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What are the odds...?

So, what are the odds?  Does a statistical improbability prove anything?  I say "No!" Not only that, in many cases the highly improbable is the most likely outcome.  If you're looking for your own...

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So, what if it were all an illusion?

What if everything we think we knew about the economy were wrong?  What if we could sense it but we didn't have the right language, the right mental construct, the right image to speak to? What if....???

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Bad News: We're Not Poor

I'm sorry, but I have some really really bad news:  we're not poor.  No, this isn't snark.  Remember the good old years under Clinton?  Pick a year, any year - don't matter.  Inflation-adjusted per...

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Some Alternate Charts of the Recession

We've all seen the "Pelosi Chart" comparing unemployment accross recessions.  Well, that is just one graph of what is going on.  I'm not an economist, but I know my way around excel and make a career...

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Why We Need to Keep an Eye on Social Security

I missed the President's press conference.  It sounds like he is doing the right thing.  But, he can't do it alone.  We really need to keep an eye out for "calls to be reasonable" and "shared...

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We've got your $2.6T, and we're not giving it back

Suppose you had a bank account and every year deposited $10k.  Lets say after 10 years, you decided to splurge and buy a car, so you don't make a deposit and instead attempt to withdraw $15k.  And...

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More on that $2.6T no-one seems to want...

As I pointed out in a a previous diary, the social security surplus is effective a loan from working class people to wealthy people.  Lets talk about that again in more detail because some interesting...

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You won't fix social security until you fix this

Most people are somewhat familiar with the concept of investing.  You put some money in now, and you get paid back later what you put in plus a little extra.  The little extra is interest.  Sometimes...

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Tax Code Quick Look

The following is a set of charts explaining the US tax code, or more appropriately, the net effects of the tax code.  It is more straightforward than you might think, but I'm assuming readers know...

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What Buffet Said (clickable charts version)

What Buffet more-or-less said, charts version: (Updated with click-able charts)

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A Revenue Neutral $300B Stimulus that Saves Social Security....

How about a revenue-neutral $300B plus stimulus that also saves social security?  Sound crazy?  Actually, it is pretty easy.  All we need to do is apply some free-market principles to social security....

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Bad Accounting 101: Beer & Peanuts & Social Security

Bad as it is when accounting runs your life, it is even worse when bad accounting takes over.  Read & enjoy…

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Romney's Tax Plan - How It Can Work

Romney says he will lower tax rates and close loopholes.  Can it work?  Of course it can.  It is actually quite easy, even from a revenue-neutral point of view.  He can easily lower taxes paid by about...

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Romney's Tax Shell Game - How It Will Work

Romney says he will lower tax rates and close loopholes.  Can it work and be revenue neutral?  Yes....  You just need to know the difference between lowering tax rates and lowering taxes.  He can...

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Fail: I just solved Detroit's problem

Update:  OK, this was failed in the comments where it has been court-tested and shot down.  It does beg the question though:  why is MERS continually allowed to skirt property sales tax.  The current...

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Anatomy of a Government Outsource

Here is an interesting example I stumbled upon while browsing the web.  I came across SafeBuilt, a company that specializes in outsourcing building inspection departments from local governments.  One...

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and weathermen lie, cats and dogs don't fall from the sky...

Note:  I published this late on a Sunday.  I'm going to beef this up with more examples from the junk-science-site (top item from each heading should be good) and republish.If someone were to say "Of...

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The letter that could have prevented the Revolutionary War

We all know the story - the American colonists were being increasingly ground down by British rule, so they listed their grievances in the Declaration of Independence and finally rebelled against the...

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Question for Michigan Voters

Dear Michigan voters, I have a question for you:  Exactly what did you get out of the Detroit bankruptcy?  Snyder's henchmen shook down 22,000 retirees, pillaged the city, and ran up huge tabs.  And...

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Will TPP Cost 5 Million Manufacturing Jobs Like NAFTA Did?

But manufacturing has always been declining!  At least that is how the story goes.  Proof usually looks something like this:Manufacturing as a Percent of Total EmploymentAs you can see, steady downward...

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