Currently Reading Fewer: How the New Demography of Depopulation Will Shape Our Future By Ben J. Wattenberg see related

From My Reading

Wattenberg writes that while only 3% of the world’s population are immigrants, they constitute far more than 3% of the world’s problems. Two problems stand out in his mind: illegality and distaste. It is seemingly impossible to keep the poor from making their way illegally into richer countries in search of a better future. And with regards to distaste, Wattenberg writes, “The anti-Mexican feeling in America is gentle compared with anti-immigrant attitudes in Europe, where immigrants come mostly from the Arab countries and Muslim Turkey (to Germany).’Hatred may not be too strong a word.’” What do you think?

Film Night with Niza

Niza and I watched a Brazilian film tonight called The City of God. The film is based on the true story of a young boy who emerges out of a slum located just outside of Rio de Janeiro in the midst of a brutal (very brutal) gang war. His escape is made possible by his fascination with taking photos as he becomes the visual documentarian of life in this neighborhood. This film [in Portuguese with English subtitles] is a Kill Bill style story depicting the darkest kinds of human experiences. NOT for kids or those with fragile emotions. A reminder of why the gospel must be preached to the ends of the earth. Those are children out there. What’s your movie pick?

Into the Mystic…

Alex McManus
Pasadena, Ca

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Currently Reading Fewer: How the New Demography of Depopulation Will Shape Our Future By Ben J. Wattenberg see related

I’ve just encountered something quite amazing. According to Ben Wattenberg, The TFR (total fertility rate) is declining not only in the west but world wide. The current world population will grow from 6 billion to 8 or 9 billion and then decline. Already countries such as Iran, Brazil and Mexico are experiencing a declining TFR reaching 2.1 –the magic number in demographics measuring the number of births necessary for a population to replace itself– or better. Does this matter? What do you think? Wattenberg makes a provocative statement. I’m not sure what he means but he’s captured my attention. Here it is…”The TFR is the keystone calculation of demography, and I would argue that it is the single most important measurement of humankind.” Imagine that. The “single most important measurement…” Provocative don’t you think?

on a personal note…As some of you know, after six years of living in an apartment near Koreatown in Los Angeles, we finally moved into a house. My wife and I intended to move ourselves. We made little effort to recruit help but still they came.

Q: How can one recognize a friend?

A: When they ask you if they can help you to move.

Get this…a guy from our apartment complex came up to us and asked how we got so many people to help us. He had called twenty friends and only two showed up to help him when he moved he said. I stood there not knowing what to say. “We have a great church,” my wife told him. “That explains it,” he said. Darned, I had the answer to that one I just couldn’t find it in time.

Into the Mystic…

Alex McManus
Pasadena, California
© 2005

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