Day: July 23, 2010

FUN: Shitterton Villagers Buy ‘Theft-Proof’ Sign

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.impactlab.com/2010/07/23/shitterton-villagers-buy-theft-proof-sign/

July 23rd, 2010 at 5:18 am
Shitterton Villagers Buy ‘Theft-Proof’ Sign
Shitterton strikes back

*** begin quote ***

A village sign has been stolen so many times that residents have clubbed together to buy a stone version cemented in to the ground. Households in Shitterton, near Bere Regis, Dorset contributed £20 each to the new sign after repeatedly falling victim to pranksters. Volunteers then arranged a truck and crane to manoeuvre the stone into place…

*** end quote ***

Guess I’ll have to ask my favorite Brit. Must have lost something in translation coming over the pond. I don’t get the joke. Do you? Please explain it to a fat old white guy injineer. Use little words.

# # # # #

Categories FUN

MONEY: Kickbacks in your 401k

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2010/07/21/investor_lawsuits_forcing_companies_to_disclose_401k_fees/

Investor lawsuits forcing companies to disclose 401(k) fees
By David Pitt
Associated Press / July 21, 2010

*** begin quote ***

DES MOINES — Workers protesting fees paid out of their 401(k) accounts want to know what the money is used for, who gets it, and proof that the charges are justified. And they’re going to court to get the answers.

*** end quote ***

This “fee” and kickback nonsense has been going on for decades. Let’s get the Gooferment out of retirement savings completely. Repeal the 401k / IRA laws. Then, either forget about the problem (Communist China has NO welfare or social security scams in case you are wondering why they save so much.) or require a tax for anyone, who has NOT purchased a inflation-adjusted retirement annuity equal to the poverty level for their zip code from a reputable insurance company, and buy one for them. Or be like the dreaded Chinese Communists, and just ignore the problem.

If we end the warfare / welfare state, then we’ll have growing thriving society with plenty of voluntary charity for the needy and “market discipline” for the lazy.

# # # # #

MONEY: The Gooferment’s Long Term Care Insurance in Obamacare

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.ricedelman.com/cs/pressroom/pressroom_detail?pressrelease.id=1432

*** begin quote ***

Comparing CLASS to private sector LTC coverage. We’re pleased that the government is attempting to offer long-term care insurance, but CLASS doesn’t eliminate the need for you to buy a policy from private health insurers. First, CLASS’s daily benefit of $50 or $75 is woefully insufficient, considering that the average daily cost of a nursing home is $206, according to the 2010 Genworth Cost of Care survey, and that licensed in-home health aides today cost an average of $19/hour. Making these figures even worse is the fact that they are projected to be $268 and $21, respectively, when CLASS benefits become available in 2016. And unlike long-term care insurance you purchase, the government’s program is not a contract; benefits and costs can change.

*** and ***

In the meantime, do not let the notion of the CLASS program cause you to delay getting your own LTC insurance if your planner has recommended it for you. It’s unlikely that CLASS will meet all your LTC insurance needs, but even if it does, you should buy LTC insurance today to get the protection you need; you can always cancel the policy later, after you sign up for CLASS.

*** end quote ***

IMHO, getting old sucks. Pattie wiped out her little bit of lifetime savings in under a year. My Mom was forking out 10k$/month for “help” as she struggled to stay in her apartment. Anyone listening should have sufficient appropriate insurance.

It’s a funny peculiar calculation. If you have nothing, you need nothing; you get Medicaid. If you have 10M$, you need nothing; you’ll self-insure. Anything in the middle, you HAVE to have insurance. Where the middle starts and ends is arts not science. Argh!  

# # # # #

TINFOILHAT: A reason why JFK was killed

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://original.antiwar.com/pfaff/2010/05/27/mac-bundy-said-he-was-all-wrong/

Mac Bundy Said He Was ‘All Wrong’
by William Pfaff, May 28, 2010

*** begin quote ***

Goldstein quotes tapes made of Kennedy’s meetings with Bundy, McNamara, and his military adviser, Maxwell Taylor, on October 2, 1963. McNamara and Taylor were just back from Vietnam. They recommended that 1,000 of the 16,000 US military advisers be withdrawn in the following two months, with most of the rest removed by the end of 1965. Bundy asks why. McNamara says, “We need a way to get out of Vietnam. This is a way of doing it.” Bundy disagrees. Kennedy agrees and gives the orders.

Forty-seven days later Lyndon Johnson was president. In July 1964 the South Vietnamese began clandestine operations against the North. These led the following month to the Gulf of Tonkin incident. Lyndon Johnson authorized bombing North Vietnam. The US had entered the war. Bundy had prevailed.

*** end quote ***

TFH! Here’s another reason why the CIA had to do away with him.

We are led by ordinary men exerting tremendous force upon others. And, that’s the fatal flaw in all Gooferment action. It’s rooted in the idea that some one can actually FORCE you to do something. Ever seen a kid being “forced” to eat a plate of unpleasant vegetables? Creative excuses, dawdling, “accidents”, rearranging, and finally even outright insubordination. Now if a little kid can do that, then imagine what an adult can come up with. Sugaring gas tanks, deliberate sabotage, and deliberate delays are the overt acts. Poor attendance, inattention, and attitude are the not so overt. Demoralized workers turned to alcohol in the old Soviet Union.

We can’t make progress until we get back to a “force free” civil society!

# # # # #

GOVERNACIDE: 1 US Soldier Killed

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://original.antiwar.com/updates/2010/07/21/wednesday-16-iraqis-killed-32-wounded/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+antiwar-original+%28Antiwar.com+Original+Articles%29

Wednesday: 40 Iraqis, 1 US Soldier Killed; 64 Iraqis Wounded
by Margaret Griffis, July 21, 2010
Updated at 8:24 p.m. EDT, July 21, 2010

*** begin quote ***

At least 40 Iraqis were killed 64 more were wounded in various attacks across the country. The worst violence collapsed a building in Diyala province, which has suffered several attacks in the last few days. A U.S. soldier was also killed in Diyala when a roadside bomb blated his vehicle.

*** end quote ***

Pisses me off that this doesn’t get more publicity!

Wake up, Sheeple, we need these boys and girls home. Now!

Ron Paul WAS the only true anti-war candidate with a plan (i.e., cut and run). We’ve made a very bad mistake. Let’s recognize it and staunch the bleeding. Sorry to our friends and allies. Apologies to our enemies. Time to retreat. Discretion is the best form of valor.

# # # # #

POLITICAL: Take only “Local” campaign conributions and publish them

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100715/ap_on_bi_ge/us_investment_banker_fraud_1

Ex-Clinton fundraiser gets 12 years in prison
Thu Jul 15, 11:04 am ET

*** begin quote ***

NEW YORK – A wealthy Manhattan investment banker who was once a top fundraiser for Hillary Rodham Clinton and other big-name Democrats has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for bank fraud.

*** end quote ***

So why isn’t there any penalty for the political beneficiary of this “crime”?

There has to be a better way.

I haven’t heard anything better than restricting candidates from accepting money from outside the district that they seek to represent and “publishing” all sources of any funds or in kind services. That way we’d at least know who’s buying what politician and how much influence they are likely to exert on some politician. Simple, effective and efficient. No diktats or bureaucrats required. Call it the “Honest Politician” pledge. And, it up to the politician to demonstrate compliance. Maybe we can setup the “Honest Politician Society™” to preserve the standard and sue politicians who make the claim but don’t follow the principles.

# # # # #

QUOTES: “our guy” versus “their guy”

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

“The Constitution is intended to shield us from the government, and if we lower that shield because “our guy” is in the White House, you’ll be left without protection when “their guy” gets the White House the next time around.”

— The Pacific Legal Foundation’s Tim Sandefur

# # # # #