Clearing the Tabs June 15, 2025

Here are some things I've read so far this month or will be reading soon. A lot of people are staying at home looking for things to read, so I've broken this month into two parts again, expect a post on June 30. Also, just because I post something here does not mean I agree with it, it simply means it made me think and I think my readers might enjoy it.

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It's the most affordable ride in town. Terms apply.

June 3
Disruptive Desalination Technology Comes to California

June 5
Musk’s outbursts reveal a deeper rift in MAGA
Trump is squandering the chance to build a coherent populist programme.

June 6
Book Review: Phil Gramm & Donald Boudreaux's 'The Triumph of Economic Freedom'

June 11
Los Angeles has fallen
How can riot-rocked LA be trusted to host the Olympics?

What’s the matter with Los Angeles?
How ‘the better city’ has gone from bad to worse

Clearing the Tabs March 15, 2022

Here are some things I've read so far this month or will be reading soon. A lot of people are staying at home looking for things to read, so I've broken this month into two parts again, expect a post on March 31 as well. Also, just because I post something here does not mean I agree with it, it simply means it made me think and I think my readers might enjoy it.

For a $7.50 in ride credit, download the Lyft app using my referral link.

It's the most affordable ride in town.

March 3
Unacceptable Views

March 4
The limits of libertarianism

Free marketers need to stop defending oppressive monopoly power.

Texas GOP Crusaders Were Loud on Social Media, but That Didn't Mean Much in Primaries

March 6
An energy company shows students the path to prosperity

March 8
Up from rock bottom: Recovery from a national overdose epidemic

March 9
Book Review: Helen Rappaport’s Fascinating ‘After the Romanovs’

March 10
Find More Ways to Be an Outsider
Doing so may feel painful, but it’s one of the best investments you will ever make.

March 11
Fracking Can't Bring Down High Prices On Which It's Reliant

March 12
Biden’s America-Wrecking Climate Agenda

March 13

Diner breakfasts are perfectly normal, no matter what D.C. elites think

March 14
Gas, Grain — and Chips — Will Make Us the 'Future Belt'

Pac-12 Conference Play Gets Underway

March 15
“ESG” efforts to rid the world of fossil fuels will drive humanity back to medieval times

Tarnishing the Golden State
Onerous regulations squash the California Dream.

My Review of They're Both Wrong by John Tamny

I have reviewed a book that will be released next week by John Tamny titled They're Both Wrong: A Policy Guide for America’s Frustrated Independent Thinkers. I hope you will take a few minutes to read it and consider the book as a gift for others as we approach the holiday season, I think you and others will enjoy it.

Book Review: The Way Forward by Paul Ryan

My lengthy book review of Paul Ryan's book The Way Forward has been published at Big Jolly Politics. Please take a look and let me know (there, or here) what you think.

You may recall a few weeks ago I bought a copy of Newt Gingrich's newest book, Breakout. I tweeted about the purchase, and Newt re-tweeted me, which was awesome. Obviously, as an opinion leader, Newt wanted to know what I thought about the book. I'm sure you're curious too.

So, here's my Amazon review:

Breakout inspires, motivates, encourages and guides. Five Stars!

Newt Gingrich's Breakout is an important contribution to the future of our country.

Breakout is not your typical Left vs. Right book. For instance, if you read a book like Gingrich's To Save America, this is very different. It would actually be interesting to know how few times the words "Republicans" or "Democrats" actually appear in Breakout. Instead, this book is about big ideas and big thinkers, people who are trying to make things happen, and usually succeeding, in spite of government regulators and those who want to keep the old order in place.

Newt accurately uses a new label, "prison guards," to identify those keeping us locked down in the old, failed ways: bureaucrats, teachers, regulators, professors, government agencies, and environmentalists, to name but a few. Newt cites many great examples and resources throughout his book, all of which can easily be found for further research so we can all work toward achieving Breakout.

Newt's final chapter (chapter 13) and his Conclusion are both brief, but both a really great, important summations of what needs to be done to achieve Breakout. If you do not walk away from this book hopeful and motivated to make real change happen, the problem might just be with you, and you must be happy with the status quo which ultimately is the path to continued failure and mediocre outcomes.

As I mentioned before, go in to this book with an open mind. Breakout isn't just for Republicans or just for Democrats: it's for us. All of us. Breakout awaits, and this enjoyable, readable roadmap toward Breakout is a quick and easy read and will certainly open your mind to clearer thinking about what can happen if we all demand it and work toward it.

Texas Tomorrow: An Economic Plan for Texas in the 21st Century

I posted the following review on Amazon.com for Raul Torres' book Texas Tomorrow: An Economic Plan for Texas in the 21st Century:

This brief volume from Texas State Representative Raul Torres, CPA is an important contribution to the public policy discussion in Texas, and could possibly be quite effective in some other states as well. Good ideas and clear thinking are not limited by state or international borders. Representative Torres helped to pass a bill in Texas Legislature to implement Lean Six Sigma process into state government. The results speak for themselves, and clearly, Rep. Torres is on to something.

Torres' writing is clear and concise, he uses a little humor to make a few points very well. He keeps it simple, where most other authors would bog the reader down with facts or nuance. The book goes into public education, tax relief, budgeting and economic development. On each and every topic, Rep. Torres keeps to the point and ends each section with several positive, solutions oriented recommendations. Those are well worth reading over and over.

Texas Tomorrow is very well researched and it is documented incredibly well. Many of the sources used are available online. Whether you're just interested in some new ideas as a private citizen, a candidate for political office, or an office holder looking for some new ideas, Texas Tomorrow is worth taking a chance on.