POLITICAL: What Hillary Would Do As President?

Saturday, October 27, 2007

What Hillary Would Do As President?
AND How Much More It Will Cost You
By Dick Morris Reports <dickmorrisreports@dickmorris.com>

 

*** begin quote ***

TAXES

Hillary makes no secret of her intention to roll back Bush’s tax cuts on the ‘wealthy.’ But her definition of ‘rich’ is sufficiently inclusive so as to encompass everyone with a family or household income over $200,000 a year. Clearly she would include the following in the tax cuts she will repeal (or allow to sunset):

o She’d raise the top bracket of the federal income tax, restoring it to 39.6% from its current 35% level.

o She’d increase the capital gains tax, restoring it to 20% – or maybe even go higher. My bet is that she will increase it to 30% or even eliminate special treatment for capital gains altogether, taxing gains as ordinary income (at 40%).

o Hillary will almost certainly roll back much- if not all- of the estate tax reductions of recent years, lowering dramatically the size of estates subject to the levy.

o She’d restore the tax on dividends to 30% from its current 15%.

But her agenda will doubtless go further. She will be much more radical in raising taxes than Bush was in cutting them.

SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES

One of her most important steps will probably be to raise Social Security (FICA) taxes. She won’t raise the rate since that would impact her liberal base. Instead, she’ll raise the threshold of income that subject to taxation, now limited to the first $97, 500 of income.

At a recent candidate forum in Iowa, Hillary played it cute. First, she told the audience that she had nothing ‘on the table’ about Social Security taxes. Then, after the meeting, she privately told Todd Bowman, a schoolteacher who was in the audience, that she would consider imposing FICA taxes on all those who earn more than $200,000. She told Bowman that she would probably keep the current threshold at $100,000, skip the next hundred thousand of income, and then tax all income over $200,000 for Social Security.

So, look forward to some big changes there.

(Of course, she will not remove the cap on benefits, just on taxes).

*** end quote ***

Remember history students, it was the smoot hawley tariff that caused the Great Depression and FDR had to get American into WW2 to get us out of it.

That’s the consistent model: Gooferment creates the problem and then rushes in to “save” us from it.

Personally, I think ONLY Ron Paul beats her.

If it even looks like she’s winning, look for a Stock Market crash that will make all prior look like bumps. And, if she is elected and follows the tax plan that Dick Morris is predicting (which isn’t farfetched for a socialist like Hillary!), then you’ll see a real Depression.

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RANT: VISTAPRINT tells you after taking your web order that you have to call with problems

Saturday, October 27, 2007

FROM AN EMAIL ABOUT AN ORDER

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Dear Valued VistaPrint Customer:

In order to respond to you as quickly as possible, we are sending this automated response to your recent e-mail. At this time VistaPrint only offers customer service by toll-free telephone. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

We invite you to call us toll-free at 1-800-721-6216. Knowledgeable representatives are available to assist you Monday – Friday, from 8 AM to 12 Midnight PM EST.

You can also find answers to many commonly asked questions by visiting our online Help Section at http://www.vistaprint.com/vp/ns/customer_care/help/default.aspx

Thank you for your interest in VistaPrint. We appreciate your business and your patience. We look forward to being of service to you.

Sincerely,
Customer Care
VistaPrint

*** end quote ***

Personally, I think calling any enterprise is a hassle. And, a waste of my time!

NOT RECOMMENDED: VistaPrint

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INTERESTING: LV casinos lead in spying on us

Saturday, October 27, 2007

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/21/AR2007102101522_pf.html

From Casinos to Counterterrorism
Las Vegas Surveillance, U.S. Security Efforts Involve Similar Tactics
By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 22, 2007; A01

***Begin Quote***

LAS VEGAS — This city, famous for being America’s playground, has also become its security lab. Like nowhere else in the United States, Las Vegas has embraced the twin trends of data mining and high-tech surveillance, with arguably more cameras per square foot than any airport or sports arena in the country. Even the city’s cabs and monorail have cameras. As the U.S. government ramps up its efforts to forestall terrorist attacks, some privacy advocates view the city as a harbinger of things to come.

***End Quote***

Seems like the gooferment could learn a lot from the casinos. Maybe the casinos should be in charge of the gooferment. At least tyranny would be pleasant?

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PRODUCTIVITY: Have you “sung” your song?

Saturday, October 27, 2007

FROM A NOTE I WROTE

***Begin Quote***

I think that sadly all too many people go to their grave and take their DIKW — data, information, knowledge, and wisdom — with them. Like the man, who dies, leaving his family without life insurance, is said to “abscond”. So to, those, who leave, taking their thoughts to the grave, have stolen from all of us. It our duty to humanity to point the way. Probably our mistakes are more insightful. Those tell people what didn’t work for us. Remember Edison’s “now I know 10,000 ways how NOT to make a light bulb”. Powerful advice.

***End Quote***

Steven Covey says the word ‘universe” means one song. I hope everyone “sings” their song on the inet where it will be captured hopefully forever.

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MONEY: Tax bite at poker

Friday, October 26, 2007

http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=13497

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Casinos and other sponsors of poker tournaments will be required to report winnings of more than $5,000 to the Internal Revenue Service beginning March 4, 2008, the tax agency said Friday.

***End Quote***

Sigh!

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PRODUCTIVITY: When is Someday?

Friday, October 26, 2007

http://lifecoachesblog.com/2007/10/19/when-is-someday

When is Someday?

Rick Cook, October 19th 2007

***Begin Quote***

Let’s see, there’s Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… but when is Someday?

Show me Someday on the calendar. Point it out to me in your daytimer. How long is a month of Somedays? Even blue moons happen once in a while (second full moon in a month), but Someday? The closest day to Someday is Never.

***End Quote***

Excellent question!

Now?

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TECHNOLOGY: kvetch about the firefighting technology

Friday, October 26, 2007

http://www.lewrockwell.com/rockwell/land-socialism.html

Land Socialism: Playing With Fire
by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr.

***Begin Quote***

Next we turn to the government’s glorious fire fighting units. As with all government bureaucracies, they resist new technology. They don’t plan for and assess risks. They run around spraying water and chemicals on everything regardless of effectiveness or cost. But meanwhile, they crowd out private fire control efforts. They tell us to flee and then put an antique government bureaucracy in charge and expect us to be happy about it. Finally, when the disaster ends, the federal government dumps billions in aid as a way of placating us. This is an insane approach, or, rather, it is only a sane approach if the goal is to see civilization wiped out and meanwhile expand the state.

***End Quote***

Over, and above, the arguments about “liberty”, I do find some credence in the author’s kvetch about the fire fighting technology.

One would think that that there would be some significant progress in that area.

We know that the gooferment can’t do anything right and that if you throw enough money at something, something will happen.

So cost-effectiveness and technology advances require privitization.

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GUNS: Disguise yourself as a vending machine

Friday, October 26, 2007

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/10/21/news/japan.php

In Japan, refreshing ideas for the fearful
By Martin Fackler
Published: October 21, 2007

***Begin Quote***

TOKYO: On a narrow Tokyo street, near a beef bowl restaurant and a pachinko parlor, Aya Tsukioka demonstrated new clothing designs that she hoped would ease Japan’s growing fears of crime.

With a deft motion, Tsukioka, a 29-year-old fashion designer, lifted a flap on the front of her skirt to reveal a large sheet of cloth printed in bright red with a soft drink logo partly visible. By holding the sheet fully open and stepping to the side of the road, she showed how a woman walking alone could elude pursuers – by disguising herself as a vending machine.

The wearer hides behind the sheet, which is printed with a life-size photo of a vending machine. Tsukioka’s clothing is still in the developmental stage, but she has already created several versions, including one that unfolds from a kimono, and a deluxe model with four sides for more complete camouflaging.

***End Quote***

Neat idea.

Lousy solution.

Sam Colt gave women equality decades ago. The smallest frailest woman is more than a match for the biggest brutish predator. The hand gun.

Yup, easy to conceal, easy to operate, easy to be part of that “well regulated” militia the Constitution talks about.

(For the uneducated, by “well regulated”, the dead old white guys meant being able to hit what you aim at.)

So, instead of disguising yourself as Coke machine and hope the thug is NOT thirsty, our threaten female puts her back to the wall, gets into a Cooper stance, puts her finger on the trigger, and announces tot he world in her best imitation of Clint Eastwood “Well punk are you feeling lucky?”.

I don’t know about you but I would be back peddling as fast as I can and wondering where am I going to find clean shorts.

See, our founding fathers understood that the world is a dangerous place. And, we were responsible for our own protection. And, we could do it quite well.

Crime is a direct result of the gooferment’s war on drugs. No war on drugs would mean low cost drugs that meant addict would not have to steal to support a habit. Also, no turf wars.

So, the amount of crime related violence would be reduced.

Allowing those that want to, to pack heat, would take care of the residual. Sprinkle the population with a few “sheepdogs” and the rest of the sheep can go about their business undisturbed.

So dress like a vending machine or stand up like a free person?

“I know not course others will take, but for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

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FUN: truck driver and priest

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Date: Thu, 15 Aug 1996 10:41:09 -0500
From: Cereal Killer
Subject: truck driver and priest <off to layers>

A truck driver used to amuse himself by running over lawyers he would see walking down the side of the road. Every time he would see a lawyer walking along the road, he would swerve to hit him, and there would be a loud “THUMP” and then he would swerve back onto the road.

One day, as the truck driver was driving along he saw a priest hitchhiking. He thought he would do a good turn and pulled the truck over. He asked the priest, “Where are you going, Father?”. “I’m going to the church 5 miles down the road!”, replied the priest. “No problem, Father! I’ll give you a lift. Climb in the truck”. The happy priest climbed into the passenger seat and the truck driver continued down the road.

Suddenly the truck driver saw a lawyer walking down the road and instinctively he swerved to hit him. But then he remembered there was a priest in the truck with him, so at the last minute he swerved back away, narrowly missing the lawyer. However even though he was certain he missed the lawyer, he still heard a loud “THUD”.

Not understanding where the noise came from he glanced in his mirrors and when he didn’t see anything, he turned to the priest and said, “I’m sorry Father. I almost hit that lawyer”.

“That’s okay”, replied the priest. “I got him with the door!

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Obviously an urban legend. A priest might be out walking, but a lawyer?!?

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TECHNOLOGY: Should ISPs Forward E-mail When You Move?

Thursday, October 25, 2007

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Should-ISPs-Forward-Email-When-You-Move-88755

Should ISPs Forward E-mail When You Move?
Miffed AOL user urges FCC to regulate e-mail…
02:21PM Wednesday Oct 24 2007 by Karl

***Begin Quote***

The post office will forward your mail to your new address when you move, and wireless phone carriers are required to port your number to your next provider. So should ISPs be forced to forward your mail to your new ISP? The FCC is exploring the requirement after an AOL customer claims she lost important business revenue when AOL canceled her account due to miscommunication.

***End Quote***

[Disclaimer: I work for an ISP, but not in any capacity other than a technology worker!]

In a word, NO!

I have been on record for a while that you, as an individual, should never be dependent upon anyone’s email address. Not your ISP. Not your boss. Not AOL! Not Yahoo!

Here’s the URL of one of my many pontifications on the subject: http://tinyurl.com/yq5kto

Now, for example, my Web Service Provider 1and1 http://www.1and1.com/?k_id=9113251 offers a package for $48/year that give you NOT ONLY your own domain with lots of web space, but a slew of email addresses.

The forwarding complaint is groundless. It’s completely unnecessary imho.

Even if you want to change your own domain between service providers, then you can just move where YOUR domain name points. There never should be an email interruption.

The belt ‘n’ suspenders crowd can combine that with many of the free redirectors. If you are really paranoid, you’ll never be out due to a name problem, you can redirect thru gmail (i.e., redirector to a gmail account to your domain) and you can be super assured. Then you can worry about a DNS or a GMail failure.

So, getting the gooferment to levy an obsolete requirement on all ISPs is surely a waste of everyone’s time, money, and attention.

That leaves aside the question of why she was running a business on a retail email account. I’m sure AOL’s TOS covered themselves.

Leave the gooferment to mess up the postal mail. It’s such an exemplar of effectiveness and efficiency!

[Disclaimer: Comcast probably has other opinions and certainly doesn’t need my help on this topic!]

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