Saturday, August 31, 2013

Patent Trolls

Last week I wrote about a domestic terrorist group [my judgement] that uses lax lien laws to harrass public officials. Today I want to inform you of another domestic threat composed of individuals known as patent trolls.

"Patent trolls are companies that buy software patents -- bits of coding found in every corner of the Web, really -- and then sue the businesses and entrepreneurs who have derived income, however indirectly, from their use. Silicon Valley is riddled with these suits, and it was there that the term was coined; there are trolls under every bridge, demanding their unearned share of the tech boom profits." [Read more here.]

These individuals not only troll the internet but also small and large businesses looking for opportunites to sue. Guess who pays this increase in the 'cost of doing business'?


Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Lien On Me and The Taking of Things

Lien On Me

"Sovereign Citizens" are a domestic terrorists group. Somewhat unorganized but very violent and disruptive of our judicial system. They game the Constitution and/or ignore it, which ever suits their purpose. Currently they are filing bogus liens against public officials. Apparently under the Uniform Commercial Code the authenticity of the lien is of no import. Behind this tactic is a scheme to destroy the victim's credit rating and to force them to spend sometimes thousands of dollars in legal fees to get the lien removed. If you have never heard of "Sovereign Citizens" check out their activities here and here. 


The Taking of Things

It appears that in some areas of the country, what's mine is actually the local D.A.'s and sheriff's. Here in Tenaha,Texas, for example, you cannot only forfeit your DVD player but also your kids. This is because of something called civil forfeiture. It has a noble history. Forfeiture of property from wrongdoers is a instrument of law enforcement. Bust a drug lord and take his stuff, use it or sell it and enhance your budget to continue the good fight. In Tenaha however it's not drug lords or even minor wrongdoers. It's citizens being stopped and their property taken for personal use by a local D.A. Lynda K. Russell and her cohorts. Your can read more about the abuse of civil forfeiture here.

[I was wondering why the Sovereign Citizens don't use their lien strategy on Lynda? But why do that when Lynda is destroying the rule of law without their help.]

Saturday, August 3, 2013

The "Worried Well"

Yesterday whilst reading the NYT, a survey popped up, soliciting my opinion on the Times including brain exercises in their paper. I did not care for it nor was I willing to pay to use brain exercises. I may have stated previously that I enjoy my dementia. Every day is a new day and I never see repeat TV programs.

Anyway, coincidentally, this week's New Yorker, has an article by Patricia Marx, who did a survey of the brain exercise business. What with baby boomers worried about losing their minds the brain exercise industry is becoming a profitable enterprise. Ms. Marx took many tests and visited many brain exercise gurus, which I will not go into. But, suffice to say they were varied in quality and veracity and of course $$$$. [I was born before those people and believe me it was much nicer. More parking spaces, shorter lines, etc.]

Apparently there is fear out there among the boomers: "Am I, like so many of my gang, just one of the 'worried well'? (A 2011 survey found that baby boomers were more afraid of losing their memory than of death.) Should I get out a crossword? Learn to play bridge? Chew gum? Take a nap? Drink more coffee? Eat blueberries? Give up tofu?"

Back to the money part of this cerebral prevention enfeeblement business. Marx reports that Sharp Brains 2012 survey showed that more than a billion consumer dollars was spent on consultants and brain exercises. Sharp Brains also projects that by 2020, consumers will spend in excess of six billion dollars.

So let me just conclude with this, "To everyone who has solved today's crossword puzzle: Sorry, but that is no guarantee that you will end up less nutty than the rest of us."