Amazing Songs From Angus and Julia

March25

And this is my 100th blog post! Woo hoo!

Yum!

March22

I went to sleep in a land of freedom and democracy, I’ve awaken in a socialist, communist, fascist, nazi nightmare of a country because of a watered down health care bill that was voted on by people the country elected to vote on things. Glenn Beck please send me your delicious crazy tears to add to my vodka martini comrade! Yum!

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Heath Care Passes! Finally!

March21

Great news! The health care bill passes! Although trying to get a copy or real summary to see the changes.

Hopefully this brings some real change to the industry! One of our companies just got hit with 20% to 30% raises on rates this year, and they also had the audacity to tell us the insurance company says they are working hard to sell us on what they call “educating” consumers to buy plans with higher deductibles and so on (ie make more money). I don’t blame them as they are businesses, which is why the government needs to run their own health care, health care needs to be a right or it will continue to hurt our nation and our economic growth. My personal health care rates increased about 20% this year and I have a pretty low end plan meant for emergencies.

Sarah Palin 2010 Video

March18

So scary, the Sarah Palin / Glenn Beck ticket of crazy insane idiots.

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God Damn I Love These Guys

March15

Man I want to hang out with these guys, they crack my shit up. Getting drunk and then teaching people some American history = awesome.

Watch them here, and I love this trailer.

Capitalism: A Love Story

March15

I just watched the new Michael Moore movie Capitalism: A Love Story, it is my least favorite of those he has made thus far and I found my self disagreeing with about half of the movie. He makes a lot of good points but the thing that frustrates me the most is he fails to place a lot of the blame for the housing market on Americans being stupid and getting a second mortgage or trying to live beyond their means. Although he makes good points that this is just the death rattle of bad economic policies of the last 20 years that have stripped low income and middle class families of their ability to prosper and their ability to create wealth decline.

That said people are just dumb, people buy things on credit cards, people take out second mortgages, and people get themselves into trouble (I know as I’ve done it). If people are signing documents that put their house payment real low for a few years and then 2x or 5x years later that is basically gambling that you can afford it by then, and that is dumb. Same thing with college loan, college is probably not worth $80,000 dollars in debt, you can go to a State school for a lot cheaper or find some place in state. And overall it seems the real failure in this mess is the government. The government’s job is to protect Americans but a lot of Americans loosing everything are the same jack asses who call for small government and seem to think private enterprise is good when in fact it just took their house and FFFFed them in the A.

I like FDR’s proposals and wish we had followed through, I think America needs to step it up, if socialism is a dirty weird call it the Capitalism Contract. This contract would draw a line so that Capitalism is adjust slightly towards protecting it’s participants and this helps the system because you have a base of consumers who are better off both when they are in the system and after they retire.

Capitalism Contract

– Government health care. Health care is a right and should not be provided by a company, it should be provided by the government.

– Very cheap college education. I think school should cost something, but it needs to be a lot less. It needs to be something you can afford working part time at minimum wage and paying rent. There needs to be a State school that is quality in every state that is doing medical and scientific research while educating students at a very reduced rate.

– Retirement. The dreaded third rail of american politics. This system needs improvement but I do like it. The problem I see now is not many people are saving for their retirement, I would like to see how much we contribute to retirement increased and handled on the government side of things.

– Higher tax rates on the top tax tiers. For people making over 1,00,000 a year or higher tax that at 50%. The current rate is just 35% after $357,000 and that is low if you look at history. I love business and the motivation behind creating businesses needs to be there, but at some point its not about the money, it’s about the freedom it brings and having enough money to be very very well off. For anyone making over a million dollars a year taxing the remaining portion at 50% is a fair social contract when that money is creating the system that created the opportunity for their wealth.

– Every third Friday of the month is a holiday so you get a 3 day weekend, this is only for 10 months and not for Nov/Dec. Basically would result in 10 extra holidays. I’m not sure how this one would work but I like it, and I think it would be good for Americans on the higher end of the work spectrum who already put in a lot of hours.

– Some type of government run Training Centers or at least informational website. With the speed the economy is going to shift and shift again over the coming years I would like to see a partnership with private companies that are having trouble finding qualified people. So for example with Wind and Solar and them needing people, there needs to be a national website that lists where you can receive training and where jobs are in the country. And maybe tax breaks if you move there to get a job. Not entirely sure how it would work but we need something along these lines, the people who get fucked such as when the car industry melts down need help finding a new industry to work in that is actually going to grow. Otherwise they will remain a burden on the system. I know we have a hard time finding qualified people for basic support all the way up.

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My Favorite Thing I Got In Japan

March14

It is awesome, I feel like some sort of frog ninja in it.

posted under Travel | 1 Comment »

Japanese Monkeys

March14

I thought this video was funny, basically ran into some wild monkeys on a hike and they decided to leave the log and were moving towards me, during which the camera became second priority and not getting attacked by monkeys became priority 1. Luckily they were very nice and after I moved back a little all was good…

Fun times.

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Pictures From Japan

March13

Descriptions and titles if you click the image. Basically my trip went North to Sappora, then to Abashari where I took an ice breaking boat out to sea, then back to Sappora, then down to Kyoto for temples and a palace, then to Hiroshima for the memorial, then to Kagoshima for a ferry to this awesome island called Yakushima. This island inspired the director of Princess Monokyo and the forest was amazing, trees as old as 3,000 years old. Ferry was a bit rough to get there though, 3 hours through dark stormy seas with huge huge waves (fun! especially when you were smart enough to remember Dramamine). Then back to Tokyo for 8 days and met up with Gina and Eunah for 3 days while they were visiting from Korea! They were a ton of fun, and hopefully I get to visit them in Korea at some point!!

Explanation of each picture and comments if you click through to the picture…. These are roughly in chronological order of the above trip outline too.

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Food From Japan…

March13

Comments on what each is if you click the image :)

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Updated My Book List

March13

I’m now up to 26 books on my 100 books in 2010 challenge! Short reviews next to them, not sure how helpful but it should be pretty easy to see which are good and which are bad. I hope more books by Bill Bryson make it to the kindle, that guy is hilarious. I also think the book “a short history of everything” should be required reading in school, I would have had a much deeper appreciation of science class I think. I wish I had read it a few years ago when Tony told me about it. I also strongly recommend Stones To Schools the sequel to 3 Cups Of Tea and it is a very moving book about Greg and his charity’s work to build schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

So up to 27 books, so just need to read about 8 books per month including March and I’ll be over!

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One Of My Japanese Toys

March11

Found this in a toy store, all driven by solar, seems happy and nice to have on my desk!

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Cute Music Video

March8

This is bwb’s personal blog, so he can share his thoughts with the world, however scary or silly they might be. Plus family and friends can track what I am up to, and where I am in the world.

I am pretty simple. I love Mangos. I love the ocean (although mostly at sunset, as I’m a ginger). I love to travel, eat exotic food, do long bike rides, read, and use my imagination. At some point, I decided it was better to be a pirate captain than an admiral. I am a globalist and see the entire world as my responsibility and playground. And I am married to an amazing woman who makes life even more fun :)! And we are now the proud parents of Calico Jack :).


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