Economics á la Hazlitt

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Cindy is hosting a book group for folks who are interested in learning more about economics.  We’re reading through Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt, a short book available to read online.  Dana found this t-shirt with the key quote of the book. 

What a delicious time to read this little book! Presidential elections, tax season – it’s the perfect context! 

I’m going to do a little Economics for Dummies version.  Here’s my distillation of this week’s reading. 

~ Think beyond today, beyond next month, beyond next year.

~ Consider the invisible blanks (my word, not his): what doesn’t or can’t happen because of a particular economic decision.

~ need ≠ demand

~ Demand = need + purchasing power

~ Everything must be paid for.  My mom used to say, “Nothing is free in this world, except salvation.”

~ Inflation = a vicious form of taxation

~ All credit (as in credit card, store credit, credit line) = debt 

We ought to change the way we speak, giving names which are more accurate: debt card, debt line, etc. 

The Broken Window chapter was especially interesting to me: a gust of wind blew out a 10′ x 6′ window at the pharmacy where I work.  I read the chapter with my own broken window in mind.

I learned something:

~ dipsomaniac: insatiable craving for alcoholic beverages

~ Claude Frédéric Bastiat (1801-1850)  an French economist whose major contribution was the admonition to take into account “the full picture”.    Oh, what a find!  My journal is filling up with quotes from this man! 
 

Government is the great fiction through which everybody endeavors to live at the expense of everybody else.

His Candlemaker’s Petition is a hoot!  In this satire the candlemaker’s petition for trade protection from the unfair competition of the sun.  You can listen to it here.

~ Norris Dam  referenced by Hazlitt as an example of a government project

This interview with Henry Hazlitt was helpful. He was an autodidact!

“Anyway, I picked up my economics, not by taking any course in it, but by reading economics books.”  

Interviewer:   But wasn’t Keynes a very brilliant man?

Hazlitt:   A very brilliant man, indeed, a very brilliant writer, a very witty writer. But being a brilliant writer was confused with being a brilliant economist.  He wasn’t. We should never confuse wit with profundity.

A Cozy Talk About Pornography

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Saturday morning the man I adore and I sat down for a cozy breakfast together.  We reviewed the past week, talked about our plans for the upcoming week; the conversation moseyed hither and yon. Of all places, we landed on pornography; another Christian we know is jumbled up in this morass.  

“God is so faithful,” my wise husband remarked. “He’s told us that if we persist, he will give us over to our sin.”

We sing Great is Thy Faithfulness with full hearts and think about the provision and mercies of God.  I don’t  normally think about God’s faithfulness relative to hardening hearts, keeping His word, and giving people over to their lusts.

But my people would not hearken to my voice;
and Israel would none of me.
So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust:
and they walked in their own counsels.
Psalm 81:11-12

The heart has devices for getting its desires. Porn is available and it seems “harmless” in the privacy of our home.  It’s far too easy.  I think fear is a good motivator here.  Not as good as love, but fear works. 

We need to talk openly about this sin with our kids.  We need to be approachable so they can tell us they need help. Do you know how to check the history on the computers in your home?  Do you? I like the idea Netflix has where you sign up as “Friends” with others and they have access to your viewing history.  It also works to see what your friends like.  If you are interested in being Netflix friends with our family, message me.

Women are not exempt from this problem.  Many novels are pornography of the emotions.  Benjamin Disraili said, “A woman guanoed her mind by reading French novels.” 

A church leader in our town resigned/was arrested because his pornography habit expanded to making secret videos of girls in the showers at the church camp.  His words to his congregation haunt me: “I thought I could handle this.” 

Lord, have mercy.

Helvetica

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Some people care about shoes.  They buy them often, they consider carefully which pair to wear, and they notice other people’s shoes, perhaps even judge others by their shoes.  I notice fonts.  I just do.  For the most part, I notice the gag-me awful ones and the perfectly fitting fonts.  A realtor in our small town just established his own business: his signs are the most artless, ugly, horrific, disaster of graphic art.  My daughter-in-law and I just point and groan when we see them. 

I used to make the common mistake of using multiple fonts in a document when so many first became available. (cringe) I remember my first encounter with Helvetica back in 1988: the Director of Admissions sat at my desk and rhapsodized about the clean lines, sans serif, readability, attractiveness, etc. etc.  I don’t fuss with fonts much with blogging, but with other documents I spend time clicking, trying different fonts, judging their appeal.  I will not use Times New Roman.  Comic Sans seems too childish, a good choice only if you’re typing a thank you note from a six month old. 

Using Netflix’s Watch Instantly, I enjoyed Gary Hustwit’s documentary, Helvetica.  The 80 minute film gives the history of the font designed by Max Miedinger in 1957 in Switzerland. You meet two dozen graphic designers, who discuss their use or non-use of Helvetica. 

The parts I enjoyed the most were the three-minute sequences of signs –street signs, business signs, slogans on clothes, billboards, civic signs– which were interspersed between the interviews with the designers.   Helvetica is truly ubiquitous.  Even the IRS tax forms are printed with it!  Here are some tidbits I scribbled down as I watched:

         ~  “Creating order is typology.”

          ~  the DNA of letter forms (these designers are passionate; but I loved that turn of phrase)

          ~  “Graphic designers can’t see historical movies because the fonts are always wrong.”

          ~  If you are heavy in the middle you wouldn’t wear tight tee shirts.  Helvetica is heavy in the middle and needs lots of white space around it.

          ~  ABH = anything but Helvetica

          ~  Helvetica came out of modernism.  Grunge typography came out of postmodernism.  Designers today are swinging back to Helvetica but are using it in unique or more creative ways.

Now, it was an enjoyable DVD for a cold, January Sunday afternoon while my husband napped, but I wouldn’t spend money to watch it.  There was a sprinkling of salty language and a few salty images (especially in the grunge section.)  If you get off on graphic design and fonts, you may enjoy it.

What is your favorite font?

Borrowing Books, Lending Books

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What do you think about borrowing and lending books?

Here’s my received wisdom on this topic:

On borrowing:

1.  Make a discrete (not discreet) place to keep borrowed books.  DO NOT intersperse them with your own books.  A section of a shelf, a basket, a tote — a specific spot solely for borrowed books is essential.  No Co-mingling Allowed. 

 Ahem.  It is amusing to cruise through a friend’s library and find one of my books firmly ensconced in the midst.  Alternately, it’s a bit of a shock to find a book with a friend’s name in it sitting quite comfortably in the middle of my collection.

2.  Establish a time-frame for the length of the time you plan to have the book.  “When do you need this back?” If your friend needs it back by Monday next [I’m practicing my Britishspeak], either take it and return it by Monday next or don’t borrow it.  A sticky note on the cover page: borrowed [insert date] might help track times.

3.  If it will take you longer to get through the book than you estimated, check in with your friend and ask for an extension.  Your friend may have forgotten that you borrowed the book.  “I still have this book: is that okay with you?”  Problems arise when folks with a comme-ci, comme ça attitude about their own books assume that their friends are similarly inclined. 

4.  Return the book in the same condition you borrowed it.  If there is a change in condition, point it out to your lender friend and offer to compensate her or replace the book.  Most people understand normal wear. Do not underline, dog-ear, coffee-ring, bath-humidify books which do not belong to you.  [some friends have my permission to underline – I love to note what they noted.]

5.  When you get a reputation as an avid reader, folks will thrust books into your hands and insist that you read (and enjoy) these books.  Discretion is the key.  If the relationship is a priority, read it.  If it is an acquaintance, read a chapter or so and return the book with your thoughts on that chapter.  Don’t let other people’s taste dictate your reading.  If you cannot in good conscience read the book, explain in a gracious tone why.  Be honest.  Be brave. On the other hand, a request to read a book can be a great opening to a deeper friendship.  If it is just not your preference, consider setting your preference aside for the sake of the relationship. 

6.  A small note of thanks, even a sticky note, is appropriate.  Feedback of any sort is usually welcome.

On lending:

1.  Don’t lend a book unless you are reconciled to the fact that you may never see it again.  If it is a precious book, it is better not to lend it than to become resentful when it is not returned.

2.  I don’t keep a file or list of books I’ve lent for two reasons: first, I’m lazy.  Also, I’m embarrassed to say, that when I’ve kept a file card, I’ve hounded someone about a book, asking repeatedly if he had it.  One of us was wrong; it is wasn’t important enough to cause a rift in the friendship.  Keep a list, if you are interested in following-up.

3.  Write your name on the flyleaf, and/or on what is called the tail or the bookblock/textblock. 

4.  Let the lender know upfront your expectations for the length of the loan.   If you say “whenever” don’t be upset when you buy replacement books shortly before they (finally) return them.

5.  I’ve learned not to initiate book loans, as in “Here, read this book!”, except with a very few distinguised friends. 

6.  If the book doesn’t return, let it go.  It’s just stuff.  Very, very few books are irreplaceable.  (see #1)

My favorite book lending story:  early in our marriage Curt and our pastor, Amos, were tooling from one end of the town to the other.  Spotting a garage sale, Amos pulled over and they cruised the tables.  Seeing a cool book, Amos picked it up and examined it.  It had his name on the flyleaf!  The seller at the garage sale wasn’t the one who had borrowed the book, so he bought it back.  A true Hosea moment. 

My gratitude:  to my fellow home schoolers who passed around home school books, tapes, videos, and curricula like nobody’s business.  We considered keeping a collective inventory at one point – before the internet and LibraryThing. I cannot say how much money I’ve saved by borrowing books.  A personal library is a treasure to more than one person.

A good idea: to look through every book in your collection on a bi-annual basis.  When it is shelved you can’t tell if it belongs to someone else. 

Any stories out there?

Wedding, Friends and All Things Wonderful

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Wedding music.

I have seen a spectrum of styles, various instruments, a few many-splendored glories and a few fiascoes (including the soloist who had pitch issues to begin with and ended with my threat to boycott accompanying his free-style, note-bending, ad-libbing, Donna Summersesque rendition of The Lord’s Prayer).

But nothing will ever surpass the clarity, the simplicity, the potency of one cello playing The Church’s One Foundation as the bridesmaids walked down the aisle. 

… from heav’n he came and sought her to be his holy bride;
with his own blood he bought her, and for her life he died.

All the joy and solemnity of the incipient ceremony, the thrill of anticipation, the relief of arriving at this place in this moment with these people, were distilled in the dulcet tones of the cello.  A hush descended; the sisters radiant in their turquoise dresses entered with regal dignity; the words from the hymn echoed and re-echoed in my thoughts. That was the defining moment for me.  It was the first time I’ve thought about Christ while I’ve watched a procession of bridesmaids.

The wedding sermon was superb.  You, gentle reader, are blessed because you may read it here.  I timed it:  six minutes to read.  Print it out and read it with your family.  More beauty.  More wonder. More mystery.  

The entire day was magnificent.  A coming together of friends and families near and far to witness the ceremony and rejoice at the reception.  Both families delighted with their new son/daughter/sister/brother.  A traditional southern New Year’s Day meal — and I l-o-v-e-d the steamed collards and black-eyed peas, not to mention the pulled pork.  I think I could be very happy living in the South. 

A glorious wedding brings to fruition all the years of labor and prayer and care and guidance that went into the bearing and bringing up of a child.  It is such a day of rejoicing for the parents and grandparents and all the onlookers who have watched the growth in the bride or groom’s life.        

Our beloved pastor and friend, the groom’s dad, giving a father’s blessing

The bride’s mom, a jewel beyond compare


Lindsey and Jon


You know these people don’t you?

And I was blessed to meet, in real life, Dana of Hidden Art.  Who can say when or where we met?  I think her first comment here was on March 9, 2006. At that time we didn’t have a clue that there were connections lurking underneath the framework of our online friendship.  Dana is every bit the gracious, classy, articulate woman you would expect.  Being with Dana makes you want to sit up a little straighter, because you want to, not because she’s giving you a look.  She inspires you to be a lady, to be beautiful, to be articulate.

We didn’t have the freedom to just sit and talk non-stop until the evening after the wedding.  I loved relaxing together and letting our conversation meander where it would. Another bonus was meeting her parents, lovely folk.  I am inspired by her mother who took up painting after she turned 50 and is now an accomplished artist.  I loved introducing Dana to my loved ones. 

I plan to join Dana and Cindy and others reading Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. 

2008 began gloriously.  I believe it’s going to be a great year.

Rattlesnake Travelog

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“Are you going Rattlesnake?”

AAA and Mapquest won’t direct you to this road,
the most direct way from point A to point B,
which traverses a series of canyons.

See for yourself why the highway is called Rattlesnake.

In the left third of the picture below the highway snakes around the mountains.

It is a fun drive in the summer in a itty-bitty sports car.

Even in the winter, it is SO worth it for a wedding.

Tomorrow: the wedding and another blog friend story.

“What I had experienced was a symphony in the wilderness.
Those who never learned to walk
will never know its beauty.
Only those who choose to get lost in it,
cutting all ties to civilization,
can know what I mean.
Only those who return to the elemental world
can knows its beauty and grandeur–
and man’s essential unity with it.”
~ William O. Douglas

Bitterness Is Not Plastic Wrap

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Do you know what it is like to lie supine and cry, how the hot tears trickle into your ears and make them all itchy?  Well, I was having one of those tears-in-the-ears moments recently, mentally recounting a wrong that had been done to me.  Clearly, I had been wronged.  Wait.  Change that to: clearly, I had been very, very, very wronged.  Each time I reviewed the situation I strung another very to my necklace of grievance. 

“Help me, babe,” I cried to my husband.  “I hate being this way.  Bitterness is clinging to my soul.” 

“Bitterness does not cling,” the wise man quietly replied. 

Those four words arrested me.  Bitterness Does Not Cling. 

Bitterness is the bowl.  A bowl is incapable of clinging; it cannot attach itself to you.  I was the cling-on.  I had got a firm grip on the bowl of bitterness and I was not letting go.  Wow.

“So how do I stop clinging to bitterness?”  I asked.

“Just Stop It.” 

“Just stop it – just like that?”

“Quit clinging to your bitterness, Carol. Let It Go.” 

Bitterness has no adhesive abilities.  It has no grip on me.  If I can remember this, it will change my life. 

Bitterness is not plastic wrap.

Forgive our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.

Hold fast that which is good.

Checklists

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views from my kitchen window

What do you think of this checklist? 

I transcribed it from a time management cassette from the library but, alas, didn’t credit the speaker. 

Most days I really like these questions.
But on some days, a list like this Just Makes Me Tired.
Someone I could get feeling pretty ugly smug on the rare, spectacular day in which I could check several off.
Puffed up.  Yay me, ain’t I grand?
I don’t think checklists are the best thing for my spiritual health.   I get sucked into performance-based living.
Checklists are great for groceries, though.

How could you argue with these good things?  Perhaps it’s the aggregate that makes the list daunting. OR, perhaps I’m just a crank.  Hmmm.

Checklist for Day

1.  Did I tell someone I love them?

2.  Did I compliment someone on his work?

3.  Did I read a book?

4. Did I increase my skill?

5.  Did I do something for good health?

6.  Am I closer to my goal than when I woke up this a.m.?

7.  Did I do anything tough or challenging?

8.  Did I do something just for joy?

9.  Have I taken time to reflect?

10.  Have I planned the day tomorrow?

What question would you add, subtract, or substitute from this list? Really, what do you think?

We are preparing to party.  Huge wedding coming up.  I cry at weddings.  The older the bride or groom, the more I cry tears of joy at the kindness of God.  It really is too wonderful.  I have a checklist, don’t ya know, of specific friends who are waiting to make the walk up the aisle.  I pray in faith that God will put a check mark next to some of those names this coming year. 

Happy New Year, my friends.

One ought, every day at least,
to hear a little song,
read a good poem,
see a fine picture,
and if it were possible,
to speak a few reasonable words.

~ Goethe

In Real Life

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The incredulous looks matched the higher pitched tones in the voices.  “You’re kidding, right?”  “It’s kind of like a blind date, isn’t it?”  “That’s kind of scary.” “Wow.” 

These responses followed my excited announcement that my online friend and her family were coming and spending a night with us.  No, we’ve never met; we’ve just read each other’s blog and emailed.  Hey, we talked on the phone last week.  Okay, I’ll grant it that we both took some risks…but there was never any doubt that we would have a jolly good time together. 

Jolly good time….oh my.  It was like we’d been old friends forever. Our husbands had this male bonding thing going on.  There must be a new category of men now: husbands of bloggers.  The kids had a heyday throwing snowballs and taking sled rides in the dark. 

I don’t know what the guys talked about – theology, families, work? – but talk they did.   The women talked about connections: books we’ve read, music, Latin, mutual online friends (which ones we know in real life, etc.), our church situations, our families near and extended, on and on.  

We spoke wistfully of  how much fun it would be to have a reunion gathering of special blog friends.  We discovered that one of my husband’s college roommates attended their wedding.  Who would have guessed?

Di and I stayed up talking into what is normally called the wee hours. Our own circle of quiet included whispered talk in the kitchen trying not to disturb the guys sacked out on the living room floor. We took up the thread again this morning.

And before we were ready to say good-bye, they had to leave.  A happy ache has settled into my heart.