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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Alex Jones To Piers Morgan: "You are NOT Going To Take Our Guns"

photo

Alex Jones appeared on CNN’s Piers Morgan Tonight last night to deliver a clear message: “You are not going to take our guns.”

While Piers attempted to ask leading questions peppered with isolated gun statistics to paint a false picture of reality in the wake of the Connecticut school shooting, Alex educated Piers on the real reason America has a Second Amendment and why it is necessary to preserve it.

Globalism is trying to overthrow our Republic and take over the world.

After stating his position on the banning American citizens from owning semi-automatic weapons and high-capacity magazines in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre, Piers Morgan began his interview with Alex Jones on CNN last night by asking, “Why do you want to deport me?”

Alex’s answer? “We did it to point out this is globalism.”

The reason our forefathers penned the Second Amendment was to keep the power in the hands of the people and stave off a tyrannical government. America is one of the last bastions of freedom when it comes to private firearm ownership.

Now China is openly calling for us to be disarmed. This is the same country where the communist party killed nearly 77 million people between 1949 and 1987. Why so many? It was easy. They were disarmed.

Indeed, the Obama Administration has now been joined by talking heads from China, Russia, Australia, and, of course, Britain in this massive attack on our Second Amendment.

A Washington Times article from August 24, 2012, discussed, “The Obama Administration Plan to Disarm America” in relation to our president setting the U.S. “on a course for unilateral disarmament” of our nuclear weapons as well.

Disarming America is all part of a bigger plan.

The U.S. government is armed to the teeth against its own people.

Just last week, Infowars reported that DHS just purchased another 200,000 rounds of ammunition in addition to the over 1.6 billion the agency has already bought over the last year.

All the bullets bought will be added to the hundreds of pieces of riot gear, monstrous armored SWAT trucks, bulletproof guard shacks, and 24 predator drones DHS owns. DHS does not fight foreign wars; it is a domestic-only operation. These purchases are not meant to be used engaging foreign enemies in some faraway land. Many people falsely believe that ‘Homeland Security’ is for securing the homeland.

Protecting the homeland really means maintaining continuity of government, not protecting the public.

And the DHS is just one armed U.S. government entity.

As Alex mentioned to Piers, Operation Fast and Furious was perpetrated by the U.S. government to demonize the Second Amendment in a treasonous attempt to disarm the American people on record.

Again, the Second Amendment was deemed necessary to ensure the balance of power – to ensure government is not the only one with guns. As Alex told Piers, “The Second Amendment isn’t there for duck hunting. It’s there to protect us from tyrannical government.”

Statistics show more guns – not gun control – equals less crime.

Paul Joseph Watson reported yesterday the number of guns in America has increased over the last four decades while serious violent crimes have decreased. The FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports show violent crime has consistently plunged over the last five years.

We have also reported that statistics show gun control laws do not prevent crime. While Piers’ home country does report less gun murders because of draconian police state citizen disarmament, the U.K. has also been deemed “The violent crime capital of Europe,” with one of the highest reported violence rates in the world.

Legal prescription drugs kill more Americans every year than guns.

A 40-year trend is hard to easily dismiss, so gun grabbers like Piers Morgan have to politicize events like the Sandy Hook shooting and isolate and spout a single statistic: the number of people killed in America every year by a gun.

However, guns are nowhere near the biggest killer in America each year.

Here’s a huge number no one is talking about: the Food and Drug Administration has admitted legal prescription medications kill over 100,000 people every year. In 2009, the LA Times reported that drug overdoses had doubled over the last decade, had outnumbered traffic fatalities in the U.S., and were fueled by an increase in people who died from taking too many prescription narcotics.

The detrimental effect of pharmaceuticals led into Alex’s next two points.

The number one cause of death by injury in the U.S. is SUICIDE.

Firearms aren’t the biggest killer by injury in America. As Alex noted, according to a recently released study, more American lives are taken by suicide now than any other type of harm.

Half of all firearm deaths in the U.S. are actually suicides. More guns are fired during suicides than during homicides in America.

Many mass shooters have been on dangerous prescription antidepressants.

Here’s another fact the mainstream media isn’t talking about: antidepressants, or Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), have been linked to many of the mass shootings that have occurred here in the U.S. in the past decade.

Infowars has been reporting on shooters with a history of antidepressant use for years. Prescription medications were seized from the Aurora shooter‘s home. Even suspected Newtown shooter Adam Lanza has been labeled as having a “personality disorder” and a “mental illness,” phrases Mike Adams of Natural News points out are typically used to describe people who are prescribed psychotropic drugs.

Side effects on many of these drugs include violent behavior, agitation, mania, hostility, anxiety, mood swings, and suicidal tendencies. In 2011, a Canadian judge even ruled that SSRIs can cause children to commit murder.

Citizen disarmament leads to democide – death by government.

Governments are the greatest cause of unnatural human death in the 20th century. All infamous dictators who have murdered their own people in mass – including Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, Mao, and Pol Pot – disarmed these citizens first.

The Second Amendment is meant to protect us against tyrannical government, but what it ultimately protects us from is death by democide.

Alex: “I’m here to tell you 1776 will commence again if you try to take our firearms.”

As Alex told Piers, “Just because there are criminals, I don’t lose my guns.”

As we’ve reported again and again, gun control would not have stopped the Sandy Hook shooting or any criminal shooting. Stealing guns to break into a supposedly gun-free zone and murder children…these are crimes. Criminals who commit crimes obviously do not obey laws. That is why they are called criminals. Laws do not prevent crime, they are merely there to punish it.

In the wake of the tragic Connecticut school massacre, we have witnessed an all out war on our 2nd Amendment rights, culminating in Senator Dianne Feinstein calling for draconian anti-gun legislation which Obama says he will put his “full weight” behind.

Bringing up a single, standalone statistic like the number of gun deaths is a ploy to pull on people’s heartstrings while ignoring the whole truth about what is really going on here: disarmament.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who was later implicated in the anti-Second Amendment Operation Fast and Furious even attempted to start a campaign to, “really brainwash people into thinking about guns in a vastly different way” back in 1995.

This plan to disarm America in a bid for a total takeover has been in the works for a long time, but exposing this agenda as Alex did on CNN last night is one way to fight this treason and take our Republic back.

Alex’s outrage is absolutely justified.

While Alex has garnered criticism for his demeanor on Piers’ show last night, America is facing a truly dark hour.

If someone’s house is burning down, the time for calm discussion has long passed. It’s time to bang on the door, yell and scream, raise the house, and get people to listen to help save their lives.

As Mike Adams’ explains, “If our only aim is to remain polite and ‘proper,’ we will all be quietly enslaved, disarmed, bankrupted and corralled into the dark depths of government corruption and coercion. The time to be polite is over. It’s time we all got fired up and called the bluff of the corrupt, criminal elite.”

We have to contact our politicians and tell them to uphold our Constitution and Second Amendment.




Even the White House has put up a page to “Share Your Thoughts on Reducing Gun Violence” following the Connecticut shooting to “get something meaningful done.” Contact them and let them know this tragedy does not mean they can dismantle the Constitution!

Contacting the Congress.org Database

U.S. Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121


It’s exactly like Alex said last night, “The establishment knows…no matter how much propaganda, the Republic will rise again when you attempt to take our guns.”


MeltonInfowars.com
January 8, 2013

Source:
http://americansurvivalistorg.blogspot.com/2013/01/alex-jones-to-piers-morgan-you-are-not.html








BREAKING: Biden: Obama Considering 'Executive Orders' to Deal With Guns

Biden: Obama Considering 'Executive Orders' to Deal With Guns

Vice President Joe Biden revealed that President Barack Obama might use an executive order to deal with guns.




"The president is going to act," said Biden, giving some comments to the press before a meeting with victims of gun violence. "There are executive orders, there's executive action that can be taken. We haven't decided what that is yet. But we're compiling it all with the help of the attorney general and the rest of the cabinet members as well as legislative action that we believe is required."
Biden said that this is a moral issue and that "it's critically important that we act."
Biden talked also about taking responsible action. "As the president said, if your actions result in only saving one life, they're worth taking. But I'm convinced we can affect the well-being of millions of Americans and take thousands of people out of harm's way if we act responsibly."
Biden, as he himself noted, helped write the Brady bill.
Eric Holder was scheduled to be at the meeting that's currently taking place at the White House.

source:
http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/biden-obama-might-use-executive-order-deal-guns_694984.html


After reading this article, I found the following video on YouTube.  An attack on our 2nd Amendment will not go over to well.  Please BE ADVISED: Foul language







This in my opinion is no way to rant about the issue.  Threats from gun owners will only give the opposition more "ammunition".  This is how the opposition sees gun owners, threatening and violent.  This is not the case.




Wednesday, January 9, 2013

How To Make Homemade Vicks Vapor Rub

How To Make Homemade Vicks Vapor Rub


How To Make Homemade Vicks Vapor Rub



All you need to make it is olive oil, beeswax, & a few essential oils.  My favorite combination of essential oils for this is rosemary, eucalyptus, & lavender.  Some people like to use peppermint or camphor as well, but personally – it’s a little harsh for me & my children.....
Read the full story here:http://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/2012/12/homemade-vicks-vapor-rub/

Other Sources:
http://www.herbsandoilsworld.com/homemade-vicks-vapor-rub/
https://www.facebook.com/SurvivalGearup?ref=tn_tnmn#!/Selfreliantnetwork


Find Ingredients at Amazon:

Beeswax



Eucalyptus



Lavender



Rosemary




Free Chicken Feeder from Repurposed Milk Bottle

Free Chicken Feeder from Repurposed Milk Bottle


free chicken feeder

What you need to make the free chicken feeder:

  • One clean three litre plastic milk bottle
  • A sharp pointy knife
  • A pair of scissors
  • A white board marker or something similar
  • About one metre or more of wire – according to your requirements – you might even be able to get away with using an old wire coat hanger
  • A pair of pliers
Using the white board marker draw the cut line for the opening on each side.  Make sure there will be plenty of room for the chookss to put their head in without feeling claustrophobic and having to worry that they can’t see approaching prey or an unpleasant peck from one of their flock.  Don’t cut it too low or there won’t it won’t be deep enough to hold enough seed.  Mine is fairly shallow but I only have three bantams that don’t eat much.  If you have regular sized chooks or more bantams you will want to have a deeper feeder and therefore a higher top on the access hole.
Start the cut with the sharp knife using the point.  Then use the scissors to follow the line around until you have cut out and made the access hole. You could just use the knife to cut the whole lot but I found the scissors made it easier to get a fairly neat shape as it gave more control. Repeat on the opposite side.
Using the knife put some small drainage holes in the bottom. Although the grain needs to be changed if it gets wet as mouldy grain is toxic it won’t hurt if it is wet just for one day but you don’t want it sitting in water.  The top of the milk bottle will keep it fairly dry during light showers.
Just below the bottom of the lid put a small hole either side for the wire loop.  Thread the wire through the holes and twist it into a circular loop.  Cut off the excess with the pliers and bend down any protruding pieces so the chooks cannot injure themselves on it.
Homemade Chicken Feeder
Bend about ten centimetres or so of one end of the remaining wire over at the end and twist it so there is no protruding wire.  Then bend the double piece into a hook shape.  Repeat at the other end after you know how long it has to be to keep the feeder off the ground within feeding reach.
Thread the hook through the wire roof and then slip the ringed feeder over the bottom hook.  Fill feeder and watch the flock explore the new contraption. I have one in the moveable ark and one in the night pen.
sources:
https://www.facebook.com/SurvivalGearup?ref=hl#!/pages/The-chicken-coop/223837250974228
http://organicgardening.inmysanctuary.net/wordpress/2012/08/free-chicken-feeder-from-repurposed-milk-bottle/




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Lemon Honey Sore Throat Tea

Lemon Honey Sore Throat Tea



The first time I ever tired this was in Oregon when my Korean neighbor invited me over to share in my first ever Korean food experience. While she was gathering up things like shrimp flavored Cheetos and salty toasted nori for me to sample (this is probably why it took me another 3 years to ever try Korean food again), she also mixed up some Korean honey tea. She produced a glass continaer from the very back of her fridge and dug out a giant dollop of amber colored jam that she uncermoniously gloped into a cup. She poured boiling water over it, and handed me my mug. Wow, the most glorious thing I’ve ever tasted…it was fruity, and warming, and totally blissful. I was suprised to find it only contained two ingredients as well…sliced lemons and honey. She said when she ever had extra lemons she sliced them up and added them to her jar…extra honey? Same thing.

I guess you can buy this stuff pre-made at any Asian market, but why bother when you can use fresh, organic ingredients, and put it together yourself? Honey is a natural preservative and after awhile the lemons kindof dissolve into the honey to make a fragrant, sweet, marmalade like concoction. This would make a really thoughtful dinner party gift. A perfect hot drink during the cold months, and very soothing to a sore throat!

Sources:
http://skillsforsurvival.tumblr.com/post/34356180916/preparing-for-winter
https://www.facebook.com/SurvivalGearup?ref=hl#!/ilikegardening
https://www.facebook.com/SurvivalGearup?ref=hl#!/SkillsforSurvival



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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Survival Doctor - Why Am I Depressed When I Should Be Happy?



Why Am I Depressed When I Should Be Happy?

by James Hubbard, MD, MPH
What to do about depression was a question not easily answered back when I started practicing. There were really no good medical options. The few drugs available had major side effects. Psychotherapy helped, but good therapists were few and far between where I lived.
And then there was the stigma. Everyone thought any mental problem meant you were weak of mind and body. A strong person just toughed it out and suffered in silence.

The thing is, few people suffer alone. You have family, friends, colleagues who care about you. You affect them with your moods and, in cases of suicide, with your death.
I’ve had at least two dear friends who ended their own lives in times ago. I still mourn them regularly. And the families, well, they’ll never be the same. Until the day they die, they’ll have feelings of guilt mixed with anger and sadness over what they might have done and why it had to happen.
In this post I’m going to discuss what to do about depression using modern medicine and what to do about depression if we have a lengthy disaster or ever have to go back to the bad old days. But first:
Why do some people get depressed when they seem to have everything going for them?
Some people know why they’re depressed:
  • Hormone changes: it’s that time of the month, menopause, after a pregnancy, thyroid disease, or just plain old adolescence.
  • Loss of a loved one.
  • Family or financial problems or other extreme stresses.
  • Medications: prescription meds, especially sedatives.
  • Alcohol or marijuana, which are sedatives and can make you depressed.
  • Lack of sunlight. This usually happens in the winter months and is called seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
  • Childhood trauma: physical, mental, or emotional abuse.
But the truth is, your brain, not your external factors, ultimately controls your emotions. External factors can help you be happy or make you sad, but some people have a genetic tendency to be depressed. Then, just the littlest thing can put them over the edge.
One of probably multiple reasons for this seems to be a chemical imbalance. Just a tiny bit can cause a lot of damage. And they’re helpless. What most don’t realize about many depressed people is they don’t know why they’re depressed either. It’s like someone who has a stroke (but much more subtle). Stroke victims can’t just will themselves to start using their hand again.
Fortunately we do have treatments these days that help depression, and with much fewer side effects than in the past.
Conventional Treatments
1. Prescription medications such as the selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and other even newer drugs help balance out the chemicals in your brain that have gone awry. Some people think these drugs (Prozac, etc.) make you a zombie or Stepford wife walking around with a big smile on your face, but I don’t find that at all. Instead, they help you get out of that depressed mode like sometimes nothing else can. They help you think clearer and not fixate on yourself. Then you can take action on some of the family or financial problems that might be part of the external reasons for your depressed state. And there are so many good drugs these days that your doctor can usually find you one with very few side effects. The biggest problem I see with these is that they can take several weeks to work. Be sure to talk to your doctor if you’re planning to or think you might be pregnant so you can get the risks and benefits of individual drugs.
2. Psychotherapy by a counselor or psychologist can help—talking with trained people, trying to work through some of the reasons other than brain chemicals that might be causing depression. Things, again, like family or financial stresses, or childhood physical, mental, or sexual abuse.
3. Regular exercise not only helps burn off stress, but it raises your endorphin level—one of those brain chemicals that makes you feel good.
4. Sunshine: Open the curtains. Get out more.
5. Meditation: A recent study showed 20 minutes a day of “compassion meditation” might help people who are depressed. Apparently this type of meditation is when you actively think good thoughts about helping people or wishing them well. It sounds a lot like what we Christians call prayer—but for 20 minutes a day. It wasn’t studied, but I’d bet a few minutes less than that would help also.
Alternative Treatments
I would always get expert medical help for depression if at all possible since it’s next to impossible to guess who might go from being mildly to moderately depressed, to suicidal. But during a disaster or anytime you can’t get expert medical help, here are some natural remedies you might consider.
1. St. John’s wort may be the most well-known. It works similar to the prescription SSRIs but may not be as reliable. It can have just as many or more side effects and can take up to eight weeks to work its best. So why take it? I’d say only do so in a long-term disaster when you’ve run out of your prescription meds and can’t get any. A typical dose is 300 mg three times a day. Just like prescription medicines, St. John’s wort can interact with many medicines, including other antidepressants, seizure medicine, and birth control pills. Don’t take if you might be pregnant. If you have episodes of manic moods when you get hyper, maybe feel a little too good, you’re probably bipolar (manic-depressive), and this medicine is not for you since it could make you worse.
2. SAMe (S-adenosy-L-methionine) may work a little faster than St. John’s wort but has the same warnings regarding interactions, side-effects, and pregnancy. The dosage is 400 mg to 1,600 mg on an empty stomach once a day.
3. Fish oil supplements: Just like for anxiety, they’ve been shown to help depression.
4. Vitamin B6 and folic acid may help.
There have been rare associations of increased depression, even suicide, with the very medicines that make most people better. If any treatment seems to be making the depression worse, stop it immediately, and talk to your health care provider if one is available.
Have you or a loved one ever been depressed? What has helped?

Photo by Mary Lock–Goldilock Photography on Flickr.

Source:
http://www.thesurvivaldoctor.com/2012/12/07/what-to-do-about-depression/



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Obama supporters shocked, angry at new tax increases


President Obama talks about taxes on Friday, Aug. 3, 2012, at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Sometimes, watching a Democrat learn something is wonderful, like seeing the family dog finally sit and stay at your command.
With President Obama back in office and his life-saving “fiscal cliff” bill jammed through Congress, the new year has brought a surprising turn of events for his sycophantic supporters.
“What happened that my Social Security withholding’s in my paycheck just went up?” a poster wrote on the liberal site DemocraticUnderground.com. “My paycheck just went down by an amount that I don’t feel comfortable with. I guarantee this decrease is gonna’ hurt me more than the increase in income taxes will hurt those making over 400 grand. What happened?”
Shocker. Democrats who supported the president’s re-election just had NO idea that his steadfast pledge to raise taxes meant that he was really going to raise taxes. They thought he planned to just hit those filthy “1 percenters,” you know, the ones who earned fortunes through their inventiveness and hard work. They thought the free ride would continue forever.
So this week, as taxes went up for millions of Americans — which Republicans predicted throughout the campaign would happen — it was fun to watch the agoggery of the left.


Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/6/obama-supporters-shocked-angry-new-tax-increases/#ixzz2HOCX51YK
Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter


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Keeping Chickens Happy During The Winter



Keeping Our Chickens Happy In The Winter

The last two weeks on the farm have been filled with a lot of snow, wind and freezing cold temperatures.  It’s about this time of year that most of our friends and family start asking us how the “girls” are faring in the frigid conditions.  Our “girls” of course are our chickens, and surprisingly enough, with a few simple adjustments, they handle winter better than us!  Now don’t get me wrong, they are not particularly fond of the snow any more than us humans.  In fact, it’s funny to watch them when we open the doors to check on them.  They will run to the door, and the minute they see the white stuff on the ground, they stop, do an about-face, and decide to stay in the warm coop!
The key to keeping healthy and happy chickens through the cold winter months is really quite simple.  Keep drafts out of the coop, keep the inside of the coop dry, give them extra insulation (straw), and make sure they have fresh (not frozen) water and food to eat.  If those simple needs are met – chickens stay happy and healthy even through the coldest of winter nights.
I think a lot of our friends and family are surprised that we don’t have heaters or warming lights in our coop during the winter months – but there really is no need if you have good shelter and it’s properly prepared for winter. Here are some simple basic strategies that we practice with our girls and their coop in the winter:
Keeping Out Drafts
We cover each of the windows in late fall with a 1/4″ thick piece of clear plexiglass. This allows the light to still get into the coop, but keeps out the cold winter winds and drafts that can be so detrimental to the chicken’s health.
We keep their attached covered run filled with thick straw as well during the winter months, and if it gets too cold we can cover the small opening to the run with some heavy plastic strips that keep out drafts.  Make sure if you do have an outside run attached - that the small opening faces away from your prevailing winds – this will also help to keep out drafts.
Deep Litter Method:
One thing we do not do during the cold winter months is clean the coop.  Instead, we practice what is called the “Deep-Litter” method.  In very late fall, we give the coop one final clean-out.  We then put in a good 6″ to 10″ layer of straw all around, and for the next few months, we will add a few inches of straw every week or two on top of the old.  The new straw provides a nice clean, dry surface for the chickens to roam about on.  More importantly – the old straw below, along with the chicken droppings that are mixed in, will start to slowly decompose, releasing heat that helps to heat the coop and keep the chickens warmer.  As the winter progresses, we keep covering the old straw with a few more inches of fresh straw to continue the process.  In the early spring, when the night temperatures begin to rise, we will clean it all out and start fresh.  This big clean-out has an added benefit – it’s a great start to a new compost pile each spring!
 Water and Food:
With the simple practices above – it is amazing how warm the coop actually stays.  In fact, it is usually at least 20 degrees higher than the outside temperature.  Even so, one thing we do keep an eye on is their water supply.  On extremely cold nights, it will have the tendency to freeze over by morning – we just make sure to switch out a new watering bucket in the morning, and all is well.  It’s important to also keep their feeder full of food through the winter months. Without as much access to scratch and dig outside for worms and bugs, they need a steady supply of feed.
I always remember the four words of advice an old farmer told me when we first started keeping chickens : “Happy Chickens Lay Eggs”.  He couldn’t have been more right, and if you keep them dry and draft free through the winter, they are a lot happier!

Sources:



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MAGLITE ASXD026 D-Cell Flashlight Mounting Bracket


Sunday, January 6, 2013

Federal Tax Law Keeps Piling Up

Are the Rules Broken or the Rule-Makers?



If one need collect taxes as close to the source as possible, the same can be said for the source of the problem. Congress cannot resist tinkering, with anything and everything.

The image above shows what 90 years of tinkering have done. Heck, from 1984 until now, 46,236 pages of tax code have been added.

There are breaks for mortgages, charitable deductions, hedge funds, the oil industry, home builders, and too many things to mention. Instead of fixing the problem at the source, Congress added an "Alternative Minimum Tax".

102% Tax rate?

New York Times reporter James Stewart says he was "dismayed" by his own tax rate as compared to Romney, so he invited readers to send e-mails disclosing their tax rates and circumstances. Stewart was "deluged with submissions".

One respondent, James Ross, a founder and managing member of Rossrock, a Manhattan-based private investment firm that focuses on commercial real estate and distressed commercial mortgages beat everyone hands down.

Let's pick up the story from there as reported by the NYT in At 102%, His Tax Rate Takes the Cake
“My entire taxable income, plus some, went to the payment of taxes,” Mr. Ross said. “This does not include real estate taxes, sales taxes and other taxes I paid for 2010.” When he told friends and family, they were “astounded,” he said.

That doesn’t mean Mr. Ross pays more in taxes than he earns. His total tax as a percentage of his adjusted gross income was 20 percent, which is much lower than mine.

That’s because Mr. Ross has so many itemized deductions. Since taxable income is what’s left after itemized deductions like mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and state and local taxes are subtracted, it will nearly always be smaller than adjusted gross income and demonstrates how someone can pay more than 100 percent of taxable income in tax. Mr. Ross must hope that his interest expense will pay off down the road and generate some capital gains.

How could Mr. Ross pay so much? I thought I was the victim of a perfect storm of punitive tax policies, but Mr. Ross’s situation is worse.

Like me, he lives and works in New York City, which all but guarantees a high tax rate. Nearly all of his income is earned income and thus fully taxable at top rates. (He said that’s not always the case, but given the recent dire condition of real estate, in 2010 he had few capital gains and his carried interest didn’t yield any income.) Unlike me, he can’t make any itemized deductions, which means his adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million, the level at which New York State eliminates all itemized deductions, except for 50 percent of the value of charitable contributions. Mr. Ross said he gave 11 percent of his adjusted gross income to charity.

That means Mr. Ross can’t deduct any interest expense on the money he borrows to finance his real estate investments, which is substantial, nor can he deduct any other expenses or other itemized deductions except for part of his charitable contributions. This means he pays an enormous amount in state and local taxes. Since those are among the deductions that are disallowed when computing the federal alternative minimum tax, Mr. Ross is in turn especially hard hit by the A.M.T.

Mr. Ross said he asked his accountant what he could do. “He said, ‘Fire everyone here and move to Florida,’ ” according to Mr. Ross. He employs 10 people in his New York office.
Seriously Inane Proposals

One extremely misguided soul proposed in a comment on my blog the other day that it would be "fair" if everyone paid the same percentage of their income for things.

Under this proposal, one would need to provide proof of income to buy anything. Then, those with $1 income would get everything for free because a percentage of $1 does not go far. Those who make a $million would pay $400 or whatever for a loaf of bread. Clearly this proposal is inane, yet such misguided ideas are likely behind the absurd complexity of the AMT.


Simple Solution

The simple solution is to scrap the tax code entirely and start all over, with a blank slate.

The only fair way to do things is for everyone to be treated equally. No breaks for homeowners, no alternative minimum tax, no graduated taxes just simple set of flat taxes.

Since we need to promote more savings, I would rather see a national sales tax as opposed to an income tax. Regressive? Nope. It does not have to be.

I propose no tax on food, medicine and medical supplies, shelter, and clothes. Since a huge percentage of income of the poor goes to food shelter and clothes, no one can scream "regressive".

Still, everyone would be treated equally, unlike say a mortgage deduction which only benefits homeowners. Everyone does eat, and need shelter.

How about a combination flat income tax and national sales tax, perhaps split 50-50 keeping the tax collection revenue neutral?

Those who "buy things" other than food, shelter, and clothes (notably the wealthy), would perforce pay a higher share yet everyone would be treated equally under the law.

Moreover, a sales tax is as close to the source as one can get. So is an income tax with no deductions.

What we cannot do is think 72,536 pages of tax code can be fixed. It can't. It's time to start all over with a blank slate and ideally 500 pages of tax code or less.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Read more at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2012/02/is-romney-to-blame-for-paying-low-taxes.html#P85sGmpeqVk1KekQ.99 If one need collect taxes as close to the source as possible, the same can be said for the source of the problem. Congress cannot resist tinkering, with anything and everything.

The image above shows what 90 years of tinkering have done. Heck, from 1984 until now, 46,236 pages of tax code have been added.

There are breaks for mortgages, charitable deductions, hedge funds, the oil industry, home builders, and too many things to mention. Instead of fixing the problem at the source, Congress added an "Alternative Minimum Tax".

102% Tax rate?

New York Times reporter James Stewart says he was "dismayed" by his own tax rate as compared to Romney, so he invited readers to send e-mails disclosing their tax rates and circumstances. Stewart was "deluged with submissions".

One respondent, James Ross, a founder and managing member of Rossrock, a Manhattan-based private investment firm that focuses on commercial real estate and distressed commercial mortgages beat everyone hands down.

Let's pick up the story from there as reported by the NYT in At 102%, His Tax Rate Takes the Cake
“My entire taxable income, plus some, went to the payment of taxes,” Mr. Ross said. “This does not include real estate taxes, sales taxes and other taxes I paid for 2010.” When he told friends and family, they were “astounded,” he said.

That doesn’t mean Mr. Ross pays more in taxes than he earns. His total tax as a percentage of his adjusted gross income was 20 percent, which is much lower than mine.

That’s because Mr. Ross has so many itemized deductions. Since taxable income is what’s left after itemized deductions like mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and state and local taxes are subtracted, it will nearly always be smaller than adjusted gross income and demonstrates how someone can pay more than 100 percent of taxable income in tax. Mr. Ross must hope that his interest expense will pay off down the road and generate some capital gains.

How could Mr. Ross pay so much? I thought I was the victim of a perfect storm of punitive tax policies, but Mr. Ross’s situation is worse.

Like me, he lives and works in New York City, which all but guarantees a high tax rate. Nearly all of his income is earned income and thus fully taxable at top rates. (He said that’s not always the case, but given the recent dire condition of real estate, in 2010 he had few capital gains and his carried interest didn’t yield any income.) Unlike me, he can’t make any itemized deductions, which means his adjusted gross income exceeds $1 million, the level at which New York State eliminates all itemized deductions, except for 50 percent of the value of charitable contributions. Mr. Ross said he gave 11 percent of his adjusted gross income to charity.

That means Mr. Ross can’t deduct any interest expense on the money he borrows to finance his real estate investments, which is substantial, nor can he deduct any other expenses or other itemized deductions except for part of his charitable contributions. This means he pays an enormous amount in state and local taxes. Since those are among the deductions that are disallowed when computing the federal alternative minimum tax, Mr. Ross is in turn especially hard hit by the A.M.T.

Mr. Ross said he asked his accountant what he could do. “He said, ‘Fire everyone here and move to Florida,’ ” according to Mr. Ross. He employs 10 people in his New York office.
Seriously Inane Proposals

One extremely misguided soul proposed in a comment on my blog the other day that it would be "fair" if everyone paid the same percentage of their income for things.

Under this proposal, one would need to provide proof of income to buy anything. Then, those with $1 income would get everything for free because a percentage of $1 does not go far. Those who make a $million would pay $400 or whatever for a loaf of bread. Clearly this proposal is inane, yet such misguided ideas are likely behind the absurd complexity of the AMT.


Simple Solution

The simple solution is to scrap the tax code entirely and start all over, with a blank slate.

The only fair way to do things is for everyone to be treated equally. No breaks for homeowners, no alternative minimum tax, no graduated taxes just simple set of flat taxes.

Since we need to promote more savings, I would rather see a national sales tax as opposed to an income tax. Regressive? Nope. It does not have to be.

I propose no tax on food, medicine and medical supplies, shelter, and clothes. Since a huge percentage of income of the poor goes to food shelter and clothes, no one can scream "regressive".

Still, everyone would be treated equally, unlike say a mortgage deduction which only benefits homeowners. Everyone does eat, and need shelter.

How about a combination flat income tax and national sales tax, perhaps split 50-50 keeping the tax collection revenue neutral?

Those who "buy things" other than food, shelter, and clothes (notably the wealthy), would perforce pay a higher share yet everyone would be treated equally under the law.

Moreover, a sales tax is as close to the source as one can get. So is an income tax with no deductions.

What we cannot do is think 72,536 pages of tax code can be fixed. It can't. It's time to start all over with a blank slate and ideally 500 pages of tax code or less.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Read more at http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2012/02/is-romney-to-blame-for-paying-low-taxes.html




85-year-old Denver man accused of felony assault with cane

85-year-old Denver man accused of felony assault with cane



DENVER - An 85-year-old accused of using his cane as a deadly weapon repeatedly told a Denver judge Thursday that he couldn't hear most of the proceedings that were taking place inside the courtroom.
His son, a clearly agitated Larry Copeland, was hardly surprised.
"He's lost 85 percent of his hearing," Copeland explained shortly after the hearing.
Denver Police arrested his father, John Copeland, shortly before midnight on Wednesday inside the north Denver home the two share.
Police believe the elder Copeland used a cane to assault a Denver Disability Parking Enforcement Volunteer at the Stapleton Home Depot parking lot last month. While prosecutors have yet to charge John Copeland, court records show he's being held on suspicion of second-degree assault, a felony.
"My father was in bed, in pain, and sick when [Denver Police officers] took him to jail handcuffed," Larry Copeland said.
From jail Thursday evening, Copeland said he was struggling in pain without all his medication.

He said he believed he did nothing wrong.

"I didn't see no identification," Copeland said about the volunteer parking enforcement officer. "He never showed me none."

While police records of what happened have yet to be released, 9NEWS spoke with the alleged victim, Richard Knudson, 66, by phone on Thursday.

Knudson says he volunteers his time whenever he can to enforce handicapped parking laws in the city.

"I showed my identification," Knudson said. "I told him who I was."

He also revealed in more detail what might have led to the reported assault.

The victim said he was patrolling the parking lot looking for people improperly parking in handicapped spaces when he came upon Copeland sleeping in his car.

Richard Knudson said he noticed the car did not have a placard and decided to write a citation, something he is allowed to do because of his job. Eventually, he said, Copeland woke up and the two got into a verbal altercation.

He said Copeland eventually showed him a placard, but he noticed it was expired by six months, so he continued to write the citation. Knudsen said he also decided to keep Copeland's expired placard.

At that point, he said, Copeland grabbed for his credentials which he was wearing around his neck. When the credentials fell to the ground, he bent down to pick them up, and that's when he felt Copeland's cane hit him on the back of his neck.

The alleged victim said he suffered headaches for two days but had no other serious injuries.

"He could have crippled me," Knudson said. "I'm also a senior citizen."

Copeland's son doesn't deny the allegations but openly questions just how much damage his elderly father could have done.

"I think the whole thing is absurd. It really is absurd," Larry Copeland said.

He said his father has one kidney, high blood pressure, and suffers from a variety of other physical ailments.

A Denver judge kept the bond at $50,000. It's a number Larry Copeland says will be impossible for his family to raise.

"He has to take his medication every day for a variety of things," he said. "If he makes it through this, I'll be surprised."

Source:

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Walmart Urged To Stop Selling Assault Rifles

Walmart Urged To Stop Selling Assault Rifles By More Than 85,000


More than 85,000 people are asking Walmart to stop selling assault weapons in the wake of the Connecticut shooting that killed 26 people last month.
The petition, on action.SomeOfUs.org, urges Walmart to stop selling the Bushmaster AR-15 -- the high-powered rifle linked to the Newtown shooting -- as well other assault weapons. Walmart pulled the listing Bushmaster Patrolman's Carbine M4A3 Rifle from its webstore very shortly after the Sandy Hook shooting, but the company still sold similar rifles in 1,200 of its stores as of December 19, according to Bloomberg.
Walmart is the largest seller of guns and ammunition in the country, according to the Wall Street Journal. The retailer didn't immediately return a request for comment from The Huffington Post.
Walmart brought guns back to almost half of its stores in 2011, the WSJ reported at the time, after the chain pulled them from its shelves in all but a third of its stores in 2006. Bloomberg reported five days after the Newtown shooting that assault rifles appeared to be out of stock at Walmart stores in five states.
Walmart isn’t the only place where enthusiasts are going to buy guns; sales across the country have surged in the wake of the Connecticut shooting as gun users race to stock up. Background checks for guns jumped to a record number in December, according to FBI data. (It’s common for gun sales to increase after mass shootings, as enthusiasts race to buy them for self-defense or out of concern that lawmakers will put stricter gun controls in place.)
Still, the Sandy Hook massacre prompted some retailers to pull some of their gun offerings. Dick’s Sporting Goods halted the sale of semi-automatic rifles four days after the shooting “out of respect for the victims and their families.”
Walmart Assault Rifles


Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/03/more-than-85000-urge-walm_n_2404337.html?utm_hp_ref=business