Wii Bowling
For some light hearted news, I’m not all gloom and doom.
The Kids got a wii for Christmas, and as their father it’s my job to make sure everything works.
So after about 17 games of bowling, a dozen rounds of golf, 6 boxing matches, 23 sets of tennis, and 5 games of baseball, it’s safe to say everythings in working order.
And yes I was swore the next morning.
I’ve reached wii bowling Pro status with a 1032 skill level and a best game of 221!
I’m waiting for some real competition.
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Family, Humor, Thoughts | Tagged: games, wii, wii bowling | 
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Posted by Nic
Reported by U.S. NEWS
As of December 29, The National Debt stands at 10.6 Trillion. Thats almost $35,000 for every person!
Reported by TIMES ONLINE
The former chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market is best known as the founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, the closely-held market-making firm he launched in 1960. But he also ran a hedge fund that U.S. prosecutors said racked up $50 billion of fraudulent losses.
Mr Madoff told them that he was “finished”, that he had “absolutely nothing”, and that “it’s all just one big lie”. He said the investment arm of his firm was “basically a giant Ponzi scheme”, and that it had been insolvent for years.
A Ponzi scheme, named after the swindler Charles Ponzi, is a fraudulent investment operation that pays abnormally high returns to investors out of money put into the scheme by subsequent investors, rather than from real profits generated by share trading.
Reported by Financial Times
An article by editor Gideon Rachman says “I have never believed that there is a secret United Nations plot to take over the US. I have never seen black helicopters hovering in the sky above Montana. But, for the first time in my life, I think the formation of some sort of world government is plausible”
Reported by San Fransisco Chronicle
Most of the money, about $5.5 trillion, comes from the Federal Reserve, which as an independent entity does not need congressional approval to lend money to banks or, in “unusual and exigent circumstances,” to other financial institutions.
That sum represents almost 60 percent of the nation’s estimated gross domestic product.
Reported by Pakistan Daily
According to reports out of top Chinese mainstream news outlets, the RAND Corporation recently presented a shocking proposal to the Pentagon in which it lobbied for a war to be started with a major foreign power in an attempt to stimulate the American economy and prevent a recession.
Reported by Mail Online
Genetically modified corn has been linked to a threat to fertility in an official study that could deliver a hammer blow to controversial ‘Frankenstein Food’.
GM expert at Greenpeace International, Dr Jan van Aken, said: ‘Genetically Engineered food appears to be acting as a birth control agent, potentially leading to infertility.
Reported by Telegraph
The bank said the damage caused by the financial excesses of the last quarter century was forcing the world’s authorities to take steps that had never been tried before.
This gamble was likely to end in one of two extreme ways: with either a resurgence of inflation; or a downward spiral into depression, civil disorder, and possibly wars. Both outcomes will cause a rush for gold.
Reported by Executive Intelligence Review
In an internal bank conference call last week, a JP Morgan Chase executive, unaware that his conversation would be heard and published by a reporter, confirmed exactly what Lyndon LaRouche has said about the Hank Paulson bail-out: It has nothing remotely to do with extending lending to the U.S. economy, but is concerned with the Mussolini-like corporatist restructuring of the U.S. banking system, turning over the “smaller banks” to the totally bankrupt big banks, so that they can digest the smaller banks’ assets, and survive perhaps a few more weeks.
Reported by Telegraph
The academics, including 9,000 with PhDs, claim that greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are actually beneficial for the environment.
It added: “There is no convincing scientific evidence that human release of … greenhouse gases is causing or will, in the forseeable future, cause catastrophic heating of the Earth’s atmosphere and disruption of the Earth’s climate. Moreover, there is substantial scientific evidence that increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide produce many beneficial effects upon the natural plant and animal environments.”
Combined that with Over 650 dissenting scientists from around the globe that challenged man-made global warming claims made by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and former Vice President Al Gore. The U.S. Senate Minority Report — updated from 2007’s groundbreaking report of over 400 scientists who voiced skepticism about the so-called global warming “consensus” — features the skeptical voices of over 650 prominent international scientists, including many current and former UN IPCC scientists, who have now turned against the UN IPCC.
Reported by Telegraph
To show the gravity of the financial crisis we are in the middle of, and yes we are in the middle, not the end. The Fed has already slashed interest rates to near 0%, given out $2 trillion in disclosed loans, then got sued by Bloomberg for not telling the American public who got the money.
The Federal Reserve is desperate, and they are running out of options on how to avoid a depression. One Option is to issue their own debt, something that has never been done.
Of course this debt would have no congressional oversight, and ends up on the back of American Tax payers.
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Life, Politics, Thoughts, facts, news | Tagged: 8.5 trillion bailout, bailout, Bailout Is for Takeovers, bernanke, best news of 2008, fed, fed to issue own debt, GM food could lower your fertility, national debt, rand wants war, Scientists deny man-made global warming, world government, worlds unravels | 
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Posted by Nic
The Flobots // Fight With Tools
A great album full of smart witty social commentary, with a slight political activist edge.
These guys came out of no where in 2008 to hit it big, at one pint their song “Handle Bars” was the number 1 alternative single on billboard. They also got to tour with Metallica, which I’m sure didn’t hurt their careers.
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Snow Patrol // Hundred Million Suns
A little more low key then I wanted from Snow Patrol, but it’s a nice album.
I am well on my way to wearing this one out.
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Adele // 19
To be honest I don’t really enjoy female signers, not sure why, I’ve just always been that why.
But I really dig Adele, something about her voice hooks me in.
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Jack Johnson // Sleep Through The Static
I Loved the new album from Jack Johnson.
Here’s a section of the lyrics from “sleep through the static”
Shock and awful thing to make somebody think
That they have to choose pushing for peace supporting the troops
And either you’re weak or you’ll use brut force-feed the truth
The truth is we say not as we doWe say anytime, anywhere,
just show your teeth and strike the fear
Of god wears camouflage, cries at night and drives a dodge
Pick up the beat and stop hogging the feast
That’s no way to treat an enemy_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mates of States // Rearrange Us
This is probably the biggest shock on the list.
These guys were new to me this year, but they started back in 1997. I picked it up on a review from a another blog, that I can’t recall the name of right now.
Drums, keyboard, and vocals…..who would have thought it could be this entertaining.
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Life, Music, Thoughts | Tagged: adele, best music of 2008, fight with tools, flow bots, hundred million suns, jack johnson, mates of state, sleep through the static, snow patrol | 
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Posted by Nic
These are it.
Some made the news because they were major issues, like the bailout and the Russian / Georgian war. Others because they made shocking claims like Rev. Wright and Gerald Celente.
These are the videos that stuck out in my mind for the year.
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Great video about the financial bailout that started at $700 Billion, then went to $850 Billion, and now Bloomberg reported it was over $8 trillion.
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Gerald Celente is a trends researcher.
For a great interview with Celente click HERE.
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Interview with Alan Greenspan, former head of the Federal Reserve. Watch the video at about 7:40 where Greenspan admits that there is no government agency that can veto the decisions that the fed makes.
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Jim Rogers calls an Inflationary Holocaust is coming, if the fed continues to print money.
My favorite line is when Rogers says that the G7 leaders should go to a bar, have a beer, and leave the rest of us alone.
For more great clips of Jim rogers click HERE
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A Great clip of Dennis Kucinich straightening out Neil Kashkari. Kashkari is the man Paulson choose to dish out the money from the bailout. After a few months of banks still refusing to lend money. Congress called an oversight committee to look into it.
After hours of Kashkari avoiding direct question and sweet talking and kissing up, Kucinich lays down the great line. “Our question is who your working for!” Referencing the fact that the only people getting any help from the bailout is the banks, not the people.
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Another great clip of congress drilling Neil Kashkari. Congressman Issa doesn’t seem to like the game Kashkari is playing when he answer questions.
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This is a interesting one, Obama’s former Pastor Jeremiah Wright. He is with out a doubt arrogant and a touch cocky. But I liked the fact that when the media tried to demonize him, he didn’t back down.
This is the video that encouraged me to buy Lennard Horowitz’s book, “Emerging viruses”. I would just caution that those that think Wright is a nut, should read the book!
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This is a great clip of Brad Sherman taking about what was going on behind the scenes in Washington during the bailout meetings. It was later Congressman Inhofe from Oklahoma that confirmed that it was Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson that was spreading the fear about the economy crashing, and having to put the United States under martial law.
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This is one of weirdest videos. Bob Woodard who is a trusted reporter makes some big claims in this video.
And what in the world is our military doing that we can’t tell the people?
Another great clip of woodard on 60 minutes HERE.
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If you don’t remember this, the night of the opening Olympics in Beijing. Georgian troops invaded South Ossetia and killed 1200 ethnic Russians. Russia responded quickly by sending their troops to push the Georgians back.
Western media jumped at the chance to demonize Russia, claiming they invaded Georgia. And using the Olympics as cover, it stayed off the front page for weeks.
Got to look the courage of this 12 year old girl, to stand up and say ” I want to get the record straight, we were running from Georgian troops not Russians.”
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The great line from McCain, “In the 21st century nations don’t invade other nations”. Commenting on the Russian, Georgian conflict.
If only that was true, and we didn’t spend a trillion dollars in Iraq.
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Biden joins the ranks of Colin Powell and Madeline Albright. All 3 have made predictions that within the first 6 months of Obamas first term, there will be an “incident” that test Obama, to see what he’s made of.
Powell even went as far as to say it will be the 22nd or 23rd of January.
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Leave a Comment » | Politics, Thoughts | Tagged: 12 year old girl tells, bailout, bob woodard, brad sherman, fed above the law, gerald celente, goldman sach paid congress, HIV man made, inflationary holocaust, jim rogers, martial law, obama will be tested, secret killing machine | Permalink
Posted by Nic
Screwed, The Undeclared War Against The Middle Class By Thom Hartmann
To have a true middle class, a majority of the people in a nation must be educated and economically secure and must have full and easy access to real news so they can make informed decisions. page 9
The American middle class is on its deathbed. Ordinary folks who put in a solid day’s work can no longer afford to buy a house, send their kids to college, or even get sick. If you’re not a CEO, you’re probably screwed. Air America host Thom Hartmann shows how the American middle class that was so carefully constructed by our country’s founding fathers has been systematically dismantled over the past quarter-century, and, under the guise of “freeing” the market, replaced by a system designed to line the pockets of the super-rich and corporations.
End of America by Naomi Wolf
“Bloggers must become rigorous and fearless documentarians” page 131
most people who talk about how the United States is turning into Nazi Germany come off as conspiracy nuts. They take things to the extreme, exaggerate details and in the process of trying to do something well meaning turn everyone off to their idea. Naomi Wolf does an amazing job of saying we are not turning into Nazi Germany, but we are on a dangerous path that is leading us into socialism, which is just another term for fascism.
She goes on to explain the 10 steps of how a society turns from liberty to tyranny. The brilliance of this book is that she goes back into history and tells you exactly what happened in Germany that allowed Hitler to manipulate power and then explains the laws that have been passed in the United States in recent years that allows our government the same power. For example the Patriot act is similar to Hitler’s Enabling act, the Department of Homeland Security is similar to Hitler’s “heime Staatspolezei.” The literal translation is “Home Nation Police.” A near approximation would be “Office of Homeland Security.”
What matters to a Fascist leader is not to get rid of an enemy but to maintain one. page 37
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man By John Perkins
After WW ll The united states realized they could not increase their empire solely based on military force. They way the world came together to stop the Germany empire made it clear, the world will never allow one empire to dominate everything. This started the rise of a new approach on how to increase the American empire with out physical force.
In comes the banking empire.
The main objective is to convince foreign governments that the United States has predetermined as important to our economy, to accept huge finical loans to build the infrastructure of their country. Everything from sewer systems, to electrical loads, and communication lines.
Repayment of these loans was never the goal because In accepting these huge loans, foreign governments played right into the hands of banking system. The more loans they accepted the more control the United States gained over their government, and ultimately their natural resources.
The catch of course in accepting these loans, was that all the construction work is too be done by American companies. These companies had the responsibility to go into these third world nations and modernize them into western allies, imitating every detail of the west down to the Starbucks on the corner. With all of that modernized machinery there would also have to be someone to service, maintain, and eventually replace it. This system guaranteed American construction and engineering firms decades of profits.
This process has been replicated in dozens of nations by the United States in the past 5 decades like,Panama, Ecuador, and Saudi Arabia. To the nations that say no to these huge loans and the temptation to westernize their countries, their future isn’t so bright.Two countries that have taken this approach are Iran and Iraq. Leaving the United States little choice other than military force to bully these countries into submission.
So You Don't Want To Go To Church Anymore By Jake Colson
One of influencing factors of why I left the church was because I felt like a customer instead of a member. and that Sunday Morning was a product with a shinny package, instead of the word of God.
This race to make churches more relevant is creating huge monstrous programs in the process. Programs that’s Pastor don’t have the man power to over see, and people start falling through the cracks.
Members then become cogs of a giant system, and Pastors start saying things like ” we need you here”. Because it’s impossible to fill all the volunteer spots in the nursery, and children’s church, and someone has to run PowerPoint, and the sound system, and teach the new life group, and help set up or tear down after service.
Any human system will eventually dehumanize the very people it seeks to serve and those it dehumanizes the most are those who think they lead it….p106
Again it’s not churches, or pastors, or technology that’s bad.
Don’t you realize the most powerful thing about the gospel is that it liberates us from the concept that God dwells in any buildings….p41
That’s why Jesus cleanse the temple. What was suppose to be a place for people to connect to God, had been turned into a place to make money. It created a caste system.
Those who were poor and needed God forgiveness, and those who become rich off the poor. It was their job to teach the people how to connect with God, and yet they used the temple (the church) to provide them financial security and power over the laymen.
That’s why Jesus’ death is so threatening to those bred in religious obligation…p51
One of the problems that Hebrews deals with is the idea that Christians don’t have to go to the temple and make sacrifices anymore. It was so programmed into their minds they couldn’t imagine having a relationship with a God where they weren’t required to do something.
Isn’t it pretty clear here what being a good Christian is, and isn’t a big part of that not to make an waves or ask questions that make people uncomfortable….p49
I can tell you story’s about questions pastors don’t like to hear. In fact I didn’t have a lot of problems in church until I started questioning. Experts never like their authority challenged.
That’s the danger of religion. It only exist as long as people think the church is the authority. The result is of course that the church has to make people dependent on their leadership. I think it makes far to many Christians passive about pursuing their own relationship with God.
Religion survives by telling us we need to fall in line or some horrible fate will befall us….The whole system has a hook in it….p74
Pagan Christianity By Frank Viola & George Barna
My first impression of this book was that Barna was going to play it safe and sweep it all under the rug. Maybe he would admit to some pagan roots but surely he has too much to lose with his reputation.
I am pleased to say Frank Viola and George Barna did not play it safe.
I would encourage every Pastor, Worship Leader, Elder, and Church volunteer to read this book. For some it may be shocking, for others it’s another reinforcement that Christianity does in-fact have many pagan connection. But this time instead of coming from a atheist or an agnostic, it comes from respected christian authors.
This isn’t a new idea for me, I’ve already read several books about Christianity’s pagan roots, and watched a couple of really good documentaries on it. But what I like about Viola and Barna, is their conclusion. They didn’t decide to throw their Christianity away just because it’s not all shinny and slick.
Most research I’ve read become frustrated and just say ” well I guess all religions are worthless, So I won’t believe in any of them.” In my opinion Viola and Barna present a more historical account of how Christianity has been hijacked. And what needs to happen in order to restore it to it’s true origins.
Don’t get me wrong there are some hard blows to the christian church in this book, and it doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the institutionalize of church, especially for Pastors. We have gone down the road of turning the church that was suppose to be a dynamic living breathing creative organism into a static, predictable, profitable business. and In my opinion thats a huge shame.
To be honest though it was so refreshing to read a book where Christian heavy weights like Barna, who is said to be the most quoted Christian alive, have the same questions and doubts about the church that I do, and yet still manage to hold on to Jesus.
I would say this is a must read for anyone in ministry or thinking about going into ministry.
4 Comments | Politics, Thoughts | Tagged: naomi wolf, fascism, barna, frank viola, middle class, War on Middle class, end of america, thom hartmann, john perkins, best books of 2008, confessions of a economic hitman, jake colson, so you don't want to go to church anymore, pagan christianity | Permalink
Posted by Nic
Keane // Spiraling
Keane // Spiraling
This albums a little different, it’s got a lot of techno influence. The beats and loops are pretty catchy, which make it’s great for listening to with headphones.There’s multiple layers going on that you miss when listen on a stereo or radio.
Griffin House // Flying Upside Down
Griffin House // One Thing
Not a “new” album, but it’s new to me. I am digging his acoustic sound. The lyrics contain some great social commentary. And I keep waling around the house humming his song “one thing”.
Killers // Day & Age
Killer // Losing Touch
I don’t know about this one. I like the killers, there last album was great. It was smart and edgy. This one is a little to “synth pop” for me, which is a little disappointing. Maybe it will grow on me.
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Posted by Nic
At work we have a running game … An elf leaves a gift on your desk and the only directions are to elf someone else who hasn’t got a gift yet.
The Little elf left me this bad boy …
I know nothing about gardening, but I’m open to the idea.
Luckily I have a feeling gardening is going to be a very popular hobby in a couple of years, so I’m going to get a head start.
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Posted by Nic
We’re all still plunging hither and thither, guzzling wine and wondering what preposterously expensive electronic toys the children will want to smash on Christmas morning this year. We can’t see the meteorite coming either.
I think mainly this is because the government is not telling us the truth, Says Jeremy Clarkson of the Times Online.
If an enormous meteorite was heading our way and the authorities knew it couldn’t be stopped or diverted, why bother telling anyone? Best to let us soldier on in the dark until it all goes dark for real.
I’m starting to see more and more experts make predictions about huge increases in violence, riots, and crime.
Gerald Celente backs this up, everyone should listen to this interview, as well as Dr. Doom,Nouriel Roubini.
Then theres Bloomberg predicting food riots in 2009, The internal memo from Citigroup, that predicts civil disorder, and possibly wars in 2009.
And you can’t forget the Russian Professor (video) that predicts things could get so bad that the US will break up into six parts – the Pacific coast, the South, Texas, the Atlantic coast, the Central states; and the Northern states.
And of course the RAND Corporation, a NGO that is lobbying the pentagon to start another war to stimulate the economy to avoid a recession.
And the LA Times that states the real cost of the bailout is up to 8.5 trillion. Yes, Paulson suckered us into passing an open ended bailout that did not limit the amount to $700 Billion, but thats the part the media left out of the news reels.
I know some of this stuff sounds crazy and unrealistic, I’m not validating what these people are saying, just stating the fact that more and more people on main stream media are saying things like this. 5 years ago we were talking about how great everything was.
I would urge people to start paying attention, and actually start to make some sensible preparations for the complete breakdown in society.
Look at it this way, if you take the time to prepare now, stock up on some food and water, and batteries etc… and in a year nothing happens and we pull out of this, then you can use all the things you stocked up on.
It’s not crazy to be prepared, it’s crazy to think you’ll never have to.
We are headed towards a sharp increase in inflation, If you haven’t been paying attention to Zimbabwe and you want to see what a 231 million% inflation increase looks like check this out.
I realize we are not Zimbabwe, but I bet they didn’t think they would wake up one day and pay $20,000 for a loaf of bread.
2 Comments | Life, Politics, Thoughts, facts, news | Tagged: 8.5 trillion bailout, celente, citigroup memo, dr. doom, end of the west, Financial Meteorite, food riots, inflation, Rand lobbying for war, Zimbabwe | Permalink
Posted by Nic
Abby is learning to read.
I think she’s ready, after she began crying a week ago because she doesn’t do enough school work!
So she has started phonics. And after a week she finished her first book by herself.
FAT CAT, FAT RAT
it’s not really a book, more like 8 comic squares, but she didn’t care, she had a glow on her face that could melt the north pole after she finished reading it.
1 Comment | Thoughts | Tagged: first book, phonics | Permalink
Posted by Nic
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It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people’s minds.
- Samuel Adams
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Posted by Nic
