MONEY: Anemic US growth

Sunday, April 28, 2013

U.S. Economy Grew at 2.5% Rate in 1st Quarter
The U.S. economy failed to gather as much steam as expected in the first quarter. Gross domestic product advanced at a 2.5% annual rate between January and March, less than the 3.2% expansion expected by economists. Still, the GDP gain was stronger than the 0.4% growth in the prior quarter.

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With all the “stimulus”, QE, and all the other manipulation, this is a joke!

We borrow money from China to spend on stuff we don’t need and Gooferment programs.

Absurd!

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Posted by reinkefj

WRITING: Pardigms and memes

Saturday, April 27, 2013

If paradigms are what I sense,

and meme are how I think of things,

then paradigms are how my body fools me,

and memes are how I fool myself.

After all what is reality?

But fools fooling everything and every one!

–30–

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Posted by reinkefj

TINFOILHAT: There’s more to Watergate than meets the eye

Saturday, April 27, 2013

http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/history/2013/04/robert_redford_watergate_documentary_all_the_president_s_men_revisited.html

Unanswered Questions About Watergate
There are many—why is no one asking them?
By Beverly Gage|Posted Monday, April 22, 2013, at 10:26 AM

*** begin quote *** 

The effect is mildly ridiculous. All the same, Stein provides one of the film’s few hints that Watergate is not, even now, an entirely settled matter. With four decades’ perspective, there are still big political questions to ask: How did a Republican Party on the verge of collapse in 1974 surge back six years later to launch the Age of Reagan? How much of the scandal was really about Nixon and his paranoia, and how much was about a broader set of institutional and political rivalries? Did the reforms put in place after the scandal—on presidential power, on intelligence prerogatives—effectively constrain the executive branch? To what degree did Watergate, once seen as a great Democratic triumph, help to fuel a conservative anti-government backlash?

*** end quote ***

What was concealed before this all came out?

Was this just a bureaucrat annoyed because he didn’t get the job?

Do we think this doesn’t go on all the time?

Argh!

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EVLYNN: Donated a “double” today

Friday, April 26, 2013

They didn’t have the usual setup today so everything was “approximated”. Hence, they were only taking singles and doubles today. DRAT!

Due to my “superior qualifications” as a “cow”, they were able to “milk” me for a double.

That translates to four bags of platelets for someone who needs them.

They find it harder to get platelet donors than whole blood donors. 

(Hey, it’s hard work hooked up to one of these “dumb” boxes. And, you have to sort of focus, “squeeze the little ball on the draw, and relax on the return”. Over, and over, and over. For about 2+ hours. Fortunately, I’m a good layer around. Today, I listed to all my @tswift13 music.)

Any way, that brings me to 70/75 bags replaced.

Never let it be said that I let Our Girl down with an unkept promise.

(But my butt still hurts!)

Laff!

Join me next month?

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TINFOILHAT: Boston Bombing — Saudi connection

Friday, April 26, 2013

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/04/26/oreilly-to-beck-on-saudi-national-story-were-always-willing-to-give-you-a-hearing/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=story&utm_campaign=Share+Buttons

GOVERNMENT
O’REILLY TO BECK ON SAUDI NATIONAL STORY: ‘WE’RE ALWAYS WILLING TO GIVE YOU A HEARING’
Apr. 26, 2013 9:06am Mike Opelka

*** begin quote ***

During Thursday night’s episode of The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News, Glenn Beck discussed TheBlaze’s investigation into the government’s curious handling of the Saudi national who was questioned in the hospital after the Boston Marathon bombings.

The two former Fox colleagues talked about the possible reasons for DHS detaining the Saudi man and O’Reilly said he’s willing to give Beck “a hearing.”

Beck laid out the story to O’Reilly, showing him a copy of the front page of the report on Ali Abdulrahman Alharbi and explained that page two described the man as “armed and dangerous.”

*** end quote ***

Clearly, we can not get the straight scoop from our politicians and bureaucrats.

Do any of the Sheeple and Clovers care?

Argh!

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INTERESTING: Asymetrical warfare example

Friday, April 26, 2013

http://commanderzero.com/blog/2013/04/19/asymetrical-warfare-example/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=asymetrical-warfare-example

Asymetrical warfare example
Posted on April 19, 2013

*** begin quote ***

An interesting observation about the events in Boston. The manhunt resulted in shutting down the mass transit system, creating a no-fly zone around the city (which I’m guessing means the airports were shut down), people were ‘strongly advised’ to stay indoors, crippling some cell phone areas, and traffic was disrupted by searches, roadblocks and checkpoints. So, what we have seen, interestingly, is that all it takes to completely shut down a (mostly) major US city is two guys who aren’t afraid to die. That’s it…two guys.

Imagine a larger, highly-motivated, technically-adept, group…maybe a small cell of four or six people all on the same page, working off the same plan, with the same level of dedication/fanaticism. Dude, you could totally shut down virtually any city.

Asymmetrical warfare is kinda what this seems to be an excellent example of. Two guys with a few hundred bucks of hardware shut down a city, suck the manpower of an entire city and surrounding regions, create a huge economic impact, and create chaos. Pretty big deal to pull off for just two guys. This, I suspect, is the future of ‘terrorism’ in this country.

*** end quote ***

Do you really need TWO people?

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JOBFINDING: BC VP in NYC

Thursday, April 25, 2013

If you don’t know what it means, it’s not for you.

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TINFOILHAT: BHO44 targets IRS/401Ks

Thursday, April 25, 2013

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324050304578412932073225110.html?mod=wsj_share_tweet

REVIEW & OUTLOOK
Updated April 12, 2013, 12:13 p.m. ET

Now He’s After Your 401(k)
The White House pulls a switcheroo on retirement savings accounts.

*** begin quote ***

Thus do our political betters now feel free to define for everyone what is “needed” for a “reasonable” retirement. Not to be impertinent, but does this White House definition include being able to afford summers at age 70 at Martha’s Vineyard near the Obamas?

The feds may think $3 million is all you need after a lifetime of work, but that’s roughly the value of a California police sergeant’s pension if she works for 30 years, retires at age 50 and lives to normal life expectancy.

Out in the private economy, people generally have to work longer than that before they retire, and some of them do manage to save significant amounts. We’re talking about people who work for decades and abstain from buying the bigger house or the new car so they can contribute the maximum to their 401(k)s or IRAs. The people who defer gratification and build a nest egg to avoid becoming a burden on their kids or their fellow taxpayers. The people whose savings finance productive enterprise. You know, the bad guys.

*** and ***

The Administration’s political motive here is two-fold: First, it’s a redistributionist play and a revenue grab. But for many on the left it’s also about reducing the ability of individuals to make themselves independent of the state. They have always disliked IRAs, just as they oppose health-savings accounts, because over time they make Americans less dependent on federal entitlements or transfer payments. 

*** end quote ***

Yeah, I know you all think I have a tin foil hat! So what.

Now the Wall Street Journal is in the same genre?

My concern is this is the first step towards exchanging your IRA/401K for an “enhanced social security benefit”.

I read somewhere that there is 14T$ in such plans. Held and controlled by ~2100 “custodians”. And the Gooferment needs about 13T$ to get back on an even keel.

Remember what happened in Cyprus?

Yeah, and I have a tin foil hat.

Argh!

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INTERESTING: Bad strategy

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Watching WOF tonight, the second place lady made at least two strategic or tactical errors.

She lost by 80$.

Earlier, after she’d won a car, she payed it safe and did not spin. She solved!

In the final puzzle, she played to solve the puzzle and gave it away early. She should have called a Z!

Argh!

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INTERESTING: Brain Exercises

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Brain-Health/Brain-Exercises-Not-Drugs-or-Vitamins-Prevent-Dementia-Study/2013/04/18/id/500171

Brain Exercises, Not Drugs or Vitamins, Prevent Dementia: Study
Thursday, 18 Apr 2013 12:52 PM
By Nick Tate

*** begin quote ***

“We encourage researchers to consider easily accessible tools such as crossword puzzles and sudoko that have not been rigorously studied,” he added. “The studies in this review that assessed cognitive exercises used exercises that were both labor- and resource-intensive, and thus may not be applicable to most of our patients.”

*** end quote ***

I take my vitamins and do sudoko.

Cross my fingers!

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