Recently my state passed a law allowing people with carry permits to carry their weapons into places where alcohol is served. Opponents are outraged. I have a permit and occasionally go into restaurants where alcohol is served. I always left my weapon in my car and felt the weapon was vulnerable to be stolen from my car. I would have felt better having my weapon under my personal control. Now I do not have to leave it where it can be stolen.
No one with a weapon should be drinking alcohol just as no drinker should be behind the wheel. Drinking and driving is a criminal offense and carries penalties such as loss of driving privileges. I have not studied the recent law so I do not know what specific actions are indicated in case a gun carrier is caught drinking. I do believe any person caught with a weapon and a blood alcohol level above the legal limit should loose his carry permit and have his weapon confiscated. Now the anti-gunners could use this type of provision to remove guns from the public. Or would they realize gun owners as a group are much less likely to drink than just about any other specific group? Maybe we should start confiscating cars from drunk drivers. That actually sounds like a life-saving measure when you consider how many repeat offenders we're exposed to. How many people do you know who have had a DUI ticket and how many gun owners do you know in that group.
One more thing: At one time I lived in a very rural area with a large field backed by a large hill. It was a very good area for shooting practice and I occasionally had small groups over for some shooting. Some of them enjoyed beer so I had a rule. No drinking until after the shooting. All weapons were unloaded and put away before the first beer was opened. None of my "crazy gun owner friends" ever objected or tried to disobey.
WyoKnott
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
The connection between UFOs and the Mayan Prophesy
UFOs and 12/21/2012 (Huh?)
One of my personal problems is the tendency to think too much when I have too little to do. This morning over my first cup of coffee the following concept came to me. It is not a serious opinion just a very unlikely possibility. Here it is:
As I mentioned in a previous article, our solar system will cross the plane of the galaxy on or about the same date described in the Mayan world ending prophesy. (This is from a TV show I saw a few weeks ago.) Now there are an increasing number of people professing belief in the Alien Abduction Phenomenon. My mind made a connection in my imagination and I decided the UFOs are preparing for the collapse of our civilization by taking DNA samples and maybe even marking some individuals for rescue as the catastrophe unfolds. Being a purveyor of how-to advice to anyone who’ll listen, I decided to produce a how-to document for increasing one’s chances of being rescued by the aliens. I also realize I may not have all the answers so after I list my suggestions I am going to request ideas from the public. I really do not believe anyone is actually reading this crap but if someone stumbles upon it and has a good suggestion – post it.
Learn Klingon and put “here I am” in Klingon on your roof.
I don’t know how the various religious groups get along with aliens but you could try praying.
Move as far away from other people as you can; this will make you seem special.
Become a leader of a country and never let anyone forget it.
Set up a transmitter and start broadcasting on the “hydrogen line” – the fundamental frequency of the hydrogen atom.
Move to a mountain top and make your presence known in any way you can:
Paint the entire mountain top bright yellow
Level the mountain top and draw huge figures and lines on it
Gather together a bunch of followers and start stacking stone blocks into geometric shapes.
More to come (I hope)
One of my personal problems is the tendency to think too much when I have too little to do. This morning over my first cup of coffee the following concept came to me. It is not a serious opinion just a very unlikely possibility. Here it is:
As I mentioned in a previous article, our solar system will cross the plane of the galaxy on or about the same date described in the Mayan world ending prophesy. (This is from a TV show I saw a few weeks ago.) Now there are an increasing number of people professing belief in the Alien Abduction Phenomenon. My mind made a connection in my imagination and I decided the UFOs are preparing for the collapse of our civilization by taking DNA samples and maybe even marking some individuals for rescue as the catastrophe unfolds. Being a purveyor of how-to advice to anyone who’ll listen, I decided to produce a how-to document for increasing one’s chances of being rescued by the aliens. I also realize I may not have all the answers so after I list my suggestions I am going to request ideas from the public. I really do not believe anyone is actually reading this crap but if someone stumbles upon it and has a good suggestion – post it.
Learn Klingon and put “here I am” in Klingon on your roof.
I don’t know how the various religious groups get along with aliens but you could try praying.
Move as far away from other people as you can; this will make you seem special.
Become a leader of a country and never let anyone forget it.
Set up a transmitter and start broadcasting on the “hydrogen line” – the fundamental frequency of the hydrogen atom.
Move to a mountain top and make your presence known in any way you can:
Paint the entire mountain top bright yellow
Level the mountain top and draw huge figures and lines on it
Gather together a bunch of followers and start stacking stone blocks into geometric shapes.
More to come (I hope)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Prepare for 12/21/2012 "End of the world" Surviving (Science Fiction)
Prepare for122112
Introduction
We’ve been hearing a lot about the end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calendar. I personally believe the prediction has been over-hyped and the actual events of that date will not be so catastrophic to the world and civilization. That said; I am also willing to accept I can be wrong. The following article is aimed at preparation for survival should events play out differently. I saw a television show that indicated our system will cross the plane of the galaxy on 12-21-12. The assumption which drives the survival plans I present here is that crossing the galactic plane will disrupt the magnetic fields of our planet and of all the electrical/electronic devices we depend on. This is a work of speculative fiction, I hope.
What to expect
Assuming the worst-case, here is what to expect. Upon crossing the galactic plane the galactic magnetic field reverses. As any electrician will tell you, when two magnetic fields are reversed they try to realign. That’s a simplified explanation of how motors work. In the case of our planet we could expect the planet to try to realign itself with the new magnetic field and/or our planet’s field to be realigned around our planet. My assumption here is that we will experience the effects of both reactions.
Planetary realignment will result in tectonic stresses beyond any we have ever experienced. Known fault-lines will shift dramatically. New fault lines will arise and the layout of the earth’s crust will change. Earthquakes, volcanoes, lava flows, and general geologic upheavals will occur. We can expect severe changes in weather patterns as the planet’s physical alignment in its orbit changes. Our current weather patterns are produced in part by the angle of inclination of our planet. As Earth tries to rotate back into alignment, the angle will change and force tremendous changes in weather patterns.
Even as the planet tries to realign, the magnetic fields the fields themselves try to reach accommodation. Another fact of magnetic fields is that a magnet exposed to a strong reversed field can be re-magnetized to align with the magnetizing field. As the earth’s field is reversed it must reduce the existing field to nothing then rebuild the field to the new alignment. Everything on the planet that relies on magnetic fields will be affected. That means everything electrical will fail. As the earth and the fields attempt to change we might experience massive induced currents in any wires – destroying attached devices with huge over-voltages and currents. The few survivors will find themselves in a new stone age. The technology of the last 20,000 years will be effectively eliminated.
There will be no place on the planet immune from the changes. It is impossible to predict what will happen at any location so each of us who try to prepare for survival must gamble on what part of the planet will remain relatively habitable during and after the cataclysm. I am not one to simply sit and wait for something bad to happen, and I expect most of us want to plan ahead as much as possible. The amount of planning and preparation we expend is a personal choice. Preparation can include a simple survival kit not unlike hurricane survival kits often assembled by people living near coasts or it can extend to a huge re-enforced bunker with full life support. Your personal approach and your available resources drive your decisions.
I will present my recommendations for where to go, what to take, and how to survive. I am not a survivalist or any kind of expert so please consult your own references and experts for real advice. I just want you to think about this a bit. I’m hoping to get a head start on building a new civilization by saving some of our knowledge and our brightest people as the seeds of the new civilization.
Where to go
There are some very obvious places NOT to be during this period of upheaval. Coastal areas and small to mid-sized islands are definitely off my recommended list. Any location within 50 miles of a known volcano (even long dormant ones) is another deadly location. Any city of more than 100,000 people will present some long-term survival problems as resources will quickly be depleted and basic services will be overwhelmed. New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago…etc will be death traps for millions. Hawaii is another goner.
There has been some discussion about the Yellowstone super-volcano in western North America. No place within 100 miles west of Yellowstone and 500 miles east will be survivable, and these distances are quite conservative. If weather patterns change dramatically the directions may be irrelevant too. I’m not familiar enough with geography outside my own country to name specific “stay away” locations in Europe, Asia, and Africa…etc. I can say that the entire group of islands in the south Indian Ocean is not a recommended location.
When you are looking for a survival location, there are several factors to consider. You certainly need to survive the initial upheavals as our planet shivers and shakes but afterward you will need to be self-sufficient as society is reborn. Do not expect things to return to the “normal” we enjoy now. Think in terms of Stone Age, pre-civilization, or cavemen. That is the world you will find yourself in if you survive the first year after the upheaval starts.
Roads will exist (forget about bridges, though) but will rapidly deteriorate. Automobiles will be entirely useless - a good horse will be more useful if he doesn’t get eaten first.
Introduction
We’ve been hearing a lot about the end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calendar. I personally believe the prediction has been over-hyped and the actual events of that date will not be so catastrophic to the world and civilization. That said; I am also willing to accept I can be wrong. The following article is aimed at preparation for survival should events play out differently. I saw a television show that indicated our system will cross the plane of the galaxy on 12-21-12. The assumption which drives the survival plans I present here is that crossing the galactic plane will disrupt the magnetic fields of our planet and of all the electrical/electronic devices we depend on. This is a work of speculative fiction, I hope.
What to expect
Assuming the worst-case, here is what to expect. Upon crossing the galactic plane the galactic magnetic field reverses. As any electrician will tell you, when two magnetic fields are reversed they try to realign. That’s a simplified explanation of how motors work. In the case of our planet we could expect the planet to try to realign itself with the new magnetic field and/or our planet’s field to be realigned around our planet. My assumption here is that we will experience the effects of both reactions.
Planetary realignment will result in tectonic stresses beyond any we have ever experienced. Known fault-lines will shift dramatically. New fault lines will arise and the layout of the earth’s crust will change. Earthquakes, volcanoes, lava flows, and general geologic upheavals will occur. We can expect severe changes in weather patterns as the planet’s physical alignment in its orbit changes. Our current weather patterns are produced in part by the angle of inclination of our planet. As Earth tries to rotate back into alignment, the angle will change and force tremendous changes in weather patterns.
Even as the planet tries to realign, the magnetic fields the fields themselves try to reach accommodation. Another fact of magnetic fields is that a magnet exposed to a strong reversed field can be re-magnetized to align with the magnetizing field. As the earth’s field is reversed it must reduce the existing field to nothing then rebuild the field to the new alignment. Everything on the planet that relies on magnetic fields will be affected. That means everything electrical will fail. As the earth and the fields attempt to change we might experience massive induced currents in any wires – destroying attached devices with huge over-voltages and currents. The few survivors will find themselves in a new stone age. The technology of the last 20,000 years will be effectively eliminated.
There will be no place on the planet immune from the changes. It is impossible to predict what will happen at any location so each of us who try to prepare for survival must gamble on what part of the planet will remain relatively habitable during and after the cataclysm. I am not one to simply sit and wait for something bad to happen, and I expect most of us want to plan ahead as much as possible. The amount of planning and preparation we expend is a personal choice. Preparation can include a simple survival kit not unlike hurricane survival kits often assembled by people living near coasts or it can extend to a huge re-enforced bunker with full life support. Your personal approach and your available resources drive your decisions.
I will present my recommendations for where to go, what to take, and how to survive. I am not a survivalist or any kind of expert so please consult your own references and experts for real advice. I just want you to think about this a bit. I’m hoping to get a head start on building a new civilization by saving some of our knowledge and our brightest people as the seeds of the new civilization.
Where to go
There are some very obvious places NOT to be during this period of upheaval. Coastal areas and small to mid-sized islands are definitely off my recommended list. Any location within 50 miles of a known volcano (even long dormant ones) is another deadly location. Any city of more than 100,000 people will present some long-term survival problems as resources will quickly be depleted and basic services will be overwhelmed. New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago…etc will be death traps for millions. Hawaii is another goner.
There has been some discussion about the Yellowstone super-volcano in western North America. No place within 100 miles west of Yellowstone and 500 miles east will be survivable, and these distances are quite conservative. If weather patterns change dramatically the directions may be irrelevant too. I’m not familiar enough with geography outside my own country to name specific “stay away” locations in Europe, Asia, and Africa…etc. I can say that the entire group of islands in the south Indian Ocean is not a recommended location.
When you are looking for a survival location, there are several factors to consider. You certainly need to survive the initial upheavals as our planet shivers and shakes but afterward you will need to be self-sufficient as society is reborn. Do not expect things to return to the “normal” we enjoy now. Think in terms of Stone Age, pre-civilization, or cavemen. That is the world you will find yourself in if you survive the first year after the upheaval starts.
Roads will exist (forget about bridges, though) but will rapidly deteriorate. Automobiles will be entirely useless - a good horse will be more useful if he doesn’t get eaten first.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Open Letter to President Obama (Economy, Healthcare...etc)
An open letter to President Obama.
If anyone who reads this knows how to get the president to read it please do so.
First, some background so my opinions have foundation. I am 57 years old, currently unemployed, married, and in less than perfect health. My wife has been drawing a Social Security disability check since a severe auto collision in 1993 and she has ongoing medical issues. Over the years I have attempted to put aside money for retirement in 401K accounts at several jobs. Each time I got a few thousand saved, something happened to the job and I had to spend the 401K on survival until the next job. I admit some of my financial decisions were flawed but the net result is that I have nothing in savings.
I saw a few years ago that my health was not going to allow me to continue doing the physical work I have always done. I started classes in information technology and achieved an AAS/IT degree. This degree was accompanied by a $30,000 student loan. I have lost my last two jobs in some degree due to my worsening physical condition and inability to do the work as well as the younger people. Now I am unemployed, practically unemployable, undereducated (I would like to go on to a BS but can’t afford it), living on unemployment and my wife’s $780 /month Social Security. (Thanks for the extra $25 by the way) I have been trying to break into computer programming as a career. My thought was that as long as my brain and one finger still worked I could be productive and earn a living. Maybe I was wrong but I haven’t given up yet. I achieved a 3.6GPA so I’m not some ignorant country boy – I can learn and I truly enjoy working with computers. But that’s enough about me…
I just watched the Presidential news conference and feel I have respond. My first response actually goes to the press corps in general. Do you people only hear 20% of what is said? Your interpretations of the President’s answers seem to focus on certain phrases out of context and rarely on the actual meaning intended by the President. Lighten up! Go back and read the transcript a couple of times until you understand it, then write a response fit for publication. I suppose your job performance is judged by your time on camera and not by the quality of your questions.
Now to President Obama: Mr. President I do not intend to stop defending you to my narrow-minded friends. I believe you have inherited a situation brought on by the greed and power-seeking of financial leaders and easily manipulated political figures. The opposition to your policies is driven by a need to recover control and not by any real concern for the economy. If there was a real concern for the economy, the actions and policies that got us to this point would never have occurred. I cannot accept that people in charge of multi-billion-dollar corporations are too stupid to see the side products of their actions. I truly believe they (as a group) simply chose to blind themselves to the consequences in order to pursue additional wealth and power. President Obama: keep your focus on the people and give us a chance. WE can restore this country to its leadership position in the world economy if we are given the chance. Remind everyone that there is more at stake than their weekly take-home. Remind us how personal sacrifice was a major contributor to the victory in World War Two. Remind us that this is a fight for the American way of life and the moral high ground of true democracy.
I have little to contribute personally. My best contribution at this time is to try to maintain a positive outlook and keep looking for a real job. I am available to start immediately if there is a paying position on your staff for a wannabe computer programmer or an even less likely wannabe writer. (I digress).
Now to the Health care issue: I was appreciative of your response to the accusation that a government health care option would put private insurers out of business. Excellent point and an example of a narrow-minded response by the press!
We should realize that insurance has its roots in gambling. We bet our premiums that we will need medical care at some point. The insurance companies are the bookmakers that take our bets and hope to balance the losses and wins into a profit. Let private companies set whatever restrictions they see appropriate on the people they insure in order to keep premiums low. Tax the hell out of them if they take exorbitant profits or in some morally bankrupt way manipulate the process. Give them significant tax breaks if their policies meet socially acceptable guidelines. I’m sure there are mathematicians who can develop formulae to analyze an insurance company’s actuarial policies against some standard. Tell us (the people) in as plain language as you can what you are doing. Make it hard for the opposition to spin your intentions.
Your policy (at least the public one) on Iran’s current situation is proper. We can decry human rights violations any time and any where they happen. We must not make threats. We cannot give some hard-handed leadership any ammunition in the war of public opinion in [their own] country. Truth is always the ultimate weapon against tyranny.
Donald Page
If anyone who reads this knows how to get the president to read it please do so.
First, some background so my opinions have foundation. I am 57 years old, currently unemployed, married, and in less than perfect health. My wife has been drawing a Social Security disability check since a severe auto collision in 1993 and she has ongoing medical issues. Over the years I have attempted to put aside money for retirement in 401K accounts at several jobs. Each time I got a few thousand saved, something happened to the job and I had to spend the 401K on survival until the next job. I admit some of my financial decisions were flawed but the net result is that I have nothing in savings.
I saw a few years ago that my health was not going to allow me to continue doing the physical work I have always done. I started classes in information technology and achieved an AAS/IT degree. This degree was accompanied by a $30,000 student loan. I have lost my last two jobs in some degree due to my worsening physical condition and inability to do the work as well as the younger people. Now I am unemployed, practically unemployable, undereducated (I would like to go on to a BS but can’t afford it), living on unemployment and my wife’s $780 /month Social Security. (Thanks for the extra $25 by the way) I have been trying to break into computer programming as a career. My thought was that as long as my brain and one finger still worked I could be productive and earn a living. Maybe I was wrong but I haven’t given up yet. I achieved a 3.6GPA so I’m not some ignorant country boy – I can learn and I truly enjoy working with computers. But that’s enough about me…
I just watched the Presidential news conference and feel I have respond. My first response actually goes to the press corps in general. Do you people only hear 20% of what is said? Your interpretations of the President’s answers seem to focus on certain phrases out of context and rarely on the actual meaning intended by the President. Lighten up! Go back and read the transcript a couple of times until you understand it, then write a response fit for publication. I suppose your job performance is judged by your time on camera and not by the quality of your questions.
Now to President Obama: Mr. President I do not intend to stop defending you to my narrow-minded friends. I believe you have inherited a situation brought on by the greed and power-seeking of financial leaders and easily manipulated political figures. The opposition to your policies is driven by a need to recover control and not by any real concern for the economy. If there was a real concern for the economy, the actions and policies that got us to this point would never have occurred. I cannot accept that people in charge of multi-billion-dollar corporations are too stupid to see the side products of their actions. I truly believe they (as a group) simply chose to blind themselves to the consequences in order to pursue additional wealth and power. President Obama: keep your focus on the people and give us a chance. WE can restore this country to its leadership position in the world economy if we are given the chance. Remind everyone that there is more at stake than their weekly take-home. Remind us how personal sacrifice was a major contributor to the victory in World War Two. Remind us that this is a fight for the American way of life and the moral high ground of true democracy.
I have little to contribute personally. My best contribution at this time is to try to maintain a positive outlook and keep looking for a real job. I am available to start immediately if there is a paying position on your staff for a wannabe computer programmer or an even less likely wannabe writer. (I digress).
Now to the Health care issue: I was appreciative of your response to the accusation that a government health care option would put private insurers out of business. Excellent point and an example of a narrow-minded response by the press!
We should realize that insurance has its roots in gambling. We bet our premiums that we will need medical care at some point. The insurance companies are the bookmakers that take our bets and hope to balance the losses and wins into a profit. Let private companies set whatever restrictions they see appropriate on the people they insure in order to keep premiums low. Tax the hell out of them if they take exorbitant profits or in some morally bankrupt way manipulate the process. Give them significant tax breaks if their policies meet socially acceptable guidelines. I’m sure there are mathematicians who can develop formulae to analyze an insurance company’s actuarial policies against some standard. Tell us (the people) in as plain language as you can what you are doing. Make it hard for the opposition to spin your intentions.
Your policy (at least the public one) on Iran’s current situation is proper. We can decry human rights violations any time and any where they happen. We must not make threats. We cannot give some hard-handed leadership any ammunition in the war of public opinion in [their own] country. Truth is always the ultimate weapon against tyranny.
Donald Page
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Health care, taxation, capitalism with a conscience
I just saw a news report that Ex-President Bush believes the private sector will bring the economy back in line. Phooey! In the Great Depression the private sector rolled itself into a little ball and waited for a miracle. Only FDR’s aggressive government spending turned the path around. This current crisis is in many ways the fault of the private sector that ignored the lessons of the past while being blinded by the prospect of quick, easy wealth.
I also saw a news report where some people want to halt any government involvement in health care. The health care industry is following the lead of the big business clowns and seeking an attractive bottom line. Business considerations outweigh people’s needs. We need the power of the government to redirect the focus toward health of the people instead of health of the bottom line.
The Tennessee legislature has passed a budget that cuts services to many who need the help the most and cuts jobs during a time when unemployment is nearing a crisis point. They do this instead of increasing taxes. What causes this is the fact that people who really need the government services do not vote. The poor people and the lower middle class put all their personal effort into surviving and have little left for politics. It is an established fact that much less that half of the qualified voters actually vote. The politicians cater to the portion of the population that votes. The voting public consists of too many people who blindly vote their religion or some other single issue and a large population of relatively successful (read relatively wealthy) self-centered upper middle class families. To this latter group the closing of a mental health support center or the elimination of funding for a battered women’s center means nothing. Cutting police services to balance the budget has no real effect on the people in the affluent neighborhoods – they will make sure they get their share of patrols. Increasing the tuition for state colleges means nothing – their children are not going to some backward state school – they’re going to some “reputable” (read high priced) out-of-state school.
People need to look outside themselves and their little isolated comfortable worlds. Have some compassion for the less fortunate - stop demanding lower taxes and let the government have the resources it needs to provide the services to those who cannot afford to pay. The original income tax structure was a progressive tax that placed a greater tax on those who can best afford to pay it. This also placed a greater tax on those who most benefited from the capitalism that is the backbone of this country. We need to return to this type of taxation. It is a measure of a society in the way the weaker members of that society are treated. By letting our personal comfort and greed blind us to the needs of the less fortunate we are eroding the foundation of our society. A society cannot long survive on a shaky foundation. It has been pointed out to us by recent events where greed and avarice lead the country. We must take steps to improve our society or prepare for the inevitable collapse. Revolutions are usually ignited by persistent mistreatment and/or neglect of lower classes.
Here is a repeat of two of my more radical ideas: No business executive, CEO, Chairman…etc has any need of personal wealth beyond some arbitrary amount (I choose a maximum total annual compensation of $2 million and a total net worth of $20 Million). Now I realize the contributions by many of these very smart people to the business growth and stockholder dividends deserve reward. I suggest putting the reward into charitable contributions. Make a public announcement something along the line of: “The board of directors of Acme Widget Company wish to thank our current CEO John Doe III for his leadership over the past year. In addition to John’s regular compensation package we are donating the sum of $3 million to the following charities and public assistance programs… in his name” This gives the CEO public recognition for his work and puts money where it does some direct good. His power and influence are not diminished. Thirty or forty million sitting in a bank somewhere helps no one – not even the owner of the money. Put it back out in circulation and help the little people whose efforts and daily spending indirectly made the huge profit possible. Many will label me a socialist or communist. In fact I am a firm believer in the power and benefits of capitalism. I believe capitalism must be accompanied by a real social conscience that causes it to self-limit the impact it has on less aggressive members of society. We cannot all be leaders of packs – someone has to watch the kids and tighten the screws.
I also saw a news report where some people want to halt any government involvement in health care. The health care industry is following the lead of the big business clowns and seeking an attractive bottom line. Business considerations outweigh people’s needs. We need the power of the government to redirect the focus toward health of the people instead of health of the bottom line.
The Tennessee legislature has passed a budget that cuts services to many who need the help the most and cuts jobs during a time when unemployment is nearing a crisis point. They do this instead of increasing taxes. What causes this is the fact that people who really need the government services do not vote. The poor people and the lower middle class put all their personal effort into surviving and have little left for politics. It is an established fact that much less that half of the qualified voters actually vote. The politicians cater to the portion of the population that votes. The voting public consists of too many people who blindly vote their religion or some other single issue and a large population of relatively successful (read relatively wealthy) self-centered upper middle class families. To this latter group the closing of a mental health support center or the elimination of funding for a battered women’s center means nothing. Cutting police services to balance the budget has no real effect on the people in the affluent neighborhoods – they will make sure they get their share of patrols. Increasing the tuition for state colleges means nothing – their children are not going to some backward state school – they’re going to some “reputable” (read high priced) out-of-state school.
People need to look outside themselves and their little isolated comfortable worlds. Have some compassion for the less fortunate - stop demanding lower taxes and let the government have the resources it needs to provide the services to those who cannot afford to pay. The original income tax structure was a progressive tax that placed a greater tax on those who can best afford to pay it. This also placed a greater tax on those who most benefited from the capitalism that is the backbone of this country. We need to return to this type of taxation. It is a measure of a society in the way the weaker members of that society are treated. By letting our personal comfort and greed blind us to the needs of the less fortunate we are eroding the foundation of our society. A society cannot long survive on a shaky foundation. It has been pointed out to us by recent events where greed and avarice lead the country. We must take steps to improve our society or prepare for the inevitable collapse. Revolutions are usually ignited by persistent mistreatment and/or neglect of lower classes.
Here is a repeat of two of my more radical ideas: No business executive, CEO, Chairman…etc has any need of personal wealth beyond some arbitrary amount (I choose a maximum total annual compensation of $2 million and a total net worth of $20 Million). Now I realize the contributions by many of these very smart people to the business growth and stockholder dividends deserve reward. I suggest putting the reward into charitable contributions. Make a public announcement something along the line of: “The board of directors of Acme Widget Company wish to thank our current CEO John Doe III for his leadership over the past year. In addition to John’s regular compensation package we are donating the sum of $3 million to the following charities and public assistance programs… in his name” This gives the CEO public recognition for his work and puts money where it does some direct good. His power and influence are not diminished. Thirty or forty million sitting in a bank somewhere helps no one – not even the owner of the money. Put it back out in circulation and help the little people whose efforts and daily spending indirectly made the huge profit possible. Many will label me a socialist or communist. In fact I am a firm believer in the power and benefits of capitalism. I believe capitalism must be accompanied by a real social conscience that causes it to self-limit the impact it has on less aggressive members of society. We cannot all be leaders of packs – someone has to watch the kids and tighten the screws.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Toombstone of America
I recently received a "chain email" showing the tombstone of America claiming death by suicide on Nov 2008. This is a hateful message with hidden connotations. I responded with the text below and I thought I should publish my opinion here as well.
I first saw this tombstone on a co-worker’s locker. It was kind of cute in a dark sort of way. The fact that it is still circulating is a sign that we still have a lot of maturing as a society. The people who propagate this stuff are keeping our society mired in a wrong and limited direction that works against maturity. People who refuse to think for themselves are the tools of hate-mongers. The hate-mongers have their own agendas that have very little to do with the propaganda they distribute. They are manipulating the weaker members of society in order to increase their own power base. People who continue to keep this stuff going are refusing to think for themselves. They are also refusing to see through the fog of hate to the real reason behind the distribution.
The death of America will be the result of unconstrained greed – not because of election results. The recent economic collapse is a prime symptom of the disease that is killing us. Money and power are tools of the greedy. These tools put them in charge of legislative bodies and allow them to manipulate lawmakers to support their greed. The propaganda of the email under discussion is intended to promote their control by undermining the support for groups who oppose them.
D. Page
I first saw this tombstone on a co-worker’s locker. It was kind of cute in a dark sort of way. The fact that it is still circulating is a sign that we still have a lot of maturing as a society. The people who propagate this stuff are keeping our society mired in a wrong and limited direction that works against maturity. People who refuse to think for themselves are the tools of hate-mongers. The hate-mongers have their own agendas that have very little to do with the propaganda they distribute. They are manipulating the weaker members of society in order to increase their own power base. People who continue to keep this stuff going are refusing to think for themselves. They are also refusing to see through the fog of hate to the real reason behind the distribution.
The death of America will be the result of unconstrained greed – not because of election results. The recent economic collapse is a prime symptom of the disease that is killing us. Money and power are tools of the greedy. These tools put them in charge of legislative bodies and allow them to manipulate lawmakers to support their greed. The propaganda of the email under discussion is intended to promote their control by undermining the support for groups who oppose them.
D. Page
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Chiefs and Indians
In any endeavor involving more than 5 people there will be some who "manage" and some who actually do the work. If you are a "worker" who is ambitious to be a "manager" your work will be influenced by your ambition. You will always have in the back of your mind the ways your actions reflect on your ambition. In today's world promotions rarely follow real job performance. People are promoted based on perceptions of value and not on actual work. The person who is honest about his abilities, honest about his mistakes, quietly diligent in his work and accepting of the limitations of others will rarely be noticed when promotions are available. If you ambition requires promotions for personal satisfaction you will never be successful by simply being good at what you do. If personal satisfaction is satisfied by doing the best job you can, you might as well give up on advancement beyond the worker level.
There is a type of personal activity often embraced by ambitious people. As a worker you can expect to become a victim of this action. I describe it as: "If you cannot make yourself look good make everyone around you look bad." Maintain a thick skin and be sure you have records of your performance or an experienced practitioner of this approach can easily put your job in jeopardy as wells as cause you tremendous personal emotional pain. Another cliche: CYA!
Respond please
D. Page
There is a type of personal activity often embraced by ambitious people. As a worker you can expect to become a victim of this action. I describe it as: "If you cannot make yourself look good make everyone around you look bad." Maintain a thick skin and be sure you have records of your performance or an experienced practitioner of this approach can easily put your job in jeopardy as wells as cause you tremendous personal emotional pain. Another cliche: CYA!
Respond please
D. Page
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
General Motors Bankruptcy
The failure of General Motors is the most recent in a series of events that could destroy this country. The United States of America that will emerge from this current crisis will not be the same as the one we grew up in. We have lost our leadership in the world. Our capitalistic society has succumbed to the very faults that have always been touted by anti-capitilists. Greed has destroyed the country as we have always known it. A new country must arise from the rubble.
What happened?
My opinions have no basis in expertise so take me with the proverbial "grain...".
Several factors played into this situation. High level business leaders with the ears of influential lawmakers convinced said lawmakers to relax regulations in favor of quick easy profits. It worked. Huge financial organizations made unbelieveable
profits with activities that would have been poorly received in a less de-regulated environment. There was no consideration of the long-term effects. Everyone looked at the short term and expected no significant change in the world financial environment. Those few who had the foresight found their vision obscured the euphoria of quick, almost limitless wealth. Resources were "invested" into esoteric financial "paper" that had no intrinsic value. Banks were encouraged to loan money to anyone with enough education to fill out the paperwork. All was well as long as the economy expanded. Nobody remembered that there is a cyclic property in the economy.
Lending and borrowing are the foundation of the economy that this country has embraced. This causes a detachment from the real world and there is "money" in the system that is based on a concept instead of a thing of value. This imaginary money is subject to rapid fluctuations based on emotion and not on real world values. Everyone who makes profit from manipulating
these fluctuations knows this. I suspect it is even discussed behind closed doors in high corporate offices. This recent crisis followed a period where huge "profits" were ascribed to loans based on inflated real-estate values. This was OK but the
inflated values could not withstand a precipitous downturn in the economy. Along came our enemies in the world. Perhaps with actual knowledge and skill but more likely blind luck they managed hit us where we were weakest - a fragile economy.
The WTC attack and the subsequent wars chipped away at the foundations of our economy. While oil companies enjoyed the protection of their in-pocket lawmakers oil prices escalated. The worst impacted were the people who were barely able to afford it. People began to make choices between mortage payments and fuel to heat their homes or gasoline to get to work. Imediate needs take precedence. Loan defaults increased; real estate values collapsed; and the imaginary money in the system
lost its perceived value. Companies were suddenly reporting losses...etc.
It is my opinion that these companies did not lose money. What they lost was some imaginary inflated value. As is always the case, only the people at the bottom actually lost anything. We have lost jobs, we have lost the small bit of real value we invested in our homes. We are the loosers. We are also the ones who will have to pick this economy back up if it can be done. We are being called upon to sacrifice. Some people can look at history and learn that world war two was won by the American
people who sacrificed at home to promote the war effort. We must all give up some of what we demand for ourselves in order to make this country great again. Once we have the country back on top we can go back to demanding our personal piece of the pie but in the meantime we can all support the "war effort".
We cannot blindly accept President Obama's Plans but we must not continue to oppose them just because they are his. Be willing to make a sacrifice for the effort - stop demanding lower taxes. The government is the only entity with the resources to finance the recovery. We need to support progressive taxation to increase the government's resources. I'm unemployed and have yet to receive an unemployment check. I cannot pay taxes til I get a job. Those of you who are working should consider paying taxes as contributing to the war effort. Those of you who are living well above the poverty level should be paying a slightly higher tax. Those with incomes exceeding 100K should be willing to pay an even bigger tax to support the government of the country that gave you the opportunity to achieve what you have. I still promote raising taxes and I vehemetly oppose any effort to blindly lower taxes until the economy can support itself without government crutches.
Propping up the new General motors by buying a major portion of the company was necessary to keep people working. When the stock value comes back in a couple years the government can reap a profit from the return of the stock to the private sector. For now we need to be sure the government has the resources to stand up to the onslaught. Support taxation for the war effort!!
What happened?
My opinions have no basis in expertise so take me with the proverbial "grain...".
Several factors played into this situation. High level business leaders with the ears of influential lawmakers convinced said lawmakers to relax regulations in favor of quick easy profits. It worked. Huge financial organizations made unbelieveable
profits with activities that would have been poorly received in a less de-regulated environment. There was no consideration of the long-term effects. Everyone looked at the short term and expected no significant change in the world financial environment. Those few who had the foresight found their vision obscured the euphoria of quick, almost limitless wealth. Resources were "invested" into esoteric financial "paper" that had no intrinsic value. Banks were encouraged to loan money to anyone with enough education to fill out the paperwork. All was well as long as the economy expanded. Nobody remembered that there is a cyclic property in the economy.
Lending and borrowing are the foundation of the economy that this country has embraced. This causes a detachment from the real world and there is "money" in the system that is based on a concept instead of a thing of value. This imaginary money is subject to rapid fluctuations based on emotion and not on real world values. Everyone who makes profit from manipulating
these fluctuations knows this. I suspect it is even discussed behind closed doors in high corporate offices. This recent crisis followed a period where huge "profits" were ascribed to loans based on inflated real-estate values. This was OK but the
inflated values could not withstand a precipitous downturn in the economy. Along came our enemies in the world. Perhaps with actual knowledge and skill but more likely blind luck they managed hit us where we were weakest - a fragile economy.
The WTC attack and the subsequent wars chipped away at the foundations of our economy. While oil companies enjoyed the protection of their in-pocket lawmakers oil prices escalated. The worst impacted were the people who were barely able to afford it. People began to make choices between mortage payments and fuel to heat their homes or gasoline to get to work. Imediate needs take precedence. Loan defaults increased; real estate values collapsed; and the imaginary money in the system
lost its perceived value. Companies were suddenly reporting losses...etc.
It is my opinion that these companies did not lose money. What they lost was some imaginary inflated value. As is always the case, only the people at the bottom actually lost anything. We have lost jobs, we have lost the small bit of real value we invested in our homes. We are the loosers. We are also the ones who will have to pick this economy back up if it can be done. We are being called upon to sacrifice. Some people can look at history and learn that world war two was won by the American
people who sacrificed at home to promote the war effort. We must all give up some of what we demand for ourselves in order to make this country great again. Once we have the country back on top we can go back to demanding our personal piece of the pie but in the meantime we can all support the "war effort".
We cannot blindly accept President Obama's Plans but we must not continue to oppose them just because they are his. Be willing to make a sacrifice for the effort - stop demanding lower taxes. The government is the only entity with the resources to finance the recovery. We need to support progressive taxation to increase the government's resources. I'm unemployed and have yet to receive an unemployment check. I cannot pay taxes til I get a job. Those of you who are working should consider paying taxes as contributing to the war effort. Those of you who are living well above the poverty level should be paying a slightly higher tax. Those with incomes exceeding 100K should be willing to pay an even bigger tax to support the government of the country that gave you the opportunity to achieve what you have. I still promote raising taxes and I vehemetly oppose any effort to blindly lower taxes until the economy can support itself without government crutches.
Propping up the new General motors by buying a major portion of the company was necessary to keep people working. When the stock value comes back in a couple years the government can reap a profit from the return of the stock to the private sector. For now we need to be sure the government has the resources to stand up to the onslaught. Support taxation for the war effort!!
Killing Abortion Doctors
The recent killing of another abortion doctor has me outraged again. There is no way I can justify the late term abortions this doctor allegedly performed but killing him did not solve the cause of the problem. It is still my opinion that the best route to solving this problem is education. As long as people continue to make babies they do not want or continue feel that they have no other choice but abortion this problem will persist. Just as no amount of police work prevented bootlegging during prohibition or no amount of DEA activity slows down the drug trade; such terrorism against abortionists will not stop the activity. The only way to reduce this is to remove the demand. Repealing prohibition and taxing alcohol took away the criminal involvement. Legalizing certain drugs then taxing and regulating them would remove much of the driving force of the drug trade. Education and anti-drug campaigns also help. To reduce the abortion problem real pro-life activists should work to educate people about alternatives. They should pool resources to provide nationwide support for expectant mothers who would consider abortion. They should promote government plans to provide alternatives. Trying to outlaw any activity without addressing the demand at the same time has proven ineffective already.
Many of the same groups who oppose abortion have in the past opposed sex education in school, distribution of condoms in school, or worked to force teen mothers underground by requiring parental notification. This is like "having your cake and eating it too". It cannot be both ways. Teach abstinence both at home and in school. Educate everyone in the real facts. Provide support for people who need it without making it nearly criminal. Educate, Educate, Educate!!! Make support easy to access and give people real options with real help.
Did the man who shot the doctor ever offer to adopt one of the children before they were aborted? Did he provide free and no-strings counseling to the mothers? Did he belong to any groups that did? Did he contribute to any organizations that provided alternatives? Or did he only work to outlaw the activity he hated? I don't know these answers and I might well be wrong about him. I can support his goal but I cannot condone hos method.
Many of the same groups who oppose abortion have in the past opposed sex education in school, distribution of condoms in school, or worked to force teen mothers underground by requiring parental notification. This is like "having your cake and eating it too". It cannot be both ways. Teach abstinence both at home and in school. Educate everyone in the real facts. Provide support for people who need it without making it nearly criminal. Educate, Educate, Educate!!! Make support easy to access and give people real options with real help.
Did the man who shot the doctor ever offer to adopt one of the children before they were aborted? Did he provide free and no-strings counseling to the mothers? Did he belong to any groups that did? Did he contribute to any organizations that provided alternatives? Or did he only work to outlaw the activity he hated? I don't know these answers and I might well be wrong about him. I can support his goal but I cannot condone hos method.
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