Sunday, December 25, 2011

What is it about?

Linus explains what Christmas is all about



I've noticed a lack of Christmas cards with scripture, manger scenes, etc. Not really that many overtly religious cards. I ended up having to go to Dollar Tree to find some, for a craft that we were going to do on Wednesday night.

For those who think God is just so much hooey, and that it's all fables - look at Chris Hitchins. He's an atheist no longer. I feel bad for his family, that he's gone...but again, I don't see how someone could say God DOESN'T exist. Just look around, and it plainly tells you.

Darn. while blogging, i burned a batch of sugar cookies. The dog is happy though, as he gets the too-dark cookies.

Funny how people get when you say that the ONLY reason Jesus was born, was for the salvation of men, so that they did not have to go to hell. Oh noes, that ugly word, hell. If not for that, it would just be another day.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

What REALLY happened...

to those OWS protesters at UC Davis. Was talking with a friend yesterday, found out what led up to the pepper spray. They were warned repeatedly, and chose to ignore the warnings. How many levels of stupid are there?



Would YOU stay there after having been warned a good number of times you were going to get sprayed?

On a lighter note, check out these cows.



OO I almost forgot! the Ant & the Grasshopper, the 2011 OWS version:

As you may recall, the original version is about an ant that works hard all summer to build its house and gather food for the winter. The grasshopper pokes fun at the hardworking ant, and chooses to dance and play all summer instead.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper, on the other hand, finds itself without food or shelter, and dies out in the cold.

The moral of this age-old story: Think ahead so you can take care of yourself and your family!

The modern-day story is quite different. Here’s how it goes:

The ant works hard all summer to build its house and gather food for the winter. The grasshopper pokes fun at the hardworking ant, and chooses to dance and play all summer instead.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper marches down Main Street and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.

News reporters cover the story, broadcasting pictures of the shivering grasshopper

next to images of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. Citizens are stunned by the sharp contrast.

How can a country of such immense wealth allow this poor grasshopper to suffer? Kermit the Frog uses his fame and fortune to support the grasshopper with a new hit single, 'It’s Not Easy Being Green.'

Grasshoppers everywhere unite to fight for their rights. They march and shout, “Damn those ants! They took what belongs to us!”

Politicians looking for voters join the grasshopper movement. Together they condemn the ant, along with any politicians who support the ant’s success.

House and Senate leaders proclaim war against the ant, accusing it of building wealth at the expense of the poor grasshopper. They call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make it pay its fair share.

They draft the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act, retroactive to the beginning of summer. The ant is also fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs during gathering season.

With nothing left to pay retroactive and unexpected taxes, the ant’s home is confiscated and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends with colorful images of the grasshopper and friends enjoying the last bits of the ant's food at the ant’s table. The ant, however, is no where to be seen. It was forced to migrate to another location where freedom reigns.

The epilogue is not shown to children, however, because it could cause nightmares. Here’s how the final ending goes:

The following winter, the government-subsidized grasshopper neighborhood is abandoned and taken over by a gang of spiders. The grasshopper families who have not learned to feed themselves are once again in search of an ant community to take care of them.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Al Sharpton



Recently from Saturday Night Live - I guess they only have occasional funny spots, unlike the 70s when the Not Ready for Prime Time Players, Dan Ackroyd, John Belushi, Jane Curtin, Gilda Radner, Garret Morris, Chevy Chase, etc. I miss the old shows.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

I found a video, talking about obamacare and the constitutionality of the government forcing you to do something - say, buy insurance. He goes into some history of the government meddling into things (interstate commerce). This is the best videologue i've listened to so far on this subject.



I'm almost done Christmas shopping. I'm rather annoyed however, as our Walmart does not have *any* religious Christmas cards. They have "fun" cards, they have "inspirational" with snowy scenes, etc. But nothing religious. I had to go to Dollar Tree to purchase some. I'm rather tired of these politically correct, let's entirely shove religion out of everyday life, namby pamby aclu lovin red diaper doper babies.

This sums it up pretty well

I found a video, talking about obamacare and the constitutionality of the government forcing you to do something - say, buy insurance. He goes into some history of the government meddling into things (interstate commerce). This is the best videologue i've listened to so far on this subject.



I'm almost done Christmas shopping. I'm rather annoyed however, as our Walmart does not have *any* religious Christmas cards. They have "fun" cards, they have "inspirational" with snowy scenes, etc. But nothing religious. I had to go to Dollar Tree to purchase some. I'm rather tired of these politically correct, let's entirely shove religion out of everyday life, namby pamby aclu lovin red diaper doper babies.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Wow!

This looks like a lot of fun!



Well it's Cyber Monday, and I'm actually NOT shopping! Will wonders never cease?

Will the US return to the gold standard? or will it go to more of fiat money, only done by the IMF and UN? That was some of the discussion on Freedom Watch on Fox Business over the weekend. And is gold in a bubble, much as the housing was and dot.com too.. or is it just in reaction to the ever-expanding printing of money?

The Fed is unconstitutional, as congress is the one authorized to coin money , under Section 8 of the Constitution

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

Notice the word "coin"...not "print". Paper money was not considered. Lincoln did paper money during the civil war, and would not allow people to redeem their paper money for gold. FDR did even worse, outlawing the owning of gold - totally unconstitutional, both of them.

and yet progressives look up to FDR.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Really???

While browsing the Washington Times this morning, I came across this nugget of joy:

Five armed Mexicans, with AK-47s, were 12 miles north of the US/MX border, hunting for Border Patrol Agents. First off, this represents an armed intrusion of our country, and no one says a peep about the porous border where this is happening, yet it continues. The Federal government's responsibility lies here:

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

That is from Section 8, Powers of Congress. It appears that the morons up in DC are falling down on the job, and when the individual states make laws to take up where the Feds should be doing the job, they get *sued* by DOJ.

Back to the first part of this post...so these Mexicans representing an armed incursion into another sovereign nation, went & had a firefight with the Border Patrol agents. At least two of them had their rifles at the ready position, and patrolling the area, where they encountered four Border Patrol agents - who identified themselves as such in Spanish, and opened fire on them, killing one - Brian A. Terry, who had been a Marine. I'll give you three guesses what the Border Patrol fired at the armed men...and it will shock you - BEANBAGS! Yep. We're arming our Border Patrol with beanbags.

After shooting beanbags, and Terry was dying, they *amazingly enough* thought to switch to bullets, shooting one of the men in the abdomen and the leg. (only one? I'd shoot, and keep shooting until all were down, but the other 4 ran away).

The guy indicted for the murder of the BP Agent, Manuel Osorio-Arellanes, was originally just charged with illegal entry - but then that was thrown out, and 2nd degree murder charges were preferred.

The Washington Times has this interesting bit:

The indictment also noted that Osorio-Arellanes had been convicted in Phoenix in 2006 of felony aggravated assault, had been detained twice in 2010 as an illegal immigrant, and had been returned to Mexico repeatedly.

The case has been sealed, including the judge's reason for sealing the case.

Oh, by the way, remember the Fast & Furious fiasco? Two of the AK-47s found at the scene were from that operation.

Eric Holder should be held liable for any and all deaths involving guns in that 'operation'.

By the way, if you use Kaboom cleanser, that stuff that sprays blue & turns white - wear protective eyewear that totally seals off your eyes. It will mess up your eyes, just being in proximity to the spray. This is found out from experience yesterday. I now have a blister on my eyeball :| and it feels really funny. And I wasn't even that close to the stuff, but spraying the tub and surround, evidently some of it gets around in the air, and will attack your eyes.

The Muppets comes out at the theaters today, we're heading to see a movie later!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Ron Paul Candidate Profile

the only reasonable choice among the R's running, is Ron Paul, aka Dr. No, He Who Must Not Be Named, The Fringe Candidate Who Polls Above 30 Percent

http://reason.com/quiz/GOP2011/profile/ron-paul

Here are some good parts of it:

Spending/size of government/entitlement reform: Would return the U.S. dollar to a gold standard, effectively ending the central bank’s ability to manipulate the currency. Would also eliminate the central bank. Gary Johnson and Paul are the only Republican candidates giving serious consideration to cuts in military spending. Recognizes Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid as not merely economically ruinous but morally defective.

Personal freedom: Opposes abortion, but would leave regulation of it to the states. Recognizes the Second Amendment as a necessary check on tyranny as well as an expression of the right of self-defense. Opposes regulation of internet commerce and communications and has voted against bills aimed at banning online gaming, taxing internet commerce, policing sex offenders online, and requiring ISPs to answer to content bureaucrats (i.e. “net neutrality”). Paul’s position on most wedge issues is that they should be left to the states. Paul’s 2005 “We the People” bill would have prohibited federal courts from hearing cases on abortion, same-sex unions, sexual practices, and establishment of religion.

Immigration: Consistently supports stronger border enforcement. Argues that illegal immigrants strain public services more than they contribute to the economy, and advocates ending all public services to illegal immigrants and an amendment to end birthright citizenship. Would prohibit public money for hospitalization of undocumented immigrants but does not oppose letting charities take over these payments. His immigration position is rooted in the principle that a welfare state cannot coexist with open borders.

Education: Supports ending all federal support for and oversight of education. For this reason, he opposes school vouchers, which would place private schools under federal oversight. He does support education tax credits.

Campaign site: www.ronpaul2012.com


If he doesn't get the nomination for Rs this year, I'm sticking with the Libertarian Party, as the Republicans are only a step or two behind the Democrats in big government nanny state.

yet another idea!

While reading over at Reason.com archives, I came across this nugget of joy in the comments on Public Healthy & the tyranny of the Common Good, from sarcasmic:

How many of those who are currently part of Red US are in fact dependent upon government plunder?

When it comes to a choice between standing up for principle and no longer receiving a wealth transfer (veterans pension check, government paycheck, Social Security check, Medicare benefit, unemployment check, Food Stamps, Subsidized Loan, paycheck from government contractor, agricultural subsidy, the list goes on), will they really stand up for principle?

Or will they be right there in the streets demanding what is "theirs"?


It reminds me of a sign that I had seen, I don't quite remember where online, but a senior with a sign saying "keep your government hands off my medicare". Um, really? Where does the "magickal money" come from? I'll let you figure that one out on your own.

I agree with Ron Paul - those on SS *right now* would still get their checks - those not on it yet, guess what, you get a lesser percentage say 5 years out from that magical age, and those 10 years out get even less. Those 20 years out, guess what - start saving and investing for your retirement.

I've started reading more of Ludwig von Mises' book on economics. I'm finding that I really enjoy learning about economics.


Here is your WHAT of the day:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8730133/US-man-impaled-through-eye-with-pruning-shears.html

Hurts just looking at that guys Xray.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Christmas is on its way

I can't believe, the Christmas stuff has already taken over stores for the past month almost, and its' not even Thanksgiving. Next thing you know they'll be setting up displays around the 4th of July for Christmas!

How many of you love Christmas carols? I sure do - I grew up with records that my parents had - Bing, Perry, Hawaiian War chant (ok so i used to be able to sing that word for word) plus others. My parents listened to quite a few diverse types of music, ranging from big band to polka.

Here is one of my favorite songs, The Twelve Days of Christmas, only "as sung by Red Green"



Our church Thanksgiving dinner is coming up on the 20th of this month, and I am considering looking for a Turducken to bring, along with a regular roasted turkey.
A turducken is a dish consisting of a de-boned chicken stuffed into a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed into a de-boned turkey. the only bones left in a turducken, are the leg bones sticking out of the legs - so it *looks* like a regular turkey, but surprise! when you slice into it. Also in the recipe I have (out of a Paul Prudhomme cookbook) there are three types of stuffings/dressings in it- one inside the chicken, one between chicken & duck, and another between duck and turkey. I've seen them in the freezer up at Prasek's in Hillje (they are even online, and sell gift boxes - I highly recommend them for any of their food) and they are not too highly priced. If you can, get the box of stuffed chicken breasts - We love them. Haven't tried the ones with cornbread dressing in them, but the ones with regular bread stuffing in them are tops!

I was browsing Armistice Day, and came across a World War I site. Quite interesting! Here is the link >> http://www.firstworldwar.com/ If you click on the left side "propaganda" you can view posters from various countries (select the country on the right side). I am browsing the US posters - to get to the next poster, click on the poster, and the next one will pop up. the US has 4 pages of posters. Some interesting ones there.

In Flanders Fields
Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)


In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Spiders.. interesting

I was listening to the Michael Berry show last week, and he was talking about a video...I *had* to watch it when I got home, and this is the vid:



On another note, Obama is doing by executive order what will not pass through congress/senate. Talk about being a usurper.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

From Slave Narratives

I have a Kindle, and over at Project Gutenberg, I found quite a few slave narratives, which were taken by interviews in the 30s. Quite interesting, and more than a couple of times, Raw Head & Bloody Bones was mentioned. I had to look it up - and found the story.

Here it is.

Back in the forest lived an old medicine woman and her razor back pig, Raw Head. Some people claim they even saw the pig walk upright like a human, but generally no one ever believed them. Each week Raw Head and the old woman walked into town like old friends. They would go to the mercantile where the owner would give the pig scraps and purchase items from the old woman. One week, the old woman showed up without her pig. The owner of the mercantile asked her where the pig was. The old woman replied that she didn't know.

When the old woman returned home, she decided to find out where the pig had gone. She conjured up some liquid on a plate that would allow her to see what she wanted to know. The vision she saw was of a local hunter killing her pig to sell to the local butcher. She could see her dead pig hanging, gutted and a pile of bloody bones nearby on the ground. The old woman knew what she had to do. She began chanting "Raw Head and Bloody Bones". At the butcher's building, the bones began moving and pulling back together. The head, that lay scraped and bloody, began to roll towards the bones. The old woman continued chanting, "Raw Head and Bloody Bones, dance!" The skeleton of the pig came completely together, and then it began wandering toward the hunter's home.

It wasn't long before the pig found the hunter taking care of his animals in the barn for the night. When the hunter heard the voice of the pig, he thought it was children playing a prank on him, and he said the person should step out in the open. The hunter didn't quite believe what he was seeing, but he knew it was pure evil. The creature was a glaring, snarling bloody skeleton of the pig. He ran to his front porch, but the pig beat him there. The hunter screamed into the night. No one but the old woman, his neighbor, heard him. A sound of loud crunching and slurping noises ensued.

Every full moon, the old pig can still be seen walking upright through town with the old woman next to him, heading towards the mercantile for his scraps.

According to wiki:

Bloody Bones is a boogeyman feared by children, and is sometimes called Rawhead and Bloody-Bones, Tommy Rawhead, or "Rawhead". The term was used "to awe children, and keep them in subjection", as recorded by John Locke in 1693. The stories originated in Great Britain where they were particularly common in Lancashire and Yorkshire, and spread to North America, where the stories were common in the Southern USA. The Oxford English Dictionary cites 1550 as the earliest written appearance as "Hobgoblin, Rawhed, and Bloody-bone".

Bloody-Bones is usually said to live near ponds, but according to Ruth Tongue in Somerset Folklore, "lived in a dark cupboard, usually under the stairs. If you were heroic enough to peep through a crack you would get a glimpse of the dreadful, crouching creature, with blood running down his face, seated waiting on a pile of raw bones that had belonged to children who told lies or said bad words.”


You can also read books online over at Project Gutenberg - and it's all free. Quite a few books there!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011



So who's really paying what with taxes? And why is it "not fair" that some pay almost 30% while others pay much less? Fair would be everyone paying the *same* amount. Fair is treating everyone the same.

I was reading an article by Dave Ramsey on the Occupy Wallstreet people. He talked about how they're very vague, they want to get rid of the current system, and replace it with what? They're not sure. Some want something along the lines of the old Soviet system. There are no demands & goals. But these two paragraphs, under "Wealth Redistribution is the Answer!" really struck a chord with me:

I’ve heard a lot about wealth redistribution over the past few years, and I’m sure you’ve heard it too. Call it whatever you want, but this is how it usually sounds to most Americans: “We are the 99% of Americans who don’t have as much as the 1%, so we’re mad and think the government should take their wealth and property away so that I can have a piece of it. Wealth inequality is a moral breakdown! We should all spread the money around so everyone gets a fair share!”

I have my toughest critique for those who believe this: You are a thief. When someone takes my money and gives me no say in the matter, that’s called theft—whether they’re using a gun or the government. At the core of this demand is envy. And that’s not the same as jealousy. Jealousy just says, “I want what you have.” Envy is a different beast. Envy says, “I don’t think I can ever have what you have, so you shouldn’t have it either.” Decades of horrible economic teaching and the politics of envy have kept this monster alive and growing and moving forward.(bold added for emphasis - mine)

(quoting Bastiat in The Law, there are two types of plunder - legal and illegal...How is this legal plunder to be identified? Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong. See if the law benefits one citizen at the expense of another by doing what the citizen himself cannot do without committing a crime.

Then abolish this law without delay, for it is not only an evil itself, but also it is a fertile source for further evils because it invites reprisals. If such a law — which may be an isolated case — is not abolished immediately, it will spread, multiply, and develop into a system.

The person who profits from this law will complain bitterly, defending his acquired rights. He will claim that the state is obligated to protect and encourage his particular industry; that this procedure enriches the state because the protected industry is thus able to spend more and to pay higher wages to the poor workingmen.

Do not listen to this sophistry by vested interests. The acceptance of these arguments will build legal plunder into a whole system. In fact, this has already occurred. The present-day delusion is an attempt to enrich everyone at the expense of everyone else; to make plunder universal under the pretense of organizing it.

You can find the full text of the pamphlet by Frederick Bastiat HERE.

If you take off the stuff en/the_law.html you will find other writings of Bastiat. They're all on my to-read list.

BUT, when you point out to people that taking from one (by force) and giving to another, is stealing; or that the government, under the Constitution, has no right to do that, expressly or implied, you are called a hater of the poor.

And how do you avoid being poor? Working your tail off. How do you think most 'rich' people got that way? Very few inherit the money, most earn it. You can't get rich being a couch potato, watching Maury and the like on TV.

"but that's mean!" ... tuff bunnies. Life isn't fair, nor is it always a joyride.

I get told by some that I should have no room to talk - because I am a housewife, and don't work outside the house. However, hubby makes enough to support the family without needing me to work. I worked until we started having children, and raising them. Also called an anachronism, as I think that once you start having children, THEY are the most important job you can have - if you don't think you need as much STUFF to keep up with the Joneses, one income often will suffice. (But that's another pet peeve of mine - people putting 'wants' as 'needs'. There are only a few things we NEED. Most of what we have is a want. Funny how people used to get along fine without the stuff that is considered a 'need' nowadays.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Bullying?

Are we really willing to go there? Define the 1st Amendment down to where only "nice" speech is allowed?

The KKK can yell stuff all they want, people can be as obnoxious as they wish, with WORDS. Once it crosses over into the actual physical realm, then it becomes something else.

Whatever happened to "sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me"?

People didn't put up with bullies long when I was a kid - eventually you'd turn on them & get them good.

But it seems to me, with people making the government "their mother", we need *more* mothering, and laws to tell people they cannot use their God-given rights.

I was reading an article about bullying laws in NJ, and in NY state.

Evidently we have too much free speech. I am against these "anti-bullying" things going on in schools, towns, states etc. Who decides what is "bullying"? Telling someone they're an idiot? gee.. I guess I'd be arrested.

In New Jersey, schoolkids can call Crimestoppers Tipline to let on they've been bullied, thus getting the POLICE involved. Can we say "waste of government resources"?

In more nanny state news, here's something from The Telegraph:

No more balloons for kiddies under 8, and no more party whistles for the under 14 crowd.

what?? I guess water balloons are right out then! Someone might get hurt! or wet :P

According to Mayor Bloomberg of NY state:

There are powers only governments can exercise, policies only governments can mandate and enforce and results only governments can achieve. To halt the worldwide epidemic of non-communicable diseases, governments at all levels must make healthy solutions the default social option. That is ultimately government's highest duty.


WHAT??? This is such a lie, and you know what's REALLY sad, is that people will suck this down and actually believe it. People you would think would have at least a gram of common sense, and they believe this drivel.

This kind of goes to show how the US, overall (not saying everyone) is getting stupider. A nation of sheeple.

I'm starting to have serious doubts, as to whether this country can actually survive the coming implosion of government, as handouts grow greater, and those not receiving some form of gov't money swells.

It appears to me that self-reliance, and actually being responsible for what you say/do/ etc is totally out the door. And that's sad.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Funeral today


The church that I go to, the guy that does the job of Treasurer passed away. His funeral was today. Makes me think ...what if hub kicks off first... lots of deep thoughts, not sure that they're even coherent enough to put down.

I know I haven't written much, and much has been going on. I have to go see the doc to see about this cough, so when I get feeling better I'll rant on about various things (Al Sharpton comes to mind!)

I also started crocheting Christmas presents, and I have a sweater made for a friend's neice, I think it turned out cute. Now just to find some thread to sew on the button!

Here is something that has been irking me for a while.. the "bullying" junk. This article has some good thoughts about it. http://www.federaljack.com/?p=119185

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Cooler weather?

Wow! it's *finally* under 100 for our daily temperatures here in S. Texas. About time. We can even shut off the AC at night now, and just start it up during the day. We did get some rain last week, which was really nice, but it means the lawn weeds have started growing again and need mowing.

We have been looking at cars for the youngest, now that she is working almost every day after college classes, and I'd really like my car back. I was informed being I had "tagged my car up with lots of bumper stickers" I wasn't due to get the new (used) car. We've been looking at the Toyota Yaris, which has a weird arrangement of the gauges being located in the center of the dash, not on the left like usual.

I've been re-arranging my kitchen lately, and staying offline more, doing more things like crocheting (think Christmas presents) and just general messing around. Reading alot more. I'm about halfway done with Benjamin Franklin's autobiography. It's quite interesting actually. It was one of the free books for Kindle that I found over at Amazon, and just finally getting around to reading. I have 176 books on there to read, and I've read probably 50 of them. Guess I'd better get hot!

We watched the debate the other night, and thought Herman Cain did a great job, Mitt even sounded good (which I know he would be obama-lite) and Rick Perry was just totally lost.

I don't know if you've looked into the Cain 9-9-9 plan, which I really like.

Phase 1 - Immediate Boost

As I have outlined, the following represent the minimum for feeding the economic engine and are the “low hanging fruit” offering the most “bang for the buck”
Reduce individual and business income taxes to a maximum 25%
Eliminate taxes on repatriated foreign profits and capital gains.
The capital gains tax is a wall separating those with ideas from those with money.
Why would we want to wall off those with ideas? That’s where we get business formation, job creation and innovation.
When companies sell products overseas they face double taxation when those profits are brought home (repatriation) to invest in America and pay its workers.
Companies don’t ship jobs overseas, Liberals ship capital overseas and the jobs merely follow.
Phase 1 - Enhanced Plan

Current circumstances call for bolder action.
The Phase 1 Enhanced Plan incorporates the features of Phase One and gets us a step closer to Phase two.
I call on the Super Committee to pass the Phase 1 Enhanced Plan along with their spending cut package.
The Phase 1 Enhanced Plan unites Flat Tax supporters with Fair tax supporters.
Achieves the broadest possible tax base along with the lowest possible rate of 9%.
It ends the Payroll Tax completely – a permanent holiday!
Ends the Death Tax.
Business Flat Tax – 9%
Gross income less all investments, all purchases from other businesses and all dividends paid to shareholders.
Empowerment Zones will offer additional deductions for payroll employed in the zone.
Individual Flat Tax – 9%.
Gross income less charitable deductions.
Empowerment Zones will offer additional deductions for those living and/or working in the zone.
National Sales Tax – 9%.
This gets the Fair Tax off the sidelines and into the game.
Phase 2 – The Fair Tax

Amidst a backdrop of the economic boom created by the Phase 1 Enhanced Plan, I will begin the process of educating the American people on the benefits of continuing the next step to the Fair Tax.
The Fair Tax would ultimately replace individual and corporate income taxes.
It would make it possible to end the IRS as we know it.
The Fair Tax makes our exported goods and services the most competitively internationally than any other tax system.
Phase 1 Enhanced Plan – Summary

Unites all tax payers so we all pay income taxes and no one pays payroll taxes
Provides the least incentive to evade taxes and the fewest opportunities to do so
Lifts a $430 billion dead-weight burden on the economy due to compliance, enforcement, collection, etc.
Is fair, neutral, transparent, and efficient
Ends nearly all deductions and special interest favors
Ends all payroll taxes
Ends the Death Tax
Features zero tax on capital gains and repatriated profits
Lowest marginal rates on production
Allows immediate expensing of business investments
Dividend deductibility will help retirees, improve accounting, and moderate stock-option driven executive compensation
Increases capital formation. Capital per worker drives productivity and wage growth
Capital formation will aid capital availability for small businesses
Features a platform to launch properly structured Empowerment Zones to revitalize our inner cities
We all know the Fed has tripled the money supply since 2008. They have been printing money out of thin air to finance the Obama spending machine. While true Fed reform that restores sound money may have to wait for my election, the best thing we can do now is to pursue policies that increase the DEMAND for dollars to help mitigate the risks associated with the increase in the supply.
Pro-growth economic policies equal a strong dollar policy

I think that with the Demoncats and Republicrats, that there is a very slim-to-none chance it would actually go through if he was elected. But at least there is someone who actually has a *plan* to get stuff working again.

Hmm. I wonder if we can pull the 'race card'... you just don't like his plan because you're racist ... LOL. I am not sure how he's doing on the straw polls. I know Ron Paul does pretty good.

AND on this final note: If you have a dog, try the Bil-Jac brand of dog food - you can get it at Petco and Petsmart. It's a bit less expensive than Blue Buffalo, but they use 10 lbs of chicken in each 14 lb bag of food. It kind of looks strange (at least the fat-dog food) because it's shaped like the little alfalfa pellets that you feed rabbits. I am a BzzAgent, and I am trying this food, and telling people about it. Rocket actually LOVES the food (which is surprising, he's picky) and he hates fat-dog dog food. It hasn't been giving him gas like Purina and many other foods do. I think I'm going to stick with this food. But I need to get one of those bowls that has the 3 pegs in it to keep him from bolting his food. Also found out I had been overfeeding him - for an 11 to 20 lb dog, 1/2 cup to 1 cup of food a day. Wow.. I've been just letting him feed off & on. keeping the bowl full. No wonder he is shaped like a watermelon with legs & a tail.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Socialism

I was offline for a while, an old cable running from our antenna down rotted away and had to be replaced. I wrote this while I was without internet. Funny how you end up with (seemingly) more hours in the day when your net is down!

"True sociopaths, whether they murder their brother or rape their sister, have no remorse. They wish to push the order of things out of shape." This was a bit out of a book that was mentioned in the book I am reading by Michael Savage - the original book is "The Italian-American: Troubled Roots" by Andrew Rolle. Mr. Savage goes on to ask if the RDDB lawyers (red diaper doper babies) are trying to push society out of shape.

Socialism will not come rushing in with the face of Hitler, nor will Fascism come in with the face of Mussolini. Or the Communism of Stalin or Mao.

As Jonah Goldberg puts it - it will come in the guise of "smiley face fascism".

"think of the children!" is one thing that I think has been a large downfall of much of our liberty in this country. I have been watching more TV this past few weeks, and I noticed a commercial for an ADD/ADHD drug - basically turn your kid into a zombie, and everyone's happy. There ARE a few that are add/adhd, but not to the extent that its being diagnosed. Why is there such an upswing? Because kids today are planted on their butts on the couch, playing video games, instead of running around and playing outside with real games. Have them go outside and play a few hours of football, basketball, etc. They will be too pooped to act up. I remember growing up, if I wasn't doing my homework after school, I was outside. Mom limited TV to a bit of Saturday morning cartoons, and Sunday evening Carol Burnett & HeeHaw. And football. LOTS of football.

I was about 8 or 9 when Pong came out, on the Atari. My friend down the street, her parents bought one. It was good for about 30 minutes, but it was WAY more fun outside on the tire hanging on the tree, jumping off that into the lake, or just running around "discovering" things. All summer I was outside, and down at the lake every day. Fishing, swimming, taking out the paddleboat to the middle of the lake, turning it upside down & jumping off into the water. also, filling a canoe with kids, and then someone would get up on the sides & stand, and try to dump us all into the water. During the winter, it was hockey on the lake, skating, sledding, snowmobiling. (yes, you can fit 6 kids on a single snowmobile!) Drinking hot chocolate, laughing when swallowing, hot chocolate coming out your nose. (it hurts). if it was summer, I was outside doing something. Not sitting indoors.

I don't think my mom would have let me stay indoors. She thought getting out & doing things was important, even if it was having me go outside and weed the garden & see if there were any ripe vegetables. Or to go sit outside and decimate her rhubarb plants. (i love rhubarb, just pick it, and eat the stalk!)

I didnt have my girls hang out inside. On a really hot day, we'd stay in part of the day when it was bad, but we'd be outside, they'd be playing in the mud in the ditch, floating boats there, climbing trees, shooting BB guns (and shooting out our shed windows), throwing the hard pears off the tree in the backyard at an old doghouse to make holes in it.

When we had chickens, we'd get 2 to 3 eggs a day - 4 people cannot use all those eggs! I tried. One day, hubby had the girls outside, teaching them how to egg a house. They also learned how to wash egg off a house.

I ran across a blog recently, Free Range Parenting", and from reading it, it was how I was raised, and how I raised my girls. Some interesting stuff over there.

Yet another peeve of mine -

people complaining about "the crap pay" of 7.25 an hour, and how they would NOT take a minimum wage job, but prefer to just take the government's money. It's a JOB. There is no shame in taking a job, but there IS in taking money from the government. It seems to me that the shame in taking welfare has been done away with. People did not starve to death before we had the great welfare state. Churches, civic organizations, and private organizations did the job - and far better than a centralized beurocracy (I can't spell it, but I know how to pronounce it!)

Who is better able to judge what a locality needs, someone 3,000 miles away, pushing papers in an office, or someone who lives in the community?

Back to my peeve - I don't get why people who don't have a job, turn their nose up at a job? I get told that "being that you dont' work, you have nothing to say". The thing is, I don't *have* to work. My husband makes enough to provide for our family, without my working. And they liken that to welfare. I don't THINK so. When we need to pay a bill, we don't go to someone else and say "give us money so we can pay xyz".

To date, no one has been able to answer 'what entitles you to someone else's money?"

It seems to upset the seniors, as "we paid into social security all those years so it's there for us". Um, no, you paid in all those years, so that those who were retired during the time you worked could take your money. Now, its the people working now who are paying for your check.

Medicare is another thing that gets my goat. Talking to a lady at church...she had headaches. After 2 MRIs, a CAT scan, and several other tests, she said she'd just go see about an eye exam to see if her glasses were causing eyestrain. And it doesn't matter how much it costs for an MRI, as she isn't paying the tab.

THAT is the mentality that is causing medical costs to skyrocket, as the cost of insurance also. We have major medical - we pay for prescriptions, etc., with a high deductible. When I needed an MRI, we called around - it ranged from $380 to over $2,000. We went with the $380 one. I think that if there were HSAs instead of just covering everything, people would be more cost-conscious, and prices would come down, as the businesses would have to really compete for you. And get the government out of the healthcare/medical field. They have no business in it anyway.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

A Cloward-Piven paper

How can the poor be organized to press for relief from poverty? How can a broad-based movement be developed and the current disarray of activist forces be halted? These questions confront, and confound, activists today. It is our purpose to advance a strategy which affords the basis for a convergence of civil rights organizations, militant anti-poverty groups and the poor. If this strategy were implemented, a political crisis would result that could lead to legislation for a guaranteed annual income and thus an end to poverty.

This vomitrocious paper can be read in full here: The Weight of the Poor.

Funny, we still have poverty, despite spending trillions on it since the welfare state began. As Jesus said, "For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good..."

Up early on a Saturday

I was rudely awakened by the 'poinker' who massaged me gently with his claws, and bit my nose :| What a way to wake up. Speaking of waking up, this is hilarious!



I used JP Sousa playing loudly on the boombox that I took into the girls' room - to this day, they still know the song I played, and can hum it. Either that, or some ice to the back woke them up also.

I'd be freaking out too:

 

Well... considering I don't like spiders, although when we moved our couch, there were BARN SPIDERS underneath it. Rachel and myself were whacking them with paperbacks for a while. I counted at least a dozen. Lovely, under the couch. They could have popped out at any time. And the cats were useless. Like when we first moved in here, we found out that the shed we have...has mice. They got into a couple boxes that we brought into the house to unpack. The cats sat just watching them, while hubby and I played "pool" with a walking stick from Mt. Fuji and the mouse. Corner pocket BAM!

I'm thinking back 23 years ago today...the day hubby and I tied the knot. We went to a cheesy wedding thingie in San Diego, had some woman minister, and taped music. His brother did the photography (and did a great job!). We had both rented, his tux and my bridal dress - evidently San Diego is large enough for that. I was so nervous, I laughed most of the time during the ceremony. Then we had our 'reception' .. it was 2 of Paul's friends, and his family. So we went off to Red Lobster, and I had dropped off the cake earlier in that day at the restaurant. Evidently someone wanted to taste the frosting, as there was a finger smear in the middle of it when they brought it out. We were in the glassed in part, so we could see them decorating the car lol. Had a nice dinner, then off to Disneyland Hotel. His dad had gotten us a room, they upgraded us to a suite, on the 8th floor. We ended up paying for another 2 nights there, and we got the same rate he had paid - employee discount rate. We went to Disneyland, but mostly hung out in the Hall of Presidents - because it was air conditioned. it was so hot those few days. Then up the coast of CA, along I5. Stopped in Gilroy (garlic capitol of the world) and tried garlic wine. It would be good for cooking with. The town smells of garlic. Then on to more wineries, a very nice time.

It seems like so long ago... yet not? I can remember specific things that we did that day - like stopping at Mervyn's to buy nylons and some makeup. Going to the florist to pick up the flowers I had ordered. How Paul looked that day. (young comes to mind!) Here is a picture from that day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35523673@N02/3996212539/in/set-72157622551994198

Life is really strange how many turns and twists it makes. When I left home at 17, I had no plan in mind, no direction, no idea of what I wanted to do. I've lived in a van out in a state park down in Florida (bad time of life), spent years in the Navy, and then worked sporadically since I started having the girls.

The youngest has started college now (although her classes are just in town, so she lives here); another chapter of my life has begun I think. She's so busy with classes and work, that she is hardly ever home. Hubby and I only had a little over a year together before Kat was born, and now it's 'what do we do?'.

I guess we're older, wiser; but that really doesn't matter a hill of beans, when you think about what you've accomplished in your life.

ugh, now i'm getting maudlin, so I'll quit :)

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Is it really wrong?

I was reading this weeks article by John Stossel, and it started off with this:

We grow up learning that some things are just bad: child labor, ticket scalping, price gouging, kidney selling, blackmail, etc. But maybe they're not.

That got me thinking. People are against child labor...but when you need every penny/nickel/dime you can lay ahold of, why is it bad? I was reading an older book on Google books - I forgot the name of it - but in the early 1900s, those 10 and up generally worked. It wasn't until after WW2 that a majority went on to finish high school. I guess my parents were unusual, as on my mom's side, they all went to college, and on my dad's side, he went to a technical school. (he played football there) Should we abolish child labor in other countries? That would be making poor countries already poorer. Prostitution rises in countries where the jobs are less. So.. a choice. having kid selling their body on the street, or working to make Tshirts? Its a real no-brainer.

8th grade education was the basic thing, for "the greatest generation". Things were invented, unlike now = when everything is basically the same since then. Merely improvements on something already invented. Think about it. Ok, enough rabbit trail there.

What about "price gouging"? Who is to say what a "fair price" is, when the product is scarce? Of course the price is going to rise. Market value is related to how desired a product is, and the scarcity of it. If there's a lot of it, and it's desired, prices will stay low. As amount falls, prices will rise. (common sense).

Take those "price gougers" heading to a hurricane-stricken area with gallons of water. Are they supposed to sell the water for 74c a gallon? Or, do they take into account their time and trouble, not to mention gas money, for bringing it to that area? So what, you have to pay more...so you can get water/generators/whatever. Would it be better to NOT have those items? According to the gov't, it would be.

"being parsimonious is a form of greed" was one of the comments. Think about it.

1: exhibiting or marked by parsimony; especially : frugal to the point of stinginess
2: sparing, restrained
— par·si·mo·ni·ous·ly adverb

Origin of PARSIMONIOUS

(see parsimony)
First Known Use: 1598
Related to PARSIMONIOUS

Synonyms: cheap, chintzy, close, closefisted, mean, mingy, miserly, niggard, niggardly, stingy, penny-pinching, penurious, pinching, pinchpenny, spare, sparing, stinting, tight, tightfisted, uncharitable, ungenerous
Antonyms: bounteous, bountiful, charitable, freehanded, generous, liberal, munificent, openhanded, unsparing, unstinting

ok. think I've exhausted that rabbit :P

On another note, school vouchers for choice of education for your child. I think it's a good idea. But the only problem I forsee, is that the government will want to call the shots at any school accepting vouchers. Bad idea!

Look at this:



The LEA is the "Local Education Authority".. ie. the public school. Notice the wide gap between public and private/charter/whatever schools. Which one would be better used to educate children? Yet another no-brainer. And of course, the teacher's unions are all over this, saying that it's horrible that public schools are losing money through students fleeing. well DUH! Big FAIL for public schools.

Now for the taste buds - I made a nice strawberry shortcake for dessert last night, but I figured out do NOT make the full recipe when there are only two of you eating it. The shortcakes turned out huge, and youngest only ate 1/3 of hers. I started thinking about food, and being I was talking with a friend about food, this came to mind:



Chicken fried BACON. Complete with cream gravy. Hopefully the gravy is nicely peppered. Imagine the calories in that thing - a fat, deep fried in fat, served with a fat. An artery-busting thing!

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

What I learned today (and yesterday)

A couple of interesting things I've found out - "meat glue" and energy consumption per capita. First, what I learned yesterday - meat glue. Sounded kind of weird, and when I first heard of it, I thought.. glue made out of meat? Kind of like jello?

Nothing of the sort. Its transglutaminase. Its an enzyme, from pig & cattle blood, and bonds proteins together. (think chicken nuggets) It's used in those, sausages, lunch meats, hot dogs all use it. But, what I've learned, is that it's also used for "steaks". I'd be rather PO'd paying good money for what I think is a slab of steak, and finding out it's only leftover chunks & stew meat slapped together with this into a "steak". Not to mention, the possibility of bacteria. I make sure the outside of my steak is brown, but I like a cold, red center (and lots of center). If I'm eating a steak that's of bits and pieces, it's no more safe even at medium rare than a hamburger cooked to that. That's why they suggest cooking your ground meat to well-done. Brown all the way through. I don't think anyone would like to have their steak done all the way through. YUK! talk about overcooked! But there is the usual scare-mongering of 'meat glue' although it's regularly used in food products.

Never thought you'd be eating paste again, like you did in kindergarten?



From Mike's Daily Apple (about health):

If you’re worried that the meat you buy contains transglutaminase, you can do a few things to avoid any potential complications:

Do what the guy in the video did and gently tug on your meat. If your steak comes apart, it’s probably “steak.” It’s probably best to perform the tug test before you pay for the meat, and most meat counters/butchers will allow you to inspect what they sell.

Just cook it thoroughly. I would advise against cooking your “steak” like a steak until well done, because, well, that just ruins meat, but a nice braise, crockpot stew, or soup would all work. Remember: it is meat and it is edible.

Ask. Ask your butcher, your meat supplier, or your waiter if the meat contains glue. They should know, and if they don’t (or if they’re unwilling to say), order something else or go elsewhere.

NOW for the interesting factoid I found -

We all *know* the US is the EEEEEEEEeevil energy-user of the world, and of course, Americans should live like Bangladeshians. The US uses 7,885.9 of KGOE (kilograms of oil equivalent). Sounds high? Let's see where it lies among the countries' usage.

Energy (oil) consumption per capita:

1. Quatar 19,466.0

2. Iceland 12,209.4

3. Bahrain 11,180.0

4. Kuwait 11,102.0

5. United Arab Emirates 10,354.0

6. Luxembourg 10,137.8

7. Trinidad & Tobago 9,736.0

8. Netherlands Antilles 9,057.0

9. Canada 8,472.6

10. United States 7,885.9

11. Norway 7,153.2

12. Brunei Darrussalem 7,062.0

13. Singapore 6,932.0

15. Finland 6,555.0

16. Saudi Arabia 6,068.0

17. Australia 5,897.5

18. lgium 5,891.7

19. Sweden 5,780.3

20. Oman 5,440.0

21. Gibraltar 5,432.0

22. Netherlands 5,048.8

23. Taiwan 4,621.0

24. Czech Republic 4,418.6

25. South Korea 4,415.4

26. France 4,396.8

27. New Zealand 4,218.0

28. Germany 4,187.0

29. Japan 4,135.3

30. Austria 4,134.7

By the way - Bangladesh comes in last, with 171.0

Weird, huh?



Wednesday, August 3, 2011

A Texan's Answer to Welfare

I went to my email inbox, and got a nugget of joy from a friend a couple counties over. I'd wager there are more than just a few people who think this should go on.

This is is good. Read to the end. Should work in Washington also.

Put me in charge . . .

Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.

Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine and document all tattoos and piercings. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke or get tats and piercings, then get a job.

Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your "home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place.

In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the "common good."

Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules.. Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self esteem," consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self esteem.

If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.

AND While you are on Gov't subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Gov't welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Email to DC

Ok...so I am FED UP with the rank stupidity, and gross neglect of common-sense that DC is doing - so I started emailing my senators - Kay Bailey Hutchinson, and John Cornyn.

I only remember a little of what I wrote to Hutchinson, but basically that you cannot go on a spending spree to Macy's one-day sale, planning on spending $1500, and spend $1000 and call that a spending cut. that it is insanity, and that I'm ashamed of the morons in Washington.

To John Cornyn, his handy-dandy auto reponder regurgitated my email to him - so here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Your Message:

What on God's green earth is having you vote for this monstrosity? I'm aghast at the spending you guys are doing up there. This is the crap that is forcing me out of the Republican party, as they are just now "democrat lite". What part of NO MORE SPENDING do you people up there NOT understand? If I had the chance YOU have to make a stand and say NO I would have jumped at it, but you rolled right over into their laps. If I used a credit card the way you guys spend up there, I'd be long dead before it was even paid off. You CANNOT CONTINUE TO SPEND MONEY. Start introducing bills CUTTING things, that would be state issues, according to the Constitution. When you were elected, you swore an oath to God to uphold it. Who cares what they think of you? Do what's RIGHT according to the Constitution and the oath you swore. You'd garner much more support if you actually took a stand like that. I'm thoroughly disgusted with the whole process. I can stand sausage making, but what this government has devolved to, the baseness, is something that is utterly vomitrocious.

This was just one little rant. I can't bring myself to call their offices, as I would probably be hung up on, for screaming epithets at them at the top of my lungs. Plus, raise my blood pressure beyond reasonable levels.

Tonight's dinner is baked tilapia, with crab cakes on the side, and steamed broccoli. When we flew to Boston for the marathon, we had a layover in Baltimore, and it was necessary that I try crabcakes. We went to the Phillips Seafood place there, and :O it was DELICIOUS! Don't bother with the appetizer crab cakes, go directly to the lump crab cakes, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Here is the recipe they used (and I use now!)

Ingredients

8oz. Phillips Crab Meat
1/2 tsp. Phillips Seafood Seasoning (I use Old Bay, and more than a half tsp)
1 egg
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. mustard (I use yellow sunshine mustard)
1 1/2 tsp. melted butter (i just cut off some butter from the stick that looks good)
1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/4 c. breadcrumbs or Ritz crackers, finely crushed (the exact amount of Ritz crackers is 7)


Preparation Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for crab meat. Gently fold in the crab meat, being careful not to break up the lumps. Shape into cakes. Pan fry or bake at 375°F degrees for 12-15 minutes or until evenly brown on each side and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

This is from the phillipsfoods.com website, which has lots of other crabby recipes.

I pan-fry mine in about 1/2 stick of unsalted butter, with a smidgen of olive oil thrown in there to prevent early browning of butter.

More Government Stupidity

Yes, I know that is like saying the same thing twice - government and stupidity are basically the same thing.

The ruling class, who desires nothing more than to have the 'working class' et al be subservient to the almighty Fed, wants to make tractors, cotton pickers, other farm equipment in the same class as semi tractor-trailers. Yep, a commercial driver's license.



No more of a farmer or rancher having his kids help, if they are too young to have a CDL. Funny, friends of ours, their under 16 year old drove their F250 back and forth to the cotton fields, and was helping with the cotton harvest, the neighbor's kids would drive farm equipment when they were about 12, to help out the family.

Some of the stuff they would have to do:

Detailed logs would need to be kept by all drivers – hours worked, miles traveled, etc.

Vehicles would have to display DOT numbers

Drivers would need to pass a physical as well as a drug test – every two years.

More info found HERE on CDL.

It appears the Fed will not be satisfied until everything is nationalized and under their control.

From what it appears from a DOT's op-ed piece, is somehow because tractors use the roadways at times, it should come under their regulation? HERE is that op-ed.

This is just more big government, just "here to help you"... I think the farmers should give the DOT a collective middle finger, raised high.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Government default?

Can it happen...again? Most likely. The government has defaulted before, and guess what...nothing horrible happened.

The US government defaulted in 1933, on refusing to honor gold bonds, and FDR confiscated all privately held gold.

It did it again in 1968, when refusing to honor silver bonds (remember those silver certificates?), and instead, they became worthless paper. Well not worthless, as they are collectibles.

In 1973, Richard Nixon defaulted on gold debts to other nations, with its gold obligations.

Did you realize that 2 trillion of this debt is owed by the Federal Government...to itself? Yep, the Fed has that owed. You know, the people that print the money, etc. The *unconstitutional* and *inflationary* and *devaluing the dollar* Fed.

“Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value… zero.” -VOLTAIRE (1694-1778)

Using the government's own calculator, for what $1 in 1913 (earliest year possible) compared to today's dollar - you will spend $22.80.

I wonder about 1980 price change from $20, as I could get 4 paper sacks of groceries at that price, compared to today's prices - $54.79

And I was buying basics. Soup, stripped chicken for soup, etc.

Compared to today's usual grocery trip for me, I spend around $125 to $150 (this includes cat food, dog food, cat litter, etc) I come up with $5.48 in 1913 dollars.

WHAT!

In 1969, Cornflakes: [1969] 12 oz, 29 cents. In 2011, 12 oz. costs $3.79.

I just found an interesting book on Google Books: Cost of Living and Prices of Food, GPO, 1904. It's free, and you can browse through it on your computer. I find it quite interesting. I seem to collect *more* reading :)

Enjoy your day, I will certainly be reading old statistics today. I've found that statistics and economics are INTERESTING! Who'da thunk it? Someone that used to sleep as much as possible during classes in high school (I was reminded last year at the class reunion by the guy I used to sit behind, to "hide me so I can sleep' in Russian History. I'm skeered to actually look at my HS transcript, it might be pretty darn poor!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Questions that need answers!

I was browsing around earlier, and came across these gems of questions, asked in a Socratic manner, by Oleg Atbashian:

(he's an immigrant from the ex-soviet union)

Dear Americans, these are some questions I have collected in 16 years of living in your country. Please see if you can answer them for me:

If all cultures are equal, why doesn’t UNESCO organize International Cannibalism Week festivals?

Why do those demanding “equal pay for equal work” never protest against “equal pay for little or no work”?

Why has no politician ever run on men’s issues or promised to improve the lives of males?

If all beliefs are equally valid, how come my belief in the absurdity of this maxim gets rejected by its proponents?

Ever noticed that for the past thirty years, we’ve been hearing we have less than ten years to save the planet?

Once a politician labels the truth as hate speech, can anyone trust him to speak the truth afterward?

If a politician gets elected by the poor on a promise to eliminate poverty, wouldn’t fulfilling his promise destroy his voting base? Wouldn’t he rather benefit from the growing numbers of poor people? Isn’t this an obvious conflict of interests?
How did the “war on poverty” end? Has there been a peace treaty or a ceasefire? Who is the occupying force and who are the insurgents?
Why weren’t there demonstrations with anti-feudal slogans under feudal rule? And under Stalin, no anti-communist demonstrations? And under Hitler, no anti-fascist demonstrations? In a free capitalist society, anti-capitalist demonstrations are commonplace. Is capitalism really the worst system?
If capitalism makes some people rich without making others poor, who will benefit when capitalism is destroyed?
If the poor in America have things that people in other countries can only dream about, why is there a movement to make America more like those other countries?
Why, on the rare occasions when Obama’s actions benefit America, does his base get angry? And every time his actions are hurting this nation, his base is happy? Who exactly are these people?

If cutting out the middleman lowers the price, why are we paying the government to stand between us and the markets?

If racial profiling is an abomination, what do you make of the last presidential election?

After Eric Holder called Americans a nation of cowards, what has he done personally to help the situation?

If diversity training benefits everyone, why do those classes mostly consist of white heterosexual males?

Why is a huge poisonous cloud over a volcano considered magnificent — but a smokestack over an American factory is ugly and harmful?
How many Kyoto Protocols are rendered pointless by one medium-sized volcanic eruption?
Why is burning gas in my car hurting the planet, but setting fire to housing developments in California is saving it?
Why does Hollywood glamorize drug addicts, criminals, liberal Democrats, and mentally challenged people? What do they all have in common?
How come Hollywood can always find a good side in thugs, but never in businesspeople? What was the last movie that pictured a self-reliant, industrious man as a role model?
If it’s capitalist greed that forces Hollywood to exploit the lowest human instincts, why didn’t the same greed force Hollywood to exploit America’s patriotism and make war movies showing the U.S. presence in Iraq and Afghanistan as a force for good? Wouldn’t one such film bring more green cash than all the anti-American flops in the recent years? Where was Hollywood’s capitalist greed then?

How come those calling Sarah Palin a “bimbo” often look like part of Paris Hilton’s entourage?

If there are no absolutes and family is an antiquated tool of bourgeois oppression, why is having gay marriage an absolute must?

Would you know from the media coverage that there are more sex offenders among public school teachers then among Catholic priests? How come the church gets the blame and the Department of Education doesn’t?

Why is the media so outspoken about sex abusers being priests, but avoids calling them homosexual pedophiles? Who are they afraid to offend?

Why do those who decry modern civilization never live far from shopping centers and why don’t grind their coffee with a stone ax?

If we are called a “consumer society” because we consume, why aren’t we also called an “excreter society” because we excrete? For that matter we also sleep, dream, talk, think, invent, play music, raise children, feel pain, get sick and die. Many of us work for a living. Why aren’t we called a “producer society” because we produce the things we consume? Who puts these labels on us and for what purpose?

How come the unselfish Americans hate their country out of personal frustrations, while the selfish ones defend America with their lives?

If describing terrorists as freedom fighters is justified by the journalistic principle of neutrality, what is the name of the principle that justifies describing U.S. troops as rapists and murderers?

When the media portrays the killing of terrorists as “slaughter of civilians,” while slaughter of civilians is portrayed as “resistance to occupation,” is the media really being neutral? Whose side are they really on?

If Hollywood types are so opposed to capitalism, why is there a warning against unauthorized distribution of their movies?

Why is experimenting on animals cruel, but experimenting on human embryos compassionate?

How come industrial logging is a crime against nature, but the destruction of forests by wildfires is a natural cycle of life?

Why do those who object to tampering with the environment approve of tampering with the economy? Isn’t the economy also a fragile ecosystem where a sudden change can trigger a devastating chain reaction?

Isn’t the latest economic crisis such a chain reaction?

Aren’t most of today’s social ills the result of tampering with social ecosystems?
Why is bioengineering bad, but social engineering good?

If Al Gore is right and our consumption of the planet’s resources is a moral issue, doesn’t that make genocide an ethical solution? How about an artificial famine? What would Al Gore choose?

If being a winner in nature’s struggle for survival is selfish, does being extinct make you an altruist?

Since our planet’s resources are limited, wouldn’t the ultimate act of environmental activism be to stop eating and starve to death?

How come those who hate humanity for its faults are called “humanists” but those who love humanity for its virtues are called “hate-mongers”?

If economic ups and downs are natural cycles, why is the downturn always blamed on unbridled capitalism, but the upturn is the result of a wise leadership of a Democrat president?

Why is there never a media story praising capitalism for the booming economy?

Ever noticed that those who demand “power to the people” also believe that people can’t do anything right without government supervision?

How exactly does dependency on the government increase “people power”?

Why is there never a headline that says “Government program ends as its intended goal has been achieved”?

How come so many anti-American radicals are wearing American brands, listen to American music, watch American movies, and play American video games on computers designed by American engineers?

Why do advocates for higher taxes have accountants advising them how they can pay smaller taxes? Wouldn’t you expect them instead to seek advice on how to give away more of their income to the IRS? Or at least not to hire accountants at all?

Can you name one person who paid the IRS more than he owed because he trusted the government to put his money to good use?

Did it occur to any of the 9/11 Truthers that a government conspiracy to murder thousands of people would have also included a plan to rub out a few troublemakers?
If U.S. oil companies own everyone in Washington, how come they allowed Congress to grill them for the alleged price gouging — and to broadcast it on C-Span?

Why didn’t Congress also grill Hugo Chavez, Vladimir Putin, and a guy named Abdullah Ibn Abdul Aziz Bin Abdulrahman Bin Faisal Bin Turki Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad al Saud?

Why are windfall profits a problem when they enrich U.S. companies that pay billions in taxes — but when Hugo Chavez uses the same windfall profits to fund Marxist guerillas in Colombia, it’s not a big deal?

If George W. Bush was an oil-thirsty dictator, why couldn’t he in eight years get permission from Congress to drill in ANWR? And why didn’t that failure in any way hurt his dictatorial reputation with the media?

If it’s true that the media emphasized bad news and harassed President Bush only because they competed for ratings, what changed now? Aren’t they worried that today’s emphasis on good news from the White House will destroy their ratings and make journalism irrelevant?

And finally, if all opinions are equal, how come a liberal who disagrees with a conservative is open-minded, but a conservative who disagrees with a liberal is a bigot?

I really can't say any more than these questions pose - Feel free to throw them at your favorite liberal!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Poverty in the United States

That is the title of a paper by Heritage.org I am in the process of reading. Quite interesting, as the average "poor" household has:

In 2005, the typical household defined as poor by the government had a car and air conditioning. For entertainment, the household had two color televisions, cable or satellite TV, a DVD player, and a VCR. If there were children, especially boys, in the home, the family had a game system, such as an Xbox or a PlayStation. In the kitchen, the household had a refrigerator, an oven and stove, and a microwave. Other household conveniences included a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone, and a coffee maker.



this is poor? The "poor" today are living better than all but the richest people 100 years ago.

When I was growing up, we had a black & white TV, as color was expensive, and my mom didn't get a regular washer until 1976 - We had a wringer washer (remember those?) and I was the feeder for the rollers. Also we line dried our laundry. Hung them up in the basement when it was winter, so they'd dry. We had a microwave back in the 70s - ONLY because my dad was a salesman for Litton at that time. Only thing we used it for was making 'cinnamon apples' - scoop out some, put in those little red cinnamon candies & cook it. Mom never really liked them. After dad stopped working for Litton, we got rid of it.

We also didn't have air conditioning. Summers were hot, but never really thought about it, except for at night when it was so hot that a sheet was too heavy. We just left the windows open (and bats would also fly in).

My parents invested in a hydraulic log-splitter, put up signs all over, they would come cut down your trees that needed it, for free, as long as they could have the wood. My sister and I did the hard part - putting the wood on the splitter and piling up all the wood. Dad pushed the button.

I guess I grew up with Depression values in life - if you're looking for a job, and need money, you don't pass up jobs just 'because you don't like it' or you feel its below you. You take whatever job is available. My grandfather walked 15 miles one day to get a job during the Depression.

People didn't feel "entitled" to something, merely because they were alive, or lacked something. My mom told me of eating lots of french toast during the depression - her mom owned a bakery, and the bread that was way too old to sell, along with eggs & milk from her grandmother's hens & cow, made up their dinners. And lunches, etc.

Now, we have generations of people, just sitting about, getting (as the Dire Straits song goes) "money for nothing".

How do we define poverty? Is it just lacking all the doo-dads and goodies that over half the people have?

I don't have an Ipod, an Iphone, or anything fancy like that - I bought an 8gb mp3/vid player at Walmart at Christmastime, while they had them on sale for $39. Why should I pay lots of big bucks for a name?

Or an "adequate house"? What constitutes 'adequate'? For many in this world, even the ramshackle houses are quite nice compared to pieces of tin leaned up against each other.

Look at the house sizes over the years. Even in the US, it's increased greatly from the average of 943 sq ft in 1950, to 2,349 sq ft in 2004. I'm like :O

I guess my house would be an average house in 1950, as it is just a tad over 1100 sq ft. And it's sufficient for a family of four. A friend's family growing up, had a 4 bedroom house - grandparents - 1 room, parents - 1 room. 3 boys - 1 room, 3 girls, 1 room. And all of one bathroom. Hm. this is interesting: The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio. I don't have a garage, a half bath, and our "patio" is a carport.

People today say "xyz is a necessity". But what are we really calling a necessity?

Necessity -

3. Indispensableness; the state of being requisite. The necessity of funds to support public credit, no man questions. The necessity of economy in domestic concerns is admitted. No man can plead necessity in excuse for crimes.

another dictionary says: noun: anything indispensable

how many of our "necessities" are actually 'wants' or 'nice to haves'?

If you had the choice of paying rent, or paying cable, what do you skip? Or buying groceries, what do you buy, if you have a limited amount of money? I see people paying with the Lone Star card, buying lots of junk.. and yet look at this:


The average consumption of protein, vitamins, and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children. In most cases, it is well above recommended norms. Poor children actually consume more meat than higher-income children consume, and their protein intake averages 100 percent above recommended levels. In fact, most poor children are super-nourished and grow up to be, on average, one inch taller and 10 pounds heavier than the GIs who stormed the beaches of Normandy in World War II.

I'm often behind someone using that card, they are buying nice cuts of meat, brand-name sugary cereal, etc, and lots of...basically crap.



We eat alot of chicken (because it's not outrageously priced); we buy ground turkey rather than ground beef, as it is more than $1 less a pound. If you're not actually working or doing something to earn the money, it is ... held in less regard, I guess. You really don't care how you spend it. Did you know lobster, and food gift baskets can be bought with the Lone Star card?

Is this poor?

In 2005, the typical poor household, as defined by the government, had air conditioning and a car. For entertainment, the household had two color televisions, cable or satellite TV, a DVD player, and a VCR. In the kitchen, it had a refrigerator, an oven and stove, and a microwave. Other household conveniences included a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone, and a coffee maker. The family was able to obtain medical care when needed. Their home was not overcrowded and was in good repair. By its own report, the family was not hungry and had sufficient funds during the past year to meet all essential needs.

No, far from it.

Those saying "the poor need more help" are just deluding themselves...making themselves feel good... with other people's money.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

2nd Day of VBS

and we have a bit more than 33 kids that we had yesterday. I got the 4 and 5 year olds today. The primary class (8,9 year olds) girls only had one, so she took the 6 and 7 year olds in her class.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow's class, as it involves some random food, a blender, and someone drinking said blended food. Foxtail girl drank blended chopped beef sandwich, baked beans, and a soda at church camp this year.

The story is of the young man who said "give me my inheritance now", spent it all on wild living, and had to go take care of pigs, live with them, and eat what they did. So.. pigs eat slop.. so the teenager that volunteered we talked into doing this, said as long as it had Dr Pepper in it, he'd do it. Woohoo! The other lady doing the class with me is bringing her blender tomorrow. I think this will be a lesson the kids will remember.

I'm kind of bummed about VBS, as the time allotted for the lesson, and learning the verse for the day, is NOT long enough. I'd re-work the time schedule to allot 45 minutes to 1 hour for classtime.

What is the purpose of VBS? (vacation bible school). To teach kids about Jesus and God, and get kids saved. THAT should be our primary focus. I've taught VBS on the navajo reservation, where all we had was a packet of visuals (4 cards per lesson), and the teachers book. Nothing else. Guess what, lots of kids came forward. Adults included. The purpose was not glorified babysitting, or giving them fun stuff to do (although they did a craft, and mostly the kids I had (6 and younger) had coloring sheets. We didn't have decorations, etc, no prizes each night (for learning a verse that no one had time to teach, but each kid got a prize anyway); they received a gift (a stuffed animal one year) on the last day of VBS. And we gave away lots of Bibles. THAT is the purpose of VBS. The games, snacks, crafts are nice, but that is not the focus nor the purpose of it. I have a feeling I'm gonna piss some people off by bringing this up to the preacher this week. I guess I can't please everyone, and today is not your day :P hehe.

I got a new bumper sticker for my car - "criminals prefer unarmed victims". Going to see about getting my concealed license.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

WHAT?

Ok.. I know I posted earlier about upcoming events here... but this article I am reading, is just %$@&#$!

I'm reading the 2010 Wastebook - Put together by Tom Coburn (R-OK), and I'm ready to scream. AND go to my legislators' websites & contact them with WHY IS THIS GOING ON? WHAT ARE YOU ACTUALLY DOING UP THERE BESIDES SITTING AROUND SPENDING LIKE A DRUNKEN SAILOR?

HERE is the PDF of the Wastebook.

Some lovely facts to turn your stomach today:

“Free” Grateful Dead Archive - (Santa Cruz, CA) $615,000

Agencies Pile Up Unnecessary Printing Costs - $930 Million

Studying World of Warcraft and Other Virtual Games - (Irvine,CA) $2.9 Million

Poems in Zoos - (AR, IL, LA, WI, & FL) $997,766

Shooting Range Armed with Taxpayer Dollars - (Las Vegas, NV)$15.68 Million

Internet Dating Study - (Stanford, CA) $239,100

Studying Male Prostitutes in Vietnam - (San Juan, Puerto Rico)$442,340

Teaching South African Men How to Wash Their Genitalia -(Los Angeles, CA) $823,200

FDA Employees Need Contractors‟ Help to Understand Backlogs - (Washington, DC) $1.08 Million

“Free” Harvard Courses for Federal Workers - $5 Million

And of course, ethanol. to the tune of 6 billion.

Federal Study Investigates Cow Burps - (Durham, NH)$700,000

Pedestrian Bridge Built Steps from Another Pedestrian Bridge -(Bothell, WA) $260,000

Study of Why Political Candidates Make Vague Statements -(Berkeley, CA) $216,884 (they can't figure this one out on their own?)

Transportation Enhancement Grants Used to Plant Flowers Instead of Repairing Highways - (Department of Transportation) $571 Million

Office for Retired Speakers of the House of Representatives -$440,955.87


anddddddddddd...the best for last... shrimp on a treadmill! Yes, imagine the US without a study of shrimp running on a treadmill. Makes me wonder if the shrimp was being chased by...a giant cup of cocktail sauce! After dumping a bit over $3 million into this, they came to the grand conclusion that: "... sick shrimp did not perform as well and did not recover as well from exercise as healthy shrimp."

is that a duh! moment or what? they even put on little duct tape "backpacks" on the shrimp to see if an increased load slowed them down. You can watch the shrimp here.


OH BOY! HERE is the NSF (National Science Foundation) idiocies. Including this gem:

create? One of the recent studies highlighted by NSF is “ground-breaking” research being performed at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research: “Exactly How Much Housework Does a Husband Create?” By the way, they've spent $60 million on this. How do you like your hard-earned dollars going to the government to be WASTED in this fashion?

These two PDFs really need to be gone over, and then...do what your gut tells you to do - Lambaste your legislators about this STUPID spending. The NSF *has* given us useful things, like the net, barcodes, cloud computing, MRIs, and vision care. but it has given us quite a bit of crap studies that shouldn't even be getting a penny.

I'd write more, but I have lots of housework to do (not all caused by the husband!) and my lamb for kebabs needs some garlic in the marinade :)

VBS is next week

It's that time of year again - Vacation Bible School! I teach the 5, 6 and 7 year olds each year. I wonder how many kids I will get this year, and ack!! how many will NOT behave or listen? I have really noticed a difference in between the kids I taught on the Navajo reservation (I had around 25 in my class) to the group of kids I get here (around 15). The kids on the rez are better behaved, I *might* have some trouble with one, but just have a helper take him to the missionary, and they come back, apologize, and there's no trouble anymore. THEN, there's VBS at our church. Last time, I told the VBS head that I wanted to work in the kitchen next, as the kids just *would not* behave. Not as bad as the year we had the biting incidents. One of the kids bit my youngest daughter (who was a helper), another child, and she took him to the office to be taken home, he bit the guy that was taking him home.

I don't know if this is a reflection of American society on a small scale - these kids (except some of the younger ones) have BEEN in school, and know how they are supposed to behave.

I find this type of behavior reprehensible, and I completely fault the parent(s).

Is this a fall-out from the entitlement mentality? "I should have X merely because I am" is NOT a reason to receive anything...except contempt.

While I was in Medford May & June, while driving to Michaels for more yarn, or the grocery store, I would see many just standing on the corners, holding cardboard signs, begging. I really felt like yelling out the window "get a haircut and a shave, a bath, and get off your butts and find a job". Except that is kind of long, so I'd probably just cut it up to "get a job!"

One lady I saw by the Arby's in south Medford the whole time I was there. And they all looked like the people in those anti-meth commercials you see on Oregon TV.

Back to the upcoming VBS. I look forward to it each year, but as each day of it goes by, I dread going to church and having to deal with the kids. Can't do anything to any of them, because a parent might sue the church & you. I think some parents need to be taken out back of the woodshed and given an education.

I've learned how to crochet socks, so I've been busy making some for people for Christmas. Also found out, sock yarn is very easily chewed through by cats. 'The Devil' (previously known as "princess anna marie buttercup" likes to assist me in my crocheting. I just found a potholder I was making, separated from the cone of yarn :|

As for the blogosphere, I was reading an article over at Redstate, and came across a blog link that I followed - and wow, some good reading. I'm in the middle of her "Why taxes and welfare are bad" section here. Well worth a read.

Hope you guys have a good day!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

I'm back

Well I'm finally back. I returned to Houston last Thursday, got home Friday, and BAM! no internet! It got fixed Tuesday evening. Turned out the cable from the antenna had some slashes in it, and water got in, corroding the wire. So...I got quite a bit of crocheting done, and started watching my World At War DVD set. I'm up to DVD #5 now.

Watching CNBC this morning, 2 talking heads said that some in Washington are finally catching on to the fact that if they STOP SPENDING, they can actually meet debt payments including interest. But...they're worse than drunken sailors up there, so I really don't expect them to stop spending.

And those that are getting money from Uncle Sam (roughly 50% of the population) will not want THEIR share to get cut.. but it's okay to cut something else.

I forgot who it was, said to cut EVERYTHING by 43%, as that is the amount being spent over what is taken in. Sounds like a great idea to me!

dagnabbit, there are gnats... just inhaled one :| guess that's all for today. I don't see why the morons in Washington are so blind as to see you can't spend way more than you get, and keep on doing it, and expecting everything to turn out A-okay.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Archie Bunker's not happy with Obama

This came in my email earlier today. Talk about the truth! (as I wait for All in the Family to start on TVLand)



After watching it, I went back to my email inbox, and came across one of the silliest things in a while that I've seen. Did you know ATMs cause unemployment? Seriously!

Think about it - you pull up to an ATM, and use that to make transactions... instead of gainfully employing a teller to do the work. And those eeeeeeeeeeevil vacuum cleaners, they make maids useless!

Check out what pResident Pookie says about ATMs and kiosks!

I wish I had listened to the radio show of his to find out this information of the intelligence that emanates from Pookie's brains...or lack thereof!

I am now 8 days from returning home to Texas. It will be nice to be home.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

been a while

Its been a while since I last posted - I am ENJOYING the lovely weather up in Medford OR, and the low temperatures along with low humidity. MUCH better than at home, where the temps are around 100 with a high level of humidity.

Been avoiding much political stuff, but just today I got an email from a friend, about the pResident's new INVISIBLE plane!