"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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A moment of nostalgia by CactusPat Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK EPA tells its staff: Don't answer watchdogs' queries Used to be actions like this were considered obstruction of justice, you know, back when we had "the rule of law"... CactusPat  US debt bomb ...ticking by Hazel Burke Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK A picture: "National debt from 1940 to present". Gold: $2011 by 2011
OK, got it? 40% of US government daily borrowing is necessary just to pay interest on the accumulated government debt! But interest rates are low now, averaging something like 4%: US Treasury yield curve But consider what happens as time goes on and the debt increases... and what if interest rates increase? Interest rates might rise if US creditors find that the U.S. is no longer creditworthy... perhaps because of the massive national debt and the seemingly permanent trade deficit (the only way to retire debts to foreign creditors is by generating exports — or selling our property to them.) So one day it is easy to see how the U.S. might be in the position where all of the daily borrowing goes to service interest payments on the debt. At that point, no more borrowing increases can occur... unless the Federal Reserve just starts printing money and "monetizing" the debt. And that would be the onset of hyperinflation. So, this is really a very serious situation and there is no way that Congress and/or the President will attack the problem until the catastrophe occurs or is about to occur — too late in other words. They'll procrastinate because their power is derived from giving away Other People's Money in order to get re-elected. If they cut the budget they might lose their jobs... Hazel Burke Cuil by JR Mooneyham Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK
Cuil is by an ex-Google person trying to outdo Google. My own tests of it showed a few glitches, like "1" not being recognized where "one" was. But other than that, it seemed one of the better challengers of those I've heard of before. It may also be trying to outdo Google in indexing the web. JR Mooneyham (www.jrmooneyham.com/) Infusion of blood substitute won't save the US economy by Herb Ruhs, MD Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK When private institutions are allowed to create money the die is cast for eventual insolvency. It is in the interest of privately organized banking to drive the customer ever further into debt. There is no force to oppose this tendency when the power to create money is in private hands. Herb Ruhs, MD Snap out of it people, don't go under their spell by Kathy Fisher Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK My candidate will piss on you. Yeah, well, my candidate will shit on you. OK folks, which do you want? One of these two BUFFOONS will be our next pResident. The idiots who still take this canard seriously will press the buttons and magically another four years of hell on earth will continue, that's for sure. Kathy Fisher (klfisher@webtv.net) Nuts to you by Rebecca Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK Re Unacceptible behavior by Sherri B. I pretty much called you a nut but I should've added a smiley face or something. I was disagreeing but not trying to be disagreeable. All my friends are nuts, and I don't have much interest in people who aren't nuts. I'm obviously nuts about a few things, of course, as I've exposed on Unknown News in the past, they're just not the same things you're nuts about. Anybody who's not nuts about at least a few things in this certifiable society is somebody who's way too complacent. Some of us are cashews, others are almonds, pecans, or pistachios. Rebecca Real men by Marshall S. Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK National Security Archive claims the US was involved in coup against Chávez
Yo Prez Bush. I guess your idiot cronies and you were shown up by real men. Oh well, maybe in the next life. Tough decision. Of course, no one in the US military will be punished or held responsible one iota. I'm sure there is a word for this, but I can't think of it. Fascism? Dictatorship? We are the Mafia and they are us? There's still a possible presidential pardon. I'm sure the Chimpinator admires these guys for doing what he would do, if he had any balls. Cornyn (R-Texas) urges Bush to commute sentences of two imprisoned Border Patrol agents And after they're pardoned, they can go to work at the Skull and Bones frat at Yale, working in place of the sheep they usually use. This sounds more like the Democratic National Convention. Marshall S. Economic system based on fantasy by Chris M. Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK This take on our... ahummm... economic situation by Mike Whitney is rather blunt but to the point.
Yet even Mike is glossing it over a bit. First a review for those who are history challenged. Our current "Fractional-reserve banking" system got it's start in Italy. You know... the place that also originated the Mafia and Cosa Nostra. The idea being that they (the banks) could lend out a large portion of other peoples money, make a profit on doing so and not let the depositors know that their money wasn't there anymore. All in hopes of being able to get it back just in case someone should call them on their little scam. In other words setting up an economic system based almost entirely on fantasy. Pretending you have more money and value that you actually do. This only works when everybody still believes the fantasy. As soon as enough people stop believing, the fantasy begins to unravel like an old worn out sweater. Yes as long as people keep believing tin Tinkerbell, she remains alive and well. But stop believing and she is history. Our whole capitalistic economic system is based on fantasy and illusion. With every thing's monetary value based entirely on what somebody believes it is and not on any real intrinsic worth. But now reality is beginning to take hold and the illusion is beginning to fade. And those at the top, who are desperate for the illusion to continue, are scared shitless. Not because those below them might opt out but because their own fantasy will get blown away and nobody will believe it anymore. Chris M. Dead liberals by Jim Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK Police: Man shot churchgoers over liberal views
I find it very odd that someone who was a truck driver and out of work would blame liberals. It's conservatives that deregulate industries and outsources jobs. The sad part is that Unitarians would have taken him in and offered help. So sad and terrible. Jim Cat's questions by MonkeyMan Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK The man who lived with lions I am so jealous. That is definitely one of the roads less traveled. No phone, no fax, no deadlines, just eat and sleep. Our ancestors should've never come down out of the trees, that was a bad move. We have cell phones, satellites, and the incredible microwave oven, but still haven't figured out that war does not lead to peace. We can talk to people on the opposite of the globe, but have nothing memorable to say. We shoot men into space, but bury our nuclear waste underground, Dur! Why can't we shoot nuclear waste into the sun (small doses at a time)? Or pick another planet to pollute, why pollute ours? Even animals don't crap where they eat or sleep. No wonder my cat stares at me like I am a moron. She is trying to figure out human behavior. Why do humans make unnecessary sounds, artificial light, and complicated dinners? Why are the windows on the side of the house when the sun is overhead? Why water the grass to get it to grow and then cut it? Why cut it and not eat it? Why buy pills to make you feel good when naps are free? She is a very smart cat but can't figure humans out. Neither can I. MonkeyMan This time by Sherri B. Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK Re Unacceptible behavior by Sherri B. Lol you know what I meant by "model citizen" but it's true. The world is getting scarier by the minute and this "I am going to walk away" stuff is only going to get people in the end. A bully, psychopath, or sociopath loves depictions of weakness. They thrive on it. That's why we see these incredibly heinous crimes visited on regular, decent people. You HAVE to know the world you live in. Just as there are neighborhoods in every city that people wouldn't voluntarily go into-there are situations you diffuse and there are those you ask for assistance with. You never fall short. You're the messenger and they usually get shot From Nero to Hitler to Bush. The one thing that people have to understand is that some people DO NOT respect boundaries or peoples rights. Because they are immature, aggressive, insensitive, or insane does not mean run away and leave someone in emotional or physical danger, it means call for help and get more restraints. Many people, due to constant negative news and graphic TV movies, have a "ho-hum it can't happen to me if I stay out of these places and keep my head down" mentality. Those attitudes are a thing of the past. Violence does not necessary begat violence. It can get a person a holding cell or psychiatric lockdown — if YOU are willing to dial the phone. The Virginia Campus shooting and Columbine were examples of: It can't happen here. The students said they did nothing to harm the offenders yet the offenders chose (by design or randomly, depending on what you read) people and killed them. Later of course there were "signs" everywhere. Bullying, psychiatric disorder not maintained, etc. The point of that was in those instances people did the bare minimum with those kids and walked away. This includes parents, students, peer groups, and counselors. They "did their bit" and walked away then people suffered. THEN came the moral outrage and the "what could I have done?" The answer is, keep your eyes open. Know when to walk away and grab a phone and know how to defend yourself if you have to. Yes, sometimes you'll have to hide for your safety but that doesn't mean to not go later and give a statement. Big actions usually start with the smallest of abuses, emotional and physical, that build up over time. The whole time a teacher, principal or someone KNOWING there's a problem and passing the buck. Then the kid ends up on the news. Or they become an adult and become abusers themselves. With people going to sleep feeling guilty because they KNEW there was a problem and thanking God it wasn't their kid. This time.
My eyes are as brown as they're ever going to get. I'm tired of standing tiptoe in this sh*t. = a little more fuel for the power station by Marie K. It is a load of BS but the unfortunate thing about the story is that's all people will hear. They'll think 6,000-that's HUGE then do no homework whatsoever. I had to talk to my Aunt for nearly an hour because, well, she's religious, and saw this as a sign that "the time was at hand." My family doesn't "do" contradicting ones elders but I tried to tell her not to panic that more information may come later that is more positive. On the other side of the scope my little brother and his friends are thinking (while drinking) about enlisting because my Dad and Grandpa were in the Army and if "they" think they're gonna make 6,000 nuclear weapons (Jeez it makes my head hurt to think of their logic — they're 20-somethings) then they'll be there to help "defend" America. I didn't even bother trying to talk to my little brother. I let my father tell him what war was really like and that shut him down pretty quickly. My father saw a lot of scary stuff. He came out angry, sad, and a very different person than when he went in. Enough time has passed now for my Dad to have an Elder's perspective on life so not much scares him. The media is trying to put America in another major panic. Let's hope America doesn't fall for it again. Sherri B. Declare victory by Wig Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK $40M US-built prison sits empty north of Baghdad It's only money, and not a military defeat. So we can go ahead and declare VICTORY. Wig Rwanda in America by Obese Ballerina Tuesday, July 29, 2008 PERMANENT LINK Who really killed the Knoxville Unitarians?
A lot of people will read this and say it's hyperbole, or that it sounds reminiscent of Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson blaming liberals for Does anyone remember Rwanda? The genocide there was triggered and urged on by radio talk show hosts — seriously, and literally. One side in the political dispute controlled most of the talk radio shows, and they used their microphones to call for violence against the other side, and about 800,000 people were killed. I won't go so far as to say that's what Republicans want in America, but that's certainly what the moneymongers who back right-wing hate radio are building toward ... and I don't think they're so stupid they don't know it. Obese Ballerina |
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