XIAM007

Making Unique Observations in a Very Cluttered World

Thursday, 20 October 2011

10 Mind Blowing Facts Which Show Members Of Congress And Federal Employees Are Living The High Life At Our Expense -

10 Mind Blowing Facts Which Show Members Of Congress And Federal Employees Are Living The High Life At Our Expense - 


If you were asked to guess, what area of the United States would you say has the highest average income?  New York City?  Los Angeles?  Silicon Valley?  Well, would you believe that it is actually the Washington D.C. area?  Median household income in the region is $84,523, which is the highest in the nation.  One of the biggest reasons for this are the huge salaries being pulled down by federal employees in the Washington D.C. area.  According to the latest numbers, the average federal employee in the D.C. area brings in total compensation worth more than $126,000 a year.  Of course members of Congress are even doing far better than that.  Most of the members of Congress are millionaires, and somehow the vast majority of our politicians leave Washington D.C. far wealthier than when they arrived.  So if you want to live the high life, you might want to move to the Washington D.C. area.  Our “representatives” in Congress and the bureaucrats that work for the federal government are swimming in cash, and it is all at our expense.
Before you read the following facts, keep in mind that median household income in the United States has declined for three years in a row.  While the bureaucrats in D.C. are living the high life, most of the rest of us are going through some really hard times.
Today, median household income in the United States is about $50,000 a year, and in most families both parents have to work or the bills will not get paid.
So it just does not seem right that the “average” federal worker in the Washington D.C. area is hauling down more than $126,000 a year in total compensation.
After all, are they not supposed to be “public servants”?
Instead, it feels like we are serving them.  They get to drive around in their shiny new cars and they get to enjoy their shiny new McMansions in the D.C. suburbs while the rest of us pay for it.
Trust me, I have seen the beautiful suburbs in Maryland and in northern Virginia that seem to go on forever, and it is the U.S. taxpayers that are footing the bill.  Spending by the federal government accounts for approximately one third of the GDP of the entire region.
According to the Washington Post, the Washington D.C. area has become a great place for those that enjoy “living the dream”….
Washingtonians now enjoy the highest median household income of any metropolitan area in the country, and five of the top 10 jurisdictions in America — Loudoun, Howard and Fairfax counties, and Falls Church and Fairfax City — are here, census data shows.
The signs of that wealth are on display all over, from the string of luxury boutiques such as Gucci and Tory Burch opening at Tysons Galleria to the $15 cocktails served over artisanal ice at the W Hotel in the District to the ever-larger houses rising off River Road in Potomac.
All of this wealth did not get created because the D.C. area is a great center for industry or finance.
Rather, all of these people are becoming very wealthy because of our big, fat bloated federal government.
The following are 10 mind blowing facts which show how members of Congress and federal employees are living the high life at our expense….
#1 When you total up all compensation (including health care and benefits), the average income for a federal worker in the Washington D.C. area last year was$126,369.
#2 In 2005, 7420 federal workers were making $150,000 or more per year.  In 2010, a whopping 82,034 federal workers were making $150,000 or more per year.  That is more than a tenfold increase in just five years.
#3 In 2005, the U.S. Department of Defense had just nine civilians earning $170,000 or more.  When Barack Obama took office, the U.S. Department of Defense had 214 civilians earning $170,000 or more.  In June 2010, the U.S. Department of Defense had 994 civiliansearning $170,000 or more.
#4 Last year, federal employees “earned” approximately 447 billion dollars in total compensation.
#5 According to a study by the Heritage Foundation, federal workers earn 30 to 40 percentmore money on average than their counterparts in the private sector.
#6 Today, one out of every 12 people living in Washington D.C. is a lawyer.  In New York City, only one out of every 123 residents is a lawyer.
#7 More than 50 percent of the members of the U.S. Congress are millionaires.
#8 The median wealth of a U.S. Senator in 2009 was 2.38 million dollars.
#9 Insider trading is perfectly legal for members of the U.S. Congress – and they refuse to pass a law that would change that.
#10 The percentage of millionaires in Congress is more than 50 times higherthan the percentage of millionaires in the general population.
Meanwhile, most of the rest of America has been going through economic hell….
-The standard of living in the United States has fallen farther over the past three yearsthan at any other time that has ever been recorded in U.S. history.
-According to the Federal Reserve, the combined net worth of American families has fallen by $5.5 trillion since 2007.
-Half of all American workers now earn $505 or less per week.
-According to Paul Osterman, a professor of economics at MIT, approximately 20 percent of all employed Americans are making $10.65 an hour or less.
While the average American family is deeply struggling to pay the mortgage and put food on the table, the bureaucrats in Washington D.C. are busy shopping for the latest cell phones and trying to figure out what brand of new car to buy next year.
Over the past couple of decades, the federal government has absolutely exploded in size, but this has not helped the poor.  We now have more poor people in this country than ever before and over 2 million additional Americans slipped into poverty last year.
No, the reality is that the people that have reaped the rewards of a much larger federal government are the lawyers, the lobbyists and the bureaucrats.
This is the kind of thing that the American people should be protesting.  Almost everybody in Congress is rich.  Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are living the high life.  The lawyers, the lobbyists and the bureaucrats are having a field day.
Meanwhile, most of the rest of the country is deeply suffering.
It just doesn’t seem right, does it?


Read more - 
http://www.blacklistednews.com/10_Mind_Blowing_Facts_Which_Show_How_Members_Of_Congress_And_Federal_Employees_Are_Living_The_High_Life_At_Our_Expense_/16203/0/0/0/Y/M.html

Wednesday, 19 October 2011

Wall Street banks gave Romney $813,300 during the first 9 months of this year and gave $105,719 to the rest combined -

Wall Street banks gave Romney $813,300 during the first 9 months of this year and gave $105,719 to the rest combined - 

We are never going to restore legitimacy to our political system until we get the money out of politics.  Typically, in federal elections the candidate that raises the most money wins about 90 percent of the time.  In 2008, Barack Obama raised almost twice as much money as John McCain did.  3 of the top 7 donors to Obama’s campaign were big Wall Street banks (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup).  Now Wall Street is doing it again.  The big Wall Street banks are already trying to buy the 2012 election.  So who do they want to win in 2012?  Based on contribution patterns so far, the overwhelming favorite of the Wall Street banks to win in 2012 is Mitt Romney.  The big Wall Street banks have given to Romney as pile of money that is more than 4 times larger than they have given to anyone else.  Even though most Republicans really don’t want him, if history is any indication this means that Mitt Romney is going to be the Republican nominee for president in 2012.

Posted below are numbers from a recent analysis done by the Center for Responsive Politics.  These numbers reflect monetary donations to presidential candidates by employees of these big Wall Street banks (and their wives) between January and September 2011.
As you can see, somehow Mitt Romney is at the top of each list by a wide margin.  Clearly there is a “consensus” (some would call it a conspiracy) among the Wall Street elite that Romney is the man for the job.
When you want to find out what is really going on in American politics, just follow the money.  If Mitt Romney does not win the Republican nomination, it is going to be a massive upset.  History tells us that it is incredibly difficult to overcome the kind of monetary advantage that Romney is piling up.
Once again, the following numbers were put together by the Center for Responsive Politics.  As you can see, Wall Street is once again trying to buy an election, and they very clearly want Mitt Romney to win the Republican nomination….
Goldman Sachs
Mitt Romney: $352,200
Barack Obama: $49,124
Tim Pawlenty: $25,000
Jon Huntsman: $6,750
Rick Perry: $5,500
Ron Paul: $2,500
Morgan Stanley
Mitt Romney: $184,800
Tim Pawlenty: $41,715
Barack Obama: $28,225
Rick Perry: $20,750
Jon Huntsman: $9,750
Newt Gingrich: $1,000
Ron Paul: $1,000
Herman Cain: $500
Bank of America
Mitt Romney: $112,500
Barack Obama: $46,699
Tim Pawlenty: $12,750
Jon Huntsman: $4,250
Ron Paul: $3,451
Rick Perry: $2,600
Thad McCotter: $2,000
Herman Cain: $750
Michele Bachmann: $500
Newt Gingrich: $250
JPMorgan Chase
Mitt Romney: $107,250
Barack Obama: $38,039
Rick Perry: $27,050
Tim Pawlenty: $16,750
Jon Huntsman: $7,500
Ron Paul: $5,451
Citigroup
Mitt Romney: $56,550
Barack Obama: $36,887
Tim Pawlenty: $5,300
Rick Perry: $3,000
Herman Cain: $1,465
Michele Bachmann: $1,000
Ron Paul: $702
As you can see, no other Republican candidate even comes close to Romney at any of these big Wall Street banks.



In fact, of the candidates that are left in the Republican race, Mitt Romney has raised 13 times as much Wall Street money as anyone else has.
The following are the overall donation numbers from employees of the big Wall Street banks and their wives….
Mitt Romney: $813,300
Barack Obama: $198,874
Tim Pawlenty: $101,515
Rick Perry: $58,900
Jon Huntsman: $28,250
Ron Paul: $13,104
Herman Cain: $2,715
Michelle Bachmann: $1,500
Newt Gingrich: $1,250
These numbers paint a very disturbing picture.  Even though Romney’s poll numbers are in the mid to low 20s most of the time, employees of the big Wall Street banks gave him $813,300 during the first 9 months of this year and they only gave $105,719 to the rest of the Republican candidates combined.
Hopefully the American people will wake up and will think for themselves.
But we have seen this story play out time after time after time before.
The candidate with the most money almost always wins.  The establishment is almost always able to pick the candidates that they want, and the rest of us are often left with trying to choose between “the lesser of two evils”.
A while back, Dylan Ratigan absolutely lost in on air during a panel discussion on MSNBC.  This epic rant about money in politics is not something that you will often see in the mainstream media, and it contains a lot of truth….

Read more - 

NASA finds 600 mysteries in space -

NASA finds 600 mysteries in space - 


The Fermi Space Telescope has detected 1,873 gamma ray sources in space, and nearly 600 are complete mysteries, NASA wrote today on its website.


NASA's Fermi team has recently released the second catalog of gamma ray sources from its satellite's Large Area Telescope and have no idea where nearly one-third of gamma rays originated.


"Fermi sees gamma rays coming from directions in the sky where there are no obvious objects likely to produce gamma rays," said David Thompson, Fermi deputy project scientist, of Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.


Gamma rays are a "super-energetic form of light produced by sources such as black holes and massive exploding stars," according to NASA.


Researchers say two-thirds of the gamma rays come from objects such as pulsars or blazars. The remaining third are a complete mystery right now.


Researchers are speculating on the nature of the mystery sources, including the possibility that they are made of dark matter.


"Some of the mystery sources could be clouds of dark matter, something that's never been seen before," Thompson said.


NASA explains that about “85% of the gravitational mass of the universe is dark matter,” and “the stuff we see makes up the rest.”


“Dark matter is something that pulls on things with the force of its gravity but can't be detected in any other way. It doesn't shine – doesn't emit or scatter light – hence the adjective ‘dark,’ ” NASA writes.


Read more - 
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/18/nasa-one-third-of-gamma-ray-sources-are-complete-mysteries/?hpt=hp_t2

Tuesday, 18 October 2011

Fish foot spa virus bombshell - Treatment 'could spread Hep C and HIV' -

Fish foot spa virus bombshell - Treatment 'could spread Hep C and HIV' - 


Alert ... fish pedicure



TRENDY fish pedicures could spread HIV and hepatitis C, officials warned last night.
The Health Protection Agency said risks from the foot-nibbling treatment are "low but could not be completely excluded".
And it said those with diabetes, psoriasis or with weakened immune systems are especially vulnerable and should never undergo the pampering craze.
Infections and bacteria may be passed on by the tiny garra rufa fish themselves or through water used by a previous client and left unchanged.
Fan ... football ace Vincent Kompany
Blood-borne viruses like HIV and hepatitis could be transmitted if infected clients bleed in spa water that is used again.
A report added that the risk is "extremely low, however, this cannot be completely excluded".
An agency spokesman said last night: "We have issued this guidance because there are a growing number of these spas.
"When the correct hygiene procedures are followed, the risk of infection is very low.
"However, there is still a risk of transmission of a number of infections — this does include viruses like HIV and hepatitis."
Some parts of the US and Canada have banned fish pedicures.
Conventional sterilisation of equipment cannot take place because it would harm the fish.
In its report after a six-month review, the agency said salons must follow "strict standards of cleanliness", and ensure water is changed after each client.
They should also check customers for health conditions making them vulnerable to infection, and for cuts and grazes.
Hundreds of high street beauty salons, malls, hairdressers and fashion shops offer the treat.


Read more - 
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/3878152/Fish-foot-spa-virus-bombshell.html

Saturday, 15 October 2011

Room for one more? World population to reach 7 BILLION in next few days -

Room for one more? World population to reach 7 BILLION in next few days - 


The world's population looks set to smash through the seven billion barrier in the next few days, according to the United Nations.
It comes just 12 years since the total reached six billion - with official estimates saying the figure will top eight billion in 2025 and 10 billion before the end of the century.
And it is most likely the baby will be born in the Asia-Pacific region - where the population growth rate is higher than anywhere else in the world.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2049451/Room-World-population-reach-7-BILLION-days.html#ixzz1auGU3g64


Friday, 14 October 2011

FAA Investigates Skydiving Sex Stunt - having sex in a plane before jumping out in tandem and continuing the act midair -

FAA Investigates Skydiving Sex Stunt - having sex in a plane before jumping out in tandem and continuing the act midair - 
FAA Investigates Skydiving Sex Stunt

The Federal Aviation Administration says it will look into a videotaped skydiving sex stunt to determine if the pilot might have been distracted during the incident over Kern County.
FAA spokesman Ian Gregor says any activity that could distract the pilot while he's flying could be a violation of federal regulations.
Skydive Taft owner David Chrouch says he fired part-time skydiving instructor and porn star Alex Torres and hasn't decided whether to fire the company's receptionist, Torres' partner in the video.
The video shows the two having sex in a plane before jumping out in tandem and continuing the act midair.
Authorities say Torres had posted the video on his blog but removed it on Monday.


Read more - 
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/weird/FAA-Investigates-Skydiving-Sex-Stunt--131818208.html


XXX rated version here - http://www.vkmag.com/magazine/onderzoek_naar_sex_tijdens_parachute_sprong/

Louisiana passed a law that bans individuals and businesses from transacting in cash -

Louisiana passed a law that bans individuals and businesses from transacting in cash - 




This summer, the State Legislature and Governor of Louisiana passed a law that bans individuals and businesses from transacting in cash if they are considered a “secondhand dealer”.
House Bill 195 of the 2011 Regular Session (Act 389) broadly defines a secondhand dealer to include “… Anyone, other than a non-profit entity, who buys, sells, trades in or otherwise acquires or disposes of junk or used or secondhand property more frequently than once per month from any other person, other than a non-profit entity, shall be deemed as being in the business of a secondhand dealer. ”
The law then states that “A secondhand dealer shall not enter into any cash transactions in payment for the purchase of junk or used or secondhand property. Payment shall be made in the form of check, electronic transfers, or money order issued to the seller of the junk or used or secondhand property…”
The broad scope of this definition can essentially encompass everyone; from your local flea market vendors and buyers to a housewife purchasing goods on ebay or craigslist, to a group of guys trading baseball cards, they could all be considered secondhand dealers. Lawmakers in Louisiana have effectively banned its citizens from freely using United States legal tender.


Read more - 
http://ackelandassociates.com/cash-transactions-banned-by-louisiana/

Thursday, 13 October 2011

Environmentalists Want Port-a-Potties Installed on Top of Mt. Everest - Volunteers have hauled away 900 pounds of poop -

Environmentalists Want Port-a-Potties Installed on Top of Mt. Everest - Volunteers have hauled away 900 pounds of poop - 


Green groups say there's just too much poop on top of Mount Everest, not to mention trash and even corpses.
Eco Himal is asking the Nepalese government to put port-a-potties on the famous peak, which they say has become fouled by generations of climbers who leave deposits that can last forever given the climate.
"Human waste is a problem, of course," the group's director, Phinjo Sherpa, told AFP. "I am merely suggesting that if we have public toilets they can be used."
Experienced climbers may come with special toilet cans, but others just find a place in the snow, 29,028 feet above sea level.
Eco Everest Expedition a coalition of environmentalists, has collected more than 13 tons of garbage, including 880 pounds of human waste and four bodies since 2008. Climbers are supposed to show they have returned with everything they carried up the mountain, and must leave $4,000 deposits, refundable only when they show they've done so. Still, some estimate that at least 10 tons of garbage remains on the mountain.
Read more -

California Telling 12 Year Olds It’s Okay to have Sex Without Parent’s Knowledge -

California Telling 12 Year Olds It’s Okay to have Sex Without Parent’s Knowledge - 




California has long held the reputation as being one of the most sexually permissive states in the union.  Between the huge gay communities, nude bike rides through towns, nude beaches and history of liberal sexual protests, areas of the state are hot beds for hedonism and promiscuity.


Over the years, not only has the state led the way of sexual openness, but they have also led the way to taking away the rights of parents in knowing about the activities of their minor children.  Among the loss of parental rights was a measure that gave kids as young as 12 years of age the right to seek out the diagnosis and treatment of STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).


This past Sunday, California Governor Jerry Brown sign Assembly Bill 499 into law that goes a step further in providing preventive care for children 12 and over to prevent contracting STD’s or drug related diseases such as hepatitis B.  The new law provides for vaccines for HPV, HIV and hepatitis to be made available to teens without parental consent or knowledge.


One of the bill’s sponsors, Assemblywoman Toni Atkins said, “It doesn’t make sense to leave out medical care to prevent STDs while allowing minors to access treatment after they’ve already been exposed.  This bill will prevent adolescents from contracting life-threatening illnesses.”


What surprised me was to learn that ten other states and the District of Columbia have similar laws allowing preventative care without parental consent.


A number of critics of the law and advocates for parent’s rights have spoken out against the measure, but to no avail.  President of SaveCalifornia.com, Randy Thomasson said, “[Governor] Brown has no excuse to deny patients essential information and trample parents’ consent for their children, who lack the brain development to make big decisions like this.  It is unfair and wrong for AB 499 to coerce children behind their parents’ backs, when calling or emailing a child’s mother or father to set an appointment is the respectful way to communicate vital information and answer important questions.”


It’s one thing for a state like Texas to mandate that all girls 12 years of age and older be given an HPV vaccination as at least parents know about it.  In all of these other states that are making it available without parental knowledge are literally trampling on the legal rights of parents.




Read more: http://godfatherpolitics.com/1481/california-telling-12-year-olds-its-okay-to-have-sex-without-parents-knowledge/

Wednesday, 12 October 2011

Top 10 excuses police hear from drivers using cellphones -

Top 10 excuses police hear from drivers using cellphones - 


Police in British Columbia issued more than 3,500 tickets to drivers for using electronic devices while driving during a September crackdown, according to the Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC).


“The excuses I’ve heard are incredible,” Chief Jamie Graham of Victoria Police said in a statement. “One distracted driver even tried to tell me that he wasn’t on the phone — he was just listening.”


ICBC put together a list of the top 10 excuses police heard from drivers who were caught allegedly using hand-held devices behind the wheel:


1. This is a bogus law. (B.C. has a quick response for that one: about one in four of all fatal crash deaths in the province are related to distracted driving.)


2. It was my boss on the phone — I had to answer it.


3. I wasn’t using it — I just like to hold it.


4. Sorry officer, I didn’t see you trying to pull me over because I was on my phone.


5. But it was an emergency call to my wedding planner!


6. My Bluetooth died.


7. Driver: I’m using my speakerphone. Police officer: No, you’re holding your phone in one hand and steering with the other.


8. I’m not driving; I was stopped at a red light.


9. I wasn’t talking, I was checking my messages.


10. I was just checking the time.


Read more - 
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1068198--top-10-excuses-police-hear-from-drivers-using-cellphones?bn=1