POLITICS: “Climate Change”?

Saturday, October 17, 2009

http://www.dailyblogtips.com/blog-action-day-how-bloggers-can-combat-climate-change

Blog Action Day: How Bloggers Can Combat Climate Change
by Daniel Scocco

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Today is Blog Action Day, and I want to talk about how bloggers can act to combat climate change.

But first things first, what is climate change? It is the change in the average weather around the world. In our specific case the weather is getting hotter (hence why people talk about global warming). This charge is partially caused by natural factors (e.g., changes in Earth’s orbit), but the human factor also plays an important role, with the increasing concentration of greenhouses.

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“Climate change”? How have we gone from “Global Cooling” in the 1970’s to “Global Warming” in the 2000’s and end up at “Climate Change” in 2009? Unfortunately, I don’t know if the climate is changing. It has in the past (i.e., Greenland was green). It may in the future. In the cosmic scale, we are a fly on the elephant’s butt. I do know that the same folks who did the “chicken little” on “global cooling” had the same litany of “cures” — higher taxes, more regulations, limitation on freedom. I think that it’s “sensible” to use less of “stuff”; sensible is a synonym for “cost effective”. It’s irrational to think that “I am saving the planet”; it’s smart to cut the electric bill by eliminating wasteful “phantom loads”. I think that bloggers can bring “common sense” to the discussion. We certainly don’t see common sense in the “old media”, politicians, or bureaucrats. Hypocrites abound (e.g., Gore’s carbon footprint; Prince Charles’ jet set life; UN in everything it does). We need to be “smart”!

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Posted by reinkefj

PRODUCTIVITY: Book price war

Friday, October 16, 2009

http://www.resourceshelf.com/2009/10/16/price-war-breaks-out-between-amazon-and-wal-mart-over-10-new-books/

Price War Breaks Out Between Amazon and Wal-Mart over 10 New Books

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In this time of eBook, eBooks and more eBooks we think it’s worth noting that a price war has broken out over 10 pre-order hard cover titles. We wonder if it more books will be added to the list, the price keeps getting reduced, and if other online book providers will join in.

It began yesterday when Wal-Mart announced that they were reducing the price of ten titles to $10 for books purchased on Walmart.com. Then, Amazon.com came back by lowering the price for those same titles to $9. This morning (Friday), Wal-Mart returned the volley and is now selling the books for $9.

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Ain’t capitalism wonderful!

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Posted by reinkefj

RANT: Can’t be a player and umpire at the same time

Friday, October 16, 2009

http://jasonalba.com/2009/10/13/health-insurance-tracks-cost-of-medical-care-bs/comment-page-1/#comment-46036

Affordable Outplacement
Health Insurance Tracks Cost Of Medical Care. BS.
Jason Alba

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That was what I thought the lie was. Based on my summer, with a birth and a surgery, I could not believe the overhead and price inflation caused by insurance companies. You can read about it on my JibberJobber blog, but understand that the hospital bills for the birth of my kid were about 60% discounted because we were self-pay, and we paid up front.

In other words, because we bypassed the health insurance system we were able to avoid 60% of the cost. Unbelievable.

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My observation on the upcoming “Obama-care” where the gooferment will become — in quick order — my “insurance company”. (Yeah, I know what they say. But, I think it’s going to be “Medicare for everyone”. To paraphrase Judge Judy, “I wouldn’t believe you …” (i.e. a congress critter; any politician) “… if your tongue came notarized!”

If my insurance company screws me, I can go to the gooferment for relief. If the gooferment aka my insurance company screws me, to whom do I go to for relief? To the gooferment’s courts?

Just take my screwing and shut up!

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INTERESTING: Political quiz

Friday, October 16, 2009

http://pewresearch.org/politicalquiz/quiz/index.php

200910160746.jpg

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I’m not surprised. I’m a wonk! It wasn’t very hard.

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TECHNOLOGY: “Smart readers”; too smart?

Friday, October 16, 2009

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/6292809/Smart-meters-could-be-spy-in-the-home.html

Smart meters could be ‘spy in the home’

Smart meters could become a ‘spy in the home’ by allowing social workers and health authorities to monitor households, adding to conce rn at Britain’s surveillance society.

By Alastair Jamieson

Published: 10:30AM BST 11 Oct 2009

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The DECC document adds households could even have their power to some appliances turned off remotely to help the national grid if there is too much demand. It says: “In terms of potentially intrusive non-physical behaviour unrelated to data, smart metering potentially offers scope for remote intervention such as dynamic demand management, which is designed to assist management of the network and thus security of supply. This could involve direct supplier or distribution company interface with equipment, such as refrigerators, within a property, overriding the control of the householder.”

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I always think of what can go wrong.

Turn off the refrig to “save the grid” and the food goes bad.

Turn off the heat to “save the grid” and people die.

Turn off power to politically “wrong” people?

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GOVEROTRAGEOUS: schools and “knives”

Thursday, October 15, 2009

http://www.wten.com/global/story.asp?s=11283345

Eagle Scout suspended from school over pocket knife (10/08/09)
A NEWS10 EXCLUSIVE
By MARK O’BRIEN

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LANSINGBURGH — High school senior Matthew Whalen is the kind of student any parent would want.

He’s an Eagle Scout, on the honor roll, taking Advanced Placement classes, and never been in trouble with the law. He’s received commendations from the City of Troy and the Boy Scouts of America for saving a woman’s life, and this past summer, he completed Army basic training. All of it was accomplished before the age of 17.

“I’m just trying to do what I can while I can,” Matthew says.

His goal is to attend the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, a dream since he was in grade school.

“I have a first-grade yearbook that says I want to be driving tanks in the Army,” Matthew says. “I mean, this is something that I know I’ve always wanted to do.”

But the dream could be in jeopardy, thanks to a two-inch pocket knife that officials at Lansingburgh Senior High School found in Matthew’s locked car last month. The pocket knife was a gift from his grandfather, Robert Whalen, who’s the Hoosick Falls Police Chief. Matthew says he kept the knife in a side compartment and never tried showing it off or threatening anyone with it. Instead it was a part of the survival kit that was his car.

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A stupid rule. (Considering guns in school. Chicago violence. And, all manner of other more important issues.) An illegal search. A kangaroo court. And, the komisars of eddykation with their leftist world views.

The article goes on to comment on a tire iron being a “weapon”. How about the car being its own weapon?

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RANT: Killing our troops in a failed policy

Thursday, October 15, 2009

http://www.lewrockwell.com/kwiatkowski/kwiatkowski237.html

Is McChrystal Reading LewRockwell.com?
by Karen Kwiatkowski

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Not likely.

But I was heartened to see that when we abandoned the military outpost in Kamdesh, Afghanistan, we destroyed the base, lighting afterburners, the smoldering waste of one more failed experiment in colonialism in our rear-view mirrors.

We departed this small base days after one of the deadliest Taliban strikes against our occupation forces there. Officially, our departure had been planned for months. Any bets that the leadership will take a hit for that bit of poor planning?

Not likely.

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The People have to end this nonsense.

Afghanistan has been the deathbed of empires for eons.

We can safely withdraw if we do two things: (1) pull back all our troops from around the globe; and (2) end the war on drugs. Then the Afghan farmers can grow all the opium they want. AND, all the countries, who’ve been living under our protection, can pay for their own defense.

Not likely!

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MONEY: Evening with Ric

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

http://www.ricedelman.com/

Went to one of Ric’s sessions. (Disclosure, I’m a customer.)

He did have many interesting points.

The one I thought was most interesting was his assault on the “dizzy blonde” and Dave Ramsey. Ric favors having a big mortgage.

For me the jury is still out on that.

He is dead set against anything but a low rate fixed 30 year mortgage regardless of your age. His point was that you can have a pile of cash to make investments AND the house. I remember when I got a 5% VA mortgage and was happy as a pig through the Carter inflation. I’m warming to his advice.

Especially when 30 year fixed are going for under 5%.

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GUNS: Are just tools; important ones!

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

The Best Gun in the World
by Terence Gillespie

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Like most tools there’s an optimal gun for every task under the sun. The task here is to ensure you’ll always have it with you when you need it. This article will talk about the features of a gun tool that will get that job done. And yes, I have a specific make and model in mind.

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Is the one you have with you.

Yup, it is THE HAVING one when you need it that counts.

And, I beleive we will ALL be needing them soon. DId you she that bystander child get killed by in a Chicago gang fight? Bet he could have used a gun to save his life!

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MONEY: Stocks go up but the dollar decline negates it

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

http://www.cnbc.com/id/33246832

Save the Greenback, Mr. President
Published: Friday, 9 Oct 2009 | 5:01 PM ET
By: Larry Kudlow
Anchor

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All this massive spending and borrowing is killing us. We need to be slashing tax rates on large and small businesses. There’s just no better place to begin job creation. And leave the Bush tax cuts in place for heaven’s sake. This supply-side shock therapy would save the dollar. And it would put real long-term torque into the recovery.

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Unfortunately, the President is not going to defend the dollar. The Fed ain’t either. And, the congress critters are going to spend like those proverbial drunken sailors. (At least the sailor spent their OWN money.)

So what are the little folks to do. Get ready for a lost decade or two. Study Zimbabwe for how tough life is going to be as the world passes us by.

But some bullion to preserve wealth. Just don’t get ripped off by overpaying.

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