Happy Halloween!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Some People Just Flat Have It
Got these in an email and thought I would share. They were created by artist Ray Villafane, who began carving pumpkins as a lark for his art students, but now...
Happy Halloween!
Happy Halloween!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
1981 - The Year It All Started
There weren't any "homeless" people in my town back then. Sure, there were the ususal bums and hobos and winos, but no homeless. Then they started appearing. Slowly at first and then, is was as if the floodgates had opened and suddenly they were a daily fixture.
1981 - Ready Ronnie's first year as president and the beginning of "Trickle Down" economics. It was the year that the middle-class were tricked into believing that losing all of their income tax exemptions and cutting taxes on the super-rich was good for America because the money we lost would eventually "trickle back down" to us.
New wage and tax data released this month by the Social Security Administration reveal a shocking picture.
Excerpts from an article by David Cary Johnston at Tax.com.
The new data hold important lessons for economic growth and tax policy and take on added meaning when examined in light of tax return data back to 1950.
The story the numbers tell is one of a strengthening economic base with income growing fastest at the bottom until, in 1981, we made an abrupt change in tax and economic policy. Since then the base has fared poorly while huge economic gains piled up at the very top, along with much lower tax burdens...
...The number of Americans making $50 million or more, the top income category in the data, fell from 131 in 2008 to 74 last year. But that’s only part of the story.
The average wage in this top category increased from $91.2 million in 2008 to an astonishing $518.8 million in 2009. That’s nearly $10 million in weekly pay!
You read that right. In the Great Recession year of 2009 (officially just the first half of the year), the average pay of the very highest-income Americans was more than five times their average wages and bonuses in 2008. And even though their numbers shrank by 43 percent, this group’s total compensation was 3.2 times larger in 2009 than in 2008, accounting for 0.6 percent of all pay. These 74 people made as much as the 19 million lowest-paid people in America, who constitute one in every eight workers.
1981- When sarcasm and personal attacks replaced debate. When "running government like a business" cut essential services to the bone. When funding for the mentally ill and child services were cut and "privatized."
1981 - When the homeless began appearing on the streets.
1981 - Ready Ronnie's first year as president and the beginning of "Trickle Down" economics. It was the year that the middle-class were tricked into believing that losing all of their income tax exemptions and cutting taxes on the super-rich was good for America because the money we lost would eventually "trickle back down" to us.
New wage and tax data released this month by the Social Security Administration reveal a shocking picture.
Excerpts from an article by David Cary Johnston at Tax.com.
The new data hold important lessons for economic growth and tax policy and take on added meaning when examined in light of tax return data back to 1950.
The story the numbers tell is one of a strengthening economic base with income growing fastest at the bottom until, in 1981, we made an abrupt change in tax and economic policy. Since then the base has fared poorly while huge economic gains piled up at the very top, along with much lower tax burdens...
...The number of Americans making $50 million or more, the top income category in the data, fell from 131 in 2008 to 74 last year. But that’s only part of the story.
The average wage in this top category increased from $91.2 million in 2008 to an astonishing $518.8 million in 2009. That’s nearly $10 million in weekly pay!
You read that right. In the Great Recession year of 2009 (officially just the first half of the year), the average pay of the very highest-income Americans was more than five times their average wages and bonuses in 2008. And even though their numbers shrank by 43 percent, this group’s total compensation was 3.2 times larger in 2009 than in 2008, accounting for 0.6 percent of all pay. These 74 people made as much as the 19 million lowest-paid people in America, who constitute one in every eight workers.
1981- When sarcasm and personal attacks replaced debate. When "running government like a business" cut essential services to the bone. When funding for the mentally ill and child services were cut and "privatized."
1981 - When the homeless began appearing on the streets.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Signs of the times
When the New York United Way realized that it had never received a donation from one of Wall Street’s most successful lawyers, a United Way volunteer paid the lawyer a visit in his posh Manhattan office.
The volunteer opened the meeting by saying, “Our research shows that even though your annual income is over ten million dollars, you don't give anything to charity. Wouldn't you like to give something back to your community through the United Way ?”
The lawyer replied, “First, did your research also show you that my mother is dying after a long, painful illness and she has huge medical bills that are far beyond her ability to pay?”
“Secondly,” he continued, ”'did it show that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair and is unable to support his wife and six children?”
“Thirdly, did your research also show you that my sister's husband died in dreadful car accident, leaving her penniless with a mortgage and three children, one of whom is disabled and another that has learning disabilities requiring an array of private tutors?”
The United Way volunteer, completely beaten, replied, “I'm so sorry, I had no idea.”
And the lawyer says, “So . . . if I didn't give any money to them, what makes you think I'd give any to you?”
The volunteer opened the meeting by saying, “Our research shows that even though your annual income is over ten million dollars, you don't give anything to charity. Wouldn't you like to give something back to your community through the United Way ?”
The lawyer replied, “First, did your research also show you that my mother is dying after a long, painful illness and she has huge medical bills that are far beyond her ability to pay?”
“Secondly,” he continued, ”'did it show that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair and is unable to support his wife and six children?”
“Thirdly, did your research also show you that my sister's husband died in dreadful car accident, leaving her penniless with a mortgage and three children, one of whom is disabled and another that has learning disabilities requiring an array of private tutors?”
The United Way volunteer, completely beaten, replied, “I'm so sorry, I had no idea.”
And the lawyer says, “So . . . if I didn't give any money to them, what makes you think I'd give any to you?”
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Friday, October 15, 2010
There Are No New Sins, The Old Ones Just Get More Publicity
"Indeed, there is one enemy, who is more formidable than famine, pestilence and the sword, I mean the corruption which is prevalent in so many American hearts, a depravity that is more inconsistent with our republican governments than light is with darkness."
"Under a well regulated Commonwealth, the People must be wise, virtuous and cannot be otherwise. Under a Monarchy they may be as vicious and foolish as they please, nay, they cannot but be vicious and foolish. ... Virtue and Simplicity of Manners are indispensably necessary in a Republic among all orders and Degrees of Men. But there is so much Rascallity, so much Venality and Corruption, so much Avarice and Ambition such a Rage for Profit and Commerce among all Ranks and Degrees of Men even in America, that I sometimes doubt whether there is public Virtue enough to Support a Republic."
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Ten Things To Ponder
10. Life is sexually transmitted.
9. Good health is simply the slowest rate at which one can die.
8. Men have two emotions: hungry and horny. If he doesn't have an erection, give him a sandwich.
7. Teach a person to fish and you feed him for a day. Teach them to use the internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
6. Some people are like a slinky, not really good for anything but still fun to push down the stairs.
5. Health nuts are going to feel stupid one day while laying in a hospital dying of nothing.
4. Why does a "slight tax increase" cost you $800, but a "substantial tax cut" saves you $30?
3. All of us can take a lesson from the weather, it pays no attention to criticism.
2. In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now that the world really is weird, people take Prozac to make it normal.
1. Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers, what you do today might burn your ass tomorrow.
9. Good health is simply the slowest rate at which one can die.
8. Men have two emotions: hungry and horny. If he doesn't have an erection, give him a sandwich.
7. Teach a person to fish and you feed him for a day. Teach them to use the internet and they won't bother you for weeks.
6. Some people are like a slinky, not really good for anything but still fun to push down the stairs.
5. Health nuts are going to feel stupid one day while laying in a hospital dying of nothing.
4. Why does a "slight tax increase" cost you $800, but a "substantial tax cut" saves you $30?
3. All of us can take a lesson from the weather, it pays no attention to criticism.
2. In the 60's, people took acid to make the world weird. Now that the world really is weird, people take Prozac to make it normal.
1. Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers, what you do today might burn your ass tomorrow.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Is There Such Thing As Too Much Freedom?
Last week the non-profit I work for was burglarized. The thieves broke into a steel shipping container and stole about $10,000 worth of power equipment used for grounds maintenance. Since there was no sign of the padlock, the police assume it was done by someone who knew the combination as people who cut a lock usually leave the pieces on the ground.
Anyway, it's fallen on me to figure out how to secure the container so I went to the local lock smith to research fool-proof pad locks. They suggested several to me, including some costing as much as $100 with registered keys that can only be duplicated by the lock smith who sold the lock. I have to say that this lock, called a hidden shackle, or hockey puck, looked pretty darned impregnable. Trouble is, none of those locks will fit a container hasp.
The next best thing was a super heavy disc lock made in Germany similar to the kind they sell at mini-storage joints only much heavier and with a drill proof keyway. This lock costs about $60 and it appeared to be the one. I was composing an email to the officers of the organization suggesting this as the one when I went online to find a picture so they could see what it looked like.
This is what I found. Take a minute to look at this, it will definately be worth your time.
When I saw this I thought, holy crap, what good is this thing. Then this video lead me to several more including this one.
A simple search turned up dozens of such videos that basically give you complete instructions on breaking and entering. It also illustrates how really insecure we all are. With a thing called a "bump key" anyone can enter your home in a matter of seconds. No ordinary house lock even slows these guys down.
I'm afraid to Google how to make a bomb.
Anyway, it's fallen on me to figure out how to secure the container so I went to the local lock smith to research fool-proof pad locks. They suggested several to me, including some costing as much as $100 with registered keys that can only be duplicated by the lock smith who sold the lock. I have to say that this lock, called a hidden shackle, or hockey puck, looked pretty darned impregnable. Trouble is, none of those locks will fit a container hasp.
The next best thing was a super heavy disc lock made in Germany similar to the kind they sell at mini-storage joints only much heavier and with a drill proof keyway. This lock costs about $60 and it appeared to be the one. I was composing an email to the officers of the organization suggesting this as the one when I went online to find a picture so they could see what it looked like.
This is what I found. Take a minute to look at this, it will definately be worth your time.
When I saw this I thought, holy crap, what good is this thing. Then this video lead me to several more including this one.
A simple search turned up dozens of such videos that basically give you complete instructions on breaking and entering. It also illustrates how really insecure we all are. With a thing called a "bump key" anyone can enter your home in a matter of seconds. No ordinary house lock even slows these guys down.
I'm afraid to Google how to make a bomb.
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Islam ain't all bad
With pretty good reason, a lot of people are ate up with Islamic wack-o's and tend to paint all Muslims in their image. My argument with these folks has always been to just give them time, they will eventually come around. Of course, there will always be nut cases, as there are in all religions, but that's another post.
This post is concerned with an image of Muslims seldom seen by the general public. One that should be an eye opener.
There are few more hedonistic pursuits on this earth than Formula One racing. It attracts the glitziest of the glitz, the richest of the rich, the gauchest of the gauche, yet on it's world-wide tour it passes through five Islamic nations... Bahrain, Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia and, new this year, Abu Dhabi.
Among its many assets, Formula One is famous for its Pit Babes, the beautiful girls who act as grid markers and who populate the garage in general. The following are photos of Islamic pit babes. You can draw your own cultural, religious, or moral conclusions.
On the other hand, there's also...
Ummm, I know where I'm booking my tickets to.
This post is concerned with an image of Muslims seldom seen by the general public. One that should be an eye opener.
There are few more hedonistic pursuits on this earth than Formula One racing. It attracts the glitziest of the glitz, the richest of the rich, the gauchest of the gauche, yet on it's world-wide tour it passes through five Islamic nations... Bahrain, Turkey, Singapore, Malaysia and, new this year, Abu Dhabi.
Among its many assets, Formula One is famous for its Pit Babes, the beautiful girls who act as grid markers and who populate the garage in general. The following are photos of Islamic pit babes. You can draw your own cultural, religious, or moral conclusions.
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| Malaysia |
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| Malaysia |
 |
| Turkey |
 |
| Turkey |
 |
| Bahrain |
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| Singapore |
 |
| Singapore |
 |
| Australia |
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| Brazil |
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