LIBERTY: The “Pay Farmers Not To Grow Stuff” Tax

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/22/magazine/22wwlnlede.t.html
?pagewanted=1&ei=5070&en=3b8480bb7549490b&ex=117
7992000&emc=eta1

http://tinyurl.com/2ofeky

You Grow
by Michael Pollan, a contributing writer, is the Knight professor of journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. His most recent book is “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.”
Published: April 22, 2007

***Begin Quote***

Such changes are radical only by the standards of past farm bills, which have faithfully reflected the priorities of the agribusiness interests that wrote them. One of these years, the eaters of America are going to demand a place at the table, and we will have the political debate over food policy we need and deserve.

***End Quote***

I never did understand why we pay non-farmers to not grow stuff. It just seems counter intuitive. And, like most “price supports”, it’s yet another hidden tax on the poor. Sigh!


INTERESTING: Resisting the Stanford Prison Experiment!

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

http://www.lucifereffect.com/guide_tenstep.htm

A Ten-Step Program to Build Resistance and Resilience
Prepared by Philip Zimbardo and Cindy X. Wang
(Borrowed from The Lucifer Effect, Chapter 16)

***Begin Quote***

“I made a mistake!”
“I am mindful.”
“I am responsible.”
“I am Me, the best I can be.”
“I respect Just Authority, but Rebel against Unjust Authority.”
“I want group acceptance, but value my independence.”
“I will be more Frame Vigilant.”
“I will balance my Time Perspective.”
“I will not sacrifice personal or civic freedoms for the illusion of security.”
“I can oppose unjust Systems.”

***End Quote***

Like Luke Skywalker, how do we resist being turned to the Dark Side?

The Stanford Prison Experiment that ordinary people can be induced to do that which they believe is evil and wrong when directed by an authority figure.

Here’s ten steps to ensure that you don’t slip over the edge.


LIBERTY: Separation of School and State

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

http://freekeene.com/2007/04/05/
incramental-steps-to-privatize-education/

http://tinyurl.com/yod4jf

Separation of School and State
Filed under: Essay, Issues, Personal Freedom — toby
at 8:38 pm on Thursday, April 5, 2007

***Begin Quote***

There are a myriad of quotes like this one, and if one is to look at what public schools have done to this country they would see the blueprint was effectively put into place, and is still in effect today. There is a reason that public schools are the final plank in the Communist Manifesto. When governments take the responsibility of education away from parents they are able to indoctrinate children with whatever propaganda and misinformation they want to. Since the government took control of education, the Constitution has been all but decimated, but the public schools still teach children that the government operates under the Constitution, after all ~ the government can do no wrong.

***End Quote***

Well, like most things that Gooferment does, it’s impossible to unravel. A Gordian knot of interlocking and overlapping interests. It’s hard to cut to the heart of the matter.

There is here in Nu Jerzee a deadly embrace that prevents change. And, the politicians benefit most from it.

The biggest problem to change the status quo is the Teacher’s Union. They are big, well-funded, and energized to “protect” their turf. They make no bones about proving on any issue that they are the 800# gorilla. (And, just as ugly!)

So we have large and vocal Teacher’s Union protecting turf, contributing to politicians, and working for their friends and against their enemies. The Union interests may be different from those of individual teachers. By being in the mob, the individual teachers must be held to account for the Union’s positions.

So we have Politicians, Unions, and Teachers.

Also in our mindmap of “public education”, schools have the principals, bureaucrats, custodians, contractors, consultants, lawyers also “interested” in continuing the current paradigm.

Also in our mindmap, we have to recognize that there are suppliers, construction companies, lawyers, architects, and others that “feed” off the current paradigm.

On the “paying side”, taxpayers are property owners and income tax payers. Lottery players to some extent pay an extra tax for “education”.

When I was in the Hands Across New Jersey tax revolt against Governor Florio’s “toilet paper” tax (It covered more than that, but that was the icon of the tax highlighted by the protestors!), we knew that the schools were the key to tax reduction. It took decades to get into this mess and people don’t know any other way to educate children than have the gooferment do it.

In order to change from “public education” to a “private education” paradigm, we need to shift paradigms. this is a horrendous task. But I think we can by several techniques.

(1) We have to convince the people that (a) gooferment skoolz are an establishment of religion. [First Amendment] (b) property taxes are discriminatory against those who have no children. [Fourteenth Amendment] (c) there is a conflict of interest between unions and their support of politicians.

(2) We have to offer a way out. I’d suggest that we separate “Government Runs Skoolz” from “Government Pays for Education”.

(3) We have to prevent any expansion of the Government’s intrusion into every day life. [Small Government every time no excuses!]

imho


RANT: LinkedIn toolbar and LookOut

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

>Does anyone have a quick fix to help me completely remove this malware

I have had to (several times) use the Outlook repair function on the “notsoHELPful” menu tab.

Some caveats. Backup. You may want the old crud after you see the new crud you’re left with.

(1) Make sure you have your distribution media and serial number handy — you may muck things up worse if you don’t (I did);

(2) Nuke all the “extra” crud installed Options>Other>Advanced and nuke all in “add in”, “reminder”, and “com add in”.

(3) Uninstall everything Plaxo, LinkedIn, and any other Outlook add ins from ADD/REMOVE program entry;

(4) from the start>run>msconfig ensure that you don’t have anything automatically helping you that you don’t really understand.

Wish everything good bye. You did backup didn’t you?

(I had one acquaintance who blamed LookOut, and it was a disguised corrupt registry and, when the hard disk burped at the wrong time, his data went to data heaven welcomed by 72 disk drives that ever had an data! My acquaintance had NOT backed up in a while either. He changed jobs soon after that. Probably got promoted with more money.)

THEN run repair from OUTLOOK HELP.

Reboot cold TWICE. (Once is not necessarily enough!?!)

Then sacrifice a chicken, examine the entrails, and send the remains to Bill Gates or Vincent.

It’s ugly.

One thing I have found that repeated COLD REBOOTS (power down and wait 5 full excruciating minutes) allows WINDOZE and LOOKOUT to clear queues and caches and who knows what else allowing the stupid thing to run correctly).

Argh! I’m in pain just thinking about what you’re going thru.
YMMV FAIWWYPFI FWIW