From the Desk of Michael Ross

Here you'll find my thoughts on business, marketing, psychology, government intrusion, freedom of thought and person, all from a commonsense point of view. I also house all my products here too.

March 20, 2004

Those Darn Pesky Jews Are At It Again

Not content with controlling Israel, they now also control Australia! Of course, they forgot to tell the Prime Minister and everyone else in government. But nevertheless it is true... at least according to the stupid dork in Bali.

What gets me though... is not that he reckons Jews control Australia - but - that the Australian media are reporting it!?

What's up with that? Why give that sack of skin covered tissue and bones any airtime at all. Who cares what he says. And what makes you (the leftist media elite) think we really need to know?

Is this a case of the leftist media clutching at straws to undermine the government in power during this election year? Reporting ANYTHING, no matter how ludicrous or which demented terrorist-loving Imam says it, as long as it is something bad about the government.

And in a similar vein...

Iraq One Year On

Sky News Anchor says, "The man who led Australia into a war with Iraq without the support of the UN, President George Bush..."

Huh? I say now what I thought then... what is the point of that?

Really? What was the point of including that lead before getting to the main bit, which was what President Bush was doing on this one year anniversary of the start of the war.

If something was to be added to the front, I see no reason why it couldn't have been something like this... "The man who ousted the murderous and butchering Taliban, who removed the blood-thirsty Saddam and his regime of evil-doers, and who freed 25 million people who had been under a reign of terror for over 30 years, president Bush..."

But, of course, I ask too much. Yes. It is too much to ask for the media to report that the POTUS (President Of The United Stated) Bush did anything good.

This kind of reporting is just another example of the depths the leftist media will stoop to try to make someone look bad. It's a wonder any "right" politicians ever get elected.

Rape? Nah. Never Happened. And Even If It Did, It Didn't. Ask My Mates

There has been a spate of rape allegations leveled at Australian football players from both Rugby League football and Aussie Rules football.

All it took was one woman to say, "I'm not going to take this shit" and dob in a footy player, and other woman have now seen that they can speak out at the outrage that was perpetrated against them.

As can be expected, the footy players are silent on the matter. There are denials. Yeah yeah. But what I find disturbing is their "mateship" attitude. Their comments of "sticking together."

HEY GUYS!!!! One of your "mates" has RAPED a woman. Has removed the most basic right we enjoy in our collectivist modern society... that right of FREEDOM.

One of your "mates" stole the freedom from another human being and you want to "stick together."

SHAME on you. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. You are pathetic and your actions of "sticking together" while one of you have committed this atrocity, shows the type of spineless, stuff from the bottom of my shoe, you are. You aren't even worth spitting on.

Why don't you show us what a "man" you are and tell the investigators the TRUTH. Put your criminal team-mate in, if for no other reason than, it is the right thing to do.

You, and those of your ilk, sicken me. Worms. That's what you are.

It's Official

Finally, the media is reporting that the recent real estate boom has ended with the third month in a row of declining home financing. Of course, I was saying this nine months ago.

Back then, when I was making "the real estate boom has ended" noises, we had already had three+ months in a row of declining property applications - applications to build new property.

The builders wanted to build fewer properties because they had already started to take longer to sell. Rents, too, had already begun to stagnate.

Of course, by the time these new properties were finally built - some of them being multi-storey walk ups - the number of people getting financing would have dropped, as has been reported. Fewer people need financing because fewer properties are on the market.

An interesting thing is, back then when I was the prophet of doom, the decline in applications was around 14% - which is a HUGE drop over the course of three months.

The decline in financing is 14%. Perfectly matching the decline in new properties.

Part of what helped delay the financing figures from showing sooner, was the home loan interest rate, and the artificial enthusiasm created in the market place by: the plethora of real estate shows which cropped up on the all knowing eye, and the constant "the real estate market has not ended and has a good three or four years left in it yet" comments coming out of the bank and real estate industries - industries which have a vested interest in keeping the enthusiasm going because it makes them more money.

Just another example of the media reporting too little too late. Lots of home owners are going to go down the proverbial real estate drain in the coming few years. Many will be "upside down" on their mortgages. And it will be a good time for those of us who have been out of this crazy rising market, building our capital reserves in readiness, to pounce as the market declines.

While all the rats flee the sinking ship, many of us will be employing the Supermarket Gambit - when things are on sale in the supermarket you stock up; when the real estate market has a "sale" we stock up.

If you're in, get out NOW. Sock away your dough and build it as much as you can for the coming "sale." You have been warned.

March 18, 2004

Ear Marks

Some of the "Terrorist Expert" talking heads are NOW playing the "I knew" game regarding the Spain train bomb. After their extreme silence when it happened, they are now saying it had all the ear marks of an Al Qaeda attack and they thought so when it happened. Of course, they never said as much back then. They only say as much now that the public has been sufficiently "educated" that it was an Al Qaeda attack.

Question: What are the ear marks that signify something is an Al Qaeda attack?

One of the first indications I heard was the use of mobile phones (cell phones for my American readers). As in, a mobile phone was attached to the explosives and the explosives were designed to go off when the mobile phone rang - or its alarm sounded.

Ok. Fine. Lets say a mobile phone detonated device signifies Al Qaeda.

My next question then is: How come no "expert" even remotely hints at Al Qaeda after a little boy was paid $1 to carry a bomb rigged to a mobile phone, across a check point near Israel?

It had everything: A bomb in a bag; a mobile phone. Ear marks of Al Qaeda we are told when it applies to other things. But eerily silent when it comes to Palestine terrorists. Which is very odd.

And in case you didn't know... when an Israeli soldier was about to check the bag (which the boy had been told contained car parts), the phone started to ring. It did not blow up because it hadn't been rigged right. But if it had, not only would it have killed the soldier, it would have killed the innocent little boy who supports his family by carrying luggage for people at the border checkpoint. These terrorists knowingly were going to murder an innocent boy.

No media outcry. Just silence.

In fact, there is ALWAYS much silence from the media when it comes to Palestinians killing Israelis. But when Israelis kill a terrorist, then it is not reported as such. It is reported as Palestinian.

Next time news from that area is on, pay very close attention to how slanted the western world media is against Israel and toward Palestine.

Side question: Why isn't the media reporting on the unrest in Iran where the freedom loving people are being "put down" by the Ayatollah Squad, during their "we want freedom" protests?

Onward.

So a mobile phone is one ear mark. What are the other ear marks?

A bomb going off in a public place?

Palestinian suicide bombers always blow up in public. The more public the better. Does that mean they are really Al Qaeda bombers?

Blowing up mass transport? (Aircraft in the US, Train in Spain)

Palestinian suicide bombers blow up buses. Have done for ages. Does that mean they are really Al Qaeda bombers?

So far, all signs which could be ear marks of Al Qaeda attacks, have an uncanny resemblance to Palestinian terrorist attacks, and pretty well every other terrorist attack there is.

I am still waiting for the host talking head to ask the terrorist expert talking head, "So tell me Bob, just what are the ear marks of an Al Qaeda attack?"

Something tells me I better not hold my breath waiting for the question to be asked. Or it might make the "expert" look not so experty.

Deny everything

The Australian government continues to deny - and continues to reject claims - it put pressure on the Minister of the Federal Police to recant his line that our going into Iraq has now made us a target - after he sent a press release clarifying what he had said after it aired on a TV show.

A couple of things about this are disturbing and educational at the same time.

First, it shows that you cannot trust the media and should only do interviews which go live to air. Henry Kissinger ONLY does interviews which go live to air. This way he can never be edited so it looks like he said something he didn't say.

Second, it shows how the media will manipulate an interview. It is their manipulation of the interview so it looked like the Minister said something a certain way, which caused the Minister to send in a press release informing the other media that what he said had been taken out of context.

Unfortunately, for the Minister, he doesn't know the dirty tricks the media get up to that well, and didn't realize his clarifying press release would make it look like he had been told to tow the party line - or that the media would make it look like that to try to create a certain impression of the current party in power.

Third, use of phrases such as, "continues to deny", "continues to reject claims", or "denies..." give the impression the person doing the denying is guilty. As if it is a fact they did it and are merely "denying" it.

The media only plays this trick with the conservative politicians. And never the leftist politicians.

If a left polly "rejects" a claim, he isn't denying it or continuing to deny it or reject it, he is "setting the record straight" or "clarifying."

Fourth, why should a politician have to continually clarify (reject and/or deny) claims? It's because the leftist media keep asking the same question over and over. Thus establishing a pattern of "rejection" and "denial" so they can then report on the continued denial and continued rejection.

When dealing with one of their own - a lefty polly - they ask questions once and let it drop no matter how lame the answer is.

Watch them in action. It is really quite obvious.

March 16, 2004

YOU Have Al Qaeda Connections

"So and So" has Al Qaeda connections. Al Qaeda connections have been discovered. And other similar verbiage, is issued by the media with all too much regularity these days.

No matter which terrorist group does or does not do something, and no matter which members of a group are caught, invariably "connections to Al Qaeda" are found.

Take the recent Spanish train bombings. One of the suspects, it has now been discovered, has connections with Al Qaeda. Because, are you ready for this?, he knew someone who knew someone connected with Muhammad Atah, one of the 911 terrorists. And thus, through a series of connections, the recent terrorist is linked with Al Qaeda.

There is a theory that goes: Each person on the planet can be linked with each other person on the planet with as few as six steps. The theory is known as "6 Degrees of Separation."

Using this theory, I am two links away from one of Australia's six billionaires. I know someone who is a client of him.

As these Big Dogs know each other, I am thus one extra step away from Kerry Packer - Australia's most wealthy person.

I have personally met our member of Federal Parliament. He knows the leader of the country. So I am only a couple of steps away from the leader of our country.

I have a client who used to handle the catering of the Parliament House. So I also know the leader through my client.

As our leader has met and interacted with the President of The United Steps, I am only but one additional small step away from him.

Imagine if I was a shady character. The news media could report "how a known acquaintance of the government caterer..." and it would sound bad, or like an inside job.

Such links are everywhere - if you choose to look hard enough to find them.

Look at me. By just a couple of steps I am linked to world leaders and the country's wealthiest people. I am certain, if one was to look hard enough, one could find links from anyone picked at random, to Al Qaeda. And within only a few steps too!

The key being in the active looking of a link. In other words, they (the authorities) go looking for a link and will not rest until they find one.

Think of it another way...

ANYONE who ever went to university with Muhammad Atah - the 911 guy - could be said to have links to Al Qaeda. And anyone those people know, could likewise be said to have links to Al Qaeda.

For instance: I know a highly respected scientist. At his level of science the scientists tend to know each other, no matter which country they live in. I betcha he knows scientists at the same university Muhammad Atah went to. Thus is would go - Al Qaeda, Muhammad Atah, European Scientist, Australian Scientist, me. And to extrapolate further... me, caterer (or federal member), Australian leader, US President. And thus we have established that the US President has links to Al Qaeda!

Of course, to a sane intelligent person, what I have just proven is ridiculous. And yet, this is similar to the hard-to-believe links the media reports.

My whole point is: Due to the 6 degrees of separation, we can all be shown to have links to Al Qaeda. So when the terrorist event (TE) is investigated with the thought in mind of looking for an Al Qaeda link, such a link will ALWAYS be found. But it doesn't mean anything. And it certainly doesn't mean Al Qaeda masterminded the TE.

I think too much credit is being given to this Al Qaeda. What are they? Super Terrorists?

Think about it.

The Mounting Iraq Death Toll

Every day we hear the latest Military Death Toll from Iraq. How many soldiers died today, or this month. And how does it rate with previous months. And whether attacks are increasing or decreasing.

This media reporting grabs the public and can make them think one way or another.

But are such tolls even worth reporting?

Bear with me here....

In the US, 90,000 people die every year from accidents. 43,000 of those by car accident. And that works out to 118 people every single day of the year die in car accidents in the US. And this number is hardly mentioned anywhere.

The murder rate in the US is 6.8 per 100,000. Some say the US is a violent place with some 14,000 people a year being murdered by guns.

A quick check of the crime figures of my city reveal a murder rate of 7 per 100,000. MORE than the murder rate of the US! And yet, murders are NEVER reported in our local major daily newspaper.

Could it be because our city is a tourist city - and - it would not be good for business to let tourists know our murder rate is higher than the US murder rate!?

Everyday in the US, 38 people are murder by gun. Everyday. Yet the media makes a big deal out of one or two who might die overseas. Or they concentrate on a few very select cases. Laci Peterson, Carlie Bruscia, etc. What about the other people? Not worth mentioning?

I guess not. Hey, not big deal. The media is just being selective. Choosing to only report the stories they know from experience will make people tune in the TV or buy the newspaper. Can't blame them for making a buck.

But when they selectivity create a crowd state, which thus creates political pressure, then the media has gone beyond reporting.

When put in perspective, any overseas deaths pale in comparison to deaths at home. Yet the deaths at home are ignored because it is easier to sensationalise the overseas death. And doing so could serve the political agenda of the media - which is quite leftist in nature.

The Socialist Success Model

As previously stated, ANY means can be used by the socialist to help overthrow the government.

The recent TE in Spain will, unfortunately, make socialists around the world think they can overthrow a government by similar TEs.

After such TEs, the investigators will undoubtedly find "links to Al Qaeda" and here we go again.

I'd like to clarify something. Some would say a person claiming to be a Muslim and who does a TE, cannot really be called a socialist because they have different core beliefs. Well, the fundamental goal is the same and their core view of society is similar bar the religion bit. In short, they are still socialists with the same overall philosophy and justifications for taking the actions they do. And that overcomes any religious differences.

For instance, the loudest protestors against the Iraq war were socialists - because they did not want their socialist brother Saddam to be overthrown. It didn't matter that he had gassed people, killed others outright, and had personally murdered people just cause they disagreed with him. Because he was a fellow "socialist" he was "one of them". (Sickening the way these people think.)

Anyway. The socialists now think they have a proven workable model of getting their socialist brothers into positions of power. So watch for similar TEs near election times. And specially where the incumbent leader is a conservative.

March 15, 2004

There Goes Spain Down The Drain

Well, the Spanish elections are over and the Socialists are now in power.

Funny that... ETA - a branch of the socialists - was initially accused of the train bombs. But the media was trying hard to not report it and to instead hint at it being Al Qaeda.

Suddenly, after no proof of it being Al Qaeda - just like there is never any proof it is them doing anything - a video appears in which a man claims to be an Al Qaeda general, and also claims to be behind the train bombs. (The first time this kind of technology has been used like this by Al Qaeda, if it were them.)

The media jumped all over this. And not just in Spain. All over the world the leftist media was reporting that "Al Qaeda claims responsibility for the train bombings in Spain" as if it was a foregone irrefutable fact.

Here's what makes more sense...

ETA - the known socialist Spanish terrorist group - planted bombs in trains just mere days before the Spanish general election. A video was left by them saying the bombs were revenge for Spain's part in the war on Iraq. The Socialist party then jumped all over this, organizing protests and condemning the government for bringing this terror onto the Spanish people. The result was a mass political slide AWAY from the conservative government. So much so the socialists were elected.

To a normal person this might seem a stretch - BUT - socialists follow the communist manifesto. And in that Work, violence and destruction - even such things as the train bombs - are deemed as quite alright to use to help overthrow the government in power.

Which is EXACTLY what happened. A violent destructive act occurred at a time to weaken the elected government so as to overthrow it.

Mission accomplished. Just as it says in the communist manifesto.

I feel saddened. Saddened the people of Spain have left their intellect behind and chosen to be ruled by socialists. Chosen to opt into the "terrorist protection racket." (And a racket it is because to a socialist, what another socialist does is never wrong, no matter how vile and depraved and just plain wrong it is.)

Al Qaeda is Kaiser Soze`

In the movie "The Usual Suspects" there is a character called Kaiser Soze`. Soze` is a mysterious, unknown super-criminal who has his fingers into everything everywhere. And if you cross him - even if you didn't know it - he will get you.

Al Qaeda is like this... any time any terrorist event takes place, it is easy to blame it on Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is responsible for everything, even if there is no proof of it.

The mystique which surrounds this terrorist group has enabled the politicians and the media to create a bogeyman out of them. But are they the bad guys everyone portrays them to be? Can they really "mastermind" a lot of the stuff which has been attributed to them?

Think about it: We are expected to believe that Osama Bin Laden - a wealthy genius - who is hiding out in caves somewhere between Afghanistan and Pakistan, is masterminding terrorist attacks throughout the world.

Or to put it another way... a rich eccentric genius who lives in an inaccessible cave in the middle of nowhere, without running water or electricity, is masterminding and controlling the most brilliant attacks all over the globe.

If it wasn't put out by governments all over the world, you would have a hard time believing such a story. (And if you have read "The Hitch-hiker's Guide To The Galaxy" you will see the similarities of this story.)

So exactly What is Al Qaeda?

Al Qaeda supposedly means "The Base." The idea is they will act as a central point for OTHER terrorist organizations.

So, if a terrorist act needs to be performed, Al Qaeda can ask terrorist group X to do it. Terrorist Group X then goes and does the terrorist act. The newsmedia then report that a terror group associated with Al Qaeda - or with Al Qaeda links - performed the act.

Just knowing this claimed linkage makes ALL terrorist groups a part of Al Qaeda - even if Al Qaeda does nothing they end up being linked to everything. And the Bogeyman has been accredited more.

WHO is Al Qaeda? Basically it is two people: Osama Bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri. (Although, the media would have you believe it is many hundreds of people.) And the media claims that Osama is the head of Al Qaeda. But a closer inspection of any footage of him shows that al Zawahiri is ALWAYS present. Logic concludes: It is al Zawahiri who is the mastermind of Al Qaeda and not Osama. Osama is just the "posterboy" for them. The "face" of Al Qaeda. And also, the money supply. Al Zawahiri has been a terrorist for a lo-o-o-o-ong time. While Osama's first taste of "terrorism" was in attacking Russia during their occupation of Afghanistan. It was here that Osama and al Zawahiri met and, I believe, al Zawahiri began influencing Osama - possibly even influencing him and Muhammad Atef to create Al Qaeda.

HOW does Al Qaeda get something done?

Take 911. Four planes. Four targets. Four "cells."

My opinion is, each cell belonged to a different pre-existing terrorist group. And each group was ask to attack one particular target on one particular day and given the "steps" on how to do it. They were then left to their own devices to carry out the task. With each person being told only what they need to know to perform the task at hand.

Being told only what you need to know, is STANDARD within the western military. And Osama and his buddies were heavily supplied and influenced by the western military during the Russian occupation of Afghanistan.

What this meant to the 911 groups was... the pilots knew what they had to do, and the muscle who kept the passengers under control had no idea about what the real goal of the hijacking was. And each group was unaware of the other groups.

In this way, if one group is caught they know nothing else and cannot give away anything which would hinder the other groups.

It is this need to know factor which makes it hard to find out information. For anyone who captures a terrorist knows they are only told what they need to know to perform their task.

To further protect the main body, death of the terrorist is ideal. For then the terrorist cannot be questioned and give any information.

This did not happen with the train bombs in Spain. In that case, the terrorists lived. Indicating it was not the work of Al Qaeda - for if it had been, then bomb belts would have been used to make certain the job was done, and any possible information link leading back to the "head" would thus be broken.

Those who were captured and now blamed for the bombs are not Arab and do not come from an Arab nation. India and Morocco. Easily a "cell" hired by a terrorist group (ETA) to perform a certain task with hints on how it could be done, but otherwise left up to them.

Think back to the Iraq war. Now think to after it, when Saddam was captured. He had a briefcase with him. The contents of which indicated that he was being kept informed of progress. Meaning, the Saddam Loyalists were figuring things out on their own and merely reporting their progress back to Saddam.

Osama and al Zawahiri would work the same way. With messages filtering back to them on the progress of events.

The media has recently reported that Osama needs to communicate via written message and donkey now because their satellite phones are being tracked.

Well, how about this: Too many people are now beginning to ask, "How can they be using satellite phones when such phones needs batteries? Wouldn't they need loads of batteries for such phones?"

Conveniently, these "geniuses" NOW realize that what they thought was a "clocking" device was in fact a phone identification device which allowed the US intelligence to track them. Realizing their error they now communicate with written messages delivered via donkey.

This would be feasible. But also reveals something more... a long while after other attacks, audio tapes appeared in Arab related media, as messages from Al Qaeda. Which makes sense with messages traveling via donkey - after being informed the latest task had been completed.

This usual method - audio tapes and rarely, grainy video tapes - have always been delivered to Arab media and have been the words of Osama or al Zawahiri and no-one else. No other lower-downs.

This fact alone should have people question the authenticity of the "I'm an Al Qaeda general and blew up the trains" video tape.

Anyway. You now have some more to think about. And now we are asked to believe... a rich eccentric genius who lives in an inaccessible cave in the middle of nowhere, without running water or power, and who can only communicate by message carried by donkey, is masterminding and controlling terrorist attacks across the globe. (Believe it, or don't - your choice as a thinking person.)

March 14, 2004

Conspiracies For Sale - $1 Per Dozen

So some train got blown up in Spain. And as could be predicted, the first word on everyone's mind-tongue was "Al Qaeda." Even if it wasn't spoken, it was the first thing thought.

What was expressed, however, was the word ETA. In the hopes that it was them, and not Al Qaeda, who were responsible for the bombing.

But alas, some audio and video tapes "appear" to point the bony finger of accusation squarely at Al Qaeda.

Ok. Now for some conspiracy stuff. Pick your favorite...

Conspiracy # 1: The bombings were organized by the US and the CIA to help further the US justification for The War on Terror and to help cement President George W. Bush during this election year.

Conspiracy # 2: The bombings were organized by the French secret service on behalf of the French government, to let Spain know who is boss in Europe, and to pay them back for making France suffer financial loss now that their cash cow Saddam Hussein is gone. The evidence of this is that one of the captured terrorist plotters was from Morocco - and we all know France has a LOT to do with Morocco. Also, the French secret service have done stuff like this before - remember when they blew up the Greenpeace ship, "The Rainbow Warrior"?

Conspiracy # 3: Al Qaeda organized it as a revenge for Spain's participation in the War Against Iraq.

See one you like?

Lets think about this a bit...

The US and the French had nothing to do with this. Common sense says so.

Al Qaeda also had nothing to do with this. Someone else - some other group - were responsible.

Think about it... if you want to do something bad - like blow up some trains - and not be busted, you will try to make it look like someone else did it. And what easier way than to have some Arab-like man claim to be an Al Qaeda general and take responsibility.

I gots news for ya... Al Qaeda never admits to anything. They never come right out and say, "We did X." In fact, NO terrorist group take responsibility for actions attributed to them.

So in this case... the question is... WHO GAINS.

Well. Those "protests" were organized pretty damn quick. And a lot of people were organized. And those who are skilled at organizing such things - based on experience of organizing such things - are the socialist left and their "union" bothers and sisters.

The speed at which the marches were organized and the speed at which the black ribbon was adopted as the symbol, shows there was great organization - and even a tad of pre-organization!

Interesting how following the bombing protests there were other protests calling for the resignation of Spain's leader (I guess they don't mourn for long in Spain).

And all of this happens just days before Spain's general election.

Think about it... just days before an election, a bombing occurs with the blame for the bombing being leveled at the Spanish leader as punishment for taking Spain into the Iraq War.

The implication now being... vote for us (the real far left socialists) and that won't happen again.

But what kind of attitude is that? Oh... we won't do anything you big bad terrorists don't like otherwise you might bomb us?

What's next? Oh, you want money or you will bomb us?

It's like a protection racket.

I'll have more to say on the realities of Al Qaeda in another post some time in the coming week. Suffice to say, they didn't do the Spain bombings.