Who Gets the Loot?

A quick post to get back into posting...

The extreme polarity that so many keep labeling the U.S.'s two dominant parties is a facade foisted on the American citizen to keep them focused on other things while the proverbial fox is plundering the chicken coop.  The sad truth is that, when it comes to fiscal responsibility, the real difference between the Democrat and Republican parties has nothing to do with the level of spending, only where the money will go.

Ron Paul says it like it is: "you can't have a budgetary solution if you don't change what the role of government should be. As long as you think we have to police the world and run this welfare state, all we are going to argue about is who will get the loot."

Cool Functionality with jQuery DatePicker

I was recently tasked to resolve an issue with the speed of the Telerik RadDatePicker in a RadGrid (ASP.Net c#).  Apparently, if a RadGrid with more than 100 rows uses a RadDatePicker in one of its columns, then it can get pretty slow and unresponsive.  I am assuming that this is because of the unidentified overhead that comes with the Telerik object.  Please correct me if I am wrong about this.

Here was an easy solution, though, I dropped the use of the RadDatePicker.

To use the common jQuery "datepicker" object, in the .aspx I created the references to the jQuery scripts and coded the javascript function:

<script src=Scripts/jquery-1.4.1.min.js"type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="Scripts/jquery-ui.min.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

<script type="text/javascript">
        $(function () {
            $(".myFauxClass").datepicker();
        });
</script>

Then, for any of the textboxes, whether Telerix or standard ASP, I referenced the "fake" CSS class:

<asp:TextBox ID="TextBox1" runat="server" CssClass="myFauxClass"></asp:TextBox>

The client-side function will be executed whenever the textbox receives focus and the datepicker calendar will be activated to use with that textbox.  This seems to do the trick and fixed the lagging load time for the RadGrid.

Enjoy!

BTW, I am actually very fond of the Telerik tools, which can be found here: http://www.telerik.com/

RNC Threatens Ron Paul

RNC Preempts Ron Paul Win in Nevada, Threatens to Shut Delegates Down

From the Las Vegas Sun....

RNC to NV GOP: Don’t let Ron Paul delegates take over national convention slots or don’t bother coming to Tampa

In a letter delivered Wednesday to GOP Chairman Michael McDonald, the RNC's chief counsel said if Ron Paul delegates are allowed to take too many slots for the national convention, Nevada's entire contingent may not be seated in Tampa.

Drone Use Takes Off on the Home Front

Awesome!  We have been looking for the next craze that will propel the economy out of our currenty bleak and dire circumstances and into a stage of unmitigated and steady growth...AND HERE IT IS. 

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, all the way from our own multi-trillion dollar military industrial complex, you wanted it, you got it, developed and perfected in all other countries to help with "security," the long awaited (sing to the tune of Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen):

Drones in the U.S.A.
We got, Drones in the U.S.A.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304331204577354331959335276.html

From the Wall Street Journal:

The University of North Dakota uses drones in connection with an undergraduate degree program in unmanned aircraft systems it started in 2009. Al Palmer, a university official involved in the program, said about 78 students have declared majors in the field and that graduates have found jobs with drone manufacturers or operators.

Wow, they even have majors in the field.  See!  Spying is good for the economy - "graduates have found jobs with drone manufacturers or operators."

And, don't forget, drones don't require the hassle of those non-sensical warrants.  See:

Drones Moving From War Zones To The Home Front

From NPR:

"public navigable airspace" were fair game, were not violations of the Fourth Amendment and didn't require a warrant.

So, get ready to be observed everybody...and remember, if you see something, say something.

Buffet Rule Ridiculousness

It is a sad state of affairs when the media is not even interested in fact-checking anything that comes out of the President's mouth.  OBFUSCATION, OBFUSCATION, OBFUSCATION!  That is all this is... "Let's focus on the 'rich' rather than telling everyone what the real problem is."  SPENDING!

From the Washington Times

The legislation would require people with incomes of more than $1 million to pay at least 30 percent in federal income taxes. It’s named for billionaire investor Warren Buffett, who says it’s not fair for him to pay a lower percentage of taxes than his secretary.

On the face of it, somehow this seems legitimate, especially with the Omaha billionaire tying his name to it.  But, let's look slightly beyond the surface... that is usually all it takes.

So, at 30%, if this legislation was to pass, let us compare the increased tax revenue to the current deficit.  Remember boys and girls, a deficit is the amount that was spent over and above what was generated through tax revenue.  In other words, we (United States) spent more than we made.

Here you can see that lo and behold, at 30% there is very little impact to that killer of economic viability, the deficit.

Let's see what happens if we taxed them (evil millionaires) at 50%.

Huh?  Not much impact at all.  The deficit (over spending) still appears to be greater than 1.2 trillion dollars.

How about at 75%... I know that is ridiculous, who would give 75% of their income to taxes?  Actually, during the Great Depression, the highest tax rates were for people making over $200k - they were taxed at a whopping 94%!!!  Additionally, it wasn't until the late eighties that the tax rate got down into the 30s.  Compare that with the first personal income taxe that was put into place under the Revenue Act of 1861/1862 - 3% for incomes over $600 and 5% for incomes over $10k - these were rescinded just 11 years later. (heavy sigh) Oh, the good old days. 

Now, let's get back to 75% of income.

Holy credit-crunch Batman!  If every person that made over $1 million paid 75% of their income in Federal taxes, we would still have a deficit (over spending) of about $1 trillion.

What about at 100%?  What if we said, "Hey, all you rich and privileged, above average, good looking, jet-setters... we want you to sacrifice this year.  You know that you can live off of savings alone... so, we want you to pay every dollar that you make to the Federal Government."

Jimminy Cricket!  WTH?!!!  This is insane!  The problem isn't millionaires being greedy!  The problem is over spending!  Isn't it obvious?  Never mind the facts - let's get on with creating a common enemy through class warfare!

Thanks to Global Economic Analysis for posting the widget for exploring the "Buffect Effect".

Debt Growing Faster Than GDP

Seriously, who did not see this coming?  Does it take a freaking financial genius to understand that if you spend more than you bring in... umm.... gee, I wonder what "surprises" are coming: (think Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal...)  Perhaps, it just requires a complacent people to allow those who are in-the-know to violate and financially sodomize them into interest-bearing enslavement.  I see more shirts and bumper stickers declaring "Free Payton" than "$ Free America $."  Just sayin...

Greenpeace Equals Hippies? Shocking!

Perusing the Internet I stumbled upon the blog of Brian Fitzgerald, a long-time activist and employee of Greenpeace International.  He had some interesting inside-info assertions equating the members of Greenpeace with hippies; a designation that he seems rather proud of.

From Dictionary.com
hip·py
1. adjective, hip·pi·er, hip·pi·est.
having big hips.











2. noun, pl -pies
a.(esp during the 1960s) a person whose behaviour, dress, use of drugs, etc, implied a rejection of conventional values
b. ( as modifier ): hippy language





From the Blog of Brian Fitzgerald

I’m Brian Fitzgerald, and I lead the campaign-winning and (multiple) webby-award-winning digital communications team at Greenpeace International. This blog is (mostly) a glimpse behind the scenes at Greenpeace and a repository for lessons learned and experiments in online activism and social media. It will also occasionally mention iPhones and bicycles. I am a digital hippy. I believe that Planet Earth is evolving a mammalian brain, and that the internet is knitting the neural cortex. We are the synaptic nerves that constitute its conscience.

Below is the opening of the speech that he would like to give (if allowed)...

Greetings, Hippies!

Aha, I see a few of you cringing — but you’re in Greenpeace now, and they’ve wheeled me out as the honorary dinosaur. I’ve been asked to tell you a little bit about your past — about the organization’s past. I know a lot of you who have never known a world without the internet, DVDs, or Super Mario (and some of you look like you’ve never known a world without Facebook, which is profoundly scary) — you may think that Greenpeace is a multinational corporation born in the marketing department of some slick PR firm, or the result of dot com boom startup.

I’m here to tell you, kids, a hard truth: your parents were hippies.

And I hope you’re sitting down, because it’s genetic. Which means you’re hippies too....And if you, dear hippies, are going to make a difference in this organization, you’re going have to embrace that madness. You’re just gonna have to honor your hippy roots, find your inner mystic, and believe in the magic of making impossible things happen.

Makes me want to start a round of Kum Ba Yah... anybody... anyone... on 3... 1, 2....

Fuel Flop

Here is a great video on blatant flip-flopping on high gas prices.  Where is the media on this?  Complicit? 

I have an idea; for every social, economic, and political challenge, let's all chant together, "Four legs good, two legs bad!"  (substitute Democrat for "four legs" and Republican for "two legs.")  Remember, the best way to overcome the resistance of common sense is to introduce a common enemy.

Sundance Live - 03/31/2012

Sundance playing in Bay St. Louis on Saturday.  The quality could be better...sorry.

The U.S. is #1

This is an interesting little ditty by The Washington Examiner:

We’re No. 1: In highest corporate taxes

Quote:

Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, has also been pressing for action on the tax rate. “Even Russia, at 20 percent, and China, at 25 percent, have lower rates than America does. The difference in tax rates means American companies are trying to compete with one hand tied behind their backs,” he said.

Now, I am not one to point the finger at any particular political party on this issue; I don't want to debate how this came about.  On the other hand, I often repeat this in discussions with people when discussing "corporate taxes," - CORPORATIONS DO NOT PAY TAXES.

I know what you are saying, "What?!!! What a dolt!!!  Of course they pay taxes - the article states they are paying more taxes than in any other nation."

But, I repeat, CORPORATIONS DO NOT PAY TAXES.  The focus on the source of funds is completely skewed - and with good reason.  If the Government can convince you that it is good to make these evil examples of capitalism pay their "fair share," then they don't have to reveal what pea the shell is under.

The truth of the matter, which should seem painfully obvious, is that it is not this independent entity that pays taxes, it is every citizen, business, and/or municipality that buys goods and/or services from the corporation that pays taxes.  Every tax on a corporation is reflected in the price of the good or service that is produced.

What the politicians don't want you to realize is that when they raise taxes on corporations (sometimes at the behest of the people) they are actually raising the prices of the goods sold and/or reducing outlays in dividends, R&D, hiring new employees, expanding operations, etc. 

Let's go to the man on the street:

Unassuming little guy: "Yeah!  Get those evil oil corporations for 'raking in the profits' like they do - that is not even fair."
Media talking head: "And this week in the news, gas prices up again."
Unassuming little guy: "What the... how come it costs so much to fill the tank?"

No, I am not suggesting that rising gas prices are only because of hiking taxes; it is just an analogy (don't get your undies in a wad).  The point is that companies exist to make money.  When their taxes go up, that impacts their bottom line and they raise prices for goods and services sold to account for the cost of doing business.

Bottom line: CORPORATIONS DO NOT PAY TAXES; PEOPLE PAY TAXES.  So, get mad!  Because, when they talk about taxing corporations, they are really talking about raising taxes on you!

Day 12: Squash and Bell Peppers

Not much to report other than the Green Bell Peppers and the Crookneck Squash are doing great!

Green bell pepper (the big one on the right); you can see how large it has grown in the last few days.  As a comparsion, the bell cyphon is 3" in diameter.

The crookneck squash: I'm real proud of this guy - currently about 4 times the size when I first planted it (12 days).

Aquaponics Planting Density

Some of the advantages to utilizing aquaponics as a main or alternative method of gardening are:

• Mobility: depending on how one chooses to design it, the system can maintain mobility (you can move it or take it with you if you relocate - try that with a traditional dirt garden/farm)
• Water Usage: depending on the climate that you are in, aquaponics tends to use about 10% of the normal water used in a traditional dirt garden; the water is recycled through the system and is only lost through evaporation and what the plants consume, unless you spring a leak
• Virtually Weedless: yes, it is possible to have a rogue weed get in your grow medium, but the entire problem is virtually eradicated; if one does show up, it doesn't require the same effort to get it out
• Density: because you are eliminating the plant's need to "find" nutrients through its root system, the plant spends its energy producing fruit rather than looking for food; hence, you can pack your garden more densely than you can in a traditional dirt garden

Cabbages growing at about 12" apart.

It is recommended that these cabbages grow at 24" apart, but 12" will do fine (it could probably be even closer).  You want to allow the plant to grow its leaves and fruit without impeding another plant, but the root issue is eliminated.

By the way, my squash growth is exploding!  I will put up more pics this weekend.

Sundance - The Band

My kids prepping for their first gig.

Aquaponics: Day 7

Current Progress

After some additional reading, I realized that I jumped the gun on our trial-run aquaponics system.  Though there are varying opinions on the subject of 'System Cycling,' the preponderance of evidence by those that appear to maintain success in their systems shows that system cycling should take between 3-6 weeks.  This means that the aquaponics system is not in balance (microbes converting ammonia to nitrites and then nitrates) until about the 4 week mark.

There are things that can be done to expedite the process, like:

• Adding pure ammonia to the system; don't add fish yet - high levels of ammonia will kill them very quickly.  This will encourage the natural airborne microbes to flourish in the ammonia rich environment and begin producing the nitrites and nitrates for the system.
• Obtain established microbial cultures from: 
• local ponds; I have seen suggestions to use a bucket of pond water or take a few stones from the pond; this would have the microbes present.  The down side is that you also get things in the water that you may not want in your system.
• other cycled aquaponics systems; a handful of medium or water
• filters from fish tanks; the filters will have the microbes, however they may also have any lingering fish disease - make sure the tank is healthy

However, we did not do that.  I guess I was a little impatient and wanted to get it going; the next time I will wait.  But, so far so good - though, it could probably be better.

Here are some Day 7 pics:

You can see the green bell peppers in the upper right are really coming up strong.  However, the tomato sprigs are there, but not jumping up either.

Our cabbage looks decent, but they took a beating from a very heavy Mississippi rain.  The cucumbers are looking pretty good.

 So, comparing the cucumbers (above pic, in the middle section next to the white bell cyphon) and the cucumbers growing in our traditional potting soil mix, it is obvious that the potting soil mix is doing a little better.  Currently, I attribute this to two things:

1. My aquaponics system has not fully cycled yet (not enough nitrate production)
2. The potting soil mix comes from a friend of mine that has a master's in biology and agriculture (or something along those lines); who knows what illicit super-charged grow juice he put in that stuff

Cucumbers are jumping!

Strawberries are looking great; yes, that is another bell pepper in the middle.

Death in the Family

Unfortunately, right in the middle of feeding on Sunday, one of our goldfish gave up the ghost.  It was like nothing that I have ever seen before; swimming happily, he came up for a bit of dinner, he went stiff and then floated.  It was like he had a heart attack or something.  In any case, I was glad I was there to pull him from the water so as to avoid any other problems with the other fish.  They seemed a little disoriented at first, which is understandable.  But, they soon moved past mourning and went right on eating.  Happy fish!

Happy Fish!

What the... Bernanke Saved the Economy? OMG!

The Atlantic paints Ben Bernanke as the one who has "saved the economy."  My mind is spinning.

Perhaps these images should accompany his image on the Atlantic cover.

 

Aquaponics Set Up

This is our trial run for aquaponics.  While there are many designs possible, we took a little from here and a little from there and combined them to make the most efficient use of our current resources and our bank account.

I took the frame design idea from a PDF publication that I found online called Barrel-ponics by Travis Hugley.  Last year when we were still in the early stages of research, we saw an ad for some 55 gallon barrels for $10 apiece.  I know some people can get them for free, but I thought $10 was a decent deal, so I bought 4 of them.  They have been sitting in the back shed for the 6 months, though I have used them on occasion as saw-horses for various projects.  LOL

I split them in half and cleaned them out.  In fact, after I cut them, I left them open out in the rain for a week or so to really make sure that any of the former contents were washed out.

As you can see, the two half-barrels sit open on the frame, which rests on cinder blocks.  The drain system is based on a bell cyphon.  There are lots of YouTube videos on how to build them.  Mine is made from a 1" stand pipe, with a 2" bell cyphon and a 3" rock guard.  Under the barrels, the standpipe drain is a 90 degree elbow, a 1' extension pipe, and another 90 degree elbow with extension.  This drains directly into the tank below.

The cheapest tank for the fish that we could fashion was a 50 gallon, plastic storage box that we got at Wal Mart for $20.  However, since it is not really made to handle the weight of the water inside, I had to reenforce the sides using two wooden slats and a ratchet tie-down.  Otherwise, the weight was causing the sides to bow out.  Hint: this works, but may not be the best tank; choose wisely my son.


The pump was a simple 210 gallon/hour pond pump that we picked up on Amazon for under $35.

I connected a splitter to direct the pumped water to both barrel halves.  The cycle for the water is about 8 minutes to fill until the bell cyphon kicks in; then it is about 1 minute to drain.  The constant ebb and flow of the system brings oxygen in between the medium (river rock and hydroton) for the roots of the plants and also oxygenates the water for the fish.

Water draining into "tank" from bell cyphon; this brings filtered water to the tank and oxygenates at the same time.

We bought the fish (12 goldfish to start) for .27 cents apiece at Pet Smart along with fish food and test kits for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH, and alkalinity of the water.  Eventually, we will make a transition to Tilapia, but we figured that the gold fish were expendable in case we screwed up something.  However, at this time I can report that the fish are darting happily to and fro as they explore the depths of the "made-in-china" plastic Wal Mart container.

Happy Fish.

We let the system run for a week without planting or adding fish in order to make sure everything was working correctly and to allow the chlorine and hopefully whatever else they add to city tap water to burn off.  In addition, we did add two full cups of vermiculture tea (red wiggler worm pee) to the water to spike the nitrogen levels before we planted.

Many of our plants were donated, but we picked up a few more from the WM.

And... that's it.

In the future, I may go into more detail about how aquaponics works, but there are plenty of sites that explain the process.  For us, we are very excited to start down this road of self-sufficiency.  Yes, we are just starting and no, I don't think that we will grow enough in 2 grow beds to feed my entire family - as I stated, we just started.

Here are some pics...

My son feeding the fish.

First day (night) after planting: cucumber, crook-neck squash, green bell pepper, and some different herbs.

First day (night) after planting: cabbage, herbs, tomatoes, and cucumber.

Apartame Withdrawals

Here is a great article from NaturalNews.com highlighting the negative effects often associated with the consumption of aspartame:  Aspartame Withdrawal and Side Effects Explained

Some highlights in the article:

• Dr. Betty Martini...explains that it is an "addictive, exitoneurotic, carcinogenic, genetically engineered drug and adjuvant that damages the mitochondria."
• University Of Miami Miller School Of Medicine and at Columbia University Medical Center...discovered that those who drank diet soft drinks on a daily basis were more likely to contract vascular diseases compared to those who took none.
• The US Food and Drug Administration has received reports of 92 medical health problems resulting from aspartame, ranging from abdominal pain to migraines, dizziness and hives.

And despite all of that, it is still deemed safe for consumption by the FDA.

On a more personal note, in the mid-nineties, my grandfather went to the eye doctor to be examined because he was "seeing" lightning flashes randomly throughout the day.  After a once over, the doctor asked him, "Do you drink diet sodas?"  The answer of course, was "yes."  The doctor went on to explain that, at that time, he had been witnessing an increase in patients who were coming in and complaining of similar problems with their eyes.  He recommended that my grandfather stop drinking diet sodas; within a few days, the ocular manifestations subsided.

So, what is the truth on this?  In the world of statistics, can we come to the conclusion that out of a U.S. population of 313 million (source: usnews.com), there are likely to be a small percentage of people that experience negative effects from the consumption of various food-like products? 

As for me and my house, we'll attempt to avoid becoming part of the statistics.

FBI Suspcious Activity

The Feds are not only watching you, but they want you to watch others too.  Since the launch of the See Something, Say Something campaign by our Homeland Security, a series of flyers have been developed for particular genres of business.  These flyers provide bullet points on what is deemed "suspicious activity" for the genre of business in which they are directed.

For example, if you are the owner of a martial arts studio and someone comes in displaying:

• Interest in learning offensive moves in a confined space
• Interest in learning the use of hidden weapons

...then, according to the FBI, these are cues that this person is "suspicious" - you may want to say something. I'm going out on a limb here, but doesn't this describe 90% of people that decide to go to a martial arts class?  Aren't they interested in defending and protecting themselves in a confined space or the use of hidden weapons?  Oh, geez!

Hopefully, the FBI has already screened these:
Get Serious - Krav Maga
Russian Martial Arts - Confined Space Defense

 

Indeed, this looks very suspicious.

Perhaps, the FBI would be happier if we were all more like these guys:

Other types of businesses on the "Threat Areas" list include:

• Internet Cafes
• Tattoo Shops
• Paintball
• Hobby Shops

I guess displaying an interest in Psychiatry in the Military was not a consideration for the list.

Here is a link for the full list of 25 flyers that were sent out.  Take the dare and see if you find yourself somewhere on the list.  Do you refuse to have a credit card and insist on paying cash?  You are suspicious!

Bove on the $25 Billion Foreclosure Settlement

In what amounts to basic common sense, yet somewhat cynical, in our surreal Big Gov. and increasingly disconnected citizenry, Dick Bove comments on the $25 billion bailout pass-through to voters:

Link to ZeroHedge.com:
Dick Bove On The Foreclosure Settlement: There Is No Sanctity Of Contracts; Only Fools Meet Their Financial Commitments

"There is no sanctity of contracts in the United States. Only fools meet their financial commitments. The non-payers are the truly enlightened."

The Non-tax Tax: (Free) Cell Phones?

As with many Big Gov. implemented solutions to non-problems, billions are being spent on "free" cell phones to those that seemingly need them and cannot afford them by those that seemingly have them and can afford them.  Along with housing, food programs, welfare, unemployment, health care, tax "incentives" - Big Gov. is on a mission to make every citizen a needy recipient of an unending supply of handouts. Food, water, and shelter... ok... but, a cell phone?  Really?

As Time Magazine reports:

Last year, a federal program paid out $1.6 billion to cover free cell phones and the monthly bills of 12.5 million wireless accounts. The program, overseen by the FCC and intended to help low-income Americans, is popular for obvious reasons, with participation rising steeply since 2008, when the government paid $772 million for phones and monthly bills. But observers complain that the program suffers from poor oversight, in which phones go to people who don't qualify, and hundreds of thousands of those who do qualify have more than one phone.

Of course, as with everything else, ain't nothing in life that's free.  Along with other hidden taxes through fees and surcharges, this one will soon be raised for those that can seemingly afford it.  The slight-of-hand, where's-the-pea shell game of corporate taxes that we play, at first glance appears to be laid upon the backs of the big evil corps.  But, when the layers of obfuscation are peeled away and we shut off the drone of streaming media, we soon come to realize that corporations do not pay taxes - only people pay taxes.  Individuals always pay the taxes: through higher rates of services and increased prices of goods.

A tax or fee levied upon a corporation hurts no one but the consumer.  We need to stop the shell game and wake up.

On another note, I wonder how many "free" cell phones contributed to the unnecessary deaths
of citizens by people who were distracted while using it.  Just wondering... I doubt that Big Gov. will do a study on that.  Though, I'm sure fees for "free" cell phones are about to go up so that we can provide hands free devices for those that can't afford them.

Hands free cell phone usage recommended

Mortgage settlement could bring billions in relief - Feb. 9, 2012

Mortgage settlement could bring billions in relief - Feb. 9, 2012

Another facade to conceal the Big 5 banks to Fed to Treasury to Fannie and Freddie scam. "Oh, look everybody! We are putting our Big Govt. foot down to help the ignorant, delusional, prostrate people. Don't forget who pressured these evil corps come November. Super Pac? Uh... what is that... that video game from the 80s?"

Contraceptive Implants for Teens

The Telegraph has an interesting article exposing the more clandestine means of British health agencies of preventing teenage pregnancies.  Please see: Girls, 13, given contraceptive implants at school

The article states:

They also say reports are showing that teenage pregnancies have dropped by 22 per cent since sexual health services went in to schools.

In Southampton there were as many as 136 pregnancies among 13 to 15 year olds in 2001 and 2003, this fell to 106 in 2007-2009.

Do positive outcomes always provide justifications for actions?  I think not.  One could say, "Since we closed the Southampton schools in 2010, Southampton student pregnancies have virtually been eradicated."

Yes, this is hyperbole for sure.  But, why do we continue to turn over parenting responsibilities and personal rights to bureaucratic assemblies at tremendous financial and moral cost to our communities in order to have the statistics improve?

Isn't this a bit like treating disease with medicines after acquiring it rather than placing more effort and energy into prevention through healthy lifestyles?  Naive?  Perhaps...I'm just asking, probing, pondering, questioning...

Unemployment 8.3%

Daniel Libeskind purportedly said, "To provide meaningful architecture is not to parody history but to articulate it."  Here is an interesting "articulation" of the controversial BLS unemployment figures.  The latest read 8.3%.