ChrisCam http://www.chriscam.com/ An intermittent stream of consciousness. en Copyright 2008 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:14:16 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Outrageous!
"The Senate plan would rush rebates - $600 for individuals, $1,200 for couples - to most taxpayers and cut business taxes in hopes of reviving the economy. Individuals making up to $75,000 a year and couples earning up to $150,000 would get rebates."

The fucking audacity of Senate Democrats to decide that I don't need a rebate! It is unacceptable and infuriating. The sheer arrogance of the players and the inherent unfairness of the stimulus package reveals it to be the politically opportunistic scam that it is.

Who the hell are they to arbitrarily decide that I make enough money that I don't need any relief? I pay taxes just like everyone else. Oh wait, no I don't. I pay more taxes than most people. The Federal government appropriates 35% of my income and gives it away to other people who faceless bureaucrats feel 'deserve' it more than I do. I work hard for my money. To see this kind of marxist wealth redistribution on a normal day really burns my ass. To compound this with the knowledge that people who contribute nothing to the gross domestic product (or indeed to American society) are going to get rebate checks when my family will not simply ENRAGES me.

Who the fuck do they think they are? They have no sovereignty over my liberty. They have dubious Constitutional authority to forcibly take away my family's livelihood and GIVE IT AWAY to other people. I can only imagine Locke, Henry, and a pantheon of founders are turning in their graves as this Republic lurches to euro-style state socialism. ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/001588.php http://www.chriscam.com/001588.php Thu, 07 Feb 2008 18:14:16 -0500 God Save the Republic



























"Watch your future's end..."
]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000807.php http://www.chriscam.com/000807.php From the Front Desk Politico Shaking Head in Disbelief Tue, 08 Jan 2008 23:15:25 -0500 Stunned and Disgusted
In stark contrast is Barack Obama. He is inspiring. He is someone I like watching. I don't agree with a thing he says, but I find him to be such a phenom and harbinger of difference that I cannot for the life of me understand why ANYONE would wish to travel back in time to 1992 and relive the depressing self-absorption and obsessive me-generation of the clintonian years.

The crying fit did it, I'm told. And yet no matter how many times I watch that performance, I can't figure out how any self-respecting American can observe clinton in all her fakeness complain that life for her is hard and actually believe she is genuine. Nothing about the clintons is genuine. Any of the advisors that have spoken candidly about the clintons note as a primary character trait their complete lack of honesty and that every single word and action is political in nature. Everything she does is engineered to play on emotion or place a doubt or raise a hope. She is the definition of fake. I hate her with such a passion that I would become a citizen and vote for Obama if I thought it would mean that no one named clinton would ever occupy the White House again.

Shock. Disgust.

How can machine politics so decisively overcome and defeat such a wave of hope and optimism? I don't think I'll ever understand people who support the clintons. People who think of the 1990s as the halcyon days. I just don't understand people who think of the clinton years with nostalgia. It doesn't make any sense at all to me.

They just won't go away.

I fear for the Republic when a hillary clinton can defeat a Barack Obama.

Now we have to suffer through her irrepressible 'comeback kid' nonsense where she talks about how she's a real person who has a heart and deeply wants to make a difference and how she has 35 years of experience and blah blah blah. God help us all.

Technorati: , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000805.php http://www.chriscam.com/000805.php From the Front Desk Happenings Media-istas Politico Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:50:30 -0500 Social Engineering Redux Put carbon tax on babies: academic says.

Does this smack of failed social engineering projects of the last century or what? It is very thinly veiled attempt to force human civilization into a box of robotic obedience to crackpot theories. It is a truly dystopian future that looms ahead if we are going to seriously put ecological well being ahead of human existence.

It is the latest in a string of theoretical nonsense that seeks to manage the relationaship between population and consumption of resources. It is also frequently the realm of science fiction.

"The seeds of the Little War were planted in a restless summer during the mid-1960s, with sit-ins and student demonstrations as youth tested its strength. By the early 1970s over 75 percent of the people living on Earth were under 21 years of age. The population continued to climb — and with it the youth percentage.
In the 1980s the figure was 79.7 percent.
In the 1990s, 82.4 percent.
In the year 2000 — critical mass."

Run Logan Run!
It is Last Day!


Technorati: , , , , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000804.php http://www.chriscam.com/000804.php From the Front Desk Little Thoughts Shaking Head in Disbelief Wed, 12 Dec 2007 09:12:20 -0500 My Thoughts Exactly The Can't-Win Kids

As usual, for me he has captured the essence of this issue. Unfortunately, the next time anyone takes Iran's nuclear program seriously will be as a mushroom cloud rises over Tel Aviv.

Technorati: , , , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000803.php http://www.chriscam.com/000803.php From the Front Desk Wed, 12 Dec 2007 08:30:57 -0500 The Can-Do Attitude Nicolas Sarkozy woos America - Telegraph

I've not said anything about the alleged thaw in our relations with france. I don't think I need to, to be honest. The proof of said warming will be if she follows through.

That being said, important note is made of this by The Telegraph. What will Britain's reaction be to the thawing? Historically, America doesn't move closer to both England and France simultaneously. There is an unwritten mutual exclusivity in relations with those countries. If Uncle Sam's policy is to unabashedly allow france to kiss his ass, expect Britannia's reaction to be one of distancing. My opinion. Informed by history.



Technorati: , , , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000802.php http://www.chriscam.com/000802.php Axis of Weasels From the Front Desk Politico Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:46:38 -0500 German Insight West Wing: The Comeback of a War President - International - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News

Never thought about things quite like it is spelled out in this article. I mean, nothing in it is a surprise. But the analysis is something I haven't seen before. I have some quibbles, but overall I think he's got it right. It sorta seems obvious if you stand back and look at it. A generational war. Not a season of 24.



Technorati: , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000801.php http://www.chriscam.com/000801.php From the Front Desk LinkyLink Little Thoughts Politico Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:28:44 -0500 Um, Okay.... The Washington Times, America's Newspaper

So which is more lame; 1) the fact that they can't get a few drunk rednecks in Iowa to come out to celebrate Al Gore; 2) they can't get more than 15k signatures in California to get Gore on the ballot; 3) there is a FOLK SONG about Gore.

Hmm. All equally lame in my book.



Technorati: , , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000800.php http://www.chriscam.com/000800.php From the Front Desk Politico Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:57:51 -0500 A Little Gem
Common Sense and Wonder: Bush Resignation Speech

Technorati: , , , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000799.php http://www.chriscam.com/000799.php LinkyLink Little Thoughts Politico Wed, 07 Nov 2007 18:26:08 -0500 Things Just Keep Getting Worse...
Chronic Homelessness Down 12%

Productivity Surges by 4.9%

3Q GDP grows at 3.9%

You'll notice that good news about the US economy almost invariably avoids crediting the person who's been the chief executive of the Federal Government for the past 7 years. Not even a minuscule amount of attribution. Not one drop of imputation. Bad things in the world are naturally the result of something George Bush has done. Good things happen mysteriously and without causality.

Technorati: , , , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000798.php http://www.chriscam.com/000798.php From the Front Desk Media-istas Politico Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:31:52 -0500 The End of the Mortgage Universe, According to the BBC
The Independent: Markets fear banks have $1 trillion in toxic debt

BBC: Foreclosure wave sweeps America

The Telegraph: Arch critic calls for Citigroup to be broken up

Foreclosure wave? Yeah, I've notice that the rates have gone up (and down, and up, and down again), but I guess I'm living in my bubble again where this immense tidal wave has yet to penetrate. The BBC is actually using THIS photograph to illustrate how bad things are in America:

American Crisis, UK Style


That's allegedly a picture of every house in America. The article later explains that it is probably a picture of some place in Cleveland. Well Cleveland is not America. In parts of Cleveland, subprime mortgages (i.e. mortgages given without a wisp of care for things like income, assets, debt, demonstrated responsibility or a JOB), represent a significant majority of mortgages given out in the past few years. That isn't the case in my town or, I imagine, your town. But if you live in a constant jealous snit of superficial arrogance in some formerly great country overseas, then this is surely the image you'd prefer to think of when faced with American supremacy.

I don't think I live in a bubble. I have gone through the mortgage application process several times. It is supposed to be rigorous. If a company chooses to award risky loans, and it goes tits up when people default or when the prime rates change, then I'm not sure I have a terrible amount of sympathy. Luckily father government is there to catch the people falling through the collapse of companies selling sub-prime mortgages. Lucky that Uncle Sam has such an enormous capacity to spend my tax money in such wealth redistribution schemes of cosmic proportions. Hey I have an idea. Instead of just bailing everyone out, why don't we negotiate a settlement whereby people (with the aforementioned thing called a job and some semblance of responsibility) can keep their houses at a reduced interest rate that is sufficient for subprime mortgage companies to either stay in business or sellout to some other, more solvent company (one with a better financial strategy, it is assumed).

And by the way, if your house happens to look like it is an abandoned and vandalized depression-era project, then my apologies. Aside from Cleveland and some places in New Jersey (Newark! I'm talking to you!), I think the magnitude of the 'disaster' is somewhat overstated. As are so many 'disasters' the press leads us to believe will end the universe as we know it.

I'm surprised I haven't seen an article blaming Dick Cheney and George Bush for this latest 'end of the universe' situation we are allegedly in.

Technorati: , , , , , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000797.php http://www.chriscam.com/000797.php From the Front Desk Little Thoughts Media-istas Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:23:00 -0500 I have an addiction.... gay on so many levels. The Fall Classic is over. I've seen every episode of Seinfeld a million times. I don't have anything else to watch; nothing else to do.

My only ray of hope is that Battlestar Galactica starts soon. But alas, probably not on lonely Monday nights in random cities. Technorati: , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000796.php http://www.chriscam.com/000796.php As My World Turns Mon, 29 Oct 2007 23:44:50 -0500 Glory!

Sox win! Sox win!

I love my baseball team. But I admit I was holding in reserve a small hope that the Rockies might edge the Sox out long enough so that they could win at home, at Fenway. There hasn't been a world series win at Fenway Park since 1918. I think the old girl is due something.

But quite apart from that small issue I have, what a freaking win! They essentially redid 2004 only this time they were playing a better team in the ALCS.

God I love baseball. ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000795.php http://www.chriscam.com/000795.php From the Front Desk Makes Me Tear Up Sox Mon, 29 Oct 2007 09:47:18 -0500 Red Moon China to test space weapon in launching moon satellite: rights group We should be trying to figure out how to take them down hard and dissolve their brittle dictatorship of the proletariat into warring states that we can easily play against one another. Instead we buy shitty lead-laden toys from them in massive numbers. My only consolation is the tentatively held belief that there are people in the Pentagon that understand the threat and are figuring out ways to prevent the Chinese from acquiring parity. There's also target="_blank">this. A nice story about China re-exporting Israeli technology to Iran. And then don't forget about this. Is there any strategic interest we won't sell to our enemies? Technorati: , , , , , , ]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000794.php http://www.chriscam.com/000794.php Red Storm Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:37:05 -0500 One Can Only Hope... Are Democrats too confident in 2008 election race? | Politics | Reuters I'm hoping this is the case. I have to be honest here. While I have tended to identify more with the GOP in the past 5-10 years, I do have a Libertarian streak that rears itself. It surfaces when I read articles like this one. I have to endorse the notion that there is an anti-incumbent force at work in the nation. Bush is allegedly unpopular, but measuring by the same polling, Congress is even more unpopular. I think it is a hazardous plan to make assumptions about next November based on your self-serving assessment of public opinion. But hey, what the hell do I know? Technorati: , , , , , ,,]]> http://www.chriscam.com/000793.php http://www.chriscam.com/000793.php Politico Wed, 24 Oct 2007 09:13:08 -0500