I haven’t considered this topic much worth writing about. All the “will they raise the debt ceiling or will the Apocalypse strike” nonsense of the last few weeks has just been political theater, signifying nothing. But Silver, who’s always good at casting light into the dark cracks of governmental chicanery nails it again.
Category: 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.
A first-class rant from an ordinary small business person, Jim Garvin: Sad that he still feels a need to talk with the minions of Mordor at all. But I’ll bet you millions of folks who eventually listen to this will be cheering, “Yeah! What he said!” — starting with his very first question to His Betters: “Are all of you completely crazy???”
Radley Balko, who posts a lot of photos on his blog, has just posted the best two ever, bar none, no possible comparison: Cory Maye as a free man. How come Al Quaeda is always responsible, even when Al Quaeda isn’t responsible? “Playing to Your Strengths.” For some, this might be a no-brainer. But for others (e.g. who were forced or simply fell into their career paths), not so. Charles Hugh Smith is a wonderful thinker. He’s just come up with the best analysis of what the Euro really is and what the current goings on in European finances really…
Well, how about a raffle ticket for a used gun? Or maybe bid on an auction for a used gun? See, here’s the deal. A person calling himself the Easter Bunny (seriously; he doesn’t dare go by Anonymous because these days the FBI will bust you for that) has offered me a gun to raffle or auction. Here’s the further deal. His catch is that I design my own camo pattern (he suggests Peeps and melons but I dunno about that) and offer this as the world’s first (and perhaps only) Claire Camo firearm. The probable gun is a Mini-14,…
Prosecutorial misconduct brings a mistrial in the Roger Clemens never-talk-to-the-feds case. How come we never see the feds on trial for lying to us? (ADDED: Good commentary.) Gary Marbut — bless his bold and principled heart — does it again. This time, he makes the Wall St. Journal. “The Good Short Life.” Touching. Cops are at it again, too. Portable facial-recognition and iris-scanning devices. Another gift of USACorp’s perpetual war machine. While junque shopping, I really would have bought that set of five poker-playing dog prints (especially “Pinched with Four Aces.”) They were too expensive (and does anybody really need…
“Relevant stakeholders in the Second Amendment debate” my Aunt Fanny … Judge dismisses lawsuit against the TSA citing … wait for it … “a secret order issued by the TSA.” I marveled the other day that these days we take spying on innocents for granted. Yeah, and secret laws and orders, too. Well, that’s how it is when you live in a police state. (Tip o’ hat to D.) The lightbulb of the future? It doesn’t have to be a mercury-filled coil that induces headaches and adds 10 years to your appearance. “10 Reasons I’m Canceling My Credit Cards by…
Good work up there, you Canadians! But don’t you always get a kick out of these statistics on the size of underground economies? Seriously. They know this how? (Tip o’ hat to C^2.) Remember, when your camera-containing device gets “lost” or ever-so-slightly altered in police custody, there’s always this. (Tip o’ hat to S^2.) Oh, the little people are getting so uppity! You know something will soon fall down and go bust when “experts” are this confident that everything is rosy. July 4 by Thomas Sowell. Two really good (and coincidentally related) ones from Get Rich Slowly: “Defining Your Financial…
Proof that humans are born with respect for private property (well, sort of proof). The first comment is proof that some people are born or bred tyrants. “The Freedom of Simplicity. Yeah. Making life transitions more meaningful (and less hellaciously expensive). When the catalysts commence to catalyzing. The article’s not bad, but I was most taken with the comment by Scott. Suicide. And 13 other ways to deal with failure. I just discovered that Paladin has a very good combo deal on The Freedom Outlaws Handbook and I Am Not a Number!. In case you want to know. Otherwise just…
I just got my semi-annual royalty check from Paladin Press this morning. It was … not good. To say that sales of the newest book are abysmal would be charitable. I feel horrible because the book was done at (Paladin boss) Peder Lund’s special request and I hate the thought of letting him or anybody at Paladin down. Maybe it’s that the book is political and Paladin is fundamentally an action-oriented publisher. Maybe it’s timing. But then, too, the book hasn’t gotten much, if any, promotion aside from a few radio appearances and some kind comments on Amazon.com. So perhaps…
When rumors of this started circulating a few days ago, I thought it was probably conspiracy-theory hysteria. But it now appears more likely that the fedgov (and specifically the Dodd-Frank bill) has made over-the-counter trading in precious metals illegal for Americans I don’t know the implications of this. I don’t think anybody does, at this point, but this sort of trading is seriously over my poor hermitty head. The restrictions do not apply to physical buying or holding of gold or silver, though. We the Free and the Brave are still “allowed” to do that. I hope that -S and…