My Exclusive Conjecture

Thawing that just doesn't seem to last...

2011-02-24T17:13:00.000-05:00

   Talks between North and South Korea have never worked. The north continues to defy the world with incredibly restricted human rights, and the cut off society. While one sixth of the world economy lies with South Korea, the North lives in impoverished squalor, stuck twenty years in the past behind sandbags and barbed wire.
   The meeting was scheduled, and hopes were high of thawing the ice between the countries quickly. Unfortunately it seems that the North can’t get over itself and join the rest of the world. Even fifty years after the Korean War, the North can’t come to admit that they need help. Negotiations are at a standstill with little chance of rising again in the near future. Before that will happen, North Korea must admit to the most recent attacks on a South Korean Cheonon warship. Until then there is no reconciliation between the states.
   Repairing trust is a huge issue for the two states. Fifty years of tension doesn’t just go away overnight. What they both are trying to accomplish with the talks is hopefully a alliance or at least tearing the wall down that has kept most North Koreans captive for the entirety of their lives. These talks are a huge step for them both in regaining each other’s trust back.

Leadership

2010-11-10T10:21:00.000-05:00

When I think of a good leader, I think of like Abraham Lincoln or George Washington. I think of them as great leaders because they saw our country through some of our toughest and darkest times. They were decisive, wise and to shirk responsibility or blame shift was a slight on their honor. This is the kind of president we need as a nation. This is the kind of leaders we need as people. They weren’t power mongers, but humble, and gave what they could for the benefit of the country. Today there is a lack of good leaders in the world. Not enough humble, not enough decisive, not enough wise people to fill the ranks of the needed leadership positions that are crying to be filled. A vast majority of leaders today see their positions as nothing more than a popularity contest, or how much money you might have, or how many vacations you take in a year.
When I think of a good leader I think of Ronald Regan or Golda Meir. Their leadership forestalled great conflict, and brought nations out of the rubble. They changed the destiny of the most controversial country in the world and forestalled tragedy there. Inflation was lowered, and family income was raised. Why was this? Because a good leader must do what is moral, and right. They must do what is best for the many, not just himself. A good leader must be wise.

Separation of powers

2010-05-27T07:37:00.000-04:00

   In the beginning our countries foundations, morals, and a theistic view on life got us to a place of true freedom. Freedoms, and personal liberties should be seen as gifts, not rights (even though they are rights), to be shared with others. The government was designed to be the purveyor of personal liberties, by staying out of the lives of the people. It was designed with a system of checks and balances to keep one branch from growing too large. This system is known to us as the separation of powers.
   When the founders established the system, they were dancing at the point of the sword. England, and France were breathing down their necks, and every other European country wanted a piece of the states. Knowing this, we can see how it was so easy for them to just create an initial system that was ok, but not great. The Articles of confederation were the first independent government, and it failed badly. It gave the government too little power, having no financial base, and lack of foreign policy. The founders had had enough of oppressive Brittan, and therefore made the articles thinking that a weak government was better than an oppressive one. They found this to be somewhat wrong. The government couldn’t protect or defend, which made them quite vulnerable.
   The Constitution of the United States was written in 1787. It was later ratified for 10 states in 1791. Article one, two, and three cover the three branches of government, and there powers. The executive branch has the power of veto, appointment of judges and other officials, make treaties, ensure all laws are carried out, commander in chief of the military, pardon power. The legislative branch has the power to write, debate, and pass bills, which are then passed on to the executive branch for approval. Finally, the judicial branch is to interpret the nation’s laws. They decide if a government issue is valid on legal terms, and they have the power to judge a decision made by the other branches.
   The government isn’t the nation, the people are. The founders recognized this from seeing examples of ancient Greece and Rome in times past. They saw how Great Brittan had oppressed the civilization under the strong arm of government, and how oppressive the Church of England’s rule had become. They had firsthand experiences with the tyrannies of the society of that day. The government was big. It had no one or nothing to keep it accountable. A force without accountability is an oppressive force. This is the reason the founders put such effort putting checks and balances, and separation of powers in place.
   The powers in the United States have been losing accountability since the civil war. Government always grows after a natural disaster, or war. After World War 1, and 2 we start seeing mass production of government programs, and the general growth of a government to where it is today. The general principal behind the parties are fundamentally different. The Republican Party is based on achieving a smaller government by cutting government programs, while cutting taxes at the same time. The Democratic mindset is to create government programs to do everything, and raise taxes. This is only the general principal behind the parties, not what people actually do most of the time. Both have their drawbacks. Separated powers and checks and balances will prolong the capitalist era, but inevitably (Greece and Rome) we will have a falling out for our actions.

John Locke's Government

2010-05-14T07:54:00.001-04:00

   There are five basic principles of the US constitution. There is popular sovereignty, in which the power of the government comes from the people; limited government, which is pretty much self explanatory; separation of powers, all the power isn’t vested in one branch; checks and balances, each branch checks the power of the other two branches; federalism, the government only gets enough power to maintain order.
   All these principles were and are important to our success as a nation. Without them the government would have grown too big a long time ago. Our founders were very smart. They learned from their mistakes, and made a way to keep the governments powers limited.
   John Locke states that in a social contract, the governed has the right to pick the government, and that the government relies totally on the people. The people give up their personal rights to the government (in the way of taxes, and laws), and the government in return provides safety, and equal rights. So John Locke’s government would be based on equal rights.
   In my opinion government should be very small. They should stick to keeping people safe and overseeing disputes. Other organizations must step in if there is a problem instead of the government, unless it has to do with safety or personal rights infringements.

A Short essay on Capitol Punishment

2010-05-13T10:55:00.000-04:00

I found this essay a little while ago on Capitol Punishment. It was written by a fifth grader, and is pretty interesting.

     Capital punishment has its pros and cons, but I believe that overall it is a good thing. Even if one murder is prevented because of it, it would be worth it. However, it shouldn’t be up to the government to keep capital punishment legal. It should be the people’s initiative. Capital punishment, I believe, should be used as a deterrent to sway potential law breakers in the right direction.
     Capital punishment is not to be taken lightly. It is a person’s life that the government is taking. What would you feel like if you had killed someone, and were on death row for a few years waiting for the inevitable? I believe that capital punishment is a necessary evil that should be used sparingly. We should not grow lazy in our decisions regarding capital punishment.
     Capital punishment has been argued to be the ultimate denial of human rights. It also is described as a working deterrent to keep murders off the streets. Should we kill one man to save another two? I say the answer is yes we should.

TEA Partiers

2010-04-16T17:44:00.003-04:00

The policies of a bouffant government are all about spending, and nothing about saving. The main difference in the Liberal mindset, as opposed to the conservative is that we should raise taxes rather than cut out government programs, which can't possibly be paid for by taxes. A conservative would say to cut out government programs to lower taxes, lower the deficit, lower inflation, and get the workforce back online. Liberals are stupid if they think a government program will solve anything. The programs were first introduced on a massive scale during the depression days; social security, food stamps, etc etc. The problem was is that we never ended them. More and more were added, and we saw our selfs getting more and more socialist. Rich paying for the poor and middle class. Soon, everyone will be poor, and where are our rich saviors now? It has happened MANY times in the history of the world, and always it has resulted in 3rd world conditions, extreme poverty, and governmental failure. The TEA party is a strictly non-violent organization, and you have no right whatsoever to belittle them. If radical liberals decide to use violence to intimidate non-violent Tea partiers, how is that any better than the radical republicans ways? Its just that the media has always been in favor of the liberal mindset, and I am glad to see even one major news source has broken away from the norm: Fox News.
Just a thing or two to keep in mind.

A few LOLZ for Everyone

2010-03-08T12:00:00.001-05:00

With socialists and liberals in the White House and Congress striving to bankrupt the United States with runaway spending, the nation stands a good chance of going the way of the old Soviet Union, and becoming insolvent.
This does not include the proposed $2.5 trillion dollars for Obamacare, and let’s not forget the $12 trillion national debt that already exists.On Friday, analysts in the Congressional Budget Office projected that President Obama’s proposed budget will add $9.7 trillion to the national debt over the next decade. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the national debt would increase a mere $8.7 trillion.
The U.S. cannot sustain this much debt. The reelection of President Obama and Democrats retaining control of Congress would lead the country down the road to insolvency. Once bankrupt, the nation will dissolve. Individual states will suddenly become sovereign nations. Governors will become presidents and lieutenant governors will be their vice-presidents.
If you are a resident of say, Ohio, you suddenly will become a citizen of Ohio. The same applies to the other 49 states and the District of Columbia. Each new nation will be responsible for its own national defense, welfare system, environmental protection, commerce and treasury. For some states, this would be a blessing. For others, like California and New York, it would be a nightmare.
All “red” states could merge into a mini-United States, or they could elect to fend for themselves. “Blue” states could merge into a new, elitist socialistic nation and ask for handouts from red states like Tennessee and Georgia when they go belly-up.
Since California is the world’s eighth-biggest economy, it would be the big dog in North America. I wonder what its immigration policy, especially towards Mexico, would be.Each new “country” could convert its National Guard into its own standing army and air force. Coastal states could form their own navy and coast guard. The new nations would probably want to enter into a mutual defense treaty just in case Mexico wanted to reclaim Texas and California for itself.
Think about it. Each new nation would issue its own passports, print its own currency, and suddenly be free of an out-of-control central government that imposes confiscatory taxes and burdensome regulations that stifle individual freedoms.
States would be free of federal laws that promote the welfare of endangered species over people. California farmers’ water problems would be resolved. Colorado and Utah could extract vast amounts of oil from its huge deposits of oil shale. Virginia could drill for oil off its shore in areas where it exists, instead of where it doesn’t. It would be free of these ridiculous congressional mandates on where it can drill. Many of these new nations could trade oil and natural gas with each other instead of the Middle East. Nuclear power plants would spring up all over the continent.
Each new nation would be responsible for its own infrastructure. Kentucky would not have to subsidize Pennsylvania for its bridges and roadways through congressional earmarks and federal tax distributions.
Breaking the United States into 50 individual small countries would be less threatening to nations like Russia and China. All deployed U.S. armed forces would return to their home “nations.” Without a U.S. to attack, terrorism would decline. South Korea and NATO nations would have to entirely fund their own defense.
States without income taxes like Wyoming, Florida, Washington and Nevada, suddenly would not have any federal income taxes either – putting more money into their citizens pockets and making their economies thrive.
Federal tax money would no longer be spent on foreign aid to ungrateful third world countries whose leaders line their pockets and spend the money on weapons instead of food and necessities for their people.
Countries like China would be stuck with worthless Treasury notes, and it would be reluctant to loan money to any of the new 50 nations. Each new nation would have to live by its own means, which is a good thing in the long run.
The biggest benefit to U.S. insolvency is that Congress would go away, and the United Nations headquarters in New York would move to Geneva where it belongs.

The Hawaiian Escapade

2010-03-03T12:00:00.001-05:00

The aftermath of President Obama’s Christmas trip to Hawaii left the owners of aviation firms $200,000 behind. During this costly visit, no air vehicle was allowed to fly within 30 miles of the place obama was staying. The secret service warned that any planes that were saw would be shot at. In this video, local airplane institutes complain about their loss.

The Waterboard Method

2010-03-01T12:46:00.000-05:00

Let’s not forget that when Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured in Rawalpindi, Pakistan in 2003, he initially clammed up and didn’t provide much, if any information. What information he did give was inaccurate and incomplete. But according to the CIA’s inspector general, once interrogators subjected him to EITs, including waterboarding, he became a vital source of information. He told the CIA about the history of al-Qaeda, delayed terrorist plots, and the detailed operations of the entire network. He became the “most prolific” asset on how the organization operated, and he provided information that ultimately prevented future terrorist attacks on Los Angeles, New York and London.

Despite this irrefutable evidence, Democrats insist that “torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment do not produce consistently reliable information and intelligence, and are not acceptable practices because their use runs counter to our identity and values as a nation.”

Because terrorists are no longer waterboarded, saying that the results amount to “(in)consistent reliable information and intelligence” cannot be substantiated. This is yet another limp-wristed excuse to not do what needs to be done to secure the nation. These same people would rather see a great American city nuclear bombed than one poor al-Qaeda terrorist waterboarded. Liberals simply do not have the stomach or desire to defend the nation.

How many people have died as a result of waterboarding? None. How many people have been permanently injured because of waterboarding? None. How many people have been even slightly injured because of waterboarding? None.

On Thursday, Democrats withdrew the act after intense criticism from House Republicans. Remember that this November when you vote.

For the better?

2010-02-24T12:28:00.000-05:00

Summary of THIS article:

The United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is in crisis. Just recently, some incriminating evidence against them has surfaced, in the form of hacked emails from the prestigious climate program at East Anglia University in England. Basically, the emails showed how politics were influencing them, and that they had shown partiality. Now the panel must make some rather large changes if they want to stay afloat afterwards.

When I read this article, I laughed. Anybody that has that easy of a job, must be doing something illegal. It took the authorities long enough to find out about what they were doing. The IPCC was founded by the UN to monitor climate change studies. So what did they do? What any good, government agency always does, play political.
Agencies like the IPCC are all over the place. They suck up to the politicians to get funds. If the IPCC wants to stay afloat they must make some changes. But, I suppose they’ll settle for some sort of compromise, based on hollow promises – it always happens.

An Essay on Freedom

2010-02-22T12:00:00.002-05:00

Freedom is a choice, not a right. when we, as the people of America, choose freedom over the tyranny of big government, we will indeed experience freedom. Ben Franklin said "Those who give up essential liberty for temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety". When people realize that we cannot let the government "for our safety" impose their will upon us, we will be truly free. The government was created to be protectors of the people, not controllers. Freedom is lost and tyranny gained when the people are afraid of the government instead of the other way around. America needs a revolution, and a change in government that results in a better following of the constitution. Our free speech is slowly being taken away, and I assume that people are watching this very site because of the things I say. I am only being honest. we respect the people in charge over us, but that doesn't change the responsibility to help foster a change. We need "Change", not an Obama "Change", but a moral and spiritual change in the thinking of the American people. I again want to say if you have not already, go to http://wikileaks.org/ and support that great cause. They are the only Free speech activists I am going to recommend, because they are the ones that have so much information that people need to see.

Haiti And its Music

2010-02-17T12:00:00.001-05:00

Artists have created there own fund raising effort for Haiti. An album featuring songs from Alicia Keys, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, Shakira, John Legend, Mary J. Blige, Taylor Swift, Christina Aguilera, Sting, Beyoncé, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, Keith Urban, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson, Emeline Michel, Jay-Z, Bono, the Edge, Rihanna, Dave Matthews, Neil Young and Wyclef Jean along with some bonus stuff. The list is impressively studded with hit artists, and songs. As donations continue to pour in from around the world, "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief" announced on January 23 that it has raised more than $58 million to date — a new record for donations made by the general public through a disaster-relief telethon. Donations continue to pour in from mobile phones, album purchases, and just cash people give. Just Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to Red Cross fund.

More Government Stuff

2010-02-15T14:03:00.002-05:00

Everyone has a motive for doing something, whether it be a baby crying to get fed, or a bank robber with a motive to get rich. This also includes government, motive being power. It is almost impossible to resist the temptation of power and money, so why should we think the government is above it? Personally I believe that this month was the best Washington has seen in a long time. Why? Because they've been snowed out for four weeks now. See we can survive without them looking over our shoulders from capitol hill. President Obama's state of the union basically promised larger government for the good of humanity(since when did they care? They'd rather save the seals than save children from being aborted). Anyway it was Mrs Pelosi that said that Americas health care system was "the worst in the world". I just had to have a good laugh right about then. Since when did that happen? In my sleep last night? Hello Mrs speaker, since when did we start sending our injured athletes and movie stars to the wonderful socialized care of England? No, everybody sends them here. But what about the illegal Mexicans, what are they gonna do? Umm nothing, hence the title "illegal". I'm not trying to be nasty or anything, but seriously people. It's all about politics, and being politically correct. Take Iran for example. We are making our self a shield rather than dealing with the problem itself, Iran. I'm on Israels side with there thoughts on it. Israel is like 70 miles bu 200 miles. I would be worried if I were them too. I would be sending missiles like crazy if I were them. Man, there in a bad position. But the point is that being political doesn't get you anywhere. Plus, nobody except politicians like politics, just ask.

Stalling Healthcare

2010-02-11T09:07:00.005-05:00

As the president’s healthcare reform gets stalled by a non-majority in the senate, democrats are finally letting republicans in on their formerly democratic “healthcare summits”. The President has been calling for bipartisanship in the senate for as long as he’s been in office, and hasn’t been living up to it. He’s basically meant “you republicans had better vote for the bill, or Ill tack you with being stuck in your old republican ways”.
Republicans until recently have been gracious, if not overly, to the bill. Just this week though, Republicans have made a bold move to ask the President to scrap the bill, or at least shelve it. But, according to the Wall Street Journal, he has no plans to do either, and a quote “the democrats will be coming in with (there) plan”.

Maybe We Should Learn

2010-02-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

This camouflaged Dutch ship successfully disguised itself as a small tropical island and avoided the Japanese Navy after the Battle of the Java Sea.

HNLMS Abraham Crijnssen was stationed in the Dutch East Indies when WW II began. After the destruction of the Allied Fleet by the Japanese during the Battle of the Java Sea in February 1942, Crijnssen's captain was ordered to escape with his ship to Australia. Covered with tree branches, the minesweeper crossed the Japanese naval lines camouflaged as a tropical island.

Frustrate Obama: Keep Watching TV

2010-02-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

Most of us know better than to believe everything we see on TV. We also don’t believe everything we hear on talk radio, and we certainly do not believe many of the claims made by many of the blogs on the Internet. But there are some things I have learned from some of the TV news programs that have inspired me to investigate further.

In an age of information on steroids, the TV is often a starting point for many people who want to delve into headlines and sound bites more deeply. So for the president to tell the Democratic senators gathered at a conference to just “turn off the TV” is further evidence that the White House does not want to be challenged, criticized or corrected. READ MORE

Chinese Irony

2010-02-08T08:43:00.001-05:00

SHANGHAI – China on Monday heralded a major bust of computer hackers to underscore its pledge to help enhance global online security, with state media saying had shut what they called the country's largest distributor of tools used in malicious Internet attacks.

Three people were arrested on suspicion of making hacking tools available online, the state-run Xinhua news agency said. Their business, known as Black Hawk Safety Net, operated through the now-shuttered Web site www.3800cc.com and generated around $1 million in income from its over 12,000 subscribers, the report said.

The arrests took place in late November as part of a police investigation that spanned three Chinese provinces and resulted in part from Black Hawk's role in domestic hacker attacks, according to Xinhua.

The delay in announcing the case wasn't explained. But China in recent weeks has waged an aggressive public relations campaign on the issue of hacking, apparently at least in part aimed at discrediting allegations from Google Inc. last month that China was the source of sophisticated cyberattacks against the Internet search giant and numerous other foreign companies. After U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also raised concerns about hacking from China, for instance, Chinese state media said her comments were hypocritical and said Google had become a pawn in an American "ideology war."... READ MORE

Haiti's Peril

2010-02-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

THE MASSIVE international response to Haiti's earthquake has brought more than $2 billion in aid to the stricken Caribbean nation, by the United Nations' reckoning. That's a stunning figure, but it comes with a giant asterisk: So far, the vast majority of the aid, more than 85 percent, has been earmarked or promised but not yet delivered or disbursed.

That's not as shocking as it may sound; after all, channeling $2 billion into a country as poor and broken as Haiti takes time, and if done too quickly it might cause new problems. Still, there is a cautionary tale worth considering even as development experts and the world's rich countries debate how to rebuild Haiti. Unless there is an effective mechanism for raising, coordinating and disbursing aid, arguing over spending priorities and approaches will be a waste of time.

The cost of rebuilding Haiti will be enormous, possibly beyond $10 billion. A major international donors' conference, set for next month at the United Nations, is expected to produce a funding target attached to a rebuilding blueprint. The actual dollar figure will grab the headlines but may be less important than ensuring that donor countries and institutions make good on their pledges.

The U.N. conference will be the third such meeting of Haiti donors in less than four years. The last one, which took place last April after devastating hurricanes and tropical storms, was not an unalloyed success. Of $402 million pledged by multilateral organizations and major donors -- less than half what Haiti requested -- just $72 million has been given out so far, and most of that has just gone to plug holes in Haiti's budget. The remainder, more than 80 percent of the amount promised, has been earmarked but so far not spent, or is simply pending, awaiting reports, reviews or approvals from various boards, governments, agencies and legislatures in the United States, the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Japan and elsewhere.
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None of this, sad to say, is unusual, and some of it hinges on Haiti's government, which even before the earthquake was not a model of efficiency. Typically, the disbursement window for such investment projects is four to seven years. Borrowing from the American lexicon, one aid expert told us that in Haiti, there is no such thing as a shovel-ready project. It did not help that Haiti's prime minister was summarily dismissed by the Haitian Senate last fall in a rancorous all-night session.

After January's devastating earthquake, there must be no repeating the lack of urgency that has marked the international response to Haiti's previous calamities. One way to ease the flow of aid would be to establish a multi-donor trust fund, modeled on the one that collected nearly $1 billion for the reconstruction of Aceh, Indonesia, after the 2004 Asian tsunami. The trust fund could hold donors' feet to the fire to make them meet their funding commitments; act as the main international coordinator for projects with Haiti's government; ensure transparency and accountability once the projects are underway; and monitor results. Rebuilding Haiti will be a long-term enterprise. Better to tackle it with a streamlined mechanism in place from the beginning.

Security Woes

2010-02-01T12:00:00.002-05:00

Obama just passed "Cash for Clinkers", which is just another way for the government to control us. Obama somehow thinks that if he pours enough money into the economy, everything will magically get peachy clean. Not so Mr. Obama. If he would let the economy work itself out, it would eventually do just that. A parallel to this is the environment. Doomsayers, well mostly Mr. Gore, are saying, and have been saying that the environment is changing (By the way is that not what people want?). By going back 50, or even 100 years they say in prediction that their is a "global warming". Their major error is that of timing. The earth cycles in and out of "global warming", and cooling. Its a cycle for pity sakes. 20 years ago scientists were predicting another ice age. I can still go outside, and I'm definitely not seeing any ice. The same thing with the economy. It is a cycle, coming from people spending money they do not have, following the role model of the government which does exactly the same thing. Give the economy enough time and it will cycle through. We MAY go through another depression, but we will pull through. Even if the government would start a "New Deal" type of stimulus, paying people to work doing state projects, it would accomplish more than spending over a trillion dollars on projects that ABSOLUTELY do not need done. It is ridiculous when you here of major corporations trying, thinking, doing their absolute best to find a way to spend government money. This will do no good whatsoever, only delay the inevitable. We will still have to go through a slump in the economy, and we will be over a trillion dollars more in debt when we come through.

Breaking: Apple Tablet Follow up

2010-01-27T21:17:00.002-05:00

The "Apple tablet" is finally official, and it has a name: iPad. Though this super-sized iPod touch is largely what we expected, Apple's announcement included a number of nice surprises, as well as a couple bombshells. I'm not talking about those things we assumed would be true, such as a large screen and support for existing iPhone apps. I mean those features we hoped for, expecting disappointment, or those that caught us off guard. With an hour or so to contemplate the day's news, here are my five biggest/best revelations from Apple's big event (plus a bonus one).

The prices: Leading up to today's event, pricing rumors were all over the map, but most touted estimates in the range of $700 to $1000. So it was quite a shocker to learn that the iPad would start at just $499 for a 16GB Wi-Fi model. Let's put that in perspective: it's the same price as a 32GB iPod touch just two years ago, and only $200 more than the current 32GB touch, despite having a much larger screen, more powerful hardware, and more features. But perhaps the more telling comparison is that Amazon's similarly-size Kindle DX, with its non-color, non-touch-sensitive screen and much more limited functionality, is priced at $489. Unless you're a hardcore e-ink fan, the iPad seems like a relative bargain in comparison.

Of course, if you want to spend more, you can: $599 for a 32GB iPad or $699 for a 64GB model. And you can tack on $130 to any model to get 3G wireless support.

Pre-paid, no-contract, unlocked 3G: There were plenty of rumors about 3G wireless support, but the big surprise was the iPad's options for getting 3G service. Unlike the iPhone, where you're locked into a two-year contract at $30 a month, AT&T will offer two iPad data plans: $15 a month for 250MB of data, or $30 a month for unlimited data. The kicker? These are pre-paid, no-contract rates, and you can activate service at any time right from the iPad itself. So you can, say, enable 3G service before a big trip and cancel service when you get back.

Of course, these plans get you 3G service with AT&T--the mention of which drew audible groans from those in attendance at Apple's event. But the other part of the 3G surprise was that 3G iPad models will ship unlocked. Which means you should be able to plop in a SIM card for another GSM 3G network provider and avoid AT&T altogether, as well as use your US iPad overseas by buying a prepaid SIM card. (Update: It's actually a Micro SIM card, which not all providers currently offer.)

External keyboard support: Macworld editors have been aching for Bluetooth keyboard support on the iPhone since the first model was announced in January 2007. Despite the small screen on the iPhone and iPod touch, being able to use an external keyboard for "real" typing tasks would make the device much more useful, and even let us leave our laptops at home for some trips. Sadly, with each new version of the iPhone OS, we've been disappointed by this omission.

The iPad's huge screen--which has the potential to be great for working with email and text--and the announcement of iWork for iPad (see my next item) had several Macworld editors crossing their fingers that Apple wouldn't hold back on this obvious feature. This time around, Apple didn't disappoint. Not only will the company sell a dedicated Keyboard Dock, which holds the iPad upright while providing a full-size (but no-keypad) Apple aluminum keyboard, but the iPad will also work with standard Bluetooth keyboards. I am very, very pleased.

iWork for iPad: If the iPad really was just a big iPod touch, certain segments of the tech-buying public--business users and education, especially--may not have seriously considered purchasing it. But with the announcement of iWork for iPad, the iPad became a device that will also let you create, edit, and present Keynote presentations; work on spreadsheets and word-processing documents; and create newsletters and other basic page-layout documents. And support for Microsoft Office documents means you can import and work with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. It remains to be seen how well iWork for iPad handles these types of files, and what features it does and doesn't support, but with a real "office suite," a 9.7-inch screen, and the aforementioned support for external keyboards, the iPad is a much more capable tool than it's smaller sibling--and for many people, possibly a laptop replacement.

ePub support: Most people expected the iPad to double as an e-book reader. But Apple's announcement that the iPad's iBooks e-reading app will support the ePub standard was big news. Adopted by the International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) as an open-standards-based format for digital books, ePub allows publishers to create books in a single format for distribution to various e-book resellers and for use on any device that supports ePub. With more and more publishers and hardware vendors adopting the ePub standard, this news means it will be easier for publishers--big and small--to make their e-books available for the iPad and other e-readers.

(Questions still remain, however: Will Apple apply FairPlay copy protection to books you purchase through the iBookstore? Will you be able to import unprotected ePub documents into the iBooks app? We'll be working on the answers to these questions going forward.)

Bonus surprise: the iPad name: OK, so "iPad" was on many lists of possible names, including my own. Nevertheless, it was a bit of a surprise. As I noted in that article, you could argue that iPad is too close to iPod, that it sounds a bit gaming-centric, and that popular TV parodies had tainted the name. On the other hand, I wrote: "[iPad is] a simple, tablet-inspired play on the known-everywhere-in-the-world iPod name. 'Pad' would be a good brand for a tablet-style device that lets you record and explore your creative ideas." In other words, iPad was obviously going to be a love/hate name. But Apple went with it, and on the whole, I like it--it's already growing on me.

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/188013/the_ipads_five_best_surprises.html

That Evil Profit Motive... ITS CALLED CAPITALISM

2010-01-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

Yesterday our president visited the town of Elyira, Ohio, as the backdrop for a major economic address. This area has been hard-hit by the recession, with many jobs lost and throngs of citizens desperate for relief. As usual he was received as a rock star, interrupted by enthusiastic applause, it seemed, every few seconds.
Listen. Really listen. Clearly they are true believers. But did they really listen to what he said? It’s hard to say, because much of it was misleading, slanted or just plain false. A few notable excerpts:

#1: “The banks caused this mess.”

No doubt, the banks contributed to the current economic crisis by their irresponsible lending practices. But in this profligate activity they were hugely enabled by a lack of government oversight, pressure to make those bad loans, and the eager borrowers who knew they couldn’t afford them. It’s only natural that a child craves ice cream and candy; it’s just what kids do. A responsible parent (or government) doles it out sparingly.

#2: “We’ve slashed taxes for 95 percent of working families.”

Are you sure? This is hard to do, since the vast majority of working people don’t pay federal income taxes in the first place. At best they make an interest-free loan to the Treasury with their payroll withholding, but they get it all back in April.

#3: “We’re creating jobs by building roads and bridges.”

True. But even in the best of times, most construction jobs are temporary. The raising of a freeway overpass might provide gainful employment for 100 workers for a year, but when it’s done it’s done; then what? A skilled tradesman might have only short breaks between gigs, but true full-time jobs are rare. Additionally, small businesses can’t bid on these large public works projects. They require deep pockets, access to ample credit, and a fleet of heavy equipment. Only a relative handful of major contractors can even hope to compete.

#4: “Insurance companies just want to make money.”

Umm….yeah. Guilty as charged. That’s sort of the point of going into business in the first place, is it not? Without a profit, they can’t pay claims. Companies that don’t make money, don’t invent new things or create jobs. They don’t pay taxes, they don’t buy computers from Staples or delivery trucks from GM, and they don’t support their local Little League team. Aren’t these the very things that Mr. Obama says he wants to achieve?

#5: “From now on, the Treasury will manage all student loans.”

Let’s see now. Even the worst-performing banks manage to balance their budgets and eke out a profit most of the time. As for the Treasury? I don’t think they have ever managed to pull off such a feat in my lifetime. Government has no incentive to be efficient or make a profit, and they’re accountable to no one. Just consider the record of Social Security and Medicare: if any private company dared to operate as they do, the feds would shut them down before you reach the end of this sentence. I’m not prepared to give them yet another huge business to screw up.

#6: “This government has unprecedented transparency and accountability.”

Oh, really? Time and again during his campaign, The Chosen One promised that the health care debates would be broadcast on C-SPAN. Last time I checked, most of that process took place behind closed doors, sometimes even freezing out the opposition party. Dozens of czars operate unchecked behind a veil of secrecy; have they ever held a press conference to report what they’re up to? Most politicos shout it from the rooftops when they’ve achieved something good; the lack of crowing makes one wonder.

God has blessed our nation to be the most advanced and prosperous society in the history of the planet. How did we get here? Dreamers. Capitalism. Private enterprise. A profit motive. Risk-taking. Stock, bond, and commodities markets. All but a few of the greatest inventions and scientific advances of the past 100 years were achieved, not by some government grant or mandate, but by private citizens on their initiative and on their own nickel.

Mr. Obama says he wants to create millions of new jobs, yet he also wants to tax and regulate successful companies into oblivion. Which almost certainly assures that they will retain their hiring freeze for years to come. The gravy train is stalled, and the “experts” are trying to fix it by ripping out the tracks

Of course, yes, there is a legitimate role for government, to police the schoolyard and make sure that everyone plays fair. Otherwise the best thing they can do is just get out of the way, and let good old American ingenuity do what it does best.

Breaking: Apple Tablet?

2010-01-26T17:03:00.000-05:00

So whats it gonna be? If Steve Jobs gets up in front of everyone and says "Now for the latest technological breakthrough..." and pulls out another iphone... well there will be alot of unhappy people there to say the least. For all that haven't been up on apple news and rumors lately, the latest speculation is that Steve will be unveiling the new Apple Tablet(sometimes called the iSlate, iTablet...the list could go on) TOMORROW. Three weeks ago at the CES(Consumer Electronics show) the tablet was the biggest thing talked about. Problem: Apple doesn't attend the CES; Apple hasn't even announced it, or anything about it; there are only two semi-believable, non photoshoped pictures of it on the entire web... anyway that was the big deal at the Show. Tens of news sources are going to be covering the meeting tomorrow, and the hype is on... lets see what comes of it tomorrow.

Ahhh... The Irony

2010-01-25T12:00:00.004-05:00

If the dems had any idea last year that Pres. Obama would follow through with half of what he’s done, they wouldn’t have even considered him as a candidate. So far in his first year he has managed to double the entire national deficit, take over nearly half of the banks in the US, get his health bill through congress by playing basketball with key opposition leaders, and alienate the second largest news network in the US (FOX). These are only the first things that come to mind when I think of the Obama Administration. As he is our president, I must respect him, but I cannot, and will not agree with what he’s doing.

However, the key has turned, and quite recently. On Jan 19 Republican Scott Brown was elected to the most liberal seat in congress. Scott Brown stated plainly that he “WAS MOST CERTAINLY NOT” voting for the healthcare bill. The Massachusetts senate seat was held by the late Ted Kennedy for over half a century. The ironic part is that this election was supposed to be a breeze. Obama shows up to give his “This will go my way” speech to a crowd, and they all get set. By some miracle (as Obama states), Brown won.

The end of the world… for the 12th time

2010-01-20T12:00:00.003-05:00

Or, maybe it’s the fourth time… Anyway, that’s what Patrick Geryl, leader of the “2012 Survival Unit” is preparing for. His website has supposedly thousands of followers, and is collecting canned food, seeds, roots, and other survival gear for the “Big Date” in 2012. He stated that he is outfitting underground bomb shelters and caves to accommodate fleeing people.

For a fact, I know that the world has only been totally destroyed once, and that we are promised that it will not happen again. However there will be wars and natural disasters like never before as the earth wears out, and nears the tribulation (Gods immediate judgment of sinful man). It’s in a book written over 2000 years ago. SEE Genesis 5:11-22, 6:17-24

Hacking Human Rights

2010-01-18T12:00:00.002-05:00

Internet giant Google says it may end operations in China over alleged breaches of human rights activists' e-mail accounts. Reports say chinese government paid hackers are having a field day with google.ce, the chinese version of google. After an investigation by google, the company found many cyber attacks had been inflicted on promenent human rights activist
For Google to withdraw from China would be an extremely rare repudiation by a Western company of what is almost universally seen in business circles as one of the world's most important markets. The country has 338 million Internet users as of June, more than any other country. Even the public suggestion that it is considering such a move is likely to infuriate Chinese authorities. Google's statement could complicate matters for other tech companies already sensitive to being seen as accomplices of the Chinese government.

"We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the benefits of increased access to information for people in China and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to censor some results. At the time we made clear that "we will carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to reconsider our approach to China."

Google first set up agreements with the Chinese government in 2006, accepting the strict rules, and obeying the mandates set up by them. The hackers, however seemed to be the perverbial "last straw" for google.

Global Warning

2010-01-13T12:00:00.007-05:00

"Past the crop rows in Florida’s agricultural core, there swims a sizable industry that has suffered more than any other because of this year’s cold snap: tropical fish." - CNN

Global warming? Polar ice caps melting? I'm personally getting tired of the "save the whales" junk. Wouldn't it be better to save the dying, and sick people in Africa, not to mention poor people in our own country. Why is it that some random guy wakes up one day, and thinks "Its too warm out today, I think the world is heating up, and were all gonna die", and with no scientific ability, let alone proof, goes and writes a book, becomes world famous, and all the time precious dollars are being spent to "alleviate" this "mighty scourge" that is global warming. For crying out loud, this guy claimed to have invented the Internet among a ton of other falsehoods. Why? Thats the only feasible question that I am able to give, and its also rhetorical, so don't think too hard about it.

GOP Funds

2010-01-11T12:00:00.002-05:00

A recent report from the Grand Ole Party states that they are very low on funds, about $1,000,000, and may need considerable help getting thorough the next presidential election. They are looking to local GOP outposts for support until their next large fund-raising campaign, which they plan to boost them back into the black. The statement hasn't gained much attention from the media yet for the reason that the chairman of the GOP has been keeping it under wraps for the time being.

The "Swine" thing

2010-01-06T12:00:00.008-05:00

The internationally notorious "Swine flu" (H1N1 to be politically correct), seems to have stirred up a few tempers in its 6 month existence on the big screen. When it was first announced to be in the united states, the CDC (Centers for Disease control) stated that

"(the swine flue) to which no one has immunity, might cause untold suffering and death..."

In the time it has existed, the flu has caused a whopping 87 deaths in the US, 113 in Mexico, and one allegedly in Cuba. Now, I'm not downplaying the deaths by any means, but when you consider that thousands die each year of the NORMAL flu, well a new light is shown. Billions of dollars were poured into this attempt to stop this "PANDEMIC", which ended up seemingly to be nothing more than a government agency trying to gain publicity, and government funds.

AIDS Immigration Ban

2010-01-04T12:00:00.002-05:00

Taking effect today thoroughout the world, 12 countries will be lifting the ban on HIV AIDS immigration. This is in response to president Obama's most recent statement that "the US will now be leading the world in HIV AIDS research.

"We lead the world when it comes to helping stem the Aids pandemic - yet we are one of only a dozen countries that still bar people with HIV from entering our own country." - Obama

So we are to let millions of deadly people into the US because we want to study what makes them deadly, and how we can treat it? Whatever the case may be, we're about to jump into something WAY over our heads.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8438865.stm
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=111581

A story all should hear

2009-12-30T12:00:00.004-05:00

The story of Miso Vogel

So they marched us through the gate with whips and beatings and dogs jumping on us. We came to a huge brick building. They shoved us...shoved us into the huge brick building, and there were prisoners and SS telling us what to do next. It was tables, long tables. The first area, where we had to undress, strip our clothing. There were hooks behind us. You put the clothing through a piece of wire, hang the clothing up, take our shoes off, put the shoes on the floor. Next table were the barbers, the camp barbers, where they shaved our head, they cut our hair, shaved the entire body. They said it's for hygiene. Then we moved to another table where the tattooing was done. So, the tatoo was done on the left forearm. There was one person who would rub the...a little piece of dirty alcohol on your arm, and the other one had the...had the needle with the inkwell, and he would do the numbering. So my number is 65,316. That means there were 65,315 people numbered before me, tattooed before me. After the tattoo...tattooing was done, they put us where they gave us the clothing, but not what we came with. They gave us, issued us a striped brown cap, a jacket, striped jacket, a pair of striped trousers, a pair of wooden clogs, and a shirt. No socks or underwear. Then the last area, when they gave us the uniform, they gave us two strips of cloth. The cloth, I would say, was about six inches long, maybe inch-and-a-half wide. And it [was] star...starred with the Star of David, corresponding with the number on your left forearm, sewn on your left breast and on the right pant leg. And then the last item, which was the most important item that we received, was a round bowl. And this bowl was the lifeblood of your being. First of all, without it you couldn't get the meager rations that we got. And second, the bathroom facilities were almost non-existent.

In 1939, Slovak fascists took over Topol'cany, where Miso lived. In 1942, Miso was deported to the Slovak-run Novaky camp and then to Auschwitz. At Auschwitz, he was tattooed with the number 65,316, indicating that 65,315 prisoners preceded him in that series of numbering. He was forced to labor in the Buna works and then in the Birkenau "Kanada" detachment, unloading incoming trains. In late 1944, prisoners were transferred to camps in Germany. Miso escaped during a death march from Landsberg and was liberated by U.S. forces.
________________________________________________

— United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Collections

Egypt To Ask For Return of Rosetta Stone

2009-12-28T12:00:00.003-05:00

Egypt is preparing to make a formal request for the return of the Rosetta Stone, the ancient artifact that helped to unlock the secrets of the pharaohs. Zahi Hawass, the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said he is preparing to "fight" for the restitution of the stone which has been on display in the museum in London since 1802.

The ancient slab, found by Napoleonic soldiers back in 179, then handed over to British soldiers has been on display in the British Museum ever since. In March, Dr Hawass told The Art Newspaper that he intends to seek the loan of five key masterpieces from international museums. The others are the head of Nefertiti (Berlin Museums), the Dendera zodiac ceiling (Louvre), the bust of Hemiunu, builder of the Great Pyramid (Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum, Hildesheim, Germany), and the statue of Ankhaf, builder of the Khafre Pyramid (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). “I will give guarantees for their safe return,” he promised.
A dispute has already broken out over Nefertiti (another key artifact), with the Berlin Museums arguing that the head is too fragile to travel. Dr Hawass warned last month that if the Berlin loan is refused, then “we will fight to bring back this bust for good”. However far the good doctor is willing to go, the underlying reason is what bothers everyone, even though they wont admit it. We'll just have to wait and see.

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/visual_arts/article6946133.ece

Repaying the "favor"

2009-12-23T12:00:00.002-05:00

Great news – Citigroup, one of the largest banks in the US, is attempting to repay government stimulus money. To be more precise, they are selling about 17 billion dollars in shares, to repay their 20 billion bailout. This news, to me, is a welcome article. This is the first corporation to do this after the drop, and maybe others will follow suit, repaying the debt. At any rate, the restrictions are off(restrictions always come with government money), and they are a(proverbial) ”free company”.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8411875.stm

COP15: Copenhagen Global Climate Summit

2009-12-21T12:00:00.002-05:00

COP15: Copenhagen, the very first united effort, by more than one nation, to stop global climate change. The idea that humans are destroying the earth, is a relatively new idea, brought up by Al Gore in his book “An Inconvenient Truth”. If the summit goes as planned, it means that humans have just taken responsibility for the first time in world history for something they might not have done. It seems a bit strange, right? If you read the documentation of what is to happen at the summit, and I don’t suggest you do, it’s over 1000 pages, they will discuss a world governing system as an option, to reducing poverty. This has been coming for a long time. Why do you think the government is pushing this so hard? Why are they seemingly “Taking the hit” for this, when they’ve never done it before? The so called “Climate Summit” to me is only a ruse for a bigger plan.

A Travesty of Justice

2009-12-16T12:00:00.005-05:00

The pending prosecution of three Navy SEALs--who apprehended Islamo-thug Ahmed Hashim Abed--is an egregious tragedy. Imagine, US military commanders (not to mention a gaggle of American lawyers) taking the word of a truculent and savage al Qaeda operative over the testimony of men who willingly risk live and limb for our great nation.
Not only has this cataclysm fomented disgust and disbelief among most Americans, but it will most certainly have a chilling, not to mention demoralizing effect on US Special Forces. After all-- how can we expect these intrepid warriors to continue putting their lives on the line when those in command are playing the role of Judas.
It is long overdue for our commander in chief to cast aside his notorious anti-American inclinations--and do what is noble: dismiss all charges against the SEALs.
Now is the time for leadership--not backstabbing (our troops).

Capitalism

2009-12-14T12:00:00.005-05:00

Socialism. Not such an ugly word in some circumstances, but certainly one in our case. For a country founded in it, it may be good, and even, possibly, work. In America, though, a country founded under the principles of capitalism and free market, a switch to socialism would be devastating. America rests on corporations, and small businesses. The middle class. Our government has already taken over most corporations, and with this new health care bill being debated, it may take out more. If small businesses, under the bill, can not survive, the government has quietly wiped out that middle class that American economy rests so firmly on. when that great cornerstone is removed, it will separate, creating the rich, and the poor. We will be ripe for a dictatorship to start incubating. A revolution that restores the constitution, is the only possible way to restore America.

More of Obama…

2009-12-11T11:11:00.005-05:00

Just recently, in Jakarta Indonesia, a two meter bronze statue was erected for President Barrack Obama. The piece was over $10,000, and took two and one half months to complete. The Foundation “Friends of Obama” commissioned the sculpture to be made. They state that the statue is “only a tribute to the American leader, and his time in Indonesia…” President Obama spent a few years in Indonesia when he was a child. Ron Mullers, chairman of Friends of Obama foundation, stated that the statue has “Nothing to do with politics”. Recent Nobel Prize winner, President Obama, has the glamour of a celebrity, but is he fit to lead the nation?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8405778.stm

A Tribute to Pearl Harbor

2009-12-05T12:00:00.001-05:00

Newspaper articles about Pearl Harbor detail the destruction caused during the darkest two hours and 20 minutes in the history of the American Navy. The Japanese sneak attack of December 7, 1941, not only killed over 2,000 American sailors, it plunged the United States headlong into World War II. The attack on Pearl Harbor on that placid Sunday morning in 1941 would become a signature moment for a generation. Like the attack on the Maine and the Battle of the Alamo before it, the attack on Pearl Harbor became the rallying point for American soldiers in every theatre of combat during World War II.
Although America did not enter World War II until after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the events leading up to the attack showed a growing desire for US entry into the growing conflict. The United States had been providing China with material since the beginning of their war with Japan in 1937 and had been secretly sending materials to Great Britain to aid in their fight against Germany. In fact, many US commanders believed that the Japanese would launch a strike against the US at some point during 1941. By mid-July, relations between the United States and Japan had deteriorated significantly, causing President Roosevelt to place an oil embargo on Japan and close US ports to Japanese ships. In November, talks between the US and Japanese governments came to a boiling point and by the last days of November, talks had broken down completely. Even though there were warnings of an imminent Japanese attack, no one predicted the attack on Pearl Harbor. More than 2,400 military members died on December 7, 1941.

Congressional Ethics

2009-12-04T09:03:00.000-05:00

If I was ever confronted with the question of what to do if a lobbyist offered me all my next campaign funds for the next election if I voted a certain way on a congressional bill. If I don't vote the way they want me to, I might not win the next election, and be out of a job. If I did vote the way they want me to, I would feel guilty about voting opposite my convictions, and outside of what my supporters wanted. The general public could find out, and my next election could be ruined anyway too.

So what do I do? This is a question that all politicians must face sooner or later. This problem of congressional ethics is widespread, and growing. Its not the people that govern, its the lobbyist with the most money. It takes no ordinary politician to resist this temptation of an easy re-election.

"I Dreamed a Dream..."

2009-12-03T12:29:00.000-05:00

Susan Boyle's debut album, released last week, is a stunning example of how first impressions are often dead wrong. Six months ago when she walked onto the big stage for the first time in her life, even the judges on Brittan's got talent were cracking up about the parody before there eyes. The humor was quickly forgotten when she sang "I Dreamed A Dream" stunningly for over 1000 people, and a live audience.

Her album, featuring "Wild Horses"(Rolling Stones), sold over 700,000 copies in the US alone on the first week.

Breaking Records, and defying pop culture, Susan Boyle has made her mark.

Government bailouts are beginning to take there toll...

2009-12-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

The most recent acquisition of GM by the government has put everyone on edge. If the government can take out a huge corporation that size, and go untouched, what in the world couldn't they do? The CEO of GM resigns by order of the government (more precisely the Obama administration), then they bring in a total outsider to run the company. It makes no sense, and is irrevocably illogical.But, after all, there's not a bailout, grant or mandate that doesn't come with strings attached.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8389677.stm

The State of the American People - Common Sense Blog

2009-11-29T12:00:00.004-05:00

Redundant as always, but still true, our system of society is on toe collapse, all due to poor decisions made in the government. Our school system is in a shamble, and our children are suffering because of it. It is absolutely deplorable to see the far reaching effects of a society that has lost all moral restraint. People say "socializing health care will destroy America". This is partially true, and partially false. America, my friend, is already socialized beyond any form of return. Look at our schools. Who controls them? Mr. American Government. What about the banks that the government now controls? The car company's that received "free" money from the government, and will only find out to late that they to are being socialized. The media should be screaming, "America, you have been socialized, right in front of your noses!". Instead what do they do? Our own Communist News Network, or CNN as some may know it, is touting the horn of liberalism, from which this socialism came from in the first place. I have only named a few venues which socialism has reared its ugly head, and taken over quickly and efficiently.

Basics of the constitution

2009-11-22T12:00:00.004-05:00

A video about the basics of the constitution, and government.

Moon ice (really water) follow up article

2009-11-17T12:00:00.000-05:00

The billion dollar missile that hit the moon last month has finally produced some fruit, about 24 gallons of water. Michael Wargo, chief lunar scientist at NASA headquarters in Washington, said the latest discovery also could "unlock the mysteries of the solar system". To me, this is just another puncture wound in the even larger gash, called our economic stability.

Of course this all stems from NASA's ever - onward goal of finding life on another planet, while we kill babies here.

A little about pirating and Microsoft…

2009-11-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

The most recent activities of Microsoft are now out; the software giant has been working to break pirating of games on the Xbox live, more specifically the newest game Call of duty: modern warfare 2. So far in the process over 1 million gamers have been banned from the live world. When they attempt to login, they are greeted with an error message reading “No recourse for terms of use violations”. This is a huge breakthrough for the company.
On the other end of the spectrum, the shutdowns are also occurring to non-illegal “modded” systems. Gamers back-up purchased games on the modded device. Microsoft says that “Even one modded system is too many”. Users complain that the disks are fragile, and after paying big bucks for the games and broken disks are of no use. The controversy is ongoing, but the shutdown is already done.
Microsoft has not said how it was able to determine which gamers to disconnect. "We do not reveal specifics, but can say that all consoles have been verified to have violated the terms of use," the firm said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8356621.stm

Veteran's Day Tribute.

2009-11-12T09:31:00.001-05:00

"Veteran's Day should be an occasion for a national vow: no more war victims on the other side; no more veterans on our side." This concluding statement of Howard Zinn's article on Veteran's Day emphasizes ample cause on the negative outlook on a war holiday. Having a "Veteran's Day," in one perspective, is a day that honors the men and women (if there were any) for their hard work and dedication in serving their country. From another viewpoint, as taken by this article, a day, like "Veteran's Day," is "instead of an occasion for denouncing war, has become an occasion for bringing out flags, the uniforms, the martial music, and the patriotic speeches.
To me, veterans day should be one of celebration. It should always be a day to which we dedicate to, not only the soldiers that came back from the war, but to them that didn't.

In the beginning...

2009-10-30T10:34:00.001-04:00

In the beginning, government was intended to be small and localized. A limited government is key to capitalism. If a government grows too big, government starts to compete with corporations and businesses, and then the corporations and businesses fail due to undercut competition by the government. After the corporations and businesses fail, the government takes over, and has the monopoly in that, and anyone who tries to get in there way will find the machine growing. An example of this is the impending healthcare bill in congress. If the bill passes, the new government agency will be competing with other insurance agencies, it’s only natural. The new agency will obviously, as they say, come with lower price tags, forcing other agencies to close due to extreme undercutting. In the end there will only be the government agency.
Representative government is an idyllic form of government. It basically is government run totally by the people. The people delegate authority to the representatives, which then make decisions. It is impossible for everybody to make decisions all the time, so the representatives do it for them.
Government must be established on these principals, or it will fail. A government based on representatives, and not trying to take over, is an ideal government. It is very likely that if our founding fathers did not set up this kind of government, we would not be here today.

Search giant Google's annual revenue up from last year

2009-10-16T09:23:00.000-04:00

Google earlier this week announced that there annual revenues were up this year. The 3.6 bin. dollars this year trumped last years by a 14% increase. Google states that their recession days are over. Compared to yahoo, or the new search engine Bing, they are fallen leaves compared to Google. Shares rose $16.44, or 3.1%, to $546.35 in extended trading on Thursday.Critics believed the giant would be the first to bounce back, and they were right.

Moon Ice??

2009-10-12T14:15:00.001-04:00

When I read about this I was not surprised. It has been the astronomers dream to find water on any planet but ours. This has been the driving force behind NASA's operations for the past few years. It has also cost the U.S. billions of dollars every year. So why do this? Why send missiles to the moon when millions go hungry every year down on earth? The answer lies in there basis of understanding, evolution. They're wondering to themselves "If there is life here on earth, there must be life on other planets." But life on other planets is not possible without that little 2 hydrogen, 1 oxygen molecule that everyone calls water. Of course when you know the facts about how life came into existence, you wontbe left wondering.

Justice, an essay by me

2009-10-09T12:28:00.000-04:00

"Justice is a certain rectitude [moral integrity] of mind whereby a man does what he ought to do in circumstances confronting him." - Saint Thomas Aquinas

Justice is the cornerstone for our American culture. When the fathers of our country wrote the documents on which our nation was founded, they spared no little effort to embed the concept of justice in each of them, setting the path right from the start. Without justice, or the prevailing of justice, we have no law or order, and America would have to have fallen apart only a few years into its life. read the rest>>

Healthcare

2009-10-08T18:29:00.001-04:00

Currently in Washington lawmakers are fighting to introduce nationalized healthcare as the standard for medicine in the future. The bill at first faced heavy opposition (over sixty groups), so Congress, and the President revised it again, still to no avail. Currently President Obama is on vacation, as well as Congress. Obama states that his intent when he gets back is to go for the cause even more radically than before.

Meanwhile, AARP is pushing nationalized healthcare to the top of their list of bills to pass. They are currently running a TV add that has an ambulance swerving to miss cars, and stating that “special interest groups are trying to block progress (or change)”. If the bill passes, the government will create another insurance agency that will, of course have to be much bigger than all the others, putting smaller agencies at risk, or even closure.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gC-Qtg2zhR-9npRxoNjdI_9wjkYAD9AGC0P00

Anti-Americanism in the Middle East

2009-10-08T18:26:00.000-04:00

American relations in the Middle East have never been perfect, that’s for sure. President Obama’s obsession with not having anything in common with the previous president, isn’t aiding the cause any. Adm. Mike Mullen pointed out his concern in a press conference that, “a trend to create entirely new government and military organizations to manage a broad public relations (counteracting anti-Americanism); were making it a bureaucracy, rather than combating their ideology”.

Aside from popular thought that Al-Qaeda agents live in mud huts and caves, the agents usually are in among the people, and therefore hard to find. Also aside from popular ideas, the Adm. stated that American counteractions “lack credibility, because we haven’t invested enough in building trust and relationships, and we haven’t always delivered on promises”. We are making a big mistake by pulling the troops out of the Middle East.

Peace an illusion, says Israel FM

2009-10-08T18:16:00.000-04:00

Well, the Foreign Affairs minister is correct when he stated "learn to live with it". It obviously has not passed him up that the United States is not supporting Israel like they used to. He also states "We're going to continue with our efforts to achieve an early relaunch of negotiations... because we believe that's an essential step toward achieving the comprehensive peace...". Peace in the Middle east is what everyone but the middle east is striving for. We all know that Israel isn't going to surrender anytime soon, and neither are there foes, but we know who will win in the end. Its in the Bible.^

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8296809.stm

Taliban Suicide Bomber at the Indian Embassy

2009-10-08T14:31:00.000-04:00

The Taliban strikes again.
The increased footsoldiers in that area has angered the Taliban to the point of violence. Come to think of it everything they do is violent. The minute the last one(or before) of our troops are recalled, the terrorists will seize Iraq, and we then must start over at block one. The conflict in Afghanistan is only the forefront for this push.When the US government pulls its troops from Iraq(August of next year),I believe that the Iraqi government will fall.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8296137.stm

For all you Libertarians

2009-10-08T13:53:00.000-04:00

First of all, I would like to say that I will be able to vote on the next presidential election. So, when that time comes, all you republicans/libertarians will have one more voting for you. Also I say to all you libertarians out there, sometimes in life you have to chose the better of two evils. Currently the only good the libertarian party has done is draw away votes from the republicans. I'm not saying that I disagree with your principals, I don't, I'm saying that this whole Obama thing came about by votes being drawn away by the libertarians, and ACORN's fraud (we'll talk them later). I'm not telling you that McCain was the best choice... I'm saying that he was the wisest choice.