducks

-- So how about that Obama?  He's had a pretty good seven weeks since all the Democrats who ran away from him got trounced in early November.


You think he can keep it going in 2015?  Do you think Annise Parker can mimic his success strategy?  You know, ram through a few controversial initiatives, avoid losing some of them in court?

2015 is going to be a pivotal year for both Obamacare and HERO.  No bets taken yet.

-- Nothing lame whatsoever about the Texas Observer's Best of 2014.  They've had a very good year.  A good sixty years, for that matter.

-- Stephen Colbert taught us all a lesson in how to go out on top.  That duck sure wasn't lame.

-- Texas Comptroller Jethro Bodine Glenn Hegar has a report due in late January.  Since he's a farmer and not an accountant, I certainly hope Susan Combs has been doing his homework for him.  There's only the future of Texas riding on his predictions of what kind of money the state will have, revenue-wise.  And that will impact whatever Governor Greg Abbott has claimed he'll be able to do without raising taxes.

Boy, that Rick Perry was one dumb lucky bastard, wasn't he?