Holiday Hodgepodge

Heh!

Reader Snedcat emails me a link to a news story whose title just about says it all: "Gay Community Apologizes to Amy Koch for Ruining her Marriage". (Koch supports a ban on gay marriage.)

The letter comes on the heels of Koch's own apology, released yesterday, in which she expressed her deep regret for "engaging in a relationship with a Senate staffer." Although the letter did not specify the identity of the other participant in the "inappropriate relationship," it is widely rumored to be former communications chief Michael Brodkorb, who lost several positions with the GOP in the wake of the scandal.

The only thing legalized gay marriage really threatens is the shaky sense of self-esteem of meddlesome theocrats.

Holiday Reading

"Capitalism and business get the blame for people's shopping compulsions. That's like blaming air for the fact that people say stupid things." -- Michael Hurd, in "Be Happy Within Your Means" at DrHurd.com

"Even in an age of instantaneous electronic communication, there's simply no substitute: You can't email a tanker full of methanol." -- Jonathan Hoenig, in "Stocks that Could really Sail in 2012" at SmartMoney
 
"If the eventual GOP nominee supports 'personhood,' they risk alienating these independent voters for whom outlawing birth control pills and IUDs would be anathema. In other words, 'personhood' could give the 2012 election to Obama." -- Paul Hsieh, in "Would a President Gingrich Ban the Birth Control Pill?" at PJ Media

"Yet ever since the writings of Mises, Hayek, and Rand, we've known the nature and outcome of such intervention, economically, politically, and morally. Seventy more years of its practice, both here and abroad, has only served to confirm and reinforce that knowledge." -- Amit Ghate, in "Time for Emergency Freedom" at PJ Media

One More...

I've always considered Leonard Peikoff's "Why Christmas Should Be More Commercial", to be a classic. I particularly like what he says about Santa Clause: "Nor is Santa a champion of Christian mercy or unconditional love. On the contrary, he is for justice--Santa gives only to good children, not to bad ones."

Annual Blogging Break

Each year, during the holidays, I take around a week off from blogging -- completely: I don't even look at my blogging-related email account. A couple of times, I have even taken a holiday from the Internet altogether. This year, I'm taking slightly more time off than usual. There will be no post tomorrow, and I'll resume posting here on either the third or fourth of January. I'll respond to email and comments through tomorrow morning, and maybe again the day before my return. So don't be surprised to see me disappear from the face of the earth until the Tuesday or Wednesday after New Year's Day.

As I get ready to relax, I would like to take a moment to thank you, my readers, for making Gus Van Horn a part of your Internet routine. Those of you I have met, be it through comments or correspondence, or in person, have invariably enriched my blogging experience through the interaction and, for that, I thank you.

I look forward to seeing you again in the new year. In the meantime, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

-- CAV