Day: April 21, 2015

Notes for Tuesday – April 21, 2015

April 21st is Aggie Muster Day for all Texas A&M Corps of Cadets graduates. Aggie Muster celebrations/meetings are held as far away as Japan, Germany, and Afghanistan. I should mention that Jim’s grandfather (a U.S. Army Cavalry LTC) was an Aggie– something mentioned so often that everyone in his family felt like de facto Aggies, too. Other than the officers that matriculate though West Point, the four institutions that seem to have the greatest ongoing esprit de corps for graduates are Texas A&M, The Citadel, Norwich University, and VMI. Jim felt almost obliged to include an Aggie character in his …


“Internet” Without Infrastructure – Part 1, by R.H.

Communication, outgoing and incoming, is obviously vitally important, but we tend to take for granted the various channels available to us at this time. The telephone, email, and even television and radio media rely on a huge amount of civil infrastructure– the same infrastructure that we rely on for water, sewage service, food, electrical power, transportation, shipping and basic mail, and both fire suppression and law enforcement services. The Internet has become a vital part of that infrastructure. Without a functional power grid and cable or telephone service, the Internet does not exist. It could be argued that, even in …


Letter Re: Locking up a Well Pump

HJL, Can you please help me understand what you mean about locking up a well pump to prevent sabotage? Even if my well pump is locked, a saboteur intent on destroying my well could still dump poison down the air vent or take a k-saw or sledge hammer to the exposed portions of the pump. Unless you are erecting an impenetrable concrete and steel structure around your pump, I don’t understand what you are protecting by putting a lock on a manual well pump. Preventing an uninvited neighbor from cycling your well pump does not protect your well from damage. …


News From The American Redoubt:

Oregon Man Gets Prison Sentence For Collecting Rainwater On His Own Property. – RBS o o o Dad of CEO who announced 70K salaries: ‘We’re really surprised’ I wonder how surprised they will be when the price of a McDonald’s hamburger hits $15? I wonder if they can make the connection? o o o Rural Residents of the People’s Republic of Oregon want to pump their own gas. – RBS o o o Idaho Limits Forced Blood Draws From Motorists o o o For those who are thinking of moving to the Redoubt area, Survival Realty has some awesome listings …


Economics and Investing:

Student debt now makes up nearly half of federally owned financial assets. The student debt bubble edges on with many more unable to pay their debt. o o o The Rise of the Paper Machines o o o Items from Mr. Econocobas: Grexit Fears Cause GDP Forecasts to Plummet Did Greece Just Launch Capital Controls: “Mandatory Cash Transfer” Decreed Due To “Extremely Urgent Need” – Student Debt Accounts For Nearly Half Of US Government “Assets” US Teeters on Brink of Economic Collapse Due to ‘Dollar Bubble’ – Ron Paul


Odds ‘n Sods:

Automakers to gearheads: Stop repairing cars. – G.G. o o o Turns out we do leave Americans behind. – B.B. o o o Helicopter Parents? Helicopter Government Is More Like It. – D.S. o o o HEAD of the FBI’s Anthrax Investigation Says the Whole Thing Was a SHAM. – H.L. o o o Wisconsin declares state of emergency over bird flu in poultry. – H.L.