filthy lucre

Peter Speaks the Truth

Bayou Renaissance Man shares with us the latest from the meme:  “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help you!”

Just a heads-up to those who may have missed it:  the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation changed its rules as of the end of last year.  For the past two years it provided ‘unlimited insurance coverage of noninterest-bearing transaction accounts‘.  If you had ten accounts with seven different institutions, all of them were covered for the full amount deposited in them.

As of December 31st, 2012, that changed.  ‘Deposits held in noninterest-bearing transaction account[s] are now aggregated with any interest-bearing deposits the owner may hold in the same ownership category, and the combined total insured up to at least $250,000.‘  The display header on the FDIC’s Web site currently indicates that this coverage applies to an individual’s accounts at each insured institution:

The scary thing is, far too many people actually believe that this insurance will protect them.  As Ann Barnhardt pointed out in her blog entry for February 8th:

… remember, total bank deposits in the U.S. are somewhere around TEN TRILLION DOLLARS and the FDIC deposit insurance fund as of March 31, 2012 had a whopping $15 BILLION.

Bottom line: if you think your bank deposits are “insured” or “safe” because of FDIC protection, you’re totally irrational.

HEY! It’s Not A Pie Chart?!

(We now return you to the aforementioned doom and gloom…which is already in progress)

Theo Spark once again shows us the folly of Keynesian economics and the FED.

While the career politicians prance about in their clownshoes and red rubber noses quacking about “the fiscal cliff” and are obediently parroted by the MSM and FTV charlatans, this is something they do NOT want to talk about or want anyone to even ‘think’ about.

This is actually very simple. Look at the two lines on this chart.
- The blue line reflects the falling purchasing power of the Dollar. From the creation of the FED when one Dollar was worth one Dollar to today, when one Dollar is really only ‘worth’ 3.8 cents.*
- The red line represents rising prices over time. This is the inflation the professional liars say does not exist.
- The turning point is pretty clearly indicated in the 1970′s. This is one trend that is NOT your friend!

It has been said before, but is worth repeating:
- It isn’t that the value (price) of Gold has gone UP. It has not. It is the value (purchasing power) of paper fiat that has gone DOWN.

For the whole article, please visit the link above.  If you dare.

Will Coin Use Be Eliminated Quicker than We Think?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve developed the habit of not carrying cash or coin in my daily life.  Most of my large transactions (like paying bills) are online, and the smaller day-to-day stuff (bagel shop, grocery, gas) uses my debit card.  When before I was disabled, I used to use cash and throw my change into a jar.  And sometimes cash it in when times were tough.  They are tougher now, but, I don’t generate any more change! 

I know.  In TEOTWAWKI, I’m screwed.

Not that cash has real value as a medium of exchange, anyway.

SO, if you want a truly depressing read, go to the link here from Charleston Voice.  Then start continue hoarding canned and dry goods, water filters, ammunition, silver and medication.  Oh, and toilet paper!

If you can afford to.

Guilty Pleasures

I’ve a number of guilty pleasures.  Most of the ones I can mention in this blog involve watching movies and television.

Those of you who know me know I was raised in the 50s and 60s by TV.  It’s one reason I became a PI.  Before I recently moved, I’d had basic cable for 10 years.  Basic.  No frills.
My roomie, being more of a television addict than I, had a satellite system.  During my addition to the household, we upgraded it.  We can now watch Underwater Argentinian Curling (while wearing bear suits) at 0300 broadcast in Swahili!  Not really, but our choices are quite varied.

We’ve been watching much dysfunctional TV.  Not as dysfunctional as the Kardashians or Jersey Shore, but there is some amusement and education.

We’ve been watching (among other things) Pawn Stars, Cajun Pawn Stars and Hardcore Pawn.

Pawn Stars is about the customers and staff in a prosperous Las Vegas pawn shop.  Cajun is headquartered in Alexandria, Louisiana, and Hardcore hails from Detroit.  All shops are family-owned and somewhat dysfunctional, but the real entertainment here is the customer base.  The Louisiana folks seem to be the the most genteel and polite, with Las Vegas following and Detroit brings up the rear.  It’s real culture shock to go from a customer in Alexandria exclaiming, “Thanks Mr. Jimmie, sorry we couldn’t do business!” to Detroit’s “Give me my m*****f***** money!”, followed by threats of violence.

Las Vegas and Alexandria occasionally brings in experts to value or grade such items as antique firearms or coins, before attempting a deal.  Detroit seems to thrive more on showing both the family and customer dysfunction.  I find that show in particular to be the most disturbing.

I come from a dysfunctional background.  Perhaps not as bad as these folks, but enough to make me grimace.  Perhaps I need to stick to Leave It To Beaver re-runs…

Our Tax Dollars at Work

The Travis McGee Reader shares with us yet another wise use of resources we provide to our benevolent government.

I was going to quote from the blog post and/or the link, but just could bring myself to do it.

Yes, it’s that stupid.

NOW, with Less Whining!

…Guffaw in AZ !

I’m certain you recall a couple days ago, when I posted about various problems in my life, most-recently the failed front passenger seat electric window in my car.

Half open (or half closed) depending on your point-of-view.  (My POV was it’s f*****!)

WELL, this morning, I went out, anticipating a short drive, and diligently removed the opaque black trash bag from that car door window, increasing my visibility, lest I be cited for driving as if my car were a pirate or had lazy eye.

The window was still at half mast, as it was before the rain.  Sigh.

I turned the ignition, opened the driver door window, and reflexively triggered the passenger side switch, yet again, knowing full well it was broken and my action was a pointless effort.

And the window closed!

A cheer went up – I think it was from ME!

Not being one to take stupid chances, I DID NOT run the window up-and-down, but left it closed.  Where it shall remain, evermore.

Now if I could just get my meds from the pharmacy easier…

Just when you thought it was safe to return to the blog…more whining!

(content warning – may contain depressing rant and peanuts)

SO…

I’ve lost my home, moved the contents of my spacious 740 square foot house into a 11′x17′ room, still crippled, still broke, still on disability, still driving a 13 year-old car.  Still unpacking boxes.

BUT, this AM I go outside and it’s like 75 degrees! (it rained yesterday, one of the ten days/year it rains here).  Usually it’s 105, 106…

And I take a short trip in my car, (the one with no working A/C, going on three years now), with the driver door window and front passenger window rolled down (the rear window mechanisms no longer function – they are more-or-less closed).  And I return home.

And my front passenger window fails about one foot short of closing!!

Nothing, nada, bupkis, the big goose egg, zero activity.  And more rain is scheduled for this coming Saturday (which usually means Friday or Sunday or not at all).  And, of course, the whole cannot secure the vehicle thing.  (note to thieves – if you steal it, I might get $500 – of course, that’s my deductible – nevermind)

Sigh.

I’ve not been overly emo with all that’s been going on, but this was the proverbial straw.  (Question?  Is ‘the straw that broke the camel’s back even IN Proverbs?  Just an aside.)

BUT, we will prevail.  The plan is to buy some clear plastic sheeting to cover the opening.  Then to win the Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes.

A Tale of Two Cities…Walmarts

It’s only been the past few years I’ve been going to Walmart.  Initially, I steered away from them, as I believed they crushed the small-town indy stores, didn’t treat their employees very well, and peddled sub-standard Chinese imports.  But, as my income was drastically cut, suddenly reality came in the form of a smaller wallet.

So, when I lived in Phoenix, I began frequenting a centrally-located Walmart.  In the urban center of the ninth sixth largest metropolitan area in the United States.  And, I saved money.

But, I also noticed that the aisles were unkempt and dirty, the stock not kept up, employees were not motivated to help, and signage in both English and Spanish.  Perhaps it’s politically incorrect, but I find that annoying.  This IS still the United States, not Estados Unidos.  (as of this writing)

Then, recently I relocated to Tempe, S.E. of Phoenix, a smaller college-flavored community, but still linked to Phoenix as part of The Valley of the Sun.  And I moved my Phoenix Walmart pharmacy records there, and now visit a closer, more-accessible Walmart.

And it’s cleaner, the staff more helpful, and the signs are in just one language (English) – this in a college town adjacent to a Latino/Indian mix community just a few miles away.

I suspect they still don’t treat their employees well, and still sell sub-standard poisonous Chinese products, but, I have hope.

I can’t wait to see if the pharmacy service improved, as well.

(PS – I’ve been advise there may be some other language signage there – if so, it’s vastly understated.  Kudos!)

A Taxing Day

It’s been a taxing day.  Not just in the way you think.
First, for some months now, I’ve not been sleeping well.  Get four/five hours at best, then the demons keep me awake.  Health, money, age, car maintenance, house, all manner of issues seem much worse in the dark when tired.
And the meds I take also make me a little dopey (insert joke here), so I need to nap during the day, making sleeping a night more difficult.
And my usual tax program wasn’t working correctly, making my status as Last Minute Louie (TM) @ tax time being even more apropos.
And Tuesday, I went to the skin doc for a follow up on the basal cell carcinoma (and other surgeries) he’s performed, and while he said those sites looked great (!), he didn’t like the way some hingus (technical term) on my left shoulder was looking at him, so he removed it for biopsy.
End result, I’m tired and many things, real and imagined are weighing on me.  And I don’t like it.
As the day progressed,

• Couldn’t nap to save my life, still dopey.
• Got the tax program to work (!) FINALLY, and good news, I don’t owe; bad news, I’m not getting much back, AND,
• Bad news ( part 2) my printer won’t work, and I can’t afford to submit the forms electronically.

Fortunately, a friend said I could email him the forms, and he would print them and bring them by tonight!
And the skin doc called.  The hingus was benign!
So, end result, things are much improved.  But, I’m still tired.

In for a Penny…

The United States Cent

Instapundit links to The Atlantic Wire story regarding the Canadian government happily eliminating the penny.

Fortunately for us here in lesser civilized South Canada, we have no such coinage.  Our 1/100th of our dollars are called cents.

Obviously, we’re on that slippery slope to eventually eliminate the worthless dollar…

If we eliminate the penny, imagine what we will be eliminating…

'Penny' - Leonard and Sheldon's neighbor on The Big Bang Theory

'Penny' - Sky King's niece

Both my childhood and (slightly perverse) adulthood will be irreparably damaged!