Inviting Fraud

The California legislature has passed an initiative that would award the state's electoral votes to the popular vote winner.

Some have already rightly voiced concerns that it would cause politicians to concentrate on the urban areas and neglect the concerns of rural areas. Some Republicans think it would help them, but it could invite more fraud.

Currently, if there is fraud going on in Louisana, the most the fraud can do is help with Louisana's electoral votes. Additionaly if in Ohio, subversives efforts to create fraud do not succed, then there is nothing more the subversives can do.

With the new system, the strong ethics of the people of Ohio wouldn't matter. All they have to do is pump votes into Louisiana and it would have a national effect.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The California Legislature passed a bill that would give California's 55 electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote, rather than the candidate who captured the state — but for now, the measure stands a slim chance of becoming reality.

That's because it could go into effect only if states with a combined total of 270 electoral votes — the number now required to win the presidency — agree to the same process.

Similar legislation is pending in Colorado, Illinois, Louisiana and Missouri — which have a combined 50 electoral votes. With California's 55, the legislation would still be less than halfway there......... AP via Yahoo

Labor as a Commodity

Some on the right may wonder why some Republicans support unfettered illegal immigration. Are they all in the pockets of big business who want to underpay workers or skirt taxes? Not necessarily.

Some have bought into the economic idea that labor is a commodity that should only be regulated by market forces. Workers can come into the country and work whatever jobs they can get. If there is not enough jobs, they'll leave the country and go somewhere else. They won't publically admit it, but think that borders and culture are irrelevent in today's world. All other issues do not matter, economics is king.

They live in a dream world. People are not commodities. If the new models of Sony computers don't work, people won't buy them. However, if labor from another country doesn't work, they can sit and collect welfare. They can drain service. Good luck sending them home. Sony computer's don't come with baggage either. The only Sony exports that might explode are their batteries.

Robert Kiyosaki's Swindle

Get Rich Quick schemes come in all shapes and colors and they extend beyond pyramid, ponzi, or shell games. Some are even just want to sell you a worthless book. Enter Robert Kiyosaki. Nearly ten years ago, John purchased a couple of his books and was impressed. A few months later, I read one and was instantly impressed as well. Oooh making money was so easy! Wow! You get excited. At the same time, I was getting excited, John was starting to think he was full of shit and, yes, John is right. Real Estate author John T Reed also thinks he's full of shit and has done a splenid job explaining why.

Now Kiyosaki is a columnists on Yahoo Finance and in an article he is claiming that poor people are evil. I invite anyone interested to read the whole article. My thoughts: So for someone who only claims to believe in only a "Great Spirit" clings greatly to one Parable in the Book of Matthew to judge the poor as evil. He then misinterprets the Parable (nor can he tie it into the messages of other parables.) Kiyosaki says the message is that poor are "evil and lazy", but "poor" is a relative term. (There are poor in Harlem, but they have electricty, TVs, and phones...compare that to the poor in Africa.) The man with only two talents is praised for turning into four and the praise he receives is no less than the man who turns his five into ten. However, by comparison, the man who started with two is poor compared to the man who started with five. It is the man who doesn't do anything with the talent he is given, whom is criticized. So the action, not result is what is being criticized.

As final note, he leaves a disclaimer that you may interpret differently. How nice. Can I now claim that Schindler's List was the best comedy ever but leave a note saying that you may have interpreted it differently. That'll make it all better. Wow, how grand!

If the No. 1 reason people aren't rich is because they're lazy, the No. 2 reason may be that they're also wicked....For now, this week I derive much of its inspiration from the Bible. Since money and religion are controversial subjects, I should clarify my religious position: I prefer the Native American Indian term "Great Spirit" as a more approachable reference to God...While I'm no Bible scholar, I'm going to use a passage from the New Testament book of Mathew to illustrate my point about wickedness and the lack of wealth. If I misinterpret its message or don't follow your interpretation I mean no harm, nor do I claim to speak for God.

I draw my politically incorrect message from the parable of a master who, before leaving to travel, gave one of his servants five talents (a valuable unit of currency), another servant two talents, and a third servant one talent. When the master returned, the first servant had doubled his money and gave his master 10 talents....The third servant was frightened of his master, so instead of multiplying the money he buried his single talent. To this servant the master said, "You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest."

The master then took the servant's one talent and gave it to the servant who had turned 5 talents into 10. The parable ends with these words: "For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

My politically incorrect interpretation of this parable is that the poor are wicked and slothful -- in other words, evil and lazy. My favorite line from it is "Enter into the joy of your master." If your master is God, then God's joy is the abundance derived from making money, which in turn creates more abundance. If that means God doesn't like poor people, then so be it....But this isn't what the Parable of the Talents says; I interpret it to say that the poor are evil and lazy. Your interpretation may be different.... Kiyosaki on Yahoo Finance

Stage One Thinking in Iraq

Marines are not "re-upping" their active duty contracts? Why not? Hmmm.... maybe because they risk the dual fears of being killed or being put on trial for shooting someone charging at them who later turned out not to his gun actually loaded. When Marines are accused of "murder" by some Iraqi, they are immediately thrown in the brig. The President doesn't say anything, not even to remind the public that they are innocent until proven guilty. Bush makes a political calculation to avoid criticism. This is called Stage One Thinking (coined by T. Sowell). "I say nothing, so then I don't get criticized." However he is never asked, "what happens then?"

The President repeating asks for our support for the war, but at the same time fights a politically correct war. He said that we would not kowtow to terrorists, but made deals with Muqtada Al-Sadr...who is continuing to be a cause of violence. Iwannajihad in Iran can smell the weakness. No doubt Bush has had a tough time being criticized at every turn, but only someone that can succeed despite such criticism is a great leader.

Note: I will add a disclaimer here that Bush is at least better than any of the major alternatives we have had in the past 6 years, how just because we don't like the D's and F's doesn't mean we have to settle for a C+.

WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps will soon begin ordering thousands of its troops back to active duty because of a shortage of volunteers for Iraq and Afghanistan - the first involuntary recall since the early days of the war.

Up to 2,500 Marines will be brought back at a time, and there is no cap on the total number who may be forced back into service as the military helps fight the war on terror. The call-ups will begin in the next several months....

As of Tuesday, nearly 22,000 of the 138,000 troops in Iraq were Marines.

The call-up will affect Marines in the Individual Ready Reserve, a segment of the reserves that consists mainly of those who have left active duty but still have time remaining on their eight-year military obligations.....

Useful Idiots

The old saying goes, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Many liberals think they are doing right, but are actually creating harm.

I recently had an email exchange with a friend of a friend who sent out a mass email saying that she was angry with Israel because Hizbollah had attacked them. She agreed that Hizbollah was bad, and "something had to be done about them", BUT when I twice asked "what should Israel do about the rockets being fired from civilian areas) and the two kidnapped Israelis?", she never had a direct answer. Now she's not a bad person, but she's been gulled into believing one arguement based on misplaced ideals and false assumptions. Usually these good hearted, but naive "do-gooder" liberals are being used into becoming tools of Communists and their fellow fifth columnists. However, when someone throws logic at them, they don't know what to do. This is the point at which liberals usually raise their voice and try to shout you down with repeated platitudes like "Israel is evil." Over email, it's easier to duck the question.

The following is part of one of my emails. My goal wasn't to try to immediate persuade her, but to get her thinking about other things:

I feel bad for the average Palestinian, but when formulating your thoughts on a solution, consider these other points:

• Israelis neighbors attacked them in 1948 and lost.If I took $100 to a casino and lost it on the roulette wheel, I couldn't demand my money back. If Israel had lost in 1948 do we even want to consider that the Arabs would be half as nice to the Jews?

• Palestinians are actually pawns used by the surrounding Arab countries. While Jewish refugees kicked out of Arab lands were always welcome in Israel, Palestinian refugees were always kept in refugee camps. They could be allowed to settle, but aren't allowed to by their "host" country. So the Arab countries get to show off the suffering Palestinians to the world media as an example of the evils of Israel.

• Israel has given back the Gaza Strip. The Israelis left them greenhouses to grow roses to sell in Europe, but the Palestinians sacked and looted the greenhouses. Then they kidnapped an Israeli soldier and fired rockets into Israel proper. Is Israel responsible for this?

• Keeping the current strife keeps foriegn aid dollars rolling in to the leaders of PLO. Forbes reported that Arafat, before he croaked, was worth $200 million, and his wife Sura lived high on the hog in Paris... all the while the average Palestinian lived in squalor. Perpetual victim-hoom is quite profitable. Do you really think that they would get the aid and the attention they get now if there was real sustained peace?

• Scores of Palestianians that try to work peacefully with Israelis are called "collaborators" and killed by the Palestinians gangs or after sham trials. Even Amnesty Intl reported on this (http://web.amnesty.org/report2003/pse-summary-eng)

• Palestinian Christians have not resorted to terrorism even though they are just as occupied as Muslims. If fact, they are persecuted by the Muslim neighbors. Even worse, in 1995 the control of Bethelhem was switched from being under Jerusalem to the Palestinian "Authority." Since the Oslo Accords, (when most control of West Bank and Gaza was transferred to the PLO), Palestinians Christians have since been abused by marauding bands of Muslim gangs. They, have had their land seized from them, and many have emmigrated. When I was in Bethlehem in 1997, there were still a lot of Christians, selling goods, etc, but I hear almost all are gone.

So Palestinians are tools but they are mainly tools of the surrounding countries and the Palestinian "leadership." A democracy is allowed to work only when its people are educated in what a democracy is, and really allowed to campaign and vote on the issues. The Palestinians had sham elections, where they could choose between the devil and the deep blue sea. Do you think an outspoken free thinker calling for sustainable peace with Israel would be allowed to speak or shot?

Airlines in Trouble

I think that the new security measures will be damaging to the airlines. Al-Reuters reports that the new rules, including the banning of liquids and increased checks will make flying even more annoying. Well, duh. I almost feel bad for the airlines. People are going to avoid traveling because of the increased hassles. I know I'll put it off unless I absolutely have to fly.

My suggestion to the airlines: Raise ticket prices slightly, but bring back some amenities. Maybe one complimentary drink or something more than a "snack" on shorter domestic flights. I'm not so sure people will mind an extra $20-$30 in the ticket price if they feel they are being treated right when they get on the plane. The airport is bad enough.

Also, TSA, please start profiling. Who blows up buildings in the name of Allah? Not six year old girls! Not old black ladies in wheelchairs. To avoid the appearance of profiling the TSA is deliberately profiling the WRONG people in their security checks. Wake up people.

Finally, I've always been fascinated with history and to think how man dreamed of taking to the skies for centuries and when it finally occurred first in the late 1800s in the form of balloons and dirigibles and then in the 1920s and 1930s as fixed-wing aircraft it was this wonderful adventure. Now a scant 70 years later it is viewed as a colossal annoyance.

Phony Stock 202

What's with the recent wave of junk email phony stocks? Last week I received an email about egly.ob, whose financials I disected as fradualent. Last week it was the stock to be immediately bought at $0.99. Wow, it sucks for people who bought it. They lost 1/3 of their money.



I got another junk email stock solicitation. This one for smkg.pk. It's been trading for 5 days at less than a quarter a share. Unfortunately, there is no other data. A search for the CEO, Massimo Barone shows that he sold 6000 shares of stock in a company called COBB.OB for $5400 in 2001. That stock no longer exists. Sounds like classic "pump and dump" scheme.

Absolut Islam

Taxes and Privacy Violation Disguised as Safety

Democrats and liberals always want to be known as privacy-loving, so why are they always tying to invade our privacy. In Britian, this is known as the nanny state. Now, I don't have a lovefest with Republicans but with regards to the Patriot Act, all we ever heard from Democrats was "invasion of privacy", etc. Houston, with Democratic mayor Bill White, is installing red light traffic cameras, effective September 1st. They will be first located at the intersections listed below.

Now I don't think Bill White, is an invade your privacy kind-of-guy. However, I think he is a stealth tax kinda guy... let's disguise a tax as a safety issue guy. Nonetheless, cameras everywhere are disconcerting invasion of privacy.

The cameras only take pictures of your license plate and then mail you a ticket. Great! However, there are several circumstances where you are not even driving. If you lend someone your car, have it stolen, or perhaps the repairman need to take the car for a test drive. You have to waste lots of time fighting the ticket. What is the light turns yellow at a awkward time and there is a vehicle behind you tailgaiting? If you slam on the brakes you risk getting rear-ended. Finally at least I can sleep well knowing that I can trust the government, never ever ever to reduce the timing of the yellow light in order to catch more people and get more taxes.


North Side

• JFK at Greens Road

Downtown

• Brazos at Elgin
  Pease at LaBranch
  Travis at Webster
  Elgin at Milam

Southwest

• Hillcroft at Richmond
  Richmond at Dunvale
  Hillcroft at Harwin
  Bellaire at Wilcrest

Clear Lake

• Bay Area Blvd at El Camino Real

The Forgotten Amendment

The most underappreciated amendment in the Constitution must be the poor old 10th amendment. Everyone ignores it and no one pays attention to it. It reads:

"The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

So how do we get a Department of Education with a massive $56 billion federal budget. There is no Constitutional justification for the Federal government to be in the education business. This is a power not delegated to the federal government. The deficit could be closed by $56 billion. This is not because I don't care about education... it's that the schools are run by the towns are overseen by the states. What value does the Federal government add? What do they do with the $56 billion? There are approximately 130 million taxpayers. That would be an average of $430 per taxpayer. Can I have my money back?

The Department of Education is only one of many examples where the 10th amendment is ignored.

More Border Insanity

Sometimes I wonder if the US is like Rome in 200 AD. The US agents called the smuggler? They gave him immunity? They give an illegal drug smuggler constitutional rights? Agents have to get permission to drive faster than the speed limit? This is insanity! Are people on the take? Are laws designed purposely to thwart law enforcement?

When Border Patrol Agent Ignacio Ramos pulled the trigger last February, all he knew was that his partner was lying on the ground behind him – bloodied from a struggle with a fleeing suspect – shots had been fired and now, it appeared, the drug smuggler he was pursuing had turned toward him with what looked to be a gun in his hand....

On February 17, he responded to a request for back up from agent Jose Alonso Compean, 28, who noticed a suspicious van near the levee road along the Rio Grande River near the Texas town of Fabens, about 40 miles east of El Paso.
Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila does not have constitutional rights. He's not a citizen, not in country legally, and is a drug smuggler....

Behind the wheel of the van was an illegal alien, Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila of Mexico. Unknown to the growing number of Border Patrol agents converging on Fabens, Aldrete-Davila's van was carrying 800 pounds of marijuana.

Unable to outrun Ramos and the third agent, Aldrete-Davila stopped the van on the levee, jumped out and started running toward the river. When he reached the other side of the levee, he was met by Compean who had anticipated the smuggler's attempt to get back to Mexico.

"We both yelled out for him to stop, but he wouldn't stop, and he just kept running," Ramos said. Aldrete-Davila crossed a canal.

"At some point during the time where I'm crossing the canal, I hear shots being fired," Ramos said. "Later, I see Compean on the ground, but I keep running after the smuggler."

At that point, Ramos said, Aldrete-Davila turned toward him, pointing what looked like a gun.

"I shot," Ramos said. "But I didn't think he was hit, because he kept running into the brush and then disappeared into it. Later, we all watched as he jumped into a van waiting for him. He seemed fine. It didn't look like he had been hit at all." ...

Over two weeks after the incident, Christopher Sanchez, an investigator with the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General, received a call from a Border Patrol agent in Wilcox, Ariz. The agent's mother-in-law had received a call from Aldrete-Davila's mother in Mexico telling her that her son had been wounded in the buttocks in the shooting.

Sanchez followed up with a call of his own to the smuggler in Mexico.

In a move that still confuses Ramos and Compean, the U.S. government filed charges against them after giving full immunity to Aldrete-Davila and paying for his medical treatment at an El Paso hospital.

At trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Debra Kanof told the court that the agents had violated an unarmed Aldrete-Davila's civil rights.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled it is a violation of someone's Fourth Amendment rights to shoot them in the back while fleeing if you don't know who they are and/or if you don't know they have a weapon," said Kanof.

Kanof dismissed Ramos' testimony that he had seen something shiny in the smuggler's hand, saying that the agent couldn't be sure it was a gun he had seen.

Further, Kanof argued, it was a violation of Border Patrol policy for agents to pursue fleeing suspects.

"Agents are not allowed to pursue. In order to exceed the speed limit, you have to get supervisor approval, and they did not," she said...

The El Paso Sheriff's Department has increased its patrols around the Ramos home. The family is receiving threats from people they believe are associated with Aldrete-Davila. WND

Phony Stock 101

Yesterday, I recieved this email advertizing this stock. While the first clue that the stock could be fraudulent is receiving an advertizement over email, I decided to look it up. Ever-Glory International is found on Yahoo Finance.

Looking at their income statement, they had no real financials for 2004, but in 2005 they supposedly made a profit of $1,044,000 on $10,814,000. Now if you look at their balance sheet, they had no retained earnings or shareholder's equity in 2004, but suddently have $4,450,000 in retained earnings. Retained earnings is profit not distributed to the shareholders. So with a million in profit, they were able to save 4 million? Hmmm... Sounds fishy to me!