Default not so much

It is distasteful that all of the media outlets a mischaracterizing the debt limit implications. Every time I hear a talking head on TV discuss the debt limit they use the term default as a synonymous with not raising the debt limit. This is simply inaccurate, and grossly misleading.

Let's take our own finances as a starting point for perposes of simplification. Let just say John here makes $5000 per month. John isn't comfortable with the life style that his pay check provides. John applies for a credit card with a $2000 limit and goes shopping. He got a credit limit that is roughly 40% of his income. The question is simply is it wise for John to raise his credit limit or to pay off his debt?

This is the same position our government is in. Not raising the debt limit dose not preclude the ability of the federal government to collect revenue. The government currently collects $260 billion per month. The payments on the barrowed money is about $30 billion. The government will hardly default on its debt if they do not raids the debt limit. The only real consequence would be that the government will have to live with in its means just like John.

Cantor missed the bigger picture

In response to Eric Cantor's statements referenced by his tweet earlier today.

Ayatollah Khamenei remains the true ruler in Tehran, and we are only fooling ourselves when we suggest otherwise. http://t.co/PXmI0xd122
— Eric Cantor (@GOPLeader) September 27, 2013

I felt the need to point out a few things.

 “I am concerned that President Obama did not press Iranian President Rouhani to halt Iran’s ongoing support for radical Islamic terrorism..." "...its support of Bashar Assad’s war against the Syrian people."

 Well it's support of radical Islamic terrorism is limited to only those operations against U.S. Forces. I know this because while deployed to KOS Kalsu in Iraq the insurgents attacked our base almost exclusively using Iranian made rockets. The support they may or may not extend to insurgents in Afghanistan is less apparent, if it exist at all. The reason for my doubt is simply that Iran no longer has interest in supporting radical Islamist. There interest has shifted to supporting Syrian President Assad. the reasoning for this is simple as long as the radicals are fighting Assad they lack the resources to turn on Iran. These activities are in Russia's interest as well. Putin is laughed at by some media personalities here but make no mistake this man is a formidable foe. He was the director of the KGB during the cold war. He got his chops matching against Ron Reagan and G. Bush Sr. If there is anyone on the world stage we should be concerned with it is this man. He's already making moves that will lead to undermining our global influence. By bringing Syria and Iran into compliance with UN requirement it will shift attention off of them. The next steps is to shift there attention onto the US. Like for example our human right violations (Guantanamo Bay).

Granted this is simply my theory and is based on nothing. But like the blog says it's something to think about. Iran and Syria coming into compliance in such short order is indicative someone pulling the strings behind the scenes. there is a puppet master.

how al quida will win

al quida is being enabled by the U.S. government and the global media. It's simple to understand really. al quida's method is to simply get people empathize to with members who have martyred themselves. The Boston bombing is reveling in this case. One of the suspect in this case had a shoot out with authorities. The second suspect was shot during and interview with authorities. Islamic spokes persons contend that the authorities murdered the second suspect. They make accusations that his rights were violated and that he was only marginally involved in the Boston bombing.

I'm confidant that the majority of people see through this propaganda and dismiss the claims made by the extremists. However they only have to influence a few that are likely already feeling disgruntled. Our government for the past decade and a half has been actively stripping it's citizens of there constitutional rights. In the name of security our privacy has been eroded. This activity also contributes to the extremist cause, in that it enables them to accuse the government of being an oppressive regime. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan no matter there cause or reasoning are simply evidence of American imperialism.

All this is just fodder for recruiting new extremist. The root cause for Islamic distain for the US is our relation with Israel. If asked they would say something about how Israel oppresses the Palestinians. The truth of the matter is however the story of Abraham in which one son is given the promised land and the other is not. Well its true as far as the Islamic care they feel they have had there birth right stolen from them by the Jewish people. Because of this they will not rest until every Jew is dead and they possess the "promised land". Anyone that is not a true Islamic is an infadel and is only worth death or subjection. This is the extremist mind set. There is no negotiation or placation.

Is Apple the new old Microsoft

I have been reading post on Apple Developer Network about how to access the file system on my iDevice. I have read several post which a user explained to another user that iOS doesn't have a file system like a normal computer. This is patently untrue, not only is it untrue it's deceptive. I'm sure that apple would like for all of it's users to believe this to be the case but it is simply, not so. The iOS file system is like any other file system you have experienced it contains a directory structure as well as a Master Boot Record and other various attributes you would normally associate with a Linux based files system. iOS like OSX is based on Darwin a branch of Berkeley Linux  The reason you don't get to access this file system is because apple seems to not want you to. The user that paid hard earned money for a device and associated software.

I remember a different time in Apple history, in the Mid 90's and late 80's when Apple products were a joy to have, I would boot my Mac Plus (decked out with 4Mb of ram and an 80mb external hard drive). I would load MUBBS and the lights on my external 14.4 USRobotics would dance with incoming commands and then settle into awaiting call. Then I power up my 6116 PowerMac running the latest OS of the day. (Went through several versions with apple starting with 6.0.1). I would work all day at designing things and developing things. You see, Apple Macintosh computers at this time were largely owned by creators and artist. They were more activist than the main stream and we used to be called Mac Evangelist. We would relish the opportunity to explain how our beloved Mac was far superior to any PC. No matter what we attempted to do with our Macs it worked. Installing new hardware was a breeze. Simply pop open the case, plug in and mount the new hardware and press the power button and listen for the happy mac boot up sound. Everything was simple and easy to do I had access to all things, I could load and unload extensions and control panels from the system to change how I wanted the mac to run. You wouldn't need the same extensions or control panels for running the latest BUNGiE game as you would for running large projects in Photoshop. Everyone was happy to pay for their software because they knew it would work.

Why am I writing this? Why am I upset with apple? Typically apple users are more tech savvy than your general population and I fail to understand why Apple has chosen to close their system so very much. I spent  half an hour attempting to transfer a file I created with one app to another app so that I could use it. I had to e-mail the file to myself copy it out of the e-mail, because there is no method of downloading attachments as there is no access to the file system and paste it into a third app which was my destination. This is ridicules and is contrary to everything I have ever known about apple products of the past. Yes I have heard all about the argument that the closed system reduces malware and protects the user. This too is a lie. It prevents third party developers for making effective tools to deal with such problems. I'm sure McAfee would love to release an app for your iPad to scan your file system for suspicious programs and malware. The truth is that they cannot do it. McAfee was basically born from Mac users. In my monthly copy of Mac Format There would be a CD and every CD of shareware games and other application there would be a fresh new shiny copy of McAfee's virus scanner. Now apple has chosen to lock them out of the entire iOS market along with everyone else.

The legal issue. I have heard it said several times that you cannot do this or that with your device legally. This too is a lie and untruth. There is no legal precedent in which a software or hardware distribution company could dictate to their customers a specific way in which the product, they paid for, may or may not be used. True Apple retains copyrights to their software and patents on their hardware. These regulations only cover methods of distribution and profit.

 I’m reminded of an incident with a Lucas Arts product "Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic" Now I was an active Modder during the heyday of this game. I was a regular poster on the forums and one day while modding I was wondering how I could make the game load one of my modded levels, initially, because every mod I had seen up until that point were modifications based on the games story line. I wanted to make a total replacement mod. A new game in essence so as I was looking through the various scripts and files I noticed that all the levels were referenced in a specific way and that one level would load the next and it would chain its way through the whole game. So how did the first level get loaded. I loaded my hex editor and cracked open the main EXE file and there in the midst of pure hexadecimal chaos was my golden nugget. The string of text that was responsible for loading the first map file in the game. I saved a copy of the current run time and made my edit, and saved a copy of the modded version. Back in the directory I swapped file names so my modded version would act in place of the original. I frantically launched the executable and "BING" it worked like a charm. After making this discovery I quickly pounded out a post to Lucas forums about my discovery. I would be hailed as the King of Modding KOTOR!!!!

It was not to be so, almost immediately my post was flagged and locked. Why what had I done?? I emailed the moderator and asked politely for an explanation. The reply I got set me back I could not believe what he was saying. "It is not legal to modify and distribute the binary, it says so in the TOS you got with the game." Yes I know this. I cannot distribute the binary in any form modified or not I only own the copy I paid for and distributing more copies of it would clearly violate the distributors rights and profits. I'm doing no such thing. I learned how to modify my copy and attempted to disseminate this information to other legal owners. In no way dose this even affect the rights and abilities of the distributor to make profit. The admin and I came to and agreement that the post would remain on the forum with the condition it was locked so there could be no discussion about it.

Maybe it's just me, Maybe I'm the stupid one. It's my thought that if you spend your money on something it's up to you how you utilize it. I totally agree that companies have an obligation and even a right to protect there intellectual property. I totally agree that if you use information to circumvent security emplacements to adversely affect or collect information you have no right to than you should be held accountable. What I do not agree with is any one company or entity dictating to it's community of customers what they can and cannot do. The main purpose for Apples closed system is to control and profit from all media distribution on its devices. Here is where I have a real problem. I'm a software developer who wants to write awesome new apps for iOS devices but I have to adhere to cretin guidelines and I can only collect profits for my work using a payment system that is propitiatory and owned by Apple. They collect a profit from each of my sales and they disperse the funds to me at their will and discretion.

I feel heavy in my heart that company they started in such a renegade fashion as the home brew computer club and on the funding a Volkswagen beetle that this same company is making draconian dictations of its own customers users and developers alike.

P.S. Please visit my new ClipZero encrypted secured alternative to PasteBin.

The government is gonna save your internet?

The notion of securing the internet with a codified set of regulations is rather ridicules.  Senators desire to regulate the internet desire to do so in order to collect revenu from it. That is after all the simplest form of regulation is to tax something.

For example prior to the schedule system established by Nixon the way in which drugs like marijuana or opium was with taxation. it's was unlawful to possess with out being taxed indicated by a rubber stamp.  But you couldn't apply for the stamp without possession. In computer terms (for those familiar with linux) this is a circular dependency. it works the same way anytime you regulate something like a webpage. In order for you to have a webpage it must meet the regulatory standards.  To determine if regulatory standards are met you must have someone to make a qualified judgment. The enforcer receives a pay cheque and labor is taxable revenu. Also you have revenu from violators of the regulation. When you have a webpage that users interact with than the users can harm the webpage by modifying in a way as to bring it out of compliance.  Businesses desire to mitigate this risk and will do so in several ways. The first method that pops to mind is to share the cost of the risk in the form of insurance. Making a new industry that will require regulation by our benevolent government. Next they will insure user identity with use of biometrics.  Making another mandated industrial product (some form of biometric reader).  Yes which is regulated and taxed. Business will also pass the cost on to the user in the form of access fees.

In order to tax something with out imposing a direct tax you simply have to regulate it.  This way the government can generate revenu without telling their employers (us) about the revenu directly.

Let us step back for a moment from the legislative motivation for regulating the internet.  Let's focus on security it self for a moment.  Security on the internet is not and exorcise of meeting regulatory standards. Internet security is a function in technological and physical security systems.  If you have a computer with secure data on it you are careful of the things you plug into it like iPods or thumb drives.  You are also careful what you plug it into, you wouldn't plug it into the internet with out some sort of DMZ type firewall system.  Secure server are much like bank vaults of the early 20th century.  Sure they are really hard to get into.  Getting into them is not impossible however.  The idea is to detect and delay the attempt until the trespasser could be caught.  This is much the same way technological security is setup.  The more important your data the better the security of the system it is on will be. You see businesses will regulate themselves and insure the data is secured.  Hackers aren't really looking for your data. Because your data is like a house. yes sure there is some valuables in your house but you lock the front door and that keeps the bad guys out 97% of the time. vary valuable data is housed on servers of some corporation and is more secure.  Well what about all the pirating? (someone might say).  Well I think it's a bit overhyped. Really if it was so horrible no one would make a album any more or a movie for that matter. I haven't seen a big production house closing recently because pirates sharing files killed it. Why? because they have adpted there business model to adapt to the internet with companies like Netflicks and Hulu. They have invested in DRM. We will all see the reductions of websites like BitTorrent and other p2p sharing as these businesses adjust.  Sites that offer p2p sharing are more like small BBS's of the old days.  That is my point really. No matter the amount of laws you stack on the backbone  of the interent they will not squash all of the violators of the regulations. We will never stop pirating. There is no means to stop it technically so how can you stop it with statute.  Murder is pretty illegal but people still do it.

Symbolic Swan Song.

A bill to expand congressional authority to audit the Federal Reserve Bank. Should H.R. 459 be a political gesture? As reported by USA Today "The bill stands no chance of becoming law because the Democratic-controlled Senate will not take it up. The vote served as a symbolic swan song for Paul, who is not seeking re-election."  This brings up a question in my mind.  Why would democrats vote to protect the FED.  Everything I know about democrats, everything they talk about on the news outlets is how evil big business is.  What business is bigger than the federal reserve? A question was brought up in a comity hearing about "Why would we use brokers to sell the bonds to the federal reserve." The reply was to have an element of separation so that the relationship between the Federal Reserve and the Federal government so political influence wouldn't exist.  Kind of isn't working if you have a senate full of democrats voting to protect big business.  It sort of sings out someone is being influenced by the largest bank in the world.  I personally do not trust the Fed or the government for that matter. 

Let's figure it out a lil bit. If you go here to this website http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_reserve_banking we learn that fo every $100 of deposit results in $457.05 of deposits and $357.50 of loans so by just multiplying by orders of magnitude (not actual number crunching) for every 10 million in federal securities that banks puts $475,050,00 in deposits and $357,500,000 loans into circulation. Heres the catch though guess who pays all the interest on all that credit? That's right we do. Basically the dollar bills you have in your wallet are certificates of debt. When you spend your money to buy something you are transferring debt. The value in your money is actually not value in the empirical sense (it's not backed by value) it's backed by debt. If the U.S. government were to take one dollar out of circulation it would still owe 70 cents to the federal reserve bank.  

Shouldn't we as a people be interested in the oversight of this very special institution?  I personally am of the mind that we really should't use the Federal Reserve to manufacture money.  I'm sure the Federal government has the capability to print and press cash and coin. I mean isn't that what the Treasury department used to do?  The government cannot really legally do Fractional Reserve Banking because the federal government isn't a bank.  So removing the Federal Reserve Bank out of the loop would reduce the currency the government could circulate. The government would actually have to pay it bills basically. 

Isn't that what is expected though?  When you get a loan from a bank and you spend all of that money do you go and get another loan to cover the interest payments? No you don't because that would be stupid. That is exactly what the government dose when it extends the debt ceiling.  This is yet another example of how our government is using us to make 97% of the population into debt slaves. We should do something. Don't you think?

The money in your breakfast.

     I was going about Obama's growing the economy from the middle out.  But I was having a conversation with a friend of mine tonight.  We touched on politics in our conversation.  I explained that it really dosen't matter your political stand or views.  He had mentioned that he wasn't sure about Romney's position on Roe V. Wade.  I'm not sure I like his view either and I don't think it matters his view.  Mit Romney isn't going to change the law so it's of no consequence.  Pretty sure my political views don't really matter either.  The only thing that is problematic is when I attempt to impose my views on other people.  With that I don't think your political views matter either.  Why couldn't we elect people a rune government on the bases of what is good for the country.  I don't mean the majority either I mean everyone and everything.

     For example I was watching c-span yesterday and I watching an Agricultural comity hearing  about the living space for laying hens.  Of course one side of the argument is that of the cost increases upgrading the housing systems.  But really any cost production increases will be passed to the consumer.  So in effect they are arguing for the consumer.  The other side is arguing for the living comfort of the hen.  Keep in mind that some states have made there own legislation regarding this and have there own standards.  Some of the farmers that had switched over to the new system saw a slight increase in feed cost.  Similar legislation came into effect in the U.K. and they saw a 20% increase and a 55% increase at the checkout.  I don't mind local or state government regulating this or even self regulation by the industry.  A chicken farmer isn't going to ignore consumer demand.  If consumers choose to buy eggs based on the living conditions of the laying hens than a producer will change it's business to meet the new demand or they will naturally suffer the loss of business.  The question I run into is why would anyone desire to force compliance with a regulation that would implement itself if the market demand existed?

    The answer makes itself clear. Regulation is a tax.  If this regulation were passed which I'm sure it will the cost to the producer would be about 8 billion dollars over the next 18 years.  The egg industry as of 2010 was worth about $6,904,530,000.00.  Don't hold me to that I crunched those number myself.   So the legislature is going to mandate the industry to basically double its cost over the next 18 years.  This will increase the related industries and produce more tax dollars from the additional cost of those transactions.


   This is one of those hidden taxes.  By artificially inflating the cost of eggs that makes peoples cost of living increase and that means they have to get more income and the federal government has a tax on that.  It aslo means it's more that people have to buy and the local governments have a sales tax.  This is basically a regulation to insure the growth of the government and the fundamental question really is, is this good for the country.  Is this what we need our government to be worried about?  Are these actions for the benefit of the people of this country.


Yes I'm sure there are larger issues to be worried about.  I haven't seen one story on any of the news outlets about this.  Most of the stories are about Syria or #romneyshambles.  The way I see it is these stories are the fluff of the media used to distract us from the real story.  The real story is that our government is systematically using us to perpetuate there own selves.


well that's it thank you for reading.