We didn't come from the one on the left, but we are close to the one on the right...
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I liked living in the Mid-West. Just an opinion, but people seem nicer, life seems slower...
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?”..."
 |
| 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...
.
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...
"...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:
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...
Dear Roger T Bannon,
I am writing in response to your request for interestcharge reversal on your Chase account ending 9478.First of all I have gone ahead and credited the interestcharge of $1.50 to the account. This adjustment willappear on your next statement.
Thank you,
Jayshree ChavanEmail 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.
"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.
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