Yearly Archives: 2013

Ta-ta UK freedoms! Miranda matter outs vindictiveness of wounded police state

"The notion of terrorism has developed to cover not only terrorists themselves, but also activists, placard wavers, and protesters. And now, apparently, the partners of journalists have also joined the ranks. Due process is merely yet another quaint, British artifact like the Magna Carta and habeas corpus. I know this from bitter personal experience. In 1997 former MI5 intelligence officer, David Shayler, blew the whistle on a whole range of UK spy crimes: files on government ministers, illegal phone taps, IRA bombs that could have been prevented, innocent people in prison, and an illegal MI6 assassination plot against Gaddafi, which went wrong and innocent people died." Continue reading →

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New Zealand passes law allowing domestic surveillance

"New Zealand passed legislation Wednesday allowing its main intelligence agency to spy on residents and citizens. The bill to expand the power of the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) passed by 61 votes to 59. 'This is not, and never will be, about wholesale spying on New Zealanders,' Prime Minister John Key told parliament. 'There are threats our government needs to protect New Zealanders from, those threats are real and ever-present and we underestimate them at our peril.' The push to change the law came after it emerged last year that the GCSB illegally spied on Internet tycoon Kim Dotcom." Continue reading →

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The Only Legal Way to Escape US Taxes Besides Death and Renunciation

"The US government can effectively enforce its citizenship-based taxation policies thanks to its massive economic, political, and military weight and the fact that it does not recognize any limit to its jurisdiction. American expats are therefore in the uniquely unfavorable position of having arguably the worst tax policies and a government that can effectively enforce them. It is no wonder, then, why a record number of Americans gave up their citizenship last quarter to escape these onerous requirements. There is, however, another way besides death and renunciation to legally escape US income taxes, thanks to the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico." Continue reading →

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Dick Bove: US Assault on JPMorgan Is ‘Coordinated from Above’

"The various government legal moves against JPMorgan Chase represent a coordinated assault on the nation's biggest bank, says star bank analyst Dick Bove at Rafferty Capital Markets. Given that eight government agencies are now suing JPMorgan over various issues, apparently including four to six lawsuits from the Justice Department: 'What is it about this company which makes it unique relative to all other American companies, that all of these agencies come down on this company at the same point in time?' Bove said. 'This has to be coordinated by someone, and it has to be coordinated by someone above each one of the individual agencies.'" Continue reading →

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Obama Presses for Action on Bank Rules

"President Obama urged the nation’s top financial regulators on Monday to move faster on new rules for Wall Street, telling them in a private White House meeting that they must work to prevent a repeat of the 2008 financial crisis. Administration officials and some lawmakers have expressed frustration that critical parts of Mr. Obama’s overhaul of the financial system, which was voted into law three years ago and is known as the Dodd-Frank act, remain unenforced as an alphabet soup of federal agencies wrangle over how to adopt it." Continue reading →

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Health Insurance Costs: $16,351 a Year per Family

"This is what the typical premium costs for families whose health insurance is paid for by their employers. The main advantage is that this is not taxable income. For workers whose employers provide health insurance coverage, this is a huge tax loophole. Here is a chart on what it costs families. The costs have skyrocketed over the last decade. Health insurance is regulated heavily by state governments and the federal government. Costs are rising relentlessly. ObamaCare will make them rise even more. When the government comes to help you, beware. 'Keep your hand upon your wallet, and your back against the wall.'" Continue reading →

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Los Angeles City College Trustees Ban the Word “Gun” From Course Catalog

"If a book has the word gun in it, the book is not subject to the ban, but no mention of it must appear in the catalog. Otherwise, it would give the wrong idea. Scott Svonkin, the Vice President of the Board of Trustees, introduced the ban. He explained his position. The school must not teach students how to use guns. The faculty must promote gun control. 'We should make sure that students don’t come to campus being afraid to run into somebody with a gun.' The ban includes non-operational guns. They scare students. When asked what a non-operational gun is, he said he had no idea. 'I’m not an expert in guns,' he explained." Continue reading →

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Austrian brewer revives 300-year-old beer

"An Austrian brewery is offering beer lovers a trip back in time by reviving a 300-year-old recipe it found in the town archives. The family-owned Hofstetten brewery in the Upper Austrian town of Saint Martin recreated the 'Neuhauser Herrschafts Pier' from ingredients listed in an invoice for the local Neuhaus castle in 1720, when Austria was one of Europe’s big powers. Using small crops of emmer and malting barley grown from ancient seed varieties agricultural historians had preserved, owner Peter Krammer was able to reproduce the mix of barley, wheat and hops that marked the brew made three centuries ago." Continue reading →

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Finally…a beer that won’t give you a hangover

"Scientists have created a beer which could finally put an end to the dreaded hangover. The beer has been created by a team of researchers in Australia who say it prevents drinkers from becoming dehydrated. They have added electrolytes - an ingredient in sports drinks - which helps to keep them refreshed. However, inevitably, some may feel there is a downside to the new drink. In order to create it, they have had to reduce the alcohol content. The team also said that despite adding the electrolytes, it did not effect the taste of the drinks. Hangovers are caused by several factors but dehydration is known to be one of the biggest causes." Continue reading →

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What five beers account for most emergency room visits?

"The New York Times reported on a study at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, analyzing how many patients in the emergency room had been drinking and what they had been drinking. Not surprising, the top five were Budweiser, Steel Reserve, Colt 45, Bud Ice and Bud Light." Continue reading →

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