Tracking By Cell Phone???

What follows is a response to a friends FaceBook question and I thought I would share.

"I am a pretty conservative Republican that likes smaller government and I DO NOT know of anyone that wants to know what people do in their own bedrooms with other consenting adults. Also, there comes a point when parents need to be parents and physically control where there kids go, what they do and with whom they are with. The more we use technology to track and identify, the more acceptable the invasion of our privacy becomes. You will see a time when we will no longer use paper currency or coinage and there will be three reasons for this. The first is the amount of counterfeit money we are seeing in the retail industry and the use by rogue nations to destabilize another's currency. The second will be the direct result of the deepening economic situation that is spreading to other countries. This could result in a linking of world currencies in order to stabilize the markets and evolve into a global currency system. If this happens, then it will necessitate the need for electronic controls on an individuals own personal economic situation. Third, with an ever increasing presence of centralized medical entities, whether private or government, the need will increase for the rapid exchange of information about ones physical and economical condition. IBM and other Multinational Companies are currently working on the miniaturization needed for both the Active and Passive Radio Frequency Identification Chips (RFID). Right now, many of those reading this are currently using all sort of products that have these chips )which are used for tracking and inventory control in the manufacturing and distribution system). Also, for those of you that use credit cards, the newer cards are being issued with these chips and are currently being used in upscale retail stores and it will spread. If you are ever in some upscale retail outlets in New York, London, Vienna etc. and a clerk comes up to you and offers you products that appeal to you, don't just think they are good guessers. Chances are you passed by a sensor at the door that accessed your purchasing information. So, go ahead and use the cell phones to track your kids, it will prepare them for the future. :) "

TURMOIL IN EGYPT

Mubarak needs to stabilize the situation in Egypt very quickly. The longer this drags out, the more the riots can take on a life of rebellion. Mubarak's regime has kept Egypt stable since Sadat's assassination. The same group fomenting o...pen rebellion now, is the same group behind Sadat's assassination.
There are several countries that will benefit from an unstable Egypt, with Iran being the main benefactor. If Egypt does sink deeper into turmoil, radical Islam and the radical Palestinians will reap the rewards. The more Egypt's military must focus on internal security, the less they can deploy resources to patrol the Sinai and disrupt infiltrators smuggling weapons and supplies into Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Syria has a mixed bag with the turmoil in Egypt. On the one hand, Assad will have some pressure taken off of him by the moderate Muslim countries in and around the Middle East as they turn their attention to their own internal security. This will allow Syria the opportunity to impede the investigation into the assassination of Hariri and continue to support Hezbollah in Lebanon. On the other hand, the continued growth and success of radical Islam poses a very grave threat to Assad's regime. Though Syria is an ally of Iran's, Iran may feel that it can fare better with a regime change in Syria and have influence over one that doesn't bend in the wind such as Syria does now.
Israel will have even more pressure on her borders. If Egypt falls to radicals, then the countries of Saudi Arabia and Iraq could follow with Turkey drifting more into Iran's camp and massive amounts of bloodshed washing over the area. If other countries of the Middle East either succumb or are influenced by radical Islam, then the countries of Europe and The United States will be more obliged to withdraw their support of Israel. If this happens, then Israel will become ever so more isolated and could result on a push to eliminate Israel and finish off the last remaining influence The United States would have in the area.

EXCERPTS FROM "THE WORDS THAT SHAPED ME" By ALIZA DAVIDOVIT

"Indeed, modern man didn’t invent adultery, but he has become quite good at it. Cheaters seem to be dropping their pants faster than tourists on Mexican tap water. And, as a society, we eat it up instead of condemning it. Celebrity adulterers keep knocking important news right out of the headlines. We cared more about where Tiger Woods was sinking his balls than the war in Afghanistan.Politicians have become so proficient at philandering that the Beltway was actually named after all those who have unbuckled their belts along the way. The First Ladies may be first, but they certainly weren’t the only ones.

The short list of alleged political cheats includes Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, JFK, Rudolph Giuliani, James McGreevy, Gary Hart, Newt Gingrich, John Edwards, Mark Sanford and can we forget Bill Clinton? Since the day that Jimmy Carter said that a man is guilty of adultery even if he looks at his very own wife in a lustful manner, Clinton never looked at his own wife that way again.


Many believe that Barack Obama may be among the few faithful politicians left, while others, however, think he is screwing Lady Liberty.


I’d like Congress to submit an article for consideration that would mandate manufactures to put instructions on all men’s briefs: Please keep your fruit in the loom." ©
to buy the book visit: http://davidovit.com/bookstore/bookstore.html

"THE WORDS THAT SHAPED ME". A book by Aliza Davidovit

Aliza Davidovit is a special friend to our family and we are very excited for her and her new book. It is a fascinating and humorous look at this young journalist's life. She is a very intelligent and caring person and we wish her the absolute best.

From Aliza's Website;
"In The Words That Shaped Me, journalist Aliza Davidovit takes the reader through the dictionary while also unfolding her own unusual life as an interviewer of the who's who, as the too sexy ex-wife of a clergyman, and as a colorful character who somehow cannot have a simple encounter with anyone she meets.

Davidovit ushers the reader through life alphabetically with wisdom, insight, humor and tears, as well as with sexy and intensely private anecdotes resulting from her many interviews and experiences with famous people and interesting personalities.

From A-Z, the reader will travel through adultery, blind dates, life, politics, reincarnation, religion, sex and a whole lot more and will arrive at the end not only etymologically wiser but with a whole new appreciation of the words we live by and how they rule our lives.

Not only will readers learn new words but will never think about the ones they know the same again."

From Aliza's Bio:
"Aliza Davidovit is a published writer, author, journali...st and former TV producer. She has her B.A. from McGill University and a Master's of Science in journalism from Columbia University. She worked at ABC News "20/20" for six years with Connie Chung and in the ABC News Terrorism/Investigations Unit with John Miller. Aliza was also a producer and booker at the Fox News Channel where she helped launch Fox's premier live audience news show, Dayside. In addition, she hosted and produced her own Judaic TV show JtvNY for two years. She also makes frequent guest appearances on the Fox News' Strategy Room. She is a contributing editor to Lifestyles Magazine International and Mann About Town and a columnist for the popular news site World Net Daily. Aliza specializes in interviewing and writing about the world's most famous and influential people. Her many interviews include, CNN's Larry King, Wolf Blitzer and Aaron Brown, Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Bon Jovi keyboard player David Bryan, Elie Weisel, Ivana Trump, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Governor Eliot Spitzer, Everbody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett, PR Guru Howard Rubenstein, House Majority Leader, Congressman Steny Hoyer, Emmy Award winning actor, Brad Garret, Playboy’s Miss November, Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Danny Ayalon, billionaire entrepreneur and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, Israel’s richest man, Eitan Wertheimer, US Ambassador Nancy Brinker, founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, media mogul, Israel Asper, comedians Jackie Mason and Buddy Hackett, members of Knesset and so many others. She has been called the Barbara Walters of print journalism. She is also Editor in Chief of WritEffect Productions Ltd., a publishing company engaged in writing biographical books for high-profile individuals, histories and Holocaust memoirs."See More
Length: 3:08

Response To A Friends Question On U.S. Involvement Around The World.

This is my response to a friend that had questions of America's involvement around the world and here reference to Tom Mullen's Blog "Fighting For Our Freedom?"

"The article you are referencing is interesting, but may be a bit simplistic. Between the end of WWll and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the U.S, Soviet Union and, to some extent, China have all been involved in a war by proxy. Korea and Vietnam, much like Greece in the late 1940's, was a part of that war. The seeds of these confrontations were actually sown during the Bolshevik Revolution during WWl Russia and Lenin's support of Karl Marx's theory of collectivism and the artificial demise of Capitalism. During the 1920's and 1930's a strong and prolonged attempt was made to influence and build a power base within the U.S. by the American Workers Party (which American Socialist and Communist formed in 1933), which was financially and ideologically supported by Lenin's successor Soviet Dictator Stalin and the Soviet Politburo. The FBI and other law enforcement agencies routinely infiltrated this organization and others like it, in order to keep direct surveillance on their activities.
You are probably wondering what this has to do with the war by proxy that was previously mentioned, right? It was during this time that the direct competition of two diametrically opposed philosophies began to shape many Americans world view, especially in the aftermath of Stalin's genocide of over 14 million Ukrainians, through starvation. WWll and it's aftermath galvanized this world view that Communism was a fundamental enemy to the Western and, most notably, the American way of life and must be defeated. This view was further supported by the Soviets secret agreements with Hitler's Germany. These agreements allowed for the invasion of Poland by both Germany and Stalin's Soviet Union. The two countries would split Poland in half, with the Soviets taking the eastern half. In exchange for this, Stalin agreed that Germany could annex Austria and invade France and other Western European counties. To Stalin's surprise, Germany decided to push the Soviets out of Poland and occupy the whole country themselves
During WWll the U.S. and other Allied powers formed an alliance with Soviet Russia. Massive amounts of armaments and supplies were shipped to the Soviets through America's Lend Lease Program, of which were never paid back by the Soviets. A very successful propaganda campaign by government officials was waged on the American public, depicting the Russians as close friends and allies (which was far from the case). At the meetings at Yalta and later Potsdam, the Russians agreed that the formerly occupied countries of eastern Europe were to be allowed to form their new governments freely and independently. Of course Stalin reneged on these agreements and the course was set for what the world knows as the Cold War. A few well known events that were part of the cold war confrontations were the Berlin Airlift, The collapse of National forces in China and their retreat to Taiwan (which Communist China still claims), the invasion of South Korea by Chinese and North Korean forces, the blockade of the Suez Canal, the Communist take over of Cuba and the placement of Soviet Nuclear missiles within 90 miles of Florida, the building of the Berlin Wall and American and Soviet confrontation at Checkpoint Charlie, the Arab-Israeli conflicts (including the standoff at the port of Haifa between U.S. and Soviet Naval Forces and subsequent SR71 overflights of Arab territory) and their oil embargo against the U.S. in 1973, the conflicts in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos and numerous confrontations in Latin and South America and Africa.
The theory of the" Domino Effect" would soon take center stage as the United States became engaged in different regions around the world. This theory was the belief that Communist forces, and other forces less favorable to the U.S., would slowly and systematically consume the world's countries and the above mentioned conflicts were very much a part of this. The world had witnessed 2 terrible wars in the 20th century. Estimates put the total dead in WW1 at over 17 million people and over 70 million died during WWll, the total number dead during these two conflicts was close to 100 million or 5% of the worlds population of 2 billion.
It was determined by U.S. politicians and Military planners that it would be easier and cost less American lives to engage our adversaries in different areas of the world, then to try and fight an all out war.
Not only were there ideological differences, there were competition for raw materials that fueled the conflicts and still do to this day. One of the most important raw material is oil. Most people do not understand how dependent our country and all other developed countries are on this one particular raw material. Our society is driven by oil. Oil is not only used to produce electricity and power all forms of transportation, it is the bases for everything we use in our daily lives. All of the plastics used for food storage is made from oil. The computers, cell phones, flat panel TV's, automobiles and even feminine protection products rely on oil in the production and manufacture of the plastics and fibers used.
That brings us to the point of why it is often called "fighting for our Freedom" and it's relationship to the invasion of Iraq and the containment of Iran. We are fortunate enough to live in a country where we can do and say what we want as long as it does not infringe on anyone Else's freedom. We live a life of opulence compared to the majority of people living on this earth. You and I very rarely go without food, shelter and warmth. We own and drive vehicles that people in other parts of the world would kill for. Do you think that for one moment you would do without all of the things we call necessities, but others call luxuries? Tom Mulligen, writing in his blog about "Fighting for Freedom" questions our use of force around the world, what he fails to mention is the billions of dollars our country has spent around the world in lieu of fighting to enhance the human condition . He also fails to mention that he has and is reaping the rewards of our armed conflicts. In other words he, himself, has accepted the things in his life that are tainted by the blood of those that have fought and died on our behalf and of the enemy soldiers and civilians as well, to secure the things that keep our economy and our lives sailing along."

Almost Summer

Hard to believe that it is almost summer. My kids have already started their baseball practice, with games starting in June. I don't spend much time posting on my blog, as I have moved on to FaceBook. LOL I find it much more interactive. I have about 100 friends and unlike many, I know these people. Most are former classmates, close friends, that I have known for years, and relatives. I post my thoughts about politics and society as a whole. I post my favorite music and videos without the fear of insulting others.

All in all it is good. :)

$13 TRILLION OF RETIREMENT MONEY

Tracking down the amount of money that the government has borrowed from the Social Security fund is hard to do. It appears that the the amount may be in excess $13 trillion. Even the U.S. Government Accounting Office is having trouble getting a hold on how much is owed. The first borrowing occurred in 1937, during the... Roosevelt Presidency and has continued since then.

TRIPLE A IS NOT ONLY A DRIVER SERVICE, IT IS A CREDIT RATING.

Another report out that the U.S. is in danger of losing our Triple-A status with lenders. The U.S. has always been the gold standard for world finance. If this happens we could see a spiral down of not only world prestige, but world power. This would be devastating to our national security and standard of living.

Also a report out that China is on the verge of a financial disaster. China holds almost $1 trillion of the $14 trillion of U.S. debt. We are not even close to being on an economic rebound. Companies and industry as a whole view the Obama and Congressional economic and tax policy proposals as inept and ill conceived. You can not spend your way out of a recession, especially since there is no hard currency to back up the spending. The Feds can only contain inflation for so long before it breaks loose. A lessen to be learned comes from the German Wiemar Republic after WWI. A collapse of the economic market and high debt caused German money to become worthless. This in turn paved the way for Hitler and his totalitarian regime to gain power. The German people were looking for a savior and he was it.

Does anyone have any idea how a nation can repay a staggering debt of almost $14 trillion, when it only takes in $2 trillion in tax collections a year? Over $250 Billion a year goes to servicing that debt (which is just the interest and will continue to escalate) and the rest is used for all of the Federal programs. We saw a dramatic rise in the deficit since 2002. President Obama likes to keep blaming Bush for these deficit spending. True, President Bush did submit a budget proposal to Congress. Congress with the Democrats in majority not only passed the budget, but added to it. Seems that with all of the finger pointing, the President and Congress would get the hint that we don't want finger pointing, we want sound economic judgment and elected officials that are willing to man up and help fix the situation and not keep buying their way into office.

HANDS OFF MY LIFE!!!!

"Kansas to Feds - Hands Off!: The Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday passed a resolution that reaffirms Kansas' autonomy as protected under the 10th Amendment of U.S. Constitution. This comes after a year of the federal government drastically increasing its scope of power and mandates on states." From Lynn Jenkins News Letter.

RFID Chips and National Health Care

RFID chips are progressing at an astronomical rate. We use them quite extensively in retail and the applications are limitless. With the advent of a nation wide health care system coming down, in one form or another, the need for tracking ones health care records will be critical and RFID's will play a role. RFID's come in two basic forms, passive and active. The passive is used to track products in a distribution system. The active has been reduced to half the size of a grain of rice and is used to store information. With information implanted on ones person, the need for filling out forms at the medical facility will be nil, as the chip will transmit the most current data for the patient. Think of how useful this will be for those unable to communicate with their care givers.
These chips will also serve as ID. There will no longer be the need for paper documents such as drivers licenses, Social Security cards and Birth Certificates, as they will be readily accessible when needed, limiting the incidents of identity theft. The need for cash will disappear, making shopping easier. With out chip and its unique identifier, one will not be allowed to buy or sell products or even work.
Just think.....we, may one day, may all have the proverbial mark.

Repost-Economic Collapse Could Be In The Near Future

I decided to reprint this posting I made back in November of 2007. I just shake my head when politicians say that they did not see this current economic mess on the horizon.


Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Economic Collapse Could Be In The Near Future
U.S. reliance on credit will have a devastating effect on the economic stability of the U.S. Dollar, resulting in critical damage to the U.S. economy. A return to the days of high inflation and recessions not seen since the mid 1970's is impending. Loss of faith in the Dollar by the economies of the world will hasten the devastation.

China holds a vast amount of investment in the U.S. Dollar. There are signs that the Chinese are quietly dumping the Dollar in favor of the Euro and other world currencies that offer more stability. Unfortunately this can hasten the decline of the Dollar, resulting in high inflation and a catastrophic recession.

The "out of control spending" by both government and consumers, utilizing credit, is what is bringing us to this economic collapse.

Is there anything that can help stave off this impending crisis? That is doubtful, but we can start to lessen the length of this severe economic crunch.

The way to do this is by:

1. Tightening consumer credit (Which will surely hasten a recession, but could be a short lived one).

2. Cut government services, reducing the deficit spending (the government's version of using the credit card). Decrease the tax burden to offset the cut in services and help stimulate the economy (the trickiest part of the equation).

3. Paying back the money borrowed for generations of deficit spending.

4. Push forth a comprehensive energy package and implementing the policies immediately (akin to a national war footing, reminiscent of World War ll). This will include Nuclear and alternative fuel development and implementation. This should also include a Presidential Executive Order opening up petroleum exploration and drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, offshore drilling and increased use of the vast amount of coal reserves, building an abundance of coal fired electrical generating and coal gasification plants as a stop gap measure while new Nuclear Power plants come on line (many will argue that the funds will not be available for these endeavors. I say they must be available to remain a dominant economic force for the future).

The above mentioned items are highly possible. The only thing that is lacking is the American "Can Do" spirit that made our country great and the willingness to sacrifice for our children's future and their children's future.

UPDATE: In recent days, the news services have been reporting a divide within OPEC. Some members are pushing for an agreement to get away from the U.S. Dollar. The U.S. dollar has been the main currency for purchasing petroleum. Shifting away from dollars to other currencies will further weaken the U.S. economy.
at 5:26 PM Posted by Scott Leikam 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: Depression, Economics, Recession

How many taxes do we really pay?

When we talk about taxes, most people only associate the national and state Income Tax with that subject. Most do not realize what they actually pay in all taxes combined. Did you know that almost 60% of every dollar you make and spend goes for taxes? If you do, does this make you as mad as hell? Don't get me wrong, we must have taxes to help pay for things that help our society remain stable. When are we going to decide enough is enough? The President and Congress want to increase that burden, by spending money they do not have. Would you allow your spouse, your son or daughter to keep spending money they do not have? And if you did, what would you do if you found out you were the one responsible for paying it back? My guess is you would cut up the credit cards and change the combination to the safe (including the locks on all of your doors).

What follows are some of the taxes and surcharges many of us unwittingly pay.

Federal Income Tax 17%
State and Local Income Tax 11%
Sales Tax 8%
Social Security and Medicaid 8%
Consumer share of Corp Tax 3%
Property Taxes 3%
Fuel tax (including $.19 per 1%
gallon on gasoline)
Other taxes (licenses,
telephone/wireless and other
telecommunication fees,etc.) 5%
= 56%

The above figures do not include the taxes on tobacco and alcohol, that is a huge amount in itself.

Congress is even considering assessing additional taxes on certain foods we consume. Some municipalities already assess additional consumption taxes on restaurants and fast food establishments.

56% is a huge percentage of your income to pay to government entities. Let's look at it this way. If you were a single parent making minimum wage and your gross pay was $300, then you would be paying almost $170 in taxes. Even if you did get a tax break on your income taxes, you are still paying $122 of your $300 in taxes.

Does any of this outrage you? It does me. If any one of you see a flaw in my analysis, please point it out. I would love to be shown where I am wrong and we are not really paying these loan shark amounts.