The Candid Blogger: January 2010

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Obama Delivers 2010 State of the Union Address

President Obama speaks about restoring security for middle class families after a lost decade of declining wages, eroding retirement security and escalating health care and tuition costs. January 27, 2010

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Kirchner is about to Dance with Wolves

I first met Don Kirchner in Sedona, AZ in 1995. No, not the music promoter, the ex-combat helicopter pilot in Vietnam whose involvement with the Mob and a huge drug smuggling operation led to his spearheading a DC-6 landing in the Florida Everglades carrying a load of high grade pot. His eventual arrest, being on the run for five years, and his eventual capture and imprisonment make a great story and his book is outstanding. I recommend it.

After serving 2 1/2 years of a potential 25 year sentence, and with the backing of Senator Goldwater and eventually John McCain, he was released and established the Society for Return to Honor.

With over 2,600,000 men, women and adolescents in jails, prisons and detention centers in the United States, and an astonishing 70-80% of all inmates released from incarceration returning to jail or prison within the first year after their release, it is clear that communities and individuals are not taking the extra meaningful steps toward understanding the true nature of criminal behavior, and addressing its causes rather than reacting to its effects.

Most determined and highly-motivated former offenders fight a nearly impossible battle for acceptance and respectability in returning to their communities. The simplest things most people take for granted are often formidable obstacles for the newly-released prisoner; a place to sleep, food to eat, clothes to wear, a job, transportation, and even deposits required for a place to live. Often lacking the self-confidence, required social skills and personal resources, released prisoners face nearly impossible odds in their attempts at re-entry into society.

Don has struggled trying to assist ex-offenders for fifteen years and now his day may have come. Hollywood took much longer than the Feds to catch up with Don in the person of Academy Award winner, Michael Blake, who is best known for his screenplay and novel, "Dances with Wolves". Blake has completed the first draft for the screenplay for Don's outstanding story, "A Matter of Time". He will also direct. This should make a blockbuster of a movie. I can't wait.

Congrats, old friend.

Kucinich Plan to Create 1 Million New Jobs

One of the last remaining honest politicians in America, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, (D-OH) has an idea he thinks will create 1 million new jobs, fast. His piecemeal solution to the employment crisis: get the old people to retire and bring in some "new blood." His piecemeal solution to the employment crisis: get the old people to retire and bring in some "new blood."

By providing government incentives for workers to retire at the age of 60 instead of 65, Kucinich believes all the newly open positions would create a surge of fresh employment.

"Nearly 70 percent of workers elect to take early retirement under current rules, which allow eligible individuals to begin receiving a reduced Social Security benefit starting at age 62," a media advisory from the Congressman's office claimed. "The Kucinich Plan would reduce the eligibility age to 60 for the first million workers who want to take advantage of an earlier retirement date."

With some 4.2 million U.S. workers between ages 60-65, Kucinich believes at least 1 million will take advantage of early retirement, even though the Social Security payout would be at a reduced rate. Additionally, instead of Medicare, Kucinich proposes early retirees received health coverage through the COBRA program.

source: RAW STORY

Saturday, January 23, 2010

A Salute to Roy P. Benevidez

I hate war, but most of all I hate the so-called Leaders who send our young into battle while they sit back safe from the fray. I have always maintained that if we sent the children of the rich to war there would be no war.

Today, I am making an exception and will honor Roy P. Benevidez. The short video tells a tale of courage that goes far beyond the imagination. The most amazing thing of all is that he had been so gravely wounded, by stepping on a landmine, on his first tour that he was drummed out of the Army after returning. Roy built his body back up and returned to the service after proving himself fit and joined the elite Green Berets. He went back to Vietnam for a second tour for which he received the Medal of Honor. This is his story:

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Banks Make the Mob Look Tame

It's amazing how matter of fact the criminals who created this system are about their handwork.

I wouldn't call them "smirking" but they seem to find the situation of people being destroyed by deliberately deceptive credit practices amusing.

The antics of the banking industry make the Mafia look tame and consumers look like helpless victims.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

HUGE Storms to Hit California, Arizona

"It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya?It POURS, Man it POURS"
The words from an old song drift through my head as I read the latest report from the emergency response community:
Currently, the strong El Nino is reaching its peak in the Eastern Pacific, and now finally appears to be exerting an influence on our weather.  The strong jet has been apparent for quite some time out over the open water, but the persistent block had prevented it from reaching the coast.  Now that the block has dissolved completely, a 200+ kt jet is barreling towards us.  Multiple large and powerful storm systems are expected to slam into CA from the west and northwest over the coming two weeks, all riding this extremely powerful jet stream directly into the state.
The jet will itself provide tremendous dynamic lift, in addition to directing numerous disturbances right at the state and supplying them with an ample oceanic moisture source.  The jet will be at quite a low latitude over much of the Pacific, so these storms will be quite cold, at least initially.  Very heavy rainfall and strong to potentially very strong winds will impact the lower elevations beginning late Sunday and continuing through at least the following Sunday.  This will be the case for the entire state, from (and south of) the Mexican border all the way up to Oregon.
Above 3000-4000 feet, precipitation will be all snow, and since temperatures will be unusually cold for a precipitation event of this magnitude, a truly prodigious amount of snowfall is likely to occur in the mountains, possibly measured in the tens of feet in the Sierra after it's all said and done.  But there's a big and rather threatening caveat to that (discussed below). Individual storm events are going to be hard to time for at least a few more days, since this jet is just about as powerful as they come (on this planet, anyway).
Between this Sunday and the following Sunday, I expect categorical statewide rainfall totals in excess of 3-4 inches.  That is likely to be a huge underestimate for most areas.  Much of NorCal is likely to see 5-10 inches in the lowlands, with 10-20 inches in orographically-favored areas. Most of SoCal will see 3-6 inches at lower elevations, with perhaps triple that amount in favored areas.

This is where things get even more interesting, though. The models are virtually unanimous in "reloading" the powerful jet stream and forming an additional persistent kink 2000-3000 miles to our southwest after next Sunday. This is a truly ominous pattern, because it implies the potential for a strong Pineapple-type connection to develop. Indeed, the 12z GFS now shows copious warm rains falling between days 12 and 16 across the entire state. Normally, such as scenario out beyond day seven would be dubious at best.

Since the models are in such truly remarkable agreement, however, and because of the extremely high potential impact of such an event, it's worth mentioning now. Since there will be a massive volume of freshly-fallen snow (even at relatively low elevations between 3000-5000 feet), even a moderately warm storm event would cause very serious flooding. This situation will have to monitored closely. Even if the tropical connection does not develop, expected rains in the coming 7-10 days will likely be sufficient to cause flooding in and of themselves (even in spite of dry antecedent conditions).

In addition to very heavy precipitation, powerful winds may result from very steep pressure gradients associated with the large and deep low pressure centers expect ed to begin approaching the coast by early next week. Though it's not clear at the moment just how powerful these winds may be, there is certainly the potential for a widespread damaging wind event at some point, and the high Sierra peaks are likely to see gusts in the 100-200 mph range (since the 200kt jet at 200-300 mb will essentially run directly into the mountains at some point). The details of this will have to be hashed out as the event(s) draw closer.

In short, the next 2-3 weeks (at least) are likely to be more active across California than any other 2-3 week period in recent memory. The potential exists for a dangerous flood scenario to arise at some point during this interval, especially with the possibility of a heavy rain-on-snow event during late week 2. In some parts of Southern California, a whole season's worth of rain could fall over the course of 5-10 days. This is likely to be a rather memorable event. Stay tuned...

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Paper or Plastic?

It looks like too many chose plastic. Hungry Beast reports on the Pacific Ocean garbage dump - with help of photographer Chris Jordon. Northeast of Hawaii human debris from around the Pacific gathers in the ocean and on the shores of midway atoll. The affects of this pollution is devastating to the bird and marine population. Is anybody in charge?

Sunday, January 10, 2010

What Is the Real and Noble Purpose of Business?

From the blog of a friend...

There are two types of business models...

#1) Those who want to profit off of you by offering you a product that is worth less than the dollars you parted with in order to purchase it and

#2) Those who want YOU to profit off of them by offering you a product that YOU believe is worth the dollars you parted with in order to purchase it. In so doing, they profit.

Google is the world master at the latter -- search, mail, YouTube, analytics, all free (well, it could be argued that the "price" is the data you give them, but that's a price I don't mind). They earn their income through unobtrusive, relevant ads. And yet, there are people, gurus even, who say "Google is just a business so beware".

This worries me, but only for that person. It reflects a subconscious rejection of the second business model, an "us vs. them" mentality that replaces the second model with a hazy, vague anti-business mentality that somehow suspects all business and objects to a company making a profit, no matter how great its product is.

Let's continue to examine #2...

CLICK HERE

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All Rights Reserved

Revolutionary New 197 MPH Motorcycle Invented

We have come a long way since the days of Captain America and Billy. Check out the new EcoMobile!

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Healthcare Reform: Change we Didn't Count On

As an ardent supporter of President Obama, I voted for him with the expectation that real change would be seen in healthcare in this country. A Single payer plan was the most practical and easiest way to bring healthcare coverage to all Americans and its cost was about $800 million LESS than the proposed farce. Further, I had heard Mr. Obama express his support for such a system on the campaign trail. How naive!

Did you think it was strange that we started out with "healthcare reform" and we ended up with MANDATORY private health insurance? I did and then I remembered research done by this man, Walter Burien.

He uncovered a simple, but vast and well hidden system whereby city, state, county governments and agencies have collectively syphoned many TRILLIONS of tax dollars for off-the-books investment accounts.

One of their favorite investments? Insurance companies.

Do you think that might be why the weasels in Washington magically pulled MANDATORY private health insurance out of their hats as a way of addressing the country's very real health crisis?

The mind boggles.

US citizens will be subject to massive fines and long jail terms if they do not buy health insurance from private companies.

That's what passes for health care reform in the good old USA circa 2010.

The news media is TOTALLY silent and politicians see nothing wrong with it. If you think I'm kidding, watch this.

A politician is a politician is a politician and it sucks.

Copyright @ 1998-2010
All Rights Reserved

Friday, January 8, 2010

Simple Home Remedies that Really Work

After the subject of the previous post, I felt we needed to lighten the air. So, here are some home remedies:

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES (That Really Work!)

1. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU SLICE.

2. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT BY USING THE SINK.

3. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

4. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

5. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

6. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE ~ WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

7. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

DAILY THOUGHT:

SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Wingnuts Crawling Out of the Woodwork

Time to "Bare Arms"

Not to be outdone by the threats to the life of the President by Larry Sinclair, Birther Wingnut "attorney", Orly Taitz, has issued her own call to arms. This, from her website:

What is the real intention of this Kenyan, Indonesian communist usurper? Is it to provide security for us or to destroy our security? Judge for yourself.Seeing targeted destruction of our economy, our security, dissipation of American jobs, massive corruption in the Government, Congress Department of Justice and Judiciary, it might be time to start rallies and protests using our second amendment right to bare arms and organise in militias.

Assuming her threat does not mean that she is asking people to take off their shirts or roll up their sleeves, by openly advocating armed revolt, accusing virtually the entire federal government of treason, and using this toxic language against President Obama, she is making it significantly more likely that someone actually will attempt to assassinate him, which is her obvious intention.

I recognize that many of her actions are probably protected by the First Amendment, however, in her capacity as a California attorney, she has violated numerous Rules of Professional Conduct and should, at the very least, be disbarred.

I am hoping that Ms. Taitz and Mr. Sinclair may soon have common visitors -- the FBI.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

The Mortgage Mess is Just Beginning

ARM Option Loans and All-Pay Loans are coming home to roost. Here we go again...

Now the real "fun" begins. In a boxing match, a good referee will take a boxer out who's been hit so hard, he's staggering and obviously in danger if he continues.

Why? The potential damage from follow up blows to someone already in a weakened state is exponentially higher than from the first one.

Unfortunately for the credit market, there's no referee to call a time out.

A second blow in the form of a second major wave of real estate loan defaults is on its way - and nothing can stop it. My guess is that the credit market is being propped up now during the lull so that the banks can sell off their holding to suckers (us) before the real carnage begins.

Imagine two trainers propping up a nearly unconscious fighter as his opponent warms up for one final blow and you've got a good idea of the situation we're in. Here's how it looks from the trading floor - from the mouths of people who know what's going on and aren't afraid to say so.

PROPPING UP THE CREDIT MARKET

Key Points:

"This market continues to be propped up by government intervention and manipulation."
"They're trying to prop this market up on a daily basis and they're doing a good job."
"Every single day we have some kind of backstop from the government."
"These markets are not free markets any more."
"We're at a point where no capital transactions are getting done without some intervention from Washington and I wonder how we ever get off these vitamin pills."
"It's not really healing if you're just passing liabilities from private debt to the public debt - from one balance sheet to the other."

How to get ready. People often ask me where the economy is headed. Isn't it obvious?

Here's the scoop:

1. The world runs on credit - and not just credit cards and mortgage loans. Shippers, manufacturers, miners, retailers, farmers...they're all dependent on credit.
2. The credit markets are still in disarray and the structural problems are on an epic scale
3. The only reason the credit markets are functioning is because they're being propped up by non-stop government intervention.

So you tell me... If you pay a visit on a friend and he has eighteen tubes in him and is on a ventilator, how healthy do you think he is? What do you think his prospects are?

My recommendations are simple:

1. Stop spending money on non-essentials.
2. Don't make any purchases (real estate especially) that requires credit and don't take on new debt.
4. Save every nickel you make.
5. Make sure whatever cash assets you have are distributed among several financial institutions that have the highest possible rating.
6. Learn to cook healthy food - grains and greens - and get acquainted with where your food comes from and other practicalities of survival.
7. Remember that there's life beyond the consumerist frenzy that has characterized the last 30 years.

If you think this is "alarmist" and "negative" do your own homework. The numbers don't lie.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Sinclair Issues Death Threat to Obama

Famed felon, fraud, and fellatio expert Larry Sinclair, who has spent the last two years trying as hard as he can to force Barack Obama from the Presidency with his wild claims of sex and drugs stemming from a so-called meeting in the back of a limousine in 1999, has posted the following on his website:

Barack Obama to suffer same fate as former lover Donald Young in 2010.

"2010 has arrived, and with it comes the acknowledgement that Barack Obama will suffer the same fate as his murdered lover, Chicago Teacher & Church Choir Director Donald Young. The only question is, will it be by the same gun that killed Donald Young? I personally believe it will.

Sadly when this happens the media will portray Obama as a JFK rather than expose him as the fraud that he and his image truly are/were. But the media will only have itself to blame, for it is the media that has failed to report the truth about Barack Obama and his relationship with Donald Young; his use/sale of cocaine in 1999; and the abuse of power/official offices to protect the "Fairy Tale" that is known as Barack & Michelle Obama. Likewise it will be the same media that will refuse to report the gun used to kill Donald Young is the same one that brings the same fate to Barack Obama in 2010."

Sinclair's claims were debunked by famed polygraph expert and President of the American Polygraph Association for many years, Ed Gelb, who was featured on F. Lee Bailey's hit television show a couple of decades ago. Gelb's findings indicated "extreme deception" as to sex and drugs.

Sinclair, who seems determined to continue to make an ass of himself publicly, may well have crossed the line with his outlandish behavior and claims this time. A former felon who spent 16 years of his life behind bars for a variety of crimes, the delusional Sinclair's post on his blog may result in his becoming very familiar with the FBI and Secret Service as this blatant threat will not be taken lightly by the authorities. According to Colorado records, he has 13 aliases including "LA Rye Vizcarra Avila" and "Mohammed Gahanan." Sinclair has been convicted of larceny, theft, check forging and credit card fraud and has served over 16 years in prison in Florida and Colorado where he was disciplined 97 times for infractions including assault, threats, drug possession, intimidation, and verbal abuse.

Let's hope Sinclair finds a new home back behind bars where he belongs.

A Felon with a Gun

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