"News that's not known, or not known enough."
Helen & Harry Highwater's cranky weblog of news and opinion.
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"News that's not known, or not known enough." Helen & Harry Highwater's cranky weblog of news and opinion. |
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Baby steps
One small step for man. One giant step for babykind.
What's not to like about babies? They barf, cry at the top of their lungs, stink up the place with poopie smells, and grow up to be politicians and crooks. Other than those few flaws, they are darling.
Righteous
Have you ever read EF Schumacher's book, "Small is Beautiful"? If not, I think you would like it. "War does not determine who is right, only who is left" Hello JR As a Banker (commercial not capital/investment) I have read your material with interest. What can I say? You are right.
Democrats must be cautious
Solve the royalty problem
Adam Smith's ideal was a "well regulated market." This instability of regulatory climate has been created by the disarming of both end users/viewers/listeners/readers and original producers by the technology of recording. As an example we could recompense producers of various media by paying them out of taxes placed on the physical production of the recordings and redistribute that money to the creators directly. This would be a kind of value added tax. The internet would be much easier to tax than any other medium as comprehensive records exist of file transfers, whereas bootleg trade will always exist with tangible media. The fact is that our lives are now in the hands of fascists, and any just system of distribution of wealth is seen as a foolish loss of control of possible coerced profits. This situation will have to be dealt with before any innovative and just solutions of any of our biggest problems. The relative power of mass producer and end user needs to be re-balanced.
An abomination
What a great idea. To actually help the people rather than just killing and maiming them. Why didn't we think of it? Oh well, we can't do the same things the "terrorist" organization Hezbollah does, now can we.
Which is precisely where they belong, I might add. Along with the clown who came up with the idea in the first place.
All I have to say is damn well said. The whole thing was an abomination at least and an attempted smear job even lower than FOX or Rush.
She brings up a very good point there. That most people will say "their forefathers were immigrants" but who they are referring to are those of English, German, Scandinavian or other European descent. In other words the white Anglo Saxon Protestants. However these people are rapidly becoming a minority. I watched the end of a program on PBS the other day where it was comparing Sweden's approach to an economic problem to that of this country. I have seen many such programs and the one thing that seems to be missing or never brought up is the vast difference in demographics. It is much easier to find a common solution that is agreed upon in a country where nearly everyone has the exactly the same background, religion (Sweden is nearly all Lutheran) and social norms than it is in a country such as ours where we have such a vast mix of people of vastly different backgrounds, religions, social norms, history and cultures. What might seem logical and practical and self-evident to someone of German heritage might not to someone of Hispanic origins. In fact they may even be repulsed by the idea. And to force it on them would only foster resentment. There are still areas of this country where the residents are (and have been for many generations) of the same race, backgrounds and beliefs. What is important to one group may not be important to another and visa versa. It will take a very long time for these people to "assimilate" (for lack of a better word) into one culture. Until that happens trying to get a consensus on any issue will be nearly as uncomfortable as root canal work.
Who gets "removed" then?
Well removing all the illegal aliens is a lovely answer to the plight in LA. But what about the Wisconsin, Wyoming, Idaho, Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado and so forth?(I.e. places with huge layoffs and starving people but not enough illegal aliens to even enter into the equation.) Who gets "removed" then?
It was Churchill who said
It was Churchill who said, " ... Always remember, however sure you are that you can easily win, that there would not be a war if the other man did not think that he also had a chance."
Hard to say in today's political environment.
Limbo debate: How low can these candidates go?
Truth from Tehran, lies from Washington
And so, what the Iranians said at the time was true, and what Bush and the Brits were saying wasn't true. This is, of course, entirely in keeping with the ongoing pattern of disinformation about Iran, which will almost certainly culminate in American bombs dropping on Tehran.
For the doctor
NSPD-51: Nationalist Socialist Party Directive 51? Peace, Dr Ruhs,
Darwin
Now the "Creationists" can really scream.
America has just out-evilled Evil itself
The unambiguous treason of George W. Bush
How to destroy a great nation's economy
Totally suicidal
Totally suicidal on the part of anyone who would try it. Therefore insane. U.S. attack on Iran is not the answer
Which would destroy Iran, Iraq, Israel and render nearly all other states to rubble as well as more that a few large US cities. I can't help but think that this may not be such a bad thing after all. Especially the last part.
Rectum? Damn near killed him!
What ever happened to back yard gardens?? When I grew up even people in the city (except apartment dwellers) had back yard gardens. Now there are restrictive covenants and deed restrictions and home owners association even in the most cheesy developments that prevent you from growing anything but daises and such.
Unsolved riddle
Simple lifestyles
Oh how wonderful
No prob
I see no problem. As long as the elite class is living well America is functioning as it is supposed to. Remove every single illegal alien from the Los Angeles area and enough housing would be opened up and the supply/demand economic function would drive down the current extremely high rents down to a level where the working poor could actually afford to rent or stop having to shove 15 people into one small apartment.
Unfair
and How can I be sexist when I ask for equality? I have read the complaints about how poorly and unfairly Hillary Clinton has been treated by the mainstream media, and OK, I understand that. I saw that as it happened. Sexism is a real thing and it shouldn't be tolerated. I just don't understand the complaints of M.M. and Mrs Collier... Has the Democratic Party treated Clinton unfairly? Have her opponents treated her unfairly? Has someone at Unknown News treated her unfairly? I would say no, no, and no a third time. She's been treated like any other candidate, perfectly fairly, by the party, by her opponents, and by everyone at Unknown News. Talk about "unfair", it's more than a little "unfair" that she's running as a Democrat, when the sum total of her public life adds up that she's a Republican. My hope is that her embarrassingly unprincipled, un-Democratic campaign will un-endear her with New Yorkers, and she'll be voted out of the Senate next time around. But if she somehow manages to steal the Democratic Party nomination, I will vote for her in November ... as much a Republican as she is, she's not as Republican as John McCain.
Conundrum
Another case where an infuriatingly large number of Democrats are repulsively siding with Republicans on a matter that ought to offend any sane person's basic humanity. 9/10 of me wants such Democrats to be simply purged from the party, so the words under which sanity sometimes gathers ("Democratic Party") can still mean something worthwhile ... But without the support of these morally clueless so-called Democrats, even the Dems' slightest Congressional accomplishments would have been impossible. Hell of a catch, that Catch 22, and it's small comfort to remind myself that I'm not a Democrat and never have been.
Figure out what is what
Definition: current account balance Essentially, net sum of capital in/outflows and trade surplus/deficit. The cause of our negative current account balance is mostly, at this time, the result of our massive trade deficits. As a result of years of deficits people in other countries increasingly own America It is likely that the new owners will be smarter and wiser than the previous owners, so ... it isn't so bad (like working for Honda after getting laid off from Ford or GM, it ain't a bad gig.) One reason why a falling dollar is not actually helping our trade deficit is that we import far more than we export, so even if exports continue to grow, we still run deficits. Also, with globalization so solidly in place, not only are our imports likely to become more expensive as the dollar falls, but domestic goods will rise in price! That is because domestic manufacturers will sell to those willing to pay up, they're no longer stuck selling just to Americans, who are, on average, tapped out. I think the most terrifying thing about the ongoing destruction of America's financial, monetary and economic systems is that the public debates are so lacking. The entire system is coming undone, but when discussions occur, they are about individual symptoms and how the government can treat them. But not only did the government create, allow or promote the problems we have now, we are using their statistics in our debate, and the government statistics are manipulated to minimize the public relations problems which the Truth would create. For example, CPI is reportedly just 4% according to the Feds, but in reality it has probably been over 10% for many years now. That means that not only are people on Social Security getting robbed, but the GDP hasn't actually been growing as reported, but has been shrinking for years. There are reasons not to be terrified, of course. Aside from being a mega-millionaire or a pensioned government bureaucrat, assuming that you are unable to obtain passports and exit papers (remember Casablanca), your best bet may be to incorporate with a group of friends/associates/random passersby, and work together using the rules of the system. For example, if a group of people organized into a corporation to buy up, upgrade and rent out distressed houses in distressed locations, or even in far-off locations off the grid, then all of the travel and living expenses could be deductible (if handled properly); you could live on-site working together The important thing, in my opinion, is to determine The Truth in your own mind, using your own words and mental concepts. Figure out what is what. Then act accordingly. As an example of this process, consider how many of us now view the US dollar. In the old days we regarded it as a fixed unit of measure. Now we regard it as a depreciating, variable unit measuring (less and less) "stored wealth". If you can change the terrain of your thinking and adapt to new realities then you stand a better chance of prospering (and surviving.)
Even then it was miserable
It's been a very long time since I was last in Youngstown Oh. Around 1970. But even then it was a miserable, dirty and disgusting place to have to live. Now as I understand it the crime rate is out of this world. So I can see why they would wont to bull doze abandoned or old homes for green spaces. They have been trying to clean up the Mahoning River but there is so much toxic sludge from the steel mills in it, this has been a formidable task to say the least. You can get a fairly nice house in Mahoning and Trumbull Counties (Warren) for under 60k with land to boot.
Extend the limits
While I agree with your basic premise that an inordinate amount of power rests in the hands of a few, I am not as pessimistic about opportunities to unravel the structures which create all that privilege. What seems rock solid may in fact be as tenuous as other empires throughout history. I am perhaps not as convinced that the required competency exists to maintain this imbalance permanently nor that a global wide movement of not just resistance but all out opposition is not possible. The lack of "leadership" may be its most subversive trait! While I am prepared to build "within the shell of the old" I want to constantly reach outward and extend the "limits" of unity and concert.
Bastards, to put it mildly
The expert, Keith Baverstock, a British physicist made this claim, the “USA had information on how dangerous depleted uranium [is] one year before the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999.” He then explains that it is bad for the kidneys, bones, liver, and the lymph system. It “also becomes genotoxic [it damages cellular DNA] when it enters the body, which always leads to cancer.” And how did the US military forces find out? So for over 15 years they’ve kept on using it not just overseas, but also in the US during military training as this Aug. 21, 2007 article indicates As for the US military that continues to use DU weaponry
How can I be sexist when I ask for equality?
I can see that you will continue to ignore my point. I am not the enemy, nor is Hillary, nor is some shadowy foreigner. The current administration has done more damage to our Constitution, our laws, our economy and way of life than any foreign government or group could have done. "...blind grab at power..."That is an interesting phrase. So everyone who has ever run for president has been making a blind grab at power, or just Hillary? Just so you know, I am just as excited about the prospect of a black president as I am a female. If ethnic minorities, women, poor whites, and gays and lesbians (all the marginalized people) would join ranks, what a powerful force the underdogs would be. But instead of changing the system everyone tries to assimilate into it. I worry when I read the headlines that McSame will somehow either win or steal the election. And I worry that too many people focus their venom on Hillary when it is Bush who continues to do the unthinkable. Her lies aren't killing innocent people. How can I be sexist when I ask for equality? Dictionary.com states:
The surge is working?
US sinks even lower in Arab world's esteem
Ah, the surge is working?
Monstrous mega-bullies
of budget to train and equip foreign militaries
Will someone please say no to these monstrous mega-bullies?
NSPD-51
Defenseless on the net
Yeah, even the Pentagon or a rich corporate exec with a whole expert IT department focused on security might not be able to stop a determined hack attack of some sort. But most hackers and their malware are looking for easy targets, not fortified ones. Plus, your own home or office machine is unlikely to offer more treasure to be plundered than your personal household finances and family member identities (small potatoes for the usual cyber-thief living on the other side of the planet, and after dozens or hundreds of credit card or checking account numbers at once). So the typical person's biggest cyber-threats likely consist of some partial form of identity theft, or unwanted wholesale surveillance. Perpetrated by a techno-savvy neighbor or extended family member, or big business or big government. And most of those may basically be after something to blackmail you with some day So for most of us, even the rudimentary safeguards we're capable of performing will usually provide us with at least more protection than the majority of our fellow citizens possess Do-it-yourself security tips for PCs on broadband connections If you wish to see more about the huge crowd of online spies and thieves threatening us all today, you can check out: They own you and all your property too If you'd like to make the politicians actually outlaw all that spying crap, there's only one way: first outlaw the private financing of election campaigns. Make it all public financing. With heavy restrictions on campaign advertising by groups supposedly independent of the candidates, too. There's lots more we'd have to do besides that to fix the mess we're in. But weaning the politicians from the wallets of fat cat backers would likely do wonders all by itself.
Rice
It would be so very inspiring if Secretary of State Rice began doing her own work out of an office in Baghdad's Green Zone, perhaps near the workout center.
Absolutely bogus charges.
Eviction
Well, we will finally all be under one big tent together maybe, how many rings though, is a good question, and the clowns are running it all. Funny how all this reflects what is happening to me. What, should I tell you all to stop copying me like the kids used to fight? Just got this threat about being Yeah, family would and is supposed to be the back-up for us all, but to be frank it seems that family has a lot to do with people being homeless. Amazing how fast a brother will suddenly go from saying I love you bro and I am always here for you to pretending to not be home and not answering the door. Absolutely amazing! Hopefully the job at the chicken plant will come through and the economy doesn't get drastically worse. Then I can possibly find a small one room at the corner hotel or one of the local buildings converted to multiple apartments from one and two family houses. Then I can feel safe on my own. Everyone needs to be able to feel like that. No one needs to be on the street wondering if this is as good as it will ever be again. I tend to take it all very personally but then none of it is happening in any form I would describe as "impersonal". Also reason number one why I would not have a gun This is America, isn't it? I thought we were better than this! Another case where the political is the personal? My life bites, your's does too. Let's not be bitter just yet. Maybe together we can do something great. Between 0000-00-00 and 9999-99-99
Crisis? What crisis?
This is why I am writing this letter So, how so you ask? Well, it is like this. In the USA, it is almost a necessity to have health insurance. Well, it is a necessity if you need regular care. That would make up about 100% of the population. Especially if you have kids, or you are elderly. For my mother in law, who is 76 and a 4 time cancer survivor, it is either that she pays her premiums or she dies. Plain and simple. For my son and I, we pay the premiums (well, I do), or I get fired (AGAIN!) and he cannot function. We both need medication just to function. He is mildly autistic, and had some ADHD so we treat him for that. I am probably autistic as well (never been OFFICIALLY tested) and I do have a severe case of adult ADHD. It makes me cranky, short fused, lose patience easily, foul-mouthed and edgy. I take medicine, and I can control it MOST of the time ( my wife may say otherwise). So, what is the crisis, you ask? Well, why do my health insurance premiums keep increasing, and my coverage stay the same or actually decrease? See below: NB: the below information is taken from http://www.nasdaq.com
Okay, so if you look carefully, Cigna (big health care company) has decreased in income and Aetna has increased. I wanted to see a profit and loss statement (basically shows how much profit a company has) but, hey, I couldn't get one. (Not available from this site Some incomplete data here. Sorry! However, if you look at the numbers, you can see that the company is generating a shit-load of capital. Cinga in 2007 $1.115 BILLION!! . Aetna in 2007 $1.831 BILLION!! Not bad for a company that's only real expense is paying doctors and hospitals. So, we keep hearing on the news that there is a "... health care crisis in the USA..." Really? Maybe for you and I, since we have to dig a little deeper but not for the Cignas and Aetnas. So, wouldn't you think that if you pay more for something that you will get a better product? I would think so. I guess we just have to think about all those poor, poor CIOs, CTOs, CFOs, and CEOs that only got a $1.5 million bonus last Christmas instead of the $2.0 million one that they got the previous year. Think about that next time you pick up your prescription at Wal-Mart and your co-pay is now $10 instead of $5 for generic drugs. Just consider yourself lucky. Peace
Neighborhood memorial park
The ruins of Detroit have not been memorialized in a brilliant photo book for no reason. Even proposed as a memorial park. The Detroit automakers have made the same errors as all the rest of the Big Cats in the Rust Belt The assumed, wrongly, that they could create the market they wanted with hype. They were only half right and it did not last long enough once the Japanese began filling the gaping void in the 70s. Bad on them. Yeah, Karma would be my guess, too. I used to know a woman from there and her family is still in Youngstown. She said it has been going downhill for decades.
Finger pie
Congress wants Iraq to pay for its own rebuilding That headline sounds great to a lot of people who actually read the news. It's about time They have already bankrupted this country. Shifting the bills to Iraq does not mean that the Iraqis will get something for it or be better off. It means that the same people who bankrupted us will now get a brand new pie to get their fingers in.
Eva Braun was unavailable
Well, that seems mighty... American. If you're mugged, beaten senseless, crippled and left for dead, nobody seriously expects the muggers to pay for your hospital stay and physical therapy. When I was a kid the Today Show was journalism. I don’t know what it is these days besides unwatchable, but even if it's intended as pure vaudeville I would think putting a war criminal's wife in charge is a bad idea. Eva Braun, I guess, was unavailable?
My final word on Hillary Clinton
M.M., you're asking us all to grit our teeth and speak no ill of a person we feel is spewing whatever nonsense they feel is necessary to facilitate a blind grab for power and doesn't even have the savvy to be less obvious about it. You're asking us to respect her, but tell me honestly if you think Hillary Clinton will serve any of your interests? Or the interests of anyone that isn't in her own interests? You care little for the insults people use on McCain and Obama except as a comparison to what people say of Clinton. That 'iron my shirt' jab is weak at best and all you're focusing on, all you choose to see of what is said. Face it, if Hillary were a man you wouldn't give a shit what we said. You're sexist yourself. That Hillary is a woman is all you're concerned with, that less than half the Senate is female is all you're concerned with. Competence, for all the arguments you've made about having the rest of us consider it, means precisely squat to you. You've complained about representation, but being a woman does not automatically mean Hillary is the best person to represent women in America. Even if she weren't as self-serving as she appears to be, I still think she'd be out of touch with the majority of women. If you mixed up the Senate to accurately mimic the mixed ethnicities, religions, and gender ratio in the US it wouldn't mean much of anything. You'd still have the same problems of people screwing each other over for personal gain and singling each other out for attack. You've also complained that less than 1% of the wealth in America is in the hands of women, but you do realize of course that 1% is all that is shared among the vast majority of Americans. The other 99% belongs to a tiny handful of the obscenely rich and their families. If you're really concerned about equality, try focusing on the issues. Pay disparity, court considerations, sentencing differences, company policies and how they relate between the sexes. Something that actually matters! How we feel about any of the jokers running for President means nothing if those problems don't get solved.
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