Don't Rape Me

According to our Vice President, if Congress does not pass the President's new "stimulus" law, I can expect rapes, robberies, and the like to increase.  His reason is there will be less first responders available to protect me.

I think I will apply for the proper documents necessary and then go buy myself a gun.  I believe it would be cheaper for us all if we each armed ourselves.

What say you?

'til later

Insanity

Life is insane.  America is insane.  We are sending military into central Africa.  No UN involvement?

The White House is being investigated for knowledge of the Solyndra fiasco and Fast & Furious gun purchases.  The Super Committee is struggling and will likely cut our defense budget for a lot.  Obama is usurping Congress more and more.  Our dollars are worth less and less.  There's talk of taxing balances held in 401(k) and IRAs even before we are allowed to take $ out.  More foreclosures, more food stamps, more insanity.

Hippies, homeless, radicals, and hired protesters are sitting in our parks and walking city streets around the country and soon around the world protesting.....um....wealth?  greed?  capitalism?  mean people?  lack of jobs?  More and more insanity and the threat of violence.  Why?  Purpose?  Chaos reigns around us.

I get depressed and anxious.  That's not what God wants for me.  I am determined to spend more time in prayer for peace and confidence that He is still in charge.  I pray for His protection over this nation and this world.

'til later

Steve Jobs

Jobs was a visionary and a dreamer.  He did not invent the computer but he saw possibilities beyond the known.  He loved what he did and was excellent at it.

He made money.  He was a capitalist.  He was an employer.

He was what I think the Wall Street protesters are protesting.  Do they realize that?

I've also heard they may be upset at the cost of their student loans.  I am convinced these loans were taken out with full disclosure.  The rates were set.  Plus I would remind all that Obama took over the student loan program from his mighty throne in Washington a couple of years ago.  Are they mad at Obama?

Please don't get caught up in the parallels drawn between these sit in and nearly completely white Wall Street folks with the Tea Party.  Let me say Tea Parties.  The Tea Parties are focused and polite.  Wall Street is full of disconnected, unfocused people who are concerned about how to knit sleeping bags for their future time on the Street.  Plus, some of their signs have to be pixeled out when shown on TV.

'til later

Thanks but No Thanks

Let me see if I get this right.  It angered Senator Durbin and others that banks were getting so much $ on debit card transactions.  So the answer was to force reduction of those fees.  Done.  Period.

Was it broken?  Did it need fixing?  Free enterprise implies no intervention.  If the retailers thought the transaction fees (they paid them) were too high, they would have done one of two things.  Not accepted debit card transactions or build the fee into their normal cost of doing business.  Bingo.

So we all paid the extra $ for the retailer accepting debit card payments.  But don't we also cover the 2 or 3% credit card fees?  Don't we indirectly cover all of the retailer's banking fees?

If the market had no problem with these fees, why fix it?  Did Senator Durbin really want all debit card users to face monthly fees?  He stuck his thumb in the dike but it didn't need it.  So, now banks will charge for debit card usage.  So?

Users may time their usage.  Say, wait until Tuesday to buy something because that will mean I had a whole month not using the card and therefore save $5 fee for the month?

I might suggest that Bank of America will get even more $ from the $60/year charges to each account tied to a debit card.

The kicker is, Durbin picked the winners and losers.  If a bank isn't too big, it will not be affected.  Helping the little guy.

Anyone read Atlas Shrugged lately?

'til later