Eric Scheske

We give our kids their last Christmas presents today. From Christmas through yesterday, we give them one small present every day. Most of the presents are things we got free or for a dollar or at a garage sale. But today, they get a "legitimate" gift, something kind

H.I.F. Great slice of Catholic history: the true causes of the potato famine [http://cafehayek.com/2013/12/malarkey.html]. > [A]fter defeating James II in 1690, protestants subjected Irish Catholics to harsh restrictions on land ownership and leasing. Most of Ireland's people were thus

From the Bottom Line Personal [http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/]: " "Suicide rates are highest in spring and summer, not during the winter holidays." Related: "Suicide is now the cause of more deaths than car accidents."

H.I.F. Not sure how I missed this news item from last October: Why have young people in Japan stopped having sex? [http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/20/young-people-japan-stopped-having-sex?CMP=twt_gu] The article is about, well, young people in Japan who

Happy New Year. It's a holiday, so I won't be blogging. Expect regular blogging to resume after the Epiphany. In the meantime, enjoy your families.

H.I.F. A few fun facts from the, um, "Interesting Facts" Twitter account [https://twitter.com/WhatTheFFacts]: At Andrew Jackson'Â’s funeral in 1845, his pet parrot had to be removed because it was swearing. 70% of murders in Detroit go unsolved. In 2012, the

It's New Years Eve, the beginning of the official end of the secular holiday season. For serious Catholics and traditional Protestants, the holiday season continues through Epiphany, but for the other 99% of the population, the holidays start to end tonight. And the 99% typically do a pretty

H.I.F. All lies, all the time: “The ACA was not designed to reduce costs or, the law's name notwithstanding, to make health insurance coverage affordable for the vast majority of Americans,” says health care consultant Kip Piper, a former government and insurance industry official. “The law

From Bottom Line Personal [http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/]: Just in time for New Years resolutions: "Goals Are for Losers and Other Success Secrets from "Dilbert's" Creator Scott Adams." Link [http://www.bottomlinepublications.com/content/article/self-improvement/goals-are-for-losers] .

H.I.F. Retail sales of alcohol are up 10% over the past year. Link [http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-12-22/how-americans-are-celebrating-recovery] . That's a pretty phenomenal number.