Category: General

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Increasing Gun Violence

Yesterday gunmen went nuts in Germany and Alabama killing a combined total of 28 people.  Both attacks were brazen, calculated and involved an initial attempt on the part of the perpetrators to escape.  Both killers obtained their weapons easily and legally.  The guns were initially bought and possessed by people considered to be responsible gun owners.

Access to firearms by those with a grievance is readily available.  For some reason it’s almost never a convicted felon or someone straight out of mental institution who goes on one of these violent killing sprees.  Guns are too prevelent.  Since rounding up all the guns is not a real option, what’s the correct response to this problem?

With mass availability of firearms and growing discontent and mental anguish because of the economy I expect we will hear about a lot more of these incidents in the coming months.

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My 2008 Forecast in Review

Last year, on January 2, 2008 I posted my 318th entry titled “1st Annual Forecast – My Predictions for 2008”. Now I’m going to look back at it and see how close I was.

“Financial: A major US recession is coming due to the massive credit bubble bursting, an inability of the central banks to continue using credit to create a false sense of prosperity, and continued stagflation. Look for expanded government backed plans like the sub-prime mortgage rate freeze to combat the falling value of the dollar.”

While there was never a sub-prime mortgage rate freeze passed as legislation the rest of this prediction was, well, right on the money.

“Health: Health care costs will continue to rise during a long period of stagflation as health corporations attempt to increase profits or reduce profit loss for their shareholders.”

I guess that was pretty open ended. I don’t know that costs rose exponentially but I’m pretty certain they didn’t go down.

“Politics: My prediction is that the race will be tight. It will be a race between those who support Holy Wars against Muslims and legislating morality verses those who know that if we keep this up “Fascism will come to America wrapped in a flag carrying a cross”. – Sinclair Lewis”

Well it was close (up until the end at least) and after 8 years logic and common sense prevailed over failed fundamentalist ideology. Finally.

“Music: Look for me at any nearby shows performed by KT Tunstall or The National.”

Neither one of these acts came anywhere close to Raleigh. So sad.

“Technology: Microsoft will continue to take a beating for creating Vista and if the new 2008 Server is released it will not be embraced at any influential rate…

Look for more touch screen cell phones to flood the market in response to the iPhone rage…

Flat panel LCD and plasma TV’s will fall below $750 for a quality 42″ 1080p model…

Playstation 3’s will fall to a steady $299 this year and Wii’s will be more widely available as Nintendo increases production…

IBM Network Services Division contractors should be wary of the coming acquisition by AT&T. This could mean more layoffs in Research Triangle Park…”

These weren’t exactly predictions made on the level of Nostradamus but I nailed every freakin’ one of them… Boo-ya! Makes me a little more comfortable going into 2009 since I am suppose to be technology literate by trade.

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Jay McLamb is helping the Feds go after Suzanne Clifton

Suzanne Clifton is not off the hook yet.  I was searching to see if Jay McLamb has been sentenced yet for his conviction on conspiring to defraud the U.S. government by falsifying forms filed with the IRS.  That’s when I discovered that according to this News and Observer article by Johnathan Cox which stated that his sentencing has been rescheduled for February because of his assistance in the federal investigation against Suzanne, the founder of The Castleton Group.  In response to my first blog posting, Should Suzanne Clifton face criminal charges?, on Oct. 7th one commenter said:

“The truth has come out about Suzanne. Jay said, under oath, she had no knowledge of the tax evasion”.

It doesn’t make much sense that Jay would state that she had no knowledge of the tax evasion but assist the Feds in an investigation.  Regardless, the trustee for the failed Castleton Group has filed a lawsuit against Suzanne for taking $3.09 million from the company before its bankruptcy.  Money is still due to individuals who paid towards their 401K that was never applied and worst of all the IRS may still come after businesses that trusted, hired and paid Castleton (i.e. Clifton) for the overdue employee taxes.  I personally know of one company and former client of Castletons that could not weather that storm easily.

All of this so this “Woman of the Year” could make sure she had 6,665 and 6,685 square foot beach houses.  That’s sick.  The worst thing that could happen to Clifon is not jail but to be forced to wear polyester pants while shopping with food stamps and return home to a 32 year-old single wide in a back firing 1988 Chrysler New Yorker.  Divide her personal assets among those she hurt the worst.  Greedy bitch.

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