Links and Minifeatures 12 21 Thursday

I am going to do a seminar on First Time Buyer Programs to see if there is a demand for it here in San Diego. If this one attracts sufficient business, I will do others.

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Real estate expected to flounder in 2007



Just a few echoes of what I've been writing, most recently in this article.



However: Most mainstream articles suffer from inertia. "As before, so in the future." They kept writing schlock about 20% per year gains for nearly two years after the market started to turn. I think they are most likely correct, and that the market will recover in 2008, but I am seeing moves in some indicators that say summer 2007 (July or so) is a real possibility. However, this will not be a return to 20% gains per year, merely a return to upwards valuation trends.



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via Q and O, Bruce Bartlett on the best way to advance a libertarian agenda. Sending the Libertarian Party money is roughly equivalent to flushing it down the porcelain commode. So how is the libertarian agenda to advance? By Political Action Committee. It works for the NRA, so libertarians really shouldn't need to duplicate effort by spending any great amount defending the second amendment (and if you're calling yourself a libertarian but are not in favor of the right to keep and bear arms, you probably need to consider the philosophical underpinnings of your politics again). It works for any number of other organizations. Why could it not work for libertarians? Kind of an exercise in political judo or aikido, using the mechanisms of the statists to advance our agenda.



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to all of those who have served.



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Does Osama know? Zawahiri's most recent propaganda release.



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Since this will quite likely be my last L&M before Christmas, be careful, be safe, and cherish those close to you.



I've got an article with the same genesis as today's ready to go for tomorrow, and I'm working on a major current events article (which I'm aware that I have neglected here for quite a while. I'm loath to repeat the same arguments over and over when nothing about the underlying situation has changed).



If you're in the mood to help someone for Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate, or for no reason at all)



Soldier's Angels could certainly use some help. Turnabout is only fair.