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Recommended Reading (05/06/12)

Posted by Kevin Fischer on May 6, 2012

Recommended Reading

Here are, in my view, interesting, noteworthy columns and articles from the past week that I highly recommend (You will note that on occasion, I do not endorse the opinions of the author and may point that out. Despite my disagreements, I still feel the piece is worth a read).


Wisconsin Recall Amnesia

"So, let's see. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, the front-runner, has focused his campaigns on jobs, education, the environment and 'making communities safer.' One of Mr. Barrett's ads singles out 'Walker's War on Women,' with nary a mention of collective bargaining. Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk is heavily supported by union groups, but even her issues list makes only passing reference to collective bargaining.

No wonder. Since Mr. Walker's reforms went into effect, the doom and gloom scenarios have failed to materialize."


Voting machine concerns bubble up as recall elections near

"You might be forgiven for thinking John Washburn is paranoid.

Plenty of people do, Washburn admits with some humor.

The Germantown man, who tests computer software for a living, estimates that, when he gets to discussing the perils of electronic voting machines, about 70 percent of people think just that.

Twenty percent think there might be something to his worries, Washburn said.

And about 10 percent — those who do some digging — start to believe.

'Quite frankly, I’m not really concerned by (being called paranoid), because it’s highly correlated with how much people have checked my claims,' he said.

Washburn’s fears — that Wisconsinites and, really, voters nationwide, are putting too much faith in a questionable voting system — may be unfounded.

But he’s not the only one worried."
(KF NOTE: Great investigative journalism, the type you don't see on local TV because they're too busy chasing fire trucks).


Will Wisconsin Rise Again?

"The Badger State keeps rising in the Chief Executive Best States/Worst States list, and that’s got Wisconsin businesses cheering—as well as investing.

The reasons are as simple as they are bold."


The Legendary Paul Ryan

"To find a parallel to the way Ryan has so thoroughly seized control of the Republican agenda and identity, you have to go back at least to Gingrich in his nineties heyday, or possibly to Reagan. Yet Gingrich and Reagan rose to the national scene while cultivating an image as radicals—it was their battle scars, inflicted by the mainstream political Establishment, that lent them the credibility to speak for the conservative base. Ryan, by contrast, has achieved something much stranger: He has ascended to his present position aloft a chorus of acclaim from the corners of the Establishment that once greeted Gingrich and Reagan with loathing. He is the only politician revered as much by the mainstream media as by the tea party. By some measure, he’s the most popular guy in Washington."


Leisure inequality: Who's bumming around more?

"Sure, the wealthy earn more money...but they work a lot harder for it."


Cradle to Grave: The Obama Campaign's Fantasy  for American Life

“The Obama campaign has a cringe-inducing propaganda slideshow called ‘The Life of Julia’ intended to illustrate how the Obama Administration's policies will give government help to a young woman as she is educated, works, starts a family and retires.

If you had to stifle a guffaw, you're not alone.

Yes, the Obama Administration's policies alone can be the savior for American children everywhere - all it takes, apparently, are piles and piles of taxpayer money thrown around recklessly. And by the end, children will still be able to retire and live comfortably on the totally-stable programs of Medicare and Social Security!

The dream that Obama has for Julia's life is scary.”
(KF NOTE: Also watch this).


10 things that would be happening today if Obama's policies were working

"...despite the fact that he has been campaigning almost non-stop since the 2010 election, aside from trying to steal credit from the SEALs for killing Osama Bin Laden, you very seldom hear Obama talk about his record. This is especially noteworthy because like him or hate him, Obama has passed a lot of legislation. So, if Barack Obama has such an extensive record, why is it that Republicans are the ones that are always talking about it while Obama tries to steer the conversation to anything else?"


Five ways to increase movie theater attendance

“If you read the Vulture article, you'll see that their Big Dumb Ideas all revolve around offering more rewards and free stuff for moviegoers; stuff like cheaper tickets, loyalty programs, and babysitters. They also have this idea of allowing Facebook fans to program what's shown in a theatre.

This lack of goodies and gimmicks is not why box office attendance has pretty much flat-lined over the last decade, or why it collapsed last year, or why it's making a major comeback in 2012.”


AND FINALLY

Left-wing Bizarro World