Metal Dad - Hardcore for Life

Economic/Theological Quote of the Day

I am a huge fan of Doug Wilson's writing, both in print media and the blogosphere. His book, Reforming Marriage, changed my understanding (for the better, I hope) of  covenant marriage.
Some good thoughts on the current economic conditions overheard at Blog and Mablog:

"Our response is to be that of loving one another, and doing so in true community. We sometimes think this is limited to the duty of giving to those in need—that is obviously central, but it is not the only thing. If you are in distress because of the economy, you have a Christian obligation to not hide that fact from your brothers and sisters. If one part of the body hurts, it does not have the option of hiding that hurt from the rest of the body. Of course, you take care of your household first, and family members are next in line if you cannot do that. The members of the church ought not to be holding bake sales so that you are not forced to sell off your second yacht. But if your income has been cut in half, and you are struggling to meet your basic obligations, and your family has helped all it can, this ought not to be hidden from your friends and brothers."

Technorati Tags: Blog and Mablog, Doug Wilson, Economics, Reformed Theology, Reforming Marriage

Mises Quote of the Day

"No civilized community has callously allowed the incapacitated to perish. But the substitution of a legally enforceable claim to support or sustenance for charitable relief does not seem to agree with human nature as it is. Not metaphysical prepossessions, but considerations of practical expediency make it inadvisable to promulgate an actionable right to sustenance. It is, moreover, an illusion to believe that the enactment of such laws could free the indigent from the degrading features inherent in receiving alms. The more openhanded these laws are, the more punctilious must their application become. The discretion of bureaucrats is substituted for the discretion of people whom an inner voice drives to acts of charity."

Mises - Human Action, pp. 835–36; pp. 839–40

Now Playing: Misery Index - Retaliate - The Great Depression

Technorati Tags: Charity, Economics, Ethics, Inspirational Quotes, Mises

Mises Quote for the Day

If one rejects laissez faire on account of man’s fallibility and moral weakness, one must for the same reasons also reject every kind of government action.
Mises - Planning for Freedom, p. 44

Technorati Tags: Economics, Ethics, Inspirational Quotes, Mises

Mises Quote for the Day

Everybody is free to abstain from reading books, magazines, and newspapers he dislikes and to recommend to other people to shun these books, magazines, and newspapers. But it is quite another thing when some people threaten other people with serious reprisals in case they should not stop patronizing certain publications and their publishers.
Mises - The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality, p. 56

Technorati Tags: Mises, Economics, Politics, Inspirational Quotes

Mises Quote for the Day

"It is justifiable if ethics and religion tell people that they ought to make better use of the well-being that capitalism brings them. . . . But it is irresponsible to condemn one social system and to recommend its replacement by another system without having fully investigated the economic consequences of each."
Mises - Theory and History, p. 343

Technorati Tags: Economics, Ethics, Mises, Religion, Inspirational Quotes

Mises Quote for the Day

"There is no use in deceiving ourselves. American public opinion rejects the market economy, the capitalistic free enterprise system that provided the nation with the highest standard of living ever attained. Full government control of all activities of the individual is virtually the goal of both national parties. "
Mises - Economic Freedom and Interventionism, p. 157

Technorati Tags: Mises, Economics, Politics, Inspirational Quotes

Inspirational Quote for the Day

"A free press can exist only where there is private control on the means of production."

- Ludwig von Mises,The Anti-Capitalistic Mentality, p.55

Technorati Tags: Mises, A Free Press, Inspirational Quotes

Does TGIF Corporate Know This Happened in One of Their Restaurants?

Through my wife I became aware of an incident between an individual with a skilled, public-access certified companion dog, their family, and the management of a TGIF restaurant in Wheeling, IL last Saturday.

Apparently this individual was refused service by the manager who told them "It is against company policy to allow a service dog in when the disabled person has someone to help" and since two family members, one of them the skilled companion dog's facilitator, were with this individual the manager felt it was all right to refuse to seat them.

The Americans with Disabilities Act makes it illegal to refuse access to a public place or refuse service to an individual with a certified public-access canine companion.

As I am writing this, Mrs. Metal Dad is writing to TGIF Corporate to clarify whether or not this is indeed corporate policy. If you feel that the disabled should not be restricted from access to public places, please write or call TGIF Corporate HQ (972.662.5400)and voice your opinion.

Technorati Tags: TGIF and the Disabled, ADA, Canine Companions, Wheeling IL

"I see leper colonies on the horizon, as far as the eye can see..."

As I was heading out the door this morning, my wife asked, "Why would you want to go and listen to that profane woman?" a reference to my attending the Chicago stop of Lydia Lunch's Hangover Hotel tour last night.

I've had a fondness for Ms. Lunch's work since her Queen of Siam days. I've followed her work through collaborations with The Birthday Party, Clint Ruin, Sonic Youth, No Trend, and others and on through her spoken word recordings.

Commenting on the tour, Ms. Lunch said, “I’ll be doing material from this new self-produced record called Ghost of Spain. It’s psychoambient music, it’s about sex, the desert, ghosts. A bit about the war, and just about trying to find beauty in all this — trying to relocate. I’ll be using music that is psychoambient but has a slightly gentler undercurrent. Of course there’s still some haranguing — every time I open my mouth it’s going to get to that point. But I’m trying to paint a slightly different patina on this. I’m excited to be doing this show — it’s the debut of this material.”

It was a really good show. The music samples she put together set an appropriate mood and background for her performance. Lydia Lunch looks at the trauma unit of this world with an unflinching gaze and invites her listeners to look with her and into themselves.

Technorati Tags: Lydia Lunch, Hangover Hotel, Spoken Word