Extortion and Piggy Banks

I filled out my government extortion form last night... you know, the one that goes by the number '1040'. I felt the reaming of my soul and my bank account. Actually, they can't ream my bank account because it was already empty. I will have to borrow money and go further into debt to pay my taxes.

At a recent event in Las Vegas, held for the government office that was designed to reduce waste, nearly one million dollars was spent to entertain them for who-knows-what reason. The money paid for clowns, a mind-reader, and other frivolous things. I admit, my taxes only paid for a small, insignificant part of this celebration, but I will still have to go into debt to help pay for it... and I don't even get one of the commemorative coins that cost $6300!

WAKE UP PEOPLE! This isn't how it was supposed to be. Taxes were to be levied for specific purposes, not collected however the bureaucrats want and spent on whatever luxuries and other sundry items they want. Basically, we are now looked at as piggy banks to be smashed, emptied and discarded.

We don't have the representation originally intended by the Constitution. In 1913 the method by which congressional representation was determined was ended. The power of each representative began to increase while their accountability began to decrease.

In 1913 the Constitution was also modified to allow an income tax. The Federal Reserve Act was passed the same year, which allowed monetary manipulation which created the inflation tax.

This is not a coincidence. The politicians have ALWAYS been trying to get more power and more money. As time goes on, and districts grow, they answer less and less to the people and more and more to those with the money to fund their campaigns. I'm not naive enough to believe that this was done out of benevolence or a desire to save taxpayer money by not building larger facilities to house the congress.

2 Million Man March, but for WHAT?

READ THIS.

Too many people are getting swayed by the waffling media darlings who tell just enough truth to get the trust of the people, while everything else these snakes say are lies and distortions. Basically, they're just distracting from the issues of the source of the disease by showing it's horrible symptoms and demanding that the symptoms be treated.

So what's the disease?

For starters, it's roots lie in Federal Reserve. The more I learn about it, the more angry I get. I saw an interview Gary Franchi did with a PR guy for the Chicago branch of Federal Reserve. The guy was PROUD of the very things most Americans would find villainous at best, and outright treason at worst.

Even the Chinese are starting to get wary of the pull-money-out-of-our-butts attitude of Federal Reserve.

How is it fair that Federal Reserve gets the monopoly on government loans? Why is our government borrowing SO MUCH from Federal Reserve? When are people going to wake up to the fact that Federal Reserve is boning us?

It's certainly not going to happen listening to the corporate media whores, I can tell you that.

Monetary Freedom

I don't think a lot of people understand money. It never ceases to amaze me how many people know so little about the stuff they jealously stuff into their wallets and pockets. Most don't understand how it's value is modified and how that directly affects your monetary freedom. I have a few minutes, and I haven't blogged in a while, so I thought I'd drop a few lines about how Liberty relates to money.

Firstly, money is simply supposed to be a measure of the value of goods and services. Any attempt to modify it will result in a change in the relative value of the goods and services it measures. With a steady currency, the value of items don't change. There is no increase in the price of goods and services due to inflation. Prices are stable. The price you paid last week will be the same as this week, varying only with the laws of supply and demand.

When the currency is modified, inflation can occur. For example, before 1913, there was no such thing as inflation in the USA. After adopting the popular british socialist idea at that time of a floating currency, with control of the currency given to a central bank, the USA had it's first experience with inflation.

Prior to Federal Reserve, the private central bank which now con trolls the value of our currency, the USA used gold, silver and platinum as money. The paper bills people carried were certificates that could be exchanged for a set weight of one of these metals. The intrinsic value of these metals has been steady for several thousand years, so it was a very stable form of money.

When we set a price for a good or a service, or when we purchase something for a certain price, we should be able to expect that no one can come and change that price. Devaluing our money is an attack on our monetary freedom. The effect of increasing the amount of dollars in circulation is the devaluation of the money. This is exactly what we're allowing Federal Reserve to do.

Federal Reserve pumps out money to appease people by giving them more money. The people, glad to have more income to meet their needs, don't realize that by allowing Federal Reserve to make more money that it causes the money they have to be worth less, meaning the money will buy less.

This isn't a new trick. In Roman times, tax collectors and government agents would routinely shave the gold and silver coins they used and use the shavings to make new coins. Failing to make a standard weight per coin made this easier. The people were forced to use the coin, no matter the weight, by the Roman government. Inflation and mistrust of the currency helped bring the empire down.

The 2 previous contracts our nation made with private banks didn't last very long, and ended very badly. The central banks, in an attempt to keep control of the money supply, threatened to starve people to death if our government failed to renew their contract. People did suffer, but it was no where near as bad as the threats. Federal Reserve's deal was far sweeter than that, though. Federal Reserve was given an open-ended deal... and no charter or contract to renew. It will be far harder to get rid of Federal Reserve's tentacles into government. It has been allowed to control our money for far too long.

But it is possible to end our deal with Federal Reserve. In order to restore our monetary freedom, we MUST declare any contract with Federal Reserve ended. We have to return to a stable form of money. This is the only way to restore Liberty to our monetary system.

It's late and I'm tired. Feels good to blog again.

Free-Fallin'

There's your freefall. Above is a daily DJIA chart. Look at the last few days on the stock market. The DOW has fallen consecutively since the 'bail-out'. If you look at the day Congress first defeated the bailout, stocks actually RALLIED the next day!

The market will most likely turn back up. The DOW is well below 10,000, and, after correcting, will begin it's upward momentum, as always. Having no real stock market experience, this blog author doesn't claim to know when or what stocks will begin the rally, but logic dictates that it will eventually correct.

My point is simply that the 'bail-out' hasn't done any immediate good, and has, in fact, done far more bad than good. Creating debt to pay off debt only increases debt in the long run. Compound debt will increase exponentially if the principal is never decreased. That's just the way it is.

...on the Financial Situation

So the FED is creating $1 Trillion+ in debt to 'bail out' these failed financial institutions... WHAT?

$1 TRILLION FRIGGIN' DOLLARS!?!? WHAT!?

Why is the FED being allowed to charge this MASSIVE debt to the American people in order to save their own buddies? Why is this monopolistic bank being allowed to completely take over our economy and leaving us with the bill? WHAT!?

Some people are claiming this is all due to regulation or deregulation, blah, blah, blah... It's not about that, at all. It's about favoritism and cronyism. It's about backdoor deals and looking the other way when existing regulations are broken. Laws can always be written with loopholes for the select few, anyway. It's not directly about the law or regulations; it's about covert and wicked people in high places making insidious deals to benefit themselves at the cost of the average American.

Insurance Fraud?

I had someone covered on the insurance for my '93 Mustang convertable for about 10 months back in 2004-05. I called and removed them in 2005. Last year, I was informed by my insurance company that this person was still on my insurance. I informed them, in no uncertain terms, that I did NOT want that person on my insurance and that I was angry that person was still listed as a driver. They then told me the person was removed.

Today I received a renewal from my insurance company, ALFA, and guess what? That person's name was still on it. I was told that this person has received tickets, and my rates will be going up. Needless to say, I'm beside myself.

It's been 3 years, and as many requests to remove this person from my insurance. This person was NEVER on my truck insurance, anyway, and that's the policy I received today. What kind of idiocy is this?

Whether willfully or through neglegence, someone at the Tommy Henry ALFA on Broad Street didn't take this person off of my insurance. If through neglegence, there must be some incompetence involved, and I don't want someone who doesn't care enough about the details of my policy to change it when I ask, as they certainly aren't responsible enough to take care of me if I have a claim. If willfully, it's an outright attempt to defraud me out of my premium by making me pay more for someone I never attempted to insure.

I strongly doubt I'll ever do business with Tommy Henry, again. I personally asked him to take this person off of my insurance LAST YEAR and he failed to do so. I urge anyone contemplating doing business with this agency to beware. I've been overpaying my premium for 3 years, and they never cared. I feel robbed.

UPDATE:

I went by the Tommy Henry ALFA the afternoon of the day I posted this. They gave me a piece of paper, in writing, that stated they had taken this person off of my insurance. They apologized. I honestly believe that my request to take that person off of my insurance fell through the cracks, and that it wasn't a purposeful thing. They've always responded quickly when I have a question or a claim, so I suppose I might have been a little hard on Mr. Henry with this blog entry. I'm still getting quotes from other insurance companies, though.

Hillary Clinton's Dirty Money

Norman Hsu gave Hillary Clinton $850K for her campaign that federal officials are now saying was gathered illegally.$850,000 is a lot of change! Those Clintons have always been shady. This Hsu guy is like the dirt at the bottom of a muck bucket.

I wonder how many other people like this Hsu character are making 'bundled' contributions to Hillary. Violation of Federal Election Campaign Act is what he's wanted for this time. He's also wanted in California for fraud, and there's no telling what other crimes he's committed. One wonders if this is typical of the Clinton's fundraising partners.

BONUS!!!

300 bucks! Plus a $50 safety bonus, a $30 gift card to wally-world as well as a $20 gift card to Jim-n-Nick's, and a nice letter from the COO and President. Yeah, buddy.

NCAA Scholarship Limits

If you've wondered how many athletic scholarships your school can award, check this out:

2006-2007 Total Annual Scholarship Limits

Division I


Men

Baseball 11.7

Basketball 13

Cross Country/Track and Field 12.6

Fencing 4.5

Football (Division I-A) 85
Football (Division I-AA) 63

Golf 4.5

Gymnastics 6.3

Lacrosse 12.6

Rifle 3.6

Skiing 6.3

Soccer 9.9

Swimming 9.9

Tennis 4.5

Volleyball 4.5

Water Polo 4.5

Wrestling 9.9


Women

Archery 5

Badminton 6

Basketball 15

Bowling 5

Cross Country/Track and Field 18

Equestrian 15

Fencing 5

Field Hockey 12

Golf 6

Lacrosse 12

Rowing 20

Rugby 12

Skiing 7

Soccer 14

Softball 12

Squash 12

Swimming & Diving 14

Synchronized Swimming 5

Team Handball 10

Water Polo 8


Division II


Men

Baseball 9

Basketball 10

Cross Country/Track and Field 12.6

Fencing 4.5

Football 36

Golf 3.6

Gymnastics 5.4

Ice Hockey 13.5

Lacrosse 10.8

Rifle 3.6

Skiing 6.3

Soccer 9

Swimming & Diving 8.1

Tennis 4.5

Volleyball 4.5

Water Polo 4.5

Wrestling 9


Women

Archery 9

Badminton 10

Basketball 10

Cross Country/Track and Field 12.6

Equestrian 15

Fencing 4.5

Field Hockey 6.3

Golf 5.4

Gymnastics 6

Ice Hockey 18

Lacrosse 9.9

Rowing 20

Rugby 12

Skiing 6.3

Soccer 9.9

Softball 7.2

Squash 9

Swimming & Diving 8.1

Synchronized Swimming 5

Team Handball 12

Tennis 6

Volleyball 8

Water Polo
8

Div. IA Football programs get 85(!?) scholorships? Even if you look at how many players it takes to field a team, you'd have more than enough for 3 full teams! Do the math: 11 per side is 22. Add a kicker, punter and specialty kicker makes 25. Add a second string, you have 50, and a third team makes 75. Then, I guess you have 10 guys to red-shirt, or to have spankin' their monkeys on the sidelines.

And... I don't see a SINGLE cricket scholarship!

Top 5

Here's another installment of the top 5 things I'm hearing whispered or shouted:

5. Celebrities Dying. Bobby Hamilton, President Ford, James Brown, YVONNE DE CARLO (The Munsters), and Scooby Doo creator, Iwao Takamoto.

4. Snow. Haven't seen any myself, but Texas is seeing a lot. And California.

3. World of Warcraft. Never played it. I played the old 'Warcraft' game that came out in the '90s. It was fun.

2. Sports Money. Alabama gets a new coach, Nick Saban. He's the highest paid NCAA coach ever. Also, soccer now has the highest paid athlete. 250 million for 5 years in LA.

1. Stomp Dancing? WTF? I grew up going to all black schools, and I never thought I'd see the day when 'Lord of the Dance' and clogging was the inspiration for a black dance craze.

Linden Millions

Probably a year or so ago, I joined an online game called 'Second Life'. I wasn't able to log on to it at work, so it dropped off my radar. A while back I noticed an article on it in Popular Science. It mentioned that the currency of Second Life, called Linden Dollars, was exchangable with US Dollars. I thought that was neat, but it didn't inspire me to want to play the game.

Then, a month or two ago, I read a new article about a woman who had made the first million in Linden dollars. I thought it was a mistake. But it wasn't. She traded virtual real estate in the game until she had a quarter of a billion Linden dollars. That's exchangable for over a million REAL US Dollars! That got my attention, but still... I figured it would be hard to exchange that. Wrong.

Second Life has a money exchange... the LINDEX. It trades over a million US Dollars a day! And there are several 3rd party Linden Dollar exchanges! You have to be a member to login, but it's easy and free to join.

I don't think I'll be investing in Linden Dollars any time soon, but it is interesting.