Quick background for non-veterans: The Montgomery G.I. Bill is a benefit that subsidizes education costs for veterans. While on active duty service members can elect to pay $1200 one time and in return they receive 36 months of payments towards full-time education after they leave active duty.  Thirty-six months is the equivalent of the time required for a 4-year degree based on a 9-month academic year. Yes, it’s the best $1200 investment you could ever make, as the full-time benefit is currently $1321 per month.

Congress recently passed the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. Veterans that served after 9/11 are eligible. Service members also now receive the benefit automatically and do not have to pay $1200 as before. Veterans that originally had the Montgomery G.I. Bill but are eligible for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill may elect to change their MGIB (known as Chapter 30) to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (known as Chapter 33). This is an irrevocable decision. This is also not financially advisable for all veterans. As a matter of fact, unless you attend school at least 3/4 time and pay all your expenses (no scholarships, tuition reimbursement, etc.) it’s probably not a good idea. This post aims to educate veterans on the basics of the two programs and why they should weigh all factors carefully before electing for the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. It’s a decision that cannot be changed and might cost them thousands of dollars. Here’s why:

The Chapter 30 MGIB pays you monthly simply based on whether you are enrolled in a qualifying degree program. Enrolled full time? You get $1321 per month. No other factors are involved. Did you get a scholarship and you don’t owe any tuition? Good for you. The VA doesn’t care; you still get your $1321/month. Did you pick an inexpensive school where tuition is relatively cheap? Good for you. The VA doesn’t care; you still get your $1321/month.  If you are taking classes at 1/2 time or better then you simply receive a flat rate payment, scaled appropriately for 1/2 and 3/4 time students. However, students taking less than a 1/2 time load just get reimbursed for expenses.

(Note: To the non-veteran this may seem like the veteran is scamming the system, but he is not. The VA is well aware of how the program works. The Chapter 30 MGIB just cares that you are enrolled in a qualifying degree program. That is the requirement to draw the money associated with the benefit. If the veteran meets the requirement, then the VA is unconcerned whether the money exactly meets the veteran’s education expenses or whether it’s going towards pizza and beer.)

The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill is a little more complex. First, it pays your tuition and fees directly to your school, up to a maximum limit determined for each state. Did you pick an expensive college that consumed all of your Chapter 30 MGIB? Good for you, now the VA will pick up more of the tab (up to the limit for your state). Did you get a scholarship and you don’t owe any tuition? The VA thanks you wholeheartedly, because now they don’t have to pay the school for your tuition. See the subtle difference? Next, if you attend more than 1/2 time, then you get a housing allowance. The allowance is calculated as the BAH for an E-5 with dependents in the zip code of your school. Use this site to look it up for your zip code. If you attend at 1/2 time or less then you don’t get the housing allowance–not even a scaled one. Finally, you get a stipend for books equal to $500/semester or $1000/year for full-time. Those three payments comprise the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill: tuition paid to the school, housing allowance paid to you (if you qualify), and book stipend paid to you.

Crunch the numbers and you’ll find that you may want to stick with your Chapter 30 MGIB. The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill is lucrative for full-time students receiving no other type of assistance, and those attending expensive universities that don’t participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. All other cases should perform a careful comparison before switching. The VA has actually done something really superb and posted several different example comparisons on their web site here. Note their assumptions at the top and plug in the numbers for your own scenario. Don’t include the MGIB $600 buy-up unless you purchased it before leaving active duty. Scale all the payments correctly based on how many hours you are taking and whether your school considers it full-time or less. Payment scales are linked below. Remember, 1/2-time and less means no housing allowance under Chapter 33 while 1/2-time and more begins your entitlement to flat-rate payments under Chapter 30.

Finally, the VA has indicated that veterans eligible for the Chapter 30 MGIB that exhaust all of their benefits under Chapter 30 may then change to the Chapter 33 Post-9/11 G.I. Bill for an additional 12 months of benefits under Chapter 33. I do not fully understand this, but it appears like it might sweeten the deal even more for veterans using Chapter 30. The blurb appears here on the VA website. I suggest talking with a VA representative personally about this plan, as it doesn’t seem to be as well-documented as all other facets of the change.

Here are some more resources to further research your decision:

Full Pamphlet on Chapter 30 MGIB Benefits and Eligibility

Chapter 30 MGIB Payment Rates

Chapter 33 Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Max Tuition for each State

Full Pamphlet on Chapter 33 Post-9/11 G.I. Bill Benefits and Eligibility

Text of the Law Instituting Post-9/11 G.I. Bill

General Benefit Comparison Information from the VA

• President Obama is a socialist.
• Jeremiah Wright is President Obama’s best friend. They eat lunch together twice weekly.
• President Obama is Lucifer, and Nancy Pelosi is Beezelbub.

I see at least a glimmer of truth in some of his points (the last one excluded, of course). However, I know the sun rises in the east…that is true. If my wife starts telling me that ad infinitum every morning while I eat breakfast, then I may want to throw a plate at her, truth notwithstanding. Really, in 2012 will he still be talking about Jeremiah Wright? Sean also doesn’t really debate his callers. Every call (excluding the “you’re a great American” ego-stroking extravaganzas) is a boxing match. He throws the GOP talking points, and his callers throw the liberal talking points. Neither person seriously considers the other’s points, and Sean will probably try to lead the caller into agreeing with Marxism, which was fun the first 20 times I heard it.

Instead of listening to talk radio in my car, I’ve been listening to audiobooks. I’ve found this a mixed experience. I first tried The Structure of Scientific Revolutions by Kuhn. I really liked the book, but I don’t think I absorbed enough of it via audio. I found it difficult to fully comprehend non-fiction without being able to easily re-read some passages. I’m currently listening to Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. I’ve read this once in print, and I loved it. The audiobook has proved just as enthralling. The reader is also very good, which I think makes a big difference. In this case I already know the general story, so the audiobook just reminds me of things I forgot and lets me experience the story again, which is awesome. Overall, I don’t think audiobooks are an acceptable substitute for reading—especially non-fiction. However, for classical fiction they can be very entertaining.

“It is refreshing to know that voters still care about the issues affecting them and our state…This is my first campaign for public office and it is evident that people desire fresh ideas and real reform.”

BTW, some news outlet are reporting “controversy” surrounding the election because of emails and fliers circulating with the old gag “…due to expected turnout, Republicans should vote on Tuesday, and Democrats vote on Wednesday.” I can’t believe that is even being taken seriously. But of course, what would our local media do without stories of this caliber to tease their timed comparisons of fast food drive thru service that headline the 10 o’clock news. Sad, really.

10. Rogue Shakespeare Stout

OK, I cheated. At 6% ABV this was already legal in Alabama…but it’s so good I had to include it anyway. Rogue is one of my favorite breweries, and this is one of my favorite beers. Rogue is located in Newport, Oregon.

9. Terrapin Monk’s Revenge

A one-time release brew, Monk’s Revenge promises to bring the best of a Double India Pale Ale (IPA) and the best of a Belgian Tripel together in one beer. Terrapin Brewing Company out of Athens, Georgia is also one of my favorite breweries. 9.8% ABV

8. Torpedo Extra IPA

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company from Chico, California produces some great brews, and this IPA should be no exception. Introduced in January of 2009, this beer is quickly becoming a favorite among beer lovers. 7.2% ABV

7. Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster

Nothing tastes like a quality red ale with plenty of hops…and nothing tastes quite like Big Hoppy Monster.  8.3% ABV

6. Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA

Beer Advocate rates this the 93rd best beer in America. Number 93 sounds like something you get for making the solar system out of styrofoam balls at the science fair, but in a competition comprised of thousands and thousands of beers, the top 100 are all outstanding! Dogfish Head makes a ton of great brews, including it’s 120 minute IPA at 20% ABV which still isn’t legal in Alabama. Dogfish Head Brewery is located in Milton, Delaware. 9% ABV

5. Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale

Rogue Dead Guy Ale is a familiar friend to beer lovers. Ruby Tuesdays generally carries Dead Guy on tap. Double Dead Guy refits the old favorite with 9% ABV for even more punch.

4. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

Russian Imperial Stouts aren’t for everyone…sometimes including me. However, Beer Advocate ranks Old Rasputin the 88th best beer on the planet. Produced by North Coast Brewing Company in Fort Bragg, California. 9% ABV

3. Ruination IPA

Named for its “ruinous effect on your palate,” Beer Advocate rates this IPA from Stone Brewing Company in Escondido, California the 78th best beer on the planet. A hoppy, bitter, and bold IPA. 7.7% ABV

2. Rye Squared Imperial Pale Ale

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale is brewed with rye instead of barley, giving the beer an incredibly unique and refreshing taste. Terrapin Rye Squared is exponentially better, and even more potent at 8.5% ABV.

1. Arrogant Bastard Ale

Another fine product of Stone Brewing Company that lives up to the condescending tone on its label (pictured below). At 7.2% ABV with a perfectly-balanced taste, this is a winner for everyone.

1. Why should I care?

Do you like beer? If so, you’ll now have a much greater selection to choose from. The archaic 6% ABV restriction kept countless craft breweries from selling their brews in Alabama. Even if you don’t like beer, I assume you like money. Because these beers weren’t available in Alabama, enthusiasts traveled to neighboring states to purchase craft beer. Those tax dollars now come to Alabama. Finally, no defensible reason exists for the alcohol content of beer to be restricted, especially when hard liquor can contain up to 100% ABV. The law was nonsensical, and it’s change is a win for liberty—period.

2. Why the new 13.9% restriction? Where did that number come from?

In Alabama, table wine is limited to 14.9% and taxed at a higher rate than beer. Businesses were afraid that if the ABV limit for beer were raised above that of wine then Montgomery would decide to tax beer at the higher rate.  This does mean that some outstanding beers will still be excluded from Alabama, but the 13.9% restriction was a necessary compromise.

3. What’s the thing about a license?

Another compromise. This amendment was added when the bill passed the senate. Some senators were concerned about the high alcohol beer being available in “convenience stores.” Yes, the concern is nonsensical, but in Alabama politics you have to tolerate some nonsense or you can’t get anything done. Three types of licenses are available to establishments that want to sell beer:

A) On premises- Beer is sold in open containers for immediate consumption. (restaurants, bars, etc)

B) Off premises- Beer is sold in closed containers and consumed elsewhere. (most gas stations, some grocery stores)

C) On/off premises- Beer can be sold in closed containers and consumed elsewhere, or the business can host events where the beer is served immediately, much like a wine tasting. (some grocery stores, most wine stores, some gas stations)

The amendment means that stores with an “off premises” only license will not be able to sell the new beer. However, the on/off premises license is not difficult to obtain and costs the same as the other licenses. Furthermore, more stores have the on/off license than you might think. This is an unfortunate compromise, but once again…Alabama politics.

4. So the fight is over?

Not by a long shot. The 6% ABV restriction was the first priority of Free the Hops, the grassroots lobbying organization that drives alcohol legislation reform. However, Alabama still has many problems with its beer laws—all left over from Prohibition. First, container sizes are limited to 16 ounces or less. This means that you can’t buy beer in 22 oz bottles, a common container for craft beer. Some beer is only available in 22 oz bottles, meaning that the container size restriction is a de facto ban on those beers. Next, Alabama law makes opening a new brewery, brewpub, or distribution company almost impossible. Homebrewing is also tightly regulated to the point that it’s almost illegal. All of these issues choke viable business plans and should be reformed.

Regardless of whether you like beer or even drink alcohol, if you believe in individual responsibility and personal freedom, contact Governor Riley’s office and let your voice be heard. Simply say that you want to see HB373 signed into law. Contact information for the governor’s office is listed below. You don’t have to be a political genius (else I would be excluded). A short note is all that’s required. A former staffer to Gov Riley has said that the governor takes contacts from his constituents very seriously, so your efforts will not be in vain.

Switchboard: (334) 242-7100
Fax: (334) 353-0004
Email

BTW, right after the bill passed Pharisee Senator Hank Erwin asked the senate to reconsider and vote again. Another senator quickly moved to table Erwin’s motion, the motion to table was upheld, and the senate moved on to other business, presumably with Senator Erwin looking like he had been hit in the face with a 22 oz bottle of Arrogant Bastard Ale.  It really gives me a warm feeling when those who wish to restrict my personal freedoms take one on the nose.

Photo by Tyler Pierce

Today the Alabama senate briefly considered the Gourmet Beer Bill, a bill that removes the 6% alcohol by volume restriction placed on beer (and beer only, not hard liquor) sold in Alabama. Alabama is one of the only states left in the union to preserve this type of law that is left over from concessions made during the repeal of prohibition. Senator Hank Erwin quickly began a filibuster to block its passage. Hank Erwin is an outspoken religious kook pharisee zealot on anything alcohol related. He believes in legislating his own personal view of Christianity that involves compulsory, government-enforced obedience to Mosaic law and the Nazarite vow, which we all know is exactly what Jesus advocated. Saudi Arabia has done wonders applying his logic and Islam to their government. When Senator Erwin runs for Lieutenant Governor next year as a Republican I plan to cast my first vote for a Democrat, unless his opponent is equally reprehensible, which is difficult to imagine. 

However, all is not lost! The bill was carried over at the call of the committee chair. In lay-speak this means that the bill’s sponsor can now introduce the bill at any time…like when Hank Erwin goes to the crapper. Unfortunately, that’s really one of the only two solutions. Either the vote must go down while Senator Erwin is absent or the Free the Hops lobbyist must convince him to abstain from filibuster, which would be a complete Black Swan.

As a side note, a compromise had to be made in the wording of the bill. As it now reads, convenience stores will not be able to sell beer greater than 6% ABV. This is a crushing blow to my favorite place to buy craft beer, the BP in Five Points. There is no guarantee that the change will be in the final bill, but I think it’s a pretty safe bet. If the change persists then this is an issue to be battled in future years along with homebrewing, brewpub restrictions, and the 16 oz container size restriction. It’s a completely unfair amendment that discriminates against small businesses, but it was a necessary battle to lose in order to win the war.

Danner from Free the Hops recounts the day’s events in detail here. You can listen to the audio of Senator Erwin on the senate floor here.

A Black Swan is an event that is marked by unpredictability and extreme consequences. Furthermore, Black Swans may seem explainable in retrospect. Some Black Swans include 9/11, the stock market crash of 1987, the global financial crisis of 2008/2009, and the recent slow news week swine flu pandemic. Taleb argues that history is littered with Black Swans, their consequences are potent and long-lasting, and we largely ignore them in our predictions. Ahh, predictions are Taleb’s arch nemesis. He uses convincing evidence to show that not only are humans inept at predicting the future, but we are invariably arrogant about our ability to do so!

Taleb’s primary scientific vendetta deals with the Gaussian distribution a.k.a. the “normal distribution” or “bell curve.” He argues that most of reality is completely incompatible with the bell curve and its standard deviation. For instance, the probability of an event three standard deviations from the mean (a three-sigma event) is 0.26%. Taleb uses some interesting facts to show that these events are much more common than we predict. Furthermore, whenever they occur they kick our collective asses, so we should stop pretending their probabilities are so low. Taleb does make a distinction between areas of life where the bell curve is applicable, a land he dubs “Mediocristan,” and the preponderance of areas where it is not, “Extremistan.”

I found the book both insightful and entertaining. I think Taleb makes some great points about the true unpredictability of our world. I learned many things from his book and plan to incorporate them into my daily decision-making. However, I may be one of the people that Taleb professes to despise most: those that buy some of his argument but not all of it.

One of his primary points is epistemological: you cannot know for certain. However, just like when I encounter progressives who tell me I cannot know my principles are correct, I reply, “If none of us can know anything, then why isn’t your idea that I can’t know anything equally fallible?” I’ve yet to get a straight answer. Oh, I get answers. But all of a sudden the crowd that wants to dismiss my Platonic reasoning and ideals drops their use of “practical reality” as a guide for life and starts reasoning back at me. Bottom line: if we’re all clueless then you are too. However, if some ideas are more correct than others then you must determine their correctness. For this you’ll need knowledge and reasoning, and for that we assume that we can know things. A flawed assumption—perhaps. An assumption that has put us on the moon, invented vaccinations, and created unprecedented wealth – absolutely.

Taleb also attributes an astonishing number of things to luck such as the growth of cities and Microsoft’s marketshare of operating systems compared to Apple. When you look at all of history as a single continuous event then I agree that the growth of Huntsville, Alabama as compared to a neighboring city such as Moulton is random. However, sometimes causality does exist. Huntsville grew as a result of the space race and cold war. Moulton did not grow because of its location in the axis of ignorance (Lawrence, Morgan, and Cullman counties). Compared to Apple, Microsoft owns the corporate operating system market because of strategic decisions. Compared to Microsoft, Apple owns the electronic devices market because of strategic decisions. Perhaps more of life takes place in Mediocristan than Taleb admits.

Finally, in his exposition of why he loathes those of my thinking (who accept part of his theory but not all) Taleb exposes the statement we make that he hates the most, “It’s the best we have.” Unfortunately, I never found a rebuttal I consider acceptable. I’m sorry that it is so offensive to him, but I think pressing forward with imperfect models and assumptions is superior to stagnation. I’m open to re-writing all of the rules with better ones, but not being able to know or predict anything is a hell of a place from which to start.

I don’t mean any of this to detract from Taleb’s work, which I consider brilliant and worthwhile. I have probably focused too much on the epistemological consequences of his work and ignored too much of the mathematical consequences, which I think are quite sound. I extracted many lessons from his text that I will keep for life. However, we mostly disagree on the application of his ideas and not their validity. Yes, acknowledge the weakness and fragility of your knowledge– acknowledge your ignorance. We live most of life in Extremistan, and Black Swans abound. However, if we don’t try to know or predict anything then we all might as well spend our days sitting around a campfire eating gummy bears and playing Yahtzee. I tend to think life is more meaningful.

If Mr. Sanford is able to win the general election, it would mark the first time that a candidate I have supported from the beginning (primary through general election) has actually won the general election. Yep, from County Sheep Vaccinator through President of the United States I’m something like 0-9 (I stopped counting). The general election is June 9th.