Mobility of the Workforce - "Working in the EU"

In this weeks "CARNIVAL OF THE CLUELESS #19" there was an entry by "The Wide Awakes" criticizing a number of facts presented on the European Union's at a glance summary page. He covered a number of the 'facts'. One that caught my eye that he did not address was the following:

"did you know that: the EU allows you to travel, live and work in any EU-country, in most cases without border controls or paperwork?"

I would not call this deceptive. The statement does depend on where you are now as to how 'Great' this aspect of the EU is compared to your country.

Living in the US, I am living in a union of states where I have the same right. I can move to any of the 50 states (and DC) and live there for work and be equal to those that have lived there their whole lives. This mobility of the workforce is a very important part of reducing unemployment. If the population is mobile and has the freedom to move from region to region, they can move to where the work is.

In the EU, most citizens can move to wherever they want in the EU for work, or for any reason without much restriction. There is talk of restricting citizens from new member states to prevent them all from moving to the higher paying countries. But the funny thing is, the EU did not need to enact barriers to keep people from moving from one country to another, as there were already natural barriers in place. Take language. almost each country in the EU has it's own language and I can tell you from experience, that your going to have an impossible time finding work if you don't know the language. Language matters for even trivial work. But that's just for starters. You are not in their 'system.' Not in the banking system. Not in their Social Security system.

Then there is the fact that you are in another country. You have to learn how things are done there. In the UK, they drive on the other side of the road and you'll have to buy a new car because yours has the streering wheel on the wrong side. They do not use the euro in the UK either. Nor is the Euro used in Sweden and in the new EU member-states. As you are not a citizen of that country, you can be excluded from public sector jobs, such as policeman, etc which is a shame since the public sector is normally the biggest employer.

As for border controls, the UK still has them for internal EU citizens too, but it is a formality. However, in a number of the countries, you will have to obtain a residence permit if your going to stay. And if you just want to move there and you don't have a job, you need to prove that you have enough funds to live without assistance as well as adaquate health insurance. This is setup to prevent movement of the poor (most likely from states with poor welfare to those with good welfare programs.)

That's one of the great things about working in the US. Sure, NY is very different from Arizona, and from Alaska, and Hawaii, but I can be confident that all the basics will be the same; The language, the currency, the social security, the tax system and Government.

Note: Fred has worked in a number of EU countries both as cargo ship crew and shoreside.

Being Less Poor

I am tired of hearing supposedly smart (Democrat) politicians and groups like the ACLU complain that it is unfair to require people to spend $20 - $30 to obtain a photo ID because poor people cannot afford them. So this got me thinking, WHY ARE PEOPLE POOR?

At its simplest level there are two reasons why people are poor:

• They do not earn enough money
• They spend too much money / Save too little

To avoid being poor, it is very important to earn as much as possible while trying to spend as little as possible. Good discipline in controlling spending can do a lot to stretch income, especially the more limited it is. This applies to not just the poor but to everyone, as a recent report noted, that its easier to make a million than it is to keep it.

With the two reasons listed above in mind, it is not possible to accurately determine how expensive something is just by looking at the price. To better determine how expensive things are, you should take the cost of the item and then figure out how many hours you have to work to earn the money to buy it.

So if you earn $8 an hour and a movie costs $8 to see, it will cost you one hour of work to enjoy a movie. That is actually a good deal because it only costs you an hour to earn the money and two hours to spend it.

Now add in the cost of a date +$8, dinner +$24, and movie snacks +$8, and your looking at an evening costing $48. Add to that going to lunch and a pack of cigarettes +$12, and your looking at $4 left over from what you earned that day for any other expenses you need to pay, like rent for example.

Strange enough, by using this method, depending on how often you smoke, smoking might not be that expensive. Of course, any amount spent on smoking is a waste of money, it just might be that your not wasting that much. However, you can surely find a better use for $100+ that you would have spent on smoking over the course of a year, like perhaps to use for gas to escape a hurricane, or use the money to pay for a picture ID.

Of course increasing your hourly wage now becomes even more important as it reduces the amount of time required to earn enough to afford the things you want, and take less time to pay for the things you need.

This can be a little difficult if you do not have a job. Then again, without a job, what the hell are you doing looking at designer handbags and expensive electronics instead of flipping through the help wanted pages?

Look, NOBODY is going to help you be less poor. This is something you need to work on yourself. It will take hard work and effort. Nobody is interested in helping an indifferent person. A handout might get you through the next couple of days, but it will not solve your problem. I am not saying to not take the handout. Accept it with thanks, but use it to your advantage and take the opportunity to put some money away.

Also, be careful about spending money to maintain some sort of image. Your friends should like you for who you are, not for what you wear or what you drive. Anyway, it is silly to project an image that is expensive to maintain, when at the end of the day, you are sleeping in a shithole or in the middle of the projects.

So before you go spending what little money you might have, you should really think twice about what is more important, the object, or cash socked away. Here is a list of items I consider potential ways to waste money:

• Do not buy a new car. (Used cars are just fine)
• Do not buy an SUV (Station wagons are just fine)
• Do not spend a ton of money customizing your car.
• Do not waste money on custom license plates
• Do not buy a flat-screen TV. (Regular ones are 1/10th the price)
• Do not order magazine subscriptions (Go to the library)
• Do not buy lotto tickets (They are supposed to help the poor through rich people buying them)
• Do not gamble
• CDs DVD – drain you of packet change
• Do not give money to politicians
• Do not give money to political parties
• Quit or cutback on smoking
• Cutback on drinking
• Do Not Do Drugs - Its certainly not going get you out of the poorhouse and if your use is noticeable, nobody will want to hire you.
• Do not steal - This can land you in jail and when you get out nobody will want to hire you, because nobody likes a thief, especially a coworker who is a thief.
• Do not eat at restaurants or fast food places (or eat out less)
• Bring your lunch to work
• Do not waste money on expensive hairdos
• Do not waste money on tattoos
• Do not waste money on expensive clothes
• Do not waste money on expensive shoes and sneakers

No matter how little you are earning, save something.

• Participate in a direct stock purchase plan.
• Many can be started for as little as $250. Additional contributions as small as $50 can be made with automatic deductions from your bank account.
• Yes, $250 is lots of money, but it is also a goal to reach when you start saving.

Hold the members of your family accountable.

• If a teenager wants money, help them find a job.
• Teach them that when you have a job, that you do your job correctly.
• Do not worry about what others are getting away with, do things correctly. It will eventually be to your benefit.

Consider the possibility that you need to move to a different part of the country to find a decent job with a decent wage.

Stop blaming all your problems on race. Try taking advantage of it for a change. there are opportunities available to minorities that are not available to whites.

• Colleges need to have a minimum amount of black students to avoid being racist.
• You do not have to do as well academically to get into college
• You have more grants, scholarships, and reduced tuition possibilities than whites.

If you do well, you will probably end up 'stealing' jobs from whites.

Georgia Voter ID Law a ‘Poll Tax’ Says U.S. District Court Judge Harold Murphy - FFI

The Road To Poverty - Signal 94

Signs that Allah (God) is not on Your Side: Update

There was recently a devastating earthquake in Pakistan. Apparently the hardest hit area of Pakistan includes the region where Osama Bin Laden is believed to be hiding as well as parts of Kashmir where there has been a problem of Muslim extremists.

“New Delhi estimates that anywhere between 500 to 2,000 militants might have been killed in the October 8 earthquake that has claimed over 40,000 lives. Although the impact on cross-border militancy is yet to be known, several observers have pointed out that the killer quake is the biggest flushing out of the jihadi infrastructure in Pakistan that might have occurred in the region.”

To add to the whole insult against the extremist movement, many of the victims of the quake have been receiving aid from the American Military that has been flying helicopter aid missions in the region.

There are even questions being raised about the fate of Osama Bin Laden. Could it be that the quake buried him in some cave up there?

“10/12/05 - Members of the Pakistan military and civilians from multinational relief agencies carry an injured woman to a U.S. Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter for a medical evacuation in the remote Pakistani village of Rawalakot, Oct. 12, 2005, while a U.S. Army CH-47D Chinook helicopter, background, prepares for its next mission. The Department of Defense”

There are thousands of poor people who are unwitting victims in this tradgedy who truly need help. So try to keep that in mind.

Signs that Allah (God) is not on Your Side - FFI
Nature forces back terror – AT Times

A Little Perspective On Military Deaths

With the news of the 2,000th Military death in Iraq there seems to be no perspective concerning what has actually been accomplished.

We took Afghanistan and remain there to this day at a cost of under 300 American lives.

We took and continue to hold Iraq for over two and a half years at a cost of around 2,000 American dead. While the body count continues to grow in both operations, the cost in American human life has yet to reach the number of lives lost on 9/11 in just a couple of hours due to terrorism.

Both Afghanistan and Iraq provided the US with an excuse for the US to attack them.

The accomplishment highly outweighs the price paid in terms of American lives lost, not only on the American side, but on the Iraqi side also. The cost however is extremely high for the individual families of those killed and injured, as each one of those deaths and injuries is a tragedy for that soldier’s family and friends. However, America as a whole, all 300 million of us, benefit greatly from the sacrifice of the 2,000 and all the others who continue to fight to protect America. We should all be very greatful that there are so many willing to take up arms for America.

One number not being counted by the press and anti-war crowd is the lives that have not ended as a result of the US War against Terror. Would there have been another 9/11? Would 2,000 soldier’s lives lost be worth preventing another 9/11? What about Saddam’s killings? There was no shortage of state-sponsored murder in Saddam’s Iraq. The cost of our war dead did result in a changed world, which over time will be much better than the one that included Sadam.

I see no mention in the press of the toll that other nations whose soldiers are serving in Iraq have paid. Soldiers from the UK, Italy, Ukraine, Poland, Spain, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Netherlands, Estonia, Thailand, El Salvador, Latvia, Denmark and Hungary have all suffered casualties in Iraq.

Also, there is another issue that needs to be addressed that so far appears to have been overlooked. Saddam did not believe that the US would actually invade Iraq. He was paying off the Russians and the French, who managed to get the Germans and Chinese to stand up for Saddam with them and they did a great job of subverting any action coming out of the UN Security Council. Then there were the hundreds of thousands of anti-war (anti-Bush) protestors protesting against the US around the world. Then there were the many intrepid people who traveled to Baghdad to act as human shields for Saddam. Not only did these groups not prevent the war, they probably helped make it a reality by giving Saddam false hope that world pressure would protect him, despite his utter failure to come clean in accordance with Security Council Resolutions.

“Senior (Iraqi) military officers and former Regime officials were uncertain about the existence of WMD during the sanctions period and the lead up to Operation Iraqi Freedom because Saddam sent mixed messages.” - Page 94, WMD Report

The War on Terror is not a fight against Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. This is a fight against terrorism. The former Iraqi Government was a terror enabler. Saddam had to go. Libya was also a terror enabler. It is now an example that there are peaceful solutions, however the outcome is not solely in the hands of the US, EU and UN.

For peaceful solutions to work, you need a cooperative party on the other side who is also willing to work towards a peaceful outcome. In the case of Libya, both sides were able to work together. We did not have that in Iraq, nor did we in Afghanistan. We do not seem to have governments conductive to peaceful outcomes in Iran or North Korea either. So the next time you start shouting “War is not the answer” do be sure that both sides get the message. (That doesn’t mean Republican and Democrat.)

Iraq War Casualties

The Connection between Iraq, Al-Qaeda and the War on Terror - FFI
Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. - FFI
Fallout likely caused 15,000 deaths - USA Today

Reason to like the Lada

"People make jokes about a Lada like the one we have, but would you want to do something like this in anything but a Lada?" - Fred's Friend 6 June 2003

A friend of mine sent this to me a while ago. It was apparently taken in Finland, at least that's my guess.

Georgia Voter ID Law a ‘Poll Tax’ Says U.S. District Court Judge Harold Murphy

There is no possible way that the US can pass a law requiring voters to present a photo ID when they vote that the Democrats will not claim disenfranchises the poor in some way. For starters, I don’t see any Democrats proposing any voter ID laws.

It is common sense to ask voters to present a photo ID when they vote. Not requiring a photo ID to vote in nothing more than an invitation to fraud.

This brings me to the Great State of Georgia in which Republicans have been accused of 'ramming' a Voter Photo ID through the legislature.

A federal judge in Rome today issued an order suspending a new state law requiring voters to show photo ID at the polls for the upcoming November municipal elections throughout Georgia.

U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy granted the injunction to lawyers for Common Cause of Georgia, the ACLU, the NAACP and other groups who challenged the law that requires Georgians to purchase a state-issued photo identification before voting. - ajc.com

This centers on the inability of the poor and the elderly to purchase photo IDs.

Unemployed get unemployment. Others get welfare. The elderly get social security. When all else fails, children can ask their parents for the money. Parents can ask their children for money. People who received $2,000 from FEMA can put $35 aside for a new ID, especially if they can spend cash for $700 Prada bags, alcohol, and strippers.

This argument of the Democrats has nothing to do with not being able to afford an ID. It is an excuse to keep the window open to permit fraud. Every person can manage the fee to obtain an ID. They just decide to spend that money on something else.

Having an ID has other benefits unrelated to voting.

• Minorities and the poor need a photo ID to cash Social Security, unemployment, welfare and other checks.
• Minorities and the poor need photo IDs to write checks.
• Minorities and the poor need photo IDs to use bankcards and credit cards.
• Minorities and the poor need photo IDs to buy alcohol and cigarettes.
• Minorities and the poor need driver’s licenses (a photo ID) in order to drive.

It makes you wonder how many people don’t already have an ID?

What also bothers me is that you do not have to obtain a new ID each year, IDs are valid for a number of years.

There is a provision in this law to permit those who cannot afford an ID to get one for free. But it has been challenged as not fair because it is not as easy to obtain a free ID as it is to pay for it. Why not make state ID’s free for everyone and available at all DMV offices? I am sure the Democrats will fine some problem with that too. Perhaps it is too much for the old people to get there, forgetting that they manage to get to other places, like to casinos and to bingo, as well as to the polls on election day.

The Federal Government should take control of this issue and pass a voter photo ID law. Just as the 10,000 black people ‘stranded’ without transportation (who were believed drowned) in New Orleans managed to somehow escape the city on their own, they will also manage to obtain an ID in order to vote. To suggest otherwise is an insult to them.

Voters want a requirement to show an ID at the polls. I challenge Democrat lawmakers to come up with a workable solution to this issue instead of declaring every proposed solution as being biased, racist or unconstitutional. Don't give me problems, give me a solution.

Voter I.D. -- No Complaints from Dead Voters - Commonvoice.com

Public biggest loser in voter ID law brawl - MDJOnline.com

P.S.

Congressmen John Conyers Jr. came out praising the judge’s decision:

"Truth be told, the issue should have never reached this point - the Georgia Legislature should never have passed this modern day poll tax, the Governor should not have signed it, and the Justice Department should have intervened to stop it. That is why 21 Members and I asked the Department to prevent this law from taking effect.” - Congressman Conyers.

If this Congressman is so concerned about the poor, then you would never think that the Congressman’s Staff would steal turkeys intended for the poor. Too bad that last year, that is exactly what happened. 61 Thanksgiving turkeys were given to the Congressman’s staff to pass to his constituents that were poor. Too bad the trail of the turkeys ended with the staff members.

I guess the Congressman does not realize that it’s no fun to vote on an empty stomach. That’s strange, since other Democrats keep getting caught giving out cigarettes and beer on election day to the homeless to entice them to vote. How about giving out money for Ids?

Conyers Commends Decision to Bar Georgia's Voter ID Law - Scoop News NZ
Did Conyers' Staff Steal Food From The Hungry? - Captain’s Quarters

Update: 6 May 2006

The Voter Fraud Party - California Conservative

One Year as a Fund Manager

I recently passed the one-year mark in managing a Mutual fund. The fund was started a year ago with One Million ($1,000,000) US Dollars. Currently it is worth about $1.2+ million which comes out to just over a 20% return. Pretty respectable, considering that the market has been horrible over the last year especially recently.

This is not a real mutual fund, it is a virtual fund. The website, Marketocracy.com lets you operate your own fund. It is a great way to see how well you would do IF you had lots of money to invest in the stock market. Not only can you see how well you can do, but you also get ranked against other funds on the site. Over the last year, my fund outperformed 86.4% of the other funds on the site. I think that is pretty respectable considering that while attempting to make a profit, you need to keep the fund in compliance with fund rules.

Now I am investing in the market, both trading occasionally via the web as well as making monthly purchases through BP, ExxonMobil, and GE's Direct Investment Programs. These programs allow you to invest as little as $50 a month. In addition, every three months there is a dividend that also increases the amount of shares that you own. It is a great way to save, and over time, the investment grows nicely.

Now, I only need to get my hands on a real million or two.

Fund Performance for merimies's Mutual Fund - Marketocracy

Fighting Illegal Immigration is easier than anyone is willing to admit: UPDATE

In my original post "Fighting Illegal Immigration is easier than anyone is willing to admit" I wrote about how the US can fight illegal immigration. One main aspect of the plan called for ending 'catch and Release.' It seems that the Government has finally decided to acknowledge that this is a problem as stated by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff recently:

Our goal at DHS (Homeland Security) is to completely eliminate the 'catch and release' enforcement problem, and return every single illegal entrant, no exceptions.

It's about time that this problem gets addressed. Of course this is not the only issue needing attention when it comes to illegal aliens.

P.S.

As for legal aliens the Government needs to get on the case of the "US Citizenship and Immigration Services" also known as BCIS. BCIS is by far the WORST Government Agency. Be happy that you were born an American, because this agency will put you through your paces as different members of the Agency provide you with conflicting information, deceive and outright lie to you, as they put their hand over their badge so that you cannot take down their name while all the time demanding more money from you because another file needs to be completed. But no matter your efforts, some invisible person working in the BCIS Texas Service Center will go and put the wrong name on your wife's Greencard, just for laughs.

I only mention this about BCIS because if the Government intends to kick out all of the illegal aliens, it would be helpful to provide all of those who are here legally with documentation to prove their legal status.

US security chief strives to expel all illegal immigrants - Breitbart.com
Fighting Illegal Immigration is easier than anyone is willing to admit - Fred Fry International
Greyhound Bus lines - No Tickets for Illegal Aliens - Fred Fry International
US Citizenship and Immigration Services

Do we really want to Force Liberals to have more children? The Abortion Issue.

I am sick and tired of hearing about Roe v. Wade. It is almost as if the Supreme Court is going to hear only one case in the next twenty years.

Sure, abortion is a very sensitive issue no matter which side you stand behind. Unfortunately, neither side is willing to put forward a sensible solution. At its most basic level, abortion is merely one solution to the problem of an accidental pregnancy.

Listening to the PRO-CHOICE backers, one would think that there was ONLY one choice available, abortion. On the other side of the issue, the PRO-LIFE backers carry on with their message that it is ‘murder to stop a beating heart.’ For the large number of people who feel strongly (one way or the other) on this issue, it is very disappointing to me that only the extreme positions are being voiced.

Abortion is one of many choices available today. Not having an abortion is also a choice.

Women who do not want to have a baby have many choices to choose from in order to avoid becoming pregnant. Of course there is abstinence, but who are we kidding, abstinence is no fun. Nobody said that all of your choices have to be appealing and as it so happens, the most effective way to prevent accidental pregnancy just happens to be avoiding physical sex. Nonetheless, abstinence is a choice.

One thing that both sides need to accept is that they are going to have to accept a compromise situation. The Pro-Lifers, have a huge problem if they ever expect to ban abortions for even if they manage to get Roe v. Wade reversed, that will merely revert abortion regulation back to the states. New York was one state where abortion was legal prior to Roe v. Wade. So while some states might pass laws banning or severely restricting abortions, women can go to a neighboring state for the procedure. The Pro-Choicers are going to have their hands full trying to limit the tightening of restrictions on how late in a pregnancy a person can obtain an abortion, especially considering that modern technology now makes survival of ever-younger fetuses possible.

Every day a pregnant woman does not have an abortion is another day that she HAS CHOSEN to keep the baby. Being pro-choice works both ways. A choice is made and it is not only a choice to have an abortion but also a choice to have a baby.

At some point, you have to say enough is enough and stick with the choices that you have made the day before, and many days before that. Every day a woman keeps the baby, the baby is a day closer to surviving outside the womb. Once the baby gets to a certain point, say like 20 weeks, then she should commit to sticking with the pregnancy until giving birth. We all make agreements every day that we are held accountable to, and this should be no different. If you want to give the baby away once it’s born, then so be it and it should be easy to do this if a woman does not want to keep the baby.

But this is only half the issue. You seen, most of the time the woman who is looking for an abortion, never wanted to get pregnant in the first place. In this day and age many people that get accidentally pregnant get that way due to their own carelessness and (while some studies deny it) their own stupidity. There are so many ways to keep from getting pregnant. Sure no birth control method is perfect. However, there is no rule saying that you can use only one. Ideally, more than one should be employed to increase protection as well as protect against the possibility of failure of any one device. Getting pregnant is also not the only risk of having unprotected sex. While birth control pill will protect against getting pregnant, they do nothing about preventing the transmission of STD. So ideally the man should wear a condom no matter what type of birth control the woman is using. However, just using the pill (correctly) is a very effective form of birth control.

The Pro-Life group also needs to become more pro-active. Last fall I stopped by one of their booths located in a street fair in Front Royal Virginia. Not one item concerned safe sex or ways to prevent accidental pregnancy. There was not even anything on abstinence. When I asked why there was no prevention material available I was told that they are not allowed to hand out that type of material.

Abortion should not be the issue it is if those who keep shouting ‘woman’s choice’ explain to their children that they have choices they can make to avoid having to make the choice of having an abortion.

At the end of the day, each family has their own set of issues, concerns, cultural and religious beliefs and problems that they need to deal with. Not all Americans are religious. Many Americans have a problem with abortion, but some of them will still have one despite their convictions. I for one think that abortions should be legal, to a point, say 20 weeks. That’s five months into the pregnancy and past the halfway point. That is plenty of time to end the pregnancy and much more time that they spent deciding to have sex in the first place.

I also think that there should be models of the fetus for each of those 20 weeks so that each person asking for an abortion knows exactly what they are asking to be removed from them. There has been something similar that is being done in places and apparently some women do change their minds and that is pissing off the Pro-choice people.

To prevent unwanted pregnancies the Government should immediately approve use of the day-after pill in the US. Along with this, there is no room in this whole argument for pharmacists who refuse to dispense birth control pills. They should be fired for failing to carry out their job. If this is an issue, they should have realized this conflict of interest before going to school. I find their stance the most ridiculous as their refusal to distribute birth control might actually result in increased abortions.

Oh, yes, the title of this post. I find it strange that if the Pro-Lifers ever get their way, that would theoretically result in many more births to ‘liberal’ parents than ‘conservative’ parents. Just what the world needs, more moonbats....

Fred

P.S.
Apparently I am not the only person bothered by this whole abortion issue. Reliapundit has a great post on this subject:

TECHNOLOGY CAN MOOT THE ABORTION DEBATE – Astute Blogger

I agree with his post entirely. I would even think that this process might even be cheaper than artificial insemination, provided they figure out how to get the embryo to ‘stick’ inside the new mommy. Another benefit from artificial insemination is that there will not be all these fertilized eggs in freezers across the country.

Other sites:
How abortion is costing the Democrats voters--literally. - Opinion Journal
Oral contraceptives are highly effective - RxList
There is NO SUCH THING as Accidental Pregnancy – “Little Whip’s Lair”
Envisioning Life Without Roe: Lessons Without Borders - Guttmacher.org
The causes of unplanned pregnancy – The Pro-Choice Forum
Pre-emptive Executions? - Steve Sailer
Teenage Pregnancies Not Always An Accident – Aphrodite Womens Health

USSR Passport: Issued in 2000!

The USSR was no more as of 1991, or was it?

Take a look at this Soviet passport (personal details removed) and you can see that it was issued in 2000.

I am unable to find the issuing authority for these passports. Now I have learned that the Internet suffex '.su' for the Soviet Union is still in use. What's going on here?

This reminds me of the Simpsons episode where the Soviet Union returns (See video clip here)

Didn't we win the Cold War?

Soviet Union - Wikipedia
.su - Wikipedia
The Simpsons - Soviet Union

(St. Petersburg Metro Station, October 1999. The shadow in the right corner is a female security officer 'requesting' that I put my camera away, by yelling and putting a hand over the camera.)

Gore 2008 - Not Happening

Former Vice President Gore spoke in Stockholm, Sweden today 12 October. Most notably, he stated that he will never run for President again. Looking around the internet, there are sure to be a number of conservatives that will actually be disappointed at this announcement. I for one was hoping for a Gore-Sharpton ticket.

In addition to announcing that he will not run, he took the opportunity to trash the current administration, and repeat false accusations, providing those who hate America with ammunition in the form of quotes and sound bites, from one of our own. For example:

If Gore was President:

"We would not be trying to control and intimidate the news media. We would not be routinely torturing people," - Former VP Gore

The first comment is ridiculous. This administration cannot control the media any more than they can control bloggers. Hell, it has been documented that Bush cannot even control dissent in his own bookstore. Perhaps Gore has forgotten, but the media in the US (and everywhere else) is heavily biased against Bush.

As for torture, I do not think that any country is immune to the possibility of acts of brutality against those under their control. Does the US routinely torture people? No. Members of the US military have been caught torturing prisoners. That's different. And my understanding is that the incident occurred over the period of one night. That's hardly routine.

I am against torture in general.

I am not against making life difficult for prisoners. After all, for most of them, it is entirely their fault that they ended up in prison in the first place. So think before you do the crime. The punishment might be much worse than you expect.

Now whose prison would you rather find yourself a guest of, Bush's or Saddam's? If I had to bet a bad day at Bush's prison is probably still better that a good day at Saddam's prison. Provided that you survived the event. Of course in Saddam's prison, there were eight years that you could feel warm inside because Clinton and Gore were in the White House. Then again, you might not have been lucky enough to get as far as Saddam's Jail.

Here are some relevant Gore Quotes from the past:

"We know that he has stored secret supplies of biological and chemical weapons throughout his country." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.

"Iraq's search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power." - Al Gore, Sept. 23, 2002.

Gore had his chance in 2000 and he was not smart enough to take advantage of Clinton's popularity to get him the job. Now it is nearly impossible for him to win the position as there are five years worth of Gore quotes just waiting to be used against him.

Gore: I Won't Run Again - CBS News
If Bush is such a dictator, why can't he even stifle dissent in his own bookstore? - Opinion Journal
Saddam's daily horrors make America's Abu Ghraib abuses seem almost trivial - World Net Daily
SPEECH BY SENATOR AL GORE concerning Iraq - September 29, 1992

Other Fred Fry 2008 Postings:

Biden 2008? - Last Exit Before Toll - 9 Oct 2005

Obama 2008? Mr. Electability? - 25 July 2005

PETA Presents: "Daddy Kills Animals" Comic Books

This is beyond ridiculous.

"Keep your doggies and kitties away from him. He's so hooked on killing defenseless animals that they can be next!"

Talk about intolerence. Keep your sick comics away from my kid.

PETA has made other news lately, what I like to call "Our Way or the Pie Way!"

"PARIS (AP) — Anna Wintour, editor in chief of Vogue magazine, was hit with a tofu pie by anti-fur demonstrators as she attended Paris fashion week."

"Dan Mathews, vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said the vegetarian tofu tart was retaliation for Vogue's decision to run fur ads while refusing to use PETA's anti-fur messages." - USA Today

Poor Peta, some magazine did not want to run their ad. Looking at their comic book, I don't blame them. It does not matter how classy the ad they provided might have been, PETA itself is an extremist organization and Vogue was not interested in pissing off their readers. Now they have also managed to open themselves to a nice lawsuit.

Adding insult to injury, PETA is a Google News Source.

Spotted first at Ace of Spades HQ:

If It Worked For the Nazis and Soviets, Why Not PETA?

Biden 2008? - Last Exit Before Toll

Senator Joseph Biden, Democrat from Delaware, announced in June that he was planning on seeking the Presidential nomination for the Democrat Party for 2008.

I have serious doubts that he has a realistic chance of getting the nomination, let alone making it all the way to the White House. I think that that Senator Obama has a better chance of getting the Democrat Nomination than Biden and that is not saying much. I wrote about Obama here.

Biden has a unique problem against his bid for the nomination. He is from the state of Delaware, and every single person driving up and down I-95 is well familiar with the Delaware stretch of I-95. The state likes to tout that it is the home of "Tax Free Shopping" but drivers know it better for it's high tolls. $3 going north and $6 returning south. That is $9 for a round trip. ($3 is for crossing the bridges from New Jersey) That is pretty expensive for about 15 miles each way. The round trip works out to about 30 cents a mile. In addition to paying the tolls, drivers are often subjected to traffic backups extending halfway through the state. We have a policy of never stopping in Delaware. However, now with the baby, we sometimes need to stop to leave behind a dirty diaper.

Who cares of the state is tax-free. I would have to spend $180 during each trip in Delaware to pay $9 in sales tax charged at 5%. In the 2004 budget, it was projected that 2005 toll revenue (pre-toll increase) was almost $68 million.

Tolls are a regressive tax. That means the poorer you are, the higher percentage of your income you must pay in taxes. These taxes hurt the poor and those on fixed incomes, such as the elderly. Many poor and elderly use I95. The elderly especially as they drive too and from Florida.

Sure, Senator Biden is not the one who is responsible for the tolls, but he is part of the state 'operation' that takes advantage of others to meet the expenses of their state. At some point, he will be asked about Delaware's toll system and if he thinks its fair to those driving through the state.

Senator Biden will have a second problem, being compared with the Democrat Candidate for 2004, John Kerry. Not just a personal comparison, but a comparison of each Senator's home state. Also, lets not forget the 'swing voters' and the Independents like myself. Why would we vote for Joe?:

Cheap shot or fair comparison?

Delaware reported upping tolls 50% to balance budget - TollRoadNews
Biden to Seek Presidential Nomination - Washington Post
Delaware FY 2005 Budget Presentation
THE CASE AGAINST DELAWARE. Rogue State - New Republic Online
Regressive Taxes - IRS
Regressive tax - Wikipedia

Lucky Day!

Marion Barry has failed to file a Tax Return since 1998

This is a perfect example of the stupidity of many voters in Washington, DC.

Marion Barry is a career criminal.

Take a look at his 'Legal Problems' in his Wikipedia entry. Yet somehow this guy keeps getting elected to public office in DC. The man was even elected to be mayor for a fourth term in 1994, after serving six months in jail for cocaine possession. The most interesting part of that incident was that the Feds had Barry on Tape smoking crack.

Marion Barry smoking Crack, 1990

He has always claimed that he was setup by the police. Sure, its possible to 'plant' drugs on a person, but the guy did go and smoke the stuff like a pro. Lets face it, you don't smoke crack like you do a cigarette, this was obviously not his first time. I have yet to see an explanation in how he was tricked into smoking crack.

This was also not his last drug incident either:

"In 2002 Barry began a campaign for an at-large city council seat. But the bid was aborted after the U.S. Park Police alleged they had found small amounts of cocaine and marijuana in Barry's car. Barry has insisted the police planted the drugs." - Wikipedia

Barry is now a Ward 8 City Councilman. He was elected to the position in 2004 getting 96% of the vote. Thankfully, I live nowhere near Ward 8. Soon I will be living outside the DC City Limits. It's time to move.

Barry Investigated for Failure to Pay Taxes - WTOP
Marion Barry - Wikipedia

England Flag Banned from UK Prisons as Racist

If you would like to see what happens when you put a Human Rights campaigner in charge of overseeing prisons, then you only need to look as far as the United Kingdom's Chief Inspector of Prisons, Anne Owers.

Anne Owers has banned the flag of England from prisons because muslim prisoners might feel threatened by the guards wearing pins of the St. Georges Cross, which is the Flag of England, as the flag was used during the Crusades. As we all know, muslims did not fare well during the crusades. The pins were sold as a fundraiser for a cancer charity.

She immediately found a supporter in the name of Chris Doyle who is the Director of the "Council for Arab-British Understanding."

"Muslim or Arab prisoners could take umbrage if staff wore a red cross badge. It's also got associations with the far-right. Prison officers should be seen to be neutral." - Chris Doyle

I wonder what these muslims felt about the Flag prior to landing in prison? Both Ms. Owers and Mr. Doyle neglect to point out that these muslims got themselves into this situation in the first place. Weren't muslims imprisoned during the crusades? If so, then by Ms. Owers reasoning I would think that jailing muslims in an English jail would be as equally offensive to Muslims as the flag that flies over it.

If this Flag is so offensive to muslims, then why stop at banning it from Prisons, what about all those muslims in the country that are subjected to the presence of this flag everywhere. Why stop at the flag? Muslims are offended by pork, so why not ban pork products from the country? Oh wait, other insaniacs have already started the de-pigging process:

"Alas, the United Kingdom's descent into dhimmitude is beyond parody. Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (Tory-controlled) has now announced that, following a complaint by a Muslim employee, all work pictures and knick-knacks of novelty pigs and "pig-related items" will be banned." - Mark Steyn, Opinion.Telegraph

I wonder if any of this Muslim employees co-workers will find something of his offensive. If this guy had complained in some city in the US, besides being told to grow up, he would find a never-ending supply of comics placing little piggies in his workspace, on his car, in his front yard, and probably even be the recipient of Pig-themed Christmas Cards.

I wonder, did muslims eat pork before Mohamed? Were they muslims before Mohamed? Is it possible, with today's technology, that pork can be clean for muslim consumption?

Whats next? Are any UK Prison Guards Jewish? I bet the muslim prisoners will have a problem with that!

Anne Owers: Campaigner turned prison watchdog - BBC News
Race fears spark St. George ban - CNN
St George Ban On Jail Staff - Leeds Today
Making a pig's ear of defending democracy - Opinion Telegraph UK

Taiwan is an independent Nation: Update

I first wrote about Taiwan being an independent Nation here.

This week the Government of Taiwan has taken the unusual step of publically demanding that Google correct it's maps which show Taiwan as part of China.

"It is incorrect to call Taiwan a province of China because we are not," - Michael Lu, Taiwanese Foreign Ministry.

"Taiwan is an independent, sovereign state. Taiwan is not part of China." "Taiwan has never been ruled by China, nor has the Chinese government deployed any government functionaries or armed forces here" - David Huang, Taiwan Solidarity Union legislative caucus

Is this a declaration of Independence? Strange that Communist China is silent on the matter all of a sudden. The real qustion at the moment, was how did Google decide to mark the map this way? Did they just copy it from a public source or did someone inside Google decide this himself?

My original Post:
Taiwan is an independent Nation - Fred Fry International (21 April 05)

Taiwan raps Google over map label - International Herald Tribune

Google map says Taiwan part of China - World Net Daily