Monday, January 21, 2013

Today's True Quote

"Gaze fondly upon today for tomorrow is bound to suck worse"

Grandfather Scarpacci (related by Antonio), Wings: Season 7 Episode: Grouses, Houses and Bickering Spouses

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Recently, "news" has leaked where Mitt Romney claims he lost because the evil Obama guy won the elections with gifts to certain demographics.

Much like Mitt Romney's 47% comment, he is absolutely correct on this claim.

RIP United States of America

Another election has come and gone. Was this really "the most important election" in a while. Initially, i brushed this off. However, now i get the feeling that it might have been (At least the incredibly stupid political ads are over).

Maybe i shouldn't touch on the irony of candidates saying that they supported fiscal responsibility (like liberals ever have/will) yet spending in the neighborhood of $3 billion dollars campaigning.

Obama and Shared Sacrifice

Ok, so why am i thinking about Obama and rolling my eyes in disdain this time?

Obama has long brought up the concept of "shared sacrifice" to justify tax increases to the other 53% or so of the population. What he really is saying has nothing to do with "shared sacrifice" - it is a completely targeted forced "sacrifice" based on jealousy. If you want "shared sacrifice" (otherwise known as "give me your money or else") everyone has to feel the pain. Nobody should be excluded for any reason. This should only deal with income like wages (not illusionary "capital gains" or interest income).

Threats Facing the Middle Class

In some ways the middle class is very real, in other ways the middle class is just a theoretical construct (with moving goalposts). So, what are some of the challenges i see facing the middle and working class?

The Myth of the Middle Class

Political season is underway in the US (hold you booing and hissing until the end of the post). This brings out all of the staples of politics: class warfare, immigration, taxes, etc. One of the things you always seem to see is talk of how Policy X will impact the middle class. Most people think they are in the middle class, but are they really?

The Politics of Jealousy

In this post i may subtly (or not so subtly) mention some of the things i currently dislike.

i was thinking recently about the Obama campaign and how the Democrats are trying to handle the election. Yes, Obama seems more negative than i have seen in a while. i guess this has to do with a flailing economy and high jobless numbers. i guess it also helps that Obama's lauded "economic stimulus "didn't work - which was actually to be expected (Keynesian economics are short sighted and of diminishing effectiveness - assuming they ever had any in the first place).

Tax Increase Hypocrisy (The Taxpayer)

This observation has been kicking around in my head for a little while. What is my (off the cuff) thesis here? Taxpayers are more than a little hypocritical.

US Debt Limit: My Convoluted Partial Solution

The US government faces a small test on August 2nd (or around that time) on what to do with the debt ceiling. It seems that the schism between the smaller government forces and those who would rather raise taxes than cut any spending are coming to a head. This could be important as the US could be in default. Basically, the problem is that congress keeps rubber stamping debt increases without any real intention to do anything about the real underlying problems that got the US into this precarious (and diminishing) position in the first place. Inevitably, one of the sides will cave (and people will not be happy).

South Park Politics: Douche vs Turd and Other Stuff

The TV show South Park (Comedy Central) frequently broaches political issues all across the board. i thought that since i have to make posts, occasionally, that i might tackle a few issues and annoyances in that way.

Reproductive Rights

Ok, so i may touch on subjects i previously covered (even i don't remember all i write)... Now, i'll go into somewhat conservative mode (actually a little harder line than most conservatives). i was watching a thoroughly mediocre move, Switch, recently which got me thinking about some of these issues again.

Apathy

So, i noticed i haven't posted here for a while. i may not post much for a while.

The US is still acting like a country that is playing Russian Roulette with 5 bullets (and the people in charge seem to want to lose). The problems is not so much that i have nothing to say. The problem is that at the moment, i don't really care. i'm feeling somewhat isolated from the "real world" lately. i haven't been watching news or any of that kind of thing for a while. Maybe something will spark a posting frenzy in the future.

Osama Bin Laden - Why Should i Care?

So, apparently the US is beating its chest over the death of Osama Bin Laden.

This leads me to ask the question - why? At first, i thought the guy was 70+ (he looked it) - but it turns out that he was 54. In killing him, the US only succeeded in turning him into a martyr. Capturing him alive would have been far more symbolically successful. Couldn't they have just pulled a Manuel Noreiga and blast truly horrible music live - like Ke$ha or Lady Gaga until they surrendered or met the afterlife on their own. If you lose either of those two, no big deal. So this is what America has become....

Fiscal Responsibility: Is Obama a Moron (or does he just think you are)

So, apparently Barack Obama (dumbo, as i call him) is sort of reacting to the impeding debt ceiling vote by talking about ways to decrease the budget deficit - here is a free tip, try spending less than you take in.

Profoundly Stupid Ideas: Government Debt to Itself

In my last post i mentioned a big problem i have with the "social security trust fund". In this post, i might give you some reasons. There is another point i want to make - social security is a tax and that is all (it is not some form of savings account).

Government has no real means of saving money (they just can't do it). It is not like they can take excess money and buy tons of gold (it is probably "too risky" - and if they did it would likely mess up commodity markets). They are somewhat risk averse (or are they?) into how they can "invest" excess money - they actually cannot.

US Debt Limit - How to Cut 2 - 5 Trillion Dollars

Ok, so i am a little US centric since i do not spend any time out of it (unless you consider Cascadia not a part of the US - i wish).

So, what is the easy way for the US to just erase 2 to 5 trillion dollars of debt? Basically it just has to admit that one thing in particular is a scam. This comes to mind because the next government showdown will be over raising the debt limit.

Feminism: Maybe You Can But Should You (5/2/09)

Springing out of the chaotic 60s and 70s (too bad we can’t erase that time period) and following on the heels of the civil rights movement (again, not a fan) came feminism. Feminism was about girl power (no, that was the Spice Girls). It was about woman power. Ostensibly, feminism was about equality and choice (they thought that they should be more equal to men). How could something that sells itself as equality turn so wrong (i hate the term “equality”, in Economics classes they said there were two goals – conflicting as they were – equality and efficiency. Guess what one i am a fan of?). The Roe vs Wade ruling from this era was complete garbage (Feminism taken to the extreme, giving people choice over a natural phenomenon – when the choice had already been made).

Previous Blog posts from my old Windows Live Space.

Rant: The Tax Code (4/10/2009)

The day that the the trough is filled for the insatiable, voracious spending machine known as the federal government to gorge itself on the livelihood of its citizens and then ask for seconds nears. If anyone asks if you believe in vampires, you can say that yes the IRS does exist (or would you rather call them blood sucking leaches). To be fair-ish, should you really blame Frankenstein (or more literally Frankenstein’s monster) for running amok? The IRS is America’s Frankenstein’s Monster (it definitely has run amok among the villagers, but seems to be less militant now than it was).

The Electoral College and You

This is another post i dusted off of my former Windows Live Space. i am not completely sure how i came up with the numbers i did. i had some rationale, i just don't remember it

Musing on Educational Productivity

The following post was originally posted April 8, 2009 on my now non-existent Windows Live Space

Educational Productivity (4/8/2009)
In WA, the governor is making waves with students by giving state colleges (and community/technical colleges) leeway to increase tuition. The students (and the ones lucky enough to have their parents pay for college) are not exactly thrilled. The governor is also recommending cuts in the number of acceptances to colleges. Ok, so here goes the obvious question... How do you define productivity in education?

The War on Teachers

i have been seeing numerous forum posts, stated opinions, etc. declaring that there is currently a war on teachers. Declaring that is an act of hyperbole. What is really rightfully under attack is the teacher unions (and associated benefits and tenure). There is a big difference between a revenue generating organization employing people and the government taking money from the taxpayers to pay workers. These unions are a big problem when you are talking about changing the system for the better.

The Big Problem with Schools

i was reading some thing online about the "war on teachers" that seems to be making the rounds these days. i probably will not totally get into that in this post. So, what is the biggest problem with the school system in the US?

Protesters: Agents for Change or Useful Idiots

So apparently, there has been unrest in the Middle-East (when isn't there). Governments are coming under pressure from revolutionary movements. There is no such thing as a peaceful revolution.

Personally, my vote would go to useful idiots

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 13: The Constitution

The Constitution
Here is where i get to post my views on the Constitution of the United States. Let's put it this way... the Constitution was a nice blueprint to run a nation - but it does have problems. The more amended it gets, the less it is like it is supposed to be.

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 12: Immigration and Population

Immigration and Population:

Here is where i ditch the slightly decent persona. Let's make a couple of things immediately clear:
1) i view population increase as a net negative that does more harm than good
2) i am ok with open borders for economic activity, but definitely not for immigration.

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 11: Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy:

Introduction:
So, what should the focus and purpose of US foreign policy be? That is today's question. Foreign policy is a tricky issue that involves both military and economic interests. There are numerous real world subtleties that i will mostly ignore here.

Policy Issue Guidelines for this Conservative

Problem

Goal

Methodology (How you are going to deal with something)

Specifics

Follow Up

Science, Medicine, the Arts and Government

What Should Science Do?

Firstly, I guess I should state the role that I see appropriate for the government and funding scientific research. That role is … nothing. Taxpayer dollars should not be spent on scientific pursuits (unless these pursuits can be shown to make money for the government). Humans have a natural curiosity about them about the universe and their place in it. Science can give some answers, but at great costs (especially financially). Things like the CDC are a bit more complicated.

Think of it more as an investment model – only pay for things that financially enrich the country. This would mean that a group like NASA shouldn’t send up space shuttles (at great expense) for missions that are just a cash drain. Missions with real money on the line (like deploying satellites) might make sense if the cost of the mission is covered by the mission itself. Planning a manned expedition to Mars would be a waste of resources that could better be used elsewhere.

The Economy

Free Trade

From the minimum basics to recessions, I now segue to free trade. So what is the big deal with free trade and why do people want it? I will borrow a little from Adam Smith (though he didn’t like corporations). This deals with division of resources (one of which is labor). I want to maximize the efficient usage of resources. To do this, you have to accept that different areas have different strengths and weaknesses. Countries like China and India have a huge amount of potential labor. There are so many people available that the wages will be very low (especially compared to a country like the US, maybe a bad example). Some countries have ample supplies of resources that other countries could use in manufacturing or other productive pursuits. Some countries have a more educated population who are better with technology. It is these strengths and weaknesses that necessitate free trade.

The Economy

Introduction

Without an economy you could not have economics. That would have made my Economics and Business Administration double major even more useless than it has proven to be. So what should I talk about here? Maybe it should be a surprise to even me. Bottom line, I like free market economics and free trade. Should I try to explain why? Ok, if you beg maybe I will. Anyone, anyone, anyone …. Bueller?

Social Issues

Introduction

This is the section where I talk about some domestic (government) type issues. Many of the social issues should be discussed at the state level, not the federal level. Social security, the current health care debate, abortion, gay marriage and maybe more will be touched on in some way. There may be a slight economics component to some of the sections. Some of this will include money, some of it will not

Taxation

Introduction

In this section, I will touch on some of the types of taxation and the issues involved.

Government

Representative Government – Not So Fast

Apparently, the US has a representative government. One of the problems, though, is that the representatives seemed to have forgotten who they are representing. Much is made about campaign finance. Politics is an expensive game/occupation. It takes an ever growing amount of money to stay competitive (or at least it seems that way, even grassroots movements seem to be well funded). Sometimes in order to secure funding a politician has to align themselves with a specific group (a group who probably wants a degree of input in the decision process). In order to keep the money flowing, they have to meet with groups during their time in office. Another trend is strict partisanship. It seems you are voting more for the party line more than the candidate (and as a consequence, the representatives don’t tend to deviate too far from the platform). So between the party and the backers, it is hard to tell who the candidate is really representing. It is one thing to have a brand identity (like Republican or Democrat), but the slavishness is a new twist.

Government

Introduction

This section probably has the topics for several books (if I could write, which I obviously can’t). Basically this will be: what I believe the role of government is and some of its failures. Some of my views may be shocking (or counter to what you believe). There are so many things about government to explain. I will most likely be talking about the congress (legislative level).

Education

Now is the part where I talk (meaning type, keyboard, or whatever you want to call it) about education, more specifically the educational system. Is the status quo in education effective? Are teachers actually overpaid? How should schools be funded (what is the most ethical way to fund them)? What roles should the schools actually have (hint it is not secondary parent)? In no particular order, I will get this section started

FAMILY

This is the part where I get to say what I believe the role of the family unit is. i will also touch on issues such as marriage (and its definition), divorce and whatever else i want to cover. The definitions of what a family are may have changed over time from the “golden age” nuclear family to the mixed family and single parent households of today. In the “golden age” or Leave It to Beaver form, there was a father, a stay at home mother, two kids and a dog living in the suburbs in a house with a white picket fence. That would probably be seen as quaint by today’s warped standards.

So what do I see the role of family? i am going to go primarily with the family angle. The goal is to create a loving environment where the parents can impart a moral and ethical code for children. The parents can have a good home even without marriage. There does not necessarily have to be a genetic connection to be a family. The parents should teach kids have to behave ethically in situation and try to promote the development of the child. Basically, teach the child what in life they view as important.

There is also the first exposure that the child will have to economics. How do they impart the knowledge that the toys the kid has flashed in front of their eyes are wants and not needs? I guess the concept of chores and allowances (hopefully tied to each other, to explain a monetary connection between effort/labor and reward/money) is an important step.

Family should aim to create a stable and safe environment for the kid to grow up (and live vicariously through them if you are so inclined). However, the family should recognize that as the child grows up there will be clashes with parents. The parents should not belittle the kid’s views if they disagree with them, but ask them to explain why (to improve critical thinking ability). So, a parent is a: teacher, and employer, a caretaker, a source of transportation, a religious leader, a role model (it is really important to remember that) and many other things to the child.

Marriage – Definitions and stuff

So what constitutes marriage and what legal role should it play and who should be allowed to marry? From the government standpoint, marriage deals mainly with reproduction (whether or not the definition should be more broad is open to debate). This should be decided at the state level by the people with no federal (or court) level intervention. Many of the social debates relating to marriage and its definitions are based off of marriage as a legal partnership (as opposed to the legislated reproductive angle).

Marriage as a partnership is strange concept. On one hand it makes sense, as the formation of the foundation of the family deals with the connection between two people (more if you want to define it that way) both personally and economically. Personally, I do not believe that the government should be dealing with what a marriage is, as it is largely a societal construct (steeped in religious traditionalism). I do not believe that a marriage is something that should be recognized officially as a legal construct. Marriage is definitely not a right. Different cultures have different views on what is appropriate in the marriage construct, with cultural and other valid reasons why a marriage should be defined as such in that context.

People: What is Their Deal

“People are people, so why should it be you and me get along so awfully.” This is a quote from a Depeche Mode song from the 80s. But basically there are many reasons people don’t get along. The reasons range from superficial (outward appearance), philosophy, xenophobic feelings (unknown), life experiences and many other things. Things like racism (a form of xenophobia) are actually natural reactions related to fear of an unknown entity. This is the section where I tackle people and some things that I believe are inherently wrong with them (and the assumptions I view them as operating under).

My Conservative Manifesto (MCM): Part 1: Intro

Part 1: Intro

Welcome to my conservative manifesto. i know there are a myriad of books, articles and maybe even radio talk shows that articulate conservative belief systems. So, why am I taking the time to write out semi-comprehensively why I consider myself a conservative and what I believe in as it relates to a broad range of topics? Conservatives, like liberals are not all the same there are different shades and beliefs that fall within the concept. I thought that I would articulate (maybe superficially where I stand on certain issues). This is mostly for my benefit, but maybe someone out there can actually get something from what i write.

This whole process of defining my beliefs started when I was lurking on a Conservative Thinking In America thread that was posted in the Politics section of the Amazon Gold Box forums. In this thread, conservatives were discussing issues (actually it started that way, then quickly degraded to an insult session by liberals and Marxists – one of my reasons I don’t exactly view liberals in high esteem. The shear amount of hypocrisy and insults in those i have dealt with). Anyway, one day I decided to post why I considered myself conservative and some of my basic policy views. Then I expanded into different concepts such as taxation and government services such as health care (don’t get me started on the vote in the House of Representatives). Then that turned into my first version (I usually don’t write multiple versions and kind of write in a stream of consciousness method – some of my best papers I wrote in school, I didn’t know what I wrote until I read it).

Political Rantlette

Political mid-term campaigns are (hopefully) winding down. So, in a few weeks i won't have to be bombarded by campaigns (especially) Democratic where the candidate is touting some counter-productive ideal that is disastrous in the real world (the rising tide of liberal fascism). Should a democrat add make the republican candidate look better?

And So It Begins... Some Light Background

i have noticed that online places like message boards are more dogmatic parroting sessions as opposed to actual discussions. It is obvious to me that some people really don't know why they, apparently, have the political views they do.

i took that information and decided to try and write down why i held the political views that i do. This led to me writing "My Conservative Manifesto". i think there is probably enough material for over 100 posts here based off me rewriting specific items (i wonder if multi-page posts work). This should give me a lot of posts at the start as i break it down into (hopefully) more managable chunks. i've been thinking about rewriting it for a while (maybe adding topics). Maybe these future posts (when i actually get around to doing them) will actuall be readable too.

i wouldn't say that i am necessarily a typical conservative (mostly fiscal conservative). So, do not take my personal views as representing conservatives in general. This is just a little insight into my twisted and warped mind. So here is the link to my manifesto (it is in the office format .XPS, which is like PDF). Try to read at your own risk, if you dare

http://cid-c67fdccca0fc034e.office.live.com/self.aspx/Public/My%20Conservative%20Manifesto.xps

Original Post Date: 11/18/10

Political Posts: Don't Call it a Comeback

Ok, so I currently have a "political" blog. When I thought about it, I thought I could have a semi-active posting session.

However I have been struck with a crippling case of apathy. Don't get me wrong, the world still sucks, daily life sucks and the people running things are idiots (or do they really think their programs do anything good - like vote buying schemes). It's just why should I care? There is a point when you realize that things have moved on and what is left isn't worth saving.

Several of these posts may be "repatriating" on this blog. I have 45 posts there, but I doubt all with make the arduous journey back (the political blog was a spin off from here). If you care about any of that, look for the tags "political" and MCM.

Edit: I deleted my former political blog 30sc.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Losery Post of Loserdom: Movies Watched in Q4

I guess I "watched" a couple of DVDs since my last post of loserdom. This post covers Q4 (October-December). i'm sure I will miss several DVDs between this post and the last one.

This time period contained Halloween, so I am sure there will be several horror movies listed. The highlights of this list for me include: The Bourne Legacy and American Reunion. The lowlights include: Brave, Dark Shadows, The Descent, Game of Thrones: Season 1 and Lair of the White Worm. Ok movies include: Arthur Christmas, Expendables 2 (better than the first), Dead Alive, A Nightmare on Elm Street,