Looks like a deal to me

Posted: January 26, 2009 by datechguy in hobbies
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With the exchange rate between the pound sterling and the dollar rapidly moving in the direction of the dollar the Royal Mint’s move a few years ago to do all pricing in Pounds now favors US collectors.

I’ve already pushed the Darwin anniversary coin but it terms of something that has real chance to gain in value you can’t beat the newly offered Quarter Sovereign.

I haven’t seen this as a coin offered or minted before. It is a gold coin just about 1/16 of an ounce at 22 ct with the same classic design front and back and the standard full sovereign or half sovereign. If you’ve never seen one this is what it looks like:

Same design used for all size sovereigns

Same design used for all size sovereigns

The glory of the British Empire is long past but if you want a chance to get something to remember it by the quarter sovereign is a solid and inexpensive choice. The mint is getting £47.95 each for them at the current exchange rate that works out to around $63 each for a gold coin in it’s first year of issue.

I grabbed 3 since that’s all I can afford, If I had a job I’d grab 10.

The web site for the Royal mint is here, or you can give them a ring at 866-519-7298.

The press and Obama

Posted: January 26, 2009 by datechguy in Blame Bush, opinion/news
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Nordlinger’s column and the new Blame Bush catagory has prompted me to promote this from comments:

As far as the press goes I actually think that there is a chance that the worm might turn on this one. This president has already made it clear that he is above the press by his actions. It is as if he is royalty and bestowing his favors on his faithful subjects. I can’t believe that the members of the press are going to be willing to take this treatment for long. Oh they will keep their mouth’s shut for a while. Their resentment will be whispered and building, but it will take only one prominent reporter on the left to say it aloud and it will come pouring out. I actually have an opinion as to which two reporters/opinion journalists will do it. But I’m keeping that to myself for now.

It will be hard for the press to re-direct their anger to conservatives when we have so little power. Of course as we get nearer to an election their dislike of us may override their abuse, just like the fear of being alone will sometimes keep an abused woman with a violent husband. I think it can’t last for the full four years but it might make it through two. I could be wrong of course. We will see.

The whitehouse will use the Blame Bush stratagem to deflect this when it comes but I think it will come.

Two quotes from Nordlinger

Posted: January 26, 2009 by datechguy in Blame Bush, opinion/news
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Haven’t talked about Jay Nordlinger lately. In his Impromptus column today he as always makes great point but has two in particular that need to be quoted at once:

“Don’t listen to Rush Limbaugh,” say the Obamas and the Powells and some other people. They are giving “free advice” to the Republicans. Well, since when has the GOP listened to Rush? If it did, we would not have nominated Senator McCain last year (for all his virtues, which are considerable). Moreover, Rush did not ask for many of the policies of the Bush administration, particularly in the domestic realm.

Rush says what he regards as true, political consequences be damned. He is not a party strategist, or a party anything. He’s a man with opinions, and they are sound, and that’s why so many people are drawn to him, and them.

Keep it up, Rush—and stay “in their heads.”

The second touches on something I wrote:

The question was raised in our office late last week, “How long will the Obama administration be able to blame George Bush for every problem under the sun?” And the answer is, Indefinitely—because the media will permit it, and abet it: participate in it (given that so many in the media share the worldview and attitudes and style of the new administration).

Is that too dark and cynical a view? Well, I hope so. Maybe we should revisit this subject at regular intervals.

I think that’s a great idea, I’m going to create a Blame Bush Category to cover that from this point on.

Why the net is awsome!

Posted: January 26, 2009 by datechguy in opinion/news, tech
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…because we don’t have to rely on talking heads and the government to know what’s in the stimulus bill. We can just check online at ReadTheStimulus.com.

Not only can we read the bill but we can search it to find particular things that are hidden within it.

This means we have no excuse for ignorance and puts the blame for inaction on our part squarely on us.

Peter Robinson notes something:

Although I thought I’d already grown numb to the statistics, this one very nearly brought a fresh tear to my eye: In its present form, the bill, which contemplates spending about $825 billion, runs to 940 pages. That comes to about $877 million per page.

Hey we’re paying for this bill.

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