Monthly Archives: August 2013

Shield Your Nest Egg from Its Two Biggest Threats

"For a government to siphon off wealth efficiently, it must know where the wealth is, set up ways to take it, and have a strong enough police force to make sure citizens comply. The intention is to make it easier to pay up than go to jail. Even people with modest nest eggs are constantly looking for ways to legally protect their wealth. Lawyers love it, since it means citizens need a variety of trusts and complicated legal avenues for minimizing taxes. That's part of the game. As governments press on, the stakes escalate, taxes increase, and we have to escalate our efforts to protect ourselves." Continue reading →

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There Were Four Arrests For Every 100 Americans In 2011

"Arrests can be damaging, even if they never result in criminal charges. They generally go on your criminal record, which can be checked each time you apply for a job, housing, or credit. An arrest can also be a barrier to your ability to adopt, obtain some types of professional licenses, and obtain a visa or passport. And of course an arrest also comes with some social stigma. Suing for damages from a false arrest is extremely difficult. It's tough to even get in front of a jury, much less actually win a favorable verdict. Even then, litigation can take years, assuming you can find an attorney to take your case." Continue reading →

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American Cops Don’t Belong in Canada

"The United States protects, obsessively, their sovereignty. But here in Canada, armed American police officers will now be able to stop Canadians, in Canada, inspecting, checking and asking questions. Again, the Conservatives will tell us that an armed American cop in Canada is all about trade, jobs and security, not sovereignty. If this is true, then can we not expect to see Mounties stopping Americans on the Buffalo side? Harper did promise though that when he's done, we won't recognize Canada. Perhaps we can all reminiscence about that when stopped and questioned by an American police officer, in our own country." Continue reading →

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Congress Wants the IRS to Cancel Your Passport

"If you think your U.S. citizenship gives you the right to a U.S. passport, think again. The government has several ways to cancel or refuse to renew your passport. And now, Congress is poised to give it one more: if you owe money to the IRS. Hidden within the 2013 highway funding bill are a few paragraphs with the innocent-sounding title of the 'Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.' Section 40304 of this act would revoke your passport if you have a 'seriously delinquent tax debt.' In other words, if you owe the IRS $50,000 or more, the Feds can revoke your passport. There's no hearing and no opportunity to contest this decision." Continue reading →

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TSA’s VIPR could be screening you without you knowing it

"The TSA could be screening you without you even knowing it. From the Super Bowl to the Inauguration to Union Station, if you're traveling, the Transportation Security Agency could be there, and they could be looking at you. They are a special brand of the TSA, called 'VIPR.' It stands for 'Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response.' VIPR has been around since 2005, and they are meant to boost security by being a deterrent, and detecting security risks. WUSA9 asked the TSA what the qualifications are for becoming a TSA baggage screener versus being part of the VIPR program. We have not heard back." Continue reading →

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CNN’s Sanjay Gupta apologizes for misleading Americans about marijuana

"CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon, apologized on Wednesday for publicly opposing marijuana legalization, saying science was clearly on the side of the drug. 'I think we have been terribly and systematically misled in this country for some time, and I did part of that misleading,' he told CNN host Piers Morgan. Though studies on marijuana in the United States tended to focus on the drug’s negative effects, Gupta explained, research from across the world had made marijuana’s positive effects clear. He said there was 'no scientific basis' to claim marijuana had no medical benefits." Continue reading →

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Drive Drunk or Asleep, Wherever You Want!

"Whether you believe in the futuristic, high-speed flying capsules of science fiction or a less glamorous evolution of cruise control, one thing’s for sure: A major shift to autonomous driving technology is just around the corner. Google’s fleet of self-driving Priuses is picking up speed, driver-assistance technology is rapidly being developed and many autonomous devices already are standard in dozens of existing car models. But are we really ready to take our hands off the wheel?" Continue reading →

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New Oculus Rift cover shooter is so realistic, players warned not to lean on virtual objects

"Groundbreaking virtual reality headset Oculus Rift has been in the hands of software developers for just a few months, and already it's been used to create some incrediblesimulations and gaming experiences. But a new first-person-shooter demo may offer the most immersive experience yet, letting players duck, fire around virtual crates, and rotate their guns in their hands. 'Please be careful when playing this demo,' Lipowitz warned players on the Oculus developer forums, 'lots of people try to support themselves on the crates when they try to stand up or when leaning up against a column, but find there is nothing there.'" Continue reading →

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Google: Motorola’s tattoos could replace passwords

"Motorola's senior vice president of advance research, Regina Dugan, a former head of the US Pentagon's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, demonstrated the silicon-based technology that uses bendable electronic circuits. Initially designed for medical purposes, Motorola hopes the ‘Biostamps’ could now be used for consumer authentication purposes. Motorola is also investigating the Proteus Digital Health pill. Its computer chip is powered by a battery using the acid in a user’s stomach. The pill creates a unique signal that can be picked up by devices outside the body and which could be used to verify a user’s identity." Continue reading →

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Audit finds bloated budget for green jobs training despite lack of open positions

"A federal audit shows that nearly a half-billion dollars in government funds was spent on training workers for so-called 'green jobs.' The only problem is that not enough positions in the growing industry exist. The findings -- released in a June report by the Government Accountability Office -- showed that only 55 percent of those trained were able to place in a new job, many of which were not technically green jobs. The $501 million in funding came from the 2009 stimulus law." Continue reading →

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