RANT: Fluke, A Fake?

Monday, March 5, 2012

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/sandra-fluke-a-fake-victim-of-georgetowns-policy-on-contraceptives/

Faith Sandra Fluke: A Fake Victim of Georgetown’s Policy on Contraceptives?
Posted on March 3, 2012 at 5:00pm by Mytheos Holt

*** begin quote ***

But what if she not only decided to attend the university anyway, but decided to attend specifically so she could fight this battle? Consider this passage from an early Washington Post story done on Fluke before she was permitted to testify:

Fluke came to Georgetown University interested in contraceptive coverage: She researched the Jesuit college’s health plans for students before enrolling, and found that birth control was not included. “I decided I was absolutely not willing to compromise the quality of my education in exchange for my health care,” says Fluke, who has spent the past three years lobbying the administration to change its policy on the issue. The issue got the university president’s office last spring, where Georgetown declined to change its policy.

Fluke says she would have used the hearing to talk about the students at Georgetown that don’t have birth control covered, and what that’s meant for them. “I wanted to be able to share their stories,” she says. “My testimony would have been about women who have been affected by their policy, who have medical needs and have suffered dire consequences.. . .The committee did not get to hear real stories I had to share, about actual women who have been dramatically affected by this policy.”

*** end quote ***

So all this nonsense is a setup?

She’s not 23; 30.

She’s an activist.

And, did she enroll to cause this?

Cui bono.

If I was an investigative reporter, then I’d ask was she paid to do this.

So many questions; I’ll have to adjust my tin foil hat to get better reception on this issue.

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RANT: Email option isn’t an option

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

–Original Message–Date; 2/24/2012 2;33;22 PMSubject; When will I get my first pension check?I turned 65 on 1/13/12. It’s says retire 2/1/12/.So where is the check?fjohnp.s., the secondary authentication questions are an invitation to identity theft.

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Pretty straight forward. I hate having phone sex with automated agents. Especially when a human (somewhere in the world) answers the phone and asks me my name.

So this is what I get back. Not so quickly. (I’m thinking auto-responder to clear away old email.)

# – # – #

To FERDINAND J REINKE JRFrom Credit Suisse Benefits Service CenterDate 02-24-2012 12:00 a.m. Central Standard TimeSubject Re; When will I get my first pension check?Our Response Hello from Your Benefits Resources [TM].

Ferdinand,
Please call the Credit Suisse Benefits Service Center and request to speak with a pension representative. Benefits Service Center Representatives are available by calling 1-888-325-2732 between 9;00 a.m. to 5;00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday excluding holidays.
Thank you for using Your Benefits Resources.

# – # – #

So why bother with email.

So, I call. Nothing I love better than phone sex.

Six minutes of Q&A and holding.

“Name”!

ARRRRrrrrrgggghhhhhh!

Then the lady wants my computer password.

Argh!

And, she’s upset when it’s a 24 character random string.

(What stupidity is this? Why should I share my shared secret with another human being? I’d have never permitted it when I was their VP Info Sec.)

Lots of checking.

I’m getting a double check in March.

BUT, (and there is always a BIG butt), no apology or explanation of why.

SO who gets the interest for that month. You screw every retiree and I bet it adds up.

Argh!

If I had time, I’d get a Gooferment bureaucrat involved.

Argh!

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RANT: Secondary authentication questions are an invitation to identity theft

Friday, February 24, 2012

FORCED BY A “HUMAN RESOURCE” SYSTEM TO ANSWER:

*** begin quote ***

What’s your father’s middle name?

What’s your spouse’s middle name?

What’s your first child’s middle name?

What was your grandfather’s occupation?

What was the name of the first car you drove?

*** end quote ***

Of course, everyone knows or can find out the answers to these questions.

To save the identity theives time and trouble, the answers are:

bkd7ce5bw9d3

tm7d59c8zyyj

4w2uqfr77vyn

uqfz2rq2tyjv

w84p6ze8u22s

Yes that “w84 p6z e8u 22s” was some little car.

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Anyone see the LIFELOCK commercial where the identity thief steals your money by knowing Mother’s Maiden Name and some other factoid?

Yeah, you can guess how well that works.

When at the bank and they asked that question, I whipped out my sheet of one time passwords and with a straight face told the nice lady “dpdes5 mkkey9”. And, she said: “Seriously?” I quipped: “Yes, she was Armenian.” And, that ended that conversation.

Now when I go to the bank she asks how “dp” is. I say: “Fine”.

Argh!

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Feb-24 @ 14:35

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RANT: BHO44 is stuck with the “gas price” crisis!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Richard Billies: “Barack Obama Claims It Wasn’t Me that caused higher gas prices, it was the other guys: http://t.co/aeCiCY7X Retweet it if you like it.”

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He did the following:

(1) Drilling in the Gulf? (But we give money to Brazil to do it!)

(2) No or slow oil leases.

(3) ANWAR off-limits.

(4) Keystone pipeline

What he could do today?

(a) Preempt all the “blends of gas” nonsense with a sweeping Federal regulation.

(b) Gas tax relief paid for by tariff.

(c) Tariff on gas exports.

(d) Open ANWAR and the Gulf

(e) Sic the IRS on the Oil Companies

(f) Have every Gooferment department come up with a real 1% cut.

(g) …

Guess that’s enough for the first day.

Argh!

He’s hung with this millstone.

He might want to think about calming the Middle East as opposed to appeasing the crazies.

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RANT: Triple the tax

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204880404577225493025537660.html?mod=WSJ_hp_LEFTTopStories

REVIEW & OUTLOOK    FEBRUARY 22, 2012
Obama’s Dividend Assault
A plan to triple the tax rate would hurt all shareholders.

*** begin quote ***

President Obama’s 2013 budget is the gift that keeps on giving—to government. One buried surprise is his proposal to triple the tax rate on corporate dividends, which believe it or not is higher than in his previous budgets.

Mr. Obama is proposing to raise the dividend tax rate to the higher personal income tax rate of 39.6% that will kick in next year. Add in the planned phase-out of deductions and exemptions, and the rate hits 41%. Then add the 3.8% investment tax surcharge in ObamaCare, and the new dividend tax rate in 2013 would be 44.8%—nearly three times today’s 15% rate.

Keep in mind that dividends are paid to shareholders only after the corporation pays taxes on its profits. So assuming a maximum 35% corporate tax rate and a 44.8% dividend tax, the total tax on corporate earnings passed through as dividends would be 64.1%.

*** end quote ***

So instead of reducing the corporate tax and the dividend tax, BHO44 is increasing it.

How stupid!

This election will be critical.

Reelect and we are so <synonym for the past tense of the procreation act.> Even the worst R, won’t follow through on these tax increases.

Why should a corporation be an “American” company?

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RANT: Child support – pro and con

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/01/26/exposing-the-child-support-myth

Thursday, January 26th, 2012
Posted by Jere Beery
Exposing the Child Support Myth

*** begin quote ***

Last weekend I was standing in the checkout line at our local Wal-Mart when I overheard a conversation between the cashier and a customer. The two women obviously knew one another and began talking like they were very good friends. The Cashier asked the customer if they were going to the Jason Aldean concert that upcoming weekend. The customer replied that they had just received “their” child support check and that “they” were going to use that money to purchase the tickets, get their hair done, and pay for a sitter. This conversation got me to thinking, how much of child support payments truely directly benefit the child?

*** end quote ***

Mixed reaction to this.

On the one hand, the cited anecdote is terrible. But the other side of the coin, seeing abandoned broke families deserted by the fathers living in shelters, makes me wonder.

The Gooferment is a big problem in this whole area.

They give the women support orders that are unenforceable. I’d have the Gooferment give the money to the spouse with the children regardless of sex and take upon itself the need to collect it. Think the IRS going after “child support”.

It’s like the Gooferment’s Courts giving battered spouses an “order of protection”. Worthless. Give them a gun and “hunting license” (i.e., if they defend themselves, they are presumed innocent).

Private charity is better than Gooferment welfare. More intelligent. More flexible.

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RANT: Anyone remember the 19 Americans hostage in Egypt

Monday, February 20, 2012

http://frontpagemag.com/2012/02/10/the-brewing-egyptian-hostage-crisis/

The Brewing Egyptian Hostage Crisis
Posted by Alan W. Dowd  on Feb 10th, 2012

*** begin quote ***

Nineteen American citizens working for well-known and well-established nonprofit groups are being held on trumped-up charges that they tried to destabilize Egypt. Their offices were raided in late December, some are holed up in the U.S. embassy and all of them have been barred from flying out of Egypt. As Time magazine notes, December is significant. December is when Congress passed a number of conditions for aid to the Egyptian military, including proving a “commitment to Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, progress toward democratic reforms, and the protection of free expression, association and religion.” Not only are the last two of those conditions not being met by Egypt, but Time adds that Cairo’s case against the Americans is “propagated by the military-led regime.”

*** end quote ***

Never hear anything about this?

Remember Jimmy Carter?

See any similarities?

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RANT: Flash Editorials February 18, 2012, by Russell D. Longcore

Monday, February 20, 2012

Flash Editorials February 18, 2012, by Russell D. Longcore:

“Entertainment: Have you ever had someone in your life that was an addict? You watch this amazing person self-destruct and you are powerless to stop it. Meanwhile, it tears out your heart and messes up your life. Whitney Houston landed on this earth with stunning beauty, immense singing talent and a heart filled with love. She just could not seem to love herself. I will miss her. “

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Well said.

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Feb-20 @ 16:03

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RANT: Boston Red Sox owners in a racial mess

Thursday, February 16, 2012

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Boston-Red-Sox-owners-have-a-big-problem—-racism-139431293.html

Boston Red Sox owners have a big problem — racism
Liverpool’s American owner now has some big decisions to make
By PAUL LARKIN, IrishCentral Contributing Writer
Published Thursday, February 16, 2012, 7:49 AM
Updated Thursday, February 16, 2012, 10:17 AM

*** begin quote ***

The Guardian reports that the banking group Standard Chartered, which pays £20m a year for having its name on the Liverpool kit made strong representations to the club after the game expressing its extreme displeasure at the way its image was being dragged through the mud.

The banking group, which has a high profile in Africa and the Middle East then took the unprecedented step of issuing a public statement effectively condemning the club it sponsors:  “We were very disappointed by Saturday’s incident and have discussed our concerns with the club,” John W Henry, and chairman, Tom Werner, are scheduled to visit Liverpool next week  for commercial and sponsorship reasons but it is now unthinkable that they will decline to issue a statement about the racism displayed by one of their own high profile employees and the tenacious support that was shown to that employee by a club they own.

Many Irish people are asking whether things would ever been allowed to go so far if a Red Sox player had behaved the same way.

*** end quote ***

I don’t know why, serendipity maybe, but I watched the very exciting game —  Manchester United versus Liverpool — and saw the refused handshake. At the time, I thought “Wow, their athletes are as big an <an anal opening surrounded by a sphincter> as ‘ours’!”

I didn’t realize the US connection.

I’m sure the corporate sponsor will clear this up in minutes. I can here it now: “Why don’t you pick up your check on your way out. And, don’t let the door hit you in the <synonym for donkey> as you leave.”

It was a good game. Drama equivalent to our standard fare.

Of course, the controversy intruded into a good product.

I also watched the Australian version of their baseball World Series. It to was good; not controversy.

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Feb-16 @ 12:32  Boston Red Sox owners

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RANT: CSFB stupid “security theater”

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

OBVIOUS STUPIDITY!

Call up to find out where my pension check is.

Called, went through all the automated questions, and then the operator comes on after a short wait and asks me for my password.

What password?

(Ignores the concept that a “password” is a shared secret. If I knew and told her, then it’s no longer a secret. And, a static password! Please. Even Google two factor authentication is better.)

So we can do anything without them mailing me a new temporary password.

Now envision that I sent them in all my paperwork by certified mail and suggest that number as an authenticator. Or that they call me back. Or that they send me a fax or an email.

Argh!

And, who says that US Mail is secure, unless it’s sent certified mail. (We know they won’t do that because it costs more.)

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Feb-15 @ 13:32

 

 

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RANT: Cleaning the “housing” stable

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2012/02/a-modern-pecora-commission-could-right-wall-street-wrongs/

A modern Pecora Commission could right Wall Street wrongsEmail this post Print this post
By Barry Ritholtz – February 5th, 2012, 8:00AM

*** begin quote ***

• MERS: Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems was created by banks without any authority or enabling legislation. 
• Origination fraud: Why did lenders accept “stated income” loans? Why did they abandon traditional standards? 
• RMBS: Wall Street’s securitized mortgage pools (residential mortgage-backed securities) contained a broad variety of flaws, some so egregious that they amounted to fraud. 
• Insurance fraud: Look at a bank tactic in which legitimate home insurance is canceled and new insurance provided at a substantially higher fee through a subsidiary or affiliate of the bank mortgage holder. 
• “Pyramid” servicing fees: An illegal practice in which current payments are applied to past late fees, generating more late fees and additional interest owed and creating a delinquency where none existed. 
• Lost mortgage notes: How is it possible that the most important part of the mortgage contract — the promissory note — was consistently lost or misplaced by banks? 
•Document fraud for sale: There were many examples of alleged document fraud, but the one crying out for investigation involves Lender Processing Services’ DOCX subsidiary. 
•False affidavits, perjury (robo-signing): We do not know who ordered the robo-signing of foreclosure documents, the false notarizations, fraudulent written statements to courts and perjury. 
• Foreclosure mills, process servers: Law firms engaged in rampant fraud that corrupted the foreclosure process. 
• Soldiers and Sailors Relief Act: Federal law protects active-duty service members from foreclosure and eviction.

*** end quote ***

It would seem that these are easy to find, easy to investigate, and easy to get a conviction on.

As a notary, I’m insulted by most of these items.

There’s no excuse for prosecutors at all levels for them not doing their jobs!

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RANT: The sad truths of addiction; the “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs” doesn’t help

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

http://www.xojane.com/entertainment/whitney-houston-dead

ON THE DEATH OF WHITNEY HOUSTON: Why I Won’t Ever Shut Up About My Drug Use
When Whitney died, I wasn’t surprised: women are using drugs all around you, and I’m one of them. Now why am I not allowed to talk about it again?
Cat
Feb 13, 2012 at 9:00am

*** begin quote ***

Remember Michael Jackson in his “This Is It” rehearsals? He looked good and he sounded good, and then he was getting put under anesthesia every night. Don’t you remember those horrible tapes?

It would be wonderful if we lived in a world free of drugs and drug addiction, but we don’t. In the end, the addict will die of overdose, of disease, or serious self-neglect, and half the time, you won’t even see it coming for her. So I am telling you that there are people all around you with one foot in the door—where you see them—and one foot out, where you can’t.

For a long time, it was like that for me: one foot in the door, the other out—and it could easily get there again. We all thought Whitney was better. She wasn’t.

*** end quote ***

The “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs” distracts us from the real problem.

Legalization would allow addicts to fund their habit cheaply and allow “us” to identify them. Then, we can get them the help they need.

Triage.

While we may not be able to save everyone, we can minimize the collateral damage.

And, the accidental deaths.

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RANT: The local liberal thinks Catholics should shut up

Sunday, February 12, 2012

http://channel-surfing.blogspot.com/2012/02/private-hospitals-are-public-facilities.html

Friday, February 10, 2012
Private hospitals are public facilities

The federal ruling that religious schools and health institutions are required to provide coverage for contraception does not violate the religious freedom of religious institutions.

While Catholic bishops throughout the country are taking to their pulpits to denounce the ruling, the reality is that the church’s decision to offer a public service to the larger public places the question in a very different context.

Catholic hospitals, like St. Peter’s in New Brunswick, serve more than just a Roman Catholic population. They serve the entire community.

In many communities, those hospitals are the only health-care facilities.

In almost all cases, the facilities get tax breaks and generally get federal money for services (Medicare, Medicaid, other health-care money).

These facilities benefit greatly from their roles as community facilities.

Given this, it is difficult to see how we can consider them private and allow religious exemptions.

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What are “public facilities”?

Is there some entity called the “public” that gambles their resources to do a thankless task? Is there a membership list for this “public” that sacrifice their own wants to be a “Good Samaritan”? Or is “the public” an imaginary construction like a “pink elephant”?

Of course, these Catholic institutions are composed of people who have First Amendment rights. And, as such, these institutions are the logical summation of all these people. Hence the “institution” has their First Amendment rights.

So the Gooferment, politicians, and bureaucrats have no authority to impose their view of morality on others.
If the Gooferment should prevail, then the Church has no choice but to shut down. Imagine Saint Peter’s is just closed. Boarded up.

Not sold; just closed.

Imagine that?

Peaceful civil disobedience. Like the apocryphal stories of good King Christian X of Denmark resisting the Nazis deportation of Jews.

Think about a world where Catholics just refuse to cooperate. MLK would be a good exemplar.

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In thinking further, if these “private hospitals” have become “public facilities”, then there is a Fifth Amendment argument to be made.

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RANT: Home Schoolers locked out of sports

Saturday, February 11, 2012

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/sports-authority

Sports Authority
Posted by Adam Schaeffer

*** begin quote ***

Home schooling is the most dynamic and innovative segment of K-12 education. But even with technological advances, co-ops and hybrid schooling, taking on that level of individual responsibility for a child’s education is difficult.

One particularly difficult problem for home school families in Virginia and elsewhere is competitive sports, particularly in high school.

A private non-profit organization, the Virginia High School League, governs high school sports for public schools in Virginia and determines eligibility for participation. Home-school and private-school parents pay taxes for the public schools, but their kids are banned from participating in local high school sports run through the government schools.

For private school kids, that’s not typically a major problem; they have enough students to field teams and schools for their own league. But home-schoolers, especially in rural areas, don’t have those numbers. And that means they are out of luck.

*** end quote ***

The problem isn’t the Gooferment closing home schoolers out of sports.

The problem is Gooferment Skrules, period.

In so many dimensions, the Gooferment running Skrules is wrong.

It violates the First Amendment. (I’m force to pay taxes to teach other people’s children things that both their parents and I disagree with. How immoral is that?)

Nuke the Gooferment Skrules and eliminate lots of problems.

Does ANY one think that parents would educate their children?

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RANT: BHO44’s “settlement” is a payoff to the banks in disguise

Friday, February 10, 2012

http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/02/the-top-twelve-reasons-why-you-should-hate-the-mortgage-settlement.html

Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Top Twelve Reasons Why You Should Hate the Mortgage Settlement

*** begin quote ***

Here are the top twelve reasons why this deal stinks:

1. We’ve now set a price for forgeries and fabricating documents. It’s $2000 per loan. This is a rounding error compared to the chain of title problem these systematic practices were designed to circumvent. The cost is also trivial in comparison to the average loan, which is roughly $180k, so the settlement represents about 1% of loan balances. It is less than the price of the title insurance that banks failed to get when they transferred the loans to the trust. It is a fraction of the cost of the legal expenses when foreclosures are challenged. It’s a great deal for the banks because no one is at any of the servicers going to jail for forgery and the banks have set the upper bound of the cost of riding roughshod over 300 years of real estate law.

2. That $26 billion is actually $5 billion of bank money and the rest is your money. The mortgage principal writedowns are guaranteed to come almost entirely from securitized loans, which means from investors, which in turn means taxpayers via Fannie and Freddie, pension funds, insurers, and 401 (k)s. Refis of performing loans also reduce income to those very same investors.

3. That $5 billion divided among the big banks wouldn’t even represent a significant quarterly hit. Freddie and Fannie putbacks to the major banks have been running at that level each quarter.

4. That $20 billion actually makes bank second liens sounder, so this deal is a stealth bailout that strengthens bank balance sheets at the expense of the broader public.

*** end quote ***

How do you know when a politician is lying?

Lips move.

Did you listen to BHO44 tout this as a great accomplishment?

Argh!

Read the other 8, this blogger nails it!

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RANT: Mum loss could have been prevented if onlookers had …

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/australian-mom-killed-by-flood-after-dozens-whip-out-smartphones-instead-of-helping/

Technology
Australian Mom Killed By Flood After ‘Dozens’ Whip Out Smartphones Instead of Helping
Posted on February 7, 2012 at 11:55am by Liz Klimas

*** begin quote ***

But, as if this damage weren’t devastating enough, the only fatality reported thus far could potentially have been prevented if onlookers had put down their smartphones to lend a helping hand. A mother from the town of Roma and her 7-year-old son were trapped on Friday as the strong current began pulling them apart. Australia’s Courier-Mail reports that some men rushed in to help Jane Sheahan as she passed her son, Darcy, to them. But it was too late for Sheahan to be pulled from the water herself.

*** end quote ***

Wasn’t there. Don’t know the whole story. Can’t condemn folks for not risking their life.

Only hope that if I get such and opportunity, I won’t look the other way.

Sigh!

Save a life!

Isn’t that on everyone’s bucket list?

It is on mine. Right above “deliver a baby”.

(Strangely women are very uncooperative. They seem to insist on a real doctor. I’ll have to find with no other choice. Like that lady on the NYC bound commuter train; she wasn’t that “ripe”. And, a near miss when I was on the first aid squad. No luck!)

Back to the topic, it’s like that poem —

Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb’red.                This story shall the good man teach his son;                And Crispin Crispian shall ne’er go by,                From this day to the ending of the world,                But we in it shall be remembered-                We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;                For he to-day that sheds his blood with me                Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,                This day shall gentle his condition;                And gentlemen in England now-a-bed                Shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here,                And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks                That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

— will these “men”, these onlookers with smart phones, think themselves “accurs’d”. “Holding their manhood cheap”.

Shame.

Where are the heroes?

Yes, there were some that day. Saved a child. But, perhaps extra hands or an earlier response would have saved Mum too.

Ashamed to be a man by such a poor performance by other of my sex.

Argh!

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RANT: 8% unemployment — my !!!

Saturday, February 4, 2012

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/record-12-million-people-fall-out-labor-force-one-month-labor-force-participation-rate-tumbles-

Record 1.2 Million People Fall Out Of Labor Force In One Month,
Labor Force Participation Rate Tumbles To Fresh 30 Year Low
Submitted by Tyler Durden on 02/03/2012 08:51 -0500

*** begin quote ***

A month ago, we joked when we said that for Obama to get the unemployment rate to negative by election time, all he has to do is to crush the labor force participation rate to about 55%. Looks like the good folks at the BLS heard us: it appears that the people not in the labor force exploded by an unprecedented record 1.2 million. No, that’s not a typo: 1.2 million people dropped out of the labor force in one month! So as the labor force increased from 153.9 million to 154.4 million, the non institutional population increased by 242.3 million meaning, those not in the labor force surged from 86.7 million to 87.9 million. Which means that the civilian labor force tumbled to a fresh 30 year low of 63.7% as the BLS is seriously planning on eliminating nearly half of the available labor pool from the unemployment calculation. As for the quality of jobs, as withholding taxes roll over Year over year, it can only mean that the US is replacing high paying FIRE jobs with low paying construction and manufacturing. So much for the improvement.

*** end quote ***

Are you kidding me?

Comparing %s without comparing the numerators and denominators?

We need to switch to a number that can NOT be fudged.

Like dollars paid in the SSI “contribution”. That would tell us, how many folks are working. And, how much are they earning.

Now when those numbers go up and down, we’d have numbers we could hang our hat on.

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RANT: On Faithful

Monday, January 30, 2012

http://artofmanliness.com/2012/01/28/manvotional-be-faithful

Manvotional: Be Faithful
by Brett & Kate McKay on January 28, 2012

From Courage, 1894
By Charles Wagner

*** begin quote ***

Nothing is so difficult as to remain faithful. At each step of the way outside influences are brought to bear upon us to make us deviate or retrograde. And if there were only difficulties from without, it would not matter so much; but there are those from within. Our dispositions vacillate. We promise one thing with the best intentions in the world; but when the time comes to keep it, everything is changed–the circumstances, men, ourselves; and what duty demands of us seems so different from what we had foreseen, that we hesitate. Those who will fulfill on a rainy day a promise which they have made on a sunny one, are few and far between.

*** end quote ***

Like to think I have that quality. Evidence? A forty year marriage.

I’ve seen men desert their posts.

In school. In the military. In politics. In marriages. In jobs. In their own personal life.

No sense going though the litany.

My own Dad deserted my Mom and me.

Now, “Shoulda, coulda, and woulda!” thinking would put me wondering what might have been. I could have been normal.

But, that’s water under and lost milk.

Maybe that’s what stuck in my brain. Making me the slug I am.

“So every hand to his rope or gun. Quick is the word and sharp is the action. …” — Captain Jack Aubrey in “Master and Commander”

That’s what being a man is all about.

And, despite what the TV commercials tell us (i.e., men are stupid clueless idiots), we are still needed for the survival of the species and the rearing of children.

Argh!

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RANT: FBN is reporting Corzine’s MFGLOBAL 1.2B$ “vaporized”; gone forever

Monday, January 30, 2012

RANT: FBN (Fox Business News) on the IMUS show is reporting Corzine’s MFGLOBAL 1.2B$ “vaporized”; gone forever

How does 1.2B$ disappear?

… in a modern financial enterprise?

… why isn’t Corzine under arrest for fraud?

… where are the lawsuits?

… where’s the outrage?

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Jan-30 @ 07:05

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RANT: Verizon Service

Sunday, January 29, 2012

A Verizon Service Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.20:54:29 Estimated wait time is 12 mins 33 secs. We apologize for the delay. You are 2 nd in the queue.

My DVR / TV listing says please wait since this afternoon. I’ve recycled it a few times and used the trouble shooter to reset it. Seems like “tv guide” is broken at your end.

# – # – # – # – #

Argh!

You have to be kidding me.

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Jan-29 @ 20:55

So I decided it might be nice to have the GUIDE working, so I tried again.

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Jan-30 @ 12:21

Live Chat Window
Click to Reload ChatA Verizon Service Representative will be with you shortly. Thank you.
Agent Sampat has joined. (11:48:37)Sampat : Chat ID for this session is 01301292823.

(11:48:37)Sampat(11:48:41): Thank you for using Verizon FIOS Technical Support. I Apologize for any delays in reaching us today. My name is Sampat. May I confirm the Telephone number as 7328219525?Ferdinand Reinke(11:49:19): Yes. Guide has said please wait since Sunday, despite two or three resets and unplugging everything and repluggin it in.Sampat(11:49:54): Thank you and I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you.Sampat(11:50:36): I need to pull up your records. So please help me with the name on the account, complete address as well as a good can be reached telephone number for future reference.Ferdinand Reinke(11:51:16): ferdinand reinke, {Privacy Invoked}

Sampat(11:51:36): Thank you, please provide the ZIP code.Ferdinand Reinke(11:51:43): 08824Sampat(11:51:48): Thank you for the information. Is it okay to address you by your first name?Ferdinand Reinke(11:51:56): yesSampat(11:52:06): Thank you, Ferdinand.Sampat(11:52:17): Just to let you know, in case the chat gets disconnected due to any issue at either end, please re-initiate the chat through the same channel or call our FIOS phone support at 1-800-837-4966, whichever is convenient to you.Sampat(11:52:32): I will be sending you an email about self help tips on minor telephone, video and internet issues to your email address. May I know your preferred email ID?Ferdinand Reinke(11:52:43): {Privacy Invoked}

Sampat(11:52:48): Superb! I will update it right now.Ferdinand Reinke(11:53:09): Update it where?Sampat(11:53:24): I mean, I will update it in my database.Sampat(11:53:35): Ferdinand, I understand that one of the STB(set top box)is not showing time displayed. Am I correct?Ferdinand Reinke(11:54:44): No, it’s showing time. TC programming is working fine. The GUIDE is not populating with data and the DVR is recording with “Untitled Recording” for all shows preprogrammed to record.Sampat(11:54:54): Regret the inconvenience caused and I assure you that we at Verizon are always here to help you out with any issues in regards to your services. Please be rest assured we would fix this for you today.Ferdinand Reinke(11:54:55): TV not tcSampat(11:55:11): Not a problem.Sampat(11:55:16): Please post the STB serial number of the Set Top Box that is having a problem. It is located underneath the box towards the back and it begins with an “M”.Ferdinand Reinke(11:56:55): I don’t have that number handy and can’t crawl around and get it. I have a HD box in the Living Room and the automated system knows all about it because it reset it.Sampat(11:57:51): Ferdinand, I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you. I see that there are two STB(set top boxes) installed in your house.Sampat(11:58:17): So, I need to know the exact box that has the issue, so that I will run one advanced test in the server and will try to fix the issue for you.Ferdinand Reinke(11:58:22): Yup, 1 labeled Living room hdSampat(11:58:33): Thank you so much.Ferdinand Reinke(11:58:38): the other non-HD in the bedroomSampat(11:58:43): So, the box is a DVR box. Correct?Sampat(11:59:03): I mean, the issue is with DVR box. Correct?Ferdinand Reinke(11:59:03): Livinng Room is an HD DVR set top box.Ferdinand Reinke(11:59:10): Yes.Sampat(11:59:26): Thank you for the confirmation.Sampat(11:59:36): I have initiated a line test from the server.Sampat(12:00:07): The line test will reset the box.Sampat(12:00:13): I am going to initialize the set-top box (STB). All recordings and schedules will remain intact, but STB’s Personal Settings will be reverted to their defaults (including the Favorite Channels List and Parental Controls). The STB will power itself off and the time will disappear within a minute. Once the time returns on the box, press the POWER button on front of the STB it back on. Let me know when you have it back on and what is displayed.Sampat(12:02:54): Ferdinand, do you find any changes in the box?Ferdinand Reinke(12:03:28): reboot complete says press menuFerdinand Reinke(12:04:06): press menu?Sampat(12:04:24): Sure, please go ahead.Ferdinand Reinke(12:04:36): “setting up”Ferdinand Reinke(12:04:49): “Starting up”Sampat(12:05:21): Great!Sampat(12:05:31): Fingers crossed here!Ferdinand Reinke(12:06:04): “Welcome to new mdia guide”Sampat(12:06:19): Its seems that all is good till now.Ferdinand Reinke(12:06:31): “Select TV type”Sampat(12:06:41): Now, I request you to check if the issue got fixed or not.Ferdinand Reinke(12:07:28): remote doesn’t do anything. It’s doing some yada yada introSampat(12:08:19): Ferdinand , lets wait for the DVR to set up completely.Ferdinand Reinke(12:08:56): Guide says “please wait” just like it did before.Sampat(12:09:01): Oh! I see.Sampat(12:09:07): Can you do a favor for me?Ferdinand Reinke(12:09:11): ?Ferdinand Reinke(12:09:24): What?Sampat(12:09:45): I request you to connect this box to another TV and check if it works with another TV or not.Sampat(12:09:57): Is this feasible for you?Ferdinand Reinke(12:10:52): Can’t do that. Don’t have another spare tv. The same condition exists on the non-HD TV and box. “Please wait” I just checked it while waiting for the reboot to complete.Sampat(12:11:26): Okay, not a problem.Ferdinand Reinke(12:11:27): Message “Full Guide — A guide error has occurred. Please try again.”Sampat(12:11:32): Here the issue seems to be with the hard ware issue with the DVR. So, I will ship you a new DVR to “3 tyne ct, kendall park, nj, 08824”.Sampat(12:11:37): Sounds good?Ferdinand Reinke(12:12:13): Argh!Sampat(12:13:09): So, shall I go ahead and put a request to the concerned team to ship a new DVR?Ferdinand Reinke(12:13:20): What else can I do?Sampat(12:14:31): I have a good news for you.Ferdinand Reinke(12:14:40): Yes?Sampat(12:15:01): I can send a technician to your house today between 3:00 PM to 7:00 Pm. Shall I confirm the slot for the same?Ferdinand Reinke(12:15:49): Sure. Have him call before he comes. I may have to run to the store during that four hours.Sampat(12:15:59): Perfect! Verizon wants to make sure that you got what you wanted.Sampat(12:16:15): In case if the technician finds any issue with the equipment within verizon , there will be no charge , if there is any trouble found with the equipment not provided by verizon then there will be a possible charge.Sampat(12:16:21): Please let me know information given below:1. Do you have any pets?2. Is your house an independent house or apartment?3. Do we require any access codes?4. Please let me know any two call back numbers that we can contact you on.Ferdinand Reinke(12:16:57): I just want the hardware to work. No pets. House. Ring bell. 9082093625Sampat(12:17:13): Sure.Sampat(12:17:29): Would you like to get messages on your cell phone about the technician arrival status ?Ferdinand Reinke(12:17:41): yes
Sampat(12:17:56): Wonderful! let me update it in my database.Sampat(12:18:07): Verizon wants ensure that you are completely delighted with our services.Sampat(12:18:17): I would like to inform you that some one above 18 yrs should be present at the house when the technician arrives. Sampat(12:18:28): Are the other Verizon services working fine?Ferdinand Reinke(12:18:45): yesSampat(12:18:51): We, at Verizon, strive to ensure and deliver exceptional service to all of our customers.Sampat(12:18:51): Thank you for giving me an opportunity to help you today. Is there anything else I could help you further?Ferdinand Reinke(12:18:56): noSampat(12:19:01): I really wish all my customers are like you. I can grade you 10/10 for being so nice and patience . I love my job the most when I get to talk to customers like you.Sampat(12:19:01): I really wish all my customers are like you. I can grade you 10/10 for being so nice and patience . I love my job the most when I get to talk to customers like you.Sampat(12:19:20): Our goal is for you to be completely satisfied with the service you have received and that you recommend us to your friends and colleagues. Additional help on all 3 FIOS services is available on our website fioshelp.verizon.com. You can also make use of the Verizon In Home Agent for your Windows and Mac computers which is available for download on http://www.verizon.net/connect .Please navigate to this website and click on the link Get In-Home Agent to download and install it. This software would help you in troubleshooting basic issues that you face with your FIOS services before you contact us. Thank you for choosing Verizon and have a nice day.Sampat(12:19:30): We wish you and your family a blessed future ahead!Sampat(12:19:30): Bye and take care of yourself!

# – # – # – # – #

So, it’s a hardware problem?

Argh!

Why am I not happy?

I just don’t want to be bothered. Stuff should just work.

Argh!

And, I don’t believe it’s a hardware problem with the DVR!

I bet their “TV GUIDE” app is screwed up.

We’ll see.

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Jan-30 @ 12:23

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RANT: Sportsmanship missing

Sunday, January 29, 2012

5:27 first half of Michigan Ohio State …

… in real time in looked like the Michigan guard creamed the Ohio State player …

… on replay it’s obvious that it was a flop …

… the refs were ready to call a flagrant, but went to the video replay …

… changed it to a no call …

 

Sorry not good enough for me.

The flopping player should get a technical for “bad acting”, delay of game, or unsportsmanlike conduct.

If the refs were going to toss the Michigan guard for rough play, then the Ohio State player should be at risk of the same penalty.

 

Argh!

 

Play hard, but it always has to be “honest”.

 

Argh!

 

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Jan-29 @ 13:41

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RANT: Civil was between NY and TN?

Monday, January 23, 2012

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/states-fights-tn-vows-payback-on-new-yorkers-after-911-memorial-gun-arrest/

States Fight? TN Vows Payback on New Yorkers After 9/11 Memorial Gun Arrest
Posted on January 20, 2012 at 4:18pm by Buck Sexton

*** begin quote ***

Tennesseans have circled the wagons to protect one of their own arrested in the Big Apple for gun possession, and now New York motorists may want to keep a closer eye on their speedometers.Tennessee Vows Payback on New Yorkers After 9/11 Memorial Gun Arrest of Meredith Graves

In response to the arrest of 39-year old Meredith Graves for unlawful gun possession while visiting the newly opened 9/11 memorial, the Tennessee state legislature has taken action.

According to the New York Post, Tennessee’s state legislature has “declared civil war on New Yorkers“— at least when it comes to speeders in their state. State officials claim they may retaliate for the prosecution of a woman who was carrying an illegal pistol at the 9/11 Memorial.

*** end quote ***

As a gun owner, I support Meredith Graves and all others caught up in the “New York State” unconstitutional stupidity.

Honest mistakes can’t be a crime.

But, by the same token, “increased enhanced enforcement” by “The State ofTennessee” is unfair as well.

Just as stupid!

Argh!

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RANT: Joe Pa should have been deposed; now he’ll be the fall guy

Monday, January 23, 2012

http://www.keywestlou.com/2012/01/joe-paterno-passed-away-this-weekend.html

Monday, January 23, 2012

*** begin quote ***

Joe Paterno passed away this weekend. Good and bad things are being said about him. Most of the bad seems to be coming from a younger generation that reflects a lack of tolerance on their part.

His failings, if any, in the the Penn State scandal were ordinary and minimal. He waited 24 hours to report to higher authority. He failed to notify the police after his Penn State superiors did not do so.

A great man whose life is now besmirched. Shakespeare said it best. Through Marc Antony. Marc Antony’s words in eulogizing Julius Caesar.” The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones…”

A shame.

*** end quote ***

I was a fan of Joe Pa before all of this. BUT, (and there is always a BIG butt), how can you not have outrage at the whole issue? You were very gentle with his legacy. Football is supposed to teach character. Struggle, honor, courage, bravery, all the manly virtues.

A number of people were shown to be cowards. From the quarterback who has to ask his Dad if he should have rescued the child. To the Head Coach who meekly “reported it to his superiors”. To the University honchos who buried it.

I’m no youngster, but I too look on Penn State askance now. This pervert had to be common knowledge on the campus. Why else didn’t this famous well-respected coach not get one job offer after Penn State? This had to be common knowledge around the football community. If it was, still no one took actions. What cowards!

I would have like Joe Pa to stick around to be deposed. To get to the truth. Now that he’s dead, everyone’s going to make him the fall guy. Maybe he should be. Certainly seems like there is more than enough blame to go around.

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RANT: Paterno RIP, but we lose his testimony

Sunday, January 22, 2012

WSJ.com Editors access@interactive.wsj.com 10:37 AM
News Alert
from The Wall Street Journal

Joe Paterno, who racked up more wins than anyone else in major college football but was fired from Penn State amid a child sex-abuse scandal, has died. He was 85.

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Now we won’t have his testimony about what happened. Was he deposed? What about statements that he made to investigators?

Will we ever know?

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RANT: Comic book hosts ‘gay’ wedding; seriously?

Sunday, January 15, 2012

http://www.wnd.com/2012/01/all-american-comic-book-hosts-gay-wedding/

QUEERLY BELOVED
All-American comic book hosts ‘gay’ wedding
ACLU among groups celebrating soldier ‘marrying’ his therapist
by Drew Zahn

*** begin quote ***

“It’s unfortunate that a comic book series usually seen as depicting innocent, all-American life is now being used to advance the sexual revolution,” Peter Spriggs of the Family Research Council told Fox News. “I think whatever boost in sales might come from the novelty or curiosity factors will be more than offset by the number of both kids and parents who will be turned off by this storyline and its obvious social and political agenda.”

*** end quote ***

Sorry, but comic books have become “propaganda”.

Maybe they always were?

I’ve never felt so far from “American culture” as when I read this.

As little L libertarian, I don’t want the Gooferment telling folks anything. Neither do I want Big Media propagandizing children.

Marriage is the province of the Church. Not the comic book makers. This just continues the illusion that the Gooferment has a role in it.

Argh!

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RANT: Rage at the dying of the light

Saturday, January 14, 2012

http://www.vtcommons.org/blog/piss-war

Piss on War
Juliet Buck

*** begin quote ***

Do you know what is worse than having your dead body urinated upon? Being killed. Being shot. Being bombed. Having your limbs blown off. Having your house incinerated by a drone-fired missile that you don’t see until it explodes. Having your children blown up in their beds. Having your spouse killed. Having your hometown destroyed. Being displaced. Becoming a refugee. Having your entire life destroyed as a consequence of political forces far, far beyond your control.

War is horrible. War is sickening. Wars started for supremely righteous causes are just as horrible an sickening in their consequences as wars started for less than righteous causes. Politicians who sit in office chairs and start wars and wave flags as young men and women go off to kill and die and be psychologically and emotionally damaged for life are the most sickening of all. Politicians start wars and are rewarded with an appearance on weekend talk shows and Very Respectable Discussions with Very Respectable media figures and jokes at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner and appearances on Leno and ghostwritten self-glorifying memoirs and lavishly catered fundraising parties with corporate executives. They should be rewarded with outrage. They should be rewarded with scorn. Starting a war is a monstrous, monstrous crime against humanity, as we know when it begins that no matter how cleanly it is conducted it will result in thousands upon thousands of bullets smashing men’s skulls and arms and legs blown off by shrapnel and mothers and children incinerated by high explosives. And every extra day that a war is perpetuated unnecessarily is a crime anew.

*** end quote ***

Absolutely catches the outrage we should ALL be feeling.

Chicken Hawk leaders allow “our” girls and boys to be put in harm’s way for no good reason.

The problem is not the conduct of some Marines. It is that they are there in the first place.

We haven’t had a legitimate war since 1812.

Ron Paul is the ONLY peace candidate.

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