I promised not to criticize Obama until I had cause. Obama is obviously very bright, with the potential to grow into the presidency despite his inexperience. Besides, he promised to represent all Americans, and that he would govern with the consensus of democrats and republicans. That sounded wonderful, because forty six percent of us didn’t vote for him, and the bickering of congress, and the growing antagonism between the political parties, is a disgrace and a disservice to all Americans.
It has become apparent that Obama’s eloquent speeches do not relate to what he actually does. The Stimulus Bill was written by a democrat committee, which excluded any republican participation. Then Obama reached out to republicans by demanding they vote for this porker that reads like Nancy Pelosi’s Christmas letter to Santa Clause. Yet, Obama has the audacity to extol this bill for not having any earmarks. Then came the auto bailout, rewarding Detroit for building lousy automobiles for thirty years. Then another bailout rewarding investment banks for criminal mismanagement. He followed that up by proposing that people who have been paying their mortgages on time gets to pay their neighbors delinquent mortgages, and justify this by pontificating that if your neighbors property is foreclosed on all the properties in a neighborhood will loose value. Now Obama has presented an eye-popping budget so immense that it is incomprehensible to most people, although we get an idea of its size when we are told the interest on this budget will amount to one billion dollars per day (no, that is not a typo). Obama promised to end earmark spending, but this budget contains something like nine thousand earmark items, totaling half a billion dollars.
In his State of the Union speech, that was not a State of the Union speech, Obama promised to impose a Cap and Trade tax, and to assure our safety by pursuing alternative energy to make us independent of foreign oil. He neglected to mention that this fraudulent scheme is estimated to increase the average utility bill by seventy percent. There was no mention of offshore drilling, or of nuclear power, or that most of our imported oil actually comes from Canada. It also ignores the fact that there are no viable alternative energy sources. Consider that it takes one square meter of solar panel to power the average TV, and that a square meter of solar panel costs two thousand dollars.
I am not an economist, but I do understand that when I have budget problems I should not run out and max out my credit cards. I also understand that when the Stock Market tanks every time Obama spends another trillion dollars there may be a problem somewhere. This morning several foreign newspapers report that the American economy is in free fall due to unbridled spending, and advised investors to pull their capital out of American institutions. I think we need some more survival articles on this website.
Gråullf.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
OPEC and Coffee Houses - By Moses
What would happen to OPEC (Oil Producing Economic Countries) Nations should oil be taken off the market tomorrow? Are we to believe that these Nations’ economies would come crashing down? The answer is no.
Every Nation in OPEC has money ties extremely diverse as each is cautious. Now, should a Country have a stranglehold on a particular product, maybe we shouldn’t be so sensitive towards them – in the name of economy.
Take Columbia for example. Ninety percent of North American coffee drinkers drink Columbian coffee. The annual North American coffee market is roughly 1 trillion Canadian Dollars in profits alone. Columbian coffee moguls are not stupid people. Their profits are not invested back into coffee manufacturing. They invest back into their coffee manufacturing as an expense (a write off) on their income statements right next to capital expenses. Columbian coffee moguls have a diversified financial portfolio, and would not in the least be affected should North American coffee houses serve Ethiopian coffee. The markets that we see today are being controlled to protect vested interests. These vested interests are not of the companies (oligopolies) in question. The U.S and Canadian Governments, at the highest level, deal billions of dollars with these coffee moguls and OPEC, in the name of Air Bases and Political clout (you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours).
In Toronto, Canada I can go to 100 Grocery stores, 1000 Convenience stores, and a couple hundred pharmacies. This market is urban. In rural communities there may only be two Grocery stores and one pharmacy. In Northeast Africa there is no market, therefore, even should a person have money (people outside the top 1% income earners) there is no Grocery store to go to.
‘Laissez Faire’ (Let the market stand) deals with the economy as a competitive marketplace on the assumption that there is a market. In the Middle East, markets are established by the Bedouin (the Natives of Ishmael), in North America markets are established by Governments. When a Bedouin man journeys 50 miles to the next town, he can only bring so much, and in today’s age that means what they have brought goes to the financially elite. In Northeast Africa 1% of the population have all the money and with this money Bedouin serve them under the premise of ‘Laissez Faire’. It is disgusting that the top 1% income earners in this region do not build communities.
The unfortunate truth is that Monarchy there prevails to the point of the people being brainwashed into thinking that they’re martyrs for a cause. In North America today we combat prejudice (or the saying goes), yet, how many Ethiopian restaurants are there here? And, how many Native Americans have been elected into Public office? Governments likewise have hidden agendas.
The Cola War of the 70’s was essentially an extension of these hidden agendas’ Oil and Cola. O.P.E.C was unifying Anti-Semitism through an embargo in reference to the sale of any product worldwide to Israel. They instituted a policy that determined whom they would trade with based on a persons’ religion. Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindu’s, Tao, and certain sects of Catholicism (including Druse) were to be exterminated, as defined by the Nazi Prophecy called the Fourth Reich. Pepsi Cola bought in, Coca-Cola did not. Just a reminder, the slogan used by Pepsi Cola is ‘The Next Generation’. This means that the Holocaust never ended in some peoples’ minds (to make it happen), and in this writers’ opinion, is the reason we see mass starvation in North East Africa today. Is this an exaggeration of events that we see today?
Keep in mind that World War 2 ended in the name of Treaty (still not fully understood by this writer), and that Israel is not exactly a friend to OPEC Nations. When it comes to the money that OPEC and Coffee producing nations bring in, we’re dealing with Zillions of Dollars. When we look at Columbian Coffee Companies how many also deal Cocaine? Ethiopian Coffee Moguls serving our Coffee Houses sounds like a much better alternative now, doesn’t it?
Every Nation in OPEC has money ties extremely diverse as each is cautious. Now, should a Country have a stranglehold on a particular product, maybe we shouldn’t be so sensitive towards them – in the name of economy.
Take Columbia for example. Ninety percent of North American coffee drinkers drink Columbian coffee. The annual North American coffee market is roughly 1 trillion Canadian Dollars in profits alone. Columbian coffee moguls are not stupid people. Their profits are not invested back into coffee manufacturing. They invest back into their coffee manufacturing as an expense (a write off) on their income statements right next to capital expenses. Columbian coffee moguls have a diversified financial portfolio, and would not in the least be affected should North American coffee houses serve Ethiopian coffee. The markets that we see today are being controlled to protect vested interests. These vested interests are not of the companies (oligopolies) in question. The U.S and Canadian Governments, at the highest level, deal billions of dollars with these coffee moguls and OPEC, in the name of Air Bases and Political clout (you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours).
In Toronto, Canada I can go to 100 Grocery stores, 1000 Convenience stores, and a couple hundred pharmacies. This market is urban. In rural communities there may only be two Grocery stores and one pharmacy. In Northeast Africa there is no market, therefore, even should a person have money (people outside the top 1% income earners) there is no Grocery store to go to.
‘Laissez Faire’ (Let the market stand) deals with the economy as a competitive marketplace on the assumption that there is a market. In the Middle East, markets are established by the Bedouin (the Natives of Ishmael), in North America markets are established by Governments. When a Bedouin man journeys 50 miles to the next town, he can only bring so much, and in today’s age that means what they have brought goes to the financially elite. In Northeast Africa 1% of the population have all the money and with this money Bedouin serve them under the premise of ‘Laissez Faire’. It is disgusting that the top 1% income earners in this region do not build communities.
The unfortunate truth is that Monarchy there prevails to the point of the people being brainwashed into thinking that they’re martyrs for a cause. In North America today we combat prejudice (or the saying goes), yet, how many Ethiopian restaurants are there here? And, how many Native Americans have been elected into Public office? Governments likewise have hidden agendas.
The Cola War of the 70’s was essentially an extension of these hidden agendas’ Oil and Cola. O.P.E.C was unifying Anti-Semitism through an embargo in reference to the sale of any product worldwide to Israel. They instituted a policy that determined whom they would trade with based on a persons’ religion. Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindu’s, Tao, and certain sects of Catholicism (including Druse) were to be exterminated, as defined by the Nazi Prophecy called the Fourth Reich. Pepsi Cola bought in, Coca-Cola did not. Just a reminder, the slogan used by Pepsi Cola is ‘The Next Generation’. This means that the Holocaust never ended in some peoples’ minds (to make it happen), and in this writers’ opinion, is the reason we see mass starvation in North East Africa today. Is this an exaggeration of events that we see today?
Keep in mind that World War 2 ended in the name of Treaty (still not fully understood by this writer), and that Israel is not exactly a friend to OPEC Nations. When it comes to the money that OPEC and Coffee producing nations bring in, we’re dealing with Zillions of Dollars. When we look at Columbian Coffee Companies how many also deal Cocaine? Ethiopian Coffee Moguls serving our Coffee Houses sounds like a much better alternative now, doesn’t it?
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Steroids and Sport - By Moses
It was 1978 and Ken Norton was the Heavyweight Champion of the World. In his first defence of the belt Norton was set to fight Larry Holmes. After Holmes pummeled Norton for 14 Rounds, the commentators of the fight gave their between round analysis. 'There has been some speculation that Larry Holmes is taking a new wonder drug called steroids. 'Surely the drug isn't infallible.' the commentator said. At the start of the fifteenth, Norton knocked out Holmes mouth-guard. The gas had run out on Holmes and he was dominated, with the ropes saving him in the final seconds, preserving a split-decision (what many thought to be unanimous.
The following year, Lyle Alzado (a defensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders) came clean to the American media and confessed that at least half of the N.F.L'ers were steroid users. The National Football League refused to act.
It was 1988, and during the Seoul Summer Olympics, Ben Johnson took home Gold for Canada in the 100 Metre Dash (also the 4x100m) with an unprecedented time of 9.78. But wait just a minute. Johnsons' urine sample tested positive for Anabolic Steroids and the Worldwide Audience watched in disbelief as he was stripped of his title. In the period 1978-1988 no Professional sports League banned their athletes from using Anabolic Steroids. It is also a very naive assumption that only Ben Johnson used steroids at Seoul. He was however, one of the few that were caught.
This brings us to the argument, at what cost will a Country, Sport, Team, or Athlete go to in hiding rampant Steroid use in the name of winning Gold Medals, Championships, and pleasing to the eye statistics.
The Western World was condemning Eastern European training and conditioning methods; ie - impregnating their Women Athletes and aborting the fetus to raise estrogen levels, just prior to the meet. At the same time there were severe denials in the West, of rampant Steroid use (and it was widespread). This leads us to the quagmire that we face today. It wasn't until the early nineties that the N.F.L instituted a ban on steroids. Hockey (N.H.L) and Basketball (N.B.A) followed suit, only after embarrassments of Olympic Athlete's Jackie Joyner Kersee and Florence Griffiths amongst others during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.
Major League Baseball however, buried their heads further into the sand. In the early part of the 21st Century it was noticeable that Ballplayers had bulked up, yet M.L.B Commissioner Bud Selig still didn't put together a full-scale ban on Steroids. In fact, after Mark McGuires' monster 1998 - 70 Homerun campaign, he admitted to using legal performance enhancing drugs. The owners seemingly only cared about Gate Revenue and mind boggling statistics, not the integrity of the game. Then came along Barry Bonds superlative 73 Home-run Campaign of 2001, and the press were never a Bonds advocate. This began the smear campaign on athlete's in Baseball. Finally, after the 2004 Campaign, Selig and the MLBPA signed an agreement to test athlete's for Steroids as a BANNED substance, and it finally became a banned substance in MLB.
In one fell swoop Superstars Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens amongst others were named in a farce of a Congressional hearing, and, continuing the denial that was put in place by MLBPA, Selig, and the Owners, one should at least context the time-frame of Steroids becoming illegal in Baseball, as a person can't be held accountable for using a 'legal' product on a whim of trying to look good to the American Public at a later date.
So here we are in mid-2011. Alex Rodriguez has admitted to failing a Steroids test in 2003. Does anyone really care at this point. There are not going to be any astericks next to his name, or to his numbers, as Steroids weren't even a banned substance when he tested positive in 2003. This is really just a statement of the decline of Modern Western Civilization at its' finest. Suck the air out of the best of the best to deflect attention from the simple fact that this cheating was documented 30 years ago. It's really a fantastic idea. Scapegoat those people that set the records for you, filled the Stadiums, and won you Championships and Titles, let them lose their jobs and be blacklisted from their collective Sports. Americanism at its' finest, passing the buck, a bureaucratic wet dream.
The following year, Lyle Alzado (a defensive tackle with the Oakland Raiders) came clean to the American media and confessed that at least half of the N.F.L'ers were steroid users. The National Football League refused to act.
It was 1988, and during the Seoul Summer Olympics, Ben Johnson took home Gold for Canada in the 100 Metre Dash (also the 4x100m) with an unprecedented time of 9.78. But wait just a minute. Johnsons' urine sample tested positive for Anabolic Steroids and the Worldwide Audience watched in disbelief as he was stripped of his title. In the period 1978-1988 no Professional sports League banned their athletes from using Anabolic Steroids. It is also a very naive assumption that only Ben Johnson used steroids at Seoul. He was however, one of the few that were caught.
This brings us to the argument, at what cost will a Country, Sport, Team, or Athlete go to in hiding rampant Steroid use in the name of winning Gold Medals, Championships, and pleasing to the eye statistics.
The Western World was condemning Eastern European training and conditioning methods; ie - impregnating their Women Athletes and aborting the fetus to raise estrogen levels, just prior to the meet. At the same time there were severe denials in the West, of rampant Steroid use (and it was widespread). This leads us to the quagmire that we face today. It wasn't until the early nineties that the N.F.L instituted a ban on steroids. Hockey (N.H.L) and Basketball (N.B.A) followed suit, only after embarrassments of Olympic Athlete's Jackie Joyner Kersee and Florence Griffiths amongst others during the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.
Major League Baseball however, buried their heads further into the sand. In the early part of the 21st Century it was noticeable that Ballplayers had bulked up, yet M.L.B Commissioner Bud Selig still didn't put together a full-scale ban on Steroids. In fact, after Mark McGuires' monster 1998 - 70 Homerun campaign, he admitted to using legal performance enhancing drugs. The owners seemingly only cared about Gate Revenue and mind boggling statistics, not the integrity of the game. Then came along Barry Bonds superlative 73 Home-run Campaign of 2001, and the press were never a Bonds advocate. This began the smear campaign on athlete's in Baseball. Finally, after the 2004 Campaign, Selig and the MLBPA signed an agreement to test athlete's for Steroids as a BANNED substance, and it finally became a banned substance in MLB.
In one fell swoop Superstars Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens amongst others were named in a farce of a Congressional hearing, and, continuing the denial that was put in place by MLBPA, Selig, and the Owners, one should at least context the time-frame of Steroids becoming illegal in Baseball, as a person can't be held accountable for using a 'legal' product on a whim of trying to look good to the American Public at a later date.
So here we are in mid-2011. Alex Rodriguez has admitted to failing a Steroids test in 2003. Does anyone really care at this point. There are not going to be any astericks next to his name, or to his numbers, as Steroids weren't even a banned substance when he tested positive in 2003. This is really just a statement of the decline of Modern Western Civilization at its' finest. Suck the air out of the best of the best to deflect attention from the simple fact that this cheating was documented 30 years ago. It's really a fantastic idea. Scapegoat those people that set the records for you, filled the Stadiums, and won you Championships and Titles, let them lose their jobs and be blacklisted from their collective Sports. Americanism at its' finest, passing the buck, a bureaucratic wet dream.
Americanism - By Moses
You can have, you can have it all, the ‘American Dream’. With enough money you can buy anything. Just a question, what would choose if you had to choose, your memory or a Billion U.S Dollars?
When you think about the pain associated to losing your memory, is there anything that can compensate you, even a Billion Dollars. I may be a silent’ minority, however, I would keep my memory.
The problem with Americanism is that there will always be a way to twist looking at things. For example- With a Billion Dollars you can buy the best Doctors to get back your memory. You could buy Elephants with a Billion Dollars. Hell, you don’t need your memory, with a Billion Dollars you’d be able to do whatever you wanted so memory loss wouldn’t matter anyway.
A few key points;
1) What is the likelihood of memory loss to your descendants?
2) How would you function?
3) Where did you put the money?
Americanism – Where there is a will there is a way – a farce.
The logic of wealth, aside from health, escapes my realm. Last I checked, the Creator of the Universe did not build the machines used to manufacture money, and if he did wouldn’t it be considered the Earth’s 8th greatest wonder.
What would happen if you had everything; A House, 20 cars, three Summer Villa’s, a Billion Dollars in the Bank. Then, the very next day, it was taken away from you and you had absolutely nothing. Would that be the end of the World?
What would you do to make sure this wouldn’t happen? Here’s what most people don’t understand. We are not able to control every factor that determines our fate. Control is an illusion. We all want it but you better believe that no human being has unlimited power. You can collect and collect, and accumulate fortunes, and then just when you think you’ve got it all there’s a Depression and your assets are worth nothing. Never live and die by a Dollar.
The young grow up wanting and the parents generally use discretion in trying not to spoil them. The problem is that the children learn that money buys you things. By the time a child turns 7 they’ve already come to the conclusion and realization that money will get them what they want. It’s a dangerous game for a child to have money in their hands. They know they can go out and buy a chocolate bar, ice cream, potato chips, it’s all there.
People have said for years that money is the root of all evil. People will turn on their friends when money is involved. It has turned into an epidemic. People generally socialize with those in the same socio-economic range. Where does this leave the poor? They essentially are rounded up into low-income housing (or Ghetto’s in virtual reality) with very few supports.
If money was taken out of the equation, people would be left with nothing to judge regarding another. Knowing that your neighbor has a lesser income doesn’t mean that they’re less of a person. Once this lesson is learned communities grow stronger.
Win! Push it!! Harder!!! You dickhead!!!! Don’t you know how to do it!!!!! My team will always win. Win, Win, Win. I don’t care if I have to manipulate for it.
Sometimes people get so caught up in the almighty win that they forget to have fun. ‘Kids’ love to play. They want to have fun. This should never be taken away from them. Everyone wants to perform at their best. Everyone wants to win. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, and that has to be okay. Parents today see that Professional Athlete’s are making Millions of Dollars and think that if they push their ‘kids’ hard enough that they can get them there (FALSE THINKING).
Here’s the dilemma. What do you tell your child if they aren’t good at sports? When they don’t make the team? Trying is one thing and this is what is important, encouraging a child to try at what they do. Unfortunately many parents can’t accept things that their children can and it adversely affects that child. It’s okay to be okay. When a child has fun playing this gives them a good feeling regarding sports. Parents have to stop looking at the Dollar sign of sports and refocus their energy into having fun with their ‘kids’.
Success isn’t a want. Nor is it getting what you want. It isn’t about the sexiest tattoo, nor is it about how many women you sleep with. Quality not quantity is imperative in this context. ‘It’s not having what you want it’s wanting what you’ve got’ (Sheryl Crow). I count my blessings each and every day, learning curves. The idea of learning one new thing a day builds, gains momentum, and takes an entity of its own. This inner confidence takes time to hone. A Billion Dollars doesn’t buy this, in fact, some of the wealthiest people on this planet are insecure (Howard Hughes comes to mind).
Trading craftsmanship for production is counterproductive. A well thought out business plan will always take precedent over ‘fads’. The question isn’t about how much money you take in a day, it’s about how long you’ll be around. In doing the little things you take care of the bigger picture. For a Baseball player, bunt the man over to third, or hit it to the right side to score the run. For a Basketball player, ‘lay a pick’ on your man. For a hockey player, win the puck from the boards. For a writer and musician, never give up your craft, likewise a carpenter and farmer. Life is work.
When you think about the pain associated to losing your memory, is there anything that can compensate you, even a Billion Dollars. I may be a silent’ minority, however, I would keep my memory.
The problem with Americanism is that there will always be a way to twist looking at things. For example- With a Billion Dollars you can buy the best Doctors to get back your memory. You could buy Elephants with a Billion Dollars. Hell, you don’t need your memory, with a Billion Dollars you’d be able to do whatever you wanted so memory loss wouldn’t matter anyway.
A few key points;
1) What is the likelihood of memory loss to your descendants?
2) How would you function?
3) Where did you put the money?
Americanism – Where there is a will there is a way – a farce.
The logic of wealth, aside from health, escapes my realm. Last I checked, the Creator of the Universe did not build the machines used to manufacture money, and if he did wouldn’t it be considered the Earth’s 8th greatest wonder.
What would happen if you had everything; A House, 20 cars, three Summer Villa’s, a Billion Dollars in the Bank. Then, the very next day, it was taken away from you and you had absolutely nothing. Would that be the end of the World?
What would you do to make sure this wouldn’t happen? Here’s what most people don’t understand. We are not able to control every factor that determines our fate. Control is an illusion. We all want it but you better believe that no human being has unlimited power. You can collect and collect, and accumulate fortunes, and then just when you think you’ve got it all there’s a Depression and your assets are worth nothing. Never live and die by a Dollar.
The young grow up wanting and the parents generally use discretion in trying not to spoil them. The problem is that the children learn that money buys you things. By the time a child turns 7 they’ve already come to the conclusion and realization that money will get them what they want. It’s a dangerous game for a child to have money in their hands. They know they can go out and buy a chocolate bar, ice cream, potato chips, it’s all there.
People have said for years that money is the root of all evil. People will turn on their friends when money is involved. It has turned into an epidemic. People generally socialize with those in the same socio-economic range. Where does this leave the poor? They essentially are rounded up into low-income housing (or Ghetto’s in virtual reality) with very few supports.
If money was taken out of the equation, people would be left with nothing to judge regarding another. Knowing that your neighbor has a lesser income doesn’t mean that they’re less of a person. Once this lesson is learned communities grow stronger.
Win! Push it!! Harder!!! You dickhead!!!! Don’t you know how to do it!!!!! My team will always win. Win, Win, Win. I don’t care if I have to manipulate for it.
Sometimes people get so caught up in the almighty win that they forget to have fun. ‘Kids’ love to play. They want to have fun. This should never be taken away from them. Everyone wants to perform at their best. Everyone wants to win. Sometimes it doesn’t happen, and that has to be okay. Parents today see that Professional Athlete’s are making Millions of Dollars and think that if they push their ‘kids’ hard enough that they can get them there (FALSE THINKING).
Here’s the dilemma. What do you tell your child if they aren’t good at sports? When they don’t make the team? Trying is one thing and this is what is important, encouraging a child to try at what they do. Unfortunately many parents can’t accept things that their children can and it adversely affects that child. It’s okay to be okay. When a child has fun playing this gives them a good feeling regarding sports. Parents have to stop looking at the Dollar sign of sports and refocus their energy into having fun with their ‘kids’.
Success isn’t a want. Nor is it getting what you want. It isn’t about the sexiest tattoo, nor is it about how many women you sleep with. Quality not quantity is imperative in this context. ‘It’s not having what you want it’s wanting what you’ve got’ (Sheryl Crow). I count my blessings each and every day, learning curves. The idea of learning one new thing a day builds, gains momentum, and takes an entity of its own. This inner confidence takes time to hone. A Billion Dollars doesn’t buy this, in fact, some of the wealthiest people on this planet are insecure (Howard Hughes comes to mind).
Trading craftsmanship for production is counterproductive. A well thought out business plan will always take precedent over ‘fads’. The question isn’t about how much money you take in a day, it’s about how long you’ll be around. In doing the little things you take care of the bigger picture. For a Baseball player, bunt the man over to third, or hit it to the right side to score the run. For a Basketball player, ‘lay a pick’ on your man. For a hockey player, win the puck from the boards. For a writer and musician, never give up your craft, likewise a carpenter and farmer. Life is work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
