MONEY: Prep for the USA bankruptcy?

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a8486284-fee9-11de-a677-00144feab49a.html

Bankruptcy could be good for America
By Gideon Rachman
Published: January 11 2010 19:47 | Last updated: January 11 2010 19:47

*** begin quote ***

The result is that the US is piling up debt. A budget deficit of about 12 per cent of gross domestic product is understandable as a short-term reaction to a huge financial crisis. What should worry Americans is that, with entitlement spending set to surge, there is no credible plan to bring the budget deficit under control over the medium term.

*** and ***

Perhaps the most memorable thing said so far by an official in Barack Obama’s administration was the remark by Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, that “you never want a serious crisis to go to waste”. Mr Emanuel was widely condemned for flippancy and cynicism. But an examination of world history over the last 30 years suggests he was definitely on to something. Those much discussed emerging powers, the Brics (Brazil, Russia, India and China) all needed a fiscal crisis to set them on the road to economic reform and national resurgence. America may one day be lucky enough to experience its very own national fiscal crisis. Let us hope it is not wasted.

*** end quote ***

While it might be “good”, it’s hard to imagine it would be good for the “little people”. The poor, the middle class, the elderly, the young, those on fixed incomes. They all lose in any kind of problem. The rich, the political class, the bureaucrats all seem to make out just fine regardless of the problem. Some like Wall Street actually prosper when they should be going broke!

So that’s the USA going broke, with no plan.

Argh!

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POLITICAL: Sarah Palin’s Bill O’Reilly debut

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

http://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/Sarah-Palin-shoots-straight-in-Bill-OReilly-debut-on-Fox-News-81309207.html

Sarah Palin shoots straight in Bill O’Reilly debut on Fox News
Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 4:00 AM

*** begin quote ***

Patrick Roberts: Sarah Palin came out swinging on Bill O’Reilly last night – and for the first time I could see what this woman has that voters find so attractive.She swore, she let loose , she nailed some enemies. She came across as a real person, not a polished politician, but a person who, until very recently, was skinning polar bears or whatever it is they do in the wilds of Alaska.

*** end quote ***

I saw the segment, but the follow up analysis was nuked by Haiti “coverage” (i.e., a talking female head repeating that they knew nothing, dermatologist describing how poor they were on her medical relief missions, and professional fundraiser asking for donations while patting themselves on the back for just delivering two containers of stuff that very day due to lucky timing; in other words, fluff!).

The ex-Guv dodged Bo’R’s attempts to get her to say something bad about the various folks attacking her. She deflected by reporting that the attackers weren’t there and were just passing along third had gossip.

The ex-Guv also dodged the “bomb Iran” question. She called for sanctions. (How does starving little kids bring about peace?) So, she needs to be carefully examined to see if she’s a Libertarian or a neo-Conservative?

This observer is still on the fence. Leaning her way, but on the fence.

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: Tax code is too complex

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB126262857185115221.html  

*** begin quote ***

The Internal Revenue Service said it will begin requiring paid tax-return preparers to register with the agency, take competency exams and meet continuing-education requirements. Attorneys, certified public accountants and enrolled agents won’t be subject to the new testing and education plans. The changes will take years to implement and won’t be in effect for the 2010 filing season, the IRS said.

*** end quote ***

Doesn’t anyone see this as a problem?

(1) The tax code is way too complex.

(2) Experts don’t need education or continuing education. (Guess experts are just better than actual people.)

(3) The IRS can’t get their orders out in a timely fashion.

The DOWGs (Dead Old White Guys) funded gooferment on tariffs. Should have been good enough for the limited functions that were allowed.

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RANT: Time compression causes heartaches

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2009/12/31/its-over/

It’s Over
December 31st, 2009

*** begin quote ***

2009 is over. The entire decade is over.

*** end quote ***

OK, you fell for the anti-mathematical propaganda. (I had teacher in high school geometry that ranted until we understood cardinality and ordinality. Year 1 ends 12/31/0001. By extrapolation, the “first decade” runs from 1/1/1 until 12/31/0010. Run it forward to today; this is the last year of the decade. Redefining decade? Maybe a new word.

On a more serious note, the urge to a decade review before the decade ends is indicative of time compression and language corruption. It’s indicative of our short term thinking and that’s one thing that is killing us as a civilization and a society. Corporations and their investors focus on the quarter’s results. Executives are compensated (excessively) on short term results that themselves create a contrary incentive.

GM is a classic example. Well compensated execs signed labor contracts that ENSURED the demise of the company. That string of executives are long gone, like the train robbers of old, and the people are reaping the negative rewards. We didn’t even have the common sense to INSIST that the corpse be buried in bankruptcy. Instead we now have another gooferment department that will be a drain on the Public’s purse for decades to come.

We need to change our focus. And, the tax code policy.

The model of the “family farm” is a better one. Sustainable over eons. An inter-generational asset. Instead, the estate taxes ensure that it has to be sold to pay the death taxes. Crazy. Family farms, family businesses, and such are all at risk. SO the thinking becomes short term.

The Dead Old White Guys had the gooferment running on import duties. That would have ensured that industries couldn’t be moved overseas. Now we have to look for wealth building activities that we can do that are NOT off-shorable. Farming, and food production, seems to be a great idea. We can feed the world.

So here we are at the end of my rant. The decade “mistake” points out our short term focus. The short term focus has led us to make some very bad mistakes. (Age discrimination being one of them. That calendar thing again!) Those mistakes when recognized can lead us to a long term solution.

Yeah, I know get a job.

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POLITICAL: Beck on a roll about rights

Monday, January 11, 2010

In today’s TV show, Glenn Beck is on a roll. Senator Harkin attempts to define Health Care as a right. Rights come from the Creator; not from Congress. Because if rights did come from Congress, then they could take them away.

Time for pitchforks and torches, Sheeple!

Argh!

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POLITICAL: BHO44 put us here; dumb

Monday, January 11, 2010

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6957485/Detroit-bomber-singing-like-a-canary-before-arrest.html

Detroit bomber ‘singing like a canary’ before arrest
By Philip Sherwell in New York
Published: 6:27PM GMT 09 Jan 2010

*** begin quote ***

President Barack Obama is under fire over claims that the Christmas Day underwear bomber was “singing like a canary” until he was treated as an ordinary criminal and advised of his right to silence.

*** end quote ***

Elections have consequences and this is one of them.

BHO44 didn’t lie (I don’t think; not like the Obamacare dealings will be on CSpan!) and conceal that this would be his position. But, respectfully, he’s DUMB. Maybe a Harvard lawyer, but this self-inflicted inability to get military intelligence — about this self-evidenced terrorists, his compadres, the higher up, future plans, and collateral information — is dangerous.

A wise man understands the logical extension of his proposals. In this case, we have two choices: (1) he didn’t anticipate where his policies would place us; OR (2) he did and didn’t realize the dangers. Either way, it’s dumb.

We have to quickly convince people to reverse course — before we get hit again with something bigger and badder.

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POLITICS: Name a gooferment program that works

Monday, January 11, 2010

http://libertyunbound.com/article.php?id=449

Bridging the Two Libertarianisms
Carl S. Milsted, Jr.
What does the nonaggression principle really mean for libertarianism?

*** begin quote ***

People routinely send mail by government post, drive on government roads, rely on government food inspections, walk on government sidewalks, and enforce contracts in government courts.

*** end quote ***

I once heard on Free Talk Live http://freetalklive.com/ one of the host expressed the paradigm: “Name one program that works? And, if we can agree it does work, how much does it cost? How much should it cost?”.

So let’s look at your examples:

  1. Mail: Even with funny accounting — they don’t count the cost of capital assets like real estate and equipment depreciation — the cost is absurd. And, they have to enforce the first class mail franchise with a law enforcing their monopoly. (The famous one dollar minimum for express delivery services.) It’s laughable when the USPS compares themselves to FedEx for package delivery since in some areas they subcontract to FedEx. And, let’s talk about lost mail. We have very little statistical information but that doesn’t mean they are flawless.
      
  2. Roads: In New Jersey, the roads are a disgrace. And, we had a gas tax trust fund that was raided by the goofenors of both parties to fund their pet projects. We have no way to know if there is a better way since no one is allowed to try a different way. We can look at the road in Disney World and other amusement parks that are in relatively perfect condition. Hard to imagine that a consortium of WalMart, UPS, and others couldn’t do as well. As a proxy, look at the Air Traffic Control System, that is run totally be the Federal Gooferment. Vintage 1950 computing causes massive delays. The roads are comperable. Where’s the innovation like in computers that makes roads better.
  3. Food Inspections: We can point to the fact that most “inspections” are either not done or don’t protect the people. A recent press story said that the gooferment accepts 10 or 20 times the level of filth in meat than McD’s does. We have no idea how much this “gooferment inspection” costs, but are people relying on that or the fact that they trust WalMart to sell them good stuff.
  4. Sidewalks: Sorry, but those are foisted on the property owner. Even when the gooferment destroys them, the land owner gets stuck fixing them. (I know personal experience.)
  5. Courts: That’s why we have Judge Judy on TV. The gooferment’s courts are backed up and capricious. And, heaven help you, if the gooferment has an interest in the suit. Sue the gooferment in it’s own court and be surprised at the result.

And on, and on, and on.

I have yet to see a gooferment program that works. Or even not working, do it at a reasonable cost.

I notice that the author didn’t cite: schools, dmv, health insurance, health care, foreign policy, DoD, and on, and on, and on.

My solution is to be pragmatic.

Let’s have an exit plan. It may take decades to “unwind” these programs, but let’s start.

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RANT: Say what you mean

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Argh!

Just got back from Walgreens, and I am annoyed (again).

Walgreens and I have a lot of history.

We’ve had two serious medication errors, many broken promises, and wasted a lot of time with them.

Today, I had a watershed moment. They have a leadership problem!

In a continuing saga, I’ve been trying to get the Old Lady’s insulin rx straight. For months. Originally, I brought the DIABETICDOC’s rxes in. Knowing the system, I had the doc write them for 90 days with three refills. (I promised that the patient would be back.)

The rxes were never recorded. They used the rxes from the old doc. Argh! The result was we’re always running out of insulin.

So I called in and talked through the problem with A pharmacist. She had to call the doc and get replacement rxes. Argh! Then the insurance would pay for it until January 5th. So no problem, we’ll wait until the Fifth. In the meantime, I order other rxes and find another quantity problem. That problem distracted me from the fact that I didn’t get the long awaited insuling rxes.

Argh!

I call. And, talk to some one who doesn’t know anything about it.

Argh!

Go thru it ALL again. He puts the rxes in again. (How did he get rxes if they were “missing”?) Their computer system gets it in and communicates with the insurance company’s computer. My 90 day rx magically becomes a 30 day rx. (Huh?)

At this point, I give up and say fine. (This TRIPLES my copay since I SHOULD get the 90 day supply for one copay of 25$!)

I picked it up.

Get home and find that the dosage instructions are “wrong”. (They were superseded twice already.) And, they charged my a double co-pay.

Argh!

Imagine if we weren’t seriously on top of the rxes in terms of taking the right meds and stuff? If I get frustrated with the insurance, imagine how older folks cope?

And, Obama-care is going to make this all better? Please don’t make me laugh!

Argh!

Back to what set me off.

I pull up to the drive up for a quick pick up. The pharmacist, who voice I recognize because I’ve talked to her so much, say: “Be with you in one minute.” I happened to look at the clock on the dash. It was 8:59. She came to the window at 9:03. That’s not ONE minute. Lest you think that’s no big deal, I disagree. It’s a leadership issue. It’s setting an expectation carelessly that can’t be met.

It’s a “systemic failure”!

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POLITICAL: Start the journey towards liberty

Sunday, January 10, 2010

http://www.michnews.org/2010/01/a-libertarian-vision-for-michigan/

A Libertarian vision for Michigan

*** begin quote ***

Troy – How should we as Libertarians craft our campaign theme for 2010? Here are my thoughts on the subject. I would certainly appreciate yours, too. As a political party we must articulate a positive, persuasive, simple and appealing campaign theme for our candidates in 2010.

*** and ***

# Fair. No bail outs. No hand outs. No special deals for businesses, unions or individuals. Instead, cut spending now by eliminating all incentives, benefits, and programs that don´t benefit the average voter or business. Cut government costs by eliminating all agencies and regulations that impede the creation of jobs and businesses, competition and personal freedom. Eliminate tax abatements, exemptions and discounts for the few preferred businesses, unions and individuals, and cut the tax rates paid by all.

*** end quote ***

“cut spending now by eliminating all incentives, benefits, and programs that don´t benefit the average voter or business”

That don’t benefit “ALL” voters.

The problem is that when gooferment tries to pick winners and losers, funny how they always pick the politicians’ friends.

A libertarian government should be extremely small. Prevent force or fraud. AND, that’s IT!

You don’t need a lot of taxes when you’re not doing a lot!

Slash the spending and taxes and step out of the way. Privatize any “service” or “product” that the government produces.

If it CAN NOT be done immediately, then let’s have a transition out of it. Five, Ten, … heck … even Forty Year plans.

Let’s start the journey to liberty!

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INTERESTING: DNA profiles aren’t unique

Sunday, January 10, 2010

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/10/01/09/1321219/Scientists-and-Lawyers-Argue-For-Open-US-DNA-Database
“New Scientist has an article questioning the uniqueness of DNA profiles. 41 scientists and lawyers recently published a high-profile Nature article (sub. required) arguing that the FBI should release its complete CODIS database. The request follows research on the already released Arizona state DNA database (a subset of CODIS) which showed a surprisingly large number of matches between the profiles of different individuals, including one between a white man and a black man. The group states that the assumption that a DNA profile represents a unique individual, with only a minuscule probability of a secondary match, has never been independently verified on a large sample of DNA profiles. The new requests follow the FBI’s rejection of similar previous requests.”

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Interesting? I never knew that DNA profiles weren’t unique. Isn’t that what CSI teaches? It would seem that it’s urgent to prove or disprove this very troubling assertion!

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POLITICAL: No executive or even management experience!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

FROM THE DRUDGE REPORT, FRONT PAGE:

*** begin quote ***

PAPER: Obama’s anti-terror chief remained on ski slopes…

CIA Panetta Was Also on Vacation All Last Week…

*** end quote ***

Isn’t this “Management 101”?

I remember back in my AT&T days that there was an Executive On Duty list. We were all required to (1) be on duty if our boss was on vacation OR (2) if our Number #2 was on vacation. So if I was on vacation my boss and my Number #2 covered for me. It got a chance for my boss to evaluate my Number #2 and how I did picking a Number #2.

Had something similar at CS First Boston.

QUESTION: How come BHO aka O44 didn’t have the same thing?

ANSWER: No executive or even management experience!

Argh!

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POLITICAL: No consequences for prosecutorial and investigative malpractice

Saturday, January 9, 2010

http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/45956.html

The FBI, Bullying, and Sloppy Investigations
Posted by Bill Anderson on January 1, 2010 10:56 AM

*** begin quote ***

By empowering police and prosecutors and providing them with immunity from their wrongdoing, the government is encouraging investigators to be sloppy and incompetent. As we have seen in the two linked examples, bullying investigators have managed to botch these investigations, and it is no accident. The political classes tell us that we have to give the “authorities” near-absolute power to keep us “safe.” (Read any of the conservative websites and you will see what I mean. There is near-worship of the police, prosecutors, and federal investigators.) Guess what? When there are no consequences for being wrong, we can expect the police and FBI and others to be wrong, as it is much easier for them to make up their own narratives and then bully people into “agreeing” with them.

*** end quote ***

If we can fault the Dead Old White Guys (and that’s hard to do given their level of understanding at that point in time), then it would be for not putting a penalty in for ALL the INDIVIDUALS who violates some Constitutional rights.

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GUNS: Dial 911 and die

Friday, January 8, 2010

http://tinyurl.com/ybkq58j

NM: Burglary suspect shot by Jarales homeowner

Valencia County News-Bulletin

*** begin quote ***

“Charges are pending against a man who was shot in the chest by a Jarales resident while allegedly trying to break in.Valencia County Sheriff’s Deputy Chris Trujillo said the shooting occurred shortly after midnight on New Years Day at a house on Mill Road. According to the deputy, the homeowner, whose name has not been released, heard someone trying to break into his home and called 911. When the suspect entered the house, the homeowner shot him once in the chest, Trujillo said.” (01/06/10)

*** end quote ***

Seems right! Remember “Dial 911 and die”.

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MONEY: Sneering at Ron Paul and “End the Fed”

Friday, January 8, 2010

http://curiouscapitalist.blogs.time.com/2009/12/29/visiting-ron-pauls-fed-free-utopia/?xid=rss-topstories

Visiting Ron Paul’s Fed-free utopia
Posted by Justin Fox
Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 2:22 pm

*** begin quote ***

As for his welfare state argument, there’s surely something to it, but not nearly as much as Paul seems to think. In the post World War II era, Germany has followed much more of a hard-money (that is, Ron-Paulish) line than the U.S., yet it has a much bigger welfare state. So the growth of government can be a political choice, not just the result of the machinations of central bankers.

*** end quote ***

It’s hard to imagine the Germans creating their welfare state WITHOUT a fiat currency. That’s what enabled them to create the state without seizing the nation’s wealth silently. If there was a non-fiat monetary base (i.e., gold or competing currencies), then the German politicians would have had to inflict pain on the wealth holders to acquire the funds to give away. With a fiat currency, they can silently inflate away wealth without taxes.

Note that gold isn’t necessary. Repealing the legal tender laws would allow the folks to use a non-inflating alternative.

From times long past, sovereigns always debased the currency to serve their needs. I cite the French Franc from Louis 1 to 17. And rest my case.

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RANT: Self-reliance?

Thursday, January 7, 2010

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1240629/At-mercy-deep-freeze-Schools-shut-firms-hit–6-inches-snow.html

Army rescues 1,000 drivers stranded in cars for 12 HOURS as UK is paralysed by heavy snow (with more on its way)
By Sophie Freeman
Last updated at 2:09 PM on 06th January 2010

*** begin quote ***

The 23-year-old said: ‘We went through hell. I am eight months pregnant, I couldn’t go to the toilet all night, I couldn’t warm the bottle up for my baby daughter. It was very frightening.

‘There were loads of cars parked up, just on the motorway. No-one knew what was going on – there was no-one to help.

‘We didn’t see any police, we’ve heard that the Army is out but we didn’t see anyone – it’s not very good really.”

She had set off for Heathrow Airport in West Sussex at 5.30pm yesterday and didn’t arrive until 8am today.

Ms Holt’s father, Mark, attempted to reach his daughter but was prevented from driving up the A3 beause it had been closed because of the weather.

He said: ‘It took my daughter 15 hours to get home and no-one came to help her, they didn’t see anyone.’

*** end quote ***

Totally unprepared Brits, throughout article, whine: “they” didn’t do this for me; “they” didn’t do this for me; wha, wha, WHA! No one takes responsibility for themselves. Maybe it is the welfare state culture?

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MONEY: Time to get “small”

Thursday, January 7, 2010

http://www.newsweek.com/id/228428/output/print

Survivalism Lite
They call themselves ‘preppers.’ They are regular people with homes and families. But like the survivalists that came before them, they’re preparing for the worst.
By Jessica Bennett | Newsweek Web Exclusive
Dec 28, 2009

*** begin quote ***

In the end, what it all boils down to, at least for the preppers, is self-reliance—a concept as old as the human race itself. As survival blogger Joe Solomon pointed out in a recent column, during the Victory Gardens of WWII, Americans managed to grow 40 percent of all the vegetables they needed to survive. “My mother’s parents had a 10-acre garden, and my grandfather worked at the dairy farm next door,” says Hill, the former jet mechanic. “They worked by raising their own food, they had their own chickens, they canned vegetables, and my grandfather fed a family of 12 like that.” But in the modern world, he says, many of those skills are easily forgotten. Today, our food comes from dozens of different sources. Most of us aren’t quite sure how electricity gets from the wires to our stoves. We use debit cards to buy a can of tuna and we wouldn’t have the slightest idea how to filter contaminated water. We are residents of the new millennium; we simply haven’t needed to prepare.

*** end quote ***

Hard times are coming. While it may not be TEOTWAWKI (The End Of The World As We Know It), there’s no doubt that it will represent a lesser standard of living for everyone.

Get “prepared”!

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: You can’t make this stuff up

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/travel/80731457.html

A bomb scare Tuesday at the Lindbergh terminal at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport brought things to a virtual halt.
By ABBY SIMONS and SUZANNE ZIEGLER, Star Tribune staff writers
Last update: January 5, 2010 – 7:17 PM

*** begin quote ***

Portions of the Lindbergh terminal at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport were evacuated for about 90 minutes Tuesday afternoon after a bomb-sniffing dog reacted as though there were something suspicious on a bag found in the baggage claim area.

As it turned out, the battered pink bag was airport property, the one crews put on the carousel to mark that all luggage has been unloaded.

*** end quote ***

Left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing.

It leaves me speechless!

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RANT: Simple health insurance fixes

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

http://www.humblelibertarian.com/2009/12/how-to-strip-us-health-insurance.html

Monday, December 28, 2009

How To Strip US Health Insurance Companies of Their Power Forever in 1 Easy Step

Regulations Empower Insurance Companies

*** begin quote ***

These regulations usually consist of a long list of ridiculous coverage mandates that require customers to be covered for all kinds of things whether or not they want or need it.

So even if a woman in Maryland doesn’t want to pay $500/month to be covered for in-vitro fertilization, morbid obesity treatment, smoking cessation, substance abuse, and hair prosthesis, she has no choice.

And she can’t purchase more affordable insurance without any unnecessary coverage from another state because it would be non-compliant with Maryland’s regulations and mandates.

*** end quote ***

It’s interesting that the congress critters have deliberately created the “crisis” that they now seek to “save” us from that same crisis!

Argh!

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INTERESTING: Kon Tiki

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/knut-haugland-a-reallife-adventure-story-1851472.html

Knut Haugland: A real-life adventure story

He fought the Nazis. He braved the Pacific. And he hated being called a hero. Jonathan Brown looks at the extraordinary career of Knut Haugland, the last Kon-Tiki survivor

Monday, 28 December 2009

*** begin quote ***

Adventure stories rarely come more epic than that of Knut Haugland, the Norwegian resistance fighter who died on Christmas Day at the age of 92. His exploits were already the stuff of legend even before he joined Thor Heyerdahl’s crew aboard his balsa wood raft, Kon-Tiki. Together they not only conquered the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean using only the most primitive of technologies – but in doing so, they helped rejuvenate the crushed spirit of human endeavour in the bleak aftermath of the Second World War.

*** end quote ***

I remember reading Kon Tiki in high school. The good brothers were always challenging us to be skeptical. (That lesson took in my case. I rarely believe ANYTHING!)

I remember seeing the Kon Tiki movie and the Telemark movie (I loved movies. I’m an escapist.) Who knew that the same men were involved in both.

Reminds me of the guy who championed the idea that a Chinese admiral found “America” and Marco Polo brought the discovery back to Europe.

Guess that’s why I’m a “tin foil hat” kinda guy.

If we “know” so little about the past, then what make you think we “know” current events.

Sheeple are so easily manipulated.

Remember it’s all propaganda!

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SOCIALNETWORKING: “Privacy Theater”

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/12/27/privacy-theater

Privacy Theater: Why Social Networks Only Pretend To Protect You

by Guest Author on December 27, 2009

Editor’s note: The following guest post was written by Rohit Khare, the co-founder of Angstro. Building his latest project, social address book Knx.to, gives him a deep familiarity with the privacy policies of all the major social networks.

*** begin quote ***

The philosophical question at hand is what rights do I have in my friends’ information. When I accept a business card from someone I’ve just met, I don’t believe I have the right to re-sell it on Jigsaw in good conscience (they’d disagree 18M times). If it’s a colleague’s card, on the other hand, I might take the initiative to forward a new lead, or even buy a gift subscription to a magazine. Does that constitute a violation of their privacy, or spam?

Social networks haven’t let their users make their own decisions on this issue. Through selective enforcement of their policies, some startups get locked out while big partners get exemptions. Power.com ended up in (and out of) court. Plaxo found out the hard way that they couldn’t assist their paying customers to OCR Facebook email addresses; or to synchronize with LinkedIn. It says a lot about LinkedIn’s draconian ToS that even with paying customers demanding it, Comcast hasn’t signed up for their API. Even if users manually download their own LinkedIn address books, it won’t even include links back to folks’ public profile pages.

*** end quote ***

Interesting post!

Unfortunately, it was posted during the holidays; many people won’t see it.

I haven’t found anything that will allow me to have a unified directory.

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICS: Good cop; bad cop

Monday, January 4, 2010

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/janetdaley/100020863/obama-tries-to-find-new-words-to-fight-terrorism/

Obama tries to find new words to fight terrorism
By Janet Daley World
Last updated: December 29th, 2009

*** begin quote ***

Barack Obama has launched a new offensive against jihadi terrorism – which is to say, a new rhetorical offensive. Having discovered that the earlier Obama doctrine of “reaching out” to the Islamic fundamentalist enemies of western democracy has made no difference whatever to their determination to blow innocent people out of the sky (or, in the case of Iran, to build a nuclear bomb), he is opening another verbal front.

*** end quote ***

I guess we can declare “reaching out” a failure. Especially with supposedly hundreds more in training.

If you’re going to be in a war, you have to fight it to win.

I’m reminded of the old KGB “insurance policy”. During the Cold War, no one messed with the Soviet agents or diplomats. Anyone who did would risk having their families wiped out. Find something that the terrorists hold dear, and NUKE it.

That would establish “detante”.

Clearly, the “good cop” is getting worse results than the old “bad cop”.

Not unexpectedly!

And, they laughed when Ron Paul talked about “blowback”.

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INTERESTING: Roy Roger’s Museum closed

Monday, January 4, 2010

http://www.nationalenquirer.com/roy_rogers_museum_closes_dale_evans_trigger/celebrity/67877

KING OF THE COWBOYS ROY ROGERS REIGN ENDS WITH NO HAPPY TRAILS . . .

*** begin quote ***

Roy Rogers and his trusty steed Trigger may have come to the end of their “Happy Trails” – television’s most famous horse is going on the auction block, The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively.

The beloved golden palomino’s home, the Roy Rogers-Dale Evans Museum, has closed – doomed by bitter family feuding, greed, mounting debts and IRS demands.

*** end quote ***

This saddens me. I loved Roy’s shows.

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Top 10 disasters of the 2009 Obama administration

Monday, January 4, 2010

http://www.independentpoliticalreport.com/2009/12/libertarians-release-top-10-disasters-of-2009-obama-administration/

*** begin quote ***

Libertarians release

Top 10 disasters of the 2009 Obama administration (in no particular order):

   1. Cash for Clunkers

   2. War escalation in Afghanistan

   3. Giant government health care expansion bill

   4. Post office loses money hand over fist

   5. Stimulus package

   6. Expansion of “state secrets” doctrine

   7. Big increase in unemployment

   8. “Bailout” Geithner as Treasury Secretary

   9. Skyrocketing federal spending

  10. Huge federal deficits

*** end quote ***

“Cash For Cluckers” was a bone-headed move on so many levels, but it was “cheap” in comparison to the items lower on the list. There’s no way I’d give it the #1 slot!

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RANT: Arguing with idiots

Sunday, January 3, 2010

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2009/12/loose-lips-and-hyperbole.html
?showComment=1262014283785#c5749020565567766168

Anonymous said…

   Oh please, Health savings Accounts (HSAs) are the biggest bunch of crap ever, a steaming pile of cow dung. They are great if you are wealthy (they are a tax shelter for the rich), healthy or young. They do absolutely nothing for the poor, the lower middle class, for working folks who live from paycheck to paycheck. HSAs are crapola pumped out by the right wing and libertarians so they don’t have to think about all the people who are dying, suffering and going bankrupt from lack of health insurance or from being victims of greedy insurance companies.

OK. Let’s examine this assertion. HSA’s are characterized by (1) a high deductible insurance policy and (2) a basic deposit savings account like and FSA. When I’ve priced HSAs, they are about a third of the cost of other policies. So which is better, have an HSA policy or none? Can’t go bankrupt from a medical expense with an HSA. And, using the SA part of the plan, the individual is in control of their expense.

Insurance companies typically earn about 4% on their capital. No one is getting rich on earnings like that. So “greedy” doesn’t fit.

   What the hell do tax credits do for the poor or for working folks who work from paycheck to paycheck, who can’t save anything and who are in fear of going bankrupt from medical expenses, whether they are insured or not.

So, is the problem paycheck to paycheck? Or underemployment. As usual, ANONYMOUS want to be chicken little. THe sky is always falling. Automobile insurers offer payment plans; I know BCBSNJ does the same thing. The “POOR” have medicaid; the working folks have payment plans. SO what IS the problem?

   Buying insurance across state lines is more garbage from the right wing and their libertarian lap dogs. Buying insurance across state lines will have no affect on anything worth mentioning.

Except that state mandated coverage for hair implants, and all sorts of other “stuff”, makes the cost of insurance in New Jersey higher that without it. Insurance should allow one to CHOOSE what risks you wish not to bear. Personally, I’d like to forgo “hair implants” insurance. Old folks don’t need maternity coverage. So, once again with the gooferment interference, “one size” fits all!

   Single payer or Medicare for all would have been the way to go. This whole libertarian freak show is a cancer on any intelligent discussion about health care and is a total waste of oxygen.

Medicare is going broke in the next few years. Your beloved Health Care Bill cuts 500M$ from Medicare while the coverage group will increase 30%. And, what about all the fraud that’s going on?

   Why should there be caps on suits for medical malpractice? If hospitals, doctors, drug companies, medical equipment companies screw up, they should pay up, no damn caps. Right wingers love to protect the rich and the powerful against some poor schlub who has been maimed through medical malpractice.

Tort reform is to take the GIGANTIC lottery aspect out of the system. And, when the gooferment takes over healthcare and you get screwed, who will you sue then? The gooferment int he gooferment court.

   Ending FDA regulation of pharmaceuticals is just insane. If anything, the FDA and its regulations should be beefed up and strengthened.

Sure, no one wants cheap drugs quickly. For someone who argues against corporations, you don’t recognize “regulatory capture”!

   The drug companies have too much power and influence over our government as it is, the FDA must be insulated from undue influence and all this massive economic power of the drug companies.

Never ever going to happen. Name one “regulatory agency” that hasn’t been “captured”?

   Dr. Mary J. Ruwart works for Cannabis Science Inc and previously worked for Upjohn. She’s nothing more than a corporate shill for the drug companies who don’t want any kind of regulations and the public be damned.

That’s why she advocated for more freedom.

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RANT: It’s not OK to run up the score

Sunday, January 3, 2010

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/womens-basketball/recap?gid=201001020050&prov=ap

Griner dunks twice, No.5 Baylor rolls 99-18

*** begin quote ***

WACO, Texas (AP)—Brittney Griner and No. 5 Baylor put on a show—at the expense of Texas State.

*** and ***

“We would have beat a lot of teams tonight,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. “I don’t care who we would have played tonight, this basketball team was ready to play.”

*** end quote ***

What idiot SCHEDULED this game in the first place?

Guess Coach Mulkey thinks beating up on little kids is “OK”!

Sorry, but even if the scrubs were in, I wouldn’t permit this embarrassment.

If there is any justice in this world, the admonishment will come from UConn.

OK, Geno, I hereby release you from any criticism if you run up the score on Baylor.

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MONEY: Fun way to get the message across

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Bullion Is A Girl’s Best Friend

ROFL!

Leave a Comment » | ADMINISTRIVIA, MONEY | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj

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