$60 Billion Stolen/Squandered Rebuilding Iraq

As you pay your taxes this year rest assured that your money was spent wisely by qualified professionals on things that will benefit you as a citizen and the country at large. Okay that’s what would happen in a perfect world but in our world what really happened, well just one thing that happened, was that your money was squandered and stolen in the rebuilding of Iraq to the tune of 6o billion dollars in the last ten years according to a new report. Yes, that’s billion with a “B”.

Now you might say that sucks but considering the existence of $600 toilet seats showing up on past government budgets you might think that somehow with everybody paying their taxes that my share will be very small. Unfortunately that’s not exactly true. As the years rolled by on these wars and the costs mounted, more and more of that burden was placed on you, the working person. Corporations and the wealthy are paying less and less. Which means you will pay more and more. And we’re talking about an amount substantially more than a few $600 toilet seats. As a matter of fact, the reports of fraud from these wars come out in drips and drabs. And they’re all astonishing in their amounts. But if we were to see a real number of the absolute total all together, it would boggle the mind, I’m sure.

And That’s Only The Construction Fraud. Then There Was This…

So what happens to these people responsible for this? Well nothing. They continue in their well paying government jobs. Enjoying their perks and benefits. Yes they may have to look like a deer in the headlights once in a while in front of some congressional show/hearing. But for the most part. Nothing. And their contractor friends who made off with the cash. Well we don’t even know who they are do we? But one thing is for certain. You will be paying the cost. General Electric, Mitt Romney, Dick Cheney to name but a few, will not.

You may have noticed that the IRS has done some hiring in the past few years. Why do you suppose that is? To make sure you replace all this money that’s being stolen, that’s why. Somebody has to replace it. It might as well be you. And why not you? You are an easy target. If you are a working person chances are pretty slim you have a fully staffed legal department figuring out loopholes and offshore banking benefits for you. I don’t know about you but buying a congressman was a little outside my budget last year so NO LOOPHOLES FOR YOU! But hey, at least we have a job. You know, that job where you’re working twice as hard for half of what you made ten years ago. Yeah that one. Be thankful. Some don’t even have that. But the fact is you and I are going to be hunted down like coyotes by the IRS if we don’t pay our unfair share of taxes to pay for the loss from these criminal enterprises.

But this is America! Yes, this is America. And if you haven’t figured it out yet, let me break it down for you. The politicians are going to help their friends (let’s call them businessmen) steal money. Lots of money. In return the politician will get his cut. The politician does this for his friend the businessman because the businessman paid the cost to put him in his nice cushy job which enables him to take his cut from the thief. See how that works? Like a big happy circle. Sure the politician will sprinkle a few dollars there and a few dollars here so the public is convinced that good things are just around the corner for them. Hell, they might even get a tax stimulus check for $100 if they’re lucky. Very lucky. Don’t spend that all in one place now commoner. But when tax time rolls around. You, my friend will be left holding the bag. It is you who will be paying that money back. Not Mr. Businessman and certainly not Mr. Politician.

It amazes me that this goes on every day and people just turn a blind eye to it. If someone stole your grocery cart on the way out of WalMart you’d be screaming bloody murder but when the government does it…Oh well. But part of the reason is easy to see. If they put you on the R side and me on the D side and give us some silly non-important things to argue over we will never be a united front. It will never be one mass of people standing up for any cause. Even their own right and just cause will go unanswered because there will be some points of it that will not be agreed to by all and certain parties will make sure to highlight those points and magnify them. So the key here is if you are tired of paying for these criminals (and they are criminals, every last one) make peace with your neighbor. Turn off the TV. Focus on what makes us the same instead of what makes us different. And if you’re lost for what makes us the same, we are all dupes. That should be enough. Stand together and this problem could be solved and life could be good for all. Keep the status quo and watch out for the taxman because he’s coming. Oh yes he’s coming.

Do We Really Need A Congress?

So now we are in sequester. Sounds like a jury order. Neither side can come to agreement and the Congress is at a stalemate. Republicans want to cut services and spending while Democrats want the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes to help pay for those services.

We did not get to be the greatest nation in the world by letting our people starve in the streets. There is abundance for everyone here in America (and in the entire world if truth be told). No American should be homeless or unfed. There is a safety net but there are without a doubt problems with the system. Do some people take advantage of the system? Sure they do. And more should be done to identify those people and correct the problem. But it is impossible to just remove the safety net and let people fend for themselves. It is impossible because it goes against the principles of a just and civilized society. These things happen in third world countries. Not the richest nation in the world.

So why are we in this situation? This didn’t just happen overnight. This has been going on for a very long time. Pretty much since the ink dried on the Declaration of Independence. There have always been those with wealth who live and breath for more wealth. I suppose you could call that human nature. But the difference is that the game in this casino called life used to be a lot more fair. A lot easier for the casual player to get into so to speak. Now the odds are heavily stacked against the player and for the house. To such a degree that it is almost downright thievery. If Vegas casinos held the same odds no one would ever go because no one would ever win. Unfortunately, we have no choice in going to this casino. And the house knows that.

Corporations have bought and sold Congressmen forever. This is nothing new. If the insurance lobby wants new laws passed in their favor they buy a Congressman to make that happen. Maybe it just wasn’t quite as out in the open as it is now. Now not only is it out in the open but they actually build activist groups to make it look as though they are doing something for the people rather than rigging the game (ie-Teaparty). They have built 24 hour propaganda networks to convince the unwary that although it looks like we’re rigging the game, we’re not and the other side is just saying that to make us look bad. Countless talking heads spread pre-determined talking points created by propaganda specialists and recite these over and over to their listeners much like teachers used to teach times tables. “Do you remember what 2X2 is Johnny?” Johnny answers with a glazed look,  “Yes, Teacher I do, it is 4.” So the game has changed. It has gotten much more sophisticated and the stakes have also raised considerably.

There’s money in those war machines! The money barons figured that out a long time ago. War=Money. There’s any number of ways to make money off of war. Prescott Bush (grand daddy) even figured out how to do it by laundering Nazi money while Rockefeller sold them fuel additives. Interesting to note these two families went on to hold the highest offices in the United States in later years (see how it works yet?). There’s only one thing that is better than a war when it comes to raking in the dough and that is two wars. What a windfall! But what would we need to start two wars? Congressional approval, of course. And how do we get that? Money. Lots and lots of money. Don’t worry, there will be plenty for everyone once we get this thing going. You know, boots on the ground. The sky’s the limit. Hardware, ammunition, aerospace, logistics, you name it. Oh Halliburton had a field day. So what the Vice President used to be it’s CEO. No conflicts there I’m sure. And once again we come down to the common denominator- Congress.

It should by now, be painting a much clearer picture for you dear reader. These scams go on ad-nauseam. Whether it’s the banking industry, insurance, medical. Anywhere there’s money to be made, you’ll find a Congressman with their hand out. But isn’t Congress supposed to represent us, the people? Yes they are. So why do “the people” let this go on? That’s a very good question to which I don’t have a very good answer. I ask that same question over and over again myself. Perhaps it’s not knowing what to do to change it. Or the fact that they have been fed propaganda for so long they think that a Congress of elected officials is necessary. It was when it took months to get from one end of the country to the other but is it really necessary now?

Today we have TV, Internet, telephones, cellphones, videophones, satellite communications, cars and jets. We’ve pretty much got the time lapse of communication licked. Why do we need a group of greedy financial prostitutes to represent us on the issues? Why can’t “we the people” vote on our own issues? Electronic voting not reliable enough you say? Then why are we using it to elect our President and other elected officials? I understand there are some things that must be held secret for national security. That could be accomplished in other ways. But for the other issues that affect the people of these United States, there is no reason they couldn’t be involved and vote on their own issues. I’ve heard the argument that some people would not want to trust the judgment of the average Joe with deciding on important matters. I think I’d take that over someone voting on the side of the biggest payoff any day. Educating regular people on the intricacies of an issue could not be any harder than teaching a Congressman looking for a payoff. Perhaps easier. We have the technology. Secure voting devices could be produced (hopefully by someone other than Diebold). This could be accomplished. We have smart patriotic people who don’t deserve what our current form of government is dishing out. We need to get rid of these government prostitutes once and for all and let people run this country instead of corporations. It’s the least we deserve. We must determine our own fate.

My Windows 8 Upgrade Experience

I should begin this post by telling you why I want Windows 8 in the first place. I am completely invested in the Microsoft ecosystem. I was an early adopter of Zune, Windows Phone, and Xbox 360. So all of my hardware works together. Early on I knew this was Microsoft's vision of creating products which work together to provide the user with a seamless experience and that appealed to me very much. I like stuff that works like it should and the fact that it all worked together made it all the more appealing.

Several years ago Microsoft introduced the Windows Phone and it's Live Tile concept. Smart tiles which were connected to real time information which would flip and reveal updates as they happened without the need to open an app to see current updates. Prior to that they introduced simplistic menu designs in both Zune and the Xbox 360 which came to be known as Metro. In time these innovations were brought together to create Windows 8.

When I saw the ad for the $39.99 upgrade to Windows 8 of course I had to have it. I clicked on the upgrade advisor and in no time found out that most everything I had on this early Windows 7 eMachine was compatible with Windows 8. The upgrade advisor provided me with a way to pay my $39.99 and before I knew it I was downloading Windows 8.

When the download completed, which took a surprisingly very short time, I was asked how I wanted to upgrade. I could choose to keep all my apps, settings and personal files. Or I could keep just my personal files. Or finally I could just install Windows 8 and keep nothing. I chose the first option to keep everything. I will tell you that in my case, this choice presented a glitch. After going through the upgrade process for about an hour, it finally told me there was a problem and the installation would be rolled back to my previous version of Windows. So I waited for the installation to roll back and went through the installation again only this time I selected to just keep my personal files. After about an hour, this installation went without a hitch. So there I was in Windows 8.

I had never used Windows 8 before so this was all new to me. I will say that on the surface to the new user, Windows 8 is radically different. Which I would guess is why there is the negativity toward anything that is new or different. But because I am a long time user of the Windows Phone, it was a familiar layout. The new start screen is basically just like the start screen of a Windows Phone and to me, one of it's most useful and attractive features. On it, I can pin apps and people tiles. Some apps have smart tiles which will for example, flip and give me the current weather or news. Some show me if I have a message from Facebook or Skype. Some are people tiles which I can pin and they will flip and show me the latest post on Twitter or Facebook that the person posted. I can also click on a person's tile and it will give me all of their contact links to easily message the person or post to their Facebook, etc. As with the Windows Phone, I can eliminate sorting through feeds to find the updates that interest me most and easily see the updates I want to see. So basically, everything I want to see, news, weather, posts, pictures, etc, is all right there at a glance on my start screen. All updated in real time. No need to open apps or search feeds.

What many people don't understand, I think, is that behind the start screen is the familiar Windows that we all are familiar with. There are some differences to be sure. The program menu (Windows Icon) in the lower left corner is gone. Menus are accessed in different ways but for the most part, it's still the Windows format that you know. You can click an icon on the live tile start screen and immediately be taken to the Windows desktop.

There are many other features to Windows 8. Too many to go into in this post. I just wanted to give you an overall view of the upgrade experience and a brief summary of what to expect. I was given the option during installation to burn the installation to DVD which I did do. But I didn't use it and opted to let the upgrade advisor perform the upgrade. With the exception of the one glitch, the process was very easy and required minimal interaction. Overall, I am very happy with Windows 8. The system runs very stable on this old eMachine and I consider it a major improvement over past versions. I can't say how the upgrade would perform on older machines as you are able to perform this upgrade on both Vista and XP machines as well, but on mine it performs very well. In my opinion, for $40, it is a very good investment. The $39.99 upgrade offer is valid through the end of January 2013.

One final thing I would like to add which is no fault of Microsoft is there is no Win8 driver for my Linksys Wireless USB network adapter at this time. How Linksys/Cisco, one of the world's largest network technology companies did not have their drivers written in time for this OS is beyond me but...It wasn't a problem for me as I just wired directly to the modem for now until they come out with a compatible driver. I am told Windows 7 drivers will work but I have not tried that yet. So if that is an issue for you, you may want to check that out before proceeding. All other drivers worked perfectly.

Have you used the new Socl network yet?

http://www.so.cl/about

Capitalism is what you make it

Scenario A

Once there was an entrepreneur who wanted to start The Acme Widget Company in Anytown, USA and his goal was to meet the national and global demand for the finest widgets available. He would open a widget factory and hire the finest workers he could find to manufacture widgets. All the best workers would want to work for him because he would pay a fair wage for their talents. He would take a fair amount for himself as the owner but instead of a huge salary maybe he could live comfortably on a more modest one. At least for now as his company grew. His workers would enjoy good working conditions and benefits and because they were happy and treated fairly would in turn provide the widget company with the best they could offer by way of innovative design and manufacture of widgets. His workers would enjoy a decent standard of living and could provide things for their families like a college education for their kids and a vacation for the family. They would be able to afford higher quality American made goods and wouldn't have to buy cheap goods from China at Wal-Mart. People would come from far and wide to work for the Acme Widget Company and business would boom because they would make only the finest widgets available.  The entire company would take pride in the company and want to protect their place in it and likewise the owner would depend on his excellent workforce to turn out these fine widgets so it would become a win-win for both.  Because of the great success of the widget company they were able to grow and create a great balance sheet and in the spirit of mutual dependence and gratitude the owner would make retirement pensions available for all the great people who helped make the widget company great.  He was able to do this and still make a fair profit on his risk in opening the widget company because in reality, how many vacation homes does one need? To the owner, his employees made him his fortune and it was important to him to see that those who helped make his company great were taken care of.  Anytown, USA profited as well because the well paid workers at Acme were able to buy well made American goods which created a need in Anytown which in turn brought other businesses there to supply that need. These businesses seeing the great success of Acme in relation to their employees in turn paid their employees a fair wage which created more need and the cycle went on.  Soon Anytown, USA was growing also, building new homes, collecting tax revenue from new businesses  and enjoying low taxes because the workers did not need to depend on tax supported programs to provide or supplement their medical and income needs. Soon this great wave of prosperity was flowing out of Anytown and into all the surrounding cities and counties and soon the entire state. Because of capitalism, this one man was able to change the economics of an entire region.

 

Scenario B

Once there was an entrepreneur who wanted to start The Acme Widget Company in Anytown, USA and his goal was to meet the national and global demand for the finest widgets available. He would open a widget factory and hire the finest workers he could find to manufacture widgets. He was able to find talented employees but because he wanted to produce a large profit, he would pay them sub standard wages and they either didn't stay long or didn't fully utilize their talents. The owner of the company made a very large salary because he put his capital at risk and felt he should reap great rewards in the spirit of capitalism.  Because of his employee problems he was not able to produce the best widgets in the world but there was a market for even mediocre widgets and by looking at them no one could tell. And because people only bought a few widgets in a lifetime it didn't matter if customers were dissatisfied and were only one time buyers. As a matter of fact, to increase profits, his widget company started to design the widgets with "planned obsolescence" so that the widgets would break prematurely and people would have to buy new ones much sooner. Hopefully one of his.  He eventually moved his manufacturing divisions to Mexico and China in order to be able to produce the widgets at a low enough cost to be able to sell them to Wal-Mart and increase his market. His only US division, the administrative division in Anytown,  had clerical jobs and were paid well below the national average so that he could increase profits and reap the rewards of his capital investment so many years before. He had acquired great wealth and owned many expensive homes and luxuries. His children went to the finest schools. Unfortunately, his workers in Anytown were forced to turn to taxpayer supported programs to provide even the most modest healthcare, food and living needs due to their low pay. When his employees were too old or sick to work anymore they were forced to turn to taxpayer supported programs in order to live because there were no retirement or insurance programs offered by his company. This of course raised the taxes in Anytown and because of the high taxes no people or companies wanted to move to Anytown. Because his manufacturing divisions were moved out of the US,  Anytown also lost all the tax revenue that would have been generated by those facilities. The people of Anytown struggled to make a living and keep their jobs at the widget company because that was the only employment to be found in Anytown. They could only afford to rent a home and there wasn't much need to build any new ones because people were just not moving to Anytown. Their kids couldn't afford to go to college and that was probably ok because there were no high skilled or technical jobs at the US division anyway. Those were all outsourced to India and cost the company very little in comparison to US wages. The government of Anytown eventually had to lay off all their employees and close their schools, fire departments and police departments. The owner of the Acme Widget Company responded by building a big security fence around his home and hired security personnel. In interviews he would say that the Anytown worker is lazy and overpaid and because he and his company were being overtaxed, he couldn't afford to expand his business in Anytown and hire more people. He held many lavish parties for his wealthy friends and they all drank a toast to capitalism.

What Memories!

2012 Summer Olympics

Sent from my Windows Phone