Month: January 2011

RANT: An Israeli Perspective on events in Egypt

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http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/watching-egypt-burn-an-israeli-perspective/

Watching Egypt Burn: An Israeli Perspective
What is happening now in Egypt has immediate and potentially disastrous consequences for the Jewish state. (Also read Roger L. Simon at the Tatler: “Cluless Israel wakes up on PR (sort of)”)
January 31, 2011 – by Benjamin Kerstein

*** begin quote ***

The result has been that most Israelis have long since given up hope that the Arab world can or wanted to change. Things were the way they were and we would have to accept that. As a result, two schools of thought developed: One held that, since the Arabs would never change, we would have to reach peaceful reconciliation with the situation as it was, however difficult and unstable. The other claimed that peace with such neighbors was ultimately impossible, and that Israel should hunker down, make itself as close to militarily invulnerable as possible, and look to its own prosperity and development. This situation has held for decades, and even the American push for democratization during the war with Iraq did not change things. Most Israelis considered it misguided idealism at best and dangerous naivete at worst.

*** end quote ***

As a little L libertarian, I’m astonished at what passes for American “foreign policy”.

There’s nothing more dangerous that being a ally or a friend of the USA Gooferment. (Either party can be at the controls. They are equally untrustworthy.)

Remember the airlift out of Saigon? How many of our friends were tortured to death?

The Dead Old White Guys were correct — no entangling alliances.

Switzerland has the meme.

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RANT: There’s a time to NOT shoot from the hip!

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RANT TRIGGERED BY A SIGNATURE LINE

> Optimism— Why not?

Optimism — Why not? — It depends!

Depends upon where the waterline is relative to your nose! Personally, I’d suggest that there’s a time for optimism (i.e., bet on a positive outcome) and a time for pessimism (i.e., bet on a negative outcome). I think everyone does that almost instinctively. My personal rule is: “Does the Titanic sink if I hit the iceberg?” Optimism is appropriate when an adverse result won’t have catastrophic consequences? Pessimism is almost obligatory when the result would be catastrophic, irreversible, or uncorrectable.

imho

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RANT: A smart guy doesn’t think Social Security is broke

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http://www.keywestlou.com/2011/01/blog-late-slept-late-sorry-yesterdays.html

My Life in Key West

SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 2011

*** begin quote ***

I hit Social Security hard. The American people are getting a crock of improper information from the right. Social Security is not insolvent. It will be either 8 years or 24 years before there is a problem. Deal with the other issues at this time which are critical at the moment. Deal with Social Security later in a precautionary fashion to make sure no problems occur down the road.

*** end quote ***

Social Security isn’t insolvent?

Guess we have different definitions of what “insolvent” means!

in·sol·vent adj \(ˌ)in-ˈsäl-vənt, -ˈsȯl-\

Definition of INSOLVENT

a (1) : unable to pay debts as they fall due in the usual course of business (2) : having liabilities in excess of a reasonable market value of assets held

b : insufficient to pay all debts <an insolvent estate>

c : not up to a normal standard or complement : impoverished

We’ll just go to that “lockbox” each month an take out what’s needed to pay the pensioners.

Oh, there is NO lockbox!

That proverbial lockbox is full of IOUs from the Treasury.

Surely the Treasury has a “treasure room” to redeem these IOUs against? Fort Knox?

No, Treasury thru the FED borrows money from China!

Now, I know it’s hard for folk to think of their precious Gooferment as being “broke”. But it is.

Not that it doesn’t have resources. Not that it is without people.

It’s short on clarity.

It all starts back in 1913 with the creation of the FED, with stops along the way at FDR’s gold confiscation, Nixon closing the gold window, and “Helicopter” Ben with his “printing press”.

What we are calling money has no intrinsic value. No scarcity. We’re lucky that we’ve pulled the proverbial wool over the world’s eyes with the “Dollar as the World’s Reserve currency”. Our new modern Dollar is worth whatever you can exchange it for. We kid ourselves that it has “value”.

(Saddam whispering, that he wanted to be paid for “his” oil in the golden dinar, was enough to get him overthrown.)

The OPEC countries and China are wising up to the scam. Their problem is how do they hit the exit from the Dollar while it still worth something. And, they are not in a position to go without the USA markets. Yet. Why do you suppose that China is buying everything in sight with its dollars? Much like the Japanese in the 80’s who bought Rockefeller Center, golf courses galore, and stuff. It didn’t save them.

Now, back to Social Security. When I was on Wall Street, everyone always worried about “counter party risk”. If I do a trade with you, will you complete the deal. Us old folks have a “moral IOU” from Uncle Sam that says we have sort of a claim on future generations for an annuity. (An annuity that pays a negative interest rate, I might add. But, let’s keep it simple.) Congress can with the stroke of pen change the terms of that annuity. (As it can with any public servants’ pension.)

Now there are any number of reasons that they abrogate the deal. It’s too expensive. It’s inconvenient. Or, there are not enough future taxpayers to make good on the promise.

So how can you say that Social Security isn’t broke? It’s not like a real Insurance Company. It makes Bernie Made-Off look penny ante.

Did you skip MC’s eckynomics class?

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INTERESTING: Remove “offensive” terms from the works of Mark Twain? No!

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://ncc-1776.org/tle2011/tle604-20110123-02.html

A State of Education—Some Views of a Nontraditional Student
by Cathy L.Z. Smith
cathylz@netzero.com
Attribute to The Libertarian Enterprise

*** begin quote ***

The origins of creative works are as important as the works themselves, providing context and accountability. The desire, for instance, to remove certain “offensive” terms from the works of Mark Twain condemns us to travel those same paths again, ignorant of the wisdom that has preceded us in our social evolution. Likewise the recent Canadian decision to censor the works of Mark Knopfler, on the ever more shrilly-cited grounds of “hate speech”, cramp and shrink our culture. It is impossible to change opposing attitudes once it’s made impossible to explore and discuss them.

*** end quote ***

Some one said “those, who don’t remember history, are doomed to repeat it.”

The meme to rewrite history is contra-suvival. And thus in my morality is wrong. It’s also inefficient and ineffective. But that’s a different objection.

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FUN: “Talk is cheap”

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http://cafehayek.com/2011/01/a-proposal-in-the-public-interest.html

A Proposal in the Public Interest

by DON BOUDREAUX on JANUARY 29, 2011

*** begin quote ***

Another mark of a good economist is to be skeptical of stated intentions. Talk is cheap. So if Jones professes his great love of humanity, the economist pays little heed.

Economist and non-economist are strolling in Manhattan. When they pass Carnegie Hall, the non-economist says wistfully to the economist, “You know, I’ve always wanted to learn to play the piano.” The economist replies “obviously not.”

*** end quote ***

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Categories FUN

RANT: BHO44’s Middle East Foreign “policy”?

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http://bigpeace.com/pschweizer/2011/01/29/barack-obama-backing-protestors-in-egypt-what-is-he-thinking/

Barack Obama: Backing Protestors in Egypt? What Is He Thinking?!
Posted by Peter Schweizer Jan 29th 2011 at 6:52 am
in Featured Story, Islam, Islamic extremism, Middle East

*** begin quote ***

Reports that the Obama Administration may be secretly backing the protests in Egypt is troubling on several levels. First, there is the obvious fact that no one can ultimately direct and control social protests. Once they begin, they can quickly spin out of control. Hopes that you can control who comes out on top in such circumstances is incredibly naive. History teaches it is always the best organized (and not necessarily the largest) faction that comes out on top. In the case of Egypt that appears to be the radical Muslim Brotherhood. I hope I’m wrong, but there seems to be little evidence to the contrary.

*** end quote ***

What is BHO44 and crew thinking?

Guess we’ll have to wait for Madame Hillary to explain it to us? (What were her credentials on foreign policy before becoming Secretary of State? Nothing like starting at the top. And, her “turf” was carved out from under her within minutes of her taking the job.)

Are they setting up tumult to retain big budgets at home? (Do they need a straw-man enemy to justify bigger Defense budget against the Tea Party Republican cuts? At the very least, to bump them off the front page!)

The USA has strayed so far from the DOWG’s ideal of “no entangling alliances” that it is unrecognizable!

And, btw, if the economy is “priority #1”, then what do they think that unrest in Egypt will do to energy prices?

Or, maybe that’s what they want?

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RANT: “Due to my parents poor financial planning …”

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http://heop.org/blog/student-success-alexandria-cheshier/

Student Success: Alexandria Cheshier
POSTED BY HEOP.ORG ON JAN 28, 2011 IN BLOG, FEATURED ARTICLES, STUDENT STORIES

*** begin quote ***

I have completed three years of undergraduate studies at {Extraneous Deleted}. Due to my parents poor financial planning I am no longer attending {Extraneous Deleted}, and I have no access to my transcripts which are needed for me to transfer to ANY college. Currently, I am over $50,000 in debt. I have no possible co-signers for any loans, and am ineligible myself.

During my time at {Extraneous Deleted} my father lost his job, “found religion”, and decided to start a non-profit organization with my mother donating food for the needy. In the process they became the needy and are now surviving off of donations, and minuscule unemployment which will be running out shortly. I am now working at my supermarket making minimum wage to pay off my debts. I have saved up enough money to continue my studies take one class at my community college. I currently would like nothing more than to continue my education.

I was always reiterated the fact that I can attend any college I want, the college of my dreams, no matter what. I think many parents hold this philosophy that college should come at any costs, but this perception needs to change. If I had any idea how much money my parents were actually making I could have used this information in my application process, doing simple things like avoiding colleges which were 5-10 times what my family could realistically afford.

The growing need for education on this topic is exceptionally rising, and this concern is something that can be conveyed to students by guidance counselors. In addition parents need to become aware of this fact, and have access to information sessions on the topic of affording college. If I had any idea that I could be 22 and working at a supermarket instead of fulfilling my health care profession due to financial incapacity, I would have simply chosen a public school.

*** end quote ***

Welcome to the “real world”.

Parents ain’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact on the “parenting scale”, they are not even close to the bottom. You weren’t abused, and they launched you thru three years of college.

And, what did you learn in those three years? Obviously, not much.

How much money did you sock away for YOUR education?

When do you pull up your “big girl panties” and solve your own problems?

Are you putting your shoulder to the wheel or are you expecting others to push your “life” out of this “swamp” while you stand aside and wail “woe is me”.

Clearly, if you got INTO college, you’re supposed to be smart. Are you using it?

“I would have simply chosen a public school”; yeah, and if wishes were horses, the world would still be full of <synonym for excrement>. I always say that the “shoulda, coulda, and woulda!” will KILL you. If you want to have a “pity party”, I can share some of my great blunders that if I hadn’t made, then I’d be thin, rich, and handsome. Instead of a fat old white guy injineer with a slew of my own problems.

So now that you’ve sucked down 3 years of tuition from the ‘rents and the banks, how are you helping Mom and Dad now that they are on “hard times”?

No, you’re rant is all about you. And, how unfair life is being to you. Boo Hoo!

I see pictures of kids with incurable diseases. I see one beautiful young girl getting chemo when my wife goes. She has trouble buttoning her coat asked my wife one day to help. And, even though, she has trouble buttoning her own, she did it. Don’t tell me about how tough you’ve got it. My fellow alumni, you haven’t seen tough. I read about the experiences of a fellow alum in Haiti. Where people a year after a disaster don’t have clean water, toilets, and are dying of diseases we cured in the 1800’s.

Your three paragraph whine didn’t give enough details to take action on. But, I can’t believe that there is NOT another side to the story. There always is.

All this raises one question?

You said “due to my parents poor financial planning”, my question is when do you assume ownership of your life?

Sorry, but my sympathies are for your parents.

# – # – #

And, I say to my own deceased Mom: “Sorry, I was such a pia. Was I like this? Maybe I’m grown up now.”

Maybe this is “hard, blunt, and insensitive”? Remember the sources of my education: … and creating caring human relationships from studying the movie roles of Gunny Ronald Lee Ermey! Sometimes, folks need a slap to get them to focus.

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FLASH: TSA wants to ensure its survival?

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http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/01/29/tsa.private/index.html?hpt=T2

Washington (CNN) — A program that allows airports to replace government screeners with private screeners is being brought to a standstill, just a month after the Transportation Security Administration said it was “neutral” on the program.

TSA chief John Pistole said Friday he has decided not to expand the program beyond the current 16 airports, saying he does not see any advantage to it.

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MONEY: Incorrect language confuses us

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http://www.vtcommons.org/blog/2011/01/19/truth-power-illusion-money-david-korten

TRUTH TO POWER: The Illusion of Money, By David Korten
Submitted by Carolyn Baker on Wed, 01/19/2011 – 9:16pm.
http://www.yesmagazine.org/blogs/david-korten/the-illusion-of-money

*** begin quote ***

The deceptions are built right into our language. We refer to speculation as “investment” and to phantom financial wealth as “capital.” Indeed, when we hear the terms wealth, capital, assets, or resources we have no way to know whether the reference is to a real asset or only to a phantom financial asset. Our language gives us no way to make this essential distinction. It is no wonder we get confused and fail to recognize that Wall Street produces nothing of real value.

*** end quote ***

I cringe every time I hear politicians and bureaucrats blather about “investing in education”, or this, or that. They are always “investing”; I’d call it “spending”, or even “wasting”.

The biggest delusion imho is “money”. Calling intrinsically worthless Federal Reserve Banknotes “money” is self-deception. Calling anything a dollar is perversion of the definition of 24.057 grams of silver.

We have to regain control of our language.

And stop fooling ourselves.

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RANT: Drive-by comments waste resources

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

Someone left the following comment as a “drive by”:

*** begin quote ***

Submitted on 2011/01/27 at 22:13
Democrat Barack Hussein Obama
ILLEGAL ALIEN

*** end quote ***

While an interesting proposition, it does nothing to advance the discussion.

While I am a “proof-er”, I can easily see an interesting thread of possibility.

  • Let’s suppose that all the papers are out in the open.
  • Let’s further suppose that there is something embarrassing in them, but NOT a smoking gun that the “birther’s presume”.
  • Let’s further suppose that there is a lot of collateral information and documentation that supports his citizenship. (For example, a copy of his birth certificate or something that is not admissible as evidence.)
  • Then, there may NOT be a birth certificate on file in Hawaii. (We all know how screwed up the Gooferment is. So why can’t they lose a perfectly insignificant birth certificate?)

So, that’s it. No birth certificate, but yet, there’d be enough proof to put the issue to rest once and for all.

It would explain what he didn’t want public. Now, you may think that is “tin foil hat” thinking, but this is the essence between being a “proofer” and a “birther”. Since we can’t even define the spectrum of possibilities, we can’t even assign probabilities. So, every theory is equally likely.

The drive-by comment is itself stupid!

Everyone knows that there is no such thing as jumbo shrimp, an honest politician, or “illegal aliens”.

# # # # # posted 2011-01-28 14:13

POLITICAL: NO more bailouts … … for ANYONE!

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Honorable Republican Representatives,

On behalf of roughly 45 million Americans who voted for you in the November 2nd Elections,

On behalf of the more than 10 million Tea Party Supporters and Sympathizers among them…whose votes gave you victory,

For the purposes of federal government and state government fiscal responsibility, solvency, and financial common sense,

We request that all 242 Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives pledge to actively oppose and vote against all federal government bailouts for state governments or local governments.

No Funding bailouts for state or local governments.

No Loans for state or local governments.

No Loan Guarantees for state or local governments.

No cash. No loans. No loan guarantees. No co-signing.

Not for California. Not for Massachusetts. Not for Illinois. Not for New York. Not for any state or local government.

They must live within their own means. They must reduce and remove fat and non-essential spending from their budgets. They must seek and find ways to accomplish their essential duties – with lower overhead and less money.

Just like private sector businesses.

You must not enable them to continue their reckless and irresponsible spending.

You must not enable state and local governments to postpone the day of financial reckoning.

They have behaved like spending junkies, like money drunks. Now they face detox. Some are begging for ‘just one more’ drink, ‘just one last dose’ of narcotics. Tomorrow they’ll get clean and sober…

That’s the addiction talking. Ignore it.

Once state and local officials realize that you will not bail them out, they will solve their own spending problems.

Once they come to terms with economic reality, they will seek and find cheaper, better, smarter ways to do their government’s essential tasks.

They will become more responsible and accountable stewards of government.

Because almost all of you 242 Republican Members of the U.S. House of Representatives ran campaigns promising to roll back federal overspending, to exercise fiscal restraint, and to end federal bailouts, we ask you to notify state governments and local governments that you will vote against bailing them out.

Together, your 242 Republican U.S. House votes against bailing out state and local governments give you a “Veto.”

Promising to exercise this Republican “Veto” – and using it, if the Senate or White House demands bailouts for state or local governments – will show Tea Party supporters, fiscal conservatives, libertarians, and independents that you keep your campaign pledges.

This may create momentum for your proposed federal spending cuts.

It may create momentum for 2012 Republican candidates for the U.S. House and Senate who promise to substantially cut federal government spending, borrowing, and taxing.

Perhaps even a like-minded Republican candidate for President.

It starts with you. Now.

Will you make this pledge?

We eagerly await hearing about and publicizing your No Bailouts Pledge. It will be a beacon of hope during these crucial months of budget negotiations.

Small government is beautiful,
Carla Howell & Michael Cloud

# # # # # posted 2011-01-27 19:29

TAGONIST: Wrong door raid in the Hudson Valley

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The DEA has apologized for the wrong door raid in the Hudson Valley. John P. Gilbride, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, issued a statement Friday clearing Spring Valley resident David McKay and his family of anything to do with the series of drug raids that took place early Thursday in Westchester and Rockland counties. “We sincerely regret that while attempting to execute an arrest warrant for a member of this drug trafficking organization, the innocent McKay family was inadvertently affected by this enforcement operation,” Gilbride said. “Though we take many precautions to prevent this type of incident from happening, drug investigations are very complex and involve many fluid factors,” Gilbride said. “DEA will continue to pursue these criminal organizations to protect the public from the scourge of drug trafficking.”

# – # – #

PRO-TAGONIST: I’m just glad they were working to stop drug traffickers. Collateral damage is often a byproduct of good yet dangerous work. It’s not like math, 2+2=4, it has many variables, is very risky and uncertainty. But in the end, the more criminals we can stop…some collateral damage along the way is acceptable, to me anyway. It’a like a drone that takes out Al-Qaida terrorists planning an attack. Sometimes there is collateral damage there too, but when compared to the potential loss of lives the terrorists could have done, it is a win. No loss of life or liberty is a good thing…but it’s a mean world out there.

AN-TAGONIST: Little hard if you’re the “collateral damage”! Argh, makes me sick. The family in the Hudson Valley had Fourth Amendment rights to be secure in the home. Sorry, but I’d PUBLICLY discipline folks. If I was the Head of the DEA, I’d put at least a Letter of Reprimand in every single file of ANYONE involved in the raid. Including my own! I’d probably reassign the “Special Agent In Charge” to where ever the North Pole office was located. Nothing will send a message to bureaucrats as a threat to their beloved livelihood of “lifetime employment”. I’d put every other SAIC that a repeat blunder will result in termination. That’s what happens in the real world. One strike and you’re out! Argh! Legalize drugs; we’re all the “collateral damage” in the “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs”.]

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SERVICE: Google Cloud Print “real soon now”

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.google.com/support/cloudprint/?hl=en

*** begin quote ***

Troubleshooting Google Cloud Print

Why is my document not printing?

Why can’t I print to my cloud printer from Chrome?

For now Google Cloud Print is only available in mobile devices such as smart phones and Chrome notebooks.

*** end quote ***

Argh!

So after much ado about a FUTURE service!

I find out about it’ll work “real soon now”.

Great idea.

Just not useful … yet

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ADMINISTRIVIA: Snowfall ends

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

Amazing.

I look out the window and it’s over.

Looks like I’ve got about 24 inches of “global warming” at my door.

Time to fire up the old snow blower and go clear it.

Luckily, having no life, I have no where to go today.

But, with my patient, keeping a clear path for help, is a priority.

Sigh, this too shall pass.

I hear we’re getting another snow storm on Saturday.

Oh joy!

I think I have enough gas for this one and maybe the next.

I remember one storm like this in both the 70’s and 80’s. Maybe this is that “event of the decade”.

Do a few data chores. Wait for the neighbors to wake up. And get to work.

# # # # # posted 2011-01-27 07:05

FUN: Tongue in cheek?

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http://irisheagle.blogspot.com/2011/01/primary-teachers-need-intensive-math.html

THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011

Primary teachers need intensive math training, not Higher Level Math ability

*** begin quote ***

I just don’t see why someone who teaches children up to the age of 12 should be able to “Express μ and σ in terms of a” where “real numbers a, 2a, 3a, 4a and 5a have mean μ and standard deviation σ.”

*** end quote ***

Did you ever hear the mantra:

Those who can, do.
Those who can’t, teach.
Those who can’t teach, teach teaching.
Those who can’t teach teaching, go into politics.
Those who can’t succeed in politics, blog.

Ever?

Ok, I made the last two lyrics up.

Anything on the topic of “teaching credentialing” that this fat old white guy injineer has read, has highlighted that this field doesn’t get the “best and brightest”.

So maybe insisting that “teachers” demonstrate some intellectual prowess or achievement is a way of getting the children exposed to excellence.

In a Karate Dojo, I’m told, the master usually instructs the beginners so that they get the best start possible.

If we could get the Gooferment out of “education”, maybe “the best and brightest” would be in “education”. How much would you pay for “an einstein” to teach you how to … write a blog?

ROFL, tongue in cheek, just about bloggers like us.

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Categories FUN

POLITICAL: BHO44 QUOTE on “EARMARKS”

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http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/white-house-backs-off-of-obama-earmarks-pledge

White House Backs Off of Obama Earmarks Pledge
Posted by Jim Harper

*** begin quote ***

In the state of the union speech last night, President Obama said with great force:

   “If a bill comes to my desk with earmarks inside, I will veto it.”

*** end quote ***

Wow, it this his version of: “read my lips; no new taxes” or “i did not have sex with that woman”?

Earmark is really easy.

Anything that doesn’t say “ALL AMERICANS” or “NO AMERICAN” is an earmark.

Some one should start a countdown clock!

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POLITICAL: BHO44 SOTU long on words; short on meaningful debt reduction

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http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=255325#ixzz1C9GPMNFb  

And the debt bomb ticks on
Posted: January 25, 2011
Pat Buchanan

*** begin quote ***

Undeniably. Yet, consider.

The federal deficit for the fiscal year 2011, which ends Sept. 30, is projected at between $1,200 billion and $1,500 billion.

Thus, the $100 billion in cuts the firebrands are pushing, and few think they will get, add up at best to 8 percent of the deficit and 2.5 percent of the $3.87 trillion budget Obama proposed.

Thus, at best, this Congress will only slightly reduce the rate of speed at which we are heading toward a debt default.

*** end quote ***

I heard a lot of “investment”, “infrastructure”, and other pie in the sky.

Even the Tea Party “firebrands” aren’t cutting big enough.

And, they insist on using the Federal Reserve Bank Notes, mislabeled “dollars”.

# – # – #

AN ASIDE

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_dollar

*** begin quote ***

In 1792 the U.S. Congress adopted legislation titled An act establishing a mint, and regulating the Coins of the United States. Section 9 of that act authorized the production of various coins, including “DOLLARS OR UNITS—each to be of the value of a Spanish milled dollar as the same is now current, and to contain three hundred and seventy-one grains and four sixteenth parts of a grain of pure, or four hundred and sixteen grains of standard silver”.

*** end quote ***

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RESUMING

I’d suggest that the Debt Limit NOT be raised. Close the “credit card”.

I’d suggest that we need to go back to 30 year Treasury bonds.

I’d suggest that we issue special 50 or 100 year debt reduction bonds to amortize the debt.

I’d suggest that we go back to “Constitutional money” and end the FED.

But what do I know!

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FUN: Funny Clock; was in my book

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http://www.instructables.com/id/Lunchtime-Clock/

Lunchtime Clock

*** begin quote ***

Have you ever wished lunchtime were longer, but didn’t know where to find those few extra minutes? Well, wish no longer!

Thanks to great in advances in clock technology, I present to you a clock that speeds up 20% every day at 11:00 and slows down 20% every day at 11:48, giving you an extra twelve minutes of lunch to enjoy. Twelve minutes may not seem like a lot but, to put it into perspective, this is a full additional hour of lunchtime gained every week.

*** end quote ***

I laughed when I read this. I had a similar “funny clock” in my book.

“Appropriately moved, Saint Taq thanked the Lord for the ‘funny clock’. He anticipated their need in His plan. It was beautiful to see the Lord’s Grace move the human heart; Jody was now really praying and meaning it. It was also interesting to note that human’s are such a trusting lot. No one had a watch. Everyone believed in an external reality. It was a very clever piece of engineering. It did keep a 24 hour cycle, but it slowed at “night” and sped up during the “day”. The shelter’s designers were working on the concept of having the shelter occupants sleep 20 hours per day to relieve the boredom. They hadn’t worked it all out, but it was interesting. Only at ‘noon’ did the clock match the external world. It ran its fastest close to ‘noon’; slowest around ‘midnight’. No wonder the fire teams thought the night watch ‘would never end’. After less than a day, they were sleeping two hours more. Everyone was so busy during the ‘day’ because it was a ‘short’ day. TAQ petitioned the Lord to grant Jody the gift of Courage to reduce to two meals per day. Otherwise on Exit Day, they were going to have some very fat kids.” — CHURCH 10●19●62 Volume 1 Page 74

No new ideas.

LOL!

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Categories FUN

SERVICE: FACEBOOK as the arbiter of identity

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1350038/Facebook-bans-Kate-Middleton-imposter-having-royal-brides-namesake.html

I’m not a fake Kate! Facebook bans royal bride’s namesake for being an imposter (but boyfriend Jonathan Ross can keep using his account)
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 5:52 PM on 24th January 2011

*** begin quote ***

Banned: Kate Middleton has had her Facebook account suspended after being accused of impersonating Prince William’s fiancée

Facebook has accused a woman of being an impostor and suspended her account – because she shares her name with Prince William’s future bride.

Healthcare assistant Kate Middleton, 29, has been locked out since last Thursday after the social network site claimed she had registered under a fake name.

Ironically, Miss Middleton’s partner Jonathan Ross has not been accused of being a fake, despite sharing his name with the television presenter.

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This is going to get interesting. Especially since FACEBOOK is being touted as the arbiter of identity.

Any competent Information Security practicioner could have predicted that “NAME” would not be a unique identifier. Or, any combination of LNAME, FNAME, LNAME||FNAME, or even if you throw in SUFFIX, TITLE, MI, or NICKNAME.

Sigh!

I learned this lesson in High School — too many moon ago — when the Good Christian Brothers had to revamp their “information systems” — manual on clay tablets — to accommodate identical twins Peter and Paul. It was a hoot. They were the first twins I remember meeting. (You really count Playboy twins as having been “met”. Yeah, I know TMI!)

So you can establish “identity” with any combination of name, email, phone number, or even address.

How does the internet establish identity?

I have, always, thought that the ISPs were absolutely best suited to provide “identification”.

Of course, they never agreed. But when there is a credit card transaction, you actually have something that you can hang your hat on.

It doesn’t assure that you can say it is a “unitary id”. I can, and do have, multiple ISP accounts paid for separately on different credit cards for what would be “multiple identities”.

But, it’s better than depending upon FACEBOOK.

FACEBOOK has even abandoned requiring College email accounts, so even they have realized the flaws in their original design.

What to do? What will they do?

Bottom line: Nobody does nothing! And, the problem goes on.

This is important because IF the ISPs stepped up, we could have a good age differentiator on the internet. But no one cares much! Unless you’re a parent.

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JOBSEARCH: Stay off the employers hardware and software

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://lifehacker.com/5737076/your-employer-can-read-your-emails-even-to-your-lawyer

Your Employer Can Read Your Work Emails, Even to Your Lawyer

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In a 3-0 decision, the Sacramento-based court ruled that a woman sending an email to her attorney, in a matter regarding plans to sue your employer, from your office was akin to “consulting her lawyer in her employer’s conference room, in a loud voice, with the door open, so that any reasonable person would expect that their discussion of her complaints about her employer would be overheard.”

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As if you needed another reason!

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TINFOILHAT: More BHO44 birth confusion

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=255297#ixzz1C14DWkEZ

BORN IN THE USA?
Questions raised over Obama birth date
Was claim he was 3 months old during ‘Bay of Pigs’ a slip?
Posted: January 24, 2011 8:56 pm Eastern
By Jerome R. Corsi

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The comment, by Obama himself at a 2009 international meeting, suggested he was born eight months earlier than when his official story has claimed all along.

Freudian slip, misstatement or the truth leaking out?

It was in April 19, 2009, at a press conference Obama gave at the Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago, Obama commented on a 90-minute diatribe that had been delivered by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega at the meeting the day before, and Obama suggested he was born in January 1961, three months before the Bay of Pigs invasion.

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Oh boy, things just got MORE interesting.

Wonder when his brithdate is?

And, I have a tin foil hat?

A birth certificate would put this all to rest.

Be nice to have proof!

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POLITICAL: Add Gooferment Pharma to the list!

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://www.denverpost.com/nationworld/ci_17171570?source=rss#ixzz1Bsu0mP6h  

NEW MEDICINES
Federal agency to spearhead new drug-development center
By Gardiner Harris The New York Times
POSTED: 01/23/2011 01:00:00 AM MST

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The Obama administration has become so concerned about the slowing pace of new drugs coming out of the pharmaceutical industry that officials have decided to start a billion-dollar government drug development center to help create medicines.

The new effort comes as many large drugmakers, unable to find enough new drugs, are paring back research. Promising discoveries in such illnesses as depression and Parkinson’s that once would have led to clinical trials are instead going unexplored because companies have neither the will nor the resources to undertake the effort. Drug companies have typically spent twice as much on marketing as on research, a business model that is increasingly suspect.

The initial financing of the government’s new drug center is small compared with the $45.8 billion that the industry estimates it invested in research in 2009. The cost of bringing a single drug to market can exceed $1 billion, according to some estimates.

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Now, add to Gooferment Motors, Gooferment Electric, and all the other Gooferment entities like Amtrak, Post Office, Sallie, Freddie, Fannie, etc. etc.!!!

When does it end?

When they have taken over everything?

Worked so well in the USSR!

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MONEY: Gold and silver requires no bureaucrats

Published on by reinkefjLeave a comment

http://dailyreckoning.com/taleb-the-fed-will-be-gone-in-25-years/#ixzz1BPAKvHfu

Taleb: The Fed Will be Gone in 25 Years
By Rocky Vega

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Stockholm, Sweden – In the video below, Nicholas Nassim Taleb, author of The Black Swan, is interviewed about the economic crisis by the National Journal’s Matthew Cooper for the Washington Ideas Forum at the Newseum in Washington, DC. Taleb speaks openly about his disdain for Geithner, Krugman, and a raft of other “economists” that failed to see the crisis coming and don’t understand how to respond to it. Here are a few of his thoughts, paraphrased…

* If someone failed to predict the economic crisis before it happened then I don’t want to hear what that person has to say. If a person was able to see the crisis coming, then I want to hear what they have to say.

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* In the economy 25 years from now anything fragile will break, everything we’ve bailed out will break and it will cost us more. The Fed will be gone in 25 years because it “fragilizes” the country, and it will be gone and replaced by more organic things. The Fed is what got us in crisis, by trying to manage the economy and by pushing hidden risks that kept accumulating

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How true! If you got it wrong before, why should we listen to you?

The great advantage of commodity money (i.e., typically silver and gold), as opposed to fiat money aka “It’s money because the Gooferment says it is” (e.g., the United States “dollar” aka Federal Reserve Banknote, the Euro, the Yuan), is simplicity.

There’s no expensive bureaucrats at the Treasury or cartel members at the FED to pay for.

Why did we ever let them slip this one by us?

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