I believe in ethics, and if everybody believed in ethics we’d have no problems at all. That’s the only way out; forget the religious side.
— Nicholas Winton
Reading Time: 5 minutes 15 seconds
Thanks for being a subscriber — and if you haven’t come aboard yet, what are you waiting for? Subscribe now to join our merry band of freethinkers, iconoclasts, and liberty-lovers. It costs less than a quarter a day to receive eight pieces of original content a week, participate in our community’s conversations, and enjoy full access to the No Dowd About It archives.
Follow me on X and Facebook:
If you’re a really satisfied customer, and want to leave a “tip,” do so via Ko-fi:
Please like, share, comment on, etc. today’s DDD. And send feedback directly to dowd@dowdmuska.com or @dowdmuska.
Today is Thursday, January 11th, 2024. It is Secret Pal Day, Cigarettes Are Hazardous to Your Health Day, Learn Your Name in Morse Code Day, National Milk Day, National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, National Shop for Travel Day, National Hot Toddy Day, World Sketchnote Day, and International Thank-You Day.
On This Day
In 1759, the first American life insurance company, the Corporation for Relief of Poor and Distressed Presbyterian Ministers and of the Poor and Distressed Widows and Children of the Presbyterian Ministers, was incorporated in Philadelphia.
In 1787, William Herschel discovered Titania and Oberon, two moons of Uranus.
In 1805, Michigan Territory was created.
In 1861, Alabama seceded from the United States.
In 1908, Grand Canyon National Monument was created.
In 1927, Louis B. Mayer, head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, announced the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
In 1942, Japanese forces captured Kuala Lumpur.
In 1964, the Office of the Surgeon General published the report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States.
In 1973, Major League Baseball owners voted to approve the American League’s adoption of the designated hitter rule.
In 2003, Governor George Ryan commuted the death sentences of 167 prisoners on Illinois’s death row.
Today’s Birthdays
Singer-songwriter and actress Mary J. Blige is 53. Actress Amanda Peet is 52. Actor Marc Blucas is 52. Actor Rockmond Dunbar is 51.
The Links
Biden Ramps Up Attack on Independent Contractors (Americans for Tax Reform)
“Whereas the previous rule had opened up new opportunities for Americans to access flexible work arrangements, the rule published by the Biden DOL aims to make it more difficult for workers to self-classify as independent contractors, reducing their choice and pushing them into W-2 employment status or out of work entirely.”
New Poll: Candidates Who Support School Choice More Likely to Win at Ballot Box (American Federation for Children)
“Notably, the demographic with the highest support is Black Americans, nearly 80 percent of whom say they are more likely to vote for someone who champions school choice.”
Are ski mask bans a crime-fighting solution? Some cities say yes. (Stateline)
“Youth advocates say mask bans disproportionately target Black [sic] and brown youth, limit self-expression and may infringe on people’s constitutional rights.”
Gypsy-Rose Needs Psychological Help, Not A Fawning Spot On ‘The View’ (The Federalist)
“Gypsy appears to have been a master manipulator — something her mother modeled for her throughout her upbringing. Gypsy orchestrated her mother’s murder and used a disabled man and his deep desire for human connection to carry out the plot. Had Godejohn never met Gypsy, he wouldn’t be serving a life sentence in prison, and all Gypsy can say about his fate is ‘I have to focus on myself right now.’”
USDOT Announces Progress Delivering Results for America (U.S. Department of Transportation)
“We are delivering for the American people with the resources now available because President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law reversed decades of underinvestment in our transportation systems. The public placed great trust in DOT, and we are honoring that trust by making improvements to transportation that get people and goods to where they need to be more safely, affordably, and sustainably while creating good-paying jobs.”
When “Safety” Isn’t Safe (Eric Peters)
“Capable adults do not like being parented as if they were idiot children — which is not only how government views them, it is how government wants them.”
Appeals court rejects DOE’s attempt to eliminate fast dishwashers (Competitive Enterprise Institute)
“The Court described the government’s position as arbitrary, capricious, and bordering on frivolous — which is much harsher language than judges generally use about lawyers.”
Proposed transmission line in East Texas shows why connecting Texas to other states won’t solve its electric grid problems (Texas Public Policy Foundation)
“The extensive approvals and permits required for this project are an indictment of how much the U.S. overregulates large industrial projects and why they have become harder and harder to complete. But it also attests to how much land is required for transmission lines and their extensive environmental and property impacts. The 320-mile Southern Spirit line will likely require over 11,000 acres of right of way across hundreds of properties. While the project is being privately funded, it will require the use of eminent domain to seize land, which will likely spawn additional legal battles.”
Unpacking the High Cost of Offshore Wind Policy (Cato Institute)
“The harsh reality of offshore wind mandates is that they are incredibly costly. Ratepayers and taxpayers will feel the sting of these decisions for years, potentially decades.”
TotalEnergies Ups Stake in Namibia Oil As Discoveries Line Up (Oilprice.com)
“Portuguese Galp Energia confirmed another significant light oil discovery in the Mopen-1X well in block PEL83, sending the company’s shares soaring some 9% in early trading. Over the coming weeks, Galp will analyze the data and perform a drill stem test to assess the commerciality of the discovery.”
EIA expects relatively flat crude oil prices in 2024 and 2025 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)
“We expect that non-OPEC+ production growth will be driven by U.S. production increasing by 0.4 million b/d in both 2024 and 2025.”
Acceleration Anxiety (The Daily Sceptic)
“It is all understandable under the heading of acceleration anxiety. For a few centuries or more, we have seen ourselves as hurtling through history, human history, and also seen ourselves hurtling through a greater history, a history we cannot control. Latterly, in the era of the IPCC, we now suppose that we are, in human time (comically dubbed ‘anthropocene’), willing ourselves into some sort of heat death of humanity through our capacity to control the very limited things we can control. Distinguishing whatever truth is in this from the mass psychosis caused by 200 years of education into acceleration anxiety — which has been in the last 30 or so years aggressively politicised and finally brought to an exquisite height in our own time — is very difficult.”
The 1,000th F-35 Has Been Built (The War Zone)
“The full estimated cost of the F-35 program though the end of its expected lifecycle in the 2070s is currently pegged around … $1.7 trillion.”
Is that US drone base in Niger really necessary? (Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft)
“The sunk costs of the Niger base appear to be one of the primary arguments in its favor, as well as the argument that the base is vital for counterterrorism success. Yet throwing good money after bad makes little sense, and the argument about counterterrorism is impossible to falsify, given classification practices — and even if all the data were out in the open, backers of unlimited counterterrorism budgets often make the equally unfalsifiable claim that things would be worse without those expenditures.”
Wall Street Journal Sets Standard for Irresponsible Journalism in Ukraine (The Libertarian Institute)
“Though The Wall Street Journal is free to speculate that Vladimir Putin aimed to ‘dominate all of Ukraine,’ it is also obliged to clarify that there is nothing on the documented historical record to indicate that Putin ever had dominating all of Ukraine as an objective. Scholar John Mearsheimer has pointed out, ‘There is no evidence in the public record that Putin was contemplating, much less intending to put an end to Ukraine as an independent state and make it part of greater Russia when he sent his troops into Ukraine on February 24th.’”
Your Turn
1. Know anyone who smokes?
2. Is it appropriate for the federal government’s transportation bureaucracy to be praising a law that will be prominently cited by the incumbent president during his reelection campaign?
3. The designated hitter rule — for it or against it?
4. Do bans on wearing ski masks in public places “infringe on people’s constitutional rights”?
5. Ever been to the Grand Canyon?
1. Know anyone who smokes?
Not Lately? It used to really piss me off when I was by myself and had to eat at the counter in a restaurant and a guy would sit next to me and light up a Fag!! How rude is that!? So when anyone tries to tell me that non-smoking in public areas is unfair and unnecessary I simply say, "Let's put a sealed helmet on anyone smoking and see how long they live without breathing any fresh air!" You see, it's the fresh air that saves every smoker or they would all be dead!!
2. Is it appropriate for the federal government’s transportation bureaucracy to be praising a law that will be prominently cited by the incumbent president during his reelection campaign?
It is inappropriate, when this law has not produced anything and we won't know whether or not it is actually accomplishing anything for about 10 years! I would rather the Feds make sure every road in the US is properly paved! Especially in NM, where the roads, hwys and bridges are mostly SHIT!!
PS: Now that I look more closely, this bill is hidden agenda for green new deal crap like EV charging stations (that will never be used), electric EV Buses (that will fail and most likely blow up!), the ability for the government to pull the plug and stop your vehicle anytime and anyplace (how dangerous is that?!) and more invasive government controls to make your life miserable!! Let Biden crow about this bill!! When the facts come out it will further ruin Joe’s lame-ass campaign!!!
3. The designated hitter rule — for it or against it?
It's mostly for Pitchers that can't hit and they also want to protect a hitter that is also the Pitcher! However, there have been some pretty good hitting pitchers out there! For instance, we already know that Babe Ruth was one of the greatest Home Run hitters of all time. But did you know that Babe Ruth (playing for the Red Sox) was dominant enough as a pitcher to be voted Pitcher of the Year from 1916-1918? He had an impressive winning record and a 1.75 ERA, He once pitched 14 complete innings beating Brooklyn 2-1 in Game 2 of a World Series Game in 1916! And now you know.....the Rest of the Story!!
4. Do bans on wearing ski masks in public places “infringe on people’s constitutional rights”?
Show me in the US Constitution where it says people should have the freedom to wear masks in public places? Obviously, in very cold weather or skiing down mountains Ski Masks are necessary. However, when it comes to "Health & Safety" there are many places in the Constitution where the rights for ALL or the common good, are more important than the rights of a few! And of course, we all know that wearing masks to prevent getting the flu or covid are useless. So, masks actually have limited useful effectiveness in most instances!
5. Ever been to the Grand Canyon?
Yes, I've even been down to the bottom and back!! A Beautiful place that Biden will do his best to destroy with his radical environmental extremist beliefs!!
1. Know anyone who smokes?
All of my old smoking friends have either died or given up smoking. I don't think I personally know any current smoker.
2. Is it appropriate for the federal government’s transportation bureaucracy to be praising a law that will be prominently cited by the incumbent president during his reelection campaign?
No, but every incumbent president running for re-election would do the same.
3. The designated hitter rule — for it or against it?
I've always been a National League purist (and former high school pitcher), so I oppose it. Damn Charlie Finley and his innovations!
4. Do bans on wearing ski masks in public places “infringe on people’s constitutional rights”?
Why couldn't it be done by selective businesses instead of by government fiat? For example, a bank has a rule that no one wearing a ski mask will be permitted entry? A ban on wearing a ski mask in public places is very likely unconstitutional. What if it's really cold outside and you're in a park?
5. Ever been to the Grand Canyon?
Yes, and I backpacked to the bottom twice when I was in my twenties.