Biz Monkie

293 posts
Boisterous laugh, great smile, serial killer eyes. "the Confucius of Central Indiana" - Botswana Meat Commission - Follow me on twitter: @monkeybiziu

US Debt Ceiling Crisis Averted

Despite my most pessimistic, and consequently most trustworthy, instincts telling me that we were going to default, here we are. The House and Senate have both approved legislation that will raise the nation’s debt ceiling and sent it to the President to sign, which he is expected to do.

Let’s look at the deal that has passed Congress, and what’s next. Continue reading

Start Stretching: The Debt Ceiling Crisis Continues

Well, I was hoping we wouldn’t get this far, but here we are.

For those of you that recall my last article on the debt ceiling crisis, I said that my last article would be titled either “Tango Down: US Debt Ceiling Crisis Averted” or “Grab Your Ankles: US Defaults on National Debt”.

Based on my title, I’m sure you can figure out which way I’m leaning on this one.

Since my last article, we’ve watched negotiations between the Vice President and Congress collapse, the President and Congress collapse, and Congress and Congress collapse. What makes that last part worse is that it’s not like it’s failed once. No, it’s worse than that. The House can’t agree with the Senate. House Republicans can’t agree with Senate Republicans. Democrats can’t agree with Republicans. And the House Republicans can’t agree with each other. Continue reading

Welcome to Democrazy

“Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” – Sir Winston Churchill –

A successful democracy has always rested on two fundamental pillars. The first is compromise; the ability for even the most intractable of political foes to sit down at a table and hammer out laws that neither of them like, but that both of them can live with. The second is the exclusion of extreme elements. Simply put, government cannot function if the lunatics are running the asylum. Continue reading

Midnight Movie Review: Captain America – The First Avenger

I love movies. More importantly, I love seeing movies before almost everyone else. Certain movies will get me to the theater at midnight, so I figured I’d see them first and write a review the next day so you can get a real review from someone that isn’t a Hollywood hack.

In this installment… Captain America – The First Avenger. Continue reading

Hostage Crisis: An Update on the US Debt Ceiling Debate

By popular demand, I’m writing another article on the Debt Ceiling Crisis currently facing the United States as we head into the last few critical weeks before default. Please note the change in title from “Hostage Situation” to “Hostage Crisis”. My next entry, depending on the outcome of current negotiations, be “Tango Down: US Debt Ceiling Crisis Averted” or “Grab Your Ankles: US Defaults on National Debt”.

For those that didn’t read my previous article, here’s a quick summary of the situation. Continue reading

Hostage Situation: A Primer on the US Debt Ceiling Crisis

There’s been a lot of talk in the news regarding the current Debt Ceiling negotiations going on, at least here in the United States. I understand that there are a number of people that don’t understand exactly what this is or what it means, so I thought I would explain it.

Like all entities, the United States Government needs money to work. It has to pay people and buy things. Unfortunately, the United States Government usually can’t afford to buy all the things it wants, so it usually must take on some amount of debt. Continue reading

Midnight Movie Review: Transformers – Dark of the Moon

I love movies. More importantly, I love seeing movies before almost everyone else. Certain movies will get me to the theater at midnight, so I figured I’d see them first and write a review the next day so you can get a real review from someone that isn’t a Hollywood hack.

In this installment… Transformers – Dark of the Moon. Continue reading

Droid Does: Getting the Most out of your Android Device (Part 3)

Part Three: Android Advanced

As Android becomes more and more popular, people are increasingly looking for advice on which phones to buy, which apps to download, and what settings to use to optimize their Android experience. Lucky for you guys, I’m here to help. I’ve had my Android phone (a Verizon Droid Incredible) for almost a year now, and I’ve done just about everything you can do to one.

This is the third in a series of three articles, each covering a different aspect of using and playing with your Android device. This article will cover advanced level Android topics, specifically ROMs and Theming. Continue reading