What do these people have in common?

I mean besides the fact that they all have bad taste in clothes?


Answer in comments.

¿Cómo está?

The other morning I walked into an office and a man leaning on the counter turned to me and said "¿Cómo estás?"
I stopped for a beat, thought and said, in English, "Not too bad."

After leaving, I though on my discomfort for a while. What should I have said?
I ran a few ideas around in my head. ¿Cómo estás? What does that mean? Idiomatically it means How are you? But literally? literally it means What is your state?

What is my state? Well, 'Georgia'. But more than that, the United States. Los Estados Unidos. Personally, I prefer not to learn Spanish. I am not Xenophobic. I had high school Latin. Three years of high school French and placed out of the language requirement in college (my only out-placement). I used to be able to speak and understand Vietnamese (hardest language I know of) after being in their country only a few months. I Speak some Japanese (better than most sushi-bar patrons. I actually took classes from the local Japanese association) I can say Thank You in seventeen languages, Merry Christmas in six.

But I reserve a special place of contempt for Spanish. You see I live in an area that has been a special target of the Mexican invasion. Some of my schools are 70% or better children of recent Mexican immigrants. Others have immigrants from as many as 100 countries. But there is only one group that will not learn English -- the Spanish.

So my answer to ¿Cómo estás? henceforth will be "États-Unis". Close enough for them to get the point.

Diogenes, Is He The One?

Roughing It

The hotel has no pool, there is no firewater served in the Navaho Nation, and it is a long miserable (although beautiful) drive to civilization (or actually anywhere else), but comfort is relative. The hotel, the only one in miles and miles, is so new that it doesn't even show on Google Maps. The restaurant serves Navaho specialties (bring Tums) that are delicious and attracts locals as well as international visitors. The view is spectacular ... and familiar.

When I think of all the films that were shot here I also think of a photo of a woody station wagon in front of El Capitan taken in 1941 of what is now US 191. This was when approaching this area required hours of non-air-conditioned driving on dirt roads across the desert. And I think of John Wayne and John Ford and all the entourage required in shooting a movie being brought out here for who knows how long to shoot against these beautiful and familiar backgrounds.

I am glad I did it ... Once.

A Living, Breathing Document (with Disclaimers)

New Record: Oldest Person Ever Fired For Cause!

Is it just me, or does she look like the personification of evil just on appearances?



Veteran nonagenarian Helen Thomas was asked to resign today as White House correspondent. Ms. Thomas was noted and widely loved for her free-wheeling attacks of Republican Presidents over the last 60 years; but she crossed the line and exposed her true feelings about her employer's (Hearst News), and one of William Randolph Hearst's, pet projects:

Hearst described Kristallnacht as “making the flag of National Socialism a symbol of national savagery” and advocated the creation of a "homeland for dispossessed or persecuted Jews.”* When news of the Holocaust began to seep out of occupied Europe, Hearst covered it as important news, in contrast to other newspapers which downplayed the mass murders.*

Wikipedia on William Randolph Hearst

I suspect Ms. Thomas, based on her observations of President Obama's speech and actions toward Isreal and the Jews, and Secretary of State Clinton's and the press's disapproval of recent Israeli defensive actions thought it was now sufficiently safe to be open with her antisemitism.

Somewhere in Highland Ranch, Colorado there is a man ... A man who, I hope remembers a conversation we had in the Summer of 2008. The man was an observant Jew and an Obama supporter. I warned him of antisemitism coming back into favor along with Candidate Obama and his support of the Muslim world. He told me it was the Christians and not the Socialists who were antisemitic. We will see who was right.



*Jerusalem Post, April 22, 2009, Rafael Medoff, Hearst and the Holocaust

Great Comments from Washington Times Online

f42b3b70037e2dca783d250c37a5f7 says:

Welcome comrades! Our most blessed leader knows what is best for us, oh unworthy sheeple. Soon, we will not be subjected to the incessant arguing that occurs on that hateful FOX News, but will hear only the quiet still words of our dear leader. All will be in harmony, as we rise to new levels of debt and to government spending yet unimaginable. We must throw off the yoke of these outdated 18th century concepts of freedom, constitution, and truth and be liberated to enjoy the unfolding of a glorious new world order. Dear leader knows what is best for us. Listen to his soothing words as he leads the way into the light . . .

Wait . . through the light. . what is this vision? Why do I see teeming masses of people with electronic counters on their heads? Ah, comrade, these are the damned, the taxpayers of the new world. They pay a tax for each breath, each thought, each word, each motion, for the good of dear leader so that he can spread his message of peace and bring harmony to our world.

Good bye America. R.I.P.

*****************************************************

and by Soxconn:

The only thing Obama could not control during the election was the internet. If you take into account the Fairness Doctrine, net neutrality and now this, it is three attempts to constrain the first amendment like no other president has. Number four is placing an 'I believe the first amendment should be constrained for socially redeeming purposes' judge on the Supreme Court. Only time will tell.

We're All In This Together, Really?

"It only stands to reason that where there's sacrifice,
there's someone collecting the sacrificial offerings.
Where there's service, there is someone being served.
The man who speaks to you of sacrifice is speaking of slaves and masters,
and intends to be the master."

Ayn Rand

Expensive Tomatoes

I was given a gift bought on an impulse purchase - the latest fad item for growing tomatoes. It cost about $10 at Fry's.
To round out the purchase I have bought:

A Tomato plant $4.00 (The set has to be sufficiently large to survive the transplant)
A Bag of peat moss to fill the bag $6.98.
Tomato fertilizer (OK I had that from last year)
And a stand to hold the bag high enough and out in the sun for 7 hours a day. $15.87

These tomatoes had better be good -- $35.85 will buy a lot of tomatoes!

Not all white elephants are white. Some are green.

We Have Met the Enemy, and He Is Us

Pogo was right. How many times this week have you heard that we need to get those bastards at BP and "make them pay"? I have even heard the death penalty called for. The more astute among us will note that we are responsible because we buy all that gas. But, even that is incomplete. Who are these bastards we want to get? Who owns BP? Are you certain that you don't? That's right, your very own retirement fund or mutual fund may be invested in BP. That's who owns most companies. So when you say punish them, you are really saying "Punish me". Remember this when retirement time comes.

Or when it never comes.

The Problem With Democracy ...

... is often described as two wolves and a lamb discussing what to have for dinner. But mathematics would more truly describe it:

.5X+1=X and .5X-1=0. ¹

Substituting the 300 million person population of the United States for X, that means that
150,000,001 equals ALL,
while
149,999,999 equals NOTHING.

So if you are one of the 149,999,999 who pays for the other 150,000,001, be aware the Government, your elected rulers, and you fellow citizens of the mooching class consider you to be nothing.

The United States of America is not now, and never has been a democracy. Remember, the founders were terrified of the tyranny of the majority. (For further information, read the Federalist Papers - while you are still allowed to.)

¹Note that these can be true only if X=2, so what you vote to do with your significant other is perfectly acceptable; but leave the rest of us out of it.

This Explains It All

From the Australian Broadcasting Company a look at Northern Hemisphere economics from a down-under perspective:

Broadcast: 20/05/2010

Reporter: John Clarke and Brian Dawe

John Clarke and Bryan Dawe calculate the cost of the European debt crisis.

Transcript

KERRY O'BRIEN, PRESENTER: Time for John Clarke and Bryan Dawe with a few reflections on Europe's financial woes.

BRYAN DAWE: Your name is Roger yes?

JOHN CLARKE: Roger.

BRYAN DAWE: Ah, that's your name?

JOHN CLARKE: Roger.

BRYAN DAWE: Good. And what do you do Roger?

JOHN CLARKE: I'm a financial consultant.

BRYAN DAWE: Ah, financial consultant, eh?

JOHN CLARKE: Roger, yes.

...

BRYAN DAWE: Fair enough. Okay, Roger your special subject tonight is the economies of the European community. Your time starts now. Best of luck.

JOHN CLARKE: Thank you.

BRYAN DAWE: How much does Greece owe, Roger?

JOHN CLARKE: $367 billion.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And who do they owe it to?

JOHN CLARKE: Mostly to the other European economies.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How much does Ireland owe?

JOHN CLARKE: $865 billion.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Who do they owe it to?

JOHN CLARKE: Other European economies mostly.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How much does Spain and Italy owe?

JOHN CLARKE: $1 trillion each.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Who to?

JOHN CLARKE: Mainly France, Britain and Germany.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And how are Germany, France, Britain going Roger?

JOHN CLARKE: Well they're struggling a bit, aren't they?

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why?

JOHN CLARKE: Well ‘cause they've lent all the vast amounts of money to other European economies that can't possibly pay them back.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct so what are they going to have to do?

JOHN CLARKE: They're going to have to bail them out.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Where are they getting the money to do that Roger?

JOHN CLARKE: That is a good question. I don't know the answer to that one. (laughs)

BRYAN DAWE: How much does Portugal owe?

JOHN CLARKE: Hang on a minute, what was the answer to that earlier question?

BRYAN DAWE: Just keep answering the questions Roger.

Where is Portugal going to get the money it owes to Germany if Germany can't get back the money that it lent to Italy?

JOHN CLARKE: Just a minute. What was the answer to the previous que-

The question was: How can broke economies lend money to other broke economies who haven't got any money because they can't pay back the money the broke economy lent to the other broke economy and shouldn't have lent it to them in the first place because the broke economy can't pay back?

BRYAN DAWE: You are wasting valuable time Roger. How much money does Spain owe to Italy?

JOHN CLARKE: $41 billion. But where are they going to get it?

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. What does Italy owe to Spain?

JOHN CLARKE: $27 billion but they haven't got it - they're broke.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. How can they pay each other if neither of them has any money?

JOHN CLARKE: They're going to get a bailout, aren't they?

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. And where is the money coming from for the bailout?

JOHN CLARKE: That is what I'm asking you!

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why are people selling the European currency and buying the US dollar?

JOHN CLARKE: Because the US economy is so much stronger than the European economy.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct. Why is that Roger?

JOHN CLARKE: Because it's owned by China.

BRYAN DAWE: Correct and very well done! And after that round you've lost $1 million.

JOHN CLARKE: I've lost $1 million? I thought you said well done!

BRYAN DAWE: Yes well done - you've only lost $1 million. That's an extraordinary performance Roger.

JOHN CLARKE: I've only lost $1 million.

BRYAN DAWE: Very well done.

JOHN CLARKE: That's quite good is it?

BRYAN DAWE: Oh it's excellent.

JOHN CLARKE: Sell everything immediately. Quickly!

KERRY O'BRIEN: I think it's called laughing as you sink.

Good Bye, Senator Spector

The pundits on TV are trying to figure out why the voters rejected you. Could it be your vote for TARP? Could it be your change from Republican (OK, RINO) to Democrat? (Does no one remember that you were a Democrat before you switched to Republican?) Is it a rejection of President Obama? Or is it because President Obama abandoned you? Or is it because Philadelphia voters won't vote in the rain? (Will they melt?) Was Governor Ed Rendell's machine not as powerful as they thought it was?

Or could it be your blatant arrogance? You even acknowledged that you were changing parties so you could get re-elected. Who were you representing there in Washington? That is, other than Arlen Specter?

Or just maybe, you are the only honest man in Washington.

Is California Really Not buying Anything From Arizona? Oh, Really?

For decades, California has been famous for an attitude of NIMBY, not in my back yard, when it comes to building power plants. They have even had "rolling blackouts" doing without electricity for periods of time. But where does that electricity come from? Some of it comes from Nevada and Oregon, but most of it comes from generating plants in ... Arizona. So California, go ahead, boycott Arizona. But start with the item that constitutes your biggest import - Electricity.

Additionally, you will not hear this on the news, but the population of Arizona is primarily legal people of Hispanic descent. Calling Arizona law enforcement racist is disingenuous at best.

Pork Barrel Spending

Pork Barrel Spending is buying votes back home by getting the Imperial Federal Government to pay for services of a local nature. Simple ... and dishonest. It is a game played by incumbent politicians to buy reelection by fooling the sheeple back home into thinking they are getting something for nothing.

There is no surprise that most people are to ignorant and shortsighted to recognize the simplicity of this fact - they have been educated in schools that teach according to standards set by the same government and politicians that benefit by their ignorance.

Again, there are only three possibilities: A state or even local community can get back more, less or the same amount its citizens pay in taxes. There are no other options. Period. You are either stealing from someone else, being stolen from, or for no reason giving power to someone far away and removed from knowledge of your local community the power to decide to give your wealth back to your community back to you.

For some reason the people think that there is magic in Washington, DC; when there are only people serving their self-interests while pretending to serve yours. Now, this is not lost on the local politicians who can improve their power and status by not having to come to you to fund the things about which you rightly should have a choice. It builds their arrogance too. They don't have to come to you to completely fund that minor league baseball stadium that should be funded by the people that will profit from its existence (like Gwinnett County, GA). You only have to fund part of it. The part that is not coming from you already. Think old fashioned shell game.

The truth is that the farther away from you that decisions are made, the less input, control, and influence you have over the things that affect you life! Do everything you can to keep governance at the lowest level possible.

Pork barrel spending is in all cases an obfuscation of the real trail of money.

Mencken Nails It Again

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.
~ H. L. Mencken

Apparently this is the Golden Standard for Politicians. How else could we have elected officials who when the National Budget is drowning in red ink and creditors increasingly balking against extending us long term credit, decide to double ... no quadruple ... down on the debt.

All those news pundits who (rightfully) criticized George Bush on his deficit spending are strangely quiet when this year's deficit month over month is four times as much. I guess they have selective outrage based on whose team is playing.

I personally believe that the acts of government do not subscribe to different logical and moral rules than the acts of individual men. If Thou shalt not steal be the law, it is no different if you have the Government do it for you. It is just as wrong, no matter what the intention behind it. Good intentions do not purify bad acts. And this is giving politicians credit for good intentions they may not even really have. After 80 years of public dole ruining the lives of the poor, I believe that Progressive politicians actually do recognize the damage they have done. It is incidental to their goals and so be it. And if the taxational theft, inflation, and Government dept also ruin the lives of the working and retired classes, that is just a little more incidental damage; so what, there are reelections (and power) at stake.

The presumption our elected officials make is that this can sustain forever. I happen to agree with Karl Denninger that keeping this Ponzi scheme going is iffy at very best and we need to be prepared for all eventualities. (excellent articles. If you don't read Denninger's Market Ticker, you should. )

I take only one partial exception with this caveat - partial. He says avoid metals. He means the gold hucksters on TV primarily, although he may include big bullion investment in silver too. I believe that some tradable silver coin may be of some advantage to you when no one wants to accept little green rectangles of printed paper. As I always say when some one asks me about gold:

"How many thousand dollar transactions do you make? And how many twenty dollar ones?"