Comments by Bobby Tony | Eastern NC Now

I just finished reading a book about Ben Franklin. The American Revolution was financed in large part because Old Ben was able to convince the French and others to loan the colonist the money to finance the war. The French were still smarting from the loss to Britain in the Seven Year War. Their debt eventually ended in the French Revolution. American inflation rose to a high water mark as a result of our debt and the overprinting of money by various colonies and states. A popular saying circulated the colonies because of this: anything of little value became "not worth a continental."

The United States finally solved its debt problems in the 1790s when Alexander Hamilton founded the First Bank of the United States in order to pay off debts and establish good national credit by controlling the printing presses.

Debt in and of itself is not the problem, but the ability to pay back without just printing more paper lies in the productivity of the debtor. America was able to eventually pay back it debt due to its abundance of productivity and resources which was in no small way enhanced by the Original Sin of Slavery. I wonder today, if we are just fooling ourselves into thinking we are still the powerhouse economy we once were.

Commented: Saturday, September 30th, 2017 @ 11:39 am By: Bobby Tony

I am in Advanced Senior Citizen Boy Scout training. I am trying to learn that every fire does not require me to throw my log in but I will admit, it is hard for me to do since my estimation of my opinion is high up on the importance meter.

Surely you find this entertaining. I tuned in to watch a football game and a fire broke out. Who would have predicted that?

Commented: Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 @ 10:52 am By: Bobby Tony

I am getting some private pushback on this post along the lines of I paid into the system and I earned the money.



The problem is what happened to the money you paid into the system? I agree that it was paid in and I also agree that it was earned, but there is not a pot (savings) of money waiting for us to take it back, it has all been spent and then some and replaced with IOUs from the people who spent it.

Have you ever loaned anyone someone money and not have them pay it back?

What happens when you extend credit to someone and they go bankrupt?
What we have is the Promise by out Government to pay it back. That is guaranteed by the FULL FAITH and Credit of the USA. Is there anyone today who still has FULL FAITH in our elected officials to keep their word?

That is essentially, what I am saying here, except the USA owns a printing press that allows them to print money at will. The result is increased inflation at some point.

Examples:
Recently Greece
Hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic
Currently Venezuela's hyperinflation.

Earned or Entitlement, it doesn't seem to make much difference. Or as Kris Kristofferson said:

"Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose
Nothin', don't mean nothin' hon' if it ain't free,"

Commented: Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 @ 9:52 am By: Bobby Tony

Sometimes the forest is not visible for the trees. I have re-read the post several times and don't see my error. Military language often puts the adjective after the noun (SITUATION REPORT, NEGATIVE)to prevent confusion (except for civilians) Radio transmissions are designed to be minimalist transmissions. I may be missing my error in the post. Help me out.

The query "Bravo 2-4 to LP4 if SIT-REP is negative break squelch twice." Is used to ask the question "If you are in no danger (negative danger) and everything is okay break squelch (click) twice."

Most often it was reduced to just "SIT-REP NEGATIVE?" as an implied question asking for a two click response if everything was okay.

In extreme circumstances where any excess noise was really dangerous, the whole exchange was reduced to 'CP one click (squelch) to LP, LP two squelch (click) back if negative enemy contact'. Click and break squelch are both the same. The sending unit is a click on microphone the receiving end hears a static squelch on their end.

One Click followed by answer Click, Click indicates that nothing is wrong. It was recreated in the movie Longest Day with the clickers used during D Day. Urban legend also says it was used by Paul Revere in the Revolutionary war. One if by land two if by sea. The confusion was illustrated by Abbott and Costello in the "Who's on first" routine. The use of code words has always been a bit disjointed when the other side does not know the lingo. Kinda of like Snowflake or Nazi is used in today's jungle.

beaufortcountynow.com

If something is wrong, there is no clicking just a loud voice transmission. "Oh sh!t we are under attack!"

Commented: Sunday, September 24th, 2017 @ 11:58 am By: Bobby Tony

I just finished reading a couple of Truman biographies. He was considered an Illegitimate president by many of the Deep State.

North Vietnam also had its Deep State. By 1960 Ho was largely a figurehead having been replaced by Lê Duẩn. Ho was the poster boy for the North and was a true patriot of the Vietnamese people but had little power after his selection of Le Duan.

www.nytimes.com

Commented: Thursday, September 21st, 2017 @ 11:07 am By: Bobby Tony

I am in agreement with you, but have some concern on who does the teaching. "Educating vs Indoctrinating" are two sides of the same coin.

The Four Key words "Informed electorate, and qualified voters" seem to be in contradiction in today's world of universal suffrage without any qualifications including being alive. I grant that the right to vote has been abused numerous times in our history by those on both sides of the political spectrum, but the founding idea was and still is sound. There should be some basic qualifications beyond the ability to show up and vote. We just have not found a way to apply it to a population that gets its news from snipets and memes.

Commented: Thursday, September 21st, 2017 @ 8:12 am By: Bobby Tony

At some point in time we are going to have to address the problem with privacy on the internet and computer with some form of consortium of tech companies. Like all technology past and present, most people do not know or care about the limitations of the tools they are using on a daily basis. Computer software is so flexible that Trojan codes can open up any number of avenues for digital information.

Commented: Tuesday, September 19th, 2017 @ 6:35 pm By: Bobby Tony

The boy and the bull story

There was a boy walking home from school one day and he decided to cross the farmer's pasture instead of walking around the long winding road. He jumped the fence and started walking toward his home.

Just then, he heard the pounding of hoofs behind him. When he looked around, he saw the farmer's big Brahma Bull running toward him. He knew there was no way he could outrun the bull to the far fence. Then he noticed a tree in the middle of the pasture with a limb about 15 or 20 feet off the ground. He did not think he could jump up to grab the limb but the bull was getting closer and it as his only chance to save himself.

He gave it all he had and leaped for the limb.

The next day at school, he was telling the story and one of his classmates asked him.

"Well I guess you reached the limb since you are at school today."

The boy answered " Not quite, I missed it, but I caught it on the way down."

Sometimes it just takes motivation to reach our goals.

Maybe Paul and Mitch will get some motivation from the pounding hoofs.

Commented: Thursday, September 7th, 2017 @ 2:19 pm By: Bobby Tony

I may have already struted and fretted my hour upon the stage. Indications are that no one cares about my family stories nor my politics. And certainly my not The escapades as a young man.

But it is just possible that if I could write a story about stiletto high heels I might approach infinity views.

Commented: Saturday, September 2nd, 2017 @ 9:37 am By: Bobby Tony

I have never watched an episode of Mad Men but I understand it was a pseudo-realistic version of Madison Avenue in the 1960's.

In the search for relevance in today's digital world, we all have a ready made forum for our thoughts. In days past, those thoughts would drift through our mind without the benefit of a platform. I guess Mark hit the jackpot and thus we are all now Digital Versions of Socrates and Plato.

I AM GUILTY AS CHARGED.

Commented: Thursday, August 31st, 2017 @ 11:03 am By: Bobby Tony

Thanks for that.
Marketing research may be an efficient way to sell a product, but when you are dealing with Facebook and Google for free it is important to know that the product they are selling is YOU. Otherwise they could not offer the service for free.

I remember my Advertising Professor long ago saying that the effectiveness of advertising is more about reaching the advertiser than the buyer. He was somewhat of a contrarian part time professor at night school who had a clear understanding of the economics of an advertising budget.

Commented: Saturday, August 26th, 2017 @ 12:05 pm By: Bobby Tony

The current U.S. Senate has 52 Republicans and 48 Democrats (including two independents). The 2018 Senate election takes place on November 6, 2018.

There are 34 seats up in 2018*, of which 25 are held by Democrats.

*Includes Alabama special election on 12/12/17


thehill.com

Commented: Saturday, August 19th, 2017 @ 12:36 pm By: Bobby Tony

When you try to drain the swamp, I think it is a safe bet the Alligators won't like it.
Tony to Ted "An Alligator just bit off my Leg"
Ted to Tony "Which one?"
Tony to Ted "How would I know, all these damn alligators look alike to me"

Commented: Saturday, August 19th, 2017 @ 8:26 am By: Bobby Tony

Can be and will be leaves a lot of wiggle room for prosecution. I am not a big fan of prosecution of demonstrators for minor infractions but believe full prosecution for violent offenders. "On Both Sides!"

There, Now I have done it with that last statement. That must make me a bigot.

Commented: Thursday, August 17th, 2017 @ 9:49 am By: Bobby Tony

More minutia from an over active mind. Does anyone still publish sheet music anymore? I note that there are numerous sites on the internet with lyrics but most appear to be transcribed from listening to the song. I know that ASCAP and BMI are the judges on song writing credit.

Hmmmm

Commented: Friday, August 11th, 2017 @ 9:41 am By: Bobby Tony

It used to be acceptable to slightly alter the lyrics to fit the performer or gender. I used to think courtesy call to the writer to get tacit approval was done, but I have since found out that many times the writer does not even know someone recorded their song until they hear it on the radio or get the residual check. That was all before the lawsuits over copyright issues.

I read somewhere that Gordon Lightfoot changed the lyrics to his Read My Mind song at the request of his Daughter with his former wife.
FROM:
You'll know that I'm just trying to understand
The feeling that you left
TO:
You'll know that I'm just trying to understand
The feeling that we lack

Commented: Friday, August 11th, 2017 @ 8:13 am By: Bobby Tony

One of the best of Some Day Soon

youtu.be

Commented: Thursday, August 10th, 2017 @ 5:32 pm By: Bobby Tony