Wake Up!

if you were really awake, you wouldn't be telling anyone to wake up.

Affordable Tax Raises My Premium

Just got a surprise in the mail.
My health insurance bill for January 2014
With a healthy increase of $149 a month
which apparently is to cover taxes imposed by the
Affordable Care Act.
Makes it less affordable for my family
to the tune of $1,788 a year.

very sad

as if we weren't paying enough already

Asteroid Warning System

here is a simple practical solution to the asteroid problem

early warning system

devote internationally perhaps a billion dollars a year to predicting asteroid impact
and just give people the heads up!
six months warning would be great


EVACUATE!
evacuate Madrid or Sydney or Los Angeles

and update the prediction every day!

this could save a lot of lives and yet not cost a lot
maybe a billion is way off
maybe ten million per year would be enough!
It would not save the buildings
but it might save the people/

The Affordable Recession

It looks like we may have tipped over into recession this quarter.
Is this negative growth?
It will take a long time to know.
But if it is a new recession I propose calling it the Affordable Recession, because the Affordable Care Act implementation may be the straw breaking this economy's back.

Syria

what a sad situation. is there anything that could be done to make it better?

My perspective

it was a mistake for other governments to encourage the rebellion,
that was a mistake that has led to this humanitarian disaster

No matter how bad Assad was, is it better now?
Is the right way to deal with bad dictators to take up arms against them?

So what about the future?

Let nature take its course without interfering. That is what I believe in.
Ultimately there will be a victor and there will be peace. Picking sides does not help that to happen.Unfortunately, helping the rebels is prolonging the struggle.

It would be better at this point to let Assad regain control.

Here is something I heard. This is really about the oil pipeline that the Saudis wanted to run through Syria.
This pipeline would lessen the power of Russia over Europe. Right now Russia is the main supplier of oil to Europe. They are able to threaten Europe with supply disruptions.
So the people who want Assad out have this big ulterior motive. I am heart sick over this.

But what is the truth? I don't really know. There are so many motivations.
But the choice to be violent is an individual choice.
We can each choose to stop being violent.

Great Economy

So what is right with this economy?
What is making stocks go up and up and real estate go up and up?
There is a lot of complaining about the moderate growth rate and the high unemployment rate.
But those things go together with low interest rates and a low rate of inflation.

Here are the positives in a nutshell

low interest rates
sluggish growth
abundant cheap labor
unemployment rate of around 7%
an aging population
new technology
good international trade relations


All these things are powerful enough to overcome the negative of government interference

New Entitlements

People need things. Lots of things. And the government needs to guarantee that everybody gets these things.

Clothing

Internet

Mobile internet with unlimited data

pets, dogs, cats, fish, birds

vacations to Europe

automobiles!! and good ones!! luxury autos for sure

furniture

nice furniture!

lessons, like tennis and piano and yoga etc.

dining out! at good restaurants!

air conditioning

landscaping

big weddings

big funerals

legal services

and there are so many more
These are all RIGHTS
everyone has a right to all these things and more and the government needs to get to work right now and make sure everyone has them