Big Brother's Watching-My Take on Tracked, Traced, and Databased

I have never been one to be very paranoid about Big Brother watching my actions, and I know that our Understanding Privacygovernment keeps tabs on people in many ways. They keep tabs on what websites they visit and what they post.  There are cameras everywhere; at banks, in malls, at traffic signals, there is a camera in my laptop.  I just never thought that I had anything to hide and that there would be no reason for the government to worry about me.

I am beginning to think otherwise.  I am vocal on facebook and make no  secret that I think this administration is trying to ruin this country and that just in case there is a revolution, there are things one should do to prepare.  I am not a gun collector, even though I own a handgun and some hunting guns. However; I do believe that I may be being watched and labeled as a "gun nut".  I am not a "gun nut", I never even owned a handgun until a couple of years when I became a silver nut.  Because I am always trading in silver and gold I bought a handgun. But I never thought that my constitutional right to own a gun and to speak my mind would get me labelled as someone who should be watched.

Well, in my work I fly all over the country, I am probably out of town more than I am in town.  So, last Monday when I went to check in at the local airport, I was pulled aside and told that they would have to process me differently.  They swabbed my hands with something I can only assume is to detect explosives or GSR, then they took my case with my GPS (They always do this) and scrutinize it and open it.  I fly with the same case every week as do about twenty other people from my office, you would think they had seen a GPS unit before.  Then when I got on the plane, with all my suspicion aroused I know the guy next to me was an Air Marshall.  Well, that's just me, what about you.  Read this article on how we are being tracked, traced, and databased: http://www.lewrockwell.com/spl2/tracked-traced-databased.html. Then tell me I am just being paranoid.

Retire South of the Border-Kiplingers

I keep hearing about the benefits of retiring to Panama. Warm weather and a low cost of living lure retirees from the U.S. to central America according to Laura Cohn, Associate Editor at Kiplinger’s, the Central American country not only offers a warm but also provides a lower cost of living, generous financial incentives for retirees, and a reliable and affordable health-care system. On top of that, Panama uses the U.S. dollar, so there's no need to hassle with foreign currency.

After visiting Panama, one retiring couple decided to go make it their permanent home. In 2008, for less than $250,000, the couple purchased a three-bedroom, three-bathroom (plus maid's quarters) condo in a new, nine-story building overlooking the Pacific Ocean. A similar place close to the water in North or South Carolina would sell for well over $1 million. The couple downsized their belongings and shipped some crucial possessions -- their car, their plasma TV and their Xbox -- to temporary digs in Panama City, where they stayed for a few months while their new home was being built in Punta Barco Village, about an hour's drive from Panama City. They could have retired comfortably in the U.S, but they live three to four times better down here."

Cohn does recommend that you consider a few things for you take the leap:

• Do a reality check 
• Do your research 
• Rethink your finances
• How to protect your health

To find a local lawyer, ask other expats, or use an online resource such as www.movingtopanama.com, which provides a wealth of guidance on the logistics of relocating to the country. (Anyone over age 18 who meets the financial requirements can apply for the pensionado program.) For retirees with a sense of adventure and a taste for the good life -- even if they lack a bank account to match -- a change in latitude might be the perfect plan. "All you have to do is think outside the box and beyond your own borders," says Peddicord. "You'll discover opportunities for a completely new and improved life available for a bargain price." To read the entire article with detailed recommendations go HERE.

Global Warming Debate

I ran across "A Few Things I'll Consider, a layman's take on the science of Global Warming featuring a guide on How to Talk to a Climate Sceptic" by Coby Beck. It is an interesting read from both the human induced cause of global climate change camp and the humans are not responsible for global climate change camps. I tend to believe for now that yes, human have contributed immensely to global CO2 since the beginning of the industrial age. However, I think it is very egotistical of humans to claim that we have contributed more than natural processes that have been occurring for billions of years. Human contributions are minuscule when compared to natural processes. I also believe that we can not stop global climate change nor should we try. The earth is the best one to solve her own "problems" (really only a problem to us).

Anyway, this blog used to be on Blogger and I tried to comment on a rebuttal made by the author to an anonymous comment. I was not allowed to comment for some reason, so I will comment here.

I cannot believe you did not even acknowledge the Max Plank Institute in a comment made by anonymous on January 02, 2007 3:02 PM. Instead you just referred him to the IPCC, a political organization. The Max Plank Institute is a research facility that consists of many of the greatest scientific minds in the world. I cannot believe you dismissed them so lightly. I have not read the article referred to but I think it deserves some comment on the contents, if such an research article exists. You bet I will be searching for said publication for my own interpretation.

Snakeflake
bestmedicationstation.com

I do not know if Coby will ever see this comment as I did not find a way to contact him. I am going to research the publication from the Max Plank Institute and will report here if or when I find it. I know this post is a little off topic for this blog; however, there are many people getting rich selling Carbon Offsets and other so-called solutions for Global Climate Change. If I believed it, I would jump on the bandwagon and make money for early retirement. So, it really does fit the main topic of this blog.

After I wrote this piece I was doing a little more digging and found that the blog mentioned above has moved. It can be accessed here. I have added my comment to the new blog, but have yet to receive an answer. It has been less than an hour, but I hope Coby will answer. I am eager to know if he has read the publication by the Max Plank Institute and is it available. That would save me a lot of time searching for it. As I stated above, I'll post whatever I find out.