Relatives have been asking what our children need for Christmas, so this post is for them. But nobody get trampled, now!
Alexis
Guitar case, Alexis is playing a lot lately and needs a better case for her guitar.
Guitar capo, Another item for Alexis' guitar playing.
Strings, players always wear them out.
Diabolo, since Connor got his diabolo (and is getting rather good), Alexis decided she really wanted one too.
Feltmaking kit, Alexis loves crafts and discovered this recently. She's been asking for a kit like the one called FELTMAKING KIT: INTRODUCTION a little down the page.
Tumbling mat, Alexis has been doing circus classes and could use a mat to practice her moves!
Gypsy skirt, and another, Lexie is becoming interested in looking pretty and likes earthy styles.
Connor
Connor has picked up mandolin playing, and so needs accessories like strings, instruction books, DVDs, and a music stand.
He loves camping gear, such as a mess kit, a quality sleeping pad, a pro backpack, a tiny stove.
He built a bow and arrow and has become interested in hunting. A youth bow would be an ecstatically welcomed gift.
He rides his bike everywhere and has asked for one of those bike computers (also called 'cyclocomputers').
He likes juggling and eye-hand tricks: Juggling balls
Many thanks to you all for your kindness and generosity. Merry Christmas, wish you were here.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Your IRA belongs to Uncle Sam
I once read an article by Gary North on tax-deferred retirement plans like IRAs or 401Ks. He said:
Want to know what I really think will happen? The worst-case scenario? A demagogue gets into office and pushes an emergency order (which Congress will not override) which deposits all these funds into the Social Security system, for everyone who has a net worth (not counting home ownership) of [$__________]. Fill in the blank with whatever the tyrant thinks he can get away with. We could see an envy-grab of the retirement programs of the upper middle class.
...
The time to start thinking about a premature liquidation is when a new President is elected on a radical platform, probably with a shift in Presidential political parties, and with both houses of the new Congress belonging to his party.
Wow, pretty good call Gary!
The demagoguery of IRAs has begun in the person of Teresa Ghilarducci, a wacked out professor who recommended to Congress that retirement accounts should be confiscated and replaced with Treasury bonds, "to spread the wealth" (she actually said that). This kind of behavior is not at all uncommon among governments. The government of Argentina has stolen its people's money at least twice, most recently when it confiscated all pension funds, to protect their value of course.
Any president coming into office in the midst of this economic chaos is certain to look at all possible ways to raise money, and higher taxes are a certainty. But the Obama administration has foreshadowed a particular willingness to squeeze the cash out of the people. For instance, they will probably attempt to pass a global warming tax, a debate I'll particularly enjoy since global warming is such a grand hoax. I think confiscating retirement accounts and freezing bank accounts are very likely too, so be prepared. It's going to get even weirder.
I feel sorry for my friends at Intuit who will probably have little choice but to watch the government take their 401K money. To get their money out of harm's way they would have to quit their job, rollover the plan into an IRA, and then liquidate. At this point, there's probably no time left for all that, even if they wanted to do it. The government may also attempt to make a confiscation law retroactive to the first of the year, a trick Bill Clinton successfully used when he raised taxes in 1993.
These are times to be very wary of one's money, people. Don't be afraid to make bold moves. The politicians certainly aren't.
...
The time to start thinking about a premature liquidation is when a new President is elected on a radical platform, probably with a shift in Presidential political parties, and with both houses of the new Congress belonging to his party.
Wow, pretty good call Gary!
The demagoguery of IRAs has begun in the person of Teresa Ghilarducci, a wacked out professor who recommended to Congress that retirement accounts should be confiscated and replaced with Treasury bonds, "to spread the wealth" (she actually said that). This kind of behavior is not at all uncommon among governments. The government of Argentina has stolen its people's money at least twice, most recently when it confiscated all pension funds, to protect their value of course.
Any president coming into office in the midst of this economic chaos is certain to look at all possible ways to raise money, and higher taxes are a certainty. But the Obama administration has foreshadowed a particular willingness to squeeze the cash out of the people. For instance, they will probably attempt to pass a global warming tax, a debate I'll particularly enjoy since global warming is such a grand hoax. I think confiscating retirement accounts and freezing bank accounts are very likely too, so be prepared. It's going to get even weirder.
I feel sorry for my friends at Intuit who will probably have little choice but to watch the government take their 401K money. To get their money out of harm's way they would have to quit their job, rollover the plan into an IRA, and then liquidate. At this point, there's probably no time left for all that, even if they wanted to do it. The government may also attempt to make a confiscation law retroactive to the first of the year, a trick Bill Clinton successfully used when he raised taxes in 1993.
These are times to be very wary of one's money, people. Don't be afraid to make bold moves. The politicians certainly aren't.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
What was Biden talking about?
On October 19th at a fundraiser in Seattle, Joe Biden had some very interesting things to say. Go to the source article and see for yourself:
One might interpret these statements as the musings of an experienced politician, except for a few things: Why would Biden say the crisis will be "generated". That's certainly a weird thing to say, don't you think? Second, how does he know that Obama's ratings are going to plummet?
Knowing this crowd, I would advise you to prepare for the worst.
- In the first six months after Obama's victory there will be an international crisis.
- It will be a "generated" crisis.
- Obama's response will be very unpopular with the American public and his approval ratings will plummet.
- His response will be different than what Americans want, because they are too stupid to know the right thing to do anyway.
- He ended his comments by saying he had said too much.
One might interpret these statements as the musings of an experienced politician, except for a few things: Why would Biden say the crisis will be "generated". That's certainly a weird thing to say, don't you think? Second, how does he know that Obama's ratings are going to plummet?
Knowing this crowd, I would advise you to prepare for the worst.
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