Daily Archives: March 23, 2013

03/23/13

The Gambler and Locksmith Work

By: T F Stern
T F Stern’s Rantings

Kenny Rogers had a hit tune many years ago, The Gambler, about a fellow on a train who gets some sage advice from an old man who borrowed a cigarette and a drink from his bottle.

…You’ve got to know when to hold em’
Know when to fold em’
Know when to walk away
And know when to run…

Over the years I’ve considered that information; once in a while putting the last two lines into practice. This morning was an opportunity to see if I was paying attention.

A call came in from a potential customer who’d broken the tip of his key off in the ignition switch. I asked what kind of vehicle and found it was a newer model Chevy with the ignition switch in the dash as opposed to the kind with the ignition switch in the steering column.

He said he tried getting the broken part out by putting sticky stuff on it, but it wouldn’t stick to the other half of the key. If you’re paying attention, you fill in the blanks without asking, “What kind of sticky stuff?,” because you already know the answer, Super Glue.

Going on to explain that he was able to get the other half of the key into the ignition and start the vehicle made it possible for him to continue driving his car. This is a transponder equipped type key which means the transmitting module which is located inside the plastic head of the key must be in close proximity to the reader antenna which encircles the ignition switch. Other than that, the key functions the same as a regular mechanical key, matching wafers inside the lock with the combination cut onto the key.

I told him that if he wanted to drive over I’d look at it. If I couldn’t fix it, there would be no charge; but if I could, I’d replace his broken key at a very reasonable price. That seemed like a good idea and he drove right over, parking his Malibu in the driveway.

Sure enough, the key was buried deep inside the ignition switch and there was dried Super Glue on the half of the key still on his key ring. It didn’t take much observation skills to figure out that the wafers which were supposed to bounce up and down had been glued into place, matching the exact cuts of the remaining portion of his key. In short and easy to understand English, the broken key was in for the duration and he needed a new ignition switch. To his luck, the cuts were in descending order ending at the place where the key had snapped in half on a 5 cut.

Know when to walk away
And know when to run…

If I were much younger or perhaps hungrier for a job… any job; but I’m not… Sometimes it’s better to let go of a job knowing the probability it can turn ugly in a heartbeat.

“You’re going to need to take this to the dealer and have their service department fix this one. I don’t want to get into a job that could end up being very expensive only to leave you stranded. While the car is still running I recommend you drive over to the closest Chevy dealer.”

As a courtesy, I called Munday Chevrolet as it’s one of the accounts I service and talked to the service writer to explain the circumstances in order for him to properly figure out what would be required. You could see the dollar signs adding up in his head; but that’s between Munday Chevrolet and their customer.

You never count your money
When you’re sitting at the table
There’ll be time enough for countin’
When the dealin’s done.

Today, “the gambler he broke even,” didn’t make any money; but didn’t lose any either.

Being able to sense your proximity to a bottomless pit while walking, discern between the knock of close friend from that of a bill collector at your door or recognize a job that would be a real nightmare; all these are acquired skills and worth remembering when the cards are on the table. Thanks go out to Kenny Rogers for recording an important message. Now that’s an ace that you can keep.

This article has been cross-posted to The Moral Liberal, a publication whose banner reads, “Defending The Judeo-Christian Ethic, Limited Government & The American Constitution.”

Special notice: The Moral Liberal will be taken off the internet at the end of March for an indefinite period. It’s been a great ride and a great read.

03/23/13

Hey, America, you asked for it. You voted for them. Now you’re going to get it.

By: Nelson Abdullah
Conscience of a Conservative

Here are some changes that will be coming soon as a result of the socialized medicine we will have thanks to Democrats Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid with ObamaCare. Many changes are the direct result of new government rules and regulations, some of which are still being written on a daily basis, but out of necessity, health care insurers are already resorting to unconventional methods to weed out potentially costly insurance claims. For instance, in past years insurers would closely scan policy applications to try and discover misleading, false or incomplete medical histories that they could use as a basis to deny coverage for a medical claim. Now, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal, health insurance companies are purchasing personal shoppers info from retail stores to look for customers who buy tobacco or even alcohol products. Your health insurer could increase your insurance premium if they knew you were a smoker or a heavy drinker and they could deny paying a medical claim if you denied that you were a smoker or an alcoholic and they found out you lied on their application forms.

While it is somewhat cute and amusing that a retailer would suspect a female customer may be pregnant based upon the merchandise she purchased, the implications are very onerous when viewed on a larger scale. It is a real world extension of the old joke about the man who went into a large retail store to buy tampons for his wife and the observant sales clerk suggested he visit the sporting goods department for some new fishing gear because “there’s nothing going on at your house this weekend”. This is what retailers do with your personal information. Its called Data Mining.

Why Is Retail Giant Target Trying to Scan Your Driver’s License for This Seemingly Simple Purchase?

Mar. 19, 2013 10:44am Liz Klimas

Target has been in the spotlight recently for its extensive data mining abilities to direct marketing to its customers, which could be exactly why the store wanted to scan his ID in the first place. An article in the New York Times by Charles Duhigg, highlighting a portion of his book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and in Business,” showed how Target is able to tell if a woman is pregnant, based on its purchase-tracking capabilities, before even she knows. Duhigg wrote:

For decades, Target has collected vast amounts of data on every person who regularly walks into one of its stores. Whenever possible, Target assigns each shopper a unique code — known internally as the Guest ID number — that keeps tabs on everything they buy. “If you use a credit card or a coupon, or fill out a survey, or mail in a refund, or call the customer help line, or open an e-mail we’ve sent you or visit our Web site, we’ll record it and link it to your Guest ID,” Pole said. “We want to know everything we can.”

Read more here: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/19/why-does-target-require-a-scan-of-your-drivers-license-to-buy-nicotine-patches/

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Top Ten ObamaCare Horror Stories the Media Are Covering Up

Because the mainstream media lobbied every bit as hard as Obama to win passage of ObamaCare, they are every bit as invested in doing whatever is necessary to see that it is perceived as a success. Unfortunately for Americans who expect truth from their media, this means the media are having to manufacture a false reality that says ObamaCare is, to steal a phrase, “doing fine.”

In order to manufacture this phony reality, the media must further sell their blackened soul by violating one of their most cherished principals: reporting on how government policy hits America’s weakest the hardest. It’s just a fact that the worst fallout of ObamaCare is already landing hard on the working class, who are losing work hours, jobs, and their insurance.

Usually when a government policy hits the working class, the media will fall all over themselves to “tell their personal stories.” But not these people. The media perceives these poor souls as sacrifices to a bigger cause known as The State.

Read more here: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/03/22/Top-Ten-ObamaCare-Stories-Media-Covering-Up

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

This story from Kaiser Health News gives new meaning to the term “Group Health Care”.

Kaiser Health News
Group Appointments With Doctors: When Three Isn’t A Crowd
More doctors are holding appointments with multiple patients, a trend some say may help ease a forecasted shortage of physicians.

By Michelle Andrews, Kaiser Health News

TUESDAY, March 19, 2013 (Kaiser Health News) — When visiting the doctor, there may be strength in numbers.

In recent years, a growing number of doctors have begun holding group appointments — seeing up to a dozen patients with similar medical concerns all at once. Advocates of the approach say such visits allow doctors to treat more patients, spend more time with them (even if not one-on-one), increase appointment availability and improve health outcomes.

Some see group appointments as a way to ease looming physician shortages. According to a study published in December, meeting the country’s health-care needs will require nearly 52,000 additional primary-care physicians by 2025. More than 8,000 of that total will be needed for the more than 27 million people newly insured under the Affordable Care Act.

Read the rest here:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/group-appointments-with-doctors-when-three-isnt-a-crowd.aspx

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ObamaCare Turns Three: 10 Disturbing Facts Americans Have Learned

By JOHN MERLINE, INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY
Posted 03/21/2013 07:00 PM ET

Just over three years ago, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi famously quipped about ObamaCare that “we have to pass the bill so you can find out what is in it.”

But only now, as ObamaCare’s third anniversary approaches — President Obama signed it into law on March 23, 2010 — is the country starting to find out what the sweeping health care overhaul will actually do.

ObamaCare backers typically tout popular features that went into effect almost immediately. The law expanded Medicare’s drug coverage, for example, and let children stay on their parents’ plans until they turned 26.

But the bulk of ObamaCare doesn’t take effect until next year. That’s when the so-called insurance exchanges are supposed to be up and running, when the mandate on individuals and businesses kicks in, and when the avalanche of regulations on the insurance industry hits.
As this start date draws near, evidence is piling up that ObamaCare will:

  • Boost insurance costs.
  • Push millions off employer coverage.
  • Cause premiums to skyrocket.
  • Cost people their jobs.
  • Tax the middle class.
  • Add to the deficit.
  • Cost more than promised.
  • Be a bureaucratic nightmare.
  • Exacerbate doctor shortages.
  • Leave millions uninsured.

Read More At Investor’s Business Daily: http://news.investors.com/032113-648891-obamacare-turns-3-10-disturbing-facts-about-health-law.aspx#ixzz2ONIQ0PeM
Follow us: @IBDinvestors on Twitter | InvestorsBusinessDaily on Facebook

03/23/13

What is easy and what is right

The Radio Patriot

WHAT IS EASY AND WHAT IS RIGHT was written by Benjamin Smith, former US Navy SEAL, who recently appeared on the Wilkow show on THE BLAZE TV.

We are not perfect by any means, but look at the current world situation. We are engaged with ourselves in a fit of deciding if we are simplistic base beings of an animalistic nature or a people of morals and standards capable of being the good and kind to each other with mutual respect and reliance on a core set of rules that we all can follow.

The price, Vigilance.

It all boils down to the choice of what is EASY or what is RIGHT.

Socialism, Islam, Evil, the wrong way (or more simply Right vs Wrong and Good vs Evil) are the “Easy” here. Very humanistic, animalistic, primitive, impulsive, ignorant, intolerant and unforgiving – all traits that we see in our culture these days. This is not to say that all people in these ways of thinking are all bad, they are just misguided and will go to the simple humanistic impulse of forcing someone to do or believe something and kill them or enslave them if they don’t comply. Look at your child as a toddler, very base, very ‘today’s culture’, a bunch of toddlers.

YES there is just plain ole’ BAD people out there as well, they are just leading the masses at this time. As humans, in our nature we are VERY capable of this. These mindsets are the choice of WHAT IS EASY as opposed to the thought of taking a moment and giving effort to WHAT IS RIGHT!

If you don’t pay attention to what you are doing you can be down the road of Easy before you realize it. That’s because it is easy. This is what Reagan was talking about when he said that we have to teach America to the young, it is not passed down through the blood.

SOCIALISM VS AMERICANISM – Due to current status of our country and the analysis of its function and habits, it can be said that we have lost the cold war and the Communists have achieved their long stated objective. Would you consider the actions of our governance more socialist than capitalist?

“We will take you from within. We will take you without a shot being fired” – Khrushchev.

In chess, “check mate” means that you have taken the opponent’s king and that your strategy has beaten your opponent’s strategy. When the king is taken in chess, the game is over. Not in this scenario. We are all still here and life must go on. We are the pawns that are still left on the board and now susceptible to the whims of the kings that have knocked ours over.

We have the task as Americans (old school republicans and democrats TOGETHER) to reset the board for the next round, if we can. We are and always have been pawns in a version of “human history chess”. Right now we have lost a couple rounds of this “chess” and we need to turn around the ebb and flow of a baser way of thinking that is easy for a debased human thought process.

Do you still think we won the cold war?

ISLAM VS EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT ISLAM –

Yes, the Crusades.

Look at multiculturalism in Europe and the Islamic rise to power now across Africa and the middle east. Before America was founded, doesn’t this look like the World map if Islam wasn’t beaten back to were they came during the crusade? The Crusades started because they almost had the complete known world under Sharia and the Caliphate only a couple hundred years of its existence. Like now, our (non-muslim) corruption and sloth are what they are using to crush and conquer our way of “thought”.

We had to turn back the Tide of Islam and its process of Dawah (LOOK IT UP)…. What do they want to do to us and how bad do they want to do it? Does it look like the “easy” choice or the one that has been considered?

We were born into an ideological battle that has been raging long before we were ever born and even millennia before our country was fought for. We can call it Good vs Evil or as simple as Right vs Wrong. If you stop for a second , “good” is not doing well in this world at the moment and in history, it goes back and forth between the two.

THINK about WHAT needs to be done to SAVE us then just simply START DOING SOMETHING….. ANYTHING! Because what we are doing now is obviously not working. Wake up your friends and family or wife or kids, please.

Reposting this because the points in this are important. This is something that can help in figuring out socialist, communist and Sharia thought and basic human frailty of “ease” and even the tendencies that WE all have in us because this is all part of our natural cyclic nature. We are at war with our humanistic selves through impulse and desire.

Help yourself straight so you can help your COUNTRYMEN and in doing so, THE WORLD.

Watch this video, in which former Navy Seal and Director of Strategic Affairs 912 PAC Benjamin Smith joins Andrew Wilkow to talk about Frederic Bastiat’s influence on today’s society and how Bastiat shaped a Navy Seal’s beliefs.

03/23/13

Victory! – Political Prisoner Sri Tapan Ghosh To Be Released By West Bengal

By: Aeneas Lavinium
ICLA

News has reached us from India (1) that Hindu Human Rights Activist Tapan Ghosh is to be released from his political imprisonment. This follows international pressure by groups such as the International Civil Liberties Alliance (ICLA) and International Unity For Equality (IUFE) as well as due to pressure from within India itself.

We wrote about his arrest and imprisonment without bail in an article that we published on 18 March. Hindu Samhati (3) reports that he has been granted bail. It now seems that the pressure from human rights activists around the world has shamed the authorities in West Bengal to finally grant him bail.

We must see his release as a great victory for human rights, but we must continue to monitor the situation closely since he is still at the mercy of a potentially biased judicial system.

Anti-Sharia campaigners around the world are harassed by representatives of the state. This is why ICLA believes that the right to oppose sharia needs to be specifically incorporated into international law.

(1) Hindu Samhati Media

(2) Anti-Hindu Oppression in West Bengal – Tapan Ghosh Locked Up Without Bail (ICLA)

(3) Sri Tapan Ghosh is Released (Hindu Samhati)