Grabbed this piece on food stamps from Doug Ross. Love his site. http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2011/05/exhibit-food-stamp-fraud.html
I have seen estimates anywhere from 40 million to 44 million people using food stamps. That's the kind of great economy we have. About 13 or 14% of all people in this country are receiving food stamps. http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/05/07/us-food-usa-stamps-idUSTRE6465E220100507 A large number of these people are out of work. Many are addicts. I know several of them, at least 50.
Normal people do not understand addicts and alcoholics. They will feed their addiction before they will feed themselves. Addicts will find a way to score whatever they are addicted to. Eating is a secondary concern. They can score food for free. They don't need to use valuable food stamps. That's just how it is. So every week, I have folks on food stamps offering to buy my groceries and sell them back to me for cash at 1/2 price. They need the cash for cigarettes and booze, sometimes drugs. Government subsidized medications, some of them from the Veteran's Administration, are sold as well.
Fraud estimates range from 10 to 25% on the SNAP program. I agree with the high end of those estimates. Interestingly enough, the TBTF Bank-JP Morgan, issues SNAP cards. I've never been able to find out how much government money they receive per card or per reload. With record numbers receiving SNAP cards- it's been worth a look but I'll be damned if I can find it anywhere. I've also heard that Californians have been able to use welfare cards in casinos. http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread588034/pg1
How many billions have we lost? Who knows? How long can this go on? Until the apathy in this country dissolves and people start demanding some measure of accountability- prosecuting and shit canning those politicians who allow this type of fraud and waste to continue. Maybe we should all just quit paying taxes until we see some reform. Conscientious objectors. What are they going to do? Lock 180 million of us up and try to feed us with no tax revenue? We'll receive a different kind of food subsidy. That one comes with trays, servers, and guards...we don't even have to cook or do dishes. Things to like.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Economic Truth Is Starting To Leak Out
I love reading ZeroHedge. It is the only site that tells the real or opposing truth about our economy. It's not that everything they say is true, but it's a hell of a lot more accurate and detailed than that garbage that corporate America spews out.
So today, on the heels of some really terrible numbers over the last two weeks, like car sales and durable goods...GDP was revised down to 1.8% for the first quarter and unemployment claims once again shot beyond 400k.
Zero Hedge told it like it was. Corporate America, ala CNN, minimizes all bad news. This fluff is passed on as "journalism." The CNN headline today reads "Economy Faces Headwinds." Good gawd.
If the dollar drops to zero, they'll say the new fantastic exchange rate will lead to huge exports. The media is absolutely scandalous- they don't just put lipstick on pigs- they do extreme makeovers on swine.
So today, on the heels of some really terrible numbers over the last two weeks, like car sales and durable goods...GDP was revised down to 1.8% for the first quarter and unemployment claims once again shot beyond 400k.
Zero Hedge told it like it was. Corporate America, ala CNN, minimizes all bad news. This fluff is passed on as "journalism." The CNN headline today reads "Economy Faces Headwinds." Good gawd.
If the dollar drops to zero, they'll say the new fantastic exchange rate will lead to huge exports. The media is absolutely scandalous- they don't just put lipstick on pigs- they do extreme makeovers on swine.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Inescapable Truths, This Has Become a Government "For the Government, By The Government" All Others Need Not Apply
Tonight I was reading about one more lying government employee- this one Elena Kagan. A Supreme Court Judge. This makes me sick. If Supreme Court Judges are going to misrepresent the truth and lie- just who are we expecting to tell the truth? You see, these ego maniacs are so blinded by ambition and power that lying becomes an acceptable practice. Just part of their daily routine. Here's the link. http://www.examiner.com/law-enforcement-in-national/supreme-court-judge-suspected-of-deception-during-confirmation-hearings
This is the kind of nation we have become. These are our "leaders."
Do you know that there is solid legal precedent that makes it very clear that public employees have no right to lie? That in fact they can be terminated for lying? I have seen it. I have also seen cops lie and get terminated. I have personally fired a couple of them myself. What about Supreme Court Judges?
Last week, I had a couple of old friends at my new house here in Boise. One of them offered a fair series of questions. Brian, why do you write about politics? What's the point? Politics is very often negative, there isn't a damn thing you can do about any of it, and most of us have real issues to worry about in our lives. Financial issues. Health issues.
Really.
I have had several people over the years bust my chops about this site. Some have said some pretty derogatory things. My ex-girlfriend is a flaming moonbat and actually thinks I am stupid (truly) for wasting time on the subject of politics. In fact, I believe that she and others like her- may actually feel a sense of superiority for not "wasting" their precious time on such matters.
Really.
Writing about crooked politicians and crooked government employees, has been a very lonely pursuit. Primarily because the vast majority of Americans simply don't give a shit.
I can't escape the very real possibility that politics is in fact, a complete waste of time. Not because it always was- but because I believe it is simply too late in our current life cycle.
Here's the worst part. It is precisely that apathy, that selfish preoccupation with our own individual lives, needs, and wants that has facilitated the mess that we are in. Nobody is willing to take responsibility for this gawd awful, lying, thieving, over reaching, government that we have acquired. We lost control and we are not getting it back. The King was better than this.
The government and the bankers just stole a few trillion dollars from thepussies citizens of this country and we haven't done a thing. Who do you think is paying for that? Who is paying the interest on the debt your government sold to the world? You, your kids, and your kid's kids. And you don't care...you have more important things to do. Like screw around on your Iphone all day.
We were handed a Republic and a responsibility about 240 years ago. We were given a responsibility whether we wanted it or not. We could live as free men. We could practice any religion we wanted, we had freedom of speech, and our government did not own everything. Our government didn't levy property taxes and wasn't able to convert our property- effectively stealing it from us. Soon our politicians allowed a private bank to usurp our currency- a battle that had been fought and won 6 times prior to 1913. Now this rogue government does whatever it wants. It picks and chooses which laws to enforce. It breaks laws and rules as it sees fit. It steals the wealth of it's citizens. It sues it's member states, it ridicules and rules with might not with fairness. Our leaders are criminals and liars. They take bribes from lobbyists and corporations. They do this routinely and we accept the practice.
We are bankrupt. We cannot pay our debts. It is simply a matter of time before that becomes self evident and acceptance is forced down our throats. We are going to default on the world. The United States, once the greatest Republic on earth- is now just another banana republic with a bunch of buffoon politicians all trying to get their share of the wealth before it implodes. In the end, we always get the government we deserve and I'm afraid that the results of our national apathy have yielded the government that we now possess. An exclamation point here...http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article27872.html
Why does anyone care about politics? At this point in the historical lifespan of our country, that might be a damn good question. It seems a little too late.
This is the kind of nation we have become. These are our "leaders."
Do you know that there is solid legal precedent that makes it very clear that public employees have no right to lie? That in fact they can be terminated for lying? I have seen it. I have also seen cops lie and get terminated. I have personally fired a couple of them myself. What about Supreme Court Judges?
Last week, I had a couple of old friends at my new house here in Boise. One of them offered a fair series of questions. Brian, why do you write about politics? What's the point? Politics is very often negative, there isn't a damn thing you can do about any of it, and most of us have real issues to worry about in our lives. Financial issues. Health issues.
Really.
I have had several people over the years bust my chops about this site. Some have said some pretty derogatory things. My ex-girlfriend is a flaming moonbat and actually thinks I am stupid (truly) for wasting time on the subject of politics. In fact, I believe that she and others like her- may actually feel a sense of superiority for not "wasting" their precious time on such matters.
Really.
Writing about crooked politicians and crooked government employees, has been a very lonely pursuit. Primarily because the vast majority of Americans simply don't give a shit.
I can't escape the very real possibility that politics is in fact, a complete waste of time. Not because it always was- but because I believe it is simply too late in our current life cycle.
Here's the worst part. It is precisely that apathy, that selfish preoccupation with our own individual lives, needs, and wants that has facilitated the mess that we are in. Nobody is willing to take responsibility for this gawd awful, lying, thieving, over reaching, government that we have acquired. We lost control and we are not getting it back. The King was better than this.
The government and the bankers just stole a few trillion dollars from the
We were handed a Republic and a responsibility about 240 years ago. We were given a responsibility whether we wanted it or not. We could live as free men. We could practice any religion we wanted, we had freedom of speech, and our government did not own everything. Our government didn't levy property taxes and wasn't able to convert our property- effectively stealing it from us. Soon our politicians allowed a private bank to usurp our currency- a battle that had been fought and won 6 times prior to 1913. Now this rogue government does whatever it wants. It picks and chooses which laws to enforce. It breaks laws and rules as it sees fit. It steals the wealth of it's citizens. It sues it's member states, it ridicules and rules with might not with fairness. Our leaders are criminals and liars. They take bribes from lobbyists and corporations. They do this routinely and we accept the practice.
We are bankrupt. We cannot pay our debts. It is simply a matter of time before that becomes self evident and acceptance is forced down our throats. We are going to default on the world. The United States, once the greatest Republic on earth- is now just another banana republic with a bunch of buffoon politicians all trying to get their share of the wealth before it implodes. In the end, we always get the government we deserve and I'm afraid that the results of our national apathy have yielded the government that we now possess. An exclamation point here...http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article27872.html
Why does anyone care about politics? At this point in the historical lifespan of our country, that might be a damn good question. It seems a little too late.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
More Hilarious Shit From Carlin
If you want to laugh your ass off, Plan B Economics posted this Carlin video which is pretty good. Carlin pokes fun at airport security in the first part. This echoes my sentiments exactly- I learned to hate those TSA pricks shortly after they used 911 to create one of the biggest money wasting bureaucracies of all time. They have the collective intelligence of plagioclase feldspar. Try dealing with the "brass" of TSA sometime. Everything they do will suddenly begin to make sense to you.
http://www.planbeconomics.com/2011/05/23/george-carlin-you-are-all-diseased/
http://www.planbeconomics.com/2011/05/23/george-carlin-you-are-all-diseased/
With Gobs of Wasted Hotel and Casino Space, New Developer Wants to Add More
With dreams of riches swirling in their heads, some developers are focused on plundering the middle class some more. Getting their cut of the American dream. Greed gone wild.
Someone should tell this dude that building a new Las Vegas casino in the middle of a depression is kind of a risky proposition. Apparently he thinks Americans have gobs of disposable income. He is doing us a favor after all- he's going to provide us with a few "jobs."
Currently, I think even the casual observer might think that Vegas is finally over built. However, I have watched every other silly casino concept get built in Vegas- I will not be surprised to see this one go up either. Except for the noise, banks and casinos have a lot in common. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110523/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_vegas_strip_wheel;_ylt=Ag1vz1cZLzh7ac5vXeYRBBYfTcF_;_ylu=X3oDMTNwc3YxbmZsBGFzc2V0A2FwX3RyYXZlbC8yMDExMDUyMy91c190cmF2ZWxfYnJpZWZfdmVnYXNfc3RyaXBfd2hlZWwEY2NvZGUDdG9wZ21wZQRjcG9zAzkEcG9zAzkEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNwbGFuaW53b3Jrc2Y-
Someone should tell this dude that building a new Las Vegas casino in the middle of a depression is kind of a risky proposition. Apparently he thinks Americans have gobs of disposable income. He is doing us a favor after all- he's going to provide us with a few "jobs."
Currently, I think even the casual observer might think that Vegas is finally over built. However, I have watched every other silly casino concept get built in Vegas- I will not be surprised to see this one go up either. Except for the noise, banks and casinos have a lot in common. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20110523/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_vegas_strip_wheel;_ylt=Ag1vz1cZLzh7ac5vXeYRBBYfTcF_;_ylu=X3oDMTNwc3YxbmZsBGFzc2V0A2FwX3RyYXZlbC8yMDExMDUyMy91c190cmF2ZWxfYnJpZWZfdmVnYXNfc3RyaXBfd2hlZWwEY2NvZGUDdG9wZ21wZQRjcG9zAzkEcG9zAzkEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNwbGFuaW53b3Jrc2Y-
Next Rapture Date Revised, Predicting the End of Time Proves Difficult
Where do they get these morons? I am not surprised that Mr. Camping lives in Oakland, Ca. That places him in close proximity to Berkeley, another safe haven for nutters.
Reverend Camping has now revised his new rapture date for Oct. 21. I suppose his ego would not allow for an apology and a confession that he is a charlatan. So he is going to go with the new date. After Oct. 21 comes and goes, wondering what excuse he will use for an encore. Good grief. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110524/ap_on_re_us/us_apocalypse_saturday
Reverend Camping has now revised his new rapture date for Oct. 21. I suppose his ego would not allow for an apology and a confession that he is a charlatan. So he is going to go with the new date. After Oct. 21 comes and goes, wondering what excuse he will use for an encore. Good grief. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110524/ap_on_re_us/us_apocalypse_saturday
Monday, May 23, 2011
The United States Government, Modern Anarchists
For most of my life, I was a lawman. Pretty much law abiding- except for speed limits.
In the United States, at least while I was a young man, we had a presumptive belief that the United States had a rule of law and/or if the USG chose not to obey or abide by the law- then they damn sure did a good job of covering it up.
That shit is no longer true. That is why I very often call our government a thugocracy. Because it is. Nothing exemplifies that more than thousands of criminal bankers committing fraud and being given a get out of jail free card. This president of ours is a thug with an agenda. He had no intention of prosecuting the same thieves that got him elected. And Eric Holder? Who the fuck is that?
They act this way because they can. They have the juice. For now.
Let me be perfectly clear. In the years to come, when what used to be perfectly law abiding citizens go bat shit crazy, the USG will have nobody to blame but themselves. They do not set any kind of honorable example nor do they even try to. I am surprised that 3 or 4 years later- that a couple hundred thousand people have not descended on D.C. and strung up a few hundred politicians.
Sooner or later, it's going to dawn on the majority of people that their standard of living was mortgaged for the benefit of crooked bankers.
That's the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. Middle class Americans set a far better example than our alleged "leaders." Obama and Holder should be ashamed of themselves. I loved this piece on ZeroHedge. Not only do they lack honor, they lack courage. No wonder people hate politics- there's just not much to like. http://www.zerohedge.com/article/attention-shifts-rip-van-eric-holder-who-contrary-conventional-wisdom-not-frozen-carbonite
In the United States, at least while I was a young man, we had a presumptive belief that the United States had a rule of law and/or if the USG chose not to obey or abide by the law- then they damn sure did a good job of covering it up.
That shit is no longer true. That is why I very often call our government a thugocracy. Because it is. Nothing exemplifies that more than thousands of criminal bankers committing fraud and being given a get out of jail free card. This president of ours is a thug with an agenda. He had no intention of prosecuting the same thieves that got him elected. And Eric Holder? Who the fuck is that?
They act this way because they can. They have the juice. For now.
Let me be perfectly clear. In the years to come, when what used to be perfectly law abiding citizens go bat shit crazy, the USG will have nobody to blame but themselves. They do not set any kind of honorable example nor do they even try to. I am surprised that 3 or 4 years later- that a couple hundred thousand people have not descended on D.C. and strung up a few hundred politicians.
Sooner or later, it's going to dawn on the majority of people that their standard of living was mortgaged for the benefit of crooked bankers.
That's the difference between the good guys and the bad guys. Middle class Americans set a far better example than our alleged "leaders." Obama and Holder should be ashamed of themselves. I loved this piece on ZeroHedge. Not only do they lack honor, they lack courage. No wonder people hate politics- there's just not much to like. http://www.zerohedge.com/article/attention-shifts-rip-van-eric-holder-who-contrary-conventional-wisdom-not-frozen-carbonite
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Join Me in Swearing Off TV For a Year
I have a beautiful 40" inch Samsung TV. It is two years old.
Two years ago, I ordered Direct Satellite TV. It was about 50 bucks a month for about a year and then they jacked the cost up to 70 bucks a month.
I like to watch TV. It is a mindless distraction. Mostly I use television to watch sports and the "stock channel." Maybe "River Monsters" once in awhile. So as the cable and satellite tv providers do every thing in their power to gouge us to the tune of about 1000 dollars a year, I wondered. Could I go without mindless television programming for a year? Do I really need this? What would I miss?
I don't think my girlfriend is really hip on this idea but she has her own television at her place. I also have about 25 books gathering dust- I think reading them would be a far more useful endeavor than listening to Marc whatshisname on CNBC kiss President Obama's ass a few dozen more times. Moonbats. For this I have to pay money.
So it's not strictly a money issue. It's a "how do I want to use my time and money" issue and where is the bigger benefit? Reading... or listening to these harpies day in and day out.
So I am going to try it- at least for awhile and see what happens. I have the internet and I can still rent a few movies. I think I am going to take the 1000 bucks I save and buy silver with it. Two ounces a month. I will just use the Samsung as a living room decoration.
Two years ago, I ordered Direct Satellite TV. It was about 50 bucks a month for about a year and then they jacked the cost up to 70 bucks a month.
I like to watch TV. It is a mindless distraction. Mostly I use television to watch sports and the "stock channel." Maybe "River Monsters" once in awhile. So as the cable and satellite tv providers do every thing in their power to gouge us to the tune of about 1000 dollars a year, I wondered. Could I go without mindless television programming for a year? Do I really need this? What would I miss?
I don't think my girlfriend is really hip on this idea but she has her own television at her place. I also have about 25 books gathering dust- I think reading them would be a far more useful endeavor than listening to Marc whatshisname on CNBC kiss President Obama's ass a few dozen more times. Moonbats. For this I have to pay money.
So it's not strictly a money issue. It's a "how do I want to use my time and money" issue and where is the bigger benefit? Reading... or listening to these harpies day in and day out.
So I am going to try it- at least for awhile and see what happens. I have the internet and I can still rent a few movies. I think I am going to take the 1000 bucks I save and buy silver with it. Two ounces a month. I will just use the Samsung as a living room decoration.
Stuck on the Rock
Well, after saying all of my "good byes" yesterday, exactly nothing happened. No rapture for me. Stuck on this rock with all of the moonbats.
Great. Just great.
Now I am going to have to wait for the next rapture. Does anyone know when the next one is scheduled?
Great. Just great.
Now I am going to have to wait for the next rapture. Does anyone know when the next one is scheduled?
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