A Memo from God on the Penn State Scandal

Someone using the Facebook public profile of “God”, as in the Good Lord Almighty, just reposted this image.  Hat tip to Michael Clay for sharing it.  The folks at Penn State might want to post this on the bulletin board.  This is the perfect followup to the mental model examination of the whole Joe Paterno and Penn [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Using Mental Models to Understand the Joe Paterno and Penn State Scandal

We often talk about avoiding wipe-out risk on this blog.  In fact, avoiding wipe out risk is one of the main reasons to study mental models because it takes a lifetime to build a reputation and only a few minutes to destroy it.  I can think of no better real-world case study than the Joe [...]

from Joshua Kennon

The Secret Most of the “Occupy Wall Street” Folks Haven’t Realized Is the Struggle Is Not Between the Rich and Poor

I’m going to let you in on a secret.  It’s not much of a secret for those who study economics or pay attention to the world.  In fact, it’s been known for some time except to the average guy on the street, who is busy living his life and supporting his family.  He thinks the [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Apple Co-Founder Steve Jobs Dies at 56

The news is reporting that Steve Jobs, Apple co-founder, visionary, business leader, and major shareholder of Walt Disney and Apple, has passed away at 56 years old.  I suspected, though hoped I was wrong, that this was inevitable when he resigned and insiders said the board meeting was “emotional”.  A man of this passion, dedication, [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Officially Repealed Today: Watch Active Duty Soldier Come Out to His Dad

My younger brother, who as many of you know had a career in the United States military and now serves in the guard, will often talk in private to the family about how glad he was to see Senator John McCain defeated for President during the 2008 election cycle.  From education funding to military policy, [...]

from Joshua Kennon

President Obama Proposes 50% Payroll Tax Cut for Workers and Small Businesses

Last night, in a joint session of Congress, the President of the United States finally did what I’ve been writing about for 10+ years: He proposed a 50% cut in payroll taxes for both workers and small business owners.   For most of my life, I have railed against the payroll tax as a regressive burden [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Why I Refuse to Criticize the 05/21/2011 Doomsday Cult

I am a big advocate for rationality and using a rational framework to manage your life.  But you haven’t heard me mock or disparage the doomsday group that has recently been in the news for its failed rapture prophecy that was supposed to occur on May 21st, 2011.  Many followers of this cult cashed in [...]

from Joshua Kennon

States Surrounding Illinois React “with Glee” at Folly of Massive Tax Increase

HA!  I told you this would happen once Illinois decided it was going to raise personal income tax rates by 75% (they ended up going a little lower than that – in the 65%-ish range).  The news this morning features a story called “Neighboring States Gleeful of Illinois Tax Increase“.  Turns out, Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Wal-Mart Ends Profit Sharing, Ups Retirement Plan to Offer 6% Dollar-for-Dollar Matching on 401(k) Savings, and More

Given my two Wal-Mart inspired articles a few days ago, I thought this was germane. Wal-Mart is ending its profit sharing plan and upgrading it to include a $1,000 contribution to employee health care accounts so there is a greater cushion before workers have to pay medical deductibles plus moving to a system whereby they [...]

from Joshua Kennon

China Targeted in Bill on Currency Manipulation

It looks like the United States Congress is starting to grow some backbone?  Hmm … The House of Representatives just passed a bill with overwhelming margins (348-79) that will give the Obama administration the authority to harshly sanction Chinese imports if Beijing doesn’t stop artificially depressing the yuan, reducing the United States trade deficit.  It [...]

from Joshua Kennon

It Isn’t Looking Good for Bishop Eddie Long

The older I get, the more I realize my mom and grandma are really smart in areas that, even still, just escape my “notice” filter. You can’t replace life experience with book experience when it comes to people. This post can best be summed up as a lesson Grandma Ruby taught me a few days [...]

from Joshua Kennon

At What Point Does Your Life Stop Being Mommy and Daddy’s Fault?

Over at the Investing for Beginners site, I just published a blog explaining that the best investment is in yourself, as I have repeatedly said. This came as a result of a Wall Street Journal article that explained unemployment levels for college graduates, which is only 25% of the population, is still incredibly low. In [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Educational Crisis In Black Male Population Resulting in Staggering 25% to 40% Unemployment Rate

The Good News: African American women are gaining in net worth, income, high school graduation rates, college graduation rates, and seats in boardrooms at powerful companies throughout the world.  They are going from glory to glory, success to success. The Bad News: African American men have unemployment rates as high as 40% in some areas, [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Major Court Ruling on Race and Patient Hospital Rights Today

Remember the ground breaking, massive generational study the Pew Research Center released?  The one that showed that despite all of their good qualities, a vast majority of the so-called “silent generation” (those born prior to 1928) and, to a somewhat lesser degree the “greatest generation” (those born from 1928 through 1945) were, on many issues [...]

from Joshua Kennon

My Analysis of Judge Walker’s Proposition 8 Ruling, Perry v. Schwarzenegger, Legalizing Gay Marriage in California (and Possibly the Entire United States)

I finally got through the ruling from Judge Vaughn Walker in Perry v. Schwarzenegger which overturned Proposition 8 as unconstitutional and it is scathing.  I have never read anything worded this strongly other than Scalia’s dissent in Lawrence v. Texas where you could virtually hear the man shrieking with fists flying (and I say that [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Pornography Study Failed After Researchers Couldn’t Find a Single Man Who Hadn’t Viewed X-Rated Material

Human behavior fascinates me to no end.  Today, I was reading through yet another batch of research papers and studies and one of them made me do a double-take.  Scientists in the United Kingdom wanted to research whether or not pornography degraded women by changing how men viewed them or treated them. The first task [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Something to Think About in Our Celebrity Driven Culture

Lindsay Lohan, 24, gets her name and face all over the news because she went to jail. Justin Allen, 23, Brett Linley, 29, Matthew Weikert, 29, Justus Bartett, 27, Dave Santos, 21, Chase Stanley, 21, Jesse Reed, 26, Matthew Johnson, 21, Zachary Fisher, 24, Brandon King, 23, Christopher Goeke, 23, and Sheldon Tate, 27, all [...]

from Joshua Kennon

Elizabeth Warren Makes Timmy Geithner Squirm …

I love and adore this woman. Even though I completely understand why AIG was bailed out at 100 cents on the dollars, I’m glad she is asking questions that need to be posed for the sake of accountability. (Regarding AIG: Even though it wasn’t morally right that Goldman and other counterparties used Federal money to [...]

from Joshua Kennon

One Very, Very Good Thing About the Financial Reform Bill That Just Passed Congress

I don’t care what anyone tells you, I want you to listen to me very, very carefully: Although I cannot give an opinion on the financial reform act that just passed Congress because I haven’t read it yet, I can say that the provision that requires all derivatives other than those used for “commercial purposes” [...]

from Joshua Kennon

My Reflections on Christian Legal Society Chapter of University of California Hastings College of Law v. Martinez Supreme Court Ruling

Back in college, when I was the student body treasurer and chairman of the finance board, a Christian group known as Campus Crusade for Christ threatened to sue the university because they wanted to be officially recognized.  The problem was they required that their elected leaders leaders sign a personal “Statement of Beliefs” pledge that [...]

from Joshua Kennon

The Supreme Court Is On a Roll Today … Rulings on “Guns, God, and Gays” All In a Single Morning

In addition to the Kagan confirmation hearings this morning, did anyone notice the opinions the Supreme Court of the United States of America released today?  Two major ones that have been watched very closely in conservative and liberal circles alike were decided on 5-4 decisions. McDonald v. City of Chicago: The court ruled that laws [...]

from Joshua Kennon

ACLU to Defend Child Molesters Right to Attend Church

According to a new AP article, convicted child molesters have been banned from going to church because of the on-premise day care facilities operated by many religious organizations.  The argument is that the prohibition to be within a specific number of feet of minors is a fundamental violation of the religious freedom rights in the [...]

from Joshua Kennon

9 Out of 10 Afghan Soldiers Illiterate

According to a new research article by the Associated Press, nine out of ten soldiers in the Afghanistan army are illiterate.  That statistic shocked me and, frankly, made me realize that there isn’t a lot of hope (at least in the short term) for many of the countries in the world. How can we expect [...]

from Joshua Kennon