Monday, September 29, 2008

Ponzi Scheme

Anyone wanting to invest in a Ponzi scheme or How about a pyramid?
Recently a family member showed me a proposal made to him by an acquaintance. I looked at it and informed him that it was a pyramid scheme which by its nature was both improper, corrupt, and illegal.
"There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase often credited to P.T. Barnum He was correct but he should have pluralized the word "SUCKER"
You have heard it said, "you can't cheat an honest man" because an honest man doesn't want something for nothing
The Genesis of this scam is to pay commissions for viewing ads on the Internet. An illustration was that you could earn $1.00 just for clicking in on Delta Air Line home pages. The deception is based on the knowledge that billions of dollars are paid by advertisers on the Internet. This is correct but these funds are generated by hundreds of millions of people clicking on web pages and the fees are paid by people with banner ads on that site. No one is paid to view any ad.
There were many in Colquitt County who got "taken." They are still naive. They are now expecting to receive parts of their funds back from the courts.
They have noted that $53 million was seized by the Attorney General. If there was $53 million still on deposit in the bank, you had better believe that much more had already been transferred to an offshore account. It is my impression that when this litigation is settled many months from now, that these people will think that the courts are no different from the original schemers. The bulk of the funds will disappear into the coffers of the courts and into the pockets of the minions who process these claims.
Most people understand the Ponzi or Pyramid plans. A slippery character will contrive what is some times called a multi-level marketing scheme. The man at the top, who is the start up man, gets a commission on all sales and induction cost under him. People are recruited at the next level. A part of their induction cost goes to the top. The third level is the same as the second with the exception that part of their induction cost and commission on sales goes to the second and part of the first. This multi-level marketing keeps on until the scheme reaches the saturation point. I.e., there are no new prospects (suckers). All of their induction cost has gone to the top and there is no way to recover the investment. He is a guaranteed looser. Also there are many between the bottom and top who never recover their total investment.
The top man is guaranteed to win the bottom man is guaranteed to lose. Thus, all are illegal in most states.
One of the sites indicates that every morning $86,000 is deposited in y our account. You may draw out what you need but at the end of the day there will be no balance. The site forgot to mention where the money came from to plug the account and was not clear, to me, what you had to do to draw down the account.
For more information go to You Tubes, click on adsurfdaily. But be careful and don’t get suckered in.
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Just say no to Bail Out

JUST SAY NO
Just say no is a slogan normally applied to pre-marital sex. We know it’s meaning and application.
The Republicans just need too say no to the suggested "Bail Out" of the financial community. The same thing if about to happen to the American Public which is anticipated by the "Just say No." In sexual matters.
The Democrats are already labeling the anticipated actions as the "Bush Bailout." You had better believe that they have no confidence in the success of any such bill which they pass. If they expected success, It would be labeled the "Democratic Bailout."
The Democratic Party controls the majority in both houses. They can pass anything with their majority. The Republicans need not sign on.
If Congress were responsible, they would Stop the government takeover to bail out of the most wealthy. The press should expose the coverup of guilty politicians.
Senator Dodd Chairman of the Senate Banking Committed is charge with using below prime loans provide by Country Wide to finance his business ventures. He claimed that he did not realize that the loans were below the market. This comes from the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.
The top recipients of political donations from the lobbing of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were Senator Christopher Dodd, $165,400 Senator Barack Obama, Barack $126,349 and Senator John Kerry $111,000. This was over a 10-year period Senator Obama was only in the Senate three of those years, yet ranked second.
Very few taxpayers would consider these contributions in any light other than "Bribes."
Before coming to Treasury, Paulson was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs As such he was on a first name basis of those other "Greedy and Corrupt" CEO’s who were responsible with the financial quagmire which they set up. Is he to be trusted to handle $700,000,000,000 in an honest manner to settle the bad decisions of his friends and contemporaries?
A few years ago Enron and World Wide experienced problems of bad management. They were forced to close and legal action was taken against their CEO’s. Why aren’t these present CEO’s treated in a like manner?
Freddie Mac had its own accounting problems. In Dec. 2003,the company was forced to admit that it had inflated its earnings by nearly $5 billion. (Remember Enron?) Freddie was selling for $55.00 at that time. Last week they were offered at $.88. (Eighty-eight cents)
Fannie Mae, in December 2004restated profits by $9 billion. It high share value came from $70.00 to seventy-three cents.
Why Bail them out? Why not just buy them out? Why reward the share holders who allowed such slack management?
Some Congressmen want to limit the earnings of the CEO’s. They are drowned by shouts of "You can’t get good management if you limit their earnings." Apparently you can’t get good management if you allowed unbridled compensation as was allowed in the past.
What confidence can be placed in the rhetoric of Congress when they tell us that the problem is that Banks won’t lend each other money because of the suspect value of the collateral. If that is the reason and that is the problem if they have money to lend, why not lend it to their customers with good collateral.
For a listing of the funds donated to Congressmen by Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae goes www.opensecrets.org/news/2008/09/update-fannie-mae-and-freddie.html or Goggle Political contributions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and follow the cites.
I am convinced that Paulson’s proposal is neither workable nor comprehensive, regardless of its price tag. My thinking is it would be foolish to waste massive sums of taxpayer funds testing an idea that has been hastily crafted and has not even been read by a majority of Congress.
Senator Shelby from Alabama has a listing of a great many financial figures who say that this is a bad move.
I suggest to the Republicans. Just say No.
On down the road when it appears that the plan is inadequate to do what it is contemplated to do and another round is request, those who vote against this proposal with be heros.
Will the markets go to "Hell in a Handbasket" as the alarmist predicted if nothing is done problematical? The proponents of the move will not even go on record as sure of its long term effectiveness.
JUST SAY NO
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Thursday, April 24, 2008

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE RAID ON THE FUNDAMENTALIST LATTER DAY SAINTS X'CHAIRMAN'S CORNER WEEK OF APRIL 23,2008

I AM CONCERNED
,about the raid on the Fundamentalists Latter-day Saints. I understand that there are those who will make an attempt to place words in my mouth and imply things which I have not advocated. I cannot sanction those things which the Latter-day Saints have been alleged to have done. My concern is to the methods used by the Texas authorities.
I am not familiar with Texas Law, Illinois law, and know very little of Ga. Law. My observations and concerns are based on my little understanding of Ga. law.
We read that a search warrant was executed based on an anonymous caller who claimed that she was forced to marry a man much older than herself and was beaten often.
Now it seems that, this caller cannot be identified as a resident of the church and the man she fingered can prove that he had not been in Texas during the time in question. (His lawyer’s Statement)
The fourth amendment specifies thata judicially sanctioned search must be supported by probable cause and be limited in scope according to specific information supplied by a person who has sworn by it and is therefore accountable to the issuing court. A valid such warrant must include a sworn affidavit which includes the charges, and the items to be searched for.
In view of the above how can the search warrant against the church be valid and if not valid cannot all evidence seized be thrown out?
There were more than 400 children taken from their mothers and fathers. It was alleged that the females were forced into polygamous marriages. Half of these children taken from their mothers were male. There were no allegations against them yet they were taken, separated and confined also.
Press statements indicate that all of the fundamentalist are being compelled to give a DNA swab. This would seem to be a fifth amendment violation. Such trolling when used to set up a DNA data base for sex offenders has previously run into trouble
These children are being interviewed in the absence of their parents, yet we note that the Peterson children are prohibited from testifying with their father’s consent.
There is an antipathy by the secular public toward spiritual groups and this dislike is particularly virulent when directed against cults.
Falun Gong movement, considered by the government in China to be dangerous to social stability and sanctions are placed against members..
There is an estimated 250,000 Jehovah's Witnesses in France and a growing number of Scientologists. A special laws have been adopted to counter them and to harass their religious practice.
Nazi Germany carried the antipathy against Jews, Gypsies, Homosexuals and the mentally retarded to the extreme resulting in the deaths of millions.
The pressures against cults in the United States reached a crescendo of violence in the actions Jehovah Witness and the Branch Dravidians who died at Waco, Texas, under the leadership of David Koresh Seventy people were burned to death in actions resulting from Government intervention there.
This similar intervention might well have had similar result.
I do not support polygamy nor do I support the early marriage of female children. My opposition derives from my beliefs in the protection of the Constitutions and the feeling that the government should not disregard these protections for a short term gain..
The age of consent is a statutory figure not a biological one. Most of us have ancestors who were married at an age much lower than the present age of consent now. Which varies from 14 to18 in the United States and 13 in Mexico.
Jamie Lyn Spears is pregnant at 16 in a state where the age of consent is 18. No one seems offended by this. It is only when the secularist sees an opening to denigrate religion are they concerned.
Even though the alleged actions of the Fundamentalist Latter-day Saints are repugnant to me, I believe a greater wrong is committed by the separation of these children from their parents. These children are fed, clothed, and loved by their present parents at no expense to the taxpayer.
These following remarks are directed to people who know from observation and experience of the proffered alternation, which is foster homes. To those who have no knowledge of what can be expected form some foster homes’ treatment of their wards, an investigation might seem a suitable option.
Foster homes are supported at tax payer expense. There are some good foster parents. There are some not so good. Some children are placed by the state in homes which place adolescence girls at the mercy of lecherous providers, where they can become pregnant. Often there is no moral supervision from these foster parents and the children are allowed to do what-so-ever pleases them. Some States frown on any religious training.
Texas is not noted as an example of excellent foster homes. In fact mistreatment is rampant all over the United States and we see on the evening news examples which would lead us to believe that the care of many of these children would worsen if placed in foster homes in Texas.
Secularist hate religious institutions and in cases where these institutions can be censured with some degree of appropriateness, these institutions are signed out for persecution.
The Catholic church recently experienced antipathy resulting from abhorrent actions of a few.
When the Southern Baptist held their convention in Las Vagus, the Baptists who followed the beliefs of the teaching of Paul were charged with being "brainwashed". A Convenient catchword carrying a derogatory and defamatory connotation.
Paul said, Wives submit your selves to your husbands. The second part of his teaching, Husbands love and respect your wives was conveniently left out of their charges. Paul teachings made the husband head of the house hold, the same position adopted by the U.S. Census.
The Constitution protects Southern Baptists now, but for how long. The acceptance of the eradication of the gypsies in Germany led to the slaughter of millions of Jews

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Franklin Sutton's advice on Best Buy is don't Buy Best Buy

Don't Buy Best Buy
I already knew this, but I had a senior moment.
Let me relate a story. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (Shakespeare and me)
I must admit. I am a slow learner. I knew, under most circumstances, you were better off buying locally.
Let me back ground this chronicle for you. Senator Frank Eldridge and I owned the first computer to be used in the State Capital. Later after my unsuccessful venture of running for Lt. Governor against Zell Miller, I moved back to Colquitt County. I set about building another computer. I am accustomed to saying that I built the first M.S. Dos computer that I ever saw.
At the time, as far as I knew, the computer jointly owned by Colquitt County and the City of Moultrie was the only other computer running in the county. Certainly it was the first "home computer."
I had to purchase three cabinets to get one. This requires me to build two more. Over the years, I sold a few others. Then the home computer market got saturated and there was little demand for home made entries.
About ten years ago, I assembled my last one. It was old and ugly, slow and steady, pugnacious but dependable. Alas a few short weeks ago, it developed aged computer syndrom. My beloved companion of the past decade was giving up the ghost. Its spirit was broken. It was in dire circumstances.
Its mouse was giving trouble .this is only a minor distraction I speculated to myself. Its mouse board needs replacing. I opened up the cabinet and found that it did not have a separate mouse board. I would have to replace the complete mother board. This ain't good. I mused. As old as this unit is, I need to purchase another one. I then called a local computer expert. My own talents were outdated by massive changes in technology. He didn't call back.
In the mean time, I was in Valdosta and saw the big yellow sign, BEST BUY, I whipped in. This was a mistake. I ended up buying the most expensive Hewlett Packard that they offered. I would have been better off to have donated the money to the Salvation army.
As a rule once a computer is burned in, it gives no problems. This one came with a defective Hard Drive. After the third trip down there, they agreed with me. It had a bad hard drive.
At the point of purchase there were all kinds of promises of reliable store service. The abominable snow man would be easier to find than the promised local service. We'll send it back they said, it's still in warranty. It was purchased 11/27/07. It still ain't fixed. They installed a new hard drive, but I have to jump through the hoops at Hewlett Packard to get an operating system. You know the procedure where you are placed on hold and forced to listen to some caned music not knowing whether you will ever hear from "a people." Hewlett Packard and Best Buy has this thing going for them. Neither knows Franklin Sutton. It is my problem it seems. Best Buy is a large discount house. They have their employment an NBA who has stated in a printed piece that it is possibly to their financial advantage to lose a customer than it would be to satisfy a customer.
Best Buy would be just as likely to pick Adam's House Cat as Franklin Sutton from a line up.
All You Fools . . . As P.T. Barnum said "There is a sucker born every minute"
The new hard drive is $109.00 over the shelf. As I write this, I have been from Ellenton to Valdosta five times. If I were to count my labor, and the cost of gas, I would have been five times better off not trying to have Best Buy and Hewlett Packard fix their error. I should buy the hard drive and install it myself.
Do I expect that the loss of my business will hurt either? Certainly, not. I am foolish but not naive. My patronize does not effect them. The problem in my problem not theirs. There are many more suckers out there, willing to take the chance of getting a sound unit.
Few will show up and stand in line behind others with a personal computer under their arms in a vain and futile hope who believes that a large corporation cares about them or their business.
The only point that I am trying to make is to deal locally where you know the person, where you are familiar with their integrity and expect them to do as promised.
That was 11/27/07 this in now 3/09/08. I don't know how long this saga will continue. Fortunately, my old home built has not let me down. Praise god for haywire
The above is the original of my story published in my weekly article THE X'CHAIRRMAN'S CORNER. this is a sequel to that story. Now several days later, I am more than indignant
I am more than indignant., offended, provoked or annoyed. The policy of HP has antagonized me beyond any level of depiction.
I have spent the better part of two days trying to buy something for which I had already paid. The so called recovery disk. I did not need a recovery disk. The system never worked there was nothing on the disk other than programs which I had purchased and the operation system which I thought I had purchased. The system came back without an operating system. I was not given a copy of Vista when I purchased the unit. It was pre-loaded. I assume that I purchased it. Now I am informed by Best Buy and HP that I must purchse from Microsoft a recovery disk.
That is not easy. Several places on the HP website insist that this is N.A. for that serial. I assume that N.A. means not available. I had to jump through several hoops, never the correct one. At one point two numbers were suggested, one 800-952-7869. (commercial site) the other 800-478-6836 was a $.99 cent per minute station.
I gave up and carried it to my technician and instructed him to purchase and load a copy of Vista for me. This will cost me $45.00 per hour plus the cost of Vista.
Perhaps when this controversy reaches the point of discovery, I will be able to gain some modicum of satisfaction.

Franklin Sutton
fsutton@alltel.net
686 Ellenton/Omega Road
Norman Park, Ga. 31771
229-324-3141- 229-769-3141- 229-324-2482

Don't Buy Best Buy

BUY LOCAL WHENEVER POSSIBLE
I already knew this, but I had a senior moment.
Let me relate a story. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (Shakespeare and me)
I must admit. I am a slow learner. I knew, under most circumstances, you were better off buying locally.
Let me back ground this chronicle for you. Senator Frank Eldridge and I owned the first computer to be used in the State Capital. Later after my unsuccessful venture of running for Lt. Governor against Zell Miller, I moved back to Colquitt County. I set about building another computer. I am accustomed to saying that I built the first M.S. Dos computer that I ever saw.
At the time, as far as I knew, the computer jointly owned by Colquitt County and the City of Moultrie was the only other computer running in the county. Certainly it was the first "home computer."
I had to purchase three cabinets to get one. This requires me to build two more. Over the years, I sold a few others. Then the home computer market got saturated and there was little demand for home made entries.
About ten years ago, I assembled my last one. It was old and ugly, slow and steady, pugnacious but dependable. Alas a few short weeks ago, it developed aged computer syndrom. My beloved companion of the past decade was giving up the ghost. Its spirit was broken. It was in dire circumstances.
Its mouse was giving trouble .this is only a minor distraction I speculated to myself. Its mouse board needs replacing. I opened up the cabinet and found that it did not have a separate mouse board. I would have to replace the complete mother board. This ain't good. I mused. As old as this unit is, I need to purchase another one. I then called a local computer expert. My own talents were outdated by massive changes in technology. He didn't call back.
In the mean time, I was in Valdosta and saw the big yellow sign, BEST BUY, I whipped in. This was a mistake. I ended up buying the most expensive Hewlett Packard that they offered. I would have been better off to have donated the money to the Salvation army.
As a rule once a computer is burned in, it gives no problems. This one came with a defective Hard Drive. After the third trip down there, they agreed with me. It had a bad hard drive.
At the point of purchase there were all kinds of promises of reliable store service. The abominable snow man would be easier to find than the promised local service. We'll send it back they said, it's still in warranty. It was purchased 11/27/07. It still ain't fixed. They installed a new hard drive, but I have to jump through the hoops at Hewlett Packard to get an operating system. You know the procedure where you are placed on hold and forced to listen to some caned music not knowing whether you will ever hear from "a people." Hewlett Packard and Best Buy has this thing going for them. Neither knows Franklin Sutton. It is my problem it seems. Best Buy is a large discount house. They have their employment an NBA who has stated in a printed piece that it is possibly to their financial advantage to lose a customer than it would be to satisfy a customer.
Best Buy would be just as likely to pick Adam's House Cat as Franklin Sutton from a line up.
All You Fools . . . As P.T. Barnum said "There is a sucker born every minute"
The new hard drive is $109.00 over the shelf. As I write this, I have been from Ellenton to Valdosta five times. If I were to count my labor, and the cost of gas, I would have been five times better off not trying to have Best Buy and Hewlett Packard fix their error. I should buy the hard drive and install it myself.
Do I expect that the loss of my business will hurt either? Certainly, not. I am foolish but not naive. My patronize does not effect them. The problem in my problem not theirs. There are many more suckers out there, willing to take the chance of getting a sound unit.
Few will show up and stand in line behind others with a personal computer under their arms in a vain and futile hope who believes that a large corporation cares about them or their business.
The only point that I am trying to make is to deal locally where you know the person, where you are familiar with their integrity and expect them to do as promised.
That was 11/27/07 this in now 3/09/08. I don't know how long this saga will continue. Fortunately, my old home built has not let me down. Praise god for haywire .
Latest to above. Hewlett Packard sent the computer back less the operating system which came preloaded. I tried to buy a recovery disk from HP but they indicated that it was N.A. Best buy says that there is nothing they can do. I suppose I must go out and purchase a Vista Program which I paid for when I bought the H.P. I have learned a lesson. Don't buy Best Buy. Franklin Sutton