Politics and Tea

Mo and I had "tea party" twice today, at his Bob the Builder cafe table. It is pretty much his favorite way to spend time with his mommy. We drink blueberry or raspberry herbal tea out of my Japanese tea set, and it is a great way for him to practice his manners. He loves pouring me tea and adding a bit of honey and saying "please" and "thank you". We needed a snack to go with our afternoon tea, so I decided to whip up a batch of these muffins. They were amazing, and exactly what I want out of a muffin- not too sweet and a good texture from the whole wheat flour. Mo even liked them, and he is a two year old boy so he doesn't really like anything except for grilled cheese, chicken nuggest and fruit snacks. I used craisins instead of raisins and/or nuts. I wonder if I am ever going to get off of this pumpkin-baked-good binge. Probably not, since I have like gallons of fresh pureed pumpkin in my fridge and freezer. Whole Wheat Pumpkin Applesauce Muffins....

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This Denver Post article http://www.denverpost.com/harsanyi/ci_13671790 argues that you would have to be drunk to buy into the claims surrounding the 1,900 pg health care bill

This blog post by John T. Simpson On Teabagging and Other Oral Servitudes was especially refreshing on a frustrating day like today, when it seems like no one really wants to take the tea party/liberty movement seriously. I particularly enjoyed this part of the rant: "I will not lean across the aisle in order to teabag Obama and the Left on the massive frauds of amnesty, climate change, the government takeover of health care, and all the other budget-busting and power-grabbing LibDem Lefty scams that will have us all teabagging the government in abject serfdom for the next thousand years."

Today I had my first day as a campaign manager with Al Reynolds campaign for State Senator for the 52nd district of Illinois. He cares about the constitution and there is little more that needs to be said. He is the organizer for the East Central Illinois Tea Party Patriots, and now connecting himself to the campaign of Adam Andrzejewski, which I think is great. Stay tuned for more details as Reynolds for Illinois Senate gains momentum!

Well, I had an absolutely fantastic time at the Students for Liberty Midwest Conference on Saturday. Drew watched the kids so that I could go all the way up to the University of Chicago for this all-day event. For some reason the Students for Liberty let me in, even though I am not a student. I got so many good tips and good ideas for continuing and expanding my political activism. I learned successful strategies for coalition building and marketing. And I got to hear Peter Leeson (who is a professor at George Mason and author of "The Invisible Hook: the Hidden Economics of Pirates") speak on capitalism, which was pretty freekin awesome. I heard the name Mises invoked more times than i thought possible at one space in time. There was free food and free beer. I just can't imagine a better planned event. Between this conference and Midwest Liberty Fest, which our little family attended last weekend, I am feeling very energized to jump right into the mess that is politics in...

Just as I finished reading a synopsis on the work of newly anointed Nobel prize winner Elinor Ostrom on concepts such as management of the commons. I came across this amazing website which is a perfect example of citizens spontaneously organizing an institution. Examples like this disprove the harmful notion that all organizing action must come about only via The State. And it just fits perfectly with the theories implied by Ostrom's research. http://seeclickfix.com/government

I'm going to make this cake for small group tomorrow night, since I have a couple of pears in the fridge and really don't want to go shopping Carmelized Pear Upside Down Cake For the topping 2 medium firm-ripe Bosc pears (about 1 lb.) 1 recipe Basic Caramel 2 oz. (4 Tbs.) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces For the cake 6-3/4 oz. (1-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour 1-3/4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. ground ginger 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. table salt 1/2 cup whole milk 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup packed light brown sugar 2 large eggs Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350?F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x2-inch round cake pan (don't use a springform pan, as the caramel might leak out during baking). Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment and butter the top of the paper. Make the topping Peel, core, and cut the pears lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the ...

"When we change policy- when we add a rule, change a rule, or adopt some new set of rules- we are in effect running an experiment based on more or less informed expectations about the likely outcome. It is important to recognize that the complexity of the biological and socio-economic environment, combined with the complexity of institutional rules, makes it fairly likely that any proposed changes of rules will fail." Nobel Prize winning economist Elinor Ostrom

http://www.mercatus.org/uploadedFiles/Mercatus/Publications/Rethinking%20Institutional%20Analysis%20-%20Interviews%20with%20Vincent%20and%20Elinor%20Ostrom.pdf I especially liked this part in explaining how "capitalist" systems easily turn into "socialist" ones: " Individuals who pay attention only to market prices in determining their choices may soon become vulnerable to political arguments such as that "workers and peasants" could achieve greater advantage by expropriating private property and instituting a socialist society. The naive maximizer might select the option offered by those who make the biggest promises."

Going to make these delicious-looking breadsticks for Drew's stepdad Steve tonight. He just got home from the hospital after a 2 1/2 week stay following his stroke, and just got his feeding tube removed yesterday. Needless to say he is craving delicious food. And these breadsticks have good stuff to keep him healthy now like olive oil, flaxseed, and wheat flour. Recipe here: http://www.5dollardinners.com/2009/05/homemade-italian-breadsticks.html

Here is Mario Rizzo on Ostrom and what her broader notion of rationality really means to understanding economics and how people behave: http://thinkmarkets.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/elinor-ostrom-and-the-relevance-of-economics/

Russ Roberts discusses here http://cafehayek.com/2009/10/a-turning-point.html how economists across the board are seeing that there are serious deficiencies in the field, and how it is a very exciting time to be an economist. I would add that it is also a very exciting time to be an armchair economist. Decades ago Ludwig von Mises laid out a comprehensive methodology for approaching economics. It seems to me that it is in this tradition that the Ostroms are crafting their research. I remember coming across the name back in graduate school in comparative politics. Apparently the work of Elinor Ostrom (and her husband) are more known in that realm. But it is appropriate that she be recognized for her work in economics- her work is a perfect example of what economics should be, indeed what Mises defined the study as, which is the study of things such as the rules that humans follow.

This article by Gary North shows some of the things scholars should consider when planning their assault on the absurdity of the conventional economic thinking. I really like all of his specific multimedia suggestions, although I don't know how much any of this applies to me, since my aspiration is to teach at a community college! But, I would love to see this kind of content created. http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north768.html

These are delicious, easy, and low-carb! 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained 3 eggs 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 pinch salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3/4 cup white sugar Mix ingredients in food processor or blender. Line muffin/cupcake pan with papers, and divide batter between them. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Makes 12.

I have been eating this delicious granola in plain yogurt with some fresh fruit and extra honey stirred in, alone with milk, or just a handful as a snack! Drew and I (and Mo) have been eating a whole batch of this wonderful stuff every week. It keeps you full way longer than regular cereal, and isn't as sweet as packaged granola. Plus, with flax and walnuts it packs a good punch of Omega-3's. Make up a batch for your family and an extra batch as a gift for a friend! My Favorite Granola Dry Ingredients 6 cups oats (I use 3c.quick cooking and 3c. regular) 2 cups nuts (I used chopped almonds) 1/2 cup sesame seeds (or other seeds) 1/2 cup ground flax seed 3/4 dried fruit (add after cooking)- dates, cranberries are my favorite Wet Ingredients and Seasonings 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/3 cup honey (or agave nectar or maple syrup) 2 T. olive oil 1 T. ground cinnamon 1 T. ground ginger (sometimes I use 2 1/2 T. fresh grated ginger) 1/2 t. salt Preheat oven to 300k Mix the dry ingred...

A Tea Party is coming to Danville. The Commercial News this morning reported that one is being planned to occur a week from Saturday at Lincoln Park. This news obviously got me very excited, so I promptly turned to Facebook to learn more about the organizing group. I was happy to see their mission statement as " Reduced Government, Reduced wasteful spending, Reduced taxation." But then on further examination found that not only are they organizing this tea party at Lincoln Park to advocate these very worthy goals, but also seem to be pleging support and attendence at a Labor Day parade in Westville on Sept.7th with the theme: "Protect U.S. Jobs - Buy American". The philosophical inconsistency is staggering. There is simply no honest way one can simultaneously be for small government and reduced taxation and burdens on free enterprise, and then advocate protectionist measures with a cry of "buy American". I feel really disappointed about this. I thought ...

3 peaches, diced 1/2 red bell pepper, diced 1/2 small red onion, diced 1 small jalepeno or serrano chili, diced 2 cloves garlic, diced dressing: 1/4 c. lemon or lime juice 1 T. honey 1 T. fresh cilantro or mint, chopped salt Make a few hours, or a day, ahead of serving!

My dear husband planted me a beautiful garden, but wonderful guy got overzealous on zucchini, and I have been using zucchini in every dish practically every meal. Here are my absolute favorites, that we have been eating over and over again. I suggest you try both! Zucchini Quiche 1 8oz tube crescent rolls 2 tsp mustard 1 8oz pkg cream cheese 4 c. thinly sliced unpeeled zucchini 1 c. chopped onion 1/4 c. butter 2 T. parsley flakes (or fresh basil or parsley) 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 t. pepper 1/2 t. garlic powder (or fresh chopped) 1/4 t. oregano 4 eggs- beaten 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese (swiss is also good) Saute zucchini and onion in butter. Add seasonings and cream cheese to hot veggies, let sit for a few minutes until cream cheese can be mixed in. In large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in cheese and then fold in zucchini mixture. Arrange crescent rolls in an ungreased pie pan. Press edges together to make crust, spread with mustard. Pour in egg mixture and back at 375 for 25-30 minutes. BLACK ...

The bills for Lucy's birth have been pouring in. With our bank account dwindling, it is so easy to see why the majority of people are on the side of universal "free" coverage. Even with insurance, the birth will still cost us thousands. But I understand the costs associated with the care that we received, not the least of which is the cost a medical facility has to pay to just bill customers. Think of all the personnel involved in that! And they are not exactly getting paid minimum wage. I can complain about the delivery room, the use of which cost us approximately $1,000 per hour. Or the recovery room, which cost $100 per hour. Or the synthetic oxytocin that they billed me for, even though I didn't have any, since I didn't even have an IV. But these things aren't what make me angry. The price that I paid for the actual 'skilled' care provider, the Nurse-Midwife, is what, to me, is so demonstrative of what is wrong with health care. The minimum charge ...

Ok so I don't really know the legal implications of writing out this article, I am probably violating copyright, but that's what the News-Gazette gets for not posting this in their online edition. Anyway, I very obviously have no life so here is the article, retyped for all! "Insecure agents tax letter writer's patience" by Jim Dey 8/1/09 News Gazette __________________________ __________________________ __________________________ ___________ This letter originally appeared in the July 17 edition of the News Gazette: Not long ago, I had the opportunity to observe how our tax dollars are being spent while on a trip to the Illinois Department of Revenue in Springfield. I would like to share with you that experience as we approach another huge tax increase that our leaders claim is necessary. Before we cut vital services, I suggest people pay a visit to the Illinois Department of Revenue or some other state agency there. I arrived in mid-afternoon at that multimill...

This is the first of what I hope to be many book reviews on this site. I have a little journal that I have always tried to jot down a few thoughts in after I finish a book so I don't completely forget what even the main gist of the book was. But I have found that often I would like to be more specific on what my thoughts were on the book- it's style, it's content, what I learned from it. "Liberty and Tyranny" has one of those ambitious titles usually attached to the type of book that only has very broad ideas with non-specific prescriptions in the last chapter. This book by radio-talk show host Mark Levin is not one of those types. First of all, I was skeptical of the book even before I knew the title, because the author himself had always put me off a bit by his tone on the radio. Only listening to his show a few times had given me the impression that he was probably a neo-conservative Bush loyalist. That perception was not fair. In "Liberty and Tyranny...

YOGURT COOKIES 1/2 c. butter, softened 1 1/4 c. sugar 1/2 c. plain nonfat yogurt or low-fat lemon-flavored yogurt 2 egg whites 1 tbsp. grated lemon peel 1/2 tsp. vanilla 2 c. uncooked oats 1 1/2 c. flour 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1/4 c. powdered sugar Heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray cookie sheet with no-stick cooking spray or oil lightly. Beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until fluffy. Add yogurt, egg whites, lemon peel and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Gradually add combined remaining ingredients except powdered sugar, mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours. With lightly floured hands, shape dough into 1 inch balls, place on prepared cookie sheet. Using bottom of glass coated with sugar, press into inch thick circles. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, remove to wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over warm cookies. Cool completely. Store tightly covered. Makes about 4 dozen.

The other night my in-laws dropped in after a fun race in the park that Moses participated in. They are so great with the kids and helpful to us. So my father-in-law was helping me take out the trash, and asked if he could grab a disposable plastic container off the counter and take it out too. "No!" I quickly said. I had bought spinach a week ago, and planned to keep the container to store greens and other veggies pulled from the organic garden we planted this year in our backyard. Just reading the previous paragraph would convince most people, even (perhaps especially) those who know me, that I am concerned with recycling, weary of chemicals, a back to nature type who wants to stop the human population from mistreating the planet. And they would be right, of course. But every time I begin telling someone why it is that I am the way I am, why I would for instance, recycle blankets into fitted diapers, or wash and reuse aluminum foil and baggies, I get a response that leads ...

My son Moses will be 2 years old on July 4th, 2009. Until after July 4th, 2025, Moses will not have consent on taxation through his ability to vote for a representative. By my modest calculations, and the projections of more seriously regarded and professionally trained economists, the national debt, plus long-term liabilities not figured into that official number (ie social security, medicare) have a good chance of not being paid down to zero in the next 16 years. So with that in mind, how should Moses in any way be responsible for paying back that money once he is of age to vote and work? Funny enough, it seems that the uproar over 'no taxation without representation' that catapulted America into existence as a sovereign nation committed to liberty, was over tyranny much smaller than what Moses is going to face when in the future a huge cut of his labor is taken from him without his consent. Percentage-wise, I don't think that it is too crazy to say that 20% of his labor...

In Chapter 2 of John Maynard Keynes book "The Economic Consequences of the Peace" he speaks of the "vanity of abstinence" and the selfishness of savings. The book was written 90 years ago, but as Nixon said in the early 70's "We are all Keynesians now" and the economic philosophy first developed by Keynes is today the exclusive economic philosophy held by prominent economists as well as virtually all of our leaders and policymakers. If you read the news at all, it is not difficult to see that those trying to centrally direct the economy in America right at this moment are struggling with the "Paradox of Thrift/Paradox of Savings" that Keynes laid out in his General Theory so many years ago. How do we get people to stop saving and start spending? This is the question that is likely keeping Obama awake at night. Saving, the theory goes is evil in a way because it "destroys" income. Somehow (its a very complicated argument- and a circu...