Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Retailers Report Lowest Holiday Sales Since 2008



December 26th, 2012

On Fox Cable News it was reported today that the level of retail sales for this past holiday season were the lowest sales for a holiday period since 2008 – or at least the rate of sales growth was the lowest depending on your terminology or what news sources you listen to or read. 

This all makes me wonder and begs the question:  Where is the ‘Change’ we were promised in the 2008 Presidential election?  It seems to me nothing has changed at all - with the possible exception of now we merely have an administration that looks to the excuses provided by its supporters for the rationalization of its failures.    

AVT


Holiday sales grow at lowest rate since '08


Holiday sales at lowest level since 2008

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

“Mona Lisa,” Who Was She? Let the Dead Rest in Peace!



December 11th, 2012


It is being widely reported on the news today that in Italy efforts are underway to unearth the remains of a woman who is believed to have been the model for Leonardo da Vinci’s painting the “Mona Lisa.”  The woman long believed to have been the model for the famous painting was buried approximately one half of a millennium ago, of course.  It is being reported that DNA samples are to be taken from the remains and measurements of the bone structure and skull will be taken to compare the woman’s remains to those of the woman in the painting.  It is believed that such undertakings will confirm whether this woman was, in fact, the model for the "Mona Lisa" painting.

To all this I say:

LET THE DEAD REST IN PEACE!!


Frankly, I don’t really care who the "Mona Lisa" model was, if in order to find out who she was requires the unearthing and desecration of an innocent individual’s human remains!

Adam Trotter




Researchers hope to uncover who's behind the 'Mona Lisa' smile

Thursday, December 6, 2012

A Covert Attempt to Overtly Humanize the British Royal Family?




December 6th, 2012

It seems of late that there has been some amount of effort to humanize the British Royal family such that the average person could possibly relate to the family as normal people.  We have had Prince Harry shown in the news while nude and partying in Las Vegas.  We have had Kate Middleton (the wife of Prince William) photographed partially clad by the swimming pool.  And now we have the latest telephone crank-call of the hospital housing a pregnant Kate by an Australian radio disk-jockey; wherein healthcare information was apparently relayed by a hospital nurse to the disk-jockey(s) while broadcast live on the air.

What could be the motivation for attempting such a feat as humanizing the British Royals to the point that they are like regular folks, one might ask?  Well, it seems to this blogger that the populace of the United Kingdom could well determine that they no longer care to support such a tourist attraction as the Royal Family once Queen Elizabeth eventually passes the reign of the monarchy.  Of course, I could be wrong as to the popular sentiment of those in the U.K.  But I believe the psychological-type of reasoning goes something like… that when a potential adversary realizes he has some control over the fate of another of whom he cares not, if the adversary views those whose fate he controls as being more human and more of an individual, the otherwise adversarial individual is more sympathetic to the plight of the other person and less likely to rally for the other’s extinction – similar to hostage situations and the Lima Syndrome, from what I’m told, which is sort of the opposite of the Stockholm Syndrome. 

So, why would the Royals care one way or another for such a situation as their being humanized if not assimilated amongst the commoners?  Well, it has been generalized to me that the Crown of England owns everything that is not owned by the Vatican.  If so, it is likely that some amount of the Crown’s holdings may be dependent on the title and social position of the Royal Family itself.   As such, if the Royal Family was ousted by the populace of the U.K., many of the Royals’ holdings could be put in jeopardy – as they would then no longer have their status and position in addition to no longer having the force of the British/U.K. government to back them to any degree.  

Therefore, if the people of the U.K. were to see the Royals as being more human rather than merely ostentatious figure heads, the populace might be less likely to oust the Royals when the opportunity presents itself or when the notion surfaces when Elizabeth passes.  Because, the fact of the matter is, what purpose does the continuation of the monarchy serve or what function could it perform for the government or the people of the U.K.?   Moreover, if the people of the U.K. were to oust the Royals, the feat could be done in such a manner which could include the State taking all of the Royals’ financial holdings by claiming that such holdings were amassed at the expense of the government. 

Any ouster and takings from the Royals would all be quite ironic, really, when one thinks about the implications of it all.  It would be like bitter pay-backs for more than a millennium’s worth of feudal mortmain and escheat (a ‘legal’ event where the Crown would take land from the owner for occurrences such as dying without heirs, not performing feudal duties, or committing suicide, and the likes). 


AVT


P.S. Of course, maybe, one could say that I have thought too much on the whole subject, or conversely, that I have not thought enough about it all.  :)


Aftermath note:  Speaking of the Australian radio disc jockey joker's, one never knows what might result from one's irresponsible actions:

Kate Middleton's Hospital Nurse Found Dead In London Days After Being Duped By Prank Callers
Then again, could the Royals have had this nurse killed/murdered as a statement or example of what happens when the Royals are made the butt of jokes due to the screw-up of an individual?



See:
Kate Middleton's hospital falls for prank phone call



Topless Kate Middleton photos prompt Prince William, wife to take legal action (with video).  British royal family says suing Closer magazine over spread

(I didn’t watch any video on the mentioned website, btw.  I never let scripts run on my computer. AVT)


Prince Harry Naked Photos During Vegas Rager


The Sun publishes photos of naked Prince Harry


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Create Jobs Not Taxes!! Obama Leaving For Myanmar – Four more Years of No Employment for Americans? (Draft Copy)



November 11th, 2012

After four years of outrageous levels of unemployment, I believe the President and the likes should be talking about creating jobs not about raising taxes.  If more people had jobs and were receiving incomes and paying current tax rates there probably would be no tax deficit.  Also, taxing the rich sounds good for the rest of us, but why would a ‘rich’ person look to hire anyone at his company if he already knows his expenses are going up with higher taxes?  (See: Obama reiterates that rich must pay more in taxes,  http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/09/nation/la-na-obama-budget-20121110.)

The other problem in taxing the ‘rich’ is that those in power who want the ‘rich’ to pay more typically define ‘rich’ as earning more than $45K/year (approx.).  $45K is probably less than the average politician spends in taxdollars on their vehicle for which our taxes also pay for the driver and gasoline, of course.  Our politicians likely would never work for such a small sum and the average politician/lawyer probably rarely pays any taxes anyhow. 

Four years have passed since his last election with no jobs during that time and upon re-election the first thing the Administration starts to talk about is raising taxes and leaving town for Myanmar.  (Myanmar…, really?  ...right now?)  Is this the Administration’s way of telling us that we should expect nothing regarding jobs creations for the next four years as well?

Moreover, I don’t see what Obama going to Myanmar (Burma) for a week (next week) could possibly have to do with creating jobs.  He should stop boondoggling with our taxdollars and create some jobs!!  The President said that after focusing on getting his job for the better part of the last year, now the focus should be on getting jobs for Americans across the country.  So, he decides to go on an apparent vacation to Myanmar?!?!?  Going to Myanmar for vacation may help to offshore more of our jobs in the future but we really need some jobs here and now!!! 

The Obama Administration has had four years to date and has done nothing to create jobs.  It’s widely believed that here in the SoCal area as much as fifty percent of the people have no jobs (and/or underemployed).  Should we anticipate another four years of increased unemployment and ever-increasing prices as a result of an ever-decreasing value of the dollar – in an apparent attempt to artificially inflate the GDP to artificially avoid recession, or stick it to the Chinese, or whatever?


Socialistic programs – seemingly loved by Americans in times of Great Depressions – that kick-in five years later and which leave the costs for future generations, obviously seem to appeal to this Administration.  But, futuristic socialistic programs do nothing to create jobs now!  Such seems as a no-brainer to anyone that might have a brain and choose to use it.  Also, making everyone dependent on handouts from the government (unemployment, welfare, etc.) does no real favors for anyone either – one only needs to look at the history of the typical family or region heavily supported by personal government handouts.  If people are paid for doing nothing that is just what they typically will do: nothing.  It appears that the majority of government handouts are more for the purpose of buying votes – or so one can hope because the handouts generally seem to make the recipients go into neutral gear as for as looking to advance themselves in society. 

Given the level of arrogance of our politicians and the level of ignorance displayed in their supported policies which they mandate upon the rest of us by fiat, such never ceases to amaze anyone that cares to learn the reality of the situation.  In general, whatever the government does to achieve a goal, it seems it would be better served to do just the opposite of what it thinks is proper and it would then better achieve its desired ends. 


AVT


PS.  For a brief explanation of one way in which taxes negatively affect the overall economy, see: 
“Politicians Who Increase Taxes Seem Ignorant of Basic Economics,”  http://engineeringandcommerce.blogspot.com/2011/05/politicians-who-increase-taxes-seem.html



Regarding unemployment figures, see:
Report the True Unemployment Numbers or Nothing At All



33% True Unemployment Percentage in the U.S.?  Estimating the True Current Unemployment Numbers in the United States.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Obama, Unions, and Hurricane Sandy – or Maybe We Should Call it Katrina II.




November 3rd, 2012

It's fairly cold here in New Jersey - very cold by SoCal standards.  In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many still don’t have electrical power and now they can’t get gasoline for electrical generators (or cars) in many areas.  It is just now being reported that rationing of gasoline has officially begun in twelve counties affected by the hurricane.  

It has been the better part of a week since Hurricane Sandy and the problems continue to mount for those affected by the storm.  It appears to this blogger that Hurricane Sandy could well end up as Obama’s Hurricane Katrina (the Hurricane that made the Bush II administration look pretty bad).  Maybe we should just rename Hurricane Sandy as Hurricane Katrina II? 

For his self-centered part, yesterday, Obama was telling supporters to "vote for revenge" while schlepping on the campaign trail. Finally, today it is being reported that he has ordered twelve million gallons of gasoline to be sent to the areas affected by the hurricane.  To put this number in perspective, by the way, I have always heard reports that the State of California – a population comparable to the numbers affected by Sandy – burns 50 million gallons of gasoline a day.  (It is interesting though, that President Obama apparently believes it necessary for him to take a page from the playbook of former District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry, or so it seems to this blogger.)
  
Unions, another historically big reason to vote for the Democratic Party, have reportedly turned away non-union electrical power crews offering free assistance while millions of customers and residents are still without electrical power.  While such is denied by the union, it is reported that before allowing the crews from the south to help with the recovery, the IBEW (electrical worker’s union) demanded that the workers sign union agreements.  To the unions, it seems it is more important that electrical crews offering free assistance from the rest of the nation have valid union cards than it is for people/customers in the affected areas to have heat and electricity.
 
Who do these folks care about, one has to wonder?

AVT


After thought, January 2013:
The only thing missing here from what was present during the Hurricane Katrina fiasco is that here with Hurricane Sandy we dont have a vocal minority screaming racism as the reason that the victims are not being helped by the Federal government - as we all know was readily apparent with the Katrina situation.


See: 
Confusion causes utility crew to return from recovery effort


JCP+L Denies Turning Away Non-Union Help


Obama to supporters: Voting 'best revenge' against Mitt Romney

Obama Tells Ohioans How To Get Back At Romney: 'Voting Is The Best Revenge' (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/obama-revenge-romney_n_2067459.html




What are the U.S. Labor Unions Doing During this “Great Depression” of the New Millennium?