Archive for March, 2011

“We asked the permission of Gabon and not the US Congress?”

Posted: March 22, 2011 by datechguy in middle east, politics, war
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Pat Buchanan on the attacks on Libya.

Watching Morning Joe twist in circles continues to be an awful lot of fun.

I know some disagree but why should we let the left off the hook for this kind of thing. All it does is enable them the next time they come after conservatives. Additionally the insistence of “limited war” against Gaddafi is nonsense.

He also referred to the French and Europe as the “JV” team.

There is a conflict here in one sense, If this was going to be done it needed to be done faster and a vote could have been asked of congress. I believe when the president spoke the words “Gaddafi must go” he did so without considering what that meant for the US. There is also the possibility that this was done as a sop to Egypt who fought a war with Gaddafi in the past.

In the meanwhile I intend to continue to tweak the left, in the end I hope this will all work out. As for the president regardless if the move was right or wrong or late we are committed and we have to stand behind the fight. In the words of a particular Giant: “I hope we win.”

“Outlaw Money” in North Carolina

Posted: March 21, 2011 by datechguy in economy, oddities
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Episode 51 of the old Robin Hood TV series from the 50’s was called “Outlaw Money”. In the episode the Sheriff arranges for the arrest of the person in charge of minting coin for Nottingham and replaces it with his own man who mixes in base metal for silver coins while the Sheriff pockets the difference. Robin and his band hijack the new coin dies take them in the forest, and sheltering the old mintmaster provide silver mint their own coins and distribute them to the poor. When Friar Tuck is arrested for passing counterfeit money at the trial the mintmaster (disguised as the inspector from London) appears and notes that the “counterfeit” coins have the right amount of silver and the regulation coins do not, foiling the scheme.

I couldn’t help but remember that episode when reading this story:

The leader of a group that marketed a fake currency called Liberty Dollars in the Asheville area and elsewhere has been found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy against the government in a case of “domestic terrorism.”

I found this interesting:

The silver medallions were produced by a private mint in Idaho on behalf of Evansville-based Liberty Services, which also issued paper notes the group said were backed by silver reserves.

During the raid, about a dozen agents seized nearly two tons of coins that featured the image of Ron Paul, a Texas congressman. They also took about 500 pounds of silver and 40 to 50 ounces of gold, as was paper currency and other metals.emphasis mine

Two quick thoughts, Ron Paul? Passing currency with the image of Ron Paul? Paul fans have always seemed a bit messianic about him but this is ridiculous.

Secondly, on the law I think the conviction is correct but describing his as a “terrorist” is a bit much.

Silver if I’m not mistaken is trading at $20 an ounce or so $160,000 in silver and gold is going around $1500 so say $750,000. So that means that this guy was actually putting his money where his mouth was backing this stuff.

It’s an odd thing when you have “counterfeit” money backed by actual precious metals while the US dollar is backed by…faith?

Ironically Paul has a hearing coming up on Bullion.

Confession good for the… Business?

Posted: March 21, 2011 by datechguy in business, catholic, oddities
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One of the side effects of the move of my show to Saturday Mornings has been a disruption in my faith life.

My parish has confession at noon on Saturdays. Since the show moved to 10 to noon I haven’t had the chance to go to confession there or at my normal backup confession spot.

During the time I missed confession I was in a car accident, I lost almost two weeks of door to door and ad sales for the show slumped despite the station’s acquisition of the Boston Red Sox and the fact that my show will be leading into it.

This week due to BC Basketball the show was preempted for one hour. Because of this I got home just before noon and decided to go to confession while I had the chance.

Since that day my car turned up ready 4 days early, my wife picked up a full-time job and I’m had more sales today than I had the entire month of March.

Make of that what you will.

Good advice for candidates everywhere

Posted: March 21, 2011 by datechguy in politics
Tags: ,

Ladd Ehlinger Jr. explains the rules to candidates everywhere. There are two points of his ten that should be in the front of the mind of any political campaign.:

1. It’s a Marketing Campaign, Stupid

Just because the common nomenclature is “political campaign,” it doesn’t change the fact that you are embarking on a short-term marketing campaign.

Your stand on the issues matter little if no one knows who you are. Obviously, you can use your stand on the issues to help increase name recognition. But this is only one small component of the big picture. You are running a marketing campaign so people will investigate your stand on the issues. Don’t put the cart before the horse.

And yes I’m biased on this next one:

Special Tip: Never distinguish between Bloggers and “Real Media.” There is no demarcation anymore, unless you are running for head caveman in the Neanderthal era. Social media is the new battleground, and you have to take that hill, too.

Keep that last one close to the heart.

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