Stuff I’ve been collecting for you while having the living room flooring done, ripping siding off the house, and extracting rusted bicycles from the foliage.* Oh, and deadlining, too. “Neighbors confront alcoholic child abuser about his lawn.” (Don’t worry, it’s only The Onion this time.) Not that you actually needed proof that government is filled with idiots … An ISP that puts privacy first? Did you know there was a U.S. holiday called Loyalty Day? I didn’t. But it’s coming right up. Clearly we need to celebrate! “Born this way.” This article would be fascinating if it admitted the existence…
12 CommentsCategory: Money
Posts about being frugal, getting out of debt, staying out of debt, spending practically and splurging joyfully. This category may also contain posts about hard money and what the government is doing to all that “soft money” it creates.
That waitress who naively turned her $12k tip over to the cops? She’s getting her money back despite police claims that the cash … um, yeah, um … “smells like marijuana so we have to keep it, you know, for your own good.” (Amazing how self-congratulatory the jerks manage to be even after the whole country beat up on them for stealing from the poor woman.) Oh, Arizona, the silliness of your legislators never ends, does it? Now they’re trying to declare that you can be pregnant up to two weeks before having sex. Too late! Too late! You missed…
16 CommentsYour hilarious dog story of the day, courtesy of naturegirl. (Which probably would have ended up much less hilarious had American cops been the ones doing the window smashing.) And so I don’t neglect you cat people, here. It’s not funny or even particularly dramatic. Just cuuuuuuuuute. Not so cute: The U.S. standard of living has fallen more than 50 percent. Depending on how you look at it. I hope I don’t ever have to do that. Especially when I’m 80. A big hurtful, annoying EFF-U to Arizona, spoken as only Ken from Popehat can speak write. Two for the…
12 CommentsIn China: rescuing dogs from the butcher. Survival Singles or doomsday dating. (Tip o’ hat to C^2) Memo to the fedgov: How not to attract tourists. The tale of Weela the lifesaving pit bull. Found this after a discussion of pit bulls came up in yesterday’s comments. It’s from quite a while back, but a wonderful story. Well. That about defines desperation. Ick. When clark mentioned in a recent comment section that a state government was about to raid small farms and slaughter their hogs, I wasn’t sure what he was talking about. But it’s pretty awful. He’s the nice,…
5 CommentsThe Tireless Agorist looks at the burgeoning underground economy in Greece. And Forbes asks if Bitcoin might become the favored currency of an international System D. I’m as skeptical of Bitcoin as I am of every cyber currency (once burned …). And my first thought on reading the Forbes piece was, “What will the USA fedgov’s 900-pound gorilla do?” But one of these days, the flailing arms of that monster gorilla will be able to do … nothing. Some innovation in free-market money will defeat it. If it’s Bitcoin, good for Bitcoin.
6 CommentsLegally blind and a successful photographer. Now here’s a growing profession for you: consultants who coach white-collar criminals on how to get along in prison. The sagebrush rebellion rises again. Brothels. They’re now legal in Ontario, Canada. And for some pretty good reasons. “When we were making V we thought the mask might be popular at parties.” And yet another intriguing trailer for Silver Circle. The coins are real; you can buy them from the movie’s store and Ron Paul was photographed last month using one to make a point.
Leave a CommentI’m not sure how many grains of salt this deserves to be taken with. Perhaps a whole shaker full. Or perhaps it’s the dead-solid truth. Judge for yourself. Marc Slavo tends to be a bit conspiratorial for my taste and the bona fides of the letter writer he quotes are unverifiable. Whatever else, it’s fascinating that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission tossed this public comment down the memory hole yesterday almost as soon as it was posted. The comment’s author claims to be a whistleblower writing from inside JPMorgan Chase. And he or she confirms (among other things) the widespread…
8 CommentsPretty funny.
2 CommentsThe following is from an entrepreneur friend I’ve blogged about before. What he’s going through is a direct result of FATCA. You and me? We might not think we’re rich enough to be affected by this horrible, impossible law. If we have few or no offshore assets, we might think we have nothing to worry about. But in the long run, we’re all hurt as American citizens become worldwide pariahs, as avenues of freedom are closed off, and as stupid government tricks push our commerce and technology into fear-created backwaters. Anyhow, from my friend: I’ve already whined to you about…
12 CommentsHere’s an aspect of the dreadful FATCA that hasn’t gotten much coverage. From jed in comments: homeless by choice (and on principle). “How to Be Creative.” I don’t buy the claim that there’s no such thing as “creative types” (OMG, there are indeed creative types). But the rest is surely true. Creativity isn’t just for artists, writers, and inventors. Neat idea: an urban food forest. Not quite sure, though, how “free” it can be. A U.S. government soldier decides to freelance. (ADDED: The story that it was one “lone nut” “going rogue” probably isn’t going to hold up.) “Gaining Respect…
18 Comments