Re: US strike options on TSP

[abhishek_sharma]

In Conversation: Antonin Scalia

[Agnimitra]

The highest paid public employees, by state.

[Cosmo_R]

@Agnimitra: If the point is that college deans or presidents make less. Here's the crazy like a fox reason:

http://espn.go.com/ncaa/revenue

And that's before alumni contributions to the endowment.

[Agnimitra]

Fischer: Michele Obama Is Inviting Demons Into The White House

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3VTkJUSkr0

[sanjaykumar]

Congratulations el retardo-you have lowered my opinion of bible thumpers even further.

[ramana]

Uty of Maryland near DC finally honors Sidat Wilmeth Sidat Singh!!!

LINK

Rest in peace....
Brave soldier.

[Prem]

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ti ... 40318.html
( Is it retreat, consolidation or foundation of American TNT)

.....Which Cities Americans Are Moving to – and Escaping From
For much of the nation’s history, Americans moved around mostly to find decent work. But these days, people may be more inclined to move in search of low taxes, cheap housing and like-minded citizens they’re comfortable being around. Such shifts in internal migration patterns could transform the U.S. economy and the political establishment in sweeping and unforeseen ways.That’s the contention in Shaping Our Nation, the latest book from political historian Michael Barone of the American Enterprise Institute and the Washington Examiner, who also-co-authors the biennial Almanac of American Politics. In Shaping Our Nation, Barone surveys the movement of people both to and within America, going back to colonial days. By analyzing long-term trends, he helps explain what’s going on in America today far more thoroughly than pundits scanning only the latest poll ratings or batch of economic figures.

From 1970 to 2010, for instance, there was a “mass internal migration” of Americans from northern industrial cities to newer, more welcoming Sun Belt locales. This north-to-south migration is typically attributed to shifting job trends (and better weather), but Barone points out that two of the states to gain the most population during that time—Texas and Florida—also lured people because there is no state income tax.
California, meanwhile, enjoyed a huge influx of people from 1930 until 1990, but has since begun to lose people and businesses fleeing high taxes, regulatory overkill and everyday hassles such as congestion. Many of those people have moved to lower-tax mountain states such as Utah, Colorado and Idaho, while most of the newcomers to California during the last two decades have been Latino immigrants.Another underreported trend Barone mentions in the video above is the movement of Americans to “culturally convivial” places where they feel they fit in. Just as young hipsters might move to Brooklyn or student activists might hitchhike to Berkeley, older conservative Americans might move to “well-churched” cities in Texas, where the population has grown 53% since 1990—twice the national rate.“Texas has been a huge growth magnet over the last 20 years,” Barone says, “and not because it has pleasant weather.”
Cities and states that gain population always enjoy greater political power, of course, as their representation in Washington increases. And economic momentum can be self-perpetuating, since more companies are likely to relocate to a particular region once other businesses have gotten the ball rolling. So there may continue to be a national power shift that favors the south, at the expense of the trendy right and left coasts and unionized cities of the upper Midwest.Some of the high-tax, high-cost cities can fight back, of course, by lowering taxes and doing more to create a business-friendly environment that lures employers. They may even develop an advantage as their economies stagnate and wage rates fall, lowering labor costs for companies that might resettle there. Still, many nightmare cities remain saddled with pension costs for former employees and other liabilities that aren’t easy to escape. No wonder people move.

[ramana]

"young hipsters might move to Brooklyn "

Brooklyn was promoted as the new hip place near New york. Unfortunately in the expensive stadium etc lurks awful crime. Spike Lee said it aptly "Crooklyn!"
One of my son's friend was mugged in Brooklyn and his old Iphone snatched. The muggers were upset that despite his expensive clothes he had that old junk and beat him up extra for wasting their time.

The poor guy had no need to be in that area as he lives in Fifth Avenue.

[Karan M]

Well desi grad students were always told to keep $5-10 in wallet by campus police to make sure they didn't waste the muggers time.

[Prem]

[youtube]shUzrgAUqUw&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[panduranghari]

[ramana]

Are Billy and Dubya reversed? And same with Ombaba and the ? mark.

[Yayavar]

huh! Reagon as Julius? This must be from a republican site

[panduranghari]

The point made is US will burn, figuratively with collapsed economy. Not on my watch was the mantra for everyone until ombaba. Ombaba won't be around after this term. So who will be the Nero while Rome burns? The systemic weakening of US economy is what connects the roman Caesars with the POTUS.

[devesh]

no, that's probably from some delusional Dem guy who thought US wasn't an empire in 1945.

Julius is Teddy+Wilson. Augustus is FDR. the rest are no match to the former. Reagan+Bush Sr might be Vespasian/Trajan.

the unique thing is how quickly things deteriorated after 1993. Kilton was living off the glory of the accomplishments of Bush Sr (economic surplus). his own contribution to extending the empire are limited to continuing former legacy of propping up Islamists against "others". there was no "unique" contribution. he didn't need to. since then, it's been steady downhill. hard to say what caused what in the chicken and egg game. Obama merely steadied the ship from going down too fast. but no "unique" idea that can stop the bleeding. perhaps the retirement of baby boomers will lead to infusion of fresh ideas ?

[Yayavar]

yes, understand....but still cant help but smile at at Reagon getting the illustrious position..

[ramana]

Parag Tope's article in American Thinker:

Hinduism calls for an armed and vigilant society

February 18, 2013
Hinduism Calls For An Armed And Vigilant Society
By Parag Tope

A letter from the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) to President Barack Obama proposing new gun control laws claims to be a message containing the Hindu viewpoint. As a person whose ancestor, Tatya Tope, took up arms and died fighting English oppression while leading the Anglo-Indian war of 1857, I find HAF's proposals not only offensive to me as an individual, but also a deliberate and mischievous interpretation of Hindu thought, teachings, and experience in order to advance its political objectives. After the 1857 war, the English created laws to disarm the Indian population. Writing in his autobiography, M. K. Gandhi termed this disarming of India as the blackest misdeed perpetrated by the English.

By putting the claim of collective good at the forefront of its argument, HAF has blindly adopted the position of those who label themselves "progressives" and has tried passing it off as the position of Hindus in America. Hindus are active in a broad spectrum of the productive sectors of the American economy and are known to oppose government regulations in overwhelming numbers. Therefore, HAF's position is at odds with facts and it cannot be accepted as the representative voice of Hindus in America.

Hinduism's long continuity has rested on three pillars. First, the traditions and festivals that Hindus follow. Second, the stories that have been passed on across generations, and third, the philosophies that have been preserved in various forms. While this triad encompasses a broad spectrum of ideas, there is one theme that is consistent across all of them. Resisting oppression. This holds particularly true in the countless stories that retell how oppressive forces were defeated using weapons, and in the corresponding festivals that celebrate the successes in defeating such oppressive forces.

Hindu society looked to their kings as leaders, but never outsourced its security entirely to the kings. In fact, the society specifically structured itself so that a significant portion of the civilian population armed itself, and accepted the responsibility of defense against any form of oppression, even their king if necessary. Defending the population became their duty, even if they were not on the payroll of the king. This idea of self-reliance is not only key to the structure of Hindu society, but is also represented in several stories and is consistent with Hindu tradition.

This tradition was put into practice during the Anglo-Indian war of 1857. The English rule was oppressive not only in an economic context, but also in creating laws that interfered with Hindu traditions and customs. This war against the English was led by both men and women leaders such as Nana Saheb, Baija Bai Shinde, Lakshmi Bai, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Firoz Shah, Tatya Tope amongst several others. While the planning of the war was done by the leaders, they received resounding civilian support in the form of transportation, supply logistics, and also military enlistment. When the war did not subside even after most Indian leaders were killed, the English publicized a treaty with the Indian population. In the terms of the declaration, the English withdrew the oppressive laws and scaled back their interference in Hindu traditions even as they continued their economic plunder.

This partial victory in the war of 1857 was the result of a large-scale civilian contribution to an armed resistance against an intrusive and oppressive government. This demonstration of voluntary support is rooted in the Hindu experience, which encourages individuals to take personal responsibility for their actions.

The idea that society must defend itself has been celebrated for thousands of years in an annual festival called Vijaya Dashmi (the day of victory). On this day many Hindus perform an important ritual called Shastra Puja (Sanskrit for "honoring weapons") which is a celebration of the day when the Hindu hero Arjuna emerged victorious in a just war after retrieving his weapons that he had hidden away. The weapons used during this festival have changed over time, and today, the weapons in a typical Shastra Puja include not only swords, but also guns of all types. Honoring them as part of a festival publicly demonstrates the underlying desire for self-reliance of individuals in society.

This idea of self-reliance is a recurring theme in Hindu thought, be it of the mind, body, or society. This particular aspect of Hindu tradition is consistent with the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and therefore, like many Hindus, I explicitly support the constitutional right to bear arms.

Any attempt to negate this right is not only against the ideas in the Second Amendment but also against long-standing Hindu tradition and wisdom. HAF's document containing suggestions to deal with the imagined problem due to the existence of guns in USA simply repeats the points authored by some far-left group.

HAF describes itself as a "progressive" Hindu voice and demands an invasion into the privacy of law-abiding citizens who have purchased weapons by asking the government to maintain the records of "buyers whose NICS background checks were approved." It also calls for outlawing weapons capable of inflicting "widespread harm" using language that can be used to justify a complete ban on the possession of weapons. This call for a ban on gun ownership in society is an eerie reminder of the disarming of India and the oppressive English rule that followed. Hindus should remember that the infamous Jallianwala Bagh (Amritsar) massacre of 1919 took place after India was disarmed. It was ordered by an English general on an unarmed public gathering that included men, women, senior citizens, and children, and over a thousand people were killed in a matter of minutes.

Over the past few decades, Hindus have been the first targets of the global leftist movement and have been repeatedly attacked and demonized as "violators of human rights" when they have used arms to defend themselves against terrorism, especially communist terrorism. Hindus in India have also been victims of the Indian government which has imposed the alien concept of socialism on them against their will.

Hindus in the U.S., whose traditions and festivals hold a special place for fighting oppressive forces, should reject HAF's cynical call to impose restrictions on the society's ability to defend itself against any oppression. They should also reject HAF's request to the government to "urge" the media to carry only those messages sanitized by the government and thus trample on free-speech rights. In addition, the call to divert taxpayer funds to leftist political groups and their allies for conducting "research on guns, gun violence, etc." should be firmly rejected.

Hindu values are consistent with the concepts of freedom and self-reliance and do not fit in with the so-called "progressive" position. Hindus should support political candidates and policies embodying these values, rather than supporting HAF which has quietly formed coalitions with leftists and is attempting to herd Hindus on behalf of leftist political groups by building a constituency based purely on ethnicity and religion.

Parag Tope lives in California and is the author of Operation Red Lotus, a book that details the planning and execution of India's War against the English in 1857.

[abhishek_sharma]

The Last Days of the President : LBJ in retirement

[member_23692]

The Last Days of the President : LBJ in retirement

For all his failings, LBJ was one of the two greatest American Presidents, Lincoln being the other. A close third was George Washington.

[abhishek_sharma]

Rumsfeld’s War and Its Consequences Now

[member_19686]

[youtube]aHi5haGHYpY&list=PLcvsYGvdtFFzpvXywSY7pmrEfGbaufVFF[/youtube]

Audiobook.

[Bharath.Subramanyam]

Long time back Ramana ji said that US went to Vietnam because JFK was a Catholic and he was asked by then Pope to 'help' the Christian regime in Vietnam. Couldn't fully understand at that time. Below article shows how a Christian dictator was oppressing Buddhism & its adherents in Vietnam. How the Buddhists fight started the protest against this dictator. Of course the communists later took over the fight.

http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/200114/ ... mmolation/

But it is very clear on what is the identity of Vietnamese society. Also see how the French had created 'Catholic Vietnamese' group to rule Vietnam like we have 'Brown Sahibs' ruling India after 1947.

From a overall perspective it seems like Vietnam was a place of Buddhist - Christian fight over 150 years.

[abhishek_sharma]

The 40-Year Slump

[SBajwa]

by rsangram
For all his failings, LBJ was one of the two greatest American Presidents, Lincoln being the other. A close third was George Washington.

I will rate Thomas Jefferson above LBJ and Washington. He was the first Secretary of State as well as third president. He was among the founding fathers along with Benjamin Franklin, James Madison who worked on the US Constitution and declared the independence of US from the king of England.

[ramana]

China is also the site of similar confrontation for about the same time.

The rise of Communism in both societies is to parachute into Modernism in order to win over the existing confrontation.

[devesh]

Washington, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Polk: those are my pick for the top 5 Presidents. the order I listed them in is not the rank.

IMO, all 5 of them have made crucial contributions to building US, and ranking them is not necessary. but those are my picks for the top 5.

[devesh]

thinking about the Atlanticists dominating US international affairs reminded me of Polk and his mentor Jackson's immense struggles against the elitist Northerners of their time.

it was under Polk's watch (1845-49) that US expanded from the Plains country all the way to the Pacific. Polk was a southerner from Tennessee who was groomed by Jackson. and in the last few months of his life, Jackson would use every last ounce of his political will and acumen to get Polk nominated the Democratic candidate and eventually elected.

and just as Jackson had to face the bitter contempt and disdain of the Northerners during his time, so did Polk.

it might be unbelievable to many now, but at the time, many elite Northerners thought it was a waste of time to expand to the West. for them, the relations via Atlantic to Europe were the bedrock of American international standing. the notion of having to spend resources, time, and money to build a trans-continental nation stretching to the Pacific was thought of as a tremendous waste that would drain the health of the Eastern seaboard, specifically the Norhthern/Mid-atlantic parts.

the notion among the NE elites would change once they realized they needed to dominate the fertile plains and establish a land corridor between Atlantic and Pacific to truly dominate their own backyard. but all that came much later.

Jefferson's Purchase from France was supposed to be the last great American expansion. and many believed any further expansion would only ruin the country.

this is where we have die-hard frontiersmen like Jackson and Sam Houston who played their part in support of expansion. all this might sound like a eulogy to the long-dead pioneers of American expansion. but what I'm really getting at is that it was the non-Atlanticist portion of US polity which was most adamant about reaching the Pacific after the Louisiana Purchase. it was the non-Atlanticists who wanted a nation whose identity wasn't fundamentally dependent on Europe. this in no way meant that they were somehow more enlightened in being less racist or color-phobic. No, what separated the Jackson-types was their fundamental belief that US needed a clean break from Europe. they were paranoid about the designs of European Capitals. they hated the idea of having European armies in North America. they resented the heavy American dependence on trade with Europe (because the terms back then were set by the European financiers), and wished to develop "strategic depth" that would make them more of their own masters.

the modern Atlanticists are the direct intellectual (and in many cases, genetic) descendants of the former Northern Elites who made their fortunes (both political and financial) by exploiting close ties with Europe and often maintained a distinct social identity from the common masses.

[Lilo]

Re: Strip search of a lady indian Diplomat In Massaland.

X-post

Hindu article on what strip search meant ...

Detention procedures applicable to Khobragade, US clarifies

While it was also clear that she had been handcuffed, the USMS however shied away from providing further details surrounding the conditions of her detention between around 9.10am and 4pm that day, saying only that she was “was subject to the same search procedures as other USMS arrestees in accordance with USMS Policy Directives and Protocols.”

To understand these protocols better, The Hindu identified the specific protocol documents – known as Prisoner Operations Service Directives – that determine what actions the USMS can take against an inmate of the sort that Ms. Khobragade was considered to be.
...
...
According to the body searches protocols, there are four types of searches that the USMS is authorised to conduct: pat-down search, in-custody search, strip-search and digital cavity search. Of these the USMS and other sources have indicated that the strip-search was performed on Ms. Khobragade.

Defined as a “complete search of a prisoner's attire and a visual inspection of the prisoner's naked body, including body cavities,” the strip-search is typically ordered depending on the circumstances surrounding the prisoner’s detention, specifically whether the is a pre-trial detainee, which the diplomat was.

The USMS protocol mandates that when such a search is conducted Marshals should ensure they have “a private location that prevents all but designated personnel from viewing the prisoner,” and “all attempts to protect the modesty of the prisoner will be made to include modifying viewing and recording of CCTV.”
...
When conducting a strip-search, the deputy will instruct the prisoner to remove all loose articles and conduct “a thorough visual examination of the prisoner's body, from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet,” the protocol says.

The deputy then moves on to inspect behind each ear and look inside the prisoner's ear canals, nostrils, and mouth, checking under the tongue, roof of the mouth, and between the lips and gums.

They are also required to visually inspect down the front of the body, paying close attention to areas such as armpits, breasts, and genital area, the protocol says, including directing the prisoner to “spread her legs and bend forward at the waist [to] observe the anus area and genitals from the rear.”

“Conclude with an observation of the bottoms and between the toes of both feet,” the protocol advises.
...
...

[ramana]

I think this sanctioned rape of accused and violates the precept of innocent until proven guilty.

[member_22733]

She should thank her stars she was not in New Mexico:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/0 ... 18320.html

[abhishek_sharma]

How Apple CEO Steve Jobs got the liver he needed in Memphis

[abhishek_sharma]

This American Life: Mike Tyson: delinquent, champion, felon, addict, penitent

[abhishek_sharma]

Confessions of a Drone Warrior

[abhishek_sharma]

Snowden and Greenwald: The Men Who Leaked the Secrets

[abhishek_sharma]

Edward Snowden, after months of NSA revelations, says his mission’s accomplished

[Jarita]

How The Ruins Of Detroit Are A Warning For America

http://detroit.jalopnik.com/how-the-rui ... ca-5980916

nd it is awful here, there is no other way to say it. But I believe that Detroit is America's city. It was the vanguard of our way up, just as it is the vanguard of our way down. And one hopes the vanguard of our way up again. Detroit is Pax Americana. The birthplace of mass production, the automobile, the cement road, the refrigerator, frozen peas, high-paid blue-collar jobs, home ownership and credit on a mass scale. America's way of life was built here.

[abhishek_sharma]

Your Crack Is in the Mail

Why did it take the FBI so long to shut down Silk Road?

[abhishek_sharma]

The Shame of Our Prisons: New Evidence

Book Review:

Sexual Victimization in Prisons and Jails Reported by Inmates, 2011–12: National Inmate Survey, 2011–12
by Allen J. Beck and others
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 107 pp., available at www.bjs.gov

Sexual Victimization in Juvenile Facilities Reported by Youth, 2012: National Survey of Youth in Custody, 2012
by Allen J. Beck and others
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 64 pp., available at www.bjs.gov

[ramana]

http://m.newsok.com/restaurant-serves-f ... le/3739956

Restaurant serves food from India, offers truckers reason to stop in Sayre
BY RON JACKSON

SAYRE — Western Oklahoma is known for its rolling prairie, cattle ranches, tall cotton and hospitality. Visitors can now add one more notable characteristic — homemade Indian cuisine, as in food from India.

In a region dominated by barbecue joints and burger stands, there is now the exotic taste of India to sample. The nameless restaurant is tucked away inside the 40 Truck Stop Repair just off Interstate 40 at Exit 26 in Sayre. From the highway, the only hint the restaurant exists is a humble roadside sign that simply reads in the Hindi language: Fresh Food.

Yet the restaurant receives a steady stream of customers, most of whom are Indian truck drivers who stop to indulge in the homemade dishes of their native country. They have done so ever since the doors opened three years ago.

“The truck drivers are the ones who forced us to open,” owner Raj Singh said. “They said, ‘Give us food.’ So we did. A lot of them will eat Indian food in Bakersfield and the Los Angeles area, and then wait until they drive here so they can again have something fresh to eat.

“Everything we serve here is fresh, just like we would make at home.”

Singh, who emigrated from the village of Gunachaur in northwest India, selected the Sayre location for his truck repair business in 2007. Fate ushered him to the spot.

“I had an eye on opening a repair shop,” Singh explained. “So I spent two years driving a truck to see what drivers needed.”

Then one day his truck broke down near Exit 26.

“I couldn’t find anywhere to fix my tire or find anywhere to eat,” he said. “Then I saw this property with the for sale sign. I said, ‘This is where I will open my business.’”

Singh wanted to capitalize on the pipeline of truck drivers from India being hired by U.S. companies. Indian drivers first began entering the U.S. in earnest in 2007, and despite the influx, the Truckload Carriers Association estimates there is still a 200,000-person shortage of drivers nationwide.

For the Indian immigrants, part of the lure might be the wages. The average salary in the industry is about $37,000 a year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The truck-driving phenomenon has even surprised natives of India such as University of Oklahoma business professor Pradeep Yadav.

“I’ll be honest, it has surprised me,” Yadav said. “There are generally two types of professionals I’ve seen come from India. One group consists of thinkers — doctors, professors, and so forth. The other category is made up of the entrepreneurs — people who open a hotel or store or restaurant. But I would not expect them to come here as drivers.”

I have been promoting new immigrants with non high tech skills to learn truck driving and get on with it. Alot of secondary visas are for siblings without computer skills.

[ArmenT]

http://m.newsok.com/restaurant-serves-f ... le/3739956

Restaurant serves food from India, offers truckers reason to stop in Sayre
BY RON JACKSON

SAYRE — Western Oklahoma is known for its rolling prairie, cattle ranches, tall cotton and hospitality. Visitors can now add one more notable characteristic — homemade Indian cuisine, as in food from India.

In a region dominated by barbecue joints and burger stands, there is now the exotic taste of India to sample. The nameless restaurant is tucked away inside the 40 Truck Stop Repair just off Interstate 40 at Exit 26 in Sayre. From the highway, the only hint the restaurant exists is a humble roadside sign that simply reads in the Hindi language: Fresh Food.

I actually noticed this restaurant sign when I drove by there in the summer. What caught my eye was the Hindi lettering on the sign and I was actually thinking of stopping there . Incidentally, there is another Indian restaurant/truck stop on the I40 in New Mexico which advertises on the freeway with signs written in English and Punjabi (it is called something like "Dhillon's Punjab Dhaba"), which I drove past as well.