To think these crazies led the so-called Free World!

To think these crazies led the so-called Free World!

Talk about a bunch of crazies! Writing in her latest op-ed piece "A Mad Tea Party" for The New York Times, Maureen Dowd clearly shows what a bunch of wing-nuts the likes of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Joe Lieberman, and their ilk, are. Amazing reading!

"But before you start thinking Dick Cheney is temperate by comparison, consider the Commentary roast of the former vice president on Monday night at the Plaza Hotel in New York.Cheney made a joke about waterboarding an antelope that he borrowed from Jay Leno. Donald Rumsfeld quasi-jested that he knew Dick “back when the president of the United States still led our foreign policy, instead of Putin.”Ben Smith of BuzzFeed reported that the roast sponsored by Rupert Murdoch and others featured Rumsfeld, Joe Lieberman and Scooter Libby, known as “Cheneys Cheney” until he was convicted of lying during a federal leak probe.Lieberman, a guest told BuzzFeed, said it was nicer to be at the Plaza than in cages after a war crimes trial. There were pardon jokes about W., whose relationship with Cheney was shattered over not giving Libby one. Libby said W. sent a note: “Pardon me, I cant make it.”The acrid legacy of Cheney and Rummy lives on as they carp from the sidelines about the “so-called commander in chief.” In December, “The Unknown Known,” an Errol Morris documentary about the man who was the youngest and oldest secretary of defense, hits theaters.Morris won an Oscar in 2004 for “Fog of War,” his documentary about another dangerous, delusional defense secretary with wire-rimmed glasses, Robert McNamara; in his acceptance speech, Morris warned that, with Iraq, America might be going down another “rabbit hole.”But the cocky Rummy talked to him for 33 hours anyway. Unlike McNamara, however, Rumsfeld does not admit his historic blunders, but maintains his “Stuff happens” brio.“You make a movie with the secretary of defense you have,” Morris told me dryly, “not with the secretary of defense you want to have.”Still, the filmmaker was smart to bookend the men, opposite ends of the same warmongering problem: McNamara was so droning and unemotive that he lulled listeners into thinking that nothing bad could be happening, while Rumsfeld was so energetic and blithe that it was hard to believe that people were dying and the war was being lost. Morriss wife and collaborator, Julia Sheehan, said that McNamara was “The Flying Dutchman” wandering the earth looking for redemption, while Rumsfeld is the Cheshire cat.“All were left with at the very end is this infernal grin,” Morris said. “Everybody wants this smoking gun. The entire Bush administration is a smoking gun.“In his memos and homilies, Rumsfeld will say things that are just contradictory, as though by saying everything, youve covered all your bases,” Morris continued. “Its deeply anti-rational, as if theres no deep reflection or thought. You have no evidence? Well, the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, as Rumsfeld said about W.M.D. in Iraq. Taken to some crazy conclusion, you can justify anything that way.“At times in his language, he descends into some strange insanity, as though hes trying to convince himself.”Asked the lesson of Vietnam — Rumsfeld was the chief of staff to Gerald Ford when Saigon was evacuated — Rumsfeld briskly replies: “Some things work out, some things dont. That didnt.”When Morris presses Rumsfeld about the Justice Departments “torture memos,” the former defense chief said they did not come out of “the Bush administration, per se; they came out of the U.S. Department of Justice.” That parsing would be beyond Bill Clinton.About the memos that led to what Morris considers “one of the great stains in American history,” Rumsfeld says he never read them. When asked why, he replies, “Im not a lawyer. What would I know?”When Morris asks Rumsfeld about the “confusion” that linked Saddam to 9/11, he answers brightly, “I dont think the American people were confused about that,” adding, “I dont remember anyone in the Bush administration saying anything like that, nor do I recall anyone believing that.”Holy mushroom cloud.Rumsfeld doesnt even seem to understand his signature phrase. Reading from a 2004 memo, he says, “There are known knowns. There are known unknowns. There are unknown unknowns.” He tells Morris that there are also unknown knowns. Things that you possibly may know that you dont know you know.Morris challenges him: “But the memo doesnt say that. It says that we know less, not more, than we think we do.”Rumsfeld finally admits a boo-boo: “Yeah, I think that memo is backwards.” Then he chastises the filmmaker for “chasing the wrong rabbit.”Right down the rabbit hole."

Social Security invests in the American people - letter by Alan McCormick

Social Security invests in the American people - letter by Alan McCormick


This is the latest in a long string of missives from various people, which began with an editorial written by Joe Balyeat, a local CPA. In it he rightly described Social Security as an unfunded liability, which precipitated a hysterical howl of indignation.
Julie Quenemoen was one such person, She wrote a response to Mr. Balyeat, which can be found at the same linkalong with my commentary. I distilled that commentary into a letter to the editor, found below. A response was printed in today's Chronicle, and also reproduced below. My comments in bold.You may need to go back to the original link and read it first in order to understand the exchange.-------------------------------------My letter to the editor:One might hope that Julie Quenemoen would think twice before debating economics with a CPA. It wouldn't be so bad if she entered the fray with something more than talking points, but no such luck.She asserts that Social Security is funded. Sorry, it isnt. It appears that she really believes that these budgetary and financing tricks are legitimate.Permit me to explain. The Social Security Trust Fund is the receptacle for SS revenues. The government makes payment for all benefits, and the balance represents the surplus.That surplus is then used to purchase special Treasury Bonds that only the Treasury can redeem, and only the Trust Fund can purchase. Bonds are debt instruments, IOUs. They must be paid back, plus interest.Therefore, there is no money in the Trust Fund.Once the bonds are issued, the money is added to the General Fund and spent. Yes, SS is not part of the budget, but the obligation to pay back the bonds is, sourced from the General Fund.Further, she has no right to "her" funds. In Fleming v. Nestor (1960), the Supreme Court held that that there is no right to benefits because Congress has the power to decrease, discontinue, or increase benefits at will.SS is nothing more than a tax with a promised future benefit. Her money is gone; it paid for someone elses retirement.If only Republicans wanted to use SS to reduce the national debt. If only. The debt is higher because of what Congress is doing and has been doing for decades. All that money is long gone, but the bonds are still there, and our grandchildren will pay for them.So, Ms. Quenemoen, SS has indeed added many dimes to the debt. As far as “hands off our Social Security,” well, that train has left the station.----------------------------------Alan McCormick's response:
Social Security is a trust we have with our government, one of many suchtrusts. Its hard to understand why insurance agent Rich negatesthe importance and viability of insurance.(I made no comment about the importance and viability of insurance.)Its built on contractandtrust, just like our Social Security system. (No, the SS system, as I described, is built on accounting tricks. There is no contract for SS, which was the point of me citing Flemming Vs. Nestor. All Mr. McCormick offers is a summary contradiction with no facts, data, or logic.)We dont abandon our carinsurance if we dont have an accident. We dont claim our homeownersinsurance is broken and needs to be dismantled when we dont cash in ondamage. (This particular argument mystifies me. Usually when people offer a metaphor, it illustrates some aspect of the debate by offering an enlightening comparison. However, I claimed that my "homeowner's insurance is broken" because there is no real money in reserves to pay claims, not that I haven't had a claim.) Why do we pick away at Social Security and claim it wont be there forour kids and grandkids when they will need it, too? (Why would we pick away at a system that has no money in it and is functionally bankrupt? That is the question that puzzlesMr. McCormick? This is the point, sir. The system is broken, and it won't be there for our kids and grandkids!)A whole generation isgraduating into jobs with lower wages in a difficult labor market. Weshould be making Social Security better, and we can do this. (If only Congress was interested in making it better, but no such luck.)America is acan do nation! We should allow survivor benefits for students throughcollege. (Oh, that'll help improve it. He wants people to be able to suck even more benefits out of it!)Currently, they end at age 18. I get the sense that some would like to grab our $2.7 trillion trustfund to write down debt, but that wouldnt help everyday people, nor theeconomy. (Mr. McCormick glosses right over my direct statement: "If only Republicans wanted to use SS to reduce the national debt." Did he not read this? Or does he intend to persist in his template without regard to what someone already pointed out?)Lets use our money wisely and invest it in people. Thats whatSocial Security does. (*Sigh* My letter pointed out that there is no money in the Trust Fund. It's becoming clear to me that eitherMr. McCormick did not read the letter, or he is intentionally ignoring what I wrote. I know I've pointed this out before, but this is the way the Left thinks. Today is a new day. Nothing has happened before. Every crisis is new, so we must do something. Every refutation offered to them never happened. Every failure is because we didn't do anything before. Arrrgh!) It pays out small amounts of money to beneficiaries each month, likemicrofinancing for retirees, disabled people and survivors. The averagepayment to Montanans in 2012 was $1,088/mo. And what do you think thesepeople do? One-third of seniors rely solely on Social Security to pay forhousing, heat and food. Another third of seniors count on SS for half ormore of their income; they can occasionally buy a gift for the grandkids,or go visit them. Only that last one-third of seniors is not deeplydependent on this monthly check. (Hmm. 1/3 of current recipients do not need it? Didn't he just say our kids and grandkids will need if? So, do people need it or not? What exactly isMr. McCormick trying to say?) Lets help our Social Security system last another 78 years. Lets makeit stronger! (Exactly the point of my letter. The SS system is a shell game, a ponzi scheme which will come crashing down. Since I did not advocate ending SS in my letter, it should be clear toMr. McCormick that I was simply pointing out a weakness that must be addressed.
Once again we find to our dismay a Leftist who is unable to comprehend an argument and offer an on-topic, cogent, substantial rebuttal. Do you see anything inMr. McCormick's letter that even addresses what I wrote? Me neither.) Alan McCormick Manhattan

On Dodd-Frank

On Dodd-Frank


By
John Berlau on July 22, 2013 · 0 commentsin
Bailout Watch,
Deregulate
to Stimulate, Economy, RegulationThis appeared here
and I would like to thank John for allowing me to publish his work. RKOver
the weekend, President Obama hailed the third anniversary of the enactment of
the Dodd-Frank “financial reform.” In his weekly radio address, the president also hailed the
confirmation of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray,
which occurred last week after Senate Republicans caved to Majority Leader
Harry Reids “nuclear option” threat to end the filibuster.The
president began his address, “Three years ago this weekend, we put in place
tough new rules of the road for the financial sector so that irresponsible
behavior on the part of the few could never again cause a crisis that harms
millions of middle-class families.” And he concluded, “If we keep moving
forward with our eyes fixed on that North Star of a growing middle class, Im
confident well get to where we need to go.”Sorry,
Mr. President, but just the opposite is true. Dodd-Frank has declared certain
large financial institutions to be “Systemically Important Financial
Institutions,” enshrining too-big-to-fail in law. And the volumes of
regulations emanating from the laws 2,500-plus pages have harmed community
banks, credit unions, small businesses, farms and manufacturers that had
nothing to do with the crisis.Here
are some articles my colleagues and I have written on Dodd-Franks devastating
toll as well as some its just plain silly, but still destructive, provisions:
I write in National Review and American Spectator on the new database the
CFPB is building that rivals the National Security Agency in collecting
personal financial data. The articles make the point the CFPB is even less
accountable than the NSA, because at least the NSA gets it funding from
Congress, rather than the Federal Reserve.
My colleague
Iain Murray explains in “The Corner” of National Review
Online how the Treasury Department is extending the SIFI or too-big-too
fail principle beyond banks to many types of businesses.
Provisions in
Dodd-Frank regulating trade and the energy sector?! Believe it or not,
yes?! I point out in National Review the flaws and lack of justification
for provisions jammed into Dodd-Frank that force energy companies to
disclose every payment they make to foreign governments and manufacturers
to disclose if any of the gold, tin, or tungsten they use may have come
from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These provisions were inspired
by celebrity activists but are hurting the very regions of the world they
were meant to help, as well as driving up energy prices in the U.S.
economy.
In a rare
instance of bipartisanship on deregulation, lopsided and, in some cases,
unanimous majorities of the House Agriculture and House Financial Services
Committees bucked the Obama administration to provide relief from
Dodd-Franks stringent derivatives regulations. I document here in OpenMarket how both sides pointed
out that these provisions were hurting farms, airlines and factories that
had nothing to do with the financial crisis.If
the president truly wants to focus on the “north star” of helping the middle
class prosper, he should work to repeal Dodd-Frank, end bailouts and lift
barriers to more competition in the banking system from credit unions or well-run companies such as Wal-Mart. More to come on these items.

Life hasn't been easy, and I am thankful

Life hasn't been easy, and I am thankful

Recently, life hasn't been easy.Its made me so thankful.(That is not as disjointed as it may seem.)I wish that I was generally grateful by default, but Im
not . . . which, I think, is pretty common. Maybe the resting state of not-perpetually-grateful isnecessary for function, akin to the way that nerve endings become desensitized to a
stimuli. In case you're not a science nerd, here's an example: when you put on a new sweater you may think Wow! This sweater is so soft!A few minutes
later, the softness of your sweater is a thought of the past, and this is a
necessary reduction. If you were
constantly appreciative of your sweaters softness, you wouldn't be able to
finish a thought . . . “Ok team, in our meeting today---wow! Guys, my sweater is unbelievablysoft!” Similarly, if you were perpetually thankful, your gratitude would be
literally overwhelming . . . marveling at the wiring in your home that makes
electricity possible, the drinkable water that comes out of your faucet, the strength
and functionality of your non-broken legs, the fact that none of your fingers
currently has a paper cut, etc. In this way, I've come to believe that the times that I am
most thankful, most appreciative, are the times when I am existing in the neighborhood of a crisis . . . not really ina crisis, but close enough that I can see
it, smell it, feel it in the hairs on the back of my neck. To use a mild example, its like when you are feverish and sick and cant breathe through
your nose and then suddenly you realize that your advil wore off a while ago ,
but your fever isn't back yet . . .and did you just manage to take a breath
with your mouth closed? Thats a moment
in which you are thankful for the possible return of the health that, three short
days ago, wasn't a blip on your gratitude radar. Its like having that soft
sweater pulled off, and youre chilled and exposed, but only for a few seconds
before you get it back and put it on and re-savor the softness and warmth, which seems even better than you remember.Recently, life hasn't been easy. Its made me so thankful.*My five year old daughter cant speak, but can communicate a
great deal of her thoughts with her communication device. She often, however,
shuns the device around new people and places, and she started kindergarten (in
a new school) this fall. Sure enough, on many days I've heard that she was
disinterested in using it in the classroom----but her teachers are annoyed by
this (as opposed to indifferent). They know that she is capable and are quietly
frustrated that she wont demonstrate her abilities, and wont communicate with
them. I am thankful for their frustration, as it speaks to their investment in
her, and their belief that she-can-do-more.*Maya meets with a reading specialist once a week. She brings
home a folder of homework, new word families each week. We sit together to work
on the worksheets, and while her focus is hit-or-miss, her knowledge surprises
me every time. She will be a reader. She will be able to spell, to write. For a
child who cant speak, the ability to spell and type is invaluable . . . and I
can see that she is on her way. I am thankful. *“Laundry mountain,” as I unaffectionately call the monstrous
pile of clean-but-not-folded-or-put-away laundry on our couch, has grown to a
size that leaves it often oozing off the couch. The kids help by running over,
holding up pieces, and declaring their rightful owner (thats Maya, holding up
a sock and yelling “Will!”) . . . or by grabbing armfuls of clothes and
toddling across the floor, leaving a trail as pieces drip from his grip (thats
Will). I re-gather and re-build the mountain, pulling out pieces as we need
them.Im thankful that at least most of
our stuff is clean, and that dragging laundry around the living room has kept
everyone distracted for long enough for me to slip away to the kitchen and get another cup of coffee.*Will has been growing, progressing, meeting milestones, and
just being a “typical” one year old. It doesn't escape me, this typical-ness. I
watch him toddle across the floor and find it amazing that anyone so small can
walk upright. I see him use his tiny fingertips to pry open containers that I
thought would keep him out, and I am blown away by how he enjoys the fine motor
work that didn't (and still doesn't) come easily for his sister. I hear him,
already, mimicking the words that I say to him, and using his voice to demand “more!”
(or, more accurately, “MORE! MORE! MORE!”)
and I am thankful, for the challenges that he wont have to face, for the way
that his road has been paved and smoothed for easier traveling. *Maya has seen 3 new specialists this fall. Each appointment
raises the anxiety of meeting someone new, a doctor who may or may not listen
patiently as I try to summarize my childs mile-long medical history in
three-minutes-or-less. Each appointment forces me to square my shoulders and
act strong enough to face new fears, as I lay down some
piece-of-information-that-has-scared-me-enough-to-make-it-necessary-to-brave-a-new-doctor. Each appointment is accompanied by various
medical tests, with varying degrees of invasiveness, and so each has raised
that am-I-doing-the-right-thing-guilt, the guilt that all parents face but somehow
special needs parents seem to face more frequently, and with more on the line.
But, so far, none of the issues that we've faced are life threatening, and I am
thankful, so thankful.*The adrenaline crash after each new appointment leaves me in
a tired-to-the-core, dazed-and-disoriented type of way. I am thankful for the
days that Will naps and I get to doze, or for the espresso-and-sugar
concoctions that warm my hands and wake me up (in theory, anyway) on the no-nap days. *Maya had a seizure today, a first, unexpected, with no
warning signs or cause or hint that anything was coming. For 10 seconds, I was
all-response-and-no-thinking. For 40 minutes of recovery, I held her and spoke
calmly to her and didn't let her know that that everything had changed, that
the ground beneath our feet no longer felt solid and strong, and that my seemingly
irrational fears of the potentially-serious-health-complications-that-could-come-with-being-undiagnosed
were now legitimate. I held her and I thought that I could have lost her just
then. And for the rest of the day, I was thankful in a way that no
parent-who-hasn't-thought-that-they-might-lose-their-child-before-their-very-eyes
can possibly understand.*Its been 2 days since my daughters seizure, and yesterday
I found myself constantly watching her, searching for reassurance that everything
is fine, that she is safe, that she is alert, that she is with me. This morning my heart sped up when I saw her
step unsteadily and stumble and tense, but she caught herself and kept walking
and I saw that it was her “typical” unsteady gait and not a spasm or
seizure. I am thankful.*Its been 4 days since Mayas seizure and this morning I
didn't think about it, or picture it, or have a little re-living it flashback
for several consecutive hours . . . and I realize that time has started to work
its magic (its healing-magic or its youre-too-old-and-stressed-to-remember-everything
magic , whichever one, they both work the same) . . . and I am thankful.*We spent four hours commuting today, because we still dont
have a bus. We hit a long stretch of heavy traffic, but when I said “Oh, look
at this traffic!” Maya piped up from the backseat “Oh no!” and we laughed, and
then Will laughed because we were laughing. We made it on time and no one cried.
In the afternoon, on the way home, we
saw some Christmas decorations in a store window and Maya shrieked excitedly,
and I was grateful that today there was no bus, and that I got to share the time with her, to hear
her first exclamation of holiday delight. *Tomorrow we return to the scariest of specialists, the neurologist,
whom we havent had cause to visit in 3 years, 364 days. When I made the
appointment it seemed the perfect distance away: four weeks. Far enough away to
let it fall to the back burner of my mind, but close enough that I wouldn't
worry that we were waiting too long to be seen. I have been thankful for every
day pre-appointment, for every day that I didn't have to agonize over potential
future tests, that I didn't have to know what the doctor thinks about her seizure,
that I can try to pretend this was something small that we can just ignore. I
loved every one of these days. Im also thankful
that whatever the news is, we have an amazing doctor, one who is
smart and worth trusting. (And because Im the type of girl who needs to have a
back-up plan, Im also thankful that we live in a big city full of smart second
opinions, if need be.)*Having a child with an unknown medical
situation means that life is lived in equal parts
dont-overreact-things-are-probably-fine and
holy-crap-things-might-be-the-complete-opposite-of-fine. I am thankful for the
other parents who share their stories, who remind us to celebrate the good stuff.
I'm doubly grateful for those whose stories remind me to shut-up-and-be-thankful-for-every-freaking-second-because-its-easy-to-forget-that-the-seconds-are-numbered**.
Earlier this year my friend Kate suddenly lost her son Gavin, a little boy who was the same age as Maya, also nonverbal, also full of spunk and life and love,
and it spun my whole world around---I am so thankful for that (thankful for the reality check, obviously, not in any way thankful for the loss of Gavin). Because having a
child like Maya can be a lot of hard work, a lot of heavy lifting (literally
and metaphorically), and it could be easy to think “its not fair that things are
so hard for us” instead of “we have no idea what tomorrow brings, so I will
just be happy that today things are (our) normal, normal enough to feel
exhausted by and tempted to complain about.” **As an important note, Kate is far too encouraging and lovely to think that anyone should “shut up and be thankful” . . . I am not that encouraging and lovely, and I tell myself to shut up and be thankful all the timeJThat sentence (and sentiment) belongs to me, not her.Recently, life hasn't been easy. Its made me so thankful.Happy (early) Thanksgiving. For those who are in the crisis zone, may this pass quickly. If you're in the neighborhood of a crisis, may your travels lead you in the other direction, without having to get an inch closer to the bad stuff. And if you're lucky enough to be in crisis free territory right now, soak it up. Don't lose sight of how soft your sweater is.

Hedge Sitters

Hedge Sitters


Early mornings we have a lite breakfast before heading to the local YMCA and theres a lot of “company” outside the dining room window. Three feeders are located near a row of hedges, which an assortment of wrens, sparrows and finches find very convenient. 




Do you also have breakfast with any backyard visitors?

Disaster Movie Competition [Reply To All]

Disaster Movie Competition [Reply To All]


Ever had a REPLY TO ALL disaster?Wereyouable to save the day?Please share your story with us:info@caramie-productions.co.ukShare the pain, spread the love.We will select the 10 best stories, with the winners receivingan exclusive RTA-branded T-Shirt.End of competition: 10th November 2013 at midnight (London, UK time)The Reply To All Team x

Beach Friday 2013

Beach Friday 2013

Last Friday we continued ourannual tradition of going to the beach the day after Thanksgiving. We first started this tradition fiveyears ago (which is really hard tobelieve!) when we decided to visit the beach the day after Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time. After the busy-ness of preparing for Thanksgiving, it is a welcomed time of peace and tranquility. There is nothing to do but to sit and be amazed by the ocean. This was the best Beach Friday trip yet. Our day was truly blessed by God,because it seriously couldn't have been that perfect without His providence. This year we went to Point Lobos instead of 17-Mile Drive like we've done in the past. We were able to hike to a part of the park we've never been to, which was pretty exciting for the kids.The kids climbed lots of rocks. Lucy played inthe sand. Mark and the boys explored a new cave that they found. Several times we'd find the boys just sitting and quietly looking over the water. These are the moments I love for them to have, when their bodies are still for just a minute and they are thinking. This almost never happens during the day when we are home.After Point Lobos, weheaded to Carmel. This was yet another tradition that got started last year on a whim. Last year, we went to downtown Carmel just to get some hot chocolate. We found a magical littletown all lit up with twinkle lights. We had such a wonderful time that we couldn't wait to do it again this year.First we had a fireside dinner at aFrench Bistroin an outdoor courtyard. By the time dinner was done it was dark. We walked around the town, checked out some stores and art galleries, and enjoyed all the twinkle lights. At the end of the day we were allexhausted (especially Lucy!), but so thankful for the wonderful day we'd had.