Monthly Archives: August 2010

When Government Shines

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

“Time To Get Your Flu Shot”, a news item, caught my eye on the internet today.  Huh?  Seems too early, but I have noticed drug-store signs about vaccinations around town lately.  The AP item explains that the vaccine is stronger … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics / Morality, Government size, Health, Medicine, Science / Engineering | Leave a comment

Alms To Riches?

Posted on August 27, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

Is it ethical to get rich by running a charity? Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim & Tammy Bakker, and Tony Alamo, among others apparently thought so.  Me, I don’t.  In fact, it seems downright nefarious. I just received my latest solicitation … Continue reading →

Posted in charity, Ethics / Morality, excessive executive salaries, Medicine | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

What’s A Sheepskin Worth, Anyway?

Posted on August 25, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

A college education is one of life’s largest expenses and probably the biggest source of personal debt next to houses.  The costs are all over the board and generally greater for private schools than public.  Just out of curiosity and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Education, Personal Finance, Philosophy | 7 Comments

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire!

Posted on August 22, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

The issue of the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 deserves to rank on the emotional scale with that of locating the Islamic Center near 9/11 Ground Zero.  The conviction of a man who pled guilty of falsely claiming to have … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Government size, Justice, War | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ultimate Genealogy

Posted on August 20, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

To me, one of the great joys of life is the present availability of information.  The refinement of objective information through scientific collaboration and competition has converged with the internet to provide unprecedented access.  In a variety of fields such … Continue reading →

Posted in Creationism, Darwin, Religion, Science / Engineering | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fairness and Resentment

Posted on August 15, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

Much of the angst in the nation and the world concerns fairness, or alternatively, JUSTICE.  This can be a complicated subject in philosophy and much has been written about it in every conceivable context.  I here list some of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Ethics / Morality, Government size, Government waste, Justice | Tagged , , , , , | 13 Comments

Tribal Justice and Immigration

Posted on August 5, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

Illegal immigration is of course a current hot topic.  The nation is in a quandary over the issue, particularly since the passing of the new Arizona law which is now on a track that seems certain to end at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Federal Government, Foreign Policy / War, Philosophy | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Way, Way Too Much

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Jim Wheeler

A magazine article about the frequency of military deployments caught my eye with a fact I had not known:  “. . . many combat units have been deployed to war zones every other year for almost a decade.” I knew … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy / War, Government size, Health, War | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments