A Crude Awakening......

10 worst states

50 things successful people have in common

http://thedewview.com/2008/08/18/50-things-successful-people-have-in-common/



"What if you could take every self-help book and condense it down into that most interesting 10%…. Well, I found it about 4 months ago and after review some thought I present you with with the “50 Things Successful People Have in Common“:"

Terrror threat levels.....

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent terrorist threats and have raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross." The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies all but ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to a "Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was during the great
fire of 1666.

The Scots raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards" They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the frontline in the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide". The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France 's white flag factory, effectively paralysing the country's military capability. It's not only the French who are on a heightened level of alert. Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout loudly and excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans also increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniform and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose".

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual, and the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .

The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Americans meanwhile are carrying out pre-emptive strikes, on all of their allies, just in case.

And at a local level...

New Zealand has also raised its security levels - from "baaa" to "BAAAA!". Due to continuing defense cutbacks (the airforce being a squadron of spotty teenagers flying paper aeroplanes and the navy some toy boats in the Prime Minister's bath), New Zealand only has one more level of escalation, which is "Shit, I hope Austrulia will come and rescue us". In the event of invasion, New Zealanders will be asked to
gather together in a strategic defensive position called "Bondi".


Australia, meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be right, mate". Three more escalation levels remain, "Crikey!', "I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend" and "The barbie is cancelled". So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.



h/t to Theo Spark @ Last of the Few

http://www.theospark.net/2010/01/terror-alertsa-repost.html

Some climate change info

http://icecap.us/index.php/go/new-and-cool/fact_based_climate_debate/

It is crucial that scientists are factually accurate when they do speak out, that they ignore media hype and maintain a clinical detachment from social or other agendas. There are facts and data that are ignored in the maelstrom of social and economic agendas swirling about Copenhagen.

--Unfortunately, real help in preserving our earth and responsible use of its resources will not occur with all the political crap going on. Scientists that fake data to make a political point should be stripped of their college degrees, tenure and other ranks of distinction. But like bankers that steal and gamble knowingly on bad investments, no one is going to prosecute them either.

James Quinn on the Brave New World

Click here

“Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted. That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons of history.”

Aldous Huxley

So are we there yet? Has the "American dream" turned into a dream with no reality?

Hockey stick observed in NOAA ice core data

Excellent post on AGW and why we are not the cause......

http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/09/hockey-stick-observed-in-noaa-ice-core-data/

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Swamping The Productive

According to the US Debt Clock (http://www.usdebtclock.org), the current US population is 308 million. Of that total population, just over 35 percent (108.7 million) are taxpayers. The rest are those who pay no net tax, government employees, dependents and those who are unemployed and/or on welfare. These percentages would be similar in any nation with a mature welfare state.

If you subtract Americans under 18 from the almost 200 million Americans who do not pay tax, the US is in a situation where many more people vote for a living than work for one. This too is an inevitable end result of any mature welfare state. The fact remains that in the US, 108 million productive people are supporting almost 200 million drones. Those same 108 million people are paying the ever increasing
interest bill on the so-called “public debt”. And finally, those same 108 million people are the only REAL source of the wherewithal to eventually repay the debt. At current levels of US federal government spending, it would take a cut of more than 50 percent just to balance it - especially after the servicing costs on the existing debt are taken into account. To actually BEGIN to pay the debt would take budget cuts even bigger than that. As long as more people vote for a living than work for one in the US, that simply is NOT going to happen. A productive minority CANNOT support a non productive majority.


http://www.investmentrarities.com/best_of_bill_buckler12-03-09.shtml