Reading Guide Roundup

In this article, televangelist Pat Robertson declares that God may or may not send natural disasters to punish the people of Dover, Pennsylvania for voting against school board members who supported the teaching of Intelligent Design. Apparently this Bible "literalist" thinks that the teaching of Intelligent Design - a "theory" that never explicity mentions God and says that the Earth is millions of years old - is one of God's top priorities...Amazing. Religion isn't Robertson's politics...politics is his religion.

This article describes how Japan's economy is changing, with the death of the lifetime-employment system and the decline of the "salaryman" (corporate drone) lifestyle. Supposedly, women and the young are going to fill the employment gaps. I forsee women forming their own all-women companies to fill niches that the mindlessly manufacturing-obsessed all-male companies have neglected (one such company is described in the article, and I know of others). As for the young, however, good luck. They've been brought up just to play and party, and no company's offer to "nurture" them is ever going to be appealing. A better bet would be to instill the youth with driving ambition and personal competitiveness. Mmm, driving ambition...

A good economics article for laypeople (which sadly still includes me!) about why eliminating the homeowner's tax deduction might be a good thing for the middle class. Here here! Unless it's wrong. Ask me in two years.

And finally, Godzilla has been discovered! But sadly, he doesn't breathe nuclear fire. Lame...