Monthly Archives: August 2014

price fixing in phuket

Posted on August 14, 2014 by christopher fisher

Recently I had a chance to visit Phuket, a tourist Island in southern Thailand. Hotels during the off season were priced reasonably, $15 dollars a day for a queen bed and hot shower. But, food and clothing prices seem to … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Price Controls, prices | Leave a comment

jesus son of ananus

Posted on August 14, 2014 by christopher fisher

In Wars of the Jews, Josephus describes the signs and prophets that foretold of the destruction of the Jerusalem and the temple. Among these is Jesus, son of Ananus. Two significant things about this Jesus: 1. He predicted the destruction … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Jesus, Jewish History, People | 3 Comments

the wandering jew

Posted on August 13, 2014 by christopher fisher

In the book “Curious Myths of the Middle Ages“, the author recounts a very interesting myth about a wandering Jew. Supposedly, this Jew had been with Jesus. To those in the 13th century, this would definitely interesting considering the Jew … Continue reading →

Posted in Church History, Jesus | 1 Comment

The Loss of Pastoral Credibility in the Age of the Internet

Posted on August 10, 2014 by christopher fisher

Originally posted on Alastair's Adversaria:
The Internet has introduced a new level of visibility to areas of our social life, exposing certain uncomfortable realities. Rod Dreher recently wrote a perceptive and troubling piece on the way that the Internet…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

anachronisms in the Bible

Posted on August 9, 2014 by christopher fisher

Because the Bible was written to actual human beings by actual human beings to convey actual ideas, sometimes words and concepts are used anachronistically. If someone is talking about the foundation of the city of Rome, they may say that … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Figures of Speech | 2 Comments

vanderbilt defeats a tyrant

Posted on August 9, 2014 by christopher fisher

In 1855 an American arrived on the shores of Nicaragua. His name was William Walker and he sought to make himself king. His biggest mistake was stealing the property of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt had constructed a railway in Nicaragua to … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Leave a comment

plotinus reveals the mystery

Posted on August 8, 2014 by christopher fisher

The mystery cults were religious orders that existed from before the time of Plato. Mystery cults held their secrets very closely, hence the name. But modern readers can piece together their secrets with the varied sources that are in existence. … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Mystery Cults, Platonism, Plotinus | 3 Comments

weaknesses of the left

Posted on August 7, 2014 by christopher fisher

Scott Sumner identifies some weaknesses in left wing thinkers: Weakness #1: Intellectuals on the left go through the following thought process. First they observe a “problem.” Then they declare a “market failure.” Then they consider what sort of government policy … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Human Nature, Leftists, Science, Women | Leave a comment

ayn rand’s ridiculous intellectual property ideas

Posted on August 6, 2014 by christopher fisher

Ayn Rand was generally pro-freedom. That would be freedom from coercion by the state. But one of her biggest economics failings was her adherence to copyright law. From Capitalism: the Unknown Ideal: Patents and copyrights are the legal implementation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Intellectual Property | 4 Comments

vanderbilt commits his wife

Posted on August 6, 2014 by christopher fisher

Although Cornelius Vanderbilt was a shrewd and excellent business man, incalculably enriching the lives of his consumers and a veritable hero for economic progress, Vanderbilt was a very cold individual. At one point, he committed his wife to an insane … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Leave a comment