Yesterday I went to see a movie called "In Time." It's kind of hokey but it's about a futuristic people who are given time and if their personal clocks "expire" they die.
I love the concept because the movie is really about money. The parallels are outstanding. The haves survive and the have nots- don't. I see that happening in America. Particularly with health care. People cannot afford it. People will die.
I love doctors. I think most of them are great humanitarians. Unfortunately, many of them are tied to the government. That same voracious government that controls everything and steals everyone's wealth. Now doctors are going broke. I am not surprised. http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/05/smallbusiness/doctors_broke/index.htm
When doctors start practicing for cash and directly with people- then the system can start operating again. As long as you have greedy administrative costs, big pharma, government, big insurance, and big lawyers pillaging this pool of health care money for every drop they can get- I see it getting far worse. You can get excellent health care almost anywhere in the world for a fraction of what we pay here.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Thanks For Your Service, Suckers!
Years ago, I was playing cards in Pahrump, Nv. Seated to my left was a Vietnam army veteran in a wheelchair. He had lost his legs in the war. We struck up a conversation and eventually he invited me to dinner. At the time I think I had been a cop for about 20 years and I mentioned that to him.
At some point prior to our parting company, he said "Thank you for your service." He caught me completely off guard- this man with no legs. In fact, I don't even think I returned the thank you. Some guy with no legs thanking me. Imagine that. I am humbled now as I recall that moment. I cannot tell you how many times I have thanked vets for their service. Many, many times, because of that lapse.
So a friend of mine sent me an article recently. It's about how the air force is shit canning pilots before they are able to retire. A trick that has been used by corporate America for decades. http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2012/01/03/air-force-firing-for-effect/
To be honest, I understand that the country is angry over government retirement packages. I think what strikes me over and over again about the "New America" is that whether it is private or public, employers simply do what is legal. They are not interested in doing what is right. That is a pathetically low bar to jump over.
It is interesting that 30 years ago, public service paid nothing. Our meager retirement is about all we had going for us. The Feds threw in health care for their employees. Today government jobs are the most attractive. Who knew that our retirement and health care would be so valuable? I couldn't have predicted that in 1982.
So what is minimally legal is often wrong. That's what pisses me off the most. The ethical and moral standards of this country, doing what is right, are no longer important. What can we get away with or what does the law allow...is the only standard that remains.
What would be wrong with offering pilots with 15 years service a couple of options? Buy out packages, pro-rated and reduced retirements, or allowing them to opt in for the remainder of time to get fully vested? Becoming instructors. Changing the rules for new recruits. There are all kinds of options.
For pilots, those were the original rules and the pretenses that induced them to sign up and then stay- If you liked the military you could retire in 20 years...well...unless they change the rules sometime in between.
Time and time again, it seems that the people who suffer the most are always the ones who do the work. The upper echelons of the military or politicians always seem to escape similar cuts but are more than willing and happy to apply them to subordinates.
You ever see a politician lose their legs? Nah me neither.
At some point prior to our parting company, he said "Thank you for your service." He caught me completely off guard- this man with no legs. In fact, I don't even think I returned the thank you. Some guy with no legs thanking me. Imagine that. I am humbled now as I recall that moment. I cannot tell you how many times I have thanked vets for their service. Many, many times, because of that lapse.
So a friend of mine sent me an article recently. It's about how the air force is shit canning pilots before they are able to retire. A trick that has been used by corporate America for decades. http://battleland.blogs.time.com/2012/01/03/air-force-firing-for-effect/
To be honest, I understand that the country is angry over government retirement packages. I think what strikes me over and over again about the "New America" is that whether it is private or public, employers simply do what is legal. They are not interested in doing what is right. That is a pathetically low bar to jump over.
It is interesting that 30 years ago, public service paid nothing. Our meager retirement is about all we had going for us. The Feds threw in health care for their employees. Today government jobs are the most attractive. Who knew that our retirement and health care would be so valuable? I couldn't have predicted that in 1982.
So what is minimally legal is often wrong. That's what pisses me off the most. The ethical and moral standards of this country, doing what is right, are no longer important. What can we get away with or what does the law allow...is the only standard that remains.
What would be wrong with offering pilots with 15 years service a couple of options? Buy out packages, pro-rated and reduced retirements, or allowing them to opt in for the remainder of time to get fully vested? Becoming instructors. Changing the rules for new recruits. There are all kinds of options.
For pilots, those were the original rules and the pretenses that induced them to sign up and then stay- If you liked the military you could retire in 20 years...well...unless they change the rules sometime in between.
Time and time again, it seems that the people who suffer the most are always the ones who do the work. The upper echelons of the military or politicians always seem to escape similar cuts but are more than willing and happy to apply them to subordinates.
You ever see a politician lose their legs? Nah me neither.
Obama's Arrogance Truly Knows No Limitations
Electing Obama has been such a disaster on so many fronts. Not only was he completely inept and incapable of meaningful "public service" but he is a complete narcissist. That wouldn't be so bad normally except that this asshole is like a narcissist on steroids.
The dude is incapable of any, I mean any, rigorous self honesty. He does not have any.
He loves to make recess appointments of nefarious characters for reasons unknown except to him. By making recess appointments of dubious people- the American people have no means to question the integrity of these individuals- and thus the whole Senate confirmation process is avoided. This time I think he is doing it out of anger. Like a little boy throwing a tantrum. The intent of recess appointments originally was to make them when absolutely necessary to keep government running while Congress was in recess.
Not to piss off the opposing party. Obama pays little attention to the intent of the law.
Mitch McConnell calls Obama's latest recess appointment "unprecedented." Where the hell has McConnell been? He's been doing this for years. http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/04/news/economy/consumer_bureau_cordray/index.htm
To be fair, Obama has made far fewer recess appointments than his predecessors. I am going to include this "everything you ever wanted to know about recess appointments" link here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/278103-crs-report-on-recess-appointments.html
More significant than recess appointments- has been Obama's appointment of Czars. In three short years, Obama has appointed more Czars than anyone else including two term Presidents. Regular readers will note that Bush (I am no fan) was no stranger to Czar appointments either. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars
Deep down, Obama is simply a scared little boy. He really doesn't know what the hell he is doing but that doesn't stop him from doing it. I think the only real skill Obama has mastered is the art of deception. He does what he wants to do. That's why many members of his cabinet have departed. http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/01/by_his_fruits_ye_shall_know_him_obamas_subversive_appointments.html The remaining ones couldn't get jobs at car washes.
I would love to see Obama try a desert survival exercise or similar test all by himself. He couldn't survive a day or two. After all, when you are the smartest guy in the room, why do you need another opinion?
The dude is incapable of any, I mean any, rigorous self honesty. He does not have any.
He loves to make recess appointments of nefarious characters for reasons unknown except to him. By making recess appointments of dubious people- the American people have no means to question the integrity of these individuals- and thus the whole Senate confirmation process is avoided. This time I think he is doing it out of anger. Like a little boy throwing a tantrum. The intent of recess appointments originally was to make them when absolutely necessary to keep government running while Congress was in recess.
Not to piss off the opposing party. Obama pays little attention to the intent of the law.
Mitch McConnell calls Obama's latest recess appointment "unprecedented." Where the hell has McConnell been? He's been doing this for years. http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/04/news/economy/consumer_bureau_cordray/index.htm
To be fair, Obama has made far fewer recess appointments than his predecessors. I am going to include this "everything you ever wanted to know about recess appointments" link here: https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/278103-crs-report-on-recess-appointments.html
More significant than recess appointments- has been Obama's appointment of Czars. In three short years, Obama has appointed more Czars than anyone else including two term Presidents. Regular readers will note that Bush (I am no fan) was no stranger to Czar appointments either. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._executive_branch_czars
Deep down, Obama is simply a scared little boy. He really doesn't know what the hell he is doing but that doesn't stop him from doing it. I think the only real skill Obama has mastered is the art of deception. He does what he wants to do. That's why many members of his cabinet have departed. http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/01/by_his_fruits_ye_shall_know_him_obamas_subversive_appointments.html The remaining ones couldn't get jobs at car washes.
I would love to see Obama try a desert survival exercise or similar test all by himself. He couldn't survive a day or two. After all, when you are the smartest guy in the room, why do you need another opinion?
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Don't Ever Under Estimate the Will of Government
Many years ago, I had a co-worker explain to my why a mutual friend of ours was so intelligent. His explanation was based on the absolute greed and cunning of our mutual friend. Our friend had amassed a small fortune- but had done so at the expense of others. This in America, is called "business." Exploiting people may seem intelligent to some people. And to be fair, it does take some measure of intelligence to find a niche and exploit it. Where conscience is shallow or perhaps completely ignored, there is money to be made.
The willingness to do something does not necessarily have a damn thing to do with what is right or intelligent.
Don't ever confuse intelligence with greed or self centered-ness. These character traits can easily occupy the same space (or not) at the same time and for some- this may be confusing. I don't consider the exploitation of people particularly intelligent. The other tricky thing about intelligence is that it is highly subjective. To a half wit, everyone else looks intelligent. To Einstein, everyone else looks a little slow. The absence or use of intelligence, in varying degrees, can also be situational.
Let me give you an example. Let's suppose Politician A is a Senator. Politician A really wants a spending bill to pass for personal reasons but his constituents back home will crucify him if he votes for it. So Politician A actually lobbies privately for the bill with other Senators. They are not up for re-election nor do they come from districts that will crucify them for voting for the measure. Politician A knows precisely how many votes are needed for the measure to pass. When the time comes to vote for the measure, he votes "nay" knowing that the measure will pass anyway but making him look like he opposed it. Other Senators know exactly what he is doing. Does this shit go on? All the fucking time.
So let me ask you. Is that intelligent?
Government is very well aware that the vast majority of citizens in this country disapprove of the job they are doing. They read every bit as much as most Americans. Maybe more. They know where they stand.
Let me tell you something else. They know they've screwed the pooch. Privately, they would tell you this. Publicly, they will never admit to this. It's easy for Americans to observe our debt spiraling out of control. Of politicians we think, "What is wrong with these people? Are they fucking stupid?"
The answer to that question is no. They simply understand and accept something the rest of us have not figured out. They screwed us. No miracle is going to come and pay off that sixteen thousand billion we owe. We also have three times that amount of money coming due and payable in the form of social security, medicare, and prescription drug payments. It is game over. There ain't no money to pay this and there ain't gonna be any miracles. No Deus Ex Machina ending here.
And then we are going to throw some gasoline on that fire in the form of Obamacare. Pure genius.
What politicians are engaged in now is a form of career triage. They are going to put their best face forward and tell constituents what they want to hear. They are going to pray like hell that when elections come- that you will all forget what they have done. They are going to take care of themselves, their little fortunes, health care and retirement packages. They are busy preparing afterlife gigs as lobbyists, consultants, bankers, speakers, and any number of cushy little jobs offered to them as a result of their years of "public service."
They are in the mother of all Catch 22's. They can't raise taxes- because there simply isn't enough money to cure this mess and people are taxed out and will vote them out. They refuse to cut government funding because they are convinced the world will go to hell in a hand basket without some giant waste of money like the Department of Education.
That leaves politicians with one option. Take care of their own personal lives and fortunes and grab as much largesse as they can while they can. Their careers look pretty short. Kick the can until one day- some future President and Congress either kick off WW3 to avoid complete economic death or we declare bankruptcy.
In the meantime, government is preparing. It sees what is coming and that is a big old cloud of civil unrest and potential violence. That's why Obama hired 12,000 additional IRS agents, why FEMA is building camps and that's why Obama signed NDAA- the right to hold American citizens indefinitely. That's why we have radio frequency chips in our passports, GPS in our cellphones, and software in those smart phones that tracks every keystroke. Obama can shut down the internet. http://www.wnd.com/2010/12/244693/ Government is beginning to prepare. They are called Emergency Operation Plans or EOPS. They know what they are going to have to do one day.
I must have read a hundred pieces this week- all of them bitching about the NDAA granting our military the right to detain citizens indefinitely, without trial or due process. In no way, shape, or form should that be legal. It is counter to every concept in the Bill of Rights. The ACLU has had an aneurysm. http://www.aclu.org/national-security/president-obama-signs-indefinite-detention-bill-law
Don't underestimate the will or intent of this government. They know who the enemy is. The real enemy is not a bunch of foreign terrorists. It is 300 million angry Americans with 2 billion guns. They are just hoping to blow smoke up our collective backside just long enough to get their trenches dug and their bouncing bettys in place. It's pretty clear to me that our government has been preparing.
My only regret is that I am probably too old to see how all of this turns out.
The willingness to do something does not necessarily have a damn thing to do with what is right or intelligent.
Don't ever confuse intelligence with greed or self centered-ness. These character traits can easily occupy the same space (or not) at the same time and for some- this may be confusing. I don't consider the exploitation of people particularly intelligent. The other tricky thing about intelligence is that it is highly subjective. To a half wit, everyone else looks intelligent. To Einstein, everyone else looks a little slow. The absence or use of intelligence, in varying degrees, can also be situational.
Let me give you an example. Let's suppose Politician A is a Senator. Politician A really wants a spending bill to pass for personal reasons but his constituents back home will crucify him if he votes for it. So Politician A actually lobbies privately for the bill with other Senators. They are not up for re-election nor do they come from districts that will crucify them for voting for the measure. Politician A knows precisely how many votes are needed for the measure to pass. When the time comes to vote for the measure, he votes "nay" knowing that the measure will pass anyway but making him look like he opposed it. Other Senators know exactly what he is doing. Does this shit go on? All the fucking time.
So let me ask you. Is that intelligent?
Government is very well aware that the vast majority of citizens in this country disapprove of the job they are doing. They read every bit as much as most Americans. Maybe more. They know where they stand.
Let me tell you something else. They know they've screwed the pooch. Privately, they would tell you this. Publicly, they will never admit to this. It's easy for Americans to observe our debt spiraling out of control. Of politicians we think, "What is wrong with these people? Are they fucking stupid?"
The answer to that question is no. They simply understand and accept something the rest of us have not figured out. They screwed us. No miracle is going to come and pay off that sixteen thousand billion we owe. We also have three times that amount of money coming due and payable in the form of social security, medicare, and prescription drug payments. It is game over. There ain't no money to pay this and there ain't gonna be any miracles. No Deus Ex Machina ending here.
And then we are going to throw some gasoline on that fire in the form of Obamacare. Pure genius.
What politicians are engaged in now is a form of career triage. They are going to put their best face forward and tell constituents what they want to hear. They are going to pray like hell that when elections come- that you will all forget what they have done. They are going to take care of themselves, their little fortunes, health care and retirement packages. They are busy preparing afterlife gigs as lobbyists, consultants, bankers, speakers, and any number of cushy little jobs offered to them as a result of their years of "public service."
They are in the mother of all Catch 22's. They can't raise taxes- because there simply isn't enough money to cure this mess and people are taxed out and will vote them out. They refuse to cut government funding because they are convinced the world will go to hell in a hand basket without some giant waste of money like the Department of Education.
That leaves politicians with one option. Take care of their own personal lives and fortunes and grab as much largesse as they can while they can. Their careers look pretty short. Kick the can until one day- some future President and Congress either kick off WW3 to avoid complete economic death or we declare bankruptcy.
In the meantime, government is preparing. It sees what is coming and that is a big old cloud of civil unrest and potential violence. That's why Obama hired 12,000 additional IRS agents, why FEMA is building camps and that's why Obama signed NDAA- the right to hold American citizens indefinitely. That's why we have radio frequency chips in our passports, GPS in our cellphones, and software in those smart phones that tracks every keystroke. Obama can shut down the internet. http://www.wnd.com/2010/12/244693/ Government is beginning to prepare. They are called Emergency Operation Plans or EOPS. They know what they are going to have to do one day.
I must have read a hundred pieces this week- all of them bitching about the NDAA granting our military the right to detain citizens indefinitely, without trial or due process. In no way, shape, or form should that be legal. It is counter to every concept in the Bill of Rights. The ACLU has had an aneurysm. http://www.aclu.org/national-security/president-obama-signs-indefinite-detention-bill-law
Don't underestimate the will or intent of this government. They know who the enemy is. The real enemy is not a bunch of foreign terrorists. It is 300 million angry Americans with 2 billion guns. They are just hoping to blow smoke up our collective backside just long enough to get their trenches dug and their bouncing bettys in place. It's pretty clear to me that our government has been preparing.
My only regret is that I am probably too old to see how all of this turns out.
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Leavenworth Incident
I grew up in Butte, Montana. For those who don't know, Butte is probably the greatest mining town in America. It was chock full of immigrants from everywhere. Primarily Irish.
Those men and women could swear. And drink. Smoke and chew. And gamble. And fight. And well...do everything bad. They were my heroes. Not the best role models for a ten year old kid. But, they were mine.
So I've spent a lifetime unwinding every bad habit I learned in Butte. I don't drink or gamble much anymore. I don't smoke or chew having quit that a year ago. I think about kicking someone's ass every now and then, especially the Muslim punks at the gym, but for the most part- my fighting days are behind me. I am just a shell of a man. All that is left for me is profanity and I cling to it like a life raft. I can swear with the best of them. Profanity or swearing is the spice rack of speech. Without it, speech is just some bland thing we do to pass time. It dis-interests me.
To be honest I've even cut down on my use of profanity. But not enough that any outsider would notice. I still weave "fuck" through a lot of my speech. Like a pattern on a quilt. That's just me.
When I was a kid, if you didn't swear- I simply didn't trust you. I figured you for some Mormon type. As an adult, I never really improved on that belief much. In fact, to this day, I associate with people who swear. Unfortunately, I attract those people who have decided that the use of profanity is a terrible thing. You know the type. I call them crusaders or controlling types. These are people bent on changing the exterior world to suit them or for short, assholes. They will "out" you virtually anywhere because they have no internal control mechanism for dealing with speech. I never know for certain when a crusader infiltrates my ranks. I try to use advance intelligence and screening techniques but unfortunately once in awhile a crusader sneaks under my perimeter fence and into the compound.
This year, my entire family descended on Leavenworth, Washington for Christmas. It is a beautiful place. We were staying with my sister's father in law, a man whom we had never met. I will call him Ray because that in fact is his name. Ray is about to meet the family from Butte and one of the most prolific "swearers" there is. I listened to Ray for a few hours, shortly after our arrival on Dec. 23. I heard him utter a standard ration of curse words. I was lulled into thinking he was "normal." So, I liked Ray. However, in hindsight, I never heard him say the word "fuck." That as it turns out, was a mission failure I would pay for on Christmas Eve.
Like swearing, my family drinks. Ray drinks. And on Christmas Eve, everyone was drinking. A lot. Except me. And we were doing what we do best. Laughing and teasing each other. Now my job is not to police the world anymore nor am I a crusader. In fact, back in my drinking days, I drank more than anyone which contributes heavily to my being sober for the last 5 years. So I enjoy my family especially when they have been drinking. They say some funny shit. So there we were, everyone except me- three sheets to the wind. I am telling some story in my usual fashion with the liberal use of the f-bomb when Ray interrupts me. Ray it seems, has chosen this moment to expose his crusader genes. He looks at me and says "why do you have to use that word?" "I think people who use that word are asinine." He was angry and actually quivering a little bit as he spoke. He was not telling me something- he was feeling something. He said some other things which amounted to overkill. I got the point.
So it's a tough situation being in front of your family, getting humiliated and shamed by a crusader who has consumed a gallon of beer. Especially at the ripe young age of 51. You could have heard a pin drop in that room. All conversation ceased while several semi intoxicated minds and one sober one contemplated what would happen next.
In the old days, I would have delivered a brow beating designed to crush crusaders like Ray. However, the old days are gone. It was Christmas Eve. Everyone is looped. My job at that moment, was not to make this scene any worse. I did the only reasonable thing that I could. I apologized. That level of emotional pain is almost unbearable for me. My ego is screaming out, "KILL HIM NOW." But I can't. I have internal controls. I cannot throw everything that has happened in my life out the window because some drunken crusader has decided to launch a public attack on Christmas Eve. Oh and of course, the crusaders always think they are entitled to do that. They will adamantly defend their positions because their mother or their aunt told them swearing is bad. Or any number of other puritanical justifications. I have heard them all. I am a veteran.
To avoid such incidents, all crusaders should hand out a list of things, some rules. Posted in a conspicuous place. Like their forehead. That way we know in advance what is expected of us. Like the terms of service or an agreement you sign on line. If you don't like the terms- you can reject them.
The "Leavenworth Incident" as we are now referring to it- has been placed on a memory stick somewhere near my "oobla doobla" which is that part of my brain reserved for crusaders.
The one thing I have observed about all crusaders is their inability to tolerate the beliefs of anyone else. They are unconscious. In fact, they are the first people to label and condemn others. They have a singleness of purpose which they march forward as though it was divinely imparted. Like they alone know what is right in the world and God himself has spoken to them. Like Moses. I don't get too upset at those types anymore. All that wasted energy. Accomplishing nothing. I am still clinging.
Fuck 'em.
Those men and women could swear. And drink. Smoke and chew. And gamble. And fight. And well...do everything bad. They were my heroes. Not the best role models for a ten year old kid. But, they were mine.
So I've spent a lifetime unwinding every bad habit I learned in Butte. I don't drink or gamble much anymore. I don't smoke or chew having quit that a year ago. I think about kicking someone's ass every now and then, especially the Muslim punks at the gym, but for the most part- my fighting days are behind me. I am just a shell of a man. All that is left for me is profanity and I cling to it like a life raft. I can swear with the best of them. Profanity or swearing is the spice rack of speech. Without it, speech is just some bland thing we do to pass time. It dis-interests me.
To be honest I've even cut down on my use of profanity. But not enough that any outsider would notice. I still weave "fuck" through a lot of my speech. Like a pattern on a quilt. That's just me.
When I was a kid, if you didn't swear- I simply didn't trust you. I figured you for some Mormon type. As an adult, I never really improved on that belief much. In fact, to this day, I associate with people who swear. Unfortunately, I attract those people who have decided that the use of profanity is a terrible thing. You know the type. I call them crusaders or controlling types. These are people bent on changing the exterior world to suit them or for short, assholes. They will "out" you virtually anywhere because they have no internal control mechanism for dealing with speech. I never know for certain when a crusader infiltrates my ranks. I try to use advance intelligence and screening techniques but unfortunately once in awhile a crusader sneaks under my perimeter fence and into the compound.
This year, my entire family descended on Leavenworth, Washington for Christmas. It is a beautiful place. We were staying with my sister's father in law, a man whom we had never met. I will call him Ray because that in fact is his name. Ray is about to meet the family from Butte and one of the most prolific "swearers" there is. I listened to Ray for a few hours, shortly after our arrival on Dec. 23. I heard him utter a standard ration of curse words. I was lulled into thinking he was "normal." So, I liked Ray. However, in hindsight, I never heard him say the word "fuck." That as it turns out, was a mission failure I would pay for on Christmas Eve.
Like swearing, my family drinks. Ray drinks. And on Christmas Eve, everyone was drinking. A lot. Except me. And we were doing what we do best. Laughing and teasing each other. Now my job is not to police the world anymore nor am I a crusader. In fact, back in my drinking days, I drank more than anyone which contributes heavily to my being sober for the last 5 years. So I enjoy my family especially when they have been drinking. They say some funny shit. So there we were, everyone except me- three sheets to the wind. I am telling some story in my usual fashion with the liberal use of the f-bomb when Ray interrupts me. Ray it seems, has chosen this moment to expose his crusader genes. He looks at me and says "why do you have to use that word?" "I think people who use that word are asinine." He was angry and actually quivering a little bit as he spoke. He was not telling me something- he was feeling something. He said some other things which amounted to overkill. I got the point.
So it's a tough situation being in front of your family, getting humiliated and shamed by a crusader who has consumed a gallon of beer. Especially at the ripe young age of 51. You could have heard a pin drop in that room. All conversation ceased while several semi intoxicated minds and one sober one contemplated what would happen next.
In the old days, I would have delivered a brow beating designed to crush crusaders like Ray. However, the old days are gone. It was Christmas Eve. Everyone is looped. My job at that moment, was not to make this scene any worse. I did the only reasonable thing that I could. I apologized. That level of emotional pain is almost unbearable for me. My ego is screaming out, "KILL HIM NOW." But I can't. I have internal controls. I cannot throw everything that has happened in my life out the window because some drunken crusader has decided to launch a public attack on Christmas Eve. Oh and of course, the crusaders always think they are entitled to do that. They will adamantly defend their positions because their mother or their aunt told them swearing is bad. Or any number of other puritanical justifications. I have heard them all. I am a veteran.
To avoid such incidents, all crusaders should hand out a list of things, some rules. Posted in a conspicuous place. Like their forehead. That way we know in advance what is expected of us. Like the terms of service or an agreement you sign on line. If you don't like the terms- you can reject them.
The "Leavenworth Incident" as we are now referring to it- has been placed on a memory stick somewhere near my "oobla doobla" which is that part of my brain reserved for crusaders.
The one thing I have observed about all crusaders is their inability to tolerate the beliefs of anyone else. They are unconscious. In fact, they are the first people to label and condemn others. They have a singleness of purpose which they march forward as though it was divinely imparted. Like they alone know what is right in the world and God himself has spoken to them. Like Moses. I don't get too upset at those types anymore. All that wasted energy. Accomplishing nothing. I am still clinging.
Fuck 'em.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
The TSA Saves the Day! This Time It Was a Sinister Chinese Gal Returning to College
Are we going to have to read about every chickenshit thing TSA does this year? Is there any limit to the lengths that the media and the government will go to to justify the existence of this money wasting bureaucracy?
Apparently not. Please read this. You'll sleep better knowing this arch criminal was stopped. http://news.yahoo.com/tsa-woman-tried-bring-stun-gun-plane-nyc-162132825.html
Apparently not. Please read this. You'll sleep better knowing this arch criminal was stopped. http://news.yahoo.com/tsa-woman-tried-bring-stun-gun-plane-nyc-162132825.html
Frankendamus' Surefire Predictions for 2012
Was 2011 happy for you? Remember people spouting that a year ago today? What exactly is a happy new year?? I'm not sure I've ever had a whole happy year. I had a real shitty year once. 1987. I remember it well.
I left a party early tonight. I just wasn't feeling all that festive. That's how it is for me nowadays. In the old days, I hung out in the casino on New Year's and kissed every drunken woman around me. That was kind of fun, but alas those days are over...
It's time once again for the 2012 Frankendamus predictions. With incredible insight and accuracy, you can be sure of one thing. The country never lets me down. So here we go...
WAR
The United States has developed a new war economy. That is what we are good at. The GOP and the right love war. They will tell you it is necessary. We don't care about lost lives or humanity so much any more, we care about money. http://costofwar.com/en/ So with Iraq winding down, we have to find some place other than the eternal Afghanistan war to waste money and resources on. That somebody will be Iran. They are trying to provoke shit. They have a lot of muscle. China says they will protect them no matter what. Iran might finally be the "flashpoint." I consider Iran to be the absolute biggest concern of the entire new year. They and their friends don't care for us too much. It will be fun to see whether the dunderhead in office can avoid another conflict before elections. We will not get in a war with Iran unless Israel provokes it. Then all bets are off.
OBAMACARE
Obamacare will not pass the muster of the Supreme Court. It's just too fucked up in it's entirety. At the end of the day, all of those Harvard grads will send it back. Unlike the idiots who passed it, the court may actually read the bill. That should be enough. Even they have a conscience.
PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS
Mitt Romney is the chosen elitist. He was picked by the established status quo. Now that the bankers have all escaped jail, it's time to get back to business as usual. The country will elect Romney. He is seen as the least scary guy by both parties. You can rest assured he will suck and be just as bad as Obama. And I will refuse to read Ace of Spades for the next four years as they defend every stupid fucking thing the GOP does.
In Congress, anybody with an (I) by their name is toast. Unless they are from Mexifornia. There will be a few sporadic exceptions. California has proven that not only have liberals ruined the state finances but that the voters are happy about their impending bankruptcy. They will keep doing what they do best- voting for idiots and seeking largesse.
THE EURO AND THE EUROZONE
Completely screwed. Nothing will get better. The FED will buy the 300 billion dollars worth of Italian debt coming due in Februrary. That's why they got involved already. Germany will have to leave the EU and the whole mess will come crashing down. The euro is kaput. I just don't know when.
JAPAN AND THE YEN
Completely screwed.
The UNITED STATES ECONOMY AND THE STOCK MARKET
We are completely screwed too- but we have a crooked FED with a printing press in an election year.
The U.S. economy is dead money. Government generated stats from the BLS will be even more fraudulent than usual. The government will continue to lie about inflation and unemployment as Obama does his best to retain his country club membership. Unfortunately, the man with 5 mansions is coming to reel him in.
All of this could be behind us- if we had just let those crooked banks fail. President Hank Paulson failed us. See Iceland for an example of what happens when a country lets insolvent banks fail. Winning.
The stock market will go down. It has to. The only way it can remain high is if the FED starts another round of quantitative easing. If QE3 starts, the market will rise. Watch gold and silver go parabolic.
GOLD, SILVER, AND OIL
All three will be vastly higher this year. With QE3, I have gold near 2400, oil at 150, and silver at 75. Ten percent lower than these levels absent QE3. The silver fundamentals are absolutely fantastic. In fact, it might be the greatest trade of my lifetime in terms of surefire bets. The world needs silver, supplies are virtually non existent. Silver at these price levels is a steal. I bought more (physical of course) on Friday.
THE MAYAN PROPHECY
There might be a polar shift. The Mayans nailed everything else. Why not?
DEUS EX MACHINA (The Summary)
Deus... Ex... Mach ee naw refers to the playwrights in history who lacking an imaginative or well thought out ending for a play they had written...simply invoked some God driven miracle to wrap things up with. So I will too. Happy New Year!
I left a party early tonight. I just wasn't feeling all that festive. That's how it is for me nowadays. In the old days, I hung out in the casino on New Year's and kissed every drunken woman around me. That was kind of fun, but alas those days are over...
It's time once again for the 2012 Frankendamus predictions. With incredible insight and accuracy, you can be sure of one thing. The country never lets me down. So here we go...
WAR
The United States has developed a new war economy. That is what we are good at. The GOP and the right love war. They will tell you it is necessary. We don't care about lost lives or humanity so much any more, we care about money. http://costofwar.com/en/ So with Iraq winding down, we have to find some place other than the eternal Afghanistan war to waste money and resources on. That somebody will be Iran. They are trying to provoke shit. They have a lot of muscle. China says they will protect them no matter what. Iran might finally be the "flashpoint." I consider Iran to be the absolute biggest concern of the entire new year. They and their friends don't care for us too much. It will be fun to see whether the dunderhead in office can avoid another conflict before elections. We will not get in a war with Iran unless Israel provokes it. Then all bets are off.
OBAMACARE
Obamacare will not pass the muster of the Supreme Court. It's just too fucked up in it's entirety. At the end of the day, all of those Harvard grads will send it back. Unlike the idiots who passed it, the court may actually read the bill. That should be enough. Even they have a conscience.
PRESIDENTIAL AND CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS
Mitt Romney is the chosen elitist. He was picked by the established status quo. Now that the bankers have all escaped jail, it's time to get back to business as usual. The country will elect Romney. He is seen as the least scary guy by both parties. You can rest assured he will suck and be just as bad as Obama. And I will refuse to read Ace of Spades for the next four years as they defend every stupid fucking thing the GOP does.
In Congress, anybody with an (I) by their name is toast. Unless they are from Mexifornia. There will be a few sporadic exceptions. California has proven that not only have liberals ruined the state finances but that the voters are happy about their impending bankruptcy. They will keep doing what they do best- voting for idiots and seeking largesse.
THE EURO AND THE EUROZONE
Completely screwed. Nothing will get better. The FED will buy the 300 billion dollars worth of Italian debt coming due in Februrary. That's why they got involved already. Germany will have to leave the EU and the whole mess will come crashing down. The euro is kaput. I just don't know when.
JAPAN AND THE YEN
Completely screwed.
The UNITED STATES ECONOMY AND THE STOCK MARKET
We are completely screwed too- but we have a crooked FED with a printing press in an election year.
The U.S. economy is dead money. Government generated stats from the BLS will be even more fraudulent than usual. The government will continue to lie about inflation and unemployment as Obama does his best to retain his country club membership. Unfortunately, the man with 5 mansions is coming to reel him in.
All of this could be behind us- if we had just let those crooked banks fail. President Hank Paulson failed us. See Iceland for an example of what happens when a country lets insolvent banks fail. Winning.
The stock market will go down. It has to. The only way it can remain high is if the FED starts another round of quantitative easing. If QE3 starts, the market will rise. Watch gold and silver go parabolic.
GOLD, SILVER, AND OIL
All three will be vastly higher this year. With QE3, I have gold near 2400, oil at 150, and silver at 75. Ten percent lower than these levels absent QE3. The silver fundamentals are absolutely fantastic. In fact, it might be the greatest trade of my lifetime in terms of surefire bets. The world needs silver, supplies are virtually non existent. Silver at these price levels is a steal. I bought more (physical of course) on Friday.
THE MAYAN PROPHECY
There might be a polar shift. The Mayans nailed everything else. Why not?
DEUS EX MACHINA (The Summary)
Deus... Ex... Mach ee naw refers to the playwrights in history who lacking an imaginative or well thought out ending for a play they had written...simply invoked some God driven miracle to wrap things up with. So I will too. Happy New Year!
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