Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Arnold's solution to the the budget deficit is 38 7/8"
Anyone interested in seeing Conan slice up his enemies on the Assembly and Senate floor? Anyone...? Bueler...
Apparently, our Governator still keeps his Atlantian Sword from Conan in case of emergencies.
Apparently, our Governator still keeps his Atlantian Sword from Conan in case of emergencies.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Leftist on Leftist action when it comes to Nazi Poster
I was recently on youtube because a video of Barney Frank belittling a woman at a Town Hall Meeting is getting a lot of hits. I normally don't like to respond to youtube commentary because intelligence avoids that environment as much as a cat loves a bath. I couldn't resist this time because of the pure garbage being spewed today about people who don't want universal healthcare, so I posted some comments. This ultimately led me to investigate where the Nazi poster originally came from. I find it dubious when a democrat says we are a bunch of Nazis. BTW, are you aware that Nazi stands for the National Socialist Party? Just a little context.
Here's the video of Barney Frank and the lady:
Originally, I felt bad for her, but then my natural BS meter went off. She lobbed Barney Frank such and easy pitch that he couldn't help but hit it out of the park with his rehearsed speech. Anyhow, I eventually came across this video talking about an organization called La Rouche. If you click that link and head to the right of the page you will see their banner link for the single payer healthcare position.
I would add more commentary to this situation, but I'll just link to this video:
So, it seems that Dems are fighting Dems. "A house divided shall fall." Thanks Obama.
Update: Jer mentioned it would be prudent to provide additional information on who started La Rouche PAC. The gentleman's name is Lyndon LaRouch and his wikipedia entry is here. You will find his history and political stances there. Good luck.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Hey Alan,Alan, Alan, Alan,Alan,Alan...
A little diversion for you. Daaaa duh, daaa duh, da duh da duh...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
If they were wrong before, could they be wrong now?
According to the BBC News, "The Federal Reserve has suggested that the worst of the US recession is over." I know that prices across the board for homes have risen on average a little bit, but that only means the foreclosed homes are finally being removed from the inventory list. I still have much concern about inflation since the Fed has printed so much money this year.
Peter Schiff, owner of Euro Pacific Capital, is running against Chris Dodd in Connecticut. I'd vote for him if I lived there. He writes in an article entitled "Experts" Never Learn,
"There is an inexplicable, but somehow widely held, belief that stock market movements are predictive of economic conditions. As such, the current rally in U.S. stock prices has caused many people to conclude that the recession is nearing an end. The widespread optimism is not confined to Wall Street, as even Barack Obama has pointed to the bubbly markets to vindicate his economic policies. However, reality is clearly at odds with these optimistic assumptions.
In the first place, stock markets have been taken by surprise throughout history. In the current cycle, neither the market nor its cheerleaders saw this recession coming, so why should anyone believe that these fonts of wisdom have suddenly become clairvoyant?"
In an earlier article he responds to the "positive" news that recession is showing signs of ending with "Since we have learned nothing from past mistakes, we are condemned to repeat them. As if we have not already suffered enough as a consequence of the Bush/Greenspan stimulus, Obama/Bernanke are giving ever larger doses, which will prove lethal to any recovery. The recession is over; long live the depression!"
Keep in mind that this is the gentleman that was laughed at and mocked as a doomsayer in 2007 when he predicted our current economic crash. Should we laugh at him again? I don't like reporting bad news, but in order to fix problems, we must not only acknowledge there is one, but understand why it is so. The economic problems are caused by government policies that artificial stimulate the economy and never face the reality of bad monetary policies.
Alcoholics must not only admit they have a problem, but have to face the fact that they are responsible for it. And when they go through withdraws for the booz, do we give them a drink to ease their pain? Absolutely not! Funny how the government disagrees with your common sense.
Another side thought, although I enjoy drinking, did you know that alcohol is a poison and that is why you get inebreated? Well, if you drink alcohol enough you develop a tolerance to it's negative effects. In all actuality, the poison is still there, but you don't feel it anymore. Perhaps, our country has been drinking the cool-aid long enough to not feel the pain anymore. The poisonous monetary policies are still there, but we don't feel it anymore. And when the pain emerges of our bad habits, we just drink more to dull it away for a later date.
It's time to toss the cool-aid and return to a healthy economy.
Peter Schiff, owner of Euro Pacific Capital, is running against Chris Dodd in Connecticut. I'd vote for him if I lived there. He writes in an article entitled "Experts" Never Learn,
"There is an inexplicable, but somehow widely held, belief that stock market movements are predictive of economic conditions. As such, the current rally in U.S. stock prices has caused many people to conclude that the recession is nearing an end. The widespread optimism is not confined to Wall Street, as even Barack Obama has pointed to the bubbly markets to vindicate his economic policies. However, reality is clearly at odds with these optimistic assumptions.
In the first place, stock markets have been taken by surprise throughout history. In the current cycle, neither the market nor its cheerleaders saw this recession coming, so why should anyone believe that these fonts of wisdom have suddenly become clairvoyant?"
In an earlier article he responds to the "positive" news that recession is showing signs of ending with "Since we have learned nothing from past mistakes, we are condemned to repeat them. As if we have not already suffered enough as a consequence of the Bush/Greenspan stimulus, Obama/Bernanke are giving ever larger doses, which will prove lethal to any recovery. The recession is over; long live the depression!"
Keep in mind that this is the gentleman that was laughed at and mocked as a doomsayer in 2007 when he predicted our current economic crash. Should we laugh at him again? I don't like reporting bad news, but in order to fix problems, we must not only acknowledge there is one, but understand why it is so. The economic problems are caused by government policies that artificial stimulate the economy and never face the reality of bad monetary policies.
Alcoholics must not only admit they have a problem, but have to face the fact that they are responsible for it. And when they go through withdraws for the booz, do we give them a drink to ease their pain? Absolutely not! Funny how the government disagrees with your common sense.
Another side thought, although I enjoy drinking, did you know that alcohol is a poison and that is why you get inebreated? Well, if you drink alcohol enough you develop a tolerance to it's negative effects. In all actuality, the poison is still there, but you don't feel it anymore. Perhaps, our country has been drinking the cool-aid long enough to not feel the pain anymore. The poisonous monetary policies are still there, but we don't feel it anymore. And when the pain emerges of our bad habits, we just drink more to dull it away for a later date.
It's time to toss the cool-aid and return to a healthy economy.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Chuck DeVore on nuclear energy for California
Jeremy and I took a trip to see Chuck DeVore speak at the Capitol last Wednesday and here is his speech. The topic was nuclear energy.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Not all worship is the same in all places
I was arranging this Sunday's worship song list and came across a video that stopped me in my tracks. Most of you know that I have deficiency when it comes to recalling hymns, so I tend to research their arrangements to help me better perform them more accurately. Well, this week's new hymn is "Great is Thy Faithfulness." You may already know this song well, but I don't. I can sing the chorus, but the verses had me stumped for a little bit. I decided to rectify that by researching the song on songza.com which led me to this video:
Suggestion for viewing: Pick your jaw off the floor.
Chinedu Nwadike - Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Worship Medley)
I don't really know much about the guy, except that he's in Nigeria and his name sometimes has "Prince" in front of it.
Suggestion for viewing: Pick your jaw off the floor.
Chinedu Nwadike - Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Worship Medley)
I don't really know much about the guy, except that he's in Nigeria and his name sometimes has "Prince" in front of it.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Key Bank in Seattle fires a teller for stopping a robbery
Hey guys, as you have noticed, I've been really busy this past two weeks. If I don't post much on this blog, usually it's because life has been hectic and full. With the mother-in-law visiting, school papers, and other time consuming activities, I've had very little time to devote to one of my favorite pastimes, writing this blog. I came across a story today that sparked some personal relevance and I thought I'd share it with you to see what you think.
Many of you already know that I used to be a teller at Travis Credit Union and a pizza delivery guy for Round Table Pizza. I know all about the "training" that tellers go through to avoid conflict with a person who is robbing you. Essentially, you just give them the money and smile as they steal your member's money hoping that the cameras and police work will be enough to find and convict them later. I also am very familiar with what it is like to be fired for breaching policy because a company wants to distance itself from a potentially messy situation. I say all this to point out that Jim Nicholson, a Key Bank teller, is a man I admire and respect.
"Jim Nicholson knew he should have just handed over the cash.
If you read the rest of the story you will find that Jim is not upset with the bank for firing him, in fact he understands why they did it. I don't agree this is best for for financial institutions though. The truth that most commentators and policy setters do not understand is that humans, like water, follow the path of least resistance. And in the world of crime, financial institutions practice pacifism, hereby, leading to their frequent robberies.
I remember being trained how to spot a potential bank robber in line. I remember how they tend to appear nervous, step in-and-out of the teller line, and the types of clothing that is statistically used to hide their identity. All of this, Mr. Nicholson knew, but as all financial institutions train us to spot a potential threat, they then quickly tell us to do nothing about it. We are supposed to just let it happen.
I personally applaud his actions because unlike the financial institutions we worked for, I do not believe the world is safer when you pass the moral responsibility of preventing crimes to the state alone. We have to realize that in the end, these guys rob banks and credit unions because they know we will do nothing about it. Weapons are unnecessary since all that is required to walk out of a bank with money is a threatening note. Once this is accomplished, the perpetrators success is determined by their ability to keep from getting caught.
I say all this to state: Humans are creatures of habit; habits created by incentives. In other words, everything thing we do in life we do because we believe it is worth it at the time. This includes people who rob banks. If policies are created that make it easy to steal money from a bank, criminals will continue to do it and it will become habitual. In effect, we are playing a small role in training bank robbers by having a no retaliation policies.
If you agree or disagree, I'm interested to know what you think.
Many of you already know that I used to be a teller at Travis Credit Union and a pizza delivery guy for Round Table Pizza. I know all about the "training" that tellers go through to avoid conflict with a person who is robbing you. Essentially, you just give them the money and smile as they steal your member's money hoping that the cameras and police work will be enough to find and convict them later. I also am very familiar with what it is like to be fired for breaching policy because a company wants to distance itself from a potentially messy situation. I say all this to point out that Jim Nicholson, a Key Bank teller, is a man I admire and respect.
"Jim Nicholson knew he should have just handed over the cash. But when the thin man in a beanie cap, dark clothing and sunglasses pushed a black backpack across the bank counter and demanded money, Nicholson says his instincts took over.
After more than two years working as a teller at the Key Bank branch in Lower Queen Anne, Nicholson clearly understood the bank's strict policy of quickly complying with robbers' demands and avoiding confrontation.
Instead, Nicholson threw the bag to the floor, lunged toward the robber and demanded to see a weapon. Surprised, the would-be bank robber backed up and then bolted for the door, with Nicholson on his heels.
Nicholson, 30, chased the man for several blocks before knocking him to the ground with the help of a passer-by. Nicholson then held him until police arrived.
That was Tuesday.
On Thursday, Nicholson was fired." Story by Jennifer Sullivan, Seattle Times
If you read the rest of the story you will find that Jim is not upset with the bank for firing him, in fact he understands why they did it. I don't agree this is best for for financial institutions though. The truth that most commentators and policy setters do not understand is that humans, like water, follow the path of least resistance. And in the world of crime, financial institutions practice pacifism, hereby, leading to their frequent robberies.
I remember being trained how to spot a potential bank robber in line. I remember how they tend to appear nervous, step in-and-out of the teller line, and the types of clothing that is statistically used to hide their identity. All of this, Mr. Nicholson knew, but as all financial institutions train us to spot a potential threat, they then quickly tell us to do nothing about it. We are supposed to just let it happen.
I personally applaud his actions because unlike the financial institutions we worked for, I do not believe the world is safer when you pass the moral responsibility of preventing crimes to the state alone. We have to realize that in the end, these guys rob banks and credit unions because they know we will do nothing about it. Weapons are unnecessary since all that is required to walk out of a bank with money is a threatening note. Once this is accomplished, the perpetrators success is determined by their ability to keep from getting caught.
I say all this to state: Humans are creatures of habit; habits created by incentives. In other words, everything thing we do in life we do because we believe it is worth it at the time. This includes people who rob banks. If policies are created that make it easy to steal money from a bank, criminals will continue to do it and it will become habitual. In effect, we are playing a small role in training bank robbers by having a no retaliation policies.
If you agree or disagree, I'm interested to know what you think.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
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