Sallie, Fannie, and Freddie
Sallie Mae: Student Loan Debt is at $1,000,000,000,000 ($1 trillion)---exceeding credit card debt!
Like with the mortgage market, the gigantous influx of government money/guarantee into this market has caused a meteoric rise in prices: as schools see more money flooding in and available, tuition and costs skyrocket. Fannie and Freddie has similar effects in their respective markets, driving real property prices through the roof based on no real increase in market value.
Boy, the banks are making an awful lot of money off of us. Well, now, its the Dept of Education that is acting as the student loan bank and making the government a lot of money. Its making so much money, that the federal politicians are using it to pay down the federal debt. Imagine that, our big senators and representatives are transferring all this money to their pet projects, their favorite lobbyists and campaign supporters, and paying for their purchases off of our backs, whether its from our tax dollars or from our student loan payments. How ethical is that, to squeeze us through our need for an education. And, to protect their cash cow--us, they have successfully lobbied congress to remove every fundamental consumer protection for student loans: bankruptcy, statute of limitations,...
Relief in sight? Well, its not debt relief. And, why is it that there are all these articles about Obama's changes, accomplished via executive authority, don't include the name of this move or a link that provides the executive order in its entirety? Well maybe its because they don't really want us to know that we may be able to get our debt forgiven after 20 years.
Even if you go the the Dept of Education website, you still can't find the Obama 10/25/2011 changes-well, you can't find this change from 25 years to 20 years.
I did find this, however:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/discharges.jsp?tab=repaying
Note that it says that, on a rare occassion, you can get the debt cancelled via bankruptcy if undue hardship is found. I don't know what you need to prove to get Undue Hardship...if you have any case law, let me know in a comment.
United States Aid Fund vs. Espinosa
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/10/25/fact-sheet-help-americans-manage-student-loan-debt
Still no mention of the reduction to 20 years, though.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Obamacare...Abominable?
Let's not forget that the "health care reform" legislation successfully made into law by Obama is anything but. Its a health insurance business law.
This law is really only guaranteed to accomplish one thing: the fattening of insurance companies at the expense of the citizenry.
Insurers revenues will more than double by 2014--to a wopping $1,200,000,000,000. Yep, thats $1.2 trillion.
Pay attention to the details of the new laws: they have more to do with running of the insurance industry than with the delivery of quality health care to all americans.
This law is really only guaranteed to accomplish one thing: the fattening of insurance companies at the expense of the citizenry.
Insurers revenues will more than double by 2014--to a wopping $1,200,000,000,000. Yep, thats $1.2 trillion.
Pay attention to the details of the new laws: they have more to do with running of the insurance industry than with the delivery of quality health care to all americans.
Mavericks
World Changers: 25 Entrepeneurs Who Changed Business As We Knew It
John Byrne
3 Common Characteristics:
--sees opportunites (vs. problems)
--can live with risk and failure
--determination to run own life
John Byrne
3 Common Characteristics:
--sees opportunites (vs. problems)
--can live with risk and failure
--determination to run own life
The advantage of knowing local systems
All Business is Local:Why Place Matters More Than Ever in a Global Virtual World
John Quelch and Katherine Jocz
...place matters most...need lots of local knowledge to succeed--its about understanding the local systems, like the local distribution system.
For professional services providers at airports, this probably means visiting potential clients frequently and affectionately.
John Quelch and Katherine Jocz
...place matters most...need lots of local knowledge to succeed--its about understanding the local systems, like the local distribution system.
For professional services providers at airports, this probably means visiting potential clients frequently and affectionately.
Basketball
Recently, I had the "pleasure" of staying with some NBA allstars at Orlando's JWMarriot/Ritz-Carlton. No, I wasn't a part of any of their entourages, but I was living in such close quarters with the all-stars and their associates that my suspicions about the degradation of the sport were birthed.
Let's just sumamarize it this way: I stay at places like the Ritz to get away from the "uncivilized" experience of the "outside" world. If I wanted to spend four days around hookers, domestic fights, knife fights, and wildly increased police presence, I'd have camped out in my car in the seedier parts of town.
Is it any wonder that now, whenever I tune in to watch even the college games, all I see are "gang" leaders "in training"--NBA style.
So, for me now, watching basketball today is like watching cleaned-up gangs all dressed in the same clothes-the team uniform. I can't help but ask myself things like "How many is he gonna have in his entourage?, and "How many fights or other salacious or violent activities will he or his associates be involved in?"
These males are simply not so important that we, as a society, need to condone their bubbled-off world of illegal activity. Perhaps, salaries need to be dropped...a lot, the associates "registered" or made to get--and maintain, a business-license in any state in which they appear, or prosecutions and convictions made. Is the IRS making any of these guys pay gift tax or income tax on any of the benefits these associates are receiving? I hope so.
Let's just sumamarize it this way: I stay at places like the Ritz to get away from the "uncivilized" experience of the "outside" world. If I wanted to spend four days around hookers, domestic fights, knife fights, and wildly increased police presence, I'd have camped out in my car in the seedier parts of town.
Is it any wonder that now, whenever I tune in to watch even the college games, all I see are "gang" leaders "in training"--NBA style.
So, for me now, watching basketball today is like watching cleaned-up gangs all dressed in the same clothes-the team uniform. I can't help but ask myself things like "How many is he gonna have in his entourage?, and "How many fights or other salacious or violent activities will he or his associates be involved in?"
These males are simply not so important that we, as a society, need to condone their bubbled-off world of illegal activity. Perhaps, salaries need to be dropped...a lot, the associates "registered" or made to get--and maintain, a business-license in any state in which they appear, or prosecutions and convictions made. Is the IRS making any of these guys pay gift tax or income tax on any of the benefits these associates are receiving? I hope so.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Gardening
Stella Otto
The Backyard Berry Book
The Backyard Orchardist
Southern grape: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn. Univ. of Arkansas
Remove old wood in late winter.
Can pinch vine tips in season to keep in bounds.
Kiwi, and Hardy Kiwi
Hops
Akebias
Seeds
Abundant Life Seeds
Baker Creek (rareseeds.com)
BestCoolSeeds
Botanical Interests
Gourmet Seed
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Raintree Nursery
Seed Savers Exchange
Territorial Seed
Underwoodgardens.com
White Harvest Seed
Willhite Seed
One Green World
(From Hobby Farm Home, March/April 2012)
rareseeds.com
ComstockFerre.com
Seed Savers Exchange
National Heirloom Exposition
Renee's Garden Seeds
Select Seeds
The Backyard Berry Book
The Backyard Orchardist
Southern grape: Venus, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn. Univ. of Arkansas
Remove old wood in late winter.
Can pinch vine tips in season to keep in bounds.
Kiwi, and Hardy Kiwi
Hops
Akebias
Seeds
Abundant Life Seeds
Baker Creek (rareseeds.com)
BestCoolSeeds
Botanical Interests
Gourmet Seed
High Mowing Organic Seeds
Johnny's Selected Seeds
Raintree Nursery
Seed Savers Exchange
Territorial Seed
Underwoodgardens.com
White Harvest Seed
Willhite Seed
One Green World
(From Hobby Farm Home, March/April 2012)
rareseeds.com
ComstockFerre.com
Seed Savers Exchange
National Heirloom Exposition
Renee's Garden Seeds
Select Seeds
the Economist is twisted on religion
Here again, the Economist has run an irrelevant story. And, again, its about religion.
In its March 3, 2012 issue, it ran a story about churches using school facilities. Worse, to sensationalize even further, the author alleged that a church had no where else to congregate except at the school. I am not buying it. Meet at a house. Meet at another church. Meet at the Y. Rent a conference room. Meet at a bar, the park, Ikea.
Getting back to the issue, the Economist could at least have suggested that this story may have a relevance to its readership. It could have thrown out a few statistics revealing the staggering amount of money federal, state, and local public officials transfer to religious groups. But, no. nothing of the sort.
___________________________________________________
In its March 17, 2012, issue, the Economist printed an article on Southern Baptists' "repositioning" regarding its racism.
Why? There was nothing in the article that even remotely tied it to the Economist's subject matter--business, economics, money...
How offensive--and disturbing, for the Economist to think that its readers would find the actions of southern baptists interesting in and of themself, without even offering a suggestion as to how this group even effects the economy.
In its March 3, 2012 issue, it ran a story about churches using school facilities. Worse, to sensationalize even further, the author alleged that a church had no where else to congregate except at the school. I am not buying it. Meet at a house. Meet at another church. Meet at the Y. Rent a conference room. Meet at a bar, the park, Ikea.
Getting back to the issue, the Economist could at least have suggested that this story may have a relevance to its readership. It could have thrown out a few statistics revealing the staggering amount of money federal, state, and local public officials transfer to religious groups. But, no. nothing of the sort.
___________________________________________________
In its March 17, 2012, issue, the Economist printed an article on Southern Baptists' "repositioning" regarding its racism.
Why? There was nothing in the article that even remotely tied it to the Economist's subject matter--business, economics, money...
How offensive--and disturbing, for the Economist to think that its readers would find the actions of southern baptists interesting in and of themself, without even offering a suggestion as to how this group even effects the economy.
Money
US ended its import tariffs and tax credits on Brazilian ethanol. Tropical (sugar) ethanol vs. corn ethanol. America's senators protected subsidies, ethanol tax credits, and trade barriers for their over-represented states, but corn lobby may be losing ground. By 2023, 21 billion of 36 billion gallons of US ethanol must be non-corn.
So why have Florida's sugar farmers been selling entire farmsand why is the US is already buying ethanol, lots of it, from Petrobras? Brazil's government pressured Petrobras to keep ethanol prices lower that inflation would have pushed them.
Brazil and US don't really need to make ethanol a common cause. The US needs to get politics out of the fuel markets.
So why have Florida's sugar farmers been selling entire farmsand why is the US is already buying ethanol, lots of it, from Petrobras? Brazil's government pressured Petrobras to keep ethanol prices lower that inflation would have pushed them.
Brazil and US don't really need to make ethanol a common cause. The US needs to get politics out of the fuel markets.
Uniformed Criminals
Todays cops have more than just a Public Relations problem. Because there are simply too many of them that have bullied, lied to, or assaulted so many innocent citizens, they have a very tainted reputation on the whole. Which of us has not experienced the Disney-esque pretext that cops issue profusely from their pieholes today. It is common knowledge among adults that cops are allowed to lie to a person--that they are allowed to intentionally commit a criminal act for which you and I would be prosecuted and convicted.
So, is any consent "informed" today if it is obtained verbally by a cop? What part about his/her "informing" can be assumed to be truthful? Isn't there a very legitimate and grounded argument that, because cops are known for being able to lie to us, that we should not--or, can not, assume that anything that comes out of their piehole is NOT a lie. In other words, who are we to be able to tell whether what a cop is telling us, in order to obtain our consent for something that would otherwise need a warrant, is the truth or is telling a lie.
So, is any consent "informed" today if it is obtained verbally by a cop? What part about his/her "informing" can be assumed to be truthful? Isn't there a very legitimate and grounded argument that, because cops are known for being able to lie to us, that we should not--or, can not, assume that anything that comes out of their piehole is NOT a lie. In other words, who are we to be able to tell whether what a cop is telling us, in order to obtain our consent for something that would otherwise need a warrant, is the truth or is telling a lie.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Art
Michael Heizer
Earth Art
Levitated Mass, a 340-ton granite boulder.
His life long project, City, may be the largest piece of contemporary art.
Tate Women Artists
Alicia Foster
2004
Earth Art
Levitated Mass, a 340-ton granite boulder.
His life long project, City, may be the largest piece of contemporary art.
Tate Women Artists
Alicia Foster
2004
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Olympia Snowe
Dear Ms. Snowe,
Although I can't say that I have much respect for today's politics, and although I haven't set foot in Maine in decades, I admit that I am proud of your service as a public official and, whenever the opportunity arose, boasted of you being from the great state of Maine . I am deeply sorry to see one of the rare remaining sources of pride in our political system hang up her hat.
Thank you.
Anon Anon
Although I can't say that I have much respect for today's politics, and although I haven't set foot in Maine in decades, I admit that I am proud of your service as a public official and, whenever the opportunity arose, boasted of you being from the great state of Maine . I am deeply sorry to see one of the rare remaining sources of pride in our political system hang up her hat.
Thank you.
Anon Anon
Deviant Politicians
Well, Virginia's governor and his party pushed through a law that demonstrates that today's American politicians have exceeded their grant of authority under our governmental structure.
Let's do a quick refresher on our government's basis of existence and power in this country: To protect our health, safety, and welfare. It's not to impose their opinions, cultish beliefs, or religious morality on citizens.
So McDonnell and his party feel self-righteous enough to make it one of their governing aims to confront women with the reality of their fetus. Let's forget about the grammatical and realistic problems with their expressed aim. Rather, let's ask, why didn't McDonnell and the Republicans play non-discriminatorily and push legislation that aimed to confront both genders with the reality of their fetus? Its because public officials today have so over-reached, in so many ways, into our private lives (and wallets) and unto our backs, that it can only be seen now as deviance that plays on pathology.
Why, or how, is it that such a powerful group of people still don't understand the innuendo and ramifications of enacting laws that clearly demonstrate that they do NOT assign the same amount of human dignity and respect to women as they do to men and that clearly demonstrate that they have egregiously over-reached? What I have found to be true of human behavior is that the individuals who are the loudest and most political at rejecting others' humanity have dysfunctionally dismissed, cloaked, and internalized their own humanity to the point of pathology and deviancy.
Is this dysfunction a symptom of the moral confusion and selfishness of today's self-professed christian "fellowship" that the Republican party is so attached to and identified with? Or have persons with these dysfunctional tendencies found christianity and republican-ism to be shelters for their pathology?
Either way, today, we are not talking about conservative-ness of any party or public official. Rather, we are talking about deviant behavior that so crosses socially and ethically accepted thresholds as to result in unconstitutional government and pathology--social and individual.
Let's do a quick refresher on our government's basis of existence and power in this country: To protect our health, safety, and welfare. It's not to impose their opinions, cultish beliefs, or religious morality on citizens.
So McDonnell and his party feel self-righteous enough to make it one of their governing aims to confront women with the reality of their fetus. Let's forget about the grammatical and realistic problems with their expressed aim. Rather, let's ask, why didn't McDonnell and the Republicans play non-discriminatorily and push legislation that aimed to confront both genders with the reality of their fetus? Its because public officials today have so over-reached, in so many ways, into our private lives (and wallets) and unto our backs, that it can only be seen now as deviance that plays on pathology.
Why, or how, is it that such a powerful group of people still don't understand the innuendo and ramifications of enacting laws that clearly demonstrate that they do NOT assign the same amount of human dignity and respect to women as they do to men and that clearly demonstrate that they have egregiously over-reached? What I have found to be true of human behavior is that the individuals who are the loudest and most political at rejecting others' humanity have dysfunctionally dismissed, cloaked, and internalized their own humanity to the point of pathology and deviancy.
Is this dysfunction a symptom of the moral confusion and selfishness of today's self-professed christian "fellowship" that the Republican party is so attached to and identified with? Or have persons with these dysfunctional tendencies found christianity and republican-ism to be shelters for their pathology?
Either way, today, we are not talking about conservative-ness of any party or public official. Rather, we are talking about deviant behavior that so crosses socially and ethically accepted thresholds as to result in unconstitutional government and pathology--social and individual.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Exploring Tablets and phones
Tablet wholesalers discovered so far:
HP: TouchPad--webOS based software
Motorola: Xoom---- Android based software
RIM: PlayBook--AT$T and Verizon may not carry
Samsung: Galaxy----based on Google's Android software
stylus-using version allows notes on documents
Apple: iPad. Sorry, but Apple just feels too much like the Catholic Church to me.
Toshiba: ????---has usb port
PHONES
Motorola Droid 4, Verizon, tactile keyboard, 4inch display, lacks international roaming
Samsung Galaxy Note, AT &T (Verizon too), 5.3 inch screen, S Pen and single folder for easy sharing--may be able to use pen to write notes on files.
APPS
Adobe Touch--is this just for Photoshop?
HP: TouchPad--webOS based software
Motorola: Xoom---- Android based software
RIM: PlayBook--AT$T and Verizon may not carry
Samsung: Galaxy----based on Google's Android software
stylus-using version allows notes on documents
Apple: iPad. Sorry, but Apple just feels too much like the Catholic Church to me.
Toshiba: ????---has usb port
PHONES
Motorola Droid 4, Verizon, tactile keyboard, 4inch display, lacks international roaming
Samsung Galaxy Note, AT &T (Verizon too), 5.3 inch screen, S Pen and single folder for easy sharing--may be able to use pen to write notes on files.
APPS
Adobe Touch--is this just for Photoshop?
Ubiquitous Fakery
Given today's technology, any bloke can create a fake document with great ease and in very little time. And that document can be exceptionally important. "Any bloke" includes your insurance provider, your lawyer, your colleague, or your family.
Any paper document can be made into a digital file. Any digital file can be manipulated: text can be changed, signatures added or removed, images added or removed, watermarks added or removed, pages added, rearranged, removed...
Any bloke can use practically any ubiquitously available software (adobe, bluebeam, photoshop, word...) and technology (photocopier, scanner, all-in-one, laptop...) to modify any digital file (pdf, doc, jpeg...) and produce any paper document.
Have you been involved in a car accident only to have your insurance agent miraculously produce "coverage-limiting" documents with your signature on them that you have never, ever, seen before, much less signed?
Have you been involved in a divorce proceeding in which your soon-to-be ex miraculously produces documents that admit something detrimental to your case?
Or, have you been involved in a criminal proceeding where your pro bono defense attorney signed--unbeknownst to you at the time, your name to a waiver of a right?
Drop a comment if you have experienced this type of deception.
Any paper document can be made into a digital file. Any digital file can be manipulated: text can be changed, signatures added or removed, images added or removed, watermarks added or removed, pages added, rearranged, removed...
Any bloke can use practically any ubiquitously available software (adobe, bluebeam, photoshop, word...) and technology (photocopier, scanner, all-in-one, laptop...) to modify any digital file (pdf, doc, jpeg...) and produce any paper document.
Have you been involved in a car accident only to have your insurance agent miraculously produce "coverage-limiting" documents with your signature on them that you have never, ever, seen before, much less signed?
Have you been involved in a divorce proceeding in which your soon-to-be ex miraculously produces documents that admit something detrimental to your case?
Or, have you been involved in a criminal proceeding where your pro bono defense attorney signed--unbeknownst to you at the time, your name to a waiver of a right?
Drop a comment if you have experienced this type of deception.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Primaries Are Not
In the whole spectrum of the US population, the number of people casting votes in the republican primaries is phenomenally small--minute, which speaks volumes about how [ir]relevant the process is to each of us in this group known as U.S. citizens.
The group the process apparently is producing desired results for (i.e. is relevant to) is those funding the superpacs, who, in turn, are funding the tv commercials, the candidates' travels, the candidates' speeches, etc. So, we are a nation whose governing officials are chosen by the people who have enough spare cash laying around to send in to a superpac--the one percent, and not by the people--the 99 percent.
My question is why is the media spending so much time on a process that the people can't, and don't, participate in or effect?
The group the process apparently is producing desired results for (i.e. is relevant to) is those funding the superpacs, who, in turn, are funding the tv commercials, the candidates' travels, the candidates' speeches, etc. So, we are a nation whose governing officials are chosen by the people who have enough spare cash laying around to send in to a superpac--the one percent, and not by the people--the 99 percent.
My question is why is the media spending so much time on a process that the people can't, and don't, participate in or effect?
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Art
Albrecht Durer, Nuremberg, early 1500's. Made and sold copies of prints from woodcuts and engravings.
"Praying Hands"
He imposed himself into the essence of the work, inscribing his trademark, for example, on the nail heads depicted in a croosyfikshun.
Engravings included marble tablets with his explanation of his genius.
"Praying Hands"
He imposed himself into the essence of the work, inscribing his trademark, for example, on the nail heads depicted in a croosyfikshun.
Engravings included marble tablets with his explanation of his genius.
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