Last month, when, with great amusement, we reported that "New Home Sales Explode Higher Thanks To... Record High Average New Home Prices?", we mocked the latest batch of bullshit data released by the US department of truth as follows:
New Home Sales rose a magnificent (seasonally-adjusted annualized rate) 18% in August - the biggest monthly rise since January 1992 albeit with a 16.3 90% confidence interval, meaning the final number may well be +1.7%. At 504k, new home sales are back at May 2008 levels (though obviously massively below the 1.4 million homes sold at the peak in 2005). As a reminder, May's 504K new home sales print was later revised later to 458K. But even more stunning, new home sales in The West rose a mind-numbing 50% in August (and up 84.4% YoY - nearly double).
Well, it is now a month later, and here come the revisions: first, that 50% surge in the West was revised... 30K lower. But to get a sense of just how bad the revision was, here is the old, pre-revision data, and the "data" following the latest revision.
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DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Friday, October 24, 2014
Everything About The Way We Teach Math Is Wrong
Mathematics is one of humanity's most creative and poetic endeavors.
And it is a disaster that it isn't taught this way to students.
"A Mathematician's Lament" is a classic polemic (later expanded and published as a book) written by math teacher Paul Lockhart. The essay is a devastating and passionate assault on the mechanistic way mathematics is taught in most of our schools.
A Student's Nightmare
Lockhart begins with a vivid parable in which a musician has a nightmare in which music is taught to children by rote memorization of sheet music and formal rules for manipulating notes. In the nightmare, students never actually listen to music, at least not until advanced college classes or graduate school.
The problem is that this abstract memorization and formal-method-based "music" education closely resembles the "math" education that most students receive. Formulas and algorithms are delivered with no context or motivation, with students made to simply memorize and apply them.
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And it is a disaster that it isn't taught this way to students.
"A Mathematician's Lament" is a classic polemic (later expanded and published as a book) written by math teacher Paul Lockhart. The essay is a devastating and passionate assault on the mechanistic way mathematics is taught in most of our schools.
A Student's Nightmare
Lockhart begins with a vivid parable in which a musician has a nightmare in which music is taught to children by rote memorization of sheet music and formal rules for manipulating notes. In the nightmare, students never actually listen to music, at least not until advanced college classes or graduate school.
The problem is that this abstract memorization and formal-method-based "music" education closely resembles the "math" education that most students receive. Formulas and algorithms are delivered with no context or motivation, with students made to simply memorize and apply them.
More
"Why I Will Not Submit To Medical Martial Law"
One of the most dangerous philosophical contentions even amongst liberty movement activists is the conundrum of government force and prevention during times of imminent pandemic. All of us at one time or another have had this debate. If a legitimate viral threat existed and threatened to infect and kill millions of Americans, is it then acceptable for the government to step in, remove civil liberties, enforce quarantines, and stop people from spreading the disease? After all, during a viral event, the decisions of each individual can truly have a positive or negative effect on the rest of society, right? One out of control (or “lone wolf”) citizen/terrorist could reignite a biological firestorm, so, should we not turn to government and forgo certain freedoms in order to achieve the greater good for the greater number?
If the government in question was a proven and honorable institution, then I would say pro-Medical Martial Law arguments might have a leg to stand on. However, this is not the case. In my view, medical martial law is absolutely unacceptable under ANY circumstances, including Ebola, in light of the fact that our current government will be the predominant cause of viral outbreak. That is to say, you DO NOT turn to the government for help when the government is the cause of the problem.
The recent rise of global Ebola is slowly bringing the issue of medical martial law to the forefront of our culture. Charles Krauthammer at The Washington Post recently argued in favor of possible restrictions on individual and Constitutional liberties in the face of a viral pandemic threat.
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If the government in question was a proven and honorable institution, then I would say pro-Medical Martial Law arguments might have a leg to stand on. However, this is not the case. In my view, medical martial law is absolutely unacceptable under ANY circumstances, including Ebola, in light of the fact that our current government will be the predominant cause of viral outbreak. That is to say, you DO NOT turn to the government for help when the government is the cause of the problem.
The recent rise of global Ebola is slowly bringing the issue of medical martial law to the forefront of our culture. Charles Krauthammer at The Washington Post recently argued in favor of possible restrictions on individual and Constitutional liberties in the face of a viral pandemic threat.
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The War on Women: Juanita Broaddrick and Bill Clinton
To set the stage for why the country needs Hillary Clinton to be the next president, Democrats are trying to force-feed Americans a “war on women” pablum, when such a war--as they present it--does not exist. For the real “war on women,” however, Democrats might turn to Hillary Clinton herself and her husband, former President Bill Clinton.
Juanita Broaddrick never wanted to meet the press. In February of 1999, Dorothy Rabinowitz, a member of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, wrote that when the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal broke the year before, the media pursuit was on for Broaddrick as it became clear her story about an alleged sexual assault by Bill Clinton would have significant impact on the outcome of the impeachment proceedings against the President.
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Juanita Broaddrick never wanted to meet the press. In February of 1999, Dorothy Rabinowitz, a member of The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board, wrote that when the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal broke the year before, the media pursuit was on for Broaddrick as it became clear her story about an alleged sexual assault by Bill Clinton would have significant impact on the outcome of the impeachment proceedings against the President.
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Maryland Democrats Double Down On Race Card, Now Using Ferguson
The Maryland Democratic Party has been acting like a party in panic mode. This week it sent out a race-baiting mailer to African-Americans around the state urging them to vote for Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown because he is black, and saying that not doing so would be akin to a return to the segregated South. His opponent, businessman Larry Hogan, has internal polling that pulls that theoretical panic into reality, and the Democratic Party is doubling down on the race vote.
Hogan’s campaign released internal polling showing this to be a one-point race, a major shock in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one. According to WBAL Radio, the poll “showed Brown leading Hogan by just 1 percentage point, with Hogan leading among moderates and independents.”
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Hogan’s campaign released internal polling showing this to be a one-point race, a major shock in a state where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans two to one. According to WBAL Radio, the poll “showed Brown leading Hogan by just 1 percentage point, with Hogan leading among moderates and independents.”
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Meningitis hits University of Maryland
Multiple cases of virus on campus
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJLA) – Students at the University of Maryland, College Park are being warned about a recent outbreak of viral meningitis, a contagious illness that, in extreme cases, can be deadly.
Late Wednesday evening, Dr. David McBride, Director of the UMD Health Center, sent an email to the student body, confirming multiple cases had tiptoed onto the campus.
“The University immediately initiated more vigilant procedures to address and contain the virus, and we have reached out to the organizations that are primarily affected with information about the condition and what to do in the event that they are feeling unwell,” Dr. McBride said in part.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (WJLA) – Students at the University of Maryland, College Park are being warned about a recent outbreak of viral meningitis, a contagious illness that, in extreme cases, can be deadly.
Late Wednesday evening, Dr. David McBride, Director of the UMD Health Center, sent an email to the student body, confirming multiple cases had tiptoed onto the campus.
“The University immediately initiated more vigilant procedures to address and contain the virus, and we have reached out to the organizations that are primarily affected with information about the condition and what to do in the event that they are feeling unwell,” Dr. McBride said in part.
Who Really Owns Your Home: Detroit Preparing to Foreclose on 142,000 Residents By 2016
Have you ever considered the legitimacy of property taxes? It’s one thing for the government to take a cut from your income, but there’s something deeply offensive about the idea of property taxes. It’s the idea that you have to pay your local government, year after year for the rest of your life, for something you’ve already paid in full. It’s complete nonsense.
It calls into question whether you even own your property in the first place. After all, do you really own it if you have to keep paying for it? It seems to closely resemble the medieval system of serfdom. The peasants didn’t own the land they worked on. They had to pay a yearly fee for the right to work that land, which went towards the nobles and knights. It was protection money. So at least they had the benefit of protection from the warrior class in those societies. Can you say the same of your local police?
I digress. In reality, you don’t “own” your house or the land it sits on, even if it’s been paid in full. That’s another benefit those peasants have on us. They didn’t have to pay some bank for decades, only to have their land taken from them when they didn’t pay their “yearly fee”. They were never under the illusion that the land belonged to them.
I doubt the people of Detroit have any illusions either. They’re facing an unimaginable crises that threatens to put tens of thousands of residents on the streets. The city government is about to show us once and for all, who really owns the land.
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It calls into question whether you even own your property in the first place. After all, do you really own it if you have to keep paying for it? It seems to closely resemble the medieval system of serfdom. The peasants didn’t own the land they worked on. They had to pay a yearly fee for the right to work that land, which went towards the nobles and knights. It was protection money. So at least they had the benefit of protection from the warrior class in those societies. Can you say the same of your local police?
I digress. In reality, you don’t “own” your house or the land it sits on, even if it’s been paid in full. That’s another benefit those peasants have on us. They didn’t have to pay some bank for decades, only to have their land taken from them when they didn’t pay their “yearly fee”. They were never under the illusion that the land belonged to them.
I doubt the people of Detroit have any illusions either. They’re facing an unimaginable crises that threatens to put tens of thousands of residents on the streets. The city government is about to show us once and for all, who really owns the land.
More
Wal-Mart Employees Respond To Health Cuts
The recent news of Wal-Mart ending health coverage for part-time employees was dwarfed only by Ebola, ISIS and possibly election coverage in the headlines, but the employees who spoke to Ocean City Today on condition of anonymity either didn’t care, didn’t know or weren’t eligible for benefits in the first place.
Wal-Mart announced on Oct. 7 through its official blog that it would be joining retailers such as Target, Home Depot, Walgreens and Trader Joe’s in reducing benefits to part-time employees who work less than 30 hours per week, which will affect about two percent of their 1.3 million employees.
“They didn’t tell me anything about that,” said Steve R., “what they did tell me was that I was supposed to be in maintenance but as you can see I’m out here pushing carts. I’m going to get Medicare anyway because [Wal-Mart] takes all the chips and gives me none.”
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Wal-Mart announced on Oct. 7 through its official blog that it would be joining retailers such as Target, Home Depot, Walgreens and Trader Joe’s in reducing benefits to part-time employees who work less than 30 hours per week, which will affect about two percent of their 1.3 million employees.
“They didn’t tell me anything about that,” said Steve R., “what they did tell me was that I was supposed to be in maintenance but as you can see I’m out here pushing carts. I’m going to get Medicare anyway because [Wal-Mart] takes all the chips and gives me none.”
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Your Choice, Citizen
Following Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia, members of the Persian elite were required to prostrate themselves before their new ruler. Polyperchon, one of Alexander’s generals, sternly rebuked one of the Persians whose self-abasement was seen as inadequate.
“Come on, don’t just touch the floor with your chin,” demanded Alexander’s arrogant underling. “Bang it, man! Bang it!”
Police union commissar Patrick J. Lynch displays more than a hint of that attitude in dealing with a public that at long last has become disgusted with routine and impenitent criminal corruption on the part of the state’s consecrated dispensers of violence.
For Lynch – whose views are very commonplace in law enforcement – any attitude toward police other than abject, servile gratitude is unacceptable, and perhaps even criminal. This is true even of those who preface modulated discussion of unambiguous criminal misconduct with the familiar disclaimer: “Not all cops are bad.”
“Proclaiming that `not all cops are bad’ implies that rational people might somehow believe the opposite,”Lynch whined in a recent column for the New York Post. “It lends cop-haters a credibility they don’t deserve. And it minimizes the dedication and professionalism that police officers display, day in and day out, by implying that it’s the exception rather than the rule.”
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“Come on, don’t just touch the floor with your chin,” demanded Alexander’s arrogant underling. “Bang it, man! Bang it!”
Police union commissar Patrick J. Lynch displays more than a hint of that attitude in dealing with a public that at long last has become disgusted with routine and impenitent criminal corruption on the part of the state’s consecrated dispensers of violence.
For Lynch – whose views are very commonplace in law enforcement – any attitude toward police other than abject, servile gratitude is unacceptable, and perhaps even criminal. This is true even of those who preface modulated discussion of unambiguous criminal misconduct with the familiar disclaimer: “Not all cops are bad.”
“Proclaiming that `not all cops are bad’ implies that rational people might somehow believe the opposite,”Lynch whined in a recent column for the New York Post. “It lends cop-haters a credibility they don’t deserve. And it minimizes the dedication and professionalism that police officers display, day in and day out, by implying that it’s the exception rather than the rule.”
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BREAKING NEWS: California sheriff's deputy shot by assailant
The Sacramento County sheriff's deputy who was shot by a still-at-large assailant has died, authorities say.
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For First Time In History Of Worcester County, Republican Voters Outnumber Democrats
While the Eastern Shore votes as reliably red as the western shore does blue, as a pure numbers game registered Democrats have always outstripped their perennial foe in Worcester County.
Until this year. Granted the number isn’t huge, but according to a report by the Worcester County Board of Elections, Rs outnumber Ds by 24 people, 14,528 to 14,504.
When asked if this is the first time this has occurred, Election Director Patricia Jackson quickly answered “Yes.”
Although Republicans were a relative rarity throughout the Eastern Shore in the 1950s and 1960s, the numbers have been closer in recent years, with Republicans moving toward numerical supremacy at a more rapid clip in the last decade.
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Until this year. Granted the number isn’t huge, but according to a report by the Worcester County Board of Elections, Rs outnumber Ds by 24 people, 14,528 to 14,504.
When asked if this is the first time this has occurred, Election Director Patricia Jackson quickly answered “Yes.”
Although Republicans were a relative rarity throughout the Eastern Shore in the 1950s and 1960s, the numbers have been closer in recent years, with Republicans moving toward numerical supremacy at a more rapid clip in the last decade.
More
Dem Strategist: Obama Has ‘Removed Threat of Deportation'
(CNSNews.com) – Democrat activist and strategist Simon Rosenberg said Tuesday that even before President Obama issues a new executive order expanding the number of illegal aliens who are eligible for temporary legal status, the threat of deportation already has been removed through the administration’s policy of not enforcing immigration law.
“I think that the immigration community has, frankly, given the Democrats and the president far less credit than they deserve for how much we’ve – the president has fundamentally altered the system to essentially have removed the threat of deportation over virtually every undocumented immigrant in the country already,” Rosenberg said. “That’s already happened.”
Rosenberg made his remarks as a panelist at the 11th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference held at Georgetown University Law Center.
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“I think that the immigration community has, frankly, given the Democrats and the president far less credit than they deserve for how much we’ve – the president has fundamentally altered the system to essentially have removed the threat of deportation over virtually every undocumented immigrant in the country already,” Rosenberg said. “That’s already happened.”
Rosenberg made his remarks as a panelist at the 11th annual Immigration Law and Policy Conference held at Georgetown University Law Center.
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Resort To Look Into Homeless On Boardwalk Concerns; Changes Only Likely If Laws Being Broken
During Monday evening’s Mayor and City Council meeting, Council Secretary Mary Knight asked the Police Commission to look into establishing an ordinance that would forbid sleeping on the benches on the Boardwalk in addition to the current one prohibiting sleeping on the beach.
“I have noticed recently on the Boardwalk in the early hours around 6 a.m. there has been a lot more folks sleeping on benches. I know we have an ordinance in place that you’re not allowed to sleep overnight on the beach. I would really hope that during the next meeting you could look at also having an ordinance that would include not being allowed to sleep on a bench, because it is kind of disruptive being in front of the rest station, and it is just something that I don’t think Ocean City really would want seen up there,” Knight said.
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BREAKING NEWS: 3 sheriff's deputies shot in California
A Sacramento County sheriff's deputy, along with two deputies from Placer County, were shot by an assailant who then carjacked two vehicles and is still at large, authorities say.
BREAKING NEWS: Body positively ID'd as missing UVA college student
The Albemarle County Police Department confirms that remains discovered in a rural area last week are those of Hannah Graham, 18, the missing University of Virginia student.
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It’s the Economy, Stupid
Republicans have a better deal for the average American — but they need to make their case.
Democrats have tried running away from President Obama. They’ve tried shouting “birth control” from the rooftops. They’ve tried lamenting dastardly Republican obstruction. But many Democratic candidates are still struggling in the closing weeks of the midterm electoral season.
In the past week or so, some of them have come to the conclusion that economic populism could save the day for the party. The president may be toxic, and the Democratic and progressive brands might be tarnished by an ever-growing host of scandals, mishaps, and gaffes. But a populist charge, headed by Elizabeth Warren, could turn the tide for Democrats, or so left-leaning operatives hope. This turn to populism might run into the realities of President Obama’s record, but it should also remind Republicans of the importance of attending to their economic message.
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Democrats have tried running away from President Obama. They’ve tried shouting “birth control” from the rooftops. They’ve tried lamenting dastardly Republican obstruction. But many Democratic candidates are still struggling in the closing weeks of the midterm electoral season.
In the past week or so, some of them have come to the conclusion that economic populism could save the day for the party. The president may be toxic, and the Democratic and progressive brands might be tarnished by an ever-growing host of scandals, mishaps, and gaffes. But a populist charge, headed by Elizabeth Warren, could turn the tide for Democrats, or so left-leaning operatives hope. This turn to populism might run into the realities of President Obama’s record, but it should also remind Republicans of the importance of attending to their economic message.
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Lt. Gov. Brown’s “efficiency plan” calls for eliminating state employees
In Brown’s “Government Efficiency Plan,” he cites cost-saving measures by Connecticut as a roadmap for Maryland to reduce wasteful spending. That plan would call for cost savings from eliminating state employees; the bulk of Connecticut’s plan is based on this measure.
“The treatment of state employees under Anthony Brown has been disgraceful,” said Larry Hogan. “Mandatory furloughs and a lack of cost of living pay increases, combined with 40 consecutive tax hikes has made it nearly impossible for many state employees to survive. Meanwhile, the Lt. Governor and his boss Martin O’Malley were just given yet another raise thanks to the inaction of the state legislature.”
Connecticut Plan: http://www.cga.ct.gov/gae/CEAO/docs/2010/CEAO%20Final%20Report%20Tuesday%20Jan%203.pdf
Brown's Plan: http://anthonybrown.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Brown-Ulman-Savings-Plan.pdf
See Also: Lt. Gov Brown's "efficiency plan" includes proposed elimination of school breakfast funding
Lt. Gov Brown's "efficiency plan" hikes community college tuition, slashes funding for scholarships and financial aid
Compensation shrinks for all income groups
Latest wage data show continuing stagnation that is contributing to economic doldrums
American paychecks shrank last year, just-released data show, further eroding the public’s purchasing power, which is so vital to economic growth.
Average pay for 2013 was $43,041 — down $79 from the previous year when measured in 2013 dollars. Worse, average pay fell $508 below the 2007 level, my analysis of the new Social Security Administration data shows.
Flat or declining average pay is a major reason so many Americans feel that the Great Recession never ended for them. A severe job shortage compounds that misery not just for workers but also for businesses trying to profit from selling goods and services.
Average pay declined in 59 of the 60 levels of worker pay the government reports each October. The Social Security Administration slices wages into tight categories, starting at $1 to $5,000 and topping out at $50 million plus.
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American paychecks shrank last year, just-released data show, further eroding the public’s purchasing power, which is so vital to economic growth.
Average pay for 2013 was $43,041 — down $79 from the previous year when measured in 2013 dollars. Worse, average pay fell $508 below the 2007 level, my analysis of the new Social Security Administration data shows.
Flat or declining average pay is a major reason so many Americans feel that the Great Recession never ended for them. A severe job shortage compounds that misery not just for workers but also for businesses trying to profit from selling goods and services.
Average pay declined in 59 of the 60 levels of worker pay the government reports each October. The Social Security Administration slices wages into tight categories, starting at $1 to $5,000 and topping out at $50 million plus.
More
Feds Probe Frederick Midair Crash That Killed 3
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The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into what caused the Cirrus SR22 plane and a Robinson R44 helicopter to collide Thursday in the air.
Investigators were combing the scene and planned to talk with survivors and air traffic controllers.
The plane went down in a line of trees east of downtown Frederick, while the helicopter crashed a tenth of a mile south of the plane, between two storage units, Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley said.
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