Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Advice to Small Banks - Stay Dull and Stay Small

Drudge’s main headline banner, right at the moment, in bold red lettering, states Geithner Eyes Small Banks, linking to a Yahoo Finance article which is actually headlined “US official: Bank repayments will extend program.”  Within the article we are informed of the following.

The Obama administration says it will use bailout money repaid by large U.S. banks to support additional capital infusions for smaller banks.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner says the repayment proceeds expected from some of the largest banks will be used “to reopen the application window” for banks with total assets under $500 million.

In remarks to the annual meeting of the Independent Community Bankers of America, Geithner says the window for applying or reapplying, and the deadline for small banks to form a holding company to participate in the program will be open for six months.

Now, let’s compare this news regarding the government casting its net in an attempt to entice small banks to become government lackeys to an article on small banks from yesterday’s New York Times titled We’re Dull, Small Banks Say, but Have Profits.

It’s unlikely that any group of professionals is happier to highlight the dullness of their work than small-town bankers.

At a recent conference held here by the Indiana Bankers Association, attendees said it over and over: our business is plodding and boring and we would not have it any other way.

“Banking should not be exciting,” said Clay W. Ewing, president of retail financial services at German American Bancorp, a community bank in Jasper. “If banking gets exciting, there is something wrong with it.”...

Forget “too big to fail.” These banks consider themselves too small to risk embarrassment. They are run by people who grew up in the towns where they work, and their main fear is getting into a financial jam that will shame them in the eyes of their neighbors.

The steep profits earned by national banks didn’t turn their heads in the last decade because they were inherently skeptical of double-digit growth rates.

“We like a nice, gentle, upward slope,” said Donald E. Goetz, the president of DeMotte State Bank, an 11-branch operation in the northwest part of Indiana.

If small banks are wise, they will shun the government’s offer and stay small, dull and on that “nice, gentle, upward slope,” or they’ll end up with the State forcefully jamming their financial stupidty into places the small banks really won’t enjoy.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/13 at 08:37 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Police State’s Technological Silent Killer

Ah, technology.  It allows me to mine information and data from all around the world, right here in my easy chair.  I can expand my knowledge, on almost any subject, by accessing data bases of universities, think tanks, and government institutions.  But, this technology can also turn around and bite me in the ass.  But only if the State, as technology’s master, turns it on me, will technology bite me, and in this day and age the State, in order to protect its monopoly on force, is oh so quietly ensuring that technology is the State’s slave.

Most of us are aware that our governments monitor nearly every form of electronic communication. We are also aware of private companies doing the same. This strikes most of us as slightly troubling, but very few of us say or do much about it. There are two primary reasons for this:

1. We really don’t see how it is going to hurt us. Mass surveillance is certainly a new, odd, and perhaps an ominous thing, but we just don’t see a complete picture or a smoking gun.

2. We are constantly surrounded with messages that say, “Only crazy people complain about the government.”

However, the biggest obstacle to our understanding is this:

The usual image of a “police state” includes secret police dragging people out of their homes at night, with scenes out of Nazi Germany or Stalin’s USSR.  The problem with these images is that they are horribly outdated.  That’s how things worked during your grandfather’s war – that is not how things work right now.

An electronic police state is quiet, even unseen. All of its legal actions are supported by abundant evidence. It looks pristine.

And where does the United States stand in regards to its ranking as an electronic police state?  The United States is number 6, led only by the United Kingdom (#5), Russia (#4), Belarus (#3), North Korea (#2) and China (#1).  Not a very encouraging standing, I’d say.

The above quote is taken from the opening comments of The Police State Report (pdf file of six (6) pages), published by Cryptohippie.com.

Via Fred Lapides who linked to the above report under the heading big brother - pro bono.

UPDATE:  In their desire to improve the United States’ ranking as an electronic police state, Obama’s servile crack jackboots look to bring on board a cyber czar.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/13 at 06:42 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

“The Endarkenment” Continues

Billy Beck, who you should be reading, daily, if you are not already, introduced me to the term “The Endarkenment.”

The term can be understood, and is being realized, through the continued loss of individual freedoms, the continued growth of the state, and in attitudes towards life, both young and old.  Think euthanasia and abortion.

Prime example.  Sweden rules ‘gender-based’ abortion legal

Posted by John Venlet on 05/12 at 11:32 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Monday, May 11, 2009

Roxana Saberi Musings

Roxana Saberi has been released from jail by the Iranians, and this story is generating much press.  But why was she released?

Andrew Sullivan links to the New York Times’ Room for Debate where five (5) individuals speculate on Saberi’s release in a piece titled Why Iran Freed Roxana Saberi.

The reasons for Saberi’s release, at least as speculated on by these five (5) individuals, vary, but I think they may all be off the mark.  I think Michael Ledeen, writing in The Corner is probably closer to the truth in his post titled Saberi: Who Paid What to Whom?

Why does the Mafia release hostages? Because they have collected the ransom. So to all those who are looking for subtle reasons for the Saberi release, take it from someone who has been there. Iran collected its ransom. The mullahs aren’t subtle, they’re mafiosi. We probably won’t know for a while what they got, who delivered it, and who worked the deal. But anyone familiar with the workings of the Islamic Republic has to assume that there was a payoff.

I don’t know of a single case in which the mullahs released a hostage for any other reason.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/11 at 05:30 PM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Solid Gold Rock Star

I never was a big Alice Cooper fan, but there is no doubt Cooper has staying power in the world of rock and roll.

Often, we read about various rock-n-rollers who have made it to the top, are rolling in dough and living large.  Unfortunately, a good number of rock-n-rollers live(d) much too large, and if they are one or two hit wonders, they may end up washing cars.

Bankrate.com has an interview up with Cooper titled Fame & Fortune: Alice Cooper Outlandish on stage, humdrum on money which is kind of an interesting read.  From the interview.

Bankrate: Let’s talk investments. What has your traditional investment strategy been?

Alice Cooper: I have no idea. I don’t do any business. I have been with the same manager for 33 years, and the deal is, “I make the money, you manage it. Don’t tell me where it is, just tell me at the end of the month how much is there.” We’ve been together 33 years, and we have no contract with each other. It’s the best relationship in rock ‘n’ roll—it’s legendary. We still have money from the ‘70s. He’s brilliant. He doesn’t get into high risk things. I put myself on an allowance, and I’m probably one of the only guys from the seventies that still has cash.

Via Keith Burgess-Jackson.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/11 at 02:25 PM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Quote for the Day

Quote for the Day, posted under the heading “The Collapse,” at to herd or not to herd.

“There is no means of avoiding the final collapse of a boom brought about by credit expansion.”[My emphasis]—Ludwig von Mises, Human Action (pg 572)

Posted by John Venlet on 05/11 at 07:13 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Eroding Individual Privacy and Freedom, Bit by Bit

The Wisconsin Court of Appeals District IV has ruled that state authorities can GPS track individuals without a warrant.

Though the court stated that it was “more than a little troubled” by this ruling, the court none-the-less was not troubled enough to protect individual Americans’ privacy or freedom, but rather chose to enhance the powers of the state to intrude into American lives.

Bit by bit the state’s ability to crush individuals, at whim, continues to grow.

Wisconsin court upholds GPS tracking by police

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 09:29 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Obama and Congress Attempting Credit Card Fraud

The headline reads Obama makes push for credit card legislation, and from within the article one can read the following words from the mouth of Obama.

“Americans know that they have a responsibility to live within their means and pay what they owe,”...“But they also have a right to not get ripped off by the sudden rate hikes, unfair penalties and hidden fees that have become all-too common.”...“I’m calling on Congress ... to pass a credit card reform bill that protects American consumers so that I can sign it into law by Memorial Day,”...“There is no time for delay. We need a durable and successful flow of credit in our economy, but we can’t tolerate profits that depend upon misleading working families. Those days are over.”

According to Obama’s words, above, credit card companies are committing fraud.  Specifically, when Obama states that Americans have a “Right to not get ripped off by the sudden rate hike, unfair penalties and hidden fees,”  and when Obama states “we can’t tolerate profits that depend upon misleading working families,” he is making fraudulent statements.

Fraud is defined, see link above, as,

1 a: deceit, trickery ; specifically : intentional perversion of truth in order to induce another to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right b: an act of deceiving or misrepresenting,

and as quoted above, Obama is attempting to perpetrate a fraud on Americans, to the detriment of private business, in this case the credit card companies.

When individuals apply for a credit card, current legislation already requires a raft of disclosures be given to credit card applicants.  Within those credit card disclosures, are listed all the penalties credit card users may be subjected to if they do not comply with the terms of use, in other words if credit card users do not pay their credit card bills on time they are fully aware that there are repercussions.  The penalties, fees, and rate “hikes” for not complying with the credit cards terms of use are all fully disclosed, but mostly willfully ignored.  The fees for not paying on time are not hidden, the “sudden” rate “hikes” are not sprung, surprise, for not paying on time, nor are the penalties for not paying on time undisclosed or unfair, and Obama’s intimating that fees are “unfair,” that rate “hikes” are “sudden,” and fees are “hidden” is misrepresentation and deceit.

If American individuals do not want to contend with rate hikes, fees, and penalties for not paying their credit card bills as agreed, they should do one of two things.  They should either pay their credit card bills on time, or not use them at all to fund a lifestyle they quite evidently cannot afford.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/10 at 07:46 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Friday, May 08, 2009

Double Oops

I’ve mentioned the story regarding Grand Valley State University student Derek Copp, who was “accidentally” shot during the execution of a marijuana search warrant raid, here, here, and here, though this type of incident is more Radley Balko’s department.

Copp, it appears, was not only needlessly shot, over three (3) measley grams of marijuana, he was not even the individual the cops were really after.

In the weeks before police raided Derek Copp’s apartment, undercover officers focused on his roommate—not Copp—for selling marijuana…Search warrant records released Thursday showed a roommate named “Conor,” later identified as Conor Bardallis, sold marijuana twice in January and once in February to undercover police or informants.

Investigation focused on Derek Copp’s roommate before GVSU student was shot in drug raid, records show

Double oops for the cops.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/08 at 01:56 PM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

I Salute Anna Mae “Babe” Ahern

Anna Mae “Babe” Ahern is 101 years old, and she just beat Evergreen Park, Cook County, Illinois’ eminent domain claim for her personal, private property in court.

Anna Mae “Babe” Ahern has spent every one of her 101 years living at the Evergreen Country Club, a sprawling 18-hole golf course that she inherited from her family.

And if Evergreen Park wants to take possession of her 95-acre south suburban property, the village will have to pay her $25 million.

That’s what a Cook County jury decided this week in an eminent domain case that was a victory for Ahern, who was blocked by the village in 1999 from selling the property to a commercial developer.

You go, “Babe.”

Evergreen Country Club owner wins court battle against Evergreen Park

Via The Obscure Store.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/08 at 12:09 PM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

National Day of Prayer - Fundamentalists with Panties in a Knot

Yesterday, Obama signed the annual National Day of Prayer proclamation.

Because Obama did not hold a prayer event within the White House, the rather too vocal, and overly fundamental among individuals who proclaim faith in God proclaimed Obama a heretic.

One would think, that the more funadmentalist individuals of faith would have a better grasp of the words of Jesus regarding prayer.  To wit, the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 6:5 - 7.

Prayer
5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

Seems that the more fundamentalist individuals of faith are rather mistaken about Obama being a heretic for not holding a prayer event within the White House.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/08 at 11:22 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Quietly on my Mind

The Smallest Minority offers up the following quote of the day for yesterday, which he snagged from a post titled A considerable number, at the blog Mostly Cajun, All American and Opinionated.

...No, I am in no way implying that this is some formidable armed force that will rise up and recover America to her Constitutional greatness. what I AM saying though, is that I’m seeing a level of dissatisfaction and concern that was not even approached in the years of the Clintons.

I have to say, that thoughts in a similar vein; regarding levels of dissatisfaction with what is going on in America and the numbers of armed and dissatisfied American individuals; have been coursing through my mind since I returned from my jaunt into the woods and trout streams of Northen Michigan.  Interesting conversations regarding this dissatisfaction took place streamside and around the nightly campfires.  Individuals who I may have accused of complacency regarding where America is headed, and the individuals who tyranically are wielding newly elected power, spoke vehemently, and I would hope with conviction, against the State and its minions who ostensibly serve the individuals who actually make up America.

Quietly, but not surrepitiously, the numbers of dissatisfied American individuals is growing, and many of them are armed, but not offensively dangerous.  Meaning these American individuals have come to the conclusion that America is heading down a path it should not be on, trespassing so to speak, pillaging along the way, and armed resistance may, unfortunately, be required.  They’ve had all they can stand, and they can’t stand any more.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/08 at 09:16 AM
(1) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Oaths and Obligations

In this day and age, individual oaths taken, and the individual obligations associated with said oaths freely taken, are lacking in solemnity.  This lack of solemnity in oaths and obligations is exemplified most notably, today, within the coterie of individuals with ready access to the ear of Obama, with the complacency of Congress as an accessory.

I mention this today because Bill St. Clair, in a post titled ‘Shout Our Oaths in the Tyrant’s Face’ - Washinton D.C.—June 13, 2009 notes that the Western Rifle Shooters Association is encouraging individual Americans to renew their oaths to protect and defend the Constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic. (bold by ed.)

What interests me the most, though, from St. Clair’s post, is the Oath Keepers: Orders We Will Not Obey.  They are as follows (commentary on the orders can be read at the link).

1. We will NOT obey any order to disarm the American people.
2. We will NOT obey any order to conduct warrantless searches of the American people, their homes, vehicles, papers, or effects - such as warrantless house-to house searches for weapons or persons.
3. We will NOT obey any order to detain American citizens as “unlawful enemy combatants” or to subject them to trial by military tribunal.
4. We will NOT obey orders to impose martial law or a “state of emergency” on a state, or to enter with force into a state, without the express consent and invitation of that state’s legislature and governor.
5. We will NOT obey orders to invade and subjugate any state that asserts its sovereignty and declares the national government to be in violation of the compact by which that state entered the Union.
6. We will NOT obey any order to blockade American cities, thus turning them into giant concentration camps.
7. We will NOT obey any order to force American citizens into any form of detention camps under any pretext.
8. We will NOT obey orders to assist or support the use of any foreign troops on U.S. soil against the American people to “keep the peace” or to “maintain control” during any emergency, or under any other pretext. We will consider such use of foreign troops against our people to be an invasion and an act of war.
9. We will NOT obey any orders to confiscate the property of the American people, including food and other essential supplies, under any emergency pretext whatsoever.
10. We will NOT obey any orders which infringe on the right of the people to free speech, to peaceably assemble, and to petition their government for a redress of grievances.

Ten (10) orders I willing take an oath to support.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/08 at 07:12 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Civil Disobedience According to a Fool

Writing for the Christian Science Monitor, Jim Sollisch, a creative director for the advertising firm Marcus Thomas Advertising, foolishly displays his utter lack of understanding civil disobedience.

Sollisch, whose piece is titled Stop feeding the loan sharks, appears to have a bone to pick with credit card companies, and is advocating non-payment of legally obligated debts incurred by individuals who utilize credit cards.

...Let’s stop paying our bills. Millions of us all at once can tell our unscrupulous credit-card lenders that we won’t pay them another cent until they make the terms more reasonable. There’s no regulation that says they have to wait until the law passes .

They’ve been raising our rates arbitrarily for years; I assume they can lower them, too. The impact of our civil disobedience will be immediate. And best of all, this action won’t add to the federal deficit. All we have to do is say, “Enough.” The short-term effect will be an additional stimulus for the economy as millions of ordinary Americans suddenly have more disposable income to spend on real goods and services rather than on usurious interest payments.

Sollisch then follows the above statements with an alleged “fairness” clause.

To be fair about this, we should set up some parameters. Let’s continue to make payments on cards with interest rates at or below 10 percent (which is still exorbitant, considering the Fed has brought short-term interest rates close to 0 percent). And let’s reward lenders who don’t charge gargantuan late fees (a recent Pew Charitable Trust survey found that 87 percent of cards allowed automatic late penalty increases with a median rate of 27.99 percent).

Knock, knock, knock, foolish Jim.  Civil disobedience is NOT reneging on your legally incurred debt obligations because you’re unhappy paying late fees, or higher interest rates when you DON’T make your payments on time, as required and spelled out in the government mandated disclosures you receive from credit card companies when you apply to them for credit.  And your stated little “fairness” clause is nothing other than an acknowledgement that credit card debts incurred, regardless of interest rate and late fees assessed when you pay late, are legal debt obligations which you agreed to when you needed credit.

Civil disobedience, in a nutshell Jim, is as follows.

Civil disobedience is the active refusal to obey certain laws, demands and commands of a government, or of an occupying power, without resorting to physical violence. (bold by ed.)

Advocating individuals to not pay their legally incurred credit card debts, Jim, is nothing other than advocating being a deadbeat, a credit risk, and a fool.  I recommend you re-read Thoreau’s essay Civil Disobedience and then apply Thoreau’s recommendations regarding civil disobedience where they should be applied, against the government, not private companies which deemed you a creditworthy risk when you needed some extra cash.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/07 at 10:55 AM
(4) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink

Concrete, Heal Thyself

The last time I posted a few words regarding concrete, in 2006, I posted a few comments on grancrete, which seemed to be fairly high tech concrete with very positive applications.

Today, National Geographic has an article up regarding another high tech concrete which is bendable, and, more noteworthy, can heal itself if subjected to stresses which cause the concrete to form cracks.

Traditional concrete is brittle and is easily fractured during an earthquake or by overuse.

By contrast, the new concrete composite can bend into a U-shape without breaking. When strained, the material forms hairline cracks, which auto-seal after a few days of light rain.

Dry material exposed by the cracks reacts with rainwater and carbon dioxide in the air to form “scars” of calcium carbonate, a strong compound found naturally in seashells, said study co-author Victor Li of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Bendable Concrete Heals Itself—Just Add Water

Posted by John Venlet on 05/07 at 09:30 AM
(0) Comments • (0) Trackbacks • Permalink
Page 4 of 4 pages « First  <  2 3 4