JOHNMATYI.COM

OSAMA BIN LADEN Pornography stash found by Navy Seals

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:33:00 GMT

(Breaking News!) Osama bin Laden apparently had no problem keeping himself busy in his compound in Pakistan. Sure - he was preoccupied with making a comeback - planting bombs - plotting follow up attacks - the usual - but ABC News says - pfft - that's old news.

"'A U.S. official tells ABC news that a huge stash of pornography was recovered.

The SEALs fatally shot bin Laden in a post-midnight raid May 2 at his hidden compound in the Pakistani army town of Abbottabad, shooting him in the head and chest when he ducked away from the raiders into his bedroom — they thought, reaching for a weapon.

After they killed him, they confiscated what U.S. officials call a "treasure trove" of information from bin Laden's second-floor office. The items included a handwritten journal, five computers, 10 hard drives and 110 thumb drives seized at the site.

All the media taken from the site is now being analyzed by a CIA-led team.

The porn was described as "modern and extensive." But The New York Post points out - we can't be certain if bin Laden was a porn junky...

"...the images might not be bin Laden's. It could belong to one of his cohorts, his two sons living with him, or any of the his hangers-on who visited the compound and ran errands for him."

A Fox News National Correspondent says she's not fazed by the news.

See the entire video and text below here: http://youtu.be/zZHtS-mOhtw

Obama 119yrs old The social security number fraud?

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:20:00 GMT

Well, I guess this finally makes me a certified Birther. When will the truth finally come out. I really don't care which way it goes; he has a certified birth certificate, or he doesn't. I think this is a case of 'America Wants To Know.'

Obama 119yrs old The social security number fraud
Youtube/disclosetv
DiscloseTV — July 30, 2009 — http://www.disclose.tv/viewvideo/27501/ Is Obama guilty of felony identity theft? The information for this video was taken from the lawsuit filed with the federal district court of Columbus GA in the matter of the Army major seeking proof of Obama's eligibility to serve as president. The private investigator hired by the attorney in the case discovered that Obama may have used up to 149 different addresses and 39 different social security numbers prior to becoming president. This video has nothing to do with whether Mr Obama is black, white, pink, yellow, purple or green. It has to do with his total refusal to provide not only satisfactory proof of fulfilling the Constitutional requirements of citizenship, but also not providing any college or university records, passports, Illinois legislative records, U.S.senate records, medical records...etc..etc.. We essentially know nothing about this man other than he is a andquot;community organizerandquot; and has been involved in Chicago politics and has associated with a laundry list of less than... +++ Description copied fromhttp://www.disclose.tv +++

Copyright JohnMatyi.com 2010

NPR Muslim Brotherhood Investigation Part I

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:30:00 GMT

[John K Matyi] Now I understand why the progressive Liberal Democrats are fighting to keep public TV funded. Where else can you make $5 Million dollars just having lunch. It just amazes me how often these people get caught telling the world how they really feel about Americans. Certainly not the sharpest knives in the drawer.

Senior Executives at NPR meet with Muslim Brotherhood Front Group to solicit $5mm and discuss their federal funding, Fanatical Christians, Zionists in the media, Tea Partiers, Republicans, Uneducated Americans and Juan Williams.

Featuring:
Ron Schiller, President NPR Foundation.
Betsy Liley, Senior Director, NPR Institutional Giving.

Reporters:
Shaughn Adeleye as Amir Malik
Simon Templar as Ibrahmim Kasaam.

Produced by James O'Keefe
TheProjectVeritas.com
Promoting Modern-Day Muckrakers.

Song Licensed by FriendlyMusic.com

Copyright JohnMatyi.com 2010

Progressive Leftists Embrace Muslim Brotherhood Co-Conspirators at UCF - Free Speach Denied

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 13:08:00 GMT

[John K Matyi] As pointed out inAndrew Breitbart's excellent article :

University of Central Florida Stifles Discussion of Terrorism and Muslim Brotherhood
"If the President of the University of Central Florida (UCF), Dr. John Hitt, were arrested tomorrow for material support of terrorism, he might finally begin to understand the irresponsible and dangerous actions he continues to allow his university to take in giving terrorist supporters a platform."

It should be obvious to most, including those who think giving radicals what they want, that if we contine to ignore and deny our own rights and liberties, we will soon lose them. The liberals at this university think they are using the Muslim Brotherhood to express their own beliefs, they do not understand that it is the university that is being used. If not for the 'New Media' (Big Peace ), this kind of information would never see the light of day. Wake up Anerica, we will soon lose our country with hardly a shot fired.

Please post this on your Facebook page.

Copyright JohnMatyi.com 2010

GAO Details Billions in Federal Waste --- Report Obtained by Fox News

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:30:00 GMT

[John K Matyi] If we continue to ignore the waste and duplication in federal spending we have no one to blame but ourselves. I don't care what your political affilliation is, if you don't get extremely angry when you read this article there is no hope for our future as Americans.

"At a press conference in the U.S. Capitol, Senate Republicans call for an end to the Democrats' spending spree, which includes billions of dollars in duplicate spending, and invite congressional Democrats to join them in crafting legislation that emphasizes fiscal responsibility."

[Fox News] As members of Congress fight over what to cut in the current federal budget to avert a government shutdown, lawmakers are about to receive a blockbuster report that could provide a roadmap to potentially hundreds of billions of dollars in waste. The nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) is poised to release a report Tuesday that one senator said "will make us all look like jackasses."

Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/02/28/gao-details-billions-federal-waste-report-obtained-fox?cmpid=cmty_twitter_Gigya_GAO_Details_Billions_in_Federal_Waste_---_Report_Obtained_by_Fox#ixzz1FMJBIJws

Copyright JohnMatyi.com 2010

Alabama weapon laws (including a link to other states).

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 16:50:00 GMT

[John K Matyi] As I often carry "Open Carry," especially in the warmer weather, here are some FAQ about carrying a weapon (both concealed and open carry) in the state of Alabama.

Do I need to inform Law Enforcement that I am carrying a concealed weapon? From what we have found in our research there is no duty to inform law enforcement when you are carrying a concealed weapon in the State of Alabama. One USA Carry members posts, “General legal advice in Alabama is that you should inform the officer only if the traffic stop or other engagement with an officer proceeds beyond something routine.”

What are the laws for carrying a firearm in an automobile in Alabama? It is illegal to carry a pistol in a vehicle in Alabama without a license except under the following conditions.

1. A person permitted by law to possess a pistol may, without a license, carry a pistol which is not loaded and is in a secure wrapper in a vehicle from the place of purchase to his home or place of business.

2. A person permitted by law to possess a pistol may, without a license, carry a pistol which is not loaded and is in a secure wrapper in a vehicle to and from his home or business to a place of repair.

3. A person permitted by law to possess a pistol may, without a license, carry a pistol which is not loaded and is in a secure wrapper in a vehicle when moving from one place of abode or business to another.

What places are off-limits when carrying a concealed weapon in Alabama?
Public protest – Section 13A-11-59

What are the laws involving alcohol and carrying a concealed weapon in Alabama?

We have found no Alabama state law that prohibits carrying a concealed weapons permit in a establishment that serves alcohol. There are some counties that list this as prohibited on the concealed weapons permit itself. We recommend going by what your local sheriff and/or permit says. Click here to view a discussion about carrying a concealed weapon in establishments that serve alcohol in our Alabama Firearms Forums.

Does Alabama have a Stand Your Ground Law AKA Castle Doctrine Law?

Yes, Alabama is a Castle Doctrine state and has a stand-your-ground law. To view the exact laws click here.

What are the Alabama Open Carry laws?
Unrestricted under state law; some local regulation possible.

Other Alabama Firearm Resources:
Alabama Reciprocity Gun Law
Alabama Weapon Law
NRA-ILA: Alabama Gun Laws

Honors AL Permit:

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wyoming

AL Permit Not Honored:

California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, District of Columbia, undefined

AL Res Permits Only:

Colorado, Florida, Michigan, New Hampshire

Right Denied:

Illinois, Wisconsin, American Samoa, N. Mariana Islands

If you want to keep up to date with the 2nd Amendment issues and news in this country, here here is an invaluable site: http://www.usacarry.com/

Federal Reserve Cannot (or will not)Account for $9 Trillion!

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:00:00 GMT

[John K. Matyi] This was sent to me by a close friend and I am still shocked that this is available to the public. So here is the QUESTION: We all know we are broke, but does anyone know where the money has gone?

You can go HERE to see The Daily Bail which is where I found this video. It now appears that not only are we broke (to the extent of $30K per person in the US), but no one has been guarding the chicken coop. Please let your friends know about this video. Thank you.

You can do your own research on this topic HERE . There are over 1 million results (you don't have to read them all) on my Bing search on the Federal Researve.

Copyright JohnMatyi.com 2010

Dream Act is a Nightmare! Numbers USA agrees, noting that Congress was flooded last week with phone calls opposing passage of the DREAM Act.

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:01:00 GMT

We must act now to save our country. We don't need another bad bill to try and overturn in January. The Progressives never sleep!

Numbers USA agrees, noting that Congress was flooded last week with phone calls opposing passage of the DREAM Act.

Numbers USA has targeted the following 10 senators as undecided votes on the DREAM Act:

Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
DC: (202) 224-6665 Local: (907) 271-3735
Mary Landrieu, D-Louis.
DC: (202) 224-5824 Local: (225) 389-0395
Susan Collins, R-Maine
DC: (202) 224-2523 Local: (207) 622-8414
Olympia Snowe, R-Maine
DC: (202) 224-5344 Local: (207) 622-8292
Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
DC: (202) 224-4822 Local: (313) 961-4330
Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri
DC: (202) 224-6154 Local: (314) 367-1364
Max Baucus, D-Mont.
DC: (202) 224-2651 Local: (406) 657-6790
Byron Dorgan, D-N.D.
DC: (202) 224-2551 Local: (701) 250-4618
Kent Conrad, D-N.D.
DC: (202) 224-2043 Local: (701) 258-4648
Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
DC: (202) 224-3954 Local: (304) 264-4626

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=239397

Ruminations, November 28, 2010 The dollar slides some more and the Russians see red, and more!

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:26:00 GMT

Ruminations, November 28, 2010,

The dollar slides some more and the Russians see red.

Who runs the White House?

Robert Kulak received his undergraduate degree in mathematics and economics and his graduate degree in insurance. An Air force veteran,he has consulted nationally and internationally in information systems. He has written international publications on subjects as diverse as political commentary,humor and healthcare. His articles are also regularly published on Examiner.com where he is the 'Hartford Independent Examiner

Ruminations, November 28, 2010

The dollar slides some more and the Russians see red.

Speaking in Berlin last week, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said that the euro may replace the dollar and become the new world reserve currency. This coming on the heels of Chinese-Russian bilateral trade talks in which the participants agreed not to use dollars as the measure of trade, but to work in local currencies. Neither of these events should have been a surprise, because 17 months ago Brazil, Russia, India and China met in Moscow to discuss the possibility of a new world reserve currency to replace the dollar.

But given the sovereign bailouts (e.g., Greece and Ireland) and potential bailouts (Portugal and Spain), the likelihood that the euro may replace the dollar as the world reserve currency is slim. Add to this the statement last week by German finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble to the Bundestag, "We're not swimming in money, we're drowning in debts." In fact at this point, there is concern that the euro may not survive. Two weeks ago, EU President Herman Van Rompuy said, "We all have to work together in order to survive with the euro zone, because if we don't survive with the euro zone we will not survive with the European Union."

If that’s the case, then why did Putin make his statement? It may be that:

He did it to show solidarity with the European Union, which derives much of its energy from Russia. Further to that end, last week he proposed a free-trade zone between Russia and the European Union.
He did it to throw a diplomatic wedge between the United States and the EU.
He did it to cause concern in Washington about the U.S. current policy to use inflation (i.e., Quantitative Easing) as a tool to move the United States out of the recession.

In the past, Russia/Soviet Union made several attempts, usually militarily, to cause a rift between Western Europe and the United States. Now it appears that Russia may use the weapon that the U.S. used to contribute to the break-up of the Soviet Union – economics. This time, it might work.

Who runs the White House?

During the presidency of George W. Bush, it was an article of faith among extreme leftists that Bush was not very bright, had a frat-boy mentality and did not really run the American government; the government was run by, according to this group, Vice President Dick Cheney.

This is nothing new. During Ronald Reagan’s Administration, there was also a group of extreme leftists that thought Reagan to be an “amiable dunce” and that the American government was run by an anonymous group of arch-conservatives.

Both these assessments were patently wrong. But, that does bring a new question: Who is running the White House now?

Obama is running his own foreign policy, but is he running domestic policy? In 2010, Scott Brown won the special senatorial election in Massachusetts and said that he would be the 41^st vote to stop the Obama Healthcare bill. In a subsequent Democratic leadership meeting, it was reported that Obama was ready to concede defeat on this issue but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D, CA) turned the meeting around and said that there were tactics that could be used to force the health care bill through Congress in spite of Brown, and she won the day.

After the Republican victory this fall, White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod suggested that Obama may be willing to compromise and support a limited extension of the Bush-era tax cuts. Not so, said Pelosi: the tax cuts would apply to those earning under $200,000 only. Now, constitutionally, spending bills originate in the House and Pelosi does have the leadership authority on what tax bills are written. But, normally the party of the President follows his leadership; in this case, Pelosi may prevail again.

We can’t really say that Pelosi is “running the White House” on domestic issues but she is influential; very influential. And, like her policies or not, she has been successful. If she ever does put on a foreign policy hat, then may be we will have to really wonder: Who’s running the White House?

Healthcare missed $80 billion

In the 2,600 pages of the Healthcare act, there are numerous items with financial implications and its proponents have touted the savings that the Healthcare will bring to the nation. But they left $80 billion on the table.

In a recent working paper produced by the Cato Institute (a conservative think tank), Michael Cannon posits that of $113 billion annual medical malpractice payments made each year, only $33 billion ends up with patients. That’s $80 billion that could have been saved, had Congress acted upon it. (For the full report, see www.cato.org/pubs/researchnotes/WorkingPaper-3.pdf.)

Put it another way: given the number of people who were insured in the year of the study, it cost each insured American $400 per year to cover medical malpractice. And of that $400-per-person cost, $285 did not end up in the pockets of the patients.

Why didn’t Congress address this? It would be cynical to say because trial lawyers are big contributors to the Democratic Party and that the authors of the bill would rather collect $180 million in campaign donations than to cut expense for taxpayers by $80 billion. But, let’s not get stuck on cynical: It’s not that the Democrats were sacrificing the country for political payoffs; it was that the trial lawyers were rewarding the politicians for agreeing with them. The only way to ensure that medical practitioners are vigilant, the lawyers believe, is to threaten them with malpractice financial penalties.

But still, while health insurers returned an average of 3.3 percent profit in 2009, according to Forbes, their profits were a target of the Obama health care proponents. It would seem that that either that the bill’s authors had a poor understanding of fiscal reality or that they were so intent on passing something that they ignored some of the potential savings.

If you knew nothing else about the health care bill, wouldn’t you become a little suspicious of the abilities and/or motivations of people who left $80 billion on the table?

A council of elders

When dealing with foreign powers, American Presidents call in their foreign policy team consisting of cabinet members and experts in appropriate fields. This is as it should be, but is it enough?

In a week, or so, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will pay a state visit to Poland. In view of the long and contentious relationship between the two states, this could be a critical meeting for them. As with American Presidents, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has consulted with his cabinet and experts. But he has gone one step further: he has called in for council all living Polish Presidents and prime ministers of the democratic era – and even included communist-era leader Wojciech Jaruzelski.

Wouldn’t it be equally wise if President Barack Obama sought foreign affairs counsel from former Presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmie Carter? They have all led the United States, dealt with similar situations and have had the interests of the United States at heart. Of course there are political differences, but if the President of Poland feels comfortable enough to bring in former communist Jaruzelski, how much worse could an adverse American political party be?

Maybe American presidents could learn something from an ally. Just saying.

A touch of class

Connecticut Republican candidate for the Senate Linda McMahon lost in November’s election. Three weeks after the election, no one expected to see her on television again but there she was in another ad:

“I'm Linda McMahon. I recently ran for the United States Senate in Connecticut. I didn't win the election, but to everyone whose hand I shook, who touched my heart and who challenged my thinking throughout the campaign, I want to say: 'Thank You.' I am proud of what we accomplished. I appreciate your support and I hope that you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season.”

Some have speculated that she ran the ad because she was planning a new campaign. Maybe so. But how many others of the thousands of candidates who lost elections (not to mention those who won elections) took out ads to wish voters “Happy Thanksgiving and a wonderful holiday season.”

It showed a touch of class.

Quote without comment

Robert J. Samuelson, writing in The Washington Post, December 7, 2009: “President Obama's critics sometimes say that he is engineering a government takeover of health care … What's happening is the reverse, which is more interesting and alarming: Health care is taking over government.”

Rob Kulak

Copyright JohnMatyi.com 2010

A man will not be asked why he beat his wife, ever!

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:34:00 GMT

If you are considering marriage with a Muslim you might want to sit down with your friends and family and watch this video. By the way, it is perfectly OK to lie in the Muslim religion.

Ruminations, September 5, 2010, Men as victims of sexism, When can we withdraw from Afghanistan?

rjkulak@comcast.net (Robert J. Kulak) — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 20:05:00 GMT

Ruminations, September 5, 2010

Men as victims of sexism

When Lawrence Summers (currently Director of the White House National Economic Council for President Obama) was President of Harvard, he ventured to suggest that there might be an innate difference between men and women and it should be investigated. Although the students supported Summers, the politically correct faculty did not and Summers was forced to resign. The faculty opined that there was no difference and any suggestion that the men and women were different was male chauvinism. Females were the obvious victims.

Now that kind of Harvard-faculty thinking may be challenged. A study released last month by New York-based Reach Advisors, showed that unmarried women, ages 22-30 with no children, earn 8 percent more than men in the same age group in similar circumstances. The results were widely praised as a step forward for women. But is it?

For many years, the politically correct crowd has held to the proposition that that when men are paid more than women, it was discriminatory; equality in ability should result in equality of remuneration. If that is true, then maybe this latest statistic showing women earning more money is discrimination, too – but this time men are the victims.

And it bodes even worse for men. In higher education, a predictor of future earnings, today women are earning nearly 60 percent of college degrees and advanced degrees. (By race, the census shows that Black and Hispanic women are twice as likely as are Black or Hispanic men to earn college degrees).

Is this just a natural turn of events or is something else at work?

Maybe it’s something else at work. According to the College Board that administers the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT), boys and girls have the same grade point average in mathematics and yet, at the upper ranges of SAT scores, boys were represented over girls by a 2:1 ratio. If boys are represented 2:1 on objective tests, shouldn’t they have higher grade point averages? Don’t grade point averages ostensibly measure achievement? The difference in scores maybe attributable to the manner in which the scores are calculated; While the College Board testing mechanism is oblivious to the sex of the test–takers, the grade points assigned to the individuals are assigned by teachers who are well aware of the sex of the individual.

And this is not a uniquely American phenomenon. Some years ago in Europe, psychologists Wilberg and Lynn conducted a 26-nation study of the historical knowledge and the academic grades of 15-year-olds. The test results showed that the boys had higher mean scores but girls had higher class grades.

And it’s not only the paycheck where men are being short-changed. The ultimate metric is life expectancy, and women at birth are expected to live five years longer than men. If outcome-based results are the measurement that anti-discrimination folks use, shouldn’t we focus on men’s health over women’s health – at least until the life expectancy for both sexes is equal?

Of course there are those who disagree with the Harvard faculty and maintain that there are natural differences between men and women and many of the efforts to eliminate them represent nothing but political correctness run amok. It could be that these Harvard critics are on to something.

But regardless, there is one area where women clearly have an advantage that men cannot overcome. Women are just better looking.

When can we withdraw from Afghanistan?

If we leave Afghanistan next year, what do we leave? A nation in turmoil? A non-nation in some sense of stability? An area that is inhospitable to al Qaeda and their allies? What is Afghanistan, anyway?

Maybe some historic parallels could be instructive. Just as individual people mature into adulthood so do groups of people mature into modern nations. When Western Europeans arrived in America, they had a distinct advantage over the Native Americans in that European society was a more mature society. They had better technology, an economic system that advanced trade -- and a political maturity that allowed them to think in terms of nation-states that could govern and make safe large swaths of territory. Today, America, Europe and most Asian nations have achieved comparable levels of maturity where we can understand each other and work together for the common good.

It wasn't always like this. In Europe, it took centuries to achieve the level of political and economic sophistication that exists today in the modern world (for lack of a better term). In order to get here, Europe had to endure tribal rivalries, ages of superstition and an illiterate peasantry that depended on powerful lords for protection. It took centuries to progress to where we are today. Part of the problem of advancement was that there was no viable model of the modern world that could have expedited their transition.

One of the factors that encouraged the maturation of the Western world was the evolution of a belief system that permitted a tolerant political and social order resulting from the reformation of Christianity and resolution of the attendant internecine battles that followed. In spite of the differences between the Shia, Sufis and the Sunni (and the shades of difference within each group), Islam has not reached the level of 16^th, 17^th or 18^th century Europe – and that works against Afghanistan more so that other Islamic majority nations because of the more tribal structure of its people.

Afghanistan is not a mature nation. It is not as mature as Iraq. It may take decades for Afghanistan to enter the modern world. This is not to say that we will have to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan throughout this transformation but if we truly want to leave an Afghanistan that is a viable nation-state, we (modern nations) will need to be involved beyond 2011 as a force for stability, economy and polity.

This is a challenge that President Obama faces. Not only does he need to finesse the domestic political aspect of a July 2011 withdrawal date but he needs to make the “we” in Afghanistan more of a “we” to increasingly short-sighted and skeptical allies. At the same time, some other nations, specifically Russia and Iran, don’t want a resurgent Taliban to triumph in Afghanistan; but they do enjoy the increased political leverage that an embattled U.S. provides them.

Whether or not we leave Afghanistan in July 2011 is problematical. And if we do leave, what we leave will be up to the foreign policy maker-in-chief. We wish the President well.

Quote without comment

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in his memoir, A Journey, writing on the economy: “Ultimately the recovery will be led not by government but by industry, business and the creative ingenuity and enterprise of a people. If the measures you take in responding to the crisis diminish their incentives, curb their entrepreneurship, make them feel unsure about the climate in which they are working, the recovery becomes uncertain.”

Rob Kulak

Copyright JohnMatyi.com 2010

JournoList, a "secret-society" of liberal journalists and educators that aggressively sought to demonize conservatives

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 02:10:00 GMT

Dear Friends, Neighbors, and readers of this blog:

It's the media scandal liberals don't want you to know about!

JournoList, a "secret-society" of liberal journalists and educators that aggressively sought to demonize conservatives, was operated by Washington Post employee Ezra Klein.

The Media Research Center is leading the charge in calling out the Washington Post - demanding truth and transparency in their role in this outrageous scandal...

I have already sent a message to Washington Post executive editor Marcus Brauchli and am asking you to do the same by clicking below:

http://www.mrcaction.org/559/email_form.asp?PID=25970660&NID=1

I believe grassroots conservatives are the last line of defense against this type of coordinated, premeditated liberal bias in the media. That's why I'm urging you to take immediate action.

Thanks for joining with me.

John Matyi

Ruminations, July 18, 2010

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:18:00 GMT

Ruminations, July 18, 2010

Is the U.S.too big to fail?

During the first few months of the economicdownturn, federal tax dollars were shipped off to private financialinstitutions in order to keep them solvent. The rationale for doing so was thatthe institutions were so big that a failure on their part would bring downmost, if not all, of the American economy. These companies were adjudged toobig for us to allow them to fail.

Is the UnitedStates too big to be allowed to fail? Considersome of the consequences if the UnitedStates fails economically:

Total public debt of the United States is over $13 trillion. Failure means that all those who have invested in the United States -- countries, organizations and individuals -- will lose their investments.
The U.S. imports $2.5 trillion worth of goods annually. Failure in the U.S. would eliminate the market for these goods and drive down the other economies in the world.
China alone owns over $1.6 trillion in U.S. securities. Failure would cause the value of those securities to drop precipitously.
The U.S. dollar is the reserve currency of the world. As such, foreign countries hold U.S. dollars to facilitate their foreign trade and as a buffer against financial crises.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) facilitates development and loans primarily to poorer countries. The U.S. contributed $108 billion to the IMF this year. Failure of the United States would have severe ramifications to the development of poorer nations.
Immigrants, legal and illegal, send approximately $48 billion to their countries of origin each year. Failure means that that source of revenue would be non-existent.
The United States employs approximately 11 million immigrants. Failure would mean that these jobs would cease to exist and the countries of origin would see the immigrants return and join the ranks of the unemployed.

So, it looks like the UnitedStates is too bigto fail – the rest of the world cannot afford to let the UnitedStates fail. But, just as we would ratherrestructure the financial system makeup so that no institution is too big tofail, so does the international community want to restructure so that it is notso dependent on the UnitedStates.

For example, China,which is substantially dependent on the UnitedStates remaining economically strong, has begun to cuttheir purchases of dollars and U.S.securities. They have purchased some gold and, last week, Premier Wen Jiabaoassured German Chancellor Angela Merkle that Chinawould support the 11-year-old euro. Indeed, just 10 years ago, the dollar madeup 70 percent of the world’s currency reserves and today it hovers just over 60percent. There have also been calls for a substitute reserve currency calledSpecial Drawing Rights (a collection of currencies with the advantage that thefailure of any one nation, even a very big one, would have a reduced effect onthe global economy).

So, we are too big to fail but that doesn’tmean we can’t. And the rest of the world is beginning to hedge their bets.

Trade

The consensus among liberal and conservativeeconomic historians is that one of the factors that extended the GreatDepression was the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930. The tariff resulted inretaliatory tariffs by trading partners and cut U.S.exports and imports in half.

For the past 65 years or so, the prevailingapproach to tariffs has been to keep them low or nonexistent so as to increasetrade and let exporters and importers take advantage of the comparativeadvantage of nations. When tariffs are imposed, they are often imposed inretaliation for other actions taken by an offending nation.

Germanyright now fears that the U.S.will increase tariffs on European cars sold in the U.S.in retaliation for Germany’srefusal to provide subsidies to General Motors’ European subsidiary Opel.

That’s really not a bad idea. Consider that the UnitedStates had a trade deficit of more than $30billion with the European Union. Furthermore, the tariff on American carsexported to Europe is 10 percent of the vehicle’s value and the tariff onEuropean cars imported to the UnitedStates is 2.5 percent of the vehicle’s value.

Seems like it’s time to end the Marshall Planand treat Europe like an equal. Whether it’s2.5 percent tariff or 10 percent tariff, it should apply both ways.

Quotewithout comment

American humorist Sam Levinson (1811-1980):“It’s so simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and thendon’t say it.”

Rob Kulak

OK Geeky and Nerdy friends and readers, I now have had my very own iPad for two whole days and I think I am in love...

editor@johnmatyi.com (John K. Matyi) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 17:22:00 GMT

Model: 64GB iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G. for $829.00 directly from Apple from Apple [http://tinyurl.com/yk56dmg]. there are other models (WiFi only, 16, 32 and 64 GB.), so the starting price is $499.00.

I know there are many of you that have questions about this newest Apple miracle, so I am offering to answer any questions you may have that will either:

1. Help you make a decision as to whether you really want to buy this expensive toy or,

2. Now that I got it, how do I _______________________. You fill in the blank.

3. What accessories really are worth the money, and/or do I need them.

Briefly here is what I can tell you so far.

1. It is a little heavier then I imagined, but it feels like it is really put together well. Here is a surprise, unless you go to the Apple iBook store you will not find an owners manual in the box! Go figure. I guess they feel that anyone who buys this has already owned an iPod or an iPhone, so no new learning curve. If you have used either of the above, you can use this device right out of the shipping box. Mine came fully charged and ready to go. If not, install the iBook application [App] and you will find the iPad (free) there. Or, just invite your kids, or grandkids over and they will be glad to play with it (errr, show you how it works).

2. Using either Wireless or ATT 3G, it responds very fast. Web sites jump on to the screen, YouTube videos load and play really well, and here is one you may not have known; I can play Netscape Streaming videos (720P) without a glitch! This morning my wife and I sat on the couch and watched funny YouTube videos. I really like this one tinyurl.com/3yl6box, but I digress.

Here is a great (and honest) video from Apple that will show you the iPad much better than just reading my words. As I learn more about the iPad, and get questions from you, I will either start a new post or expand and update this one.

Apple - iPad - Introducing the iPad

From: Apple | January 30, 2010 | 1,149,653 views

Meet the iPad. It has a revolutionary, 9.7-inch, high-resolution, Multi-Touch screen. And it can run almost 140,000 apps from the App Store. All in a design thats just 1.5 lbs and 0.5 inches thin. For as little as $499.

Ruminations, July 11, 2010

rjkulak@comcast.net (Robert J. Kulak) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 12:39:00 GMT

Ruminations, July 11, 2010

The Obama economic recovery program is faltering – andit’s all Obama’s

President Barack Obama has frequently blamed the economic problems of the country on his predecessor George W. Bush. There is something to that: after all, Obama did inherit the results of Bush policies (as Bush inherited the results of Clinton’seconomic policies and Clinton inherited … well, you know).

But it’s a complex world and if presidents were as effective as they’d like us to believe, we’d never suffer from economic downturns and would have nothing but economic booms. Alas, such is not the case. But sometimes, we can infer economic situations from the actions of a president.

We know that actions taken by Obama have caused businesses to have a lack of confidence in the future and to hold their assets in cash rather than invest it. (See http://www.examiner.com/x-15968-Hartford-Independent-Examiner~y2010m6d13-Obama--copies-Roosevelts-mistakes--While-the-US-spends-Europe-saves--will-this-work.)

Obama’s mantra is that Bush forced him into massive spending programs in order to save the economy and saving it he is. Although unemployment has increased since the implementation of Obama’s stimulus program and the economy has not begun to rebound, Obama says it would be worse without the stimulus. It’s an argument that’s hard to proveor disprove – or is it?

“One year into the global recovery, the U.S.is lagging far behind other major economies in restoring jobs lost in the recession,” writes Mark Whitehouse in the July 11 edition of the Wall Street Journal. And there is a difference between Obama’s economic directives and the other major economies.Obama’s are at odds with other countries in the G20: The U.S. plans to rely on more government spending while the rest of the world plans to cut government spending and balance budgets in short order.

According to Whitehouse, the two most salient features of recovery are “manageable debt burdens and healthy banking systems.”

Have Obama’s policies had an effect on debt and on banking? Most assuredly they have had an effect on debt where private and public debt has reached unprecedented and unsustainable levels.

As far as a healthy banking systems goes, Obama did propose changes to banking regulation which, in broad terms, were well-founded. Unfortunately, when the detail was fleshed-out,something appeared that economic historian Niall Fergusson has called,“regulate first, ask questions later.” Furthermore, nothing was done to address the primary culprits of the economic meltdown:

The policies of The Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) were based up social engineering rather than fiscal probity. And they continue to operate much in the manner that they did prior to the economic crisis.
The too-big-to-fail syndrome. The 10 largest U.S. banks assets are equal to 80 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). While some positive steps have been taken (e.g., the “Volker Rule”), theses banks will still be bailed out by the government if necessary.

And if we accept that we need to increase the ability of banks to lend, then the $19 billion in taxes that had been proposed to levy on banks would have been counter-productive.

So, it is arguable that Obama’s policies have led to uncertainty in the economy resulting in the reluctance of business to borrow and the reluctance of bankers to lend. And he has increased public debt to record levels while proposing little to reform the financial system. And that is something that Bush didn’t make business and bankers do – Obama did.

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George Soros, author,investor and liberal political activist, writing in the August 19 edition ofthe New York Review of Books: “The euro boasts a common central bank but itlacks a common treasury. It is exactly that sovereign backing that financialmarkets are now questioning and that is missing from the design. That is whythe euro has become the focal point of the current [European financial] crisis.”

Rob Kulak