Welcome to Flam Valley, Norway. Wow.

You own gobs of products made in China. But can you name one Chinese brand? According to one survey, 94% of Americans can’t.

There’s Lenova, the consumer electronics company. And tech people are probably familiar with Baidu, the Chinese counterpart to Google. But that’s about it.

The graphic above shows the top 50 Chinese brands. I’ve only heard of a couple of them. But then, they exist in a market of 1.4 billion people, so there’s not much need to reach out to someone living in Indiana.

But Chinese people are well aware of non-Chinese brands (Apple, Microsoft, western auto companies, fashion brands, etc.), and with their newfound wealth, are fixated on brands as status symbols. Not that Americans would ever think of doing that.

This graphic has nearly 3000 shares on Facebook. And I’m thinking–seriously? People are in favor of FORCING citizens to buy and own guns?

I’m guessing most of these shares are by people who rant about government intrusion into our private lives, and who oppose the Obamacare mandate because they shouldn’t be forced to buy something they don’t want. But hey–let’s DEMAND that people keep deadly weapons as part of their family, whether they like it or not.

Seriously? Is this something to applaude? To trumpet across Facebook as commendable?

I looked it up: a firearms license in Georgia averages $75, renewable every five years. So this would be a huge windfall for local governments trying to make up budget shortfalls. And it would sure make local gunshop owners happy. Maybe some are on the Kennesaw city council.

Gun rights advocates like to complain that we aren’t enforcing the laws already on the books. In Kennesaw, nobody is apparently enforcing this law. Plus, Kennesaw does exempt anyone who is morally opposed to guns or who can’t afford to buy one. So it’s kind of a toothless law, when it comes right down to it.

The part about crediting guns with the low crime rate is an exaggeration. In fact, if you factor in all of the people in Kennesaw who DON’T own guns, in direct violation of the law, then the crime rate is actually quite high.

Thomas A. Baker

Thomas A. Baker, from Troy, New York, won the Medal of Honor on Saipan during World War 2. This award was an absolute no-brainer. Read what he did. This is why they were the Greatest Generation.

When his entire company was held up by fire from automatic weapons and small-arms fire from strongly fortified enemy positions that commanded the view of the company, Sgt. (then Pvt.) Baker voluntarily took a bazooka and dashed alone to within 100 yards of the enemy. Through heavy rifle and machinegun fire that was directed at him by the enemy, he knocked out the strong point, enabling his company to assault the ridge.

Some days later, while his company advanced across the open field flanked with obstructions and places of concealment for the enemy, Sgt. Baker again voluntarily took up a position in the rear to protect the company against surprise attack and came upon 2 heavily fortified enemy pockets manned by 2 officers and 10 enlisted men which had been bypassed. Without regard for such superior numbers, he unhesitatingly attacked and killed all of them. Five hundred yards farther, he discovered 6 men of the enemy who had concealed themselves behind our lines and destroyed all of them.

On 7 July 1944, the perimeter of which Sgt. Baker was a part was attacked from 3 sides by from 3,000 to 5,000 Japanese. During the early stages of this attack, Sgt. Baker was seriously wounded, but he insisted on remaining in the line and fired at the enemy at ranges sometimes as close as 5 yards until his ammunition ran out. Without ammunition and with his own weapon battered to uselessness from hand-to-hand combat, he was carried about 50 yards to the rear by a comrade, who was then himself wounded.

At this point Sgt. Baker refused to be moved any farther, stating that he preferred to be left to die rather than risk the lives of any more of his friends. A short time later, at his request, he was placed in a sitting position against a small tree. Another comrade, withdrawing, offered assistance. Sgt. Baker refused, insisting that he be left alone and be given a soldier’s pistol with its remaining 8 rounds of ammunition.

When last seen alive, Sgt. Baker was propped against a tree, pistol in hand, calmly facing the foe. Later Sgt. Baker’s body was found in the same position, gun empty, with 8 Japanese lying dead before him. His deeds were in keeping with the highest traditions of the U.S. Army.

Imagine some approval committee meeting to decide whether or not to give Baker the Medal of Honor. They read what he did, and then the chairman says, “What’s there to talk about?” Done.

(This citation is from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society website.

Interesting piece on Propublica.org about tax return filing. The IRS already knows how much they they think you should pay. Why not just tell you upfront? With “return free filing,” the IRS sends you a tax form already filled in with their numbers, so you know in advance what THEY think you owe. You then have several choices:

1. Accept it as is and return it to the IRS.
2. Make adjustments and then return it.
3. File a return in another way (TurboTax, H&R Block, whatever).

For many people, they can file their return in five minutes–and for free. Other countries do this effectively, and it’s been endorsed by presidents going back to Ronald Reagan.

So why haven’t we done it? Partly because of heavy lobbying by Intuit, which sells the Turbotax software. Intuit doesn’t WANT the government making it easy for people. In 2011, their lobbying killed two bills which would have allowed taxpayers to file pre-filled returns for free and make the entire system more efficient.

So don’t be upset at the IRS for making tax returns difficult. They WANT to make it easy and free. Blame the selfish, greedy folks at Turbotax instead.