MONEY: one way to make money in the market

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

http://www.lewrockwell.com/duffy/duffy11.html

Financial Markets on Crack
by Kevin Duffy

***Begin Quote***

How does today’s credit bubble compare to its 1998 and 2000 predecessors? Derivative exposure has more than tripled since 1998. And the balance sheets of the top 5 investment banks have nearly tripled since 2000. Structured finance was in its infancy 9 years ago and the collateralized debt obligation (CDO) market was just being invented. LTCM was a liquidity crisis; the current credit meltdown is a solvency crisis.

Cheap and plentiful credit is what caused the current mess. More of the same can only make it worse. It is only a matter of time before this shot of credit heroin wears off. Sometimes the best medicine is none at all.

***End Quote***

Yup, you don’t grab a falling knife. But it is tempting. Buying quality stuff at a discount is one way to make money in the market.

But, if the market is going over the cliff in an unprecedented fashion, does it matter if you are on the bus going over or just waltzing along.

Bottom line: You’re on your tush saying “what happened”.

Aigh! (Combo sigh and argh)

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TECH SERVICE: PLAXO30BETA sucks but is it useful?

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

http://pulse.plaxo.com

Plaxo is entering the social networking space. Your Plaxo Pulse Network only allows “family”, “friends”, and “business network”. How lame is that? I have many different labels that I would like to use. For example, Jaspers, MCers, Prespters, MP64ers, Linkedin-ites, EUNers, LNJ, LPU … … ad nauseum. Why restrict me to your three choices? Argh!

Jury still out but not looking good!

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RANT: Had to settle but argh!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

My, now in a nursing home, aunt got services from Visiting Nurse Service of Central Jersey. Under advice from my lawyer, it was cheaper to settle than to fight.

Argh!

Here’s the rest of the story.

My aunt needed home health aide services for four hours per day. This was arranged between her and Saint Peter’s hospital. I was involved as my aunt’s health care proxy. So everything was OK. Then, my aunt became lax about paying bills so as her HCP/POA and “favorite relative”, I started running her finances. We gave VNANJ her credit card and they started charging it for time billed. The aide was not the best, and that is another whole story, but there was not much I could do. I didn’t care for the arrangement especially since I wasn’t in the paperwork circle except as it pertained to the checking account. I asked verbally for them to cc me on the stuff but they cited “privacy”. Now I should have smelled a rat and raised a fuss then but I had a lot going on at that time.

Fast forward a few months and my aunt falls, breaks a bone, and goes from hospital to nursing home. First thing after the fall I (personally) call and stop the service.

But they keep billing. So I politely, at first, gripped.

Then, after a few MONTHS, they start dunning me for the accumulated balance. WT … … what kind of “barbara streisand” is this?

It appears that they “underbilled” my aunt for hours provided and “accrued” her payments.

I told them that wasn’t my problem.

Long story short, my lawyer can’t prove my side based on what I have and urged me to settle.

Against my better judgment, I did.

But I am definitely off the charts on this one.

Lessons Learned:

  • All agreements must be in writing.
  • All elder arrangements must be carefully supervised.
  • All elder finances must be carefully documents.
  • VNA Central Jersey is not to be trusted. They may have to be used but plan to watch them as you would a convicted felon counting money!

I just paid 5k$ of my aunt’s money for a very expensive lesson.

I heard that the aide sued VNACJ for a pay dispute. I wonder if I just got a certain end of the stick from that?

Please learn from my “mistake”. You don’t have to pay tuition at every school to learn.

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FUN: never betting on anything that can talk?

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

http://www.nypost.com/seven/08212007/postopinion/letters/putting_refs_through_hoops.htm

*** begin quote ***

August 21, 2007 — Holy cow! NBA games have been crooked (“Ref Blowing the Whistle,” Aug. 19)?

No kidding!

Bob Aaron
Hicksville

*** end quote ***

Isn’t there some famous advice about never betting on anything that can talk?

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RANT: Government policies have crippled American health care

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=78

Join our campaigns to Downsize DC . . .
Health Care: No Monopoly – No Fascism

“Government cripples you, then hands you a crutch and says, ‘See, if it wasn’t for us, you couldn’t walk.’” — Harry Browne

The above quote hits the nail on the head — especially with regard to health care. Government policies have crippled American health care. This crippling has then been used as a justification for creating government crutches. And these crutches have caused our health care system to atrophy still further. The trend is not good.

*** begin quote ***

I strongly oppose any additional funding for personal health care expenses at the federal level.

My personal comment to you:

As a matter of fact, I want you to begin the process of unwinding the Federal Government’s intrusion into the heathcare and drug marketplace. You can start by:

(1) changing the non-deductibility of health care premiums for ALL taxpayers (this would end the ww2 wage and price controls tax preference for employer sponsored benefits which are tied to a job).

(2) free the drug manufacturers from the FDA regulatory processes (Compensate by CLOSING the federal courts to damage claims for adverse results when a drug is used without an FDA seal of approval. Thus making the FDA more like Underwriters Laboratory).

AND

(3) End the phony “War on Drugs” and return drug regulation to the various States and the free market.

ASAP!

signed,
Ferdinand Reinke

*** end quote ***

What a mess! And, the gooferment’s gonna save us from … … the mess they made?

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GUNS: Armed for first day of school

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1948234.ece

Armed for first day of school

***Begin Quote***

Hundreds of thousands of students had their first day of school on Monday. Some of them had to learn to carry guns and be prepared to shoot — polar bears.

Students on the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard aren’t allowed to leave their village without a shotgun and ammunition. That’s because hungry polar bears can be behind every swing on the island.

***End Quote***

Now that’s common sense. Don’t we here have two legged varmints that need a suitable discouragement device?

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TECH HARDWARE: Vista and Tripplite “perfect together”?

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

http://www.tripplite.com/vista

***Begin Quote***

Any Windows Vista user connecting their computer to any of the following UPS systems MUST download this patch BEFORE they connect their Tripp Lite UPS System to the computer.

***End Quote***

Anyone not just slightly concerned that Vista needs special help connecting a UPS?

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TECHNOLOGY: made it into Risks

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/24.80.html#subj14

I made it into Risks again. (Boy is PGN getting easy in his old age!)

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TECH SERVICE: GRANDCENTRAL aka GOOGLE screws its users! Hence NOT RECOMMENDED

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/146118898/

***Begin Quote***

Troy Schneider received such a notice, advising him that in 8 days his Grand Central number would be canceled and that he would be required to immediately start using a new number allocated to him. Judi Sohn received the same message: with no prior warning she had 8 days left on her existing phone number then it would cease to operate. Sohn was fortunate to some extent: Google has offered to pay for the reprinting of her business cards, but that would appear to be a one off, and a token gesture at that.

***End Quote***

Glad I only dipped my toe in that pot!

Of course, a curse upon their house and never use it.

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RANT: REALID — what duty do we have to this fraud

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/08/us_government_t_2.html

Schneier on Security
A blog covering security and security technology.

August 20, 2007
U.S. Government Threatens Retaliation Against States who Reject REAL ID

*** begin quote ***

REAL ID is the U.S. government plan to impose uniform regulations on state driver’s licenses. It’s a national ID card, in all but cosmetic form.

*** end quote ***

Not that New Jersey would grow a set and stand up to the Federal Gooferment like NH and others, but if they did then the poor taxpayer might show a “profit”. Last time I looked it was estimated that we get back a supposed 86 cents in “federal benefits” for every 136 cents we sent to the Rat Hole on the Potomac. So if we rejected Real Id, do we have to pay Federal Taxes? That begs the question if the definition of citizen is allegiance for protection AND if the Federal Courts have rule the gooferment has no specific duty to protect you (as if they could), THEN what duty do we have to this fraud? Now where is my torch and pitchfork? Time to ride the crooks out on a rail. BTW in case someone couldn’t guess I’m a Ron Paul contributor and will vote for him if I get a chance. Not that it will make much difference in the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee!

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MONEY: You, the Fed, and Inflation

Monday, August 20, 2007

http://www.jbs.org/node/1064

You, the Fed, and Inflation
By Llewellyn H. Rockwell Jr.
Published: 1998-11-23 06:00 Economics

***Begin Quote***

Wall Street remains constantly worried about two forces in American economic life: inflation and deflation. It seems Wall Street worries about inflation on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, it worries about deflation. Or perhaps it worries about both at the same time.

Of course, inflation is one of the most destructive forces in all of human history. In order for an economy to function properly, money must be sound and its value must be honestly gained. For most of human history, soundness and honesty were guaranteed because money was just another name for the most valuable commodity: gold. Gold was ideal as money because it was portable, durable, divisible, fungible, and scarce.

Gold has been money throughout most of our nation’s history, and until well into the 20th century government had little control over its supply and value. But with the establishment of the Federal Reserve in 1913, the foundation of money in gold began to be eroded. Over the decades, the link became progressively less secure, until in 1971 President Nixon did away with the last remnants of the gold standard. If you hid a dollar in a mattress in 1970, today it would be worth less than a quarter of its former value.

***End Quote***

Stunning simple observation of why we as a country are so royally weenied!

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INTERESTING: Following “publik skoolz” to its logical conclusion

Monday, August 20, 2007

http://www.lewrockwell.com/bylund/bylund21.html

The Terrible Effects of Public Schooling
by Per Bylund

***Begin Quote***

There are many stories of Sweden being a Utopia: a high-tax, massively regulated and politicized, anti-capitalism, egalitarian socialist society that not only works – it thrives. Each and every one of them is nothing but a lie, even though there are many Swedes who will tell you how wonderful it is – they refuse to see the truth even though they live it everyday.

Recently yet another myth of the Swedish socialist supremacy was revealed to be completely untrue: the exquisite quality of Swedish public education. “Preliminary” statistics of the current state of Swedish public schooling made available by the Swedish National Agency for Education show the continuing degeneration of the so-called Swedish Model – and that it is ever increasing. After having spent nine mandatory years in school, 11.4% of Swedish children don’t meet the requirements to go to high school.

Of course, in other countries this might not be such a big deal. But it is in Sweden – a country where an education and a university degree is a human right. Also, the requirements to go to high school are set on such an absurdly low level that no one should be able to not make it.

***End Quote***

Interesting in the new Amerika that it’s politicians don’t send their kids to publik skoolz.

Why is that?

Could it be that the politicians know, in the deep dark recesses of their conscience that they can never expose to the public, that the publik skoolz are huge success?

They are!

The Prussians originally designed “publik skoolz” to create willing cannon fodder and compliant factory workers. The socialists and communists of the 1920’s brought the idea to America to allow them to reformulate America into a country where the proletariat could be led by the elite.

So while the sheep bask in American Idol and ever increasing amounts of “funny money” (i.e., dollars that have lost 95% of the purchasing power in 30 years), the elite send their kid to private schools.

What’s wrong with this picture?

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INTERESTING: Wafa Sultan, an Arab-American woman and psychologist from Los Angeles.

Monday, August 20, 2007

http://www.charmaineyoest.com/2007/08/women_in_combat_women_as_beast.php

Women in Combat, Women as Beasts:
Wafa Sultan and Alexis de Tocqueville
August 20, 2007 | By Jack Yoest

*** begin quote ***

Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about American exceptionalism; the American experiment,

If I am asked how we should account for the unusual prosperity and growing strength of this nation, I would reply that they must be attributed to the superiority of their women.

***AND***

Following is Wafa Sultan, an Arab-American woman and psychologist from Los Angeles. She is debating the clash of civilizations. She reviews the fact that inferior civilizations use “women as beasts.” There might be some confusion on how Islam jihadists and the American armed forces use women in combat.

Watch the clip here. http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ai=214&ar=1050wmv&ak=nul

***End Quote***

Wow, I don’t speak her language but if the subtitiles are right, all I can say is wow!

Don’t miss this clip.

She nails why we shouldn’t “use women”. They are too darned valuable. Like the Queen on the chessboard, this lady in a very impassioned plea to the Muslim community indicts, convicts, and sentences the Islam jidhadists to a special place in history — the misguided! The moderator and the opponent were taken to the woodshed. They couldn’t even mount a decent retort to her arguments.

Wow! Definitely don’t miss this one.

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MONEY: a small loss is better than a big loss?

Monday, August 20, 2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/19/ccom119.xml

Business comment: Financial services should be there to serve
By Dan Roberts, Business Editor, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 2:14am BST 19/08/2007

***Begin Quote***

First, the bad news. Don’t be fooled by Friday’s bounce. We are not out of the woods yet. If anything, the Fed’s decision to rescue markets by throwing money at the problem supports our view that this summer’s financial crisis threatens the wider economy.

A slowdown will be painful for everyone, especially here. Despite our Chancellor’s belated words of confidence, the UK is excessively dependent on the City. Even companies far away from the Square Mile will find it harder to borrow their way out of trouble or invest in new factories, shops and offices. It may not tip us into a recession, but the fall in confidence will trigger a big chill that brings some racier parts of the economy to a near standstill.

***End Quote***

Best assessment of Friday’s Fed action is that we are heading into a period of inflation (i.e., the Fed’s “helicopter” Ben dumping more counterfeit notes into circulation) and recession (i.e., consumer and business confidence will “de-invest”).

How does one save and invest going into this climate?

Clearly one has to “surf” the wave of inflation. Don’t even think about sticking money in your mattress. To surf in a falling market is a good trick. Riding indexes south will not only NOT keep up with inflation but may actually be a big loser if you guess wrong. The best strategy might be targeted investments in things that retain value. Defensive stocks, high quality stuff, commodities, essential businesses.

Tie in a recession, and you need to focus on where people have to spend money regardless of their “confidence”: basic food, medicine, healthcare, drugs, commodities.

Look to the era in the USA during Carter’s stagflation and Japan’s Decade of Zero Interest Zero Growth.

Where is growth “guaranteed” — India (where you might get an honest count) and China (where you definitely are at risk of a haircut).

Sigh.

Certificates of Depreciation — on the theory that a small loss is better than a big loss?

Tough times!

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INTERESTING: my “tip” — actually non-tip — is in third place

Sunday, August 19, 2007

http://jobmob.co.il/blog/do-you-create-value

*** begin quote ***

In the past few days, Ferdinand Reinke’s Do You Create Value? attracted 37 unique visitors up until August 13th after having a slow start.

*** end quote ***

Well on a lark, when solicited for a job search tip as a contest entry, I gave him my “best-est” thought,

(You can read it there.)

Bet you can’t guess what my tip is! You know how I love to pontificate! And, just in case I accidentally won, I figured I’d just donate it to the site master’s favorite charity, which evidently impressed the fellow.

(Last thing I need — in this day of terrorists transferring funds internationally — is an international conversation about what charity to donate to. With my luck, I’d be in Gitmo learning Farsi and studying the physics of water.)

So, now I find that my “tip” — actually non-tip — is in third place and I’m upset. Darn!! And, if you read my entry, (which raises my score in the competition), you read how I expect to show a profit if I win. :-)

Have to have a sense of humor about this stuff.

No Big Deal!

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RANT: The Republican Establishment is putting it’s thumb

Sunday, August 19, 2007

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/014792.html

August 19, 2007
Illinois Straw Poll shenanigans
Posted by Tex MacRae at August 19, 2007 08:30 AM

*** begin quote ***

But the real story of the day was how McKenna & crew reacted to a large number of new Republicans who turned out in support of Ron Paul’s message of Goldwater republicanism. According to rules established by the ILGOP, voting was to take place between 11am and 4pm. While Rep. Paul finished in 3rd place behind undeclared candidate Fred Thompson, it was discovered that as late as 3:30 pm Ron Paul was in 2nd place with 151 votes to Fred’s 148. Curiously, ILGOP staffers then announced the polls would remain open until 4:30pm ‘because it rained earlier,’ then they said the polls would close at 4:15pm. But alas, at 4:08pm they got the results they wanted and closed the polls. We’ll let our readers draw their own conclusions.

*** end quote ***

The Republican Establishment is putting it’s thumb on the scale to get the answer it wants. And, they’ll be rewarded with the national disaster of handing the reigns of gooferement to “yet another liberal” Deomcan / Republicrat.

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LIBERTY: Vets versus the congresscritters

Sunday, August 19, 2007

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/RobertBluey/2007/08/19/veterans%e2%80%99_groups_prepare_for_battle_on_capitol_hill

Veterans’ Groups Prepare for Battle on Capitol Hill
By Robert Bluey
Sunday, August 19, 2007

***Begin Quote***

While not every veteran will follow the same route as Emanuel, the goal is to motivate as many as possible to become engaged in the political process, either by writing about their war experience or voicing their views to members of Congress.

***End Quote***

Now while I personally think these “Wars” — on “terror”, on “drugs”, in Iraq, in Afganistan, and in a myriad of other venues — are lost, I want my fellow vets to step up and speak up. I maintain we haven’t been in a Constitutional War since World War 2. Nor have we be in a War of national defense since 1812. War is too important to be left to these chicken sh … ahh, hawk REMFs. I never personally experienced “hot fire” but just having been exposed to the chance I might changed me. Changed from a Hollywood John Wayne Fort Apache Back to Batan starry eyed kid to a mature confirmed libertarian. When the invaders hit the US of A, then I’m a hawk. Till then I’m a porcupine. And, I want every combat vet or near combat vet to tell these congress critters that we are not going to take their “barbara streisand” any more. Bring the troops home and make good on the promise of medical care for our fellow vets who were wounded without a lot of administrative red tape.

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LIBERTY: Free speech and the University of Maryland

Sunday, August 19, 2007

http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2007/08/free_speech_and_the_university.html

August 17, 2007
Free speech and the University of Maryland
Thomas Lifson

***Begin Quote***

The mind boggles. A student buying food in the student union at UMD wearing a shirt saying “I stand for Israel” is denied service by a clerk who says, “Your shirt offends me, I won’t ring you up.” So was free speech defended on campus?

***End Quote***

I know a UofM alum. I wonder what he thinks of this story. All too often, we forget that these “schools” are extensions of the gooferment and subject to the same Constitutional restrictions as any other part of the gooferment.

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FUN: “Tell him if he gets here, just keep walking”

Sunday, August 19, 2007

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/column.aspx?UrlTitle=a_question_for_froemming&ns=GeorgeWill&dt=08/19/2007&page=2

A Question for Froemming
By George Will
Sunday, August 19, 2007

*** begin quote ***

He might. Consider Sept. 2, 1972, when Froemming was behind the plate and the Cubs’ Milt Pappas was one strike from doing what only 15 pitchers have done — pitch a perfect game, 27 up, 27 down.

With two outs in the ninth, Pappas quickly got an 0-2 count on the 27th batter. Then Froemming called the next three pitches balls. An agitated Pappas started walking toward Froemming, who said to the Cubs’ catcher: “Tell him if he gets here, just keep walking” — to the showers.

Pappas’ next pitch was low and outside. One kind of glory was lost. Another kind — the integrity of rules — was achieved.

*** end quote ***

That’s what we need today … … a lot more integrity!

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ADMINISTRIVIA: My weblog comment policy

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Since I stated this and other blogs, I’ve been removing occasional comments from my weblog. Not just spammers. If someone violates my weblog comment policy, I nuke their comment. It’s that simple. It’s my blog thanks to the free, and unequaled, wordpressdotcom offering. So I get to set the rules. Until now, I hadn’t published my policy since mostly it was just trash thrown over the transom.

DO NOT:

  1. post off-topic.
  2. libel anyone.
  3. make unverifiable assertions.
  4. engage in personal attacks.
  5. provide a fake e-mail address.
  6. include more than one URL.
  7. don’t spam.
  8. don’t sell, or offer, to sell anything.
  9. violate the wordpressdotcom tos.

Violation of this policy may mean any of the following:

  1. I will remove your comments.
  2. I will block your attempts to comment in the future.
  3. I will contact your Internet Service Provider.
  4. I ask the Universe to send you some education.

If in doubt, the best solution is to drop me an email at the link below and we can have a conversation about why I am blocking your comment.

All that said, I will endeavor to respond to any comments that raise queries or questions and I welcome useful and constructive feedback.

http://2idi.com/contact/=reinkefj

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INTERESTING: Ron Paul interview on my favorite radio / podcast show

Sunday, August 19, 2007

http://freetalklive.com

http://www.freetalklive.com/files/paul.mp3

***Begin Quote***

From: FTL-Updates@googlegroups.com [mailto:FTL-Updates@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of ian@freetalklive.com
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2007 12:49 AM
To: FTL-Updates
Subject: [FTL-Updates] FTL Interviews Ron Paul!

2008 Presidential candidate Ron Paul joins us for a half hour! Grab the archive at http://freetalklive.com!

Thanks for listening,
Ian

–~–~———~–~—-~————~——-~–~—-~
Want to help FTL? AMP at http://amp.freetalklive.com and shop with us at http://amazon.freetalklive.com!

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups “FTL-Updates” group.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to FTL-Updates-unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
For more options, visit this group at http://updates.freetalklive.com
-~———-~—-~—-~—-~——~—-~——~–~—

***End Quote***

Great!!

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TECH SERVICE: LEGACY site enables on to be spammed

Saturday, August 18, 2007

LEGACY is a site that does obituaries.

In “doing” Jasper Jottings, I collect Jasper obits to share with my fellow alums. I leave a little message in the “remembrance book” for a variety of reasons.

Sometimes it’s the only thing there. That really saddens me. Sometimes fellow Jaspers reach out to me. Sometimes … … if I get forgetful, it reminds me “been here. done it.”

I always leave my email in case the family wants to connect with a specific Jasper and so that it doesn’t appear as a “strange” self-serving entry. Over the time, I’ve been doing it I have had some interactions with the deceased family members. Some times it’s just to listen; some times they needed information. I try and help.

But today, I got my first piece of SPAM from that activity on Legacy.

I know it’s from there because it came on their email address to a special email address only used for that purpose. (You know how I like to have different email address for different purposes. This is why! I can pin it down easily.)

Just goes to show how low a spammer will go!

I hope the Intelligent Designer has a special ring in Hell for those low lifes.

fwiw!

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INTERESTING: Sleuths Break Adobe’s San Jose Puzzle

Saturday, August 18, 2007

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/08/sleuths-break-a.html

Sleuths Break Adobe’s San Jose Puzzle, Find Pynchon Inside
By Ryan Singel EmailAugust 17, 2007 | 2:15:58 PM
Categories: Hacks and Cracks

***Begin Quote***

Two men, who both may have well have been named Arnold Snarb, were wandering around San Jose looking for a good time. Instead they stumbled on a deep puzzle embedded in the landscape. Specifically, four mysteriously changing, huge LED semaphores on an Adobe building in San Jose.

***End Quote***

Wow. A lot of people with too much time on their hands.

Now the question … … why?

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RANT: Keg ordinance again?

Saturday, August 18, 2007

http://nbs.gmnews.com/news/2007/0816/Front_Page/032.html

S.B. ordinances target drinking below legal age
Records would be kept of keg purchasers; stiffer penalties for underagers
BY CHRIS GAETANO Staff Writer

*** begin quote ***

SOUTH BRUNSWICK – A pair of ordinances aimed at curbing underage drinking were moved forward by the Township Council during its Tuesday work session meeting.

*** end quote ***

Back in May 2007 http://tinyurl.com/34b4p7, I blogged on why it was a bad idea. Pointless, ineffective, inefficient, and socialistic. Nothing’s changed. Except it’s getting to election time and politicians have to be able to all the things they’ve done “for us”. Argh! Or, should that be “to us”? Argh!

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INTERESTING: Nuclear power is not on the green zealots’ approved list

Saturday, August 18, 2007

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/column.aspx?UrlTitle=tragic_implications&ns=ThomasSowell&dt=08/14/2007&page=2url

Tragic Implications
By Thomas Sowell
Tuesday, August 14, 2007

***Begin Quote***

The other recent tragedy that has held the nation’s painful attention — the mine cave-in in Utah — also has implications that few seem to notice.

We could have far fewer men going down into those mines in the first place if we could use other readily available and economically viable substitutes for coal, such as nuclear power or more of our own oil.

Here too, politics is the problem. The only “alternative energy sources” that are on the political agenda are those few very expensive options that environmentalist zealots approve.

Nuclear power is not on the green zealots’ approved list, even though nuclear power is widely used in other countries.

Some say nuclear power is not safe. But nothing is categorically “safe.” The only serious question is how its safety compares to that of alternative ways of generating energy.

Ask the families of the trapped miners if they think mining is safe. Ask them if they would rather face the grim reality of a death in their family or the hypothetical possibility of inconveniencing some caribou in Alaska.

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I didn’t think of that. It’s about comparing the relative risk.

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INTERESTING: global warming fudging

Saturday, August 18, 2007

http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/08/why_would_anyone_nasas_trust_c.html

August 17, 2007
Why Would Anyone Trust NASA’s Climate Data Now?
By Marc Sheppard

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Every soldier in this vital information war knows it’s difficult enough to do daily battle against dramatically over-hyped propaganda with any optimism of triumph. Enemy warriors wield swords forged from hyped projections, shocking news, cataclysmic films and disinforming TV programs. Ours brave the battlefield armed only with a firm grasp of the facts and the wherewithal to draw cogent conclusions from them.

Now it appears our adversaries may have successfully infiltrated what are imperatively neutral data-bases, attempting to render our only weapons useless.

If the science were truly settled, then why would they so fear a fair fight?

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Messing with the data?

Sounds like some of my high school and college chemistry classes where I knew the right answer and fudge the numbers to come out.

One of my rare A’s came when, following closely the instructions given, I couldn’t verify some scientific principle or other. I couldn’t even close enough to fudge it. Argh! So, with the deadline fast approaching, I just said “*&^%$#@” it and turned it in as it was. Not knowing that everyone was getting similar results, they other didn’t have the “courage” of their convictions and they were fudging. It was a glum day when everyone was turning in their stuff and bragging about how they got it right. I felt like the village idiot. (Probably was.)

Hey, it was done. And, as my sainted grandmother used to say “what’s done is done.”

Imagine my shock when that Monday, I was called to the front of the class, and the good Brother asked me “How stupid are you? Don’t you know <I really forget the bozo’s name who’s law we were supposed to “prove”.> XYZ’s law?”. I was ready to soil my shorts since sessions like this usually ended with physical abuse, mental torture, or as yet another trip to the principal’s office for delayed mental and physical abuse. So I mumbled something like, “I knew the right answer but that’s the results I got”. Snickering all around. The the Brother says, “Good. You may be a dumb as a rock, but at least you’re honest. Here’s your A. The instructions were wrong. Everyone else gets an F”. Wow!

So from thence on, I learned my lesson. Just let the chips fall where they land.

In the case of this article it appears some of my classmates have gone into “global warming research”, which should probably be called “global warming fudging”.

:-)

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