Update

So, as usual, I got behind in my blogging, so this post will be a rambling bit of stuff that's been on my mind lately.

This is nothing new, and shouldn't come as a big surprise, but the government wastes money, lots of money. Case in point is this recent announcement from the USDA. Just money down the tubes. For a visual representation of where tax dollars go, check out TheBudgetGraph.com. Amazingly, this graph only represents "discretionary" expenditures, figures that are not set by formula. "Mandatory" expenditures, such as Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, interest on the national debt comprise almost 2/3 of the budget, so this graph, as monstrous as it is, is really only a picture of 1/3 of the budget. Which begs the question, why is 2/3 of the budget set? Who can change it? Is big government just inevitable?

I've been reading a lot, and there are several books that I read recently that I thought I'd mention. I'd like to write a book, and if I could have my pick of how my book would turn out, I'd write a book that combined, Leaving the Saints, by Martha Beck and Out of Sheer Rage, by Geoff Dyer. I read them both recently and loved them, even though they have very different styles. What I liked about both books is that they are not traditional narratives. I try and write stories from time to time, but I never get into them, and I think it's because I don't like writing traditional stories. I prefer writing about themes and ideas. Another theme based book I read recently was Drinking: A Love Story, by Caroline Knapp. These books all have stories in them, but what ties the books together are the underlying themes: leaving Mormonism in Beck's case, writing a book about D.H. Lawrence in Dyer's case and coming to terms with being an alcoholic in Knapp's case. (Incidentally I also read Geoff Dyer's travel memoir called Yoga For People Who Can't Be Bothered to Do It, and it's also recommended.)

When I haven't been reading memoirs, I've been reading books about atheism. I read The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation, by Sam Harris, and just started The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. When I went to Powells down in Portland over Thanksgiving, I bought Breaking the Spell, by Daniel Dennett and Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, by Susan Jacoby. I'll try and post about those books as I finish them. Letter to a Christian Nation is particularly good. It's only about 90 pages but very inspiring. In fact, I lent it to my friend Brian, and he read it and started a new blog about it. Another friend of mine recently blogged about it too (his comments about it start about half-way down).

So basically the last few months I've been working and reading. I don't feel like posting about economic issues anymore mainly because I get my fill from all the other pundits and bloggers out there. I've been using Google Reader to read about 50 different RSS feeds, and after reading several different opinions on an issue, I find it hard to write my own 2-cents. But, Reader has a feature that allows users to "share" links. And that shared link has an RSS feed of its own, sooooo, if you're interested here's mine. If you end up using Reader drop me a line so I can keep tabs on your shared items.

And because I can't resist, click here. As one of the comments on the pages says, "Government cannot increase a worker's economic value by simply passing a new law." How true, but yet how misunderstood by so many people.

Happy belated Thanksgiving to everyone and I hope to post more regularly. At the very least I'll post when I finish reading a book, although I'm working my way slowly through The God Delusion so I don't know when I'll finish it.