This just in: If you want to fool TSA and stowaway on an airplane, all you have to do is try.
A Nigerian man did just that. He somehow got on a plane from New York to Los Angeles last week - without a ticket on the flight. You shouldn't even be able to get to your gate, much less get on a flight.
But it gets better. When a flight attendant asked to see his ticket, he showed her one that was for a different flight on a different date and didn't have his name on it. Still, when then landed in Los Angeles, he was able to just go along his merry way. He was only arrested a few days later when he tried to do it again.
So, TSA will always get their man - if "always" means 50% of the time.
Here is my question for you. Which is a better idea (a) give a million dollars in tax cuts that will in turn create a single job that will generate $20,000 in taxes or (b) don't do that.
The GOP is saying the Economic stimulus was a bust. This was where we spent $50,000 to give a man a $50,000 job and he built something the public needed like a bridge.
The GOP says that tax cuts create jobs. This is where a rich guy gets a $1,000,000 tax break. He uses $50,000 of that to create a job where a man works for the rich guy and thus makes him richer. As for the other $950,000 from the tax break...that's just spending money.
The facts: A tax break creates jobs but for every $100 spent, the government only gets back somewhere between $0 and $30. The rest is spending money.
A few financial stats on Congress: While only 1% of Americans are millionaires, 66% of the senators and 41% of the House members are millionaires. The Tea Party sent in a bunch of new Senators to "Take back America." Their average net wealth is $4 million per person.
Additionally, Congress is allowed to use their knowledge of events to trade ahead of the stock market. The average stock portfolio of a senator out performed the stock market by 10% last year.
And finally, 43% of all retiring congressmen go to work as lobbyists with an average salary of $2,000,000. This alone gives lobbyists a lot of power. Congressmen listen to them because that is a potential employer for them in a few years.
Here is a cute picture...just because...
Onward...
Bees are capable of solving a math problem that only the most powerful computers can handle. It's called "The traveling salesman dilemma (<- really hard word to spell)."
Here is the problem: A bee, like a traveling salesman, has many stops to make. Should he take the shortest route or longer routes that may be more profitable. In the end, what is the best route for the salesman/bee to take. They tested bees using flowers with varying degrees of nectar. They also complicated it by changing distances and nectar replenishment rates. The bees learned what was going on and came up with very optimal routing solutions. Instead of a computer, the bees used their brain which is the size of a grass seed. As a math guy, I found this really interesting.
Onward...
I just read an article that said we will start fighting terrorists with surgical strikes instead of massive invasions into random countries. Someone must be reading my blog.
In the U.K., people are striking because of pension reform. They are doing that all over the world, including Wisconsin. Here is the deal: We are living longer and the economy sucks. There is no money to pay for pensions like there was two decades ago. We can complain all we want but that will do little to solve the problem. I think pension reform is the single biggest economic issue in the modern world today. In Hungary, they gave everyone an option: You can keep your private pension or you can keep your government pension. Once you made the choice, they raided the one you did not choose. For example, if you wanted to keep your Social Security, the government came in and took your IRA. Hopefully, we won't get to that.
I read this the other day: We wouldn't have to worry about gay marriages if people would quit having gay babies.
By the way, Iran is testing nuclear capable missiles. I'm just saying. I think they deserve a good "finger waging."
Elsewhere...
Why do I always think of the Tea Party when I see the Greeks striking? Is it because the Greeks seem to think that if the government slashes costs they will still be able to retire at 53? The Tea Party position is that if you only tip 15%, you will be able to send your kids to Stanford.
Is it just me or is there way too much coverage of the Casey Anthony case. I'm watching CNN the other day and they cut to "dramatic" testimony. "Look, the dad is crying on the stand. What do you make of this Mitch? - Yep, that sure is dramatic, back to you Carol." I changed the channel and all of the major news shows were showing the exact same thing.
Michele Bachmann is billing herself as an American Girl. However, she tried to use that song and a rally and Tom Petty sent her a Cease and Desist order. I really hope she gets the GOP nod. There is so much good material on her to write about.
Here is your quote for the day: “This is an impressive crowd: the Have's and Have-more's. Some people call you the elites. I call you my base.” George W. Bush.
Time to put on my cape and get back to work.
Up, up and away...
jim
A Nigerian man did just that. He somehow got on a plane from New York to Los Angeles last week - without a ticket on the flight. You shouldn't even be able to get to your gate, much less get on a flight.
But it gets better. When a flight attendant asked to see his ticket, he showed her one that was for a different flight on a different date and didn't have his name on it. Still, when then landed in Los Angeles, he was able to just go along his merry way. He was only arrested a few days later when he tried to do it again.
So, TSA will always get their man - if "always" means 50% of the time.
Here is my question for you. Which is a better idea (a) give a million dollars in tax cuts that will in turn create a single job that will generate $20,000 in taxes or (b) don't do that.
The GOP is saying the Economic stimulus was a bust. This was where we spent $50,000 to give a man a $50,000 job and he built something the public needed like a bridge.
The GOP says that tax cuts create jobs. This is where a rich guy gets a $1,000,000 tax break. He uses $50,000 of that to create a job where a man works for the rich guy and thus makes him richer. As for the other $950,000 from the tax break...that's just spending money.
The facts: A tax break creates jobs but for every $100 spent, the government only gets back somewhere between $0 and $30. The rest is spending money.
A few financial stats on Congress: While only 1% of Americans are millionaires, 66% of the senators and 41% of the House members are millionaires. The Tea Party sent in a bunch of new Senators to "Take back America." Their average net wealth is $4 million per person.
Additionally, Congress is allowed to use their knowledge of events to trade ahead of the stock market. The average stock portfolio of a senator out performed the stock market by 10% last year.
And finally, 43% of all retiring congressmen go to work as lobbyists with an average salary of $2,000,000. This alone gives lobbyists a lot of power. Congressmen listen to them because that is a potential employer for them in a few years.
Here is a cute picture...just because...
Onward...
Bees are capable of solving a math problem that only the most powerful computers can handle. It's called "The traveling salesman dilemma (<- really hard word to spell)."
Here is the problem: A bee, like a traveling salesman, has many stops to make. Should he take the shortest route or longer routes that may be more profitable. In the end, what is the best route for the salesman/bee to take. They tested bees using flowers with varying degrees of nectar. They also complicated it by changing distances and nectar replenishment rates. The bees learned what was going on and came up with very optimal routing solutions. Instead of a computer, the bees used their brain which is the size of a grass seed. As a math guy, I found this really interesting.
Onward...
I just read an article that said we will start fighting terrorists with surgical strikes instead of massive invasions into random countries. Someone must be reading my blog.
In the U.K., people are striking because of pension reform. They are doing that all over the world, including Wisconsin. Here is the deal: We are living longer and the economy sucks. There is no money to pay for pensions like there was two decades ago. We can complain all we want but that will do little to solve the problem. I think pension reform is the single biggest economic issue in the modern world today. In Hungary, they gave everyone an option: You can keep your private pension or you can keep your government pension. Once you made the choice, they raided the one you did not choose. For example, if you wanted to keep your Social Security, the government came in and took your IRA. Hopefully, we won't get to that.
I read this the other day: We wouldn't have to worry about gay marriages if people would quit having gay babies.
By the way, Iran is testing nuclear capable missiles. I'm just saying. I think they deserve a good "finger waging."
Elsewhere...
Why do I always think of the Tea Party when I see the Greeks striking? Is it because the Greeks seem to think that if the government slashes costs they will still be able to retire at 53? The Tea Party position is that if you only tip 15%, you will be able to send your kids to Stanford.
Is it just me or is there way too much coverage of the Casey Anthony case. I'm watching CNN the other day and they cut to "dramatic" testimony. "Look, the dad is crying on the stand. What do you make of this Mitch? - Yep, that sure is dramatic, back to you Carol." I changed the channel and all of the major news shows were showing the exact same thing.
Michele Bachmann is billing herself as an American Girl. However, she tried to use that song and a rally and Tom Petty sent her a Cease and Desist order. I really hope she gets the GOP nod. There is so much good material on her to write about.
Here is your quote for the day: “This is an impressive crowd: the Have's and Have-more's. Some people call you the elites. I call you my base.” George W. Bush.
Time to put on my cape and get back to work.
Up, up and away...
jim
