INTERESTING: An optimistic outlook; delusional thinking

Monday, September 20, 2010

My Most Exciting Day

http://www.flixxy.com/european-film-school-winner.htm

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An optimistic outlook and a little imagination can help to make the best out of a non-optimum situation.

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I’m not a “soft touch” for sob stories. But this should be an award winner. There has to be a better way to (a) deal with povtery; (b) prevent / mitigate it; and (c) help women, and men, make better choices. Argh! Human beings are dumb. It’s amazing the species survives. But, it’s a good!

And, in a smidgen over a minute? Wow!

This demonstrates the power of paradigms. We have to change our memes on a lot of things. “Poverty” is just one of them.

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: Truman was close to worst; politicians should be in jail

Monday, September 20, 2010

http://www.keywestlou.com/2010/09/great-radio-show-yesterday-most-of-show.html

My Life in Key West
Saturday, September 18, 2010

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A strange thought crossed my mind last night as I looked at Key West’s visitors and cycles. What would Harry Truman have thought? He loved and enjoyed Key West. My guess is he would have probably joined in on the festivities. At least attire wise. Harry, yes. Bess, no.

When I got home, I went to the internet to see what Truman was up to on this weekend years ago.

Turns out that on September 18, 1948, Harry Truman was campaigning for President. He was on the rear platform of a train in Chariton, Iowa giving a political speech. Candidates campaigned from the back of trains in those days. It was called whistlestopping.

Truman was giving the Republicans hell. He told the crowd that they were receiving top dollar for their pigs and corn. Thanks to him and the Democratic Party. He referred to the Republicans and their Republican controlled Congress as a “…do nothing Congress.” The transcript of Truman’s remarks were concise and hard hitting. His words would have equally applied in today’s political climate.

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I know you like Truman, but he’s firmly in my second tier of “worst Presidents ever”.

Alone in the “bottom slot” of worst is Lincoln, with the “civil war”. He allowed war on civilians and mass killing “to preserve the Union”. The USA was never the same after that. Suspending civil liberties and persecuting his political enemies. I’d agree with Booth “sic semper tyranis”. As a pro-lifer, killing is almost always wrong, but he was a pretty bad guy. The damage was already done when he was killed.

Tied for the title, “My Second Worst”, is FDR, Wilson, and Truman. Hard to pick a winner in that trio. Harry dropped the bomb on Japan to his, and our, unending shame. It’s hard to imagine a worse crime against humanity. Twice.

So, I wouldn’t celebrate Harry. Sigh, I’d suggest that Harry’s actions wouldn’t have passed muster in MC Theology class. Heck, in grammar school we learned about the criteria for a “Just War” and proper conduct of it.

p.s., Wilson’s biggie was WW1 and his racist / elitist Progressive agenda. FDR was socialism, taking us off the gold standard, and WW2.

p.p.s, I have no love for either flavor of big Gooferment statists. But, please, please, don’t get caught up in the “political theater” that passes in Washington District of Corruption for “reasoned debate”. These two “parties” are two sides of the same coin. If the D’s or the R’s didn’t exist, the other side would reinvent them so as to have a “straw man” to villainize. It’s a scam. To fool “We, The People” into believing one side or the other. Don’t fall for it. It will only end when we dissolve like the old USSR. And, then we can “localize” the discussion. We’re broke and don’t let anyone tell you differently. People are going to get screwed and the politicians and bureaucrats will have looted the public treasure. It makes old Bernie Made-Off look like a Saint. Argh!

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Posted by reinkefj

LIBERTY: GPS is unreasonable search

Sunday, September 19, 2010

http://www.wxpnews.com/LEM1E6/100913-gpstracking

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Did you think government agents needed a warrant to put a GPS tracking device on your car and monitor where you go? Nope – at least not if you leave in the western United States. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that sneaking onto your property and planting such a device doesn’t require a search warrant and doesn’t violate your fourth amendment rights.

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Any reasonable person would say that this is a violation. Does this make you blood boil? It’s another loss of our liberty.

What are YOU going to DO about it?

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Posted by reinkefj

MONEY: No inheritences; debts galore

Sunday, September 19, 2010

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/8010896/Parents-wont-have-wealth-to-pass-on-report.html

Parents won’t have wealth to pass on, report
Future generations should not expect to inherit wealth from their parents following the ravages of the worst financial crisis since the 1930s, a new report has warned.
By Angela Monaghan
Published: 10:00PM BST 18 Sep 2010

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Parents won’t have wealth to pass on, report warns

The report says few Europeans are likely to have made adequate provision for their retirement, let alone passing on wealth to the next generation.

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“Europe’s working population has yet to wake up to the fact that it will not be able to retire as early as it would like, and indeed may have to work a lot longer,” Mr Bowers said.

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Hard to believe that the politicians and bureaucrats have wiped out a nation’s wealth. A life time of work destroyed. By rich corrupt politicians and their self-serving bureaucrats.

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Posted by reinkefj

QUOTE: There’s nothing you can’t accomplish –Tony Robbins

Sunday, September 19, 2010

“The truth of the matter is that there’s nothing you can’t accomplish if: (1) You clearly decide what it is that you’re absolutely committed to achieving, (2) You’re willing to take massive action, (3) You notice what’s working or not, and (4) You continue to change your approach until you achieve what you want, using whatever life gives you along the way.” –Tony Robbins

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Posted by reinkefj

JOBSEARCH: UI is bad public policy

Saturday, September 18, 2010

http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2007/10/29/depression-clouds-everything/#comment-565292

@LaneZane I too am unemployed. At 63, I doubt I’m ever going to have another job.

That being said, “Unemployment Insurance” is a BAD public policy.

To a drowning man, it’s hard to lecture that a life preserver was an unnecessary expense on the Titanic. (Life preservers in the frigid water meant you slowly froze to death as opposed to quickly drowning.

“To me it’s just a made up word. A politician’s word, so young fellas like yourself can wear a suit and a tie, and have a job.” — Red in The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

It’s purpose to give politicians “talking points” and bureaucrats jobs. The politicians can posture and bureaucrats can shovel paper. And, as a public policy, it encourages people, at the margins, and at the lower earning levels, to NOT diligently search. It’s like welfare that saps the ambition to do better.

Unemployment Insurance is not insurance. The loss of a job is not like a tornado, flood, or fire. It’s not a random event. The crappy economy is CAUSED by the politicians and bureaucrats. And, as such, the unemployed get screwed.

We’d be better off without it. Make our own “unemployment insurance”. Don’t collect that payroll tax, Don’t have all those bureaucrats. And, make politicians accountable for their actions. For example, what employer, in their right mind, with Obamacare, higher taxes, and a slowing economy coming at them, would ADD an employee now?

And, it’s BOTH parties. They both SUCK!

Bottom line, it’s the spending. And, the unfunded entitlements. And the extra regulations. And, the cabal of politicians, Wall Street, Bankers, Federal Reserve, and all the bureaucrats that make it impossible to do business and have a thriving economy.

In short the politicians killed the “golden goose” — the economy. And, it’s up to us, “We, The People” to instruct them in the error of their ways. D or R, if they are an incumbent, then they need to go.

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P.S., Why are we giving wealthy politicians lucrative pensions? Their pensions are more than most people make. That’s nuts. Political pensions should be nuked! Another expense we don’t need.

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Posted by reinkefj

GOVERNACIDE: What counts?

Saturday, September 18, 2010

http://www.lewrockwell.com/spl2/gold-price-breakout.html

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The soldier death count is another statistical deception. The actual death count is at least triple the official number posted by the US Military. The official count is of soldiers who died on Iraqi soil, not those who were moved to hospitals outside of Iraq, like other Persian Gulf nations, a ship on the Gulf itself or the Mediterranean Sea, or even Germany.

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You may want to at least be aware of this item.

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Posted by reinkefj

INTERESTING: Making decisions

Saturday, September 18, 2010

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Re: what’s to lose doing somewhere else

I’m just not sure X is a good idea, but Y’s becoming more open to the idea itself. Y’s frustrated. Which I think is EXACTLY the wrong motivation.

• This maybe imho a “below the waterline” decision. And, not I, nor you, nor any one, but Y “owns” the problem.

• When it’s above the WL, your bias should be to act. When below, the bias should be to carefully consider action. First, do no harm? Blundering about doing “stuff” ain’t a formula for success.

• It moved below the waterline when <something bad changes>. (And, you become aware of it!)

• Hence, I’ve changed my bias. When it wasn’t so severe, I was anxious to go somewhere else for “the answer”. Now, I’m scared

• Doing something just to do something maybe the case of jumping from pan to fire.

• You don’t know that you’re going to get better care; unimaginable, but it could be worse. Much worse?

• It’ll certainly be father away from our base, from supportive relatives.

• You have NO assurance that the next set of docs has an answer.

• You have NO assurance that there is an answer.

• And, chasing a “false hope” may distract you from being in the moment. And “paying attention”.

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Carter speaks; to get out of the doghouse?

Friday, September 17, 2010

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/09/16/60minutes/main6872344.shtml

Sept. 16, 2010
Jimmy Carter Slams Ted Kennedy On Health Care
Tells “60 Minutes” Comprehensive Care Would Be In Place Had The Late Senator Not Killed His Bill

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(CBS) The late Sen. Ted Kennedy, champion of the recent health plan legislation, actually delayed comprehensive coverage for Americans for decades, says former President Jimmy Carter. It was Kennedy’s actions to kill Carter’s own health care bill that made Americans wait more than 30 years for meaningful coverage, says Carter in an interview with “60 Minutes” correspondent Lesley Stahl.

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Well, if he wanted Carter-care, then I’ll have to praise Saint Teddy. Right result for the wrong reasons is still the right result.

Perhaps, Carter senses that Obama is trying to displace him as the worst most-inept President in “modern times”. Jimmy, for all his faults, can’t come close to Lincoln as the “worst”. And, he’s not even in the second tier of “worser” — WW1 Wilson, SSI FDR, Hiroshima Truman!

And, of all the two faced politicians, Carter did send Amy to public school. Not a hypocrite like these others.

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Posted by reinkefj

POLITICAL: Advanced Free Speech

Friday, September 17, 2010

“America isn’t easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, ’cause it’s gonna put up a fight. It’s gonna say “You want free speech? Let’s see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who’s standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can’t just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the “land of the free”.” — President Andrew Shepherd played by Michael Douglas in “The American President” (1995)

The fired NJ Transit worker is a classic example.

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Posted by reinkefj

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