Promoting Hate Crimes and Home Invasions

When I first read the Second Amendment Foundation e-newsletter below, I was a bit skeptical.  I mean, law-abiding gun owning citizens should be able to expect as much respect and privacy as any other citizen, right?

Apparently not.  The Gannett owned Journal News covering Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties in New York State has chosen to demonize gun owners, instill fear in county residents, and promote home invasions and hate crimes.  The method used was to publish a detailed list of permit holders, their addresses, and an interactive map (with satellite view option) showing the exact location of those residences. 

In publishing the data, the Journal News, apparently with the approval of the Gannett Corporation (see data below), has promoted crime and chaos.  Now every gun owner in that area can expect burglaries and/or home invasions by criminals seeking firearms.  Every non-gun owner in those counties can anticipate the same with the odds of the event turning deadly increased. 

  

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Connecticut Gun Owner Privacy Law

Chapter 529, Section 29-28, Paragraph (d)

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1-210 and 1-211, the name and address of a person issued a permit to sell at retail pistols and revolvers pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or a state or a temporary state permit to carry a pistol or revolver pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, or a local permit to carry pistols and revolvers issued by local authorities prior to October 1, 2001, shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except (1) such information may be disclosed to law enforcement officials acting in the performance of their duties, (2) the issuing authority may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that such state or temporary state permit is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and the local authority may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that a local permit is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and (3) such information may be disclosed to the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to carry out the provisions of subsection (c) of section 17a-500.

Chapter 529, Section 29-36e, Paragraph (e)

Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 1-210 and 1-211, the name and address of a person issued an eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver under the provisions of section 29-36f shall be confidential and shall not be disclosed, except (1) such information may be disclosed to law enforcement officials acting in the performance of their duties, (2) the Commissioner of Public Safety may disclose such information to the extent necessary to comply with a request made pursuant to section 29-33 for verification that such certificate is still valid and has not been suspended or revoked, and (3) such information may be disclosed to the Commissioner of Mental Health and Addiction Services to carry out the provisions of subsection (c) of section 17a-500.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Exemptions

The aforementioned Sections 1-210 and 1-211 set forth exemptions for the FOIA.  The state’s Freedom of Information Act does not include gun permits as the permits are already considered confidential under Section 29-28 (above).  State law takes precedent and neither state nor local records cannot be made public. 

NOTE:  There was resistance to this exemption in the state legislature when the legislation was raised.  It is possible that legislation will rise in the next session to repeal the exemption. 

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Second Amendment Foundation e-newsletter 121220

BELLEVUE, WA - Hate speech directed at gun owners and firearms rights groups in the wake of the Connecticut tragedy could lead to hate crimes, the Second Amendment Foundation said today.

SAF said statements made by broadcasters including Piers Morgan and Chris Matthews, as well as comments on social media have contributed to an environment of hate directed against law-abiding Americans who are being demonized for a crime they did not commit.

This comes as President Obama has launched an effort that could culminate in an attempt to ban semiautomatic sport-utility rifles and ammunition magazines, and impose other restrictions on gun owners who are not responsible for the actions of an obviously mentally disturbed individual.

"Focusing on the instrumentality of firearms alone to the exclusion of possible other causative factors is doomed to failure and would do an injustice to the memories of the Sandy Hook victims and their families," said SAF President Joseph Tartaro. "Of course, we are pleased to see that by adopting a broad task force approach in search of solutions to prevent or reduce the kind of violence that was visited upon Newtown, CT, last week that the president has sought the expertise of several cabinet departments that deal with mental health, educational administration, pharmacology, law enforcement and cultural issues in addition to firearms."

But SAF cautioned that narrowing the focus to firearms and pushing a ban on popular semiautomatic firearms will only fuel the campaign of hate now underway on cable television and in social media. For example, Morgan called one national gun rights leader "an unbelievably stupid man," Matthews suggested gun owners are, "..people on the far-right (who) never lose their passionNormal people have other interests like their spouses, their lives, their children, and even their generalized politics isn't driven by one issue." A university professor in Rhode Island tweeted, "Looks like the National Rifle Association has murdered some children."

"The remarks become obscene after that," noted SAF Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb. "We have received some vulgar e-mails from people that want us to vanish for the sake of a civilized world'.

"This kind of rhetoric does not contribute to any rational discussion," he said. "Vitriol like this only promotes hate, but apparently it's okay to perpetuate bigotry so long as you are an anti-gunner, and a liberal. If anyone is harmed as a result of this hate campaign, we expect them to be prosecuted under the hate crimes laws."

"If this hate speech leads to hate crimes," Gottlieb concluded, "people like Piers Morgan and Chris Matthews will be partly responsible."

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Gannett Corporation

The company’s 82 U.S. daily newspapers, including USA TODAY, reach 11.6 million readers every weekday and 12 million readers every Sunday, providing important news and information from their customers’ neighborhoods and around the globe. USA TODAY, the nation's No. 1 newspaper in print circulation, and USATODAY.com reach a combined 6.6 million readers daily.

The Broadcasting Division’s 23 TV stations reach 21 million households, covering 18.2 percent of the U.S. population. Through its Captivate subsidiary, the Broadcasting Division delivers news, information and advertising to a highly desirable audience demographic on 9,500 video screens located in elevators of office towers and select hotel lobbies in 25 major cities across North America.

More Than One Cliff

If anyone is maintaining any quantity of foodstuffs in their pantry including dairy products like instant milk or cheese, now is the time to stock up beyond your normal inventory.  If you were not keeping a large inventory, now would be good time to start.  I expect that the Farm Bill (see below) will not pass in the Congress, we will see dairy product prices about double, and other food prices increase dramatically. 

I do not know exactly when we will see the price increases but for milk and soft cheese products, the time is probably relatively short, hard cheese products may take a bit longer.  For other products, it will probably be around mid-2013. 

The current version of the Farm Bill (2008) expires 31 December 2012.  If the 2012 adjustment version is not enacted, the law reverts to the permanent 1949 version.  The 1949 version requires accounting for inflation and that is what will drive dairy and other commodity prices skyward.  Dairy is just the first one we will see affected. 

The Senate bill is S. 3240 and it was approved.  The House version is H.R. 6083 and it has not passed.  To the best of my knowledge, there have been no joint committee meetings to resolve the differences. 

A summary of the situation is presented at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_U.S._Farm_Bill

Find information on the House bill at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:h.r.06083:

Find information on the Senate bill at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d112:S.3240:

I expect that the Legislative and Executive branches of our government will eventually do something but do not hold your breath.  The Secretary of Agriculture may take some mitigating action but is limited in what can be done and for how long. 

The following summarizes…

“Any government support program, such as direct payments, marketing loans, and ACRE are in effect for a commodity until the end of the current marketing year. For example, that will be June 30, 2013 for wheat and Aug. 31 for corn and soybeans. However, the dairy support program ended Sept. 30, 2012 without any replacement. Under 1949 Permanent Law, parity prices become effective Jan. 1, 2013 for any commodity for which the Permanent Law has not been suspended. (Typically, each new Farm Bill suspends the 1949 legislation, but that has not happened.) Subsequently, at the expiration of the current marketing year for a commodity, familiar commodities will have some unfamiliar prices that the USDA says producers shall be paid.”  http://nationalhogfarmer.com/business/no-farm-bill-will-trigger-production-quotas-parity-prices

What happens when prices increase?  Everybody pays more for their needs and wants.

That, of course, reduces the amount of discretionary spending money available.  Then what happens?

Everybody wants more pay from their jobs (if they have one).  That, in the end, drives prices even higher. 

Can you say hyperinflation? 

People on fixed incomes are screwed.

Weimar Republic anyone? (http://mythoughtsstuff88.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-weimar-republic-then-and-us-now.html)

Victoria Soto was Ready

A while ago, I wrote a piece titled “Are You Ready for Anything” (Link).  That article primarily addressed physical disasters such as hurricanes.  I have intended to write follow-up articles talking about how to prepare for other threats.   A friend beat me to one of the subjects I had intended to tackle and did it quite well.  So, with a slight modification to the first paragraph, here it is. 

Victoria Soto has been revealed as one of the heroic teachers who died in the line of fire as she saved her students in the Connecticut shooting.  The twenty seven year old was one of three teachers murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

A friend of hers posted a tribute to Miss Soto on her Tumblr account. In her tribute she wrote: "I talked to Vicki Tuesday and she told me that she loved her 16 angels and never wanted to let them go. Today when the shooting started Vicki hid all of her kids in closets and when the gunman came into her room she told them the class was in gym. She was then murdered. Not one of her students were harmed. Words can not express how heartbreaking and tragic this is. I will miss you dearly."

I know that some people thought yesterday that my post on the Sandy Hook school shooting was bad timing...and may still think that this post is "not the right time." The pain is raw and it is hard to even comprehend what has happened. I understand that. But respectfully, this is the best time to bring something like this up. I spent 14 years in law enforcement. We spent a large portion of our time preparing to handle ourselves in armed confrontations to increase our odds of survival.

Please, think about it. What would you do in a situation like this? You must plan for it. Because it's happening everywhere. If you don't want to or can't carry a gun, you still need to do something. So start thinking about it now.

Ask yourself these questions..."What if I'm in church and someone comes in and starts shooting" "What if I'm at the mall and I hear the sound of gunshots just outside the store I am in?" "What if I am at the gas station and someone robs it?" To think about what you would do in a situation like this is the first step to reacting should this ever happen to you. You are less likely to freeze up when an armed confrontation begins if you mentally prepare yourself before it happens to you.

If you don't think you need to prepare yourself for a tragedy like this one AT ALL TIMES in this day and age, you are mistaken. Waiting to become a victim is not an acceptable option. It can happen any time, any place, anywhere and with absolutely no warning. Please make yourself get in the mindset to fight back...any capable adult needs to fight for their lives. The mentality of these people who are going into the situation is the same as a "suicide bomber" or any terrorist. They KNOW going in that they won't make it out alive and they don't care. You have to change your mindset and react and fight. And THAT is not a political statement, it's a fact.

I AM NOT talking about children or people who are unable to physically defend themselves. In a perfect world, every school would have an armed security guard. Teachers should protect themselves. Not as a "vigilante" response, but when you go on lockdown and that POS comes in YOUR ROOM, try to take them out or foil their plan using whatever means possible, as Ms. Soto did. I think teachers who are CAPABLE shooters and capable of handling protecting themselves and others in a stressful situation should carry and go through a firearms stress course if they choose to carry a gun on their person. Regardless of whether school staff is armed or not, there should be mandatory training by police departments given by officers and firearms instructors to EVERY school employee on what they HAVE to do in order to best protect themselves and their students in situations such as these. This should be nationwide.

As far as the people who think that more mental health programs would completely eliminate the problem, that line of reasoning is faulty. Anyone can have a traumatic incident in their lives occur at any given time and go off the deep end. Others have mental issues that are NEVER apparent. For example, Columbine shooter Eric Harris was POPULAR, very well liked by everyone, a manager at the fast food place he worked at, his dad was a high ranking official in the Air Force, he was well spoken, and very knowledgeable in many things. He had a dark side to him that hardly anyone knew about. He and Dylan Klebold planned Columbine for a YEAR and NO ONE knew about it. A mental health assistance program would not have stopped Eric Harris.

There have been many on line arguments about what the "solution" is to stopping these heinous acts. To argue about being pro gun or anti gun is counterproductive. We are all on the same team, none of us want to see these horrific tragedies happening. So we need to stop arguing and work together. The issue is not guns or religion. It's a change of mindset. If you don't want to carry, that's fine, but be prepared to bash someone over the head with a chair and do whatever you need to do to neutralize the threat. Because you will never carry a gun doesn't mean you have to accept it, lay down, and die. Fight back. In whatever capacity you can live with. I would rather lose my life trying to save others than sit back and watch them get killed and then have to live my life with the knowledge that I got scared or froze and did nothing.

This post can be viewed in a positive light from anyone's perspective. It depends on how you choose to look at it. It's pro gun, YES, but the real MESSAGE is that everyone should prepare themselves. We can agree to disagree on some things. What I really wanted to impart on this thread was that everyone should prepare themselves to take a stand and fight back in whatever capacity you can live with. If a gun is not for you, come up with an alternate plan, take cover, start looking for a possible weapon.

For those of you who HAVE gun control in your country, this information still applies to you!!! There was a series of uncoordinated mass stabbings, hammer attacks, and cleaver attacks in the People's Republic of China which began in March 2010. This series of attacks left at least 21 dead and some 90 injured. If you think that because there are "no guns allowed in the UK" that you don't have to think about this, you are mistaken. This information can still be helpful....anything can be used as a weapon. Tim McVeigh used fertilizer. 9-11 terrorists used box cutters and planes. It can still happen. Just be vigilant and think ahead.

Help will take time to get there. The only person capable of saving you is YOU. If you are not armed, use whatever means you have at your disposal to FIGHT BACK. And for the people saying "today is not the day" to talk about this topic, how long should I wait? A day? Two? Three? On Tuesday, two innocent people were killed when a gunman open fire at a mall in Oregon. That was just a few days ago. Just think of a plan of action and ask yourself what you would do in a situation like this EVERYWHERE YOU GO. This post was motivated out of care and concern. Something like this should never happen and it is up to us to take care of ourselves, and each other.

No greater sacrifice can anyone give, than to sacrifice all so others may live. God bless all of the innocent victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings and the victims of the mall shooting in Happy Valley, Oregon. Prayers for their families in this difficult time. R.I.P. angels.

The Beginning of the USSA

Forgive me if this missive is somewhat disjointed, there are many thoughts running through my head. 

I did not sleep well last night.  I went to bed about 2200 after I saw the writing on the wall, but awoke about 0130 hoping for a miracle but there was not one.  I slept through two alarm clocks this morning. 

The re-election of Obama is an unmitigated disaster for our nation.  I have many thoughts about what he and the democrat Senate will do and when.  They only thing I am sure of is that last night we saw the beginning of the United States of Socialist America last night. 

Obama’s acceptance speech contained the usual lies and platitudes aimed at pacifying the misguided masses while he initiates his plan.  Do you remember his comment to the president of Russia about being more flexible after the election?  Standby, here it comes.  

Thank the Supreme Being that the Republicans held the House.  My analogous mind immediately thought of the Alamo.  The only problem with that is there is nothing that equates to the Army of Texas or Sam Houston. 

I cannot guess exactly which of our liberties will go first, probably the First and Second Amendments.  I suspect our rights will go quickly and possibly in bunches.  The Bill of Rights will suffer heavily.  I have great fears for the First and Second Amendments not to mention the Tenth Amendment and possibly the Fourth through the Seventh Amendments after the First and Second Amendments go away.   In fact, I am concerned about all 27 amendments of the Bill of Rights. 

Expect an executive order effectively canceling the Second Amendment by criminalizing, with a death sentence as punishment, the possession, sale, or transfer of all weapons of calibers larger than 22 that are semi-automatic and/or have a detachable magazine of capacity greater than 10 rounds.  The same will go for crossbows and similar devices.   

Just so you know the extent of the pending damage, here are the amendments that comprised the initial Bill of Rights.  They are linked to their texts so you can read about that which we are about to lose. 

Amendment 1 - Freedom of Religion, Press, Expression

Amendment 2 - Right to Bear Arms

Amendment 3 - Quartering of Soldiers

Amendment 4 - Search and Seizure

Amendment 5 - Trial and Punishment, Compensation for Takings

Amendment 6 - Right to Speedy Trial, Confrontation of Witnesses

Amendment 7 - Trial by Jury in Civil Cases

Amendment 8 - Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Amendment 9 - Construction of Constitution

Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People

You can read the Constitution and all the amendments at http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html. 

I saw an article the day before yesterday claiming that Obama would be elected to a third term in 2016.  That would go contrary to the 22nd amendment.  I laughed at the article.  I am no longer laughing.

I do not know what machinations the democrats could use to get around it but, fortunately, the Constitution makes it difficult to change that document.  There are, however, two ways to do it. 

Look at Article 5 - Amendment.  In essence, that article says Congress must call a constitutional convention when two-thirds of the state legislatures petition the Congress for a convention.  Some read this to imply that the legislatures must sponsor a specific amendment.  Since Article 5 says, "shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments" (note the plural "Amendments"), I read this to mean that two-thirds of the state legislatures (34 or more, currently) must request a convention to consider all proposed amendments. 

Another method is for a bill to pass both houses of the legislature, by a two-thirds majority in each.  Once the bill has passed both houses, it goes on to the states.  This was the route taken by all the current amendments.  Because of some long outstanding amendments, such as the 27th, Congress will normally put a time limit (typically seven years) for approval of the bill as an amendment. 

Once an amendment is proposed, it does not become part of the Constitution until ratified by three-quarters of the states (38) either by their legislatures or via state conventions (referendums?).

The successful execution of those processes by the democrats is highly unlikely in my opinion however the possibility does exist (Connecticut would participate I am sure). 

Next, the economy needs consideration.  Our nation is over $16 trillion dollars in debt.  That debt is increasing by at least $1 trillion dollars each year.  I guess it will be $20 trillion by 2015.  One of two things will happen although both are possible.  First, the government either will effectively print more money (“Quantitative Easing”) so the interest on the debt is paid.  Second, the country will default on the debt. 

Either are of those are a disaster, together they are catastrophic.  Think about $15 a gallon gasoline (assuming there is any), $25 a pound for hamburger (assuming the store has any this week), and $8 to $10 for a loaf of bread; or electricity rates of $1 or more per kilowatt-hour. 

The “sequestration” alone is a disaster that is about to happen, Harry Reid will make sure of that.  I know only a little about the fiscal reductions it mandates and I comprehend only a few of the ramifications.   I do know it would effectively disembowel the major defense industries and the military.  I shudder to think about the ripple effect on the economy let alone national security.  Think about the effect on the unemployment rate, how about somewhere around 10% or more? 

I wrote “Are You Ready for Anything” a couple of months ago with natural disasters as the primary focus but with mention of economic problems.  I am going to have to revisit that thought stream to focus on both.  I know that I am only partially ready for constitutional and economic meltdowns. 

Please God bless and protect all of us. 

Almost Too Much

I have enjoyed about as much as I can stand of this election cycle.  On the average, I am getting one political “robo-call” every day.  I am tired of the democrat attack advertisements that contain such blatant lies and attempts at character assassination of anyone that is moderate or anywhere to the right of center.   

What worries me is that the majority of democrats seem hell bent, intentionally or not, on destroying our country.  Should we wind up with a democrat president, House of Representatives, and Senate, I have great fears for the First and Second Amendments not to mention the Tenth Amendment and possibly the Fourth through the Seventh Amendments when the First and Second Amendments are neutralized. 

The outrageous national debt and continuous deficit spending scare the hell out of me.  The constant denial by the federal government of high inflation to avoid cost of living adjustments, the government effectively printing money for “Quantitative Easing” of the economy, and the pending “sequestration” is a recipe for disaster. 

The “sequestration” alone is a disaster waiting to happen.  I know only a little about the fiscal reductions it mandates and I comprehend only a few of the ramifications.  I do know it would effectively disembowel the major defense industries and the military.  I shudder to think about the ripple effect on the economy let alone national security. 

My fears extend to our state.  We have seen what a blue administration and legislature have done to our local economy.  We have seen the misleading propaganda, obfuscation, and outright falsehoods regarding tax revenue as well as grossly expensive projects that benefit only the central and western portions of the state with complete disregard for the state debt, deficit, and the economy.  The continuing attacks on the rights provided by the state and federal constitutions are sickening. 

It is almost too much. 

The situation may not be too far gone to fix.  I have some recommendations that might help. 

For president, I recommend Mitt Romney.

For the United States Senate, I recommend Linda McMahon.  For the House of Representatives, I recommend Paul Formica.

For the Connecticut House of Representatives, I recommend Tony Siraguse (District 38 – Montville/Waterford), Andrew Lavery (District 40 - Groton/Ledyard), Harry Watson (District 41 – Groton), Mike France (District 42 – Montville/Ledyard/Preston), and Kevin Ryan (District 139 – Montville/Bozrah/Norwich).

For the Connecticut Senate, I recommend Christopher Coutu (District 19 – Montville/Bozrah/the Lymes/New London/Salem) and Mike Doyle (District 20 – Ledyard/Norwich/Franklin/Sprague/Lisbon).  For District 18 (southeast corner of the state including Groton), I recommend Theresa Madonna.  

Here We Go

OK folks, here we go.  We will get sucked into Syria and we do not have the resources to support it.  More wasted lives and money.  Another excursion with no exit strategy and probably a timeline to allow the bad guys to plan their worst. 

Panetta: US sends forces to Jordan

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and PAULINE JELINEK | Associated Press  1130-121010

Excerpt from the article http://news.yahoo.com/panetta-us-sends-forces-jordan-131927741.html

BRUSSELS (AP) — The United States has sent military troops to the Jordan-Syria border to bolster that country's military capabilities in the event that violence escalates along its border with Syria, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said Wednesday.

Speaking at a NATO conference of defense ministers in Brussels, Panetta said the U.S. has been working with Jordan to monitor chemical and biological weapons sites in Syria and to help Jordan deal with refugees pouring over the border from Syria. The troops are also building a headquarters for themselves.

But the revelation of U.S. military personnel so close to the 19-month-old Syrian conflict suggests an escalation in the U.S. military involvement in the conflict, even as Washington pushes back on any suggestion of a direct intervention in Syria.

It also follows several days of shelling between Turkey and Syria, an indication that the civil war could spill across Syria's borders and become a regional conflict.

"We have a group of our forces there working to help build a headquarters there and to insure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan a strong one so that we can deal with all the possible consequences of what's happening in Syria," Panetta said.

The development comes with the U.S. presidential election less than a month away, and at a time when former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, has been criticizing President Barack Obama's foreign policy, accusing the administration of embracing too passive a stance in the convulsive Mideast region.

The defense secretary and other administration officials have expressed concern about Syrian President Bashar Assad's arsenal of chemical weapons. Panetta said last week that the United Statesbelieves that while the weapons are still secure, intelligence suggests the regime might have moved the weapons to protect them. The Obama administration has said that Assad's use of chemical weapons would be a "red line" that would change the U.S. policy of providing only non-lethal aid to the rebels seeking to topple him.

Pentagon press secretary George Little, traveling with Panetta, said the U.S. and Jordan agreed that "increased cooperation and more detailed planning are necessary in order to respond to the severe consequences of the Assad regime's brutality."

He said the U.S. has provided medical kits, water tanks, and other forms of humanitarian aid to help Jordanians assist Syrian refugees fleeing into their country.

Little said the military personnel were there to help Jordan with the flood of Syrian refugees over its borders and the security of Syria's stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons.

"As we've said before, we have been planning for various contingencies, both unilaterally and with our regional partners," Little said in a written statement. "There are various scenarios in which the Assad regime's reprehensible actions could affect our partners in the region. For this reason and many others, we are always working on our contingency planning, for which we consult with our friends."

A U.S. defense official in Washington said the forces are made up of 100 military planners and other personnel who stayed on in Jordan after attending an annual exercise in May, and several dozen more have flown in since, operating from a joint U.S.-Jordanian military center north of Amman that Americans have used for years.

He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the mission on the record.

In Jordan, the biggest problem for now seems to be the strain put on the country's meager resources by the estimated 200,000 Syrian refugees who have flooded across the border — the largest fleeing to any country.

Several dozen refugees in Jordan rioted in their desert border camp of Zaatari early this month, destroying tents and medicine and leaving scores of refugee families out in the night cold.

Jordanian men also are moving the other way across the border — joining what intelligence officials have estimated to be around 2,000 foreigners fighting alongside Syrian rebels trying to topple Assad. A Jordanian border guard was wounded after armed men — believed trying to go fight — exchanged gunfire at the northern frontier.

Isn’t it Amazing?

Is it not amazing that the unemployment rate falls 0.3% and below the 8.0% "benchmark" just after the first debate and 31 days before the election?  One has to consider the origin of the data and the source of the news. 

You also must consider the fact that the data does not include the underemployed people, part-time employees, and those that have given up looking.

***USATODAY.com Breaking News***

0840-121005

With 114,000 non-farm jobs added, Wall Street and the presidential candidates focused on the unemployment rate, which edged lower to 7.8% from August's 8.1%.

For more on this story, go to http://usat.ly/iimQp4.

Sucking It Up and Paying It Off; Our Debt Goes Down While Uncle Sam's Rises

New Haven Register, 120917

http://nhregister.com/articles/2012/09/17/news/doc5057198c61b65714259401.txt

Fact: One reason for our sluggish recovery from the recession is what Americans are doing with their money: paying off old debt. Total American household debt is 17.5 percent lower than when the market crash occurred in 2008. From 2007 to 2010, the percentage of US households owing some kind of debt fell from 77 to 75 percent. Total households debt in this country now stands at $11.38 trillion. At its peak in 2008, it totaled $13.8 trillion.

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The national debt today is over $16.0 trillion and climbing.  Every man, woman, and child has over $51,000 in debt and every taxpayer owes over $140,000.  Out federal government is borrowing about $36,000 PER SECOND. 

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America owes China $1.2 trillion and its citizens almost $12.0 trillion, the balance of the debt is owed other countries. 

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Although we as citizens are carrying way too much personal debt, we are at least smarter than our government in that we are reducing that debt.  Perhaps it is time to replace all the politicians and bureaucrats with common sense people that have experience in real life and know how to balance a checkbook.  

The Weimar Republic then and the US Now (revised)

The cause of the immense acceleration of prices that occurred during the German hyperinflation of 1922–23 seemed unclear and unpredictable to those who lived through it, but in retrospect was relatively simple. The Treaty of Versailles imposed a huge debt on Germany that to be paid only in gold or foreign currency.

Not by treaty but by willful deficit spending the US now has a huge national debt similar to Germany in the 1920s.

The German government attempted to buy foreign currency with German currency, but this caused the German Mark to fall rapidly in value, which greatly increased the number of Marks needed to buy more foreign currency. This caused German prices of goods to rise rapidly which increase the cost of operating the German government that could not be financed by raising taxes. The resulting budget deficits and national debt increased rapidly financed by the central bank creating more money (Quantitative Easing in today’s terms).

The dollar is suffering from the effects of the first two rounds of “Quantitative Easing” (QE1 and QE2) which is the same as printing money and diluting the value of the dollar. 

When the German people realized that their money was rapidly losing value, they tried to spend it quickly. This increase in monetary velocity caused still more rapid increase in prices that created a vicious cycle.  This placed the government and banks between two unacceptable alternatives: if they stopped the inflation, this would cause immediate bankruptcies, unemployment, strikes, hunger, violence, collapse of civil order, insurrection, and revolution.  If they continued the inflation, they would default on their foreign debt. The attempts to avoid both unemployment and insolvency ultimately failed when Germany had both. 

Does any of this sound familiar? 

Read up on Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. 

The Federal Reserve has launched a third round Quantitative Easing (QE3) monetary stimulus.   The Fed had the choice of either a fixed amount of dollars or open-ended.  A fixed amount would be bad enough but an open-ended unlimited program is the same thing that Germany did back in the 1920s. 

QE3 is 40 billion every month and it is open ended. 

The stock market, of course, reacted positively but not an awful lot.  However, what the stock market does, except for commodity prices, has little direct impact on the everyday consumer.  

Economists say this QE is powerful commitment to pump (read print) money into the economy until job growth picks up significantly.  That is not going to happen until the banks start lending again and they will not do that as long as the congress and the president present mixed signals that result in economic uncertainty.  Small businesses will not seek loans, expand, or hire for the same reason. 

Watch for commodity prices to increase.  It may not be a quick and rapid increase but it will begin as soon as the speculators become organized. 

Sometime in the probably not too distant future, the Weimar cycle will begin anew right here in America. 

Are you ready for anything?

Are You Ready For Anything?

Particularly here in Connecticut, far too many people are apathetic or at least unconcerned about much of anything beyond what they can get from the government and the next session of reality television.  Far too many people are not aware of, or choose to ignore, the fact that the nation is teetering on the brink of disaster. 

The nation faces two kinds of disaster, physical and economic.  The physical disasters include nasty things like hurricanes, floods, and wildfires.   The economic disaster consists of individual related problems that occur in a chain reaction or waves of economic decline ending in economic and commercial collapse.   

In order to prepare for any disaster, one has to answer two questions

      1)  What do I need to have on hand in order to be prepared? 

      2)  Do I have what it takes to take action? 

One cannot just say it.  You must have the will. You must know that you have what it takes. 

Preparing for disasters requires thought, planning, dedication and some resources.  Preparing for physical disasters is relatively simple.  It is just a matter of actually doing it.  Many reference sources are available including the Red Cross, Internet, and State and Federal governments.  Preparing for economic disasters is a completely different matter.   

If you answered "yes" to the second question, you are one of the few.  Some studies show that in most crises, eight out of ten people will remain passive, relying on someone else (read government) to take charge.  One out of ten will panic and endanger others in the process.  One out of the ten will take decisive action to stabilize and improve their situation immediately increasing the chances of survival for themselves and their family. 

Are you that one in ten?

Many people will tell you that they are prepared for an emergency. They have a case of bottled water, a flashlight, and a dozen cans of soup in the pantry.  If they also happen to have a battery powered radio and a few extra batteries in the drawer, they think they are all set.   Yeah, right.

Are you really ready for anything?

120916.0 MTAS - Land of The Freebies, Home of the Enslaved

I have more to say than I have time and opportunity to write.  There is so much going on, so many mainstream media lies and obfuscation, so much government intrusion, deceit, and excess.   

I do not remember how I became aware of this video but it is a video that communicates facts that I believe everyone should know. It runs just shy of four minutes.  Here is the link to it…

http://www.staged.com/video?v=Klmb

Pay particular attention to the maps that the speaker presents, they are eye opening. 

I encourage you to pass it on to your friends, neighbors, relatives, and acquaintances, 

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Are you ready for anything?

120914.0 MTAS What Do We Do Now?

There are two types of Muslims in the world.  One type follows the Koran as peaceful adherents; the other perverts their religion into an intolerant, hate filled fanatical obsession.   I have no idea what the respective percentages are amongst the between 1.5 and 2.5 billion Muslims on the planet.  Whatever those percentages might be, there are many fanatics. 

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Is the motivating factor (read excuse) for the fanatics the movie or the eleven-year anniversary of 11 September 2011disaster?  Are the actions of the fanatics spontaneous, planned, or both?

Note that we made a fuss over the anniversary, a First Amendment option, and that also may have spurred the radicals to action.

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As of this morning, twelve US embassies and/or consulates are under assault and there are four dead Americans, one dead Yemeni, and another fatality in Lebanon.  American businesses are under attack in at least one country. 

The German and British embassies in the Sudan are under attack   The Swiss embassy in Iran under protest. 

The trouble spots are Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, and Yemen. 

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The Department of Defense, in coordination with the State Department, is sending Marine security teams in varying strengths to selected embassies.  On the surface that sounds like a good idea but there are considerations that are not readily apparent. 

The primary responsibility for embassy security falls on the host nation.  Any American security forces present are there only to “hold the fort” until the host nation removes the threat.  A prolonged defense by any embassy security force is not possible.  A fifty or a hundred person security force will not have the assets necessary to repel a lengthy, well-planned, and adequately resourced siege.  Outside relief is required. 

In a completely hostile environment, assignment to an embassy is a death sentence. 

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About one hundred people in California, who produced the offending movie, are in danger of assignation by radical Islamic people be they organized or “lone wolfs”.  The mainstream media has identified many of these people.  They are in danger.  

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What do we do now?

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We could withdraw all personnel from all Middle East embassies but the fanatics would tout that as a victory over the “Great Satan”.  We could also recall all the government and non-government people that conduct humanitarian, educational, and charitable operations. 

We could terminate all foreign aid to the troubling nations but that would undermine whatever good that funding might do and, again, the fanatics would tout that as a victory over the “Great Satan”. 

We could bomb the troublemakers into the Stone Age except we do not have the resources for that. 

We could repeal the First Amendment and persecute those uttering “offensive” words.

We could apologize some more. 

We could do nothing.

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The Islamic radicals have declared war on the United States in particular and western civilization in general.  Even if our current national leadership refuses to acknowledge it, these are dangerous times and they are not going to get better in the foreseeable future.  Ramifications, economic, political, and violent, are inevitable. 

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Are you ready for anythimg?

120913.1 MTAS UPDATE – The Weimar Republic Then and The US Now

++++++ UPDATE

QE3 is 40 billion every month and it is open ended. 

The stock market, of course, reacted positively but not an awful lot.  However, what the stock market does, except for commodity prices, has little direct impact on the everyday consumer.  

Economists say this QE is powerful commitment to pump (read print) money into the economy until job growth picks up significantly.  That is not going to happen until the banks start lending again and they will not do that as long as the congress and the president present mixed signals that result in economic uncertainty.  Small businesses will not seek loans, expand, or hire for the same reason. 

Watch for commodity prices to increase.  It may not be a quick and rapid increase but it will begin as soon as the speculators become organized. 

Sometime in the probably not too distant future, the Weimar cycle will begin anew right here in America. 

Are you ready for anything?

++++++ ORIGINAL TEXT

The cause of the immense acceleration of prices that occurred during the German hyperinflation of 1922–23 seemed unclear and unpredictable to those who lived through it, but in retrospect was relatively simple. The Treaty of Versailles imposed a huge debt on Germany that to be paid only in gold or foreign currency.

Not by treaty but by willful deficit spending the US now has a huge national debt similar to Germany in the 1920s.

The German government attempted to buy foreign currency with German currency, but this caused the German Mark to fall rapidly in value, which greatly increased the number of Marks needed to buy more foreign currency. This caused German prices of goods to rise rapidly which increase the cost of operating the German government that could not be financed by raising taxes. The resulting budget deficit increased rapidly and was financed by the central bank creating more money (Quantitative Easing in today’s terms).

The dollar is suffering from the effects of the first two rounds of “Quantitative Easing” (QE1 and QE2) which is the same as printing money and diluting the value of the dollar. 

When the German people realized that their money was rapidly losing value, they tried to spend it quickly. This increase in monetary velocity caused still more rapid increase in prices which created a vicious cycle.  This placed the government and banks between two unacceptable alternatives: if they stopped the inflation, this would cause immediate bankruptcies, unemployment, strikes, hunger, violence, collapse of civil order, insurrection, and revolution.  If they continued the inflation, they would default on their foreign debt. The attempts to avoid both unemployment and insolvency ultimately failed when Germany had both. 

Does any of this sound familiar? 

Today the Federal Reserve appears set to launch a third round Quantitative Easing monetary stimulus.   Whether or not there will be another QE will announced today at 1230.  If it happens, and it likely will, it could be either for a fixed amount of dollars or open-ended.  A fixed amount would be bad enough but an open-ended unlimited program would be the same thing that Germany did back in the 1920s. 

Read up on Germany in the 1920s and 1930s. 

Are you ready for anything? (Are You Ready For Anything? of 31 August in Scope Magazine)?

120912 MTAS USA Today Breaking News 0620120912

Libyan officials: U.S. ambassador killed in attack

CAIRO -- Libyan officials say the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans have been killed in an attack on the U.S. consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi by protesters angry over a film that ridiculed Islam's Prophet Muhammad.

The officials say Ambassador Chris Stevens was killed Tuesday night when he and a group of embassy employees went to the consulate to try to evacuate staff. The protesters were firing gunshots and rocket propelled grenades. 

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The movie that prompted this violence was the exercise of free speech.  However, the people, an Israeli-American producer, 59 actors and about 45 people behind the camera, making the movie are located in California.  Standby California. 

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We in the west have little, if any, understanding of how such irrationally violent religious fanaticism works; let alone how it can exist. 

One hundred years ago an incident similar to the attack on our embassy in Libya would have resulted in a declaration of war on the offending nation. 

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Obama has not issued a statement; U.S. State Department representative Victoria Nuland said the U.S. condemned the attack "in the strongest terms".

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Out of fifteen central mid-east nations, three are Islamic theocracies (Iran, Syria, and Egypt), three more will soon become Islamic theocracies (Iraq, Libya, and Somalia), and three more can be seen as in danger of joining the cause (Jordan, Yemen, and Oman).  Of the remaining six, five are not Islamic theocracies but are heavily Islamic in population and government.  Israel, of course, is not an Islamic theocracy. 

What does this mean?  It means that most probably within my lifetime (I am 67) we will see a radical Islamic empire starching from Libya to Iran and Egypt to Somalia.  I would not be very surprised to those nations merge into something like the United States of Islam. 

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I have only one idea how to personally deal with the situation (see my article titled Are You Ready For Anything? of 31 August in Scope Magazine).  As to how we, as a nation, should respond my ideas go beyond speeches and platitudes.  

120908 MTAS Thank You Lord

The reason for all of this is that I am tired of legislators and government in general ignoring me, intruding into my life, and affecting my ability to live in retirement.  I have enjoyed as much as I can stand of that and it is time for me to get more vocal. 

Inspired by a promotional piece for a webcast, this is the first product of the “new and improved” My Thoughts and Stuff publishing empire (HA!)

Here goes…

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Thank You Lord, we are past the political convention milepost.  I enjoyed more than I could stand of posturing, the over the top speeches, and mainstream media attempts to shape public perception.  I cannot recall when we have ever seen the candidate’s ideals and their party platforms so absolutely opposite.    

On one side, we have the far left socialist theory where government is everything, God does not exist, tolerance is touted as the supreme moral concept, and if you disagree then you are a vile, pandering racist who wants to suppress and enslave women.  Never mind the fact that the economy is in free-fall.   

On the other side, you have concepts that sort of align with the Constitution, but far from the original intent of that document.  The far right says that government is not a unifying model and that God and His precepts are above all and the basis for civil government. 

Both parties gave us the Patriot Act, the TSA, drones that watch our every move just to mention a few.  

Voting this November is going to be a crucial act in which we determine what kind of nation we are. 

The choice is between Socialism and mega-government intrusion or the Founding Father’s vision of limited government and liberty.  This election will determine and represent the nation’s beliefs and values, and in January 2013, the person who places his hand on the Bible will be whom we have chosen, and by extension, whom we deserve. 

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Comments and topic suggestions are welcomed.

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Please note that I am in the long process of redesigning and “remodeling” the website.  http://sites.google.com/site/mythoughtsandstuff88/

NOTE 0:  To unsubscribe from this bulletin, please reply to this e-mail to let me know and I will then remove you from the distribution list.  If you know of anyone who might like to receive these articles, let me know their e-mail address and I will add them to the distribution list.

My Thoughts and Stuff (MTAS) 7 September 2012

Dear People:

I apologize to those of you who receive multiple copies of this message.  I am using three distribution lists to send this and I know there are duplicates within those lists. 

I have been known to write what might be called editorials, opinion pieces, or research reports.  These works are similar to the comments I occasionally put into the Weekly Grocery Alert and Legislation Update newsletters but are longer and more detailed.  I submit “letters to the editor” and articles to various commercial publications like The Day, Norwich Bulletin, Hartford Courant,  Montville Patch, and Scope Magazine. 

I am a moderate conservative and I write from that position. 

There is no schedule, I write them when something I see and/or hear “trips my trigger”.  Months can go by between them. 

I would like to know if you would like to receive them.  You could always unsubscribe.  Let me know at oldnavyguy88@gmail.com

New Posting Philosophy

In the past, I have posted to the site in haphazard manner.  I have posted only when extremely motivated.  Well, I have gotten my life more organized and recent events have led me to publish an e-newsletter called, amazingly enough, “My Thoughts and Stuff”.  I do not have many subscribers yet but I expect that to change.  I am going to post those letters here.  Today is the “catch up day”. 

If you wish to subscribe to the e-newsletter, contact me at oldnavyguy88@gmail.com.

I had a knee-jerk reaction to the Supreme Court ruling on ObamaCare - ObamaTax and I wrote this editorial to address my concerns with that and one other thing.  The two combined worry me.  I know this is not directly related to buying groceries nor is it about firearms legislation but now that I have slept on it for a week or so, I still think you folks should have a chance to read it.  

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Dear People:

I really, really do not want be alarmist.  Believe me it is one of the last things I would ever want but I am a bit worried. 

We have two events working against us when it comes to putting food on the table every day.

First, there are near drought, or near drought conditions in the heartland and the southeast.  Crop reductions and failures are almost certain.  The result will be short-term shortages of some food items and higher prices for those that are available.  Fresh produce will be particularly affected except for some local products. 

My advice is that, if you have the resources, buy ahead as much as you can.  It would be in your best interest to seriously consider gardening for at least some of your produce.  It is a bit late for planting but there is still time for crops like peas, green beans, zucchini, and cucumbers. 

Second, is the ObamaTax.  I am not an economist and I want to keep politics out of this as much as possible.  However, it is obvious, even to me, that nothing good will come of it with regard to the general economy.  

The ObamaTax carries some good things for healthcare and I would like to see those put back in place after the repeal of ObamaTax. 

There are twenty-one tax code changes in ObamaTax.  None of them levels or decreases the tax burden for anyone.  I am not going to list or explain them here.  If you want to read them all, look athttp://www.atr.org/obamacares-first-birthday-commemorates-twenty-one-a5963

What I do want to say, however, is that the long-term effect of ObamaTax, in conjunction with expiring tax law, on farms, small business, and the self-employed will be negative to the point of devastation.  Who knows what the “ripple effect” will be on the overall economy. 

I do not know what to do about it other than to become more active politically.  However, that is not the reason for this missive.  My intent is to offer advice on how to put food on your table without going broke.

I also have few ideas on how to accomplish that in the long-term.  However, I do see some things one could do. 

One, buy as many canned goods as you are able to now.  Do not wait; prices are going to go up, way up.  Buy only what you regularly eat.  Buy good food; do not waste money the junk stuff. 

Two, if you have the resources, buy freeze-dried and/or dehydrated foods for long-term storage.  Do not wait; prices are going to go up, way up.  Buy only what you regularly eat. 

Three, convert the sunniest parts of your lawn into gardens and plant what you will eat.  Do not sell anything as that would bring unwanted government attention. 

Four, if possible, get together with your neighbors for community gardening in order to produce larger yields.  Do not sell anything as that would bring unwanted government attention. 

Five, acquire pickling and canning equipment and supplies and learn how to use them.  This could be another opportunity to involve your neighbors in a community effort. 

I have absolutely no ideas about how to easily deal with meat and dairy products.  I only see two alternatives right now.  One is to buy canned meat and instant dairy products both everyday items and those that are prepared for long-term storage. 

The second alternative is near Impossible in urban settings and may be difficult at best in suburban areas.  That alternative is to raise your own livestock for meat and dairy; I will not go into that now. 

Thanks for reading this.  I do not like being so pessimistic but I tend to be realistic and I do not like what I think I see coming down the road.  I sincerely hope that I have not offended anyone. 

Your comments and questions are welcome.  I will respond to them as best as I am able.