Formal Fallacy

I Want My 5 Grand

I’ve been slacking on Formal Fallacy.  I have excuses, but I’ll keep them to myself.  What I will share is a strange thought that popped into my head earlier today.  I was reading the horror story that is the economic crisis and how AIG is going to receive another large chunk of change after AIG’s CEOs took the previous chunk of change to go on vacation.

I couldn’t help but wonder if there wasn’t a better way to spend 700 Billion dollars.  So I did some long division.  First, some numbers.

$700,000,000,000.  That’s how many taxpayer dollars are going to be funneled into Wall Street.

305,386,000.  The population of the United States.

138,000,000.  Taxpayers in the United States.

700,000,000,000 divided by 138,000,000 = 5072.46

$5072.46 per taxpayer.

Here’s my idea.  Instead of giving corrupt corporations like AIG a ridiculous amount of money so the CEO’s can go on vacation, why not give each taxpayer $5,072.46 dollars that they can either invest on their own in companies of their choosing, or they could take that 5 grand and buy a new TV, or use that 5 grand to pay rent on homes that are on the verge of foreclosing.

Now, I’m not an Economics major.  And I had to use my PC’s calculator to do the math.  But if you want to boost the economy, and if you are as concerned about “Main Street not Wall Street” as you say you are… then what’s wrong with this idea?

Chris

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Silence is Deafening

Whoa.

I just read something that I have to share.  First, some context and a little opinion.

The microphones of the 2008 presidential elections were turned off about an hour and a half ago.  The debate after the debate continues, with every single news channel going to the panel to decide who won the first round.  Predictably, Republicans are claiming victory for McCain while Democrats claim victory for Obama.

Now, as far as the actual debate is concerned, I’d consider it a draw.  This is my opinion.  McCain won by turning questions about the economy to questions about taxes.  You can fact check McCain’s actual claims, but you can’t deny that taxes are McCain’s strength.  By contrast, Obama won on personality, which is surprising, since McCain aides said this election was ABOUT personality.  Obama stood up straight, spoke in a confident but genuine manner while McCain glowered and glared and refused to look Obama in the eye.  Again, this is just my opinion.

However, Pat Buchanan made a point… I know, I’m referencing that guy, but his point is valid.  That history has shown that post debate discussions shape who the country believes won the debate.  And it is on this note that I have found an astonishing advantage for Obama.

A little snippet in Rocky Mountain News struck me like a truck…

Democrat Joe Biden made the round of post-debate television shows. NBC and CNN said they invited McCain’s running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who has granted only three interviews since joining the ticket a month ago, but she declined.

Whoa.

This is not surprising when you consider the cone of silence around Sarah Palin, and maybe her disastrous interview with Katie Couric proves this is for good reason.

But still.  Your running mate.  Your second in command.  Your brother/sister in arms.  Your PIT BULL!  Silent!  The one person who is SUPPOSED to appear after a debate and defend you against your opponents outrageous claims and attacks.  SILENT!

Meanwhile, Joe was on every post-debate network.  And, as we all know, Joe Biden is anything but silent.

Whoa… and wow…

Chris

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Paging Professor Higgins

In Hertford, Hereford, and Hampshire, hurricanes hardly ever happen.

The rain is Spain stays mainly in the plain.

According to his wife, it was Gabriel Pascal who introduced the above phonetic exercises into the musical My Fair Lady.  Speech Professor Herbert Higgins forces poor Eliza Doolittle to endlessly repeat both until she finally slays her Cockney accent with the song, The Rain in Spain.

Does anyone have Professor Higgins’ phone number?  McCain needs some help.

Even though Foreign Policy is McCain’s self-proclaimed strength, the presidential nominee apparently thinks Spain is a country in SOUTH AMERICA!  I kid you not.

If Foreign Policy is McCain’s strength, then I’d hate to see his weakness.  Oh, wait.   I forgot about the fundamentals.

Good news is, it appears this election is no longer about personality and we’re back to talking about issues.  More good news, Obama has regained the lead in the latest polls and seems to be gaining.

If I were McCain, I’d give Professor Higgins a call before I said anything else about Spain being a terrorist state or how a fundamental really means an American worker.

What’s that you say?  Professor Higgins is fictional?  Well, so is Sarah Palin’s biography, and that seemed to work out okay for a while.

Chris

Update:  Seems Time beat me to the punch as far as the My Fair Lady reference is concerned. I guess that proves my theory that the age of interconnectivity has killed originality.

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Appearances Can Be Deceptive

I just found the coolest video on the web.  I want to share it with you.  I also wanted to be like the cool kids on the block who have videos play on their own website.   But I never was the cool kid on the block, and I don’t know how to do that.  Instead, I’m forced to supply you with a link.

Charlie Chaplin Mask

Outside of this little show and tell moment, I don’t have a lot to post about.  I am knee deep in a rewrite that is devouring my time like the cookie monster devouring a plate of cookies.

So back to work.

Chris

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