Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Tonight, on The Dave and Steve Show

We'll be talking about our very own favorite lay-off stories in honor of the recent economic news. The show has a new website at dasshow.com

Also there is a really simple way to stream shows now that doesn't involve downloading them first or using iTunes. I'll employ that on the next Podmess which has been delayed because I've been busy and junk.

Gotta go, I'm making cookies with my son.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Who is laughing now?

Peter Schiff appeared last year on TV predicting this financial crisis we are experiencing now. (Schiff was also on Ron Paul's economic advising team) The show had on some other economists who laughed at Schiff's predictions as if he was crazy. Watch as they all laugh at what Schiff is saying about the economy a year ago.



My favorite part is when the host says, "We appreciate having another point of view." in defending Schiff. I'm glad they were open to entertain "another point of view" especially when HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS CORRECT.

Wall Street has too much arrogance to be trusted with a bail out.

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Oh Goody.

A deal has been reached. 700 billion dollars of new cash will be introduced to prop up the financial system. A system that needs propping up because it got into trouble for owing more money than there was money. So Washington DC thinks solving the problem of too much money and easy credit is accomplished by adding more money and easy credit.

This is nothing more than the same price fixing that was attempted in 1929. Ugh.

Here's a little homework for you:

Get two boxes of the game Monopoly. Play the game with a total of 2 or 3 players but don't let anyone go bankrupt until the game has reached the fourth hour in play. Allow one person to be a central banker and allow them to grant loans to anyone to cover their debts. At first allow them to mortgage their assets but allow them to buy back their mortgages with more loans and use their railroads and properties as a security.

Once you run out of money begin tallying the remaining amounts on a seperate piece of paper and allow people to keep as much paper money as necessary even if it means the loans made by the central bank empty out all of the cash. Don't stop though, keep going and only keep track of the debts on the seperate piece of paper.

Once you've reached a point where everyone owes more cash than there really is and your paper money becomes worthless call your Congressman immediately while the concept is still fresh in your head and tell them what a dumbass they are.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

That cool mist

The vertical urinal is something all men learn to use at an early age. It has a convenience that is unmatched and it is probably the most odor free of all urinal designs save for the old time urinals that are basically open toilet bowls that hang on the wall. Those waste too much water.

A few years ago I discovered something terrible about vertical urinals. I was wearing shorts because it was a hot day and I could feel something that the CIA calls blowback. An unintended consequence that results from an action. In this case the action was peeing and the blowback was in the form of stray micro-droplets that I could feel hit the skin on my legs.

Reason dictates that if I can feel the blowback on my bare legs then there must also be unfelt blowback on my pants during the 99% of the time I wear pants. Does this have you uneasy? Me too.

Think about all the men out there wearing Khakis, slacks, denim jeans, and tailored suit pants lightly misted with urinal blowback. Think about it.

Ewwww.

Admit it though, you're glad this post wasn't about politics. I am.

Privatizing Social Security

Opponents of privatizing Social Security have said it has been too risky. They've asserted over and over that people could potentially lose everything. I have to ask though...is it more risky than running a commercial investment bank?

Why not privatize it and then bail it out with money and at least be honest about the program's failure instead of letting it die slowly? Just wait...the social security buy out will come in another decade. The Fed will create money out of thin air to prop up this predictably dying and immoral program. Everyone can see it coming. With some struggle it could be avoided but it will fail...and when it does lawmakers will act surprised.

Monday, September 22, 2008

It must be said

Sure you didn't support Ron Paul. Sure you thought he was a bit nutty and wasn't a mainstream candidate. You were confused that he had such a following yet you'd never heard of him. You never could figure out why you saw a blimp in the air or several of your neighbors had a yardsign for a candidate that the news never talked about.

In the debates he stood near the end, next to the likes of Tom Tancredo and Sam Brownback and was barely given any time to speak. You remember mostly because he tried to tell you as much as possible in just the few minutes he was given while McCain, Romney and Thompson droaned on about their insignificant nuances to policies they largely agreed on.

Ron Paul talked about the economy. He said that the government was lying about their measurements of the economy and that we were really in a recession. He said it quickly because he had no time to talk. He predicted the economic system failure that we're watching unfold before our eyes but you probably don't remember since McCain and Romney argued about whether the word 'timetables' was code for bringing the troops home. No one argued over Ron Paul's words because the other candidates didn't understand them. He was using words last year that we're only now beginning to understand while we wonder if our money is safe in the bank down the street.

Do you now understand why it is so dangerous to just pick from top candidates and not give support to politicians who tell the truth? Do you understand now why it is so dangerous to pretend to follow politics but instead you're just sleepwalking while following along with the cult of personalities that are paraded in front of you?

In both 2000 and 2004 you told me that voting for Harry Browne or Michael Badnarik (who both also predicted this mess and Browne wrote several books about it) was a wasted vote because not voting against the opponent of your major party was going to usher in destruction. This collapse would've occurred under Kerry, Gore, or McCain. The economic system was based upon inflated debt, and currency backed by empty promises. You would've known this if you had listened to Dr. Paul.

You, Mr. and Mrs. America are dumbasses. We tried to tell you but you gave Ron Paul just four minutes to talk during a ninety minute debate and acted all excited when Fred Thompson finally threw his hat in...only to learn that his hat was all he contributed to the process. You wanted to hear Rudy even though no one was going to vote for him. You told pollsters all of the stupid things that you were concerned with while your money was becoming more and more worthless by the day.

Here is a short invterview with Ron Paul to remind you how stupid you all have been.

Friday, September 19, 2008

Been busy with my new insurance company

Sorry, I haven't blogged in a couple of days. I've been really busy with the new insurance company I just acquired this week. You may have heard of it...it's called AIG. Oh, Mr. Evil...please make sure you make your policy payment on time.

Keep in mind that all of these bailouts have happened without the consent of congress...and I read somewhere in a document that hangs over my toilet that only congress can spend my money.

Get ready for economic ruin.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Obama and McCain

Today they both finally demonstrated a clear distinction making it easier to know which one to vote for:

Obama calls for more regulation in the financial industry to stop eight years of shredded consumer protection.

McCain calls for more regulation to stop the patchwork quilt system of regulatory oversight.

So, isn't your choice more clear than ever?

A very confused man

"If I am sitting pretty and you've got a waitress who is making minimum wage plus tips, and I can afford it (the tax hikes) but she can't, what's the big deal for me to say I'm going to pay a little bit more. That is neighborliness."

No Mr. Obama. It is not neighborly to have your money taken from you by force and have it given to ANYONE else no matter how much they make. If you want to be neighborly then volunteer to help these people yourself.

Do not for one minute try to tell me that the government force used to collect the income tax is somehow related to being neighborly. You are at least a very confused man and perhaps at the most a fool.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Lobbyists and Government Corruption

Everyone I know says that there are too many lobbyists in Washington DC trying to influence lawmakers on behalf of evil corporations. Those who say that are right but only half-right.

Hillary Clinton stated correctly that many lobbyists represent other people groups for the sake of fairness and justice and everyone should have a right to organize their group to influence lawmakers. It's how the system works whether you like it or not. My jaw dropped at hearing that accidental moment of honesty. But she was also half-right.

The reason libertarians believe there should be smaller government is simple and complex at the same time. When Washington over-regulates and has more power, their scope and influence at the lowest levels become bigger. More is at stake in the interest of everyone when the federal government can declare you a winner or a loser.

If lawmakers could make a decision that could put you out of work, raise or lower the value of your home, or decide what kind of car you should drive people tend to pay attention. If you and people like you are seeking protection the best way is to organize and attempt to lobby lawmakers to put you on the winning team. Not doing so would be foolish. This is what you must do when over-regulation exists.

A smaller government with far less regulation would wield less power. They would not be able to, as easily, destroy certain industries while propping up others. A smaller government would not be worth lobbying because their scope and influence could not be counted on to make a difference. Also, smaller government would tend to be more honest.

In a smaller government, lawmakers would play less of a role and courts would play a larger role. Instead of the federal government being convinced through lobbyists to favor certain corporations or people groups, courts would enforce contracts, determine whether fraud or force existed in an unlawful manner. To survive, corporations would need to seek the opinions of their customers rather than making sure lawmakers took choices away from customers.

I tire so much of hearing Republicans speak of smaller government because they are lying. They want government to be large to protect the interest of their favorite lobbying group. Libertarians want orderly government. We want the same things that everyone else wants. Good education, clean water, low pollution, safe food and consumer products. We do believe that free markets (not managed markets that Republicans call free markets) are the best, cheapest, and most moral delivery method possible.

I want a government that is strong enough to protect the rights and liberties of every citizen. A federal government only large enough to treat everyone the same so that lobbying as corporations or people groups would be pointless.

Only a smaller government can reduce the influence of corrupt lobbying.

Tuesday, September 09, 2008

Needing your help [UPDATED]

You all helped raise $1400 in 3 days. Chantell reached her goal about 9pm last night. I knew it would happen because you are all very generous people.

When my niece was facing some serious financial trouble after her husband was killed a few years ago, this blog community raised nearly $6000 in just a few days. This enabled my niece to get immediate bills paid and take a leave of absence from her job to take care of her daughter who was 18 months old at the time.

I am truly humbled by all of your kindness and I'm glad this blog is a place we all spend a few moments to get to know each other and think about how right I am on breadth of subjects. (snicker)

Blessings to all of you,
-tracy

Sunday, September 07, 2008

A presidential prediction

"You know, I know, everybody watching this show knows that four years from today, whichever of them is elected, government will be bigger, more expensive, more obtrusive, and more oppressive. If you vote Republican or Democrat, you are giving up. You’re saying ‘I’m never going to be free. America will never be a free country again. I will never get smaller government. So I’m just going to vote for the one I think will take me to hell at the slowest-possible rate.’"

- Harry Browne (on Meet the Press in 2000)

True then. True today.

Friday, September 05, 2008

I need your help for a second.

Last year I lost my mother-in-law to breast cancer. It was devastating to our family as you may imagine but beyond that it felt like one last injustice thrust upon her in the last years of her life. I'm still not over it.

Our family has supported the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer foundation for a few years and have participated in the fundraising for the 3-Day Walk fundraiser even before my mother-in-law passed. In the last year or so we've learned that another great woman (who is my sister-in-law's mother-in-law...sheesh that's alot of laws) has breast cancer and is undergoing treatment now.

Just in the last year the treatments being used to treat those with breast cancer have changed dramatically and more and more breast cancer victims have been able to call themselves survivors.

You all know me as a person that promotes private cooperation rather than government help for all types of fixes in society and I believe this is no exception. I'm proud to participate in this privately funded foundation that strives to find a cure. My wife and her sister have passed their fundraising goal surpassing $7000 just today and we're very grateful and excited.

I need your help though. My friend Chantell has been raising money through many personal challenges this summer and is in need of reaching her goal over the next 7 days. She needs about $1000 to be able to participate in the 3 Day Walk next week in the Seattle area.

The donations are tax deductible (sorry, the libertarian in me couldn't resist)

If you've been touched by cancer of any kind or would simply like to join me in supporting the cause I ask very humbly that you make any type of donation you can to help Chantell's fundraising goal. It would mean a great deal to me personally and I thank you in advance.


To donate click here

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Some stuff

The last The Dave and Steve Show featured one of the most popular icons in the Pacific Northwest, clown and entertainer JP Patches. Growing up in the Seattle area I watched the JP Patches show without fail. Talking to him was in many ways a childhood dream come true. .

Sarah Palin's speech last night was really good. I'd have to vote that Huckabee's speech was the best as he is the most polished speaker of both conventions. May as well watch it and enjoy it...$33 Million dollars of tax payer money was used to fund these two gatherings of the mutual admiration society. McCain is still essentially Bob Dole without the humor

I'll be working on a new podcast pretty soon and will probably have special guest Mr. Evil with me to add that angst you all complained didn't come from me.