That's One Smart Lion

A lion was roaming an African jungle. He was terribly hungry. Soon, he came across two men sitting under a tree. One was pounding away on a typewriter. The other was reading a book. 

The lion devoured the man reading the book. 

He avoided the writer. 

Even lions know that readers digest and writer's cramp.

from Kim Komando 

I believe - 


That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

If love is blind and marriage is an institution, does that mean that marriage is an institution for the blind?

FairTax "Save the Nation" Rally 

These rallies have taken on the name Tea Parties. No, this isn't something where the Queen of England would pour, or perhaps in the case of HRH Queen Elizabeth, have poured for her. 

You might remember from history class that on December 13, 1773, Boston patriots exhibited their "displeasure" with the  English Parliment taxing their subjects in the Colonies, now known, of course as the United States of America. The Patriots felt that these taxes violated their constitutional rights to be taxed only by their own elected officials. It wasn't just tea that was being taxed, but tea was available in ships docked in Boston Harbor, and so it was boxes and crates of tea that ended up flavoring the waters that night. 

The main difference is that today, our own elected officials are the ones taxing us out the wazoo. Then taking our taxes and using it in whatever way they feel appropriate and not necessarily how the wage earners it was taken from would approve of using it. 

Today, tea parties are being hosted across the United States. Citizens feel that Washington is out of control and want to remind Congress and, yes, the White House, that we thing you're doing a crappy, to say the least job, and we want to take our country, and our tax dollars back. 

On April 11, a Tea Party will be held in Jacksonville Florida, at The Jacksonville Landing

Doors open at 12:30 with schedule starting at 1:30.

and on Wednesday, April 15, another rally in Columbia, SC, at The Township Auditorium, 1703 Taylor Street

Doors open at 4:30 pm with the schedule starting at 5:30 pm.

Several FairTax "all stars" will be at one or even both events, including:

Former Gov. and Presidential Candidate, Mike Huckabee 

Syndicated radio host and FairTax book author, Neal Boortz 

FairTax bill Lead-Sponsor, Rep. John Linder (GA-7)

FairTax bill co-sponsor, Rep. Steve King (IA-5) 

Business entrepreneur and radio host, Herman Cain 

Ga. Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, John Oxendine 

National Communications Director for AFFT, Ken Hoagland

It's free to attend, but but space is limited so RSVP Jacksonville and/or Columbia now! 

More information at FairTax.org

Conflicker: A Big Dustup about Nothing

Conflicker, the latest Internet bug-a-boo, turned out to be no more than a big yawn on April 1. 

That's not to mean we shouldn't take proper precautions against computer threats such as worms, viruses, and whatever else is out there. 

This from Kim Komando, who says it much better than I can:

HAVE YOU BEEN CONFICKERED?

Perhaps the most hyped date in computer security came and went last week. I'm talking about April 1, of course. That was the day the Conficker worm supposedly contacted the mothership.

Maybe you missed all the excitement. That's probably because there wasn't any. The date was more a media brouhaha. There were no mobs in the streets, milling about in panic. But Conficker probably did call home. And it probably got instructions to do things we won't like.

Conficker is believed to be a child of renegade, Eastern European programmers. Up to 12 million computers have been roped into its army. It could spread spam, steal identities or attack Web sites. It probably will do all three.

If your security software is up to date, you should be OK. If you cannot install or update security software, you have a problem. Conficker blocks security installations.

Kitten again: Kim offers free (yes, free!) programs to deworm your computer if, in fact, you have been infected by Conflicker. You can find them, and many more, here. 

I highly recommend checking out Kim's site. It's full of interesting information, free programs that Kim guarantee's to be free and to do what they claim to do, and fun stuff, too. These are programs that have been checked out by Kim and/or her staff. 

Some programs recommended by Kim aren't free. For example, I purchased a Carbonite subscription on Kim's recommendation and have been so glad that I did. My computer has crashed on several occasions and I haven't lost a single file yet. My files are all backed up and stored off my computer. So when I've had to wipe my computer back to factory settings, I go to Carbonite, start a restore, and get all my files back. I've not lost the first music file, photo, or document since subscribing to Carbonite.

I sound like I'm selling Carbonite. In a sense I am, because I'm so happy with it. And glad I took Kim's recommendation to look at Carbonite in the first place. 

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. 

After explaining the commandment to 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' she asked, 'Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?'

Without missing a beat, one little boy answered, 'Thou shall not kill.'

Should Obama Control the Internet?

By Steve Aquino | Thu April 2, 2009 12:33 PM PST

Should President Obama have the power to shut down domestic Internet traffic during a state of emergency?

Senators John Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) think so. On Wednesday they introduced a bill to establish the Office of the National Cybersecurity Advisor—an arm of the executive branch that would have vast power to monitor and control Internet traffic to protect against threats to critical cyber infrastructure. That broad power is rattling some civil libertarians.

The Cybersecurity Act of 2009 (PDF) gives the president the ability to "declare a cybersecurity emergency" and shut down or limit Internet traffic in any "critical" information network "in the interest of national security." The bill does not define a critical information network or a cybersecurity emergency. That definition would be left to the president.

The bill does not only add to the power of the president. It also grants the Secretary of Commerce "access to all relevant data concerning [critical] networks without regard to any provision of law, regulation, rule, or policy restricting such access." This means he or she can monitor or access any data on private or public networks without regard to privacy laws.

Rockefeller made cybersecurity one of his key issues as a member of the Senate intelligence committee, which he chaired until last year. He now heads the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, which will take up this bill.

"We must protect our critical infrastructure at all costs—from our water to our electricity, to banking, traffic lights and electronic health records—the list goes on," Rockefeller said in a statement. Snowe echoed her colleague, saying, "if we fail to take swift action, we, regrettably, risk a cyber-Katrina."

But the wide powers outlined in the Rockefeller-Snowe legislation has at least one Internet advocacy group worried. "The cybersecurity threat is real," says Leslie Harris, head of the Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), "but such a drastic federal intervention in private communications technology and networks could harm both security and privacy."

The bill could undermine the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), says CDT senior counsel Greg Nojeim. That law, enacted in the mid '80s, requires law enforcement seek a warrant before tapping in to data transmissions between computers.

"It's an incredibly broad authority," Nojeim says, pointing out that existing privacy laws "could fall to this authority."

Jennifer Granick, civil liberties director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, says that granting such power to the Commerce secretary could actually cause networks to be less safe. When one person can access all information on a network, "it makes it more vulnerable to intruders," Granick says. "You've basically established a path for the bad guys to skip down."

The bill's scope, she says, is "contrary to what the Constitution promises us." That's because of the impact it could have on Internet users' privacy rights: If the Commerce Department uncovers evidence of illegal activity when accessing "critical" networks, that information could be used against a potential defendant, even if the department never had the intent to find incriminating evidence. And this might violate the Constitutional protection against searches without cause.

"Once information is accessed, it can be used for whatever purpose, no matter the original reason for accessing something," Granick says. "Who's interested in this [bill]? Law enforcement and people in the security industry who want to ensure more government dollars go to them."

Nojeim, though, thinks it's possible the bill's powers could be trimmed as it moves through Congress. "We will be working with them to clarify just what is needed and how to accomplish that," he says. "We're hopeful that some of the very broad powers that the bill would confer won't be included."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Could the age of Big Brother finally be upon us?

In my humble opinion, this bill is entirely too broad and too vague. I can only hope that it's tweaked and definitions are added. Just what defines a cybersecurity emergency? What is a critical information network? If the President makes the call, why do we even need a National Cybersecurity Advisor? 

hmmm...on second thought, this might be the job of my dreams! Can't wait to see the job description on this one!

Senator Rockefeller? Senator Snowe? Maybe some more work before this bill is introduced?

Just saying.

Did you hear about the new line of Elvis Presley-themed steakhouses? They will be for people who love meat tender.

Readership

Wow...I just realized I've increased my readers by 200%. I thank each of you for even bothering to read my sometimes pathetic whinings, rantings, and ravings. I am humbled and vow to try to live up to your expectations.

John Rich Video

John Rich, of Big and Rich, debuted this on the Beck show. Brilliant!

A university student fell in love, and dropped out of school to marry her young love. She wrote  her parents to say that she had put the heart before the course.

A woman walks into a post office to mail a letter. She notices a man standing at the counter with a pile of pink envelopes. She watches as he places a Love stamp on each one and then sprays it with perfume. 

Her curiosity gets the better of her, so she approaches the man. "What are you doing?" she asks. 

"I'm mailing 1,000 Valentine's Day cards signed, "Guess who?"

"Why would you do that?" asks the woman. 

"I'm a divorce lawyer," was the man's reply.

Is Anyone Listening? Mr. Obama? Mr. Geithner?

12 American Solutions for Jobs and Prosperity

Washington solutions of more money for more government, more power for politicians, more debt, and more bureaucrats will not lead to real growth in jobs and prosperity.

We need a clear and decisive alternative that creates jobs and rewards work, saving, and investment.

1. Payroll Tax Stimulus. With a temporary new tax credit to offset 50% of the payroll tax, every small business would have more money, and all Americans would take home more of what they earn.

How about eliminating payroll taxes? There has been a call to place a temporary moratorium on payroll taxes for a period of three to six months. 

2. Real Middle-Income Tax Relief. Reduce the marginal tax rate of 25% down to 15%, in effect establishing a flat-rate tax of 15% for close to 9 out of 10 American workers.

See my comment above, except eliminating payroll taxes permanently. Go here for more information. 

3. Reduce the Business Tax Rate. Match Ireland’s rate of 12.5% to keep more jobs in America.

See above comment. Go herefor more information. 

4. Homeowner’s Assistance. Provide tax credit incentives to responsible home buyers so they can keep their homes.

See above comment. Go here for more information. 

5. Control Spending So We Can Move to a Balanced Budget. This begins with eliminating Congressional earmarks and wasteful pork-barrel spending.

See above comment. Go here for more information. 

6. No State Aid Without Protection From Fraud. Require state governments to adopt anti-fraud and anti-theft policies before giving them more money. 

See above comment. Go here for more information. 

7. More American Energy Now. Explore for more American oil and gas and invest in affordable energy for the future, including clean coal, ethanol, nuclear power and renewable fuels.

See above comment. Go here for more information. 

8. Abolish Taxes on Capital Gains. Match China, Singapore and many other competitors. More investment in America means more jobs in America. 

See above comment. Go here for more information. 

9. Protect the Rights of American Workers. We must protect a worker’s right to decide by secret ballot whether to join a union, and the worker’s right to freely negotiate. Forced unionism will kill jobs in America at a time when we can’t afford to lose them.

See above comment. Go here for more information. 

10. Replace Sarbanes-Oxley. This failed law is crippling entrepreneurial startups. Replace it with affordable rules that help create jobs, not destroy them.

See above comment. Go here for more information. 

11. Abolish the Death Tax. Americans should work for their families, not for Washington.

See above comment. Go here for more information.  

12. Invest in Energy and Transportation Infrastructure. This includes a new, expanded electric power grid and a 21st century air traffic control system that will reduce delays in air travel and save passengers, employees and airlines billions of dollars per year.

See above comment. Go here for more information. 

(Ya think there might be something out there that covers all of this?)

I can't stress how important it is for each and every one of us to understand that the American economy is in trouble. I'm not really sure anyone knows how bad the situation really is. Some days I think it's not as bad as it's being made out to be, other days I wonder if we're being told all the Administration knows. On those days I also wonder if we really want to know how bad it is. Growing up, one of the things I learned was don't ask if you don't want to know the truth. Attorneys learn in law school, don't ask questions you don't already know the answers to. That's because they might get an answer they don't want the judge or jury to hear. 

I also think that the Government doesn't tell us all it knows for several reasons. One, that they feel it's too stressful for the public to know everything. Complete knowledge would lead to an economic meltdown that may be avoided. There is always that old bugaboo, that if the public knew what was really going on, there would be a massive recall movement against public officials. And honestly, I think some officials might be in fear of their very lives if the whole truth came out. There are people out there who are not necessarily holding onto sanity with both hands. Some news could cause some of the less tightly wrapped among us to decide it's the fault of this one or that one and "something must be done."

We've been finding out for over a year that there are serious problems our economy is facing.  Here are some possible solutions:

Ignoring it: That's what the Bush Administration basically did when the cracks started showing. Let Free Trade work and the economy will eventually heal itself. That was also what the Hoover Administration did in the late 20's. That lead to a depression. 

Throw money and resources at the problem: that's the solution the Obama Administration has chosen. It's too soon to say it's working or not. History shows that's not the best solution. Economists point to the Great Depression and say that the economy was beginning to pull up and that FDR's tactics only lengthened the Depression. It's generally agreed that WWII is what finally ended the Depression. People were needed to fill jobs that were created by war time needs - defense factories were started, factories already in existence got government contracts to provide military equipment, women replaced men in factories and jobs when the men were called to military service. 

I know I don't have the answers. I'm not an economist, just a citizen with a brain. I have to think about one definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting and different result. Why does the Administration think that throwing trillions of our tax dollars at the economy will work when it didn't stop the Great Depression of the 1930's?

Look at your own personal economy. If you are in economic crisis, your house is about to be foreclosed, your car about to be repossessed, credit card companies breathing down your neck, do you go out and spend more money? Can you buy your way out of debt? That's essentially the national economy. The government is borrowing money from China and printing money like crazy. 

Most of the programs the Obama Administration has proposed to help won't begin for more than a year. The economy and the taxpayer need help now. We have to do something that will have an immediate effect.

The Government gave the public money last year, but doesn't think it worked. They expected us to use that money to buy "stuff" - tv's, cars, clothes, and so on. Instead, many people used it to pay down debt or to save. The taxpayer realized that the economy was poor, so they banked the money in the event it would be needed later. Other people used it to pay for gasoline so they could go to work, or to buy groceries - remember last summer when gas prices hit record highs? 

The Government says that because we didn't buy "stuff", the money didn't go into the economy and the stimulus plan failed. I beg to differ. Any time money leaves my hands it goes into the economy. It's not sitting in the bank, with a sticky note on it with my name on it. It becomes a figure on a ledge sheet saying that the bank has this much more money available to me or to other customers. Sure, the amount I put in the bank is still available to me. But combined with the thousands of others who have made deposits to this bank, my deposit can do a lot - in the economy. It might be part of a loan to buy a house, or a car. It might become part of some one's paycheck or retirement pension. The only time money doesn't go into the economy is when it's not spent - when it's buried in a mason jar in the backyard or kept under the mattress. 

In any case, check out the American Solutions site and see what you think. 

As the Big 3 auto manufacturers face bankruptcy, we must go back to the old basics. We will need to again embrace the original Sport Utility Vehicle: