Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Happy Tax Holidays...



Do you know what a "payroll tax" is? 

This is a way the government (i.e. the 'system', 'big brother', 'the man') unintentionally intentionally labels things to hide the true nature of what it is they are labeling.  Ask friends, co-workers and people you think are smart - what is the "payroll tax?"  See if they know.  Answer: Social Security.  Why is it not referred to as Social Security Tax?  Well, it is, by some.  But why say "payroll tax", why say "withholding tax," which is income tax? 

(Then what is FICA?  After they created Social Security, they gave the IRS the duty of collecting it - that law is FICA)

[for self-employed people - I'm sorry, I know that you know. But hopefully you know that I know that you know...]

The Social Security Tax crept up to 6.2% for employee, and 6.2% for employer.  So, for an employee earning $50,000 a year, the government was collecting $6,400 a year for Social Security (and $2,900 for medicare).


All of this brings me to my point - last year congress reduced the Social Security tax on individuals to 4.2%.  But...not permanently, its only a 'tax holiday'.  Now the Democrats are pushing to extend the lower tax...and the Republicans oppose it.  At least, that's what you will hear.  The Democrats want to add a permanent tax increase for the top earners - to pay for the tax holiday, which will someday go away.

Is they serious?  That is how they treat everybody.  They play a shell game, only they move slow, and the shells are transparent.  They bank on Republicans not articulating the argument well, and they throw in "tax break" and "millionaires" and they think we will all be confused.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving!

They don't make'em like this anymore...

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Truth, Justice, and the American way...

.
That's what this blog is all about...and now we bring you, the American way part:


I was searching for some "survival gear"...and I found this:




Really?  Is this where we are as a country?  But wait, don't order yet, for those that pick up after their dog, and carry it around with them for the rest of the walk, and don't want to be a hypoocrite, it comes with options:




.
I'm sorry folks, I wasn't raised that way...I was raised this way:





Not really.  We did live in the lap of luxury...we had a two-seater (true story):





Now that I'm older, and wiser, I have taught my boys everything I know....about marketing:


For sale now (limited time only) $69.99 $9.99 Lavoratory On the Go, "Go green...well, you know what we mean.":











While conducting research for this post, I found this gem :


Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Man, The Myth...

The Legend..


And what of that legend.  Of course I didn't know Mr. Hoover (I'm quite young you know).  But I grew up in an era where the FBI was renowned for its ability to fight crime.  Mr. Hoover was responsible for that.  He not only developed the FBI, but extended great effort to portray the FBI and its Special Agents as the epitome of professionalism.  The effects of his efforts in that area felt today, not always in ways you might appreciate . . . but the bad guys do.






(The shooting between the legs technique can come in quite handy...)


Though Mr. Hoover tried to portray himself, and the Bureau, as perfect, he wasn't. History has shown us.  However, to take Mr. Hoover out of the time frame he lived, and give him characteristics of today's society, is an injustice in itself. 

Mr. Hoover collected information on individuals, in a way, and using techniques, that was not against the law at the time.  He gathered physical evidence of the philandering of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., of President John F. Kennedy, and others.  We know today that MLKs family was subjected to the evidence, for probably less-than-righteous reasons.  But has the public been subjected?  What is MLK's reputation today?  What about JFK?

And for that, what of Mr. Hoover's legacy.  Enter "J Edgar Hoover" into Google, Bing, or Yahoo, and look at option #3, #2, and #9 respectively. 

I would hope that this lie about Mr. Hoover (a result of his percievd blackmail efforts of others), would die off over time, as the truths of the covert, and private, activities of MLK and JFK would die off too.  But Hollywood has seen to it, that that not be the case...

Like I said, Mr. Hoover was not perfect, but I do appreciate what he created, and the ideals he stood for.



Retired FBI Employee Who Helped Crew in “J. Edgar” Reflects on Movie and Power of Hollywood

(READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE)

Rex Tomb served in the FBI from 1968 until his retirement in 2006. For most of his career he served in the Office of Public Affairs, retiring as Chief of its Investigative Publicity and Public Affairs Unit.

"...The film also documents Hoover’s rise in the Department of Justice as well as the political turmoil faced by the nation in the early twentieth century. The film credits Hoover for his meticulous attention to detail as well as some of the innovations that he introduced to American law enforcement.

What I found less satisfying was the portrayal of Hoover and Tolson’s personal relationship. Mr. Hoover and Mr. Tolson were certainly close. When I first started at the Bureau, from time to time I would hear colleagues make snide remarks about them. It didn’t happen as much as one might expect though. Perhaps it’s because until relatively recently, women were largely excluded from clubs, schools and other organizations. Also, remember that up until 1973, only guys were drafted into an almost exclusively, all male U.S. military. Over the years, millions and millions of men were compelled to go through this male rite of passage...

...As for their living arrangements, Mr. Tolson lived in an apartment near American University. Mr. Hoover owned a house several miles away. The only time that I am aware of Mr. Tolson ever staying with Mr. Hoover was the time just after he had had open heart surgery. Mr. Hoover had a live-in domestic who could look after Mr. Tolson during his convalescence. Under these circumstances, not allowing Mr. Tolson to stay at his house would have been pretty uncharitable. By the way, Mr. Hoover’s secretary, Miss Gandy, also lived within easy walking distance. There was plenty of help if Mr. Tolson needed it.

Were they more than just good friends? We’ll never know, but of the numerous people I’ve talked to over the years, who really knew them, all have told me that there was nothing more to their relationship than friendship. This, I guess, is why I’m so skeptical of all of this talk about them being secret lovers. I mean why should I accept the notions of those who never knew them, never saw them, never met them, never talked to them and in some cases weren’t even born yet?

In recent conversations I have had with some of my former colleagues, I don’t think that most of us really care about the nature of Mr. Hoover and Mr. Tolson’s relationship. I know I don’t. Many of us believe, however, that both Mr. Hoover and Mr. Tolson would care.

If this were a film about a ”fictional” FBI director, in the same way that “Citizen Kane” was a movie about a “fictional” press baron, I wouldn’t be too concerned. This movie, however, deals with real flesh and blood people and just to make sure we know that, they even used the main character’s name for the film’s title. Millions of people will see this movie and will draw conclusions from it. For the record, there is absolutely no credible evidence that J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde A. Tolson were either closeted or openly homosexual. Likewise, while there is a popular notion that Mr. Hoover blackmailed the Kennedys and others over the span of his very long career, I have never seen solid evidence that it actually happened. Indeed, I find it dubious that anyone could intimidate 535 members of Congress and every President from Calvin Coolidge to Richard Nixon for nearly 50 years. This is America and not the Soviet Union. While the film does not come out and say it, it certainly does infer these things about Mr. Hoover. Is it accurate? Is it fair? What impressions will viewers take away with them, not only of Mr. Hoover, but of the thousands of men and women who over the years worked for him, and in some cases sacrificed their lives while serving under his leadership?

Hollywood rightly calls attention to the unchecked power of elected and career government officials. What I sometimes fear they miss, however, is the power of their own industry. They can re-write the entire life of an individual in several languages, and it will be believed, sometimes unquestionably, by a vast worldwide audience. With nothing but the box office or advertisers to serve as a check and balance, the entertainment industry has the ability to demonize or beatify almost anyone they choose. Now that’s power! I wouldn’t want it any other way. Censorship has no place in America. But still, we really place a lot of faith in the entertainment industry, and that puts a very heavy responsibility on their shoulders. What does the Bible tell us? “. . . unto whomsoever much is given, unto him shall be much required.”

So true, so true."

Monday, November 21, 2011

Left Vs. Right...

Fact Vs. Fiction

Ever watch Chris Matthews?  I try...it is brutal.  I would rather be waterboarded, than hear Matthews bloviate on waterboarding.


Whenever he has guests that have facts, he yells, he changes the topic.  Larry Elder proves that Matthews can't play HARDBALL!






At one point, Matthews asked Elder “What is the purpose of this conversation?” — later adding, “I’m trying to be polite, and I come on your show because you invited me.”

“No, no, no, no,” Elder replied. “You called us and you asked to come on. I didn’t invite you.”

LATER...

MATTHEWS: This is an embarrassment. This is why this country is being torn apart, with this kind of hatred.

ELDER: It’s called a disagreement. You perceive it as hatred, just like you perceive that the Republicans want people to die on gurneys, and they don’t care about illegal aliens, and all the other silly things that you’ve said. That’s hatred. That’s hatred, Chris.

I got this from Jeff Poor of the Daily Caller...who got it from The Hollywood Reporter

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Economics (UPDATE)...

I did go to a state university, and studied economics.  Then I went to the real world and applied it.

I did not go to Yale, I did not get a PhD from MIT, I have never taught economics, never written a book on it, and I have not (yet) won a Nobel Prize.  Paul Krugman did.

His résumé is outstanding.  But it lacks one thing.  The real world.


PhDUH

"There's obviously a relationship between tax rates and revenue. That relationship is not, however, one-for-one. In general, doubling the excise tax rate on a good or service won't double the amount of revenue collected, because the tax increase will reduce the quantity of the good or service transacted. And the relationship between the level of the tax and the amount of revenue collected may not even be positive: in some cases raising the tax rate actually reduces the amount of revenue the government collects."--from "Economics," by former Enron adviser Paul Krugman and Robin Wells (Mrs. Krugman), second edition, 2009


"In Democrat-world, up is up and down is down. Raising taxes increases revenue. . . . But in Republican-world, down is up. The way to increase revenue is to cut taxes on corporations and the wealthy."--Paul Krugman, New York Times, Nov. 18, 2011

...derned real world! 

I'm going to take a guess here, and say, when writing his book he did some research - and some facts were slipped in.

(James Taranto - WSJ)



Saturday, November 19, 2011

Economics...

[Not an exhaustive survey, just a rant...]

I was involved in a debate about life and death in the comment section of another blog.  Some real 'thinker' decided to bring economics into the equation.  This person chose to say (I'm paraphrasing) that due to society's finite resources, those that create a 'drag' on those resources - should be eliminated.  This person wasn't actually that direct (but pretty close), but the words they chose would have the same result, people would die.




Society's finite resources?  At what point did they become finite?

Enter the words "Economics is the study of" in your search engine and you will get numerous options.  I like this one:

"Economics is the study of how people choose to use resources.   Resources include the time and talent people have available, the land, buildings, equipment, and other tools on hand, and the knowledge of how to combine them to create useful products and services.  Important choices involve how much time to devote to work, to school, and to leisure, how many dollars to spend and how many to save, how to combine resources to produce goods and services, and how to vote and shape the level of taxes and the role of government."

Resources are scarce, at times, but not finite.


Name a finite resource.  I searched it.  I saw "oil, coal, water..."  Really?  Oil.  Finite.  How much is there?  When will we run out?  I realize that when we refuse to drill, it seems finite.  And I guess, if you take it to the extreme, if we had the ability (which we don't) to drill it all, drill it all very fast and burn it up, that since you can neither create nor destroy matter - it could conceivably be 'finite.' 

But we can't.  And its not.

Remember, we really are not destroying matter, we are only changing its chemical makeup.  Its elements get rearranged in the burning process and relocated in the air, and eventually, the molecules will reform.  Oil is being created right now.  And not just in known oil fields, but in parts of the earth that we have never drilled.  Some like to say that its too deep, or will eventually be too expensive - but again, that's not how progress or economics has ever worked.  We will dig deeper, and it will get cheaper. 


And this person, who thought this about our economy, wants to be the one to decide who lives and who dies?

Let's move on to how our earth has only a finite amount of water...

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Question #1...

We don't all fit in clear Left or Right political categories on each and every issue.  Some issues are of national concern, others are state matters, and on down to locals and communities.  Listening to the voices of the Democrat party (below) makes me wonder - how many people (actually) agree with them on anything?  The percentage has to be low...




What is the message of OWS? Why should God bless them for their spontaneity (that is a liberal thing, spontaneity is good for spontaneity's sake, regardless of what was spontaneous)? OWS is "focused"? - Doesn't that one remind you of statements made by Eastern European politicians during the Cold War?





This is par for the course for Matthews, but he used the term "Republicans," not "Tea Party," or "Conservatives," or "fringe right" - REALLY? What percentage of Democrats believe Republicans are so filled with hate, that they can't even bring themselves to choose a candidate?  I'm not talking about the anarchists of OWS, I'm talking about your neighbor with the local Democrat sign in his yard.


POP QUIZ:

You are driving around your community, and you see this house:



What do you think/feel?

1)  You are inspired.  Maybe a little in awe, but part of you starts to think that you are proud to live near this.  Part of you starts to think of what it would take for you to acquire this.  Maybe, some of you, start to think what you could do in the future to earn something like this.

2)  You are upset.  Why should somebody live in such opulence, while others nearby, can't.  It's not fair.  It doesn't matter who lives there, or how they got there, its not fair to others.  As long as somebody lives in that house, they should be paying enough taxes to support the needs of those who can't live in that house.


Not everyone fits in one of those categories, I know, but if you had to choose...

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

From Philadelphia to Fallujah...

ArmyNavy2001

"One event. One game. One decade. On December 1, 2001, two ordinary football teams met on a field in Philadelphia's Veteran's Stadium to play sixty minutes of football. But this was no ordinary game. This was the Army-Navy game. And this was no ordinary Army-Navy game. This was the Army-Navy game that would occur just weeks after the attacks of September 11.

This program looks back at that historic game and profiles the journeys of three of its players who dedicated themselves to this country. These are compelling journeys - sometimes with tragic endings, other times with auspicious new beginnings. But always with an incomparable nobility and honor."

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

***WARNING***

***If you haven't seen it, WARNING, the content of this video is DISTURBING***





I think the Right suffers just as much from the cult of personality, as the left. Cain is a very likable guy, he's like your uncle, or a football coach, or a woodshop teacher.  I like him.  I don't want him to be President.  There is no reason a guy like this can suffer all the setbacks he has, and still be in it.  Its racism.  We like him because he is black.  He has surged ahead because the Right is looking for something, someone, to lead. Cain has leadership qualities.  It takes more than that.

If you think, 'Well, I think he can beat Obama,'...he can't.  Because its not just Obama, its the entire main-stream-media, and the clip above was not a hatchet job, it was a simple question.

I know who I support.  I would invite Cain over for dinner, I'm not so sure about my candidate...

Sunday, November 13, 2011

When All of a Sudden...

Sunday's are great days.  If you've ever had a really crappy 9-to-5 job, Sunday's (especially Sunday nights) can have a little anxiety to them.  I have a great job, on its worst day its better than most, so Sunday's are great.

Sundays should be days of rest.  For me, 'rest' means a good workout, some reading, maybe a little time at the shooting range, and watching FOOTBALL.  Recently, I was recruited to play street hockey on Sunday nights.  I don't enjoy hockey (grew up in the desert), and being on the 'street' instead of the ice, makes it all the more lame.  However, I love competition, so while I still have it in me, I give it 100% (I even practice a little in the week, when nobody is looking)...

Zombie Target Practice
So...football wasn't on yet, didn't want to workout because of hockey, so I decided to dry-fire and read...

Couldn't find a book I was interested in, so I checked the library on-line, yadda-yadda-yadda, and I was reading on the Internet...and I began reading a "survival blog," which can be both informative, and entertaining.  The post I was reading was about preparing for an event, such as flood, hurricane, total economic collapse, zombie attack, etc.  When all of a sudden I came across this:

"...Checking for trigger events is the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing I do at night. When the markets are open, I will get an automated text message in the event of an economic slide. Hopefully, this proactive approach will allow us to bug out while the desperate masses are still paralyzed by their ingrained normalcy bias. The benefit of a government job is one can leave for up to three days without advance notice in the event of a perceived trigger event. Not only does one not get fired, but usually gets paid for those days..." 

I took note of the phrase "ingrained normalcy bias," - I'm gonna use that one.

But the note about being a government employee...clearly, this is totally misleading.  A government employee can be gone for much longer than THREE DAYS without being noticed.  One could be at an 'off-site,' or 'in the field,' one could be at 'training,' or doing some liaison with another useful branch of the government.  And, why wouldn't one get paid for those three days?  One got hired - and as long as one has not retired - one gets paid. 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

I'm Just Sayin'...



We didn't come from the one on the left, but we are close to the one on the right...

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

I liked living in the Mid-West.  Just an opinion, but people seem nicer, life seems slower... 



Lt. Ashley White, Alliance, Ohio

U.S. Army First Lieutenant Ashley White, 24, of Alliance, Ohio, assigned to the 230th Brigade Support Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina National Guard, based in Goldsboro, North Carolina, died on October 22, 2011 in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, from wounds suffered when insurgents attacked her unit with an improvised explosive device. She is survived by her husband Captain Jason Stumpf, her parents Robert and Deborah, brother Josh, and twin sister Brittney.




A Tribute To Ashley


"...Ashley was a true warrior. A member of a Cultural Support Team, she worked in support of Special Operations units and exposed herself to danger on a regular basis. She was a member of only the second class of this elite female team and you can bet that in the decades to come she will go down in history as a trailblazer for women warriors everywhere.


Ashley, by her family’s account, loved being in the military. What struck me most about the obituary in the Fayetteville Observer was the pride her family felt in her service...


...I’m sure there will be those who will gnash their teeth and spout idiocy about how we can’t have America’s daughters coming home in body bags…that war is too dangerous for women…that women don’t belong in special forces. Well Ashley, by her bravery, proved they do. I know she wasn’t on a Special Forces team. Those are for men. But equality doesn’t always mean replication. The Cultural Support Teams are the first iteration of women forging their own unique special forces function and have no doubt it will grow from there. Just as SEAL teams grew from the WWII Scouts and Raiders, OSS Operational Swimmers and Underwater Demolition Teams.


I feel a special kind of grief for 1st Lt. White. I wonder with a start like she had and with her obvious love for her job what she could have been. I wished she had survived to blaze more trails for our sisters in uniform. But she leaves a legacy. And that legacy is a message to the rest of us. This business we have undertaken can be cruel and the losses linger on in perpetuity. But the honor and the sense of purpose and selflessness that comes with taking on the mantel of defending ones nation is a gift. Ashley was out there, side by side with some of the baddest-ass guys we have. And she made a difference. She gave it everything she had and I am so proud that we girls have someone like her to point to and say, “see?”..."

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Safety Nets...

.

Which is safer?


A)  Investing your money, your life's savings, in ABC Investments Inc.  ABC is a large company, millions of dollars are invested with ABC.  The government has created laws and rules that protect investors, and companies like ABC have to abide by those rules.  Several government agencies, and congress, has oversight on how ABC operates, to ensure that their methods are fair, and safe.

B)  Investing your money, your life's savings, in XYZ Investments Inc.  XYZ is a large company, millions of dollars are invested with XYZ.  There are no government rules, no laws regarding how companies like XYZ invest money.  XYZ has been around for years, under no laws, investing people's money.  XYZ customers rave about the service, and the security they feel.  Only the customers watch XYZ.

Are their currently laws about how companies invest retirement savings, and investors' money?  Are their currently multiple government agencies, and congress, with oversight on how investment companies work to ensure their methods are fair and safe?









Sorry folks, shows over...

.

Friday, November 4, 2011

Expect the Unexpected...


Farmers Gear Up for Unexpected Boom After New Free Trade Pacts

What was unexpected was that this present government would sign real free trade agreements.  OF COURSE there will be a boom - more customers.  Taxes, duties and tariffs don't help business.  Customers help business.  Competition, yes, helps business - by helping customers.


Deported Drug Cartel Member Caught With $1.6M in Drugs in Arizona

What was unexpected was that he was caught, not that he would return and do it again.  The article says he was caught with 80lbs of heroin.  On any street on the east coast (not Florida), that's over $9 million.  Oh, but assuming its +90% pure...so its real "worth" is upwards of $36,000,000.   The cartel lost a body and 80 pounds of dope, sure he had knowledge of their system, connections, etc.  But Mexico is full of bodies (even at the rate they are losing them) and 80 pounds is nothing...   How do you stop it?  How did this guy get across the border?  Why was this guy free two weeks after being arrested and deported?


Cain's Former Secretary: This Is Not the Herman Cain I Know

Why haven't we heard about sexual harassment complaints against Barack Obama when he was a...er..when he worked at... well during the time when he...wait, why haven't we heard any stories about anything Obama did when he had one of his 'jobs'?  Be prepared, one of the Republicans running for President, probably the nominee - allegedly farted!  It will break after the convention.  The story I mean.


Republican Senator Calls on Obama to Cancel Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac Bonuses

"$12.8 million in bonuses that were approved for 10 executives...$6.46 million in bonuses for the top five officers at Freddie Mac -- including $2.3 million for CEO Charles E. Haldeman Jr., who is stepping down next year -- and $6.33 million for Fannie Mae officials, including $2.37 million for CEO Michael Williams, for meeting modest goals."

"...the president took a lead on cleaning up excessive compensation on Wall Street with the Dodd-Frank bill, but those provisions do not apply to Fannie and Freddie. “The White House was not involved and nor should it be,” White House Press Secretary Jay Carney..."

I can keep cutting and pasting - but read the article.  For those of you that follow the Fannie and Freddie nightmare, you are aware that these bonuses are not new - only that they come AFTER the bailouts and failures.   I'm speechless.  Let's put Ron Paul in charge of these institutions!

I Can't Handle This Right Now...

U.S. Pledges Financial Aid for Pakistan


"...Still, the administration insisted it will continue to provide civilian aid to Pakistan, which has fallen from $1.5 billion in the 2010 fiscal year to $1.1 billion this year. The report said next year's levels are uncertain, but the administration reaffirms its "commitment to providing robust, multiyear civilian assistant to Pakistan..."

What is it about the United States, that makes us feel that giving other countries money, will make them like us, help us, etc.  I'm not against foreign aid completely, I'm completely against the way we give foreign aid.  Just like any other government program - is anybody under the illusion that the money gets to those in need?  If so, what % ?

$1.1 billion to Pakistan.  $1,100,000,000 to a country that has nuclear weapons.  A country that has nuclear weapons that has had several coups, and is always on the brink of another.  Hopefully, or money came with some safeguards on those weapons...like we have the key, or something.



I know this is a play on statistics, and this won't solve problems, etc....but, instead, for one year, lets take that cash, for one year let Pakistan fund Pakistan and fund the adoption of 55,000 children (that's $30,000 per adoption, and would only cover 1/3 of children IN AMERICA in foster care awaiting adoption)


You don't agree?  Then fine, we'll combine the programs, and you can adopt him:


Thursday, November 3, 2011

CHASE this (UPDATE)...

Naysayers! The wonderful people at Chase contacted me via secure email:


Dear Roger T Bannon,

I am writing in response to your request for interest
charge reversal on your Chase account ending 9478.
First of all I have gone ahead and credited the interest
charge of $1.50 to the account. This adjustment will
appear on your next statement.

Thank you,

Jayshree Chavan
Email Customer Service Representative



See, I was wrong....it wasn't Guptar....it was Jayshree...(I Binged it - Jayshree is a female name, so I was totally off)

Either way, here is my tribute to Jayshree:




Truthfully, I was hoping they didn't give it to me, I was looking for a fight.  And as long as we're being truthful, I look at this as "I'm sorry I hit you, please don't leave"...I know there are more hits coming...

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

I was told there would be no math...

The Science of Irrationality by Jonah Lehrer

"Here's a simple arithmetic question: "A bat and ball cost $1.10. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?""

Did you get it right? On the first try? Check your math. 

BALL + BAT = $1.10

BAT = BALL +$1.00

BALL does not cost 10 cents.  (And don't leave me comments that you got it right - especially you homskulers!)

"...When people face an uncertain situation, they don't carefully evaluate the information or look up relevant statistics. Instead, their decisions depend on mental short cuts, which often lead them to make foolish decisions. The short cuts aren't a faster way of doing the math; they're a way of skipping the math altogether..."

Ever notice that two lanes of traffic seems to merge WAAAAY before the cones?  People think that merging earlier will smooth things along faster.  Then, one car sees that (smarter) people are driving down the empty lane to merge further ahead, so that car decides to block the lane. 

"...Consider the overconfidence bias, which drives many of our mistakes in decision-making. The best demonstration of the bias comes from the world of investing. Although many fund managers charge high fees to oversee stock portfolios, they routinely fail a basic test of skill: persistent achievement. As Mr. Kahneman notes, the year-to-year correlation between the performance of the vast majority of funds is barely above zero, which suggests that most successful managers are banking on luck, not talent..."

I went to college for +5 years and (finally) earned a degree in Finance.  I came away with two things: 1) You can't beat the market, and 2) The house always wins.  That is why the carnies make money at the carnival...

"...A recent survey of American homeowners found that they expected, on average, to spend about $18,500 on remodelling their kitchens. The actual average cost? Nearly $39,000..."

And then you sell the house...Mom, Dad...





Summary:  Just because somebody has a nice job, a nice suit, and a nice house...doesn't mean they are smarter than you.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Justice...Not Yet

In 2005 - 2006, Phoenix, Arizona was being terrorized by two separate crime sprees that included (at least) 17 murders, and dozens more attempts.  It turned out that it was 3 different serial killers, two of them working together.

I was briefly involved in one of the investigations when I was asked to speak to a Spanish speaking shooting victim as she lay dying on the side of the road, in an effort to have her describe her killer before she died.  She couldn't, because she never saw him.

Later, I happened to be in the local FBI office meeting with agents when some homicide detectives working the case came to get help "profiling" the killer.

Survivors described this person (with wig and hat):



Police found this person:




...fast forward to October 31, 2011.  Mark Goudeau (pictured) was found guilty on 67 counts, including 9 murders.  He is guilty of more, and already sentenced to over 400 years for rape related charges.  He will be facing the death penalty.  To me, its not enough. 


Son of 'Baseline Killer' victim testifies 
"When his mother didn't pick him up at school, the boy walked home.

The front door was locked, so he let himself in through the garage. And when he heard the water running, he assumed his mother was taking a shower.

But when the water kept running, he went to her bathroom and saw water overflowing from the tub.

Then he saw his mother faceup under the water with a bullet wound in her head. And though he was 8 years old, he pulled her head above water, yanked the plug to let the water out and tried doing mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Sophia Nuñez was already dead, the eighth murder victim of the "Baseline Killer," though police did not make the connection right away.

On Wednesday, her son, now 13, testified in the trial of Mark Goudeau..."