Collecting Stuff

I collect a few things. Nothing I collect is worth much really.

Events today put me in position to waste time at a car collector show. Lots of restored cars. I wasn't impressed.

I walked around watching these people sit in lawn chairs next to their cars that were in various phases of restoration and you could tell their very lives were wrapped up in these projects. On what seemed like a nice day they had nothing better to do except hang around with other people who have dedicated their lives to restore their own bucket of bolts. I felt sorry for them really.

Then the weather turned. It really turned.

The first day of summer rolled in and along with it came an awesome hail storm. Panic erupted as every collector imagined the specter of their beloved old cars having as many dimples as a golf ball. They ran around...some started their cars and headed out...to where...who can say? Where would they escape the hail storm? Others ran for cover as the lightning showed up shortly after the hail. What fun. I laughed inside and laughed a great deal.

They should all get a new hobby or at least move their weird gathings indoors...where moth and rust do not corrupt...as quickly.

David Letterman and the Palins

I've always liked Letterman and have preferred his show to both Leno and Carson over the years. His joke about A-Rod knocking up the Governor's daughter was just another joke in a long line against the Palin family. One of the jokes was going to go too far...unfortunately it was Letterman's.

During the election, Obama simply stated to the press that his family was off-limits and the press honored it. Hell, they honored everything he did to the point of worship. Palin's family was the subject of a great media focus...most of the time unfairly.

Letterman apologizes and now finally Sarah Palin's family is off-limits because one joke could be taken to mean something that was beyond the taste of the average American.

I hope the Palin's enjoy their time of being left alone and I hope this joke doesn't become a Don Imus moment for Letterman.

Silliness from The Federal Reserve

I enjoy this video montage of Ben Bernanke. You could bring up video from the past on anyone and demonstrate how their opinions were short-sighted or just plain wrong. I guess what makes Ben's video more fun to watch is his ABSOLUTE ARROGANCE in his faith in central economic planning. He should stick to more general predictions like a horoscope.

Dear Capricorn, you are feeling a little thin in the wallet but don't despair! Inflation on a small level means economic growth and more opportunities for love. Whatever was draining your wallet will soon be gone and you'll be back in the driver's seat with joy and romance as your co-pilot. Take out another credit card and spend some of the capital that will be coming your way.

Satan Hates You Trailer

Friend of the blog, television carpenter, and former pilgrim Don Wood stars in Satan Hates You.  Enjoy.

Duckies rescued by cop!

I’m always assured by people that there are good cops out there.  This must be that good cop to whom you were referring.

I'm sure I'll be updating this post later once it's reported she tazered the ducks for not respecting her authority. This one is for you Mr. Anonymous.

72 Year Old Woman Tazered

The cop had to use violent force against the elderly woman because she was committing the terrible crime of initially refusing to sign a traffic ticket. If only this brave police officer had called for back-up so that he and other officers could take turns beating her with clubs while screaming "CALM DOWN!" in her face.

Peter Schiff on the Daily Show

I know many of you saw this already, but worth a repeat.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Peter Schiff
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show

No one is looking for me. Trust me.

Facebook has many interesting ads, but this one really made me laugh.  I present you the ad aimed at horndog males thinking a hot woman they don’t know is probably looking for them:

I take it back…there might be some people looking for me.  People I forgot I owe money to…or maybe even the Jehovah Witnesses that came to my door last Saturday.  So fat chance…I’m not fooled by your ad.

Bush's 3rd Term

Wasn't McCain supposed to be Dubya's third term?

GM - the new Amtrak

Richard Nixon forced the merger of two railroads and then subsequently moved to subsidize them and force them to nationalization. The promise was, back in the 70's, that the need to rescue the railroads would be temporary and that once the government got them back on their feet and profitable, the assets would be sold off.

How did that work? Well 40 years later Amtrak still exists and operating at a loss...and you pay for it whether you ride the train or not. Because of lobbyists (who now are paid by federal money) legislation has made it illegal to compete with Amtrak...ensuring no profitable passenger train company will ever exist in this nation.

Like Amtrak, GM now has their employees paid with federal dollars...including their lobbyists. You are going to begin paying for lobbyists with your tax dollars to go to Washington and make sure that GM gets more of your dollars. They will never have to be profitable again...and with constant lobbying pressure it could become illegal some day to sell a car for less than a GM car.

I'm skeptical that GM will ever be turned back over to the private marketplace once it exists under protective umbrella of government force and coercion.

Have a good weekend!

Nice timing

I got home...the phone rang...I answered...

It was the police union asking people to donate to programs to help families of cops who have been hurt or suffered from the inherent dangers associated with their jobs.

I told them I'm looking to give as much money as I'm able to give to victims of police to pay for their medical bills and fund their legal costs to sue police departments and take legal action against individual cops who break the law by traumatizing citizens.

This guy chose to point out to me that I should appreciate it that the police make sacrifices to keep me and my family safe and would I consider even making a $15 donation.

I told him because he asked again I would double my donation and fundraising effort to help the family of Christopher Harris, who still remains in a coma.

On a side note: Courts have ruled several times over the years that it is not a police officer's job to keep individuals safe but to restore general order. Police talk about protecting and serving when they want our accolades but they'll readily hide behind "restoring order" when they've hurt or killed an innocent citizen.

I own GM!

Now that I own GM I’m going to bring back Pontiac and get rid of Saturn.  I’m going to make cool cars like the Trans Am from those old 70’s movies. 

As for Suzuki…bye bye…no more GM/Daewoo vehicles…I have nothing against Korean cars (I own two) but no one should buy a Daewoo at GM prices. 

I’m going to be so busy with my new car company that I know my summer is going to be booked. 

Drop off your suggestions in the comments about how we should steer our new car company.

Beating a Dead Horse

This video involves a high speed chase where the suspect is likely guilty…The suspect leaves his vehicle and fails to scale a fence to get away…realizing he is trapped he gives himself up to police (in a fashion that leaves me thinking he’s done this before) and then the brave police officer approaches the man who has given himself up and kicks him in the head while another officer comes along and beats him with a PR-24 baton. (Watch from 6:00 mark on for the money shot) This is for you Mr. Anonymous.

Is the piece of crap suspect deserving of arrest and the full force of the law against him if he’s found guilty? You bet! Is anything that these two officers did after he gave himself up peacefully lawful? I doubt it. They should see some jail time as well.

Don’t worry, I’m not turning this blog into an anti-statist, hate police blog…there are already those out there and they do a better job than I could. I just wanted Mr. Anonymous from the last post to realize that I could (if I wanted to) backup my claim that I could post a different video or news story of police brutality about everyday.

I didn't want to do it, but...

I didn’t want to post another video of cop stupidity. I don’t want to be overly cynical of police authority in this country. That said I could probably post a different video like this everyday.

In this video Oklahoma State Troopers pulled over an ambulance taking a woman to the hospital. What developed was caught on video. Maurice White Jr. (the man who received a choke hold from a brave police officer) got out of the ambulance when the patrol car pulled them over because he saw a woman in the front seat of the patrol car and he thought she was in need of medical attention…I mean why else would you pull over an ambulance?

If you know some police officers or have some in your family…show them this video and let them know that the public is growing tired of this.

Midweek Dangly Bits

Tonight I'll be with Dave from the Dave and Steve Show We'll discuss ever so briefly how corporations overthink advertising and I'll be using Pepsi as an example. I'm sure there are about two of you that care but I'll try not to bore you too terribly.

Thanks for all the emails pointing out the angrier tone of my last few posts...all of them were positive...don't understand why you all want me angry all the time...but I'll do my best.

More to come.

Pepsi Throwback

I didn’t expect much honestly.

Up until the last 10 years or so I preferred Pepsi over any other cola.  It was no contest really.  I took the Pepsi challenge back when I was in elementary school and it became very obvious that there was a huge difference between the two major colas. 

The “other” cola was all over the place too.  I found their advertising to be pompous and the quality of their fizzy syrup to be average at best.  Obviously many other people did since “they” tried to change their formula for no known reason…only to come up with a worse flavor.

But I noticed that the quality of the Pepsi product in the 90’s went down the toilet.  Especially here in the Pacific Northwest.  About six years ago I did have some Pepsis that I bought in Denver, Colorado that were in with some I brought with me from Seattle.  The taste between the cans was noticeable and confirmed what I suspected all along.  The Seattle area bottler (which at time was Alpac Corporation…may still be..dunno) was using bathwater to make their Pepsi.  It sucked.  So, I stopped drinking it.

So does Pepsi Throwback remind me of the taste I loved as a kid?  Totally!  Smoother, better, and no bathwater aftertaste.  I like it.

Verdict:  It doesn’t suck

Predictably, Pepsi continues their stupidity by making this quality product available for a few months…then gone for good…and back I will go to drinking beer.

A good year for my Congressman

I wrote a few years ago about my experience with Congressman Jay Inslee and his staff. I had nothing bad to say about him except what should be obvious to anyone. Congress supports special interest, and not the individual unless you're good for a photo op.

That said my congressman has had a pretty good year in my view. He has voted against bailouts at every opportunity and recently co-sponsored a bill to change a law to enable the Federal Reserve to be audited.

Bravo Jay Inslee! I may not write-in my cat against you in 2010. No disrepect however to Chairman Meow.

Cops are awesome aren't they?

YouTube is now providing video proof of stories we’ve been hearing from people throughout the years.  Police using force for no reason, breaking people’s right, temporarily detaining people for no legal reason. 

Last month an El Paso news reporter was arrested for covering an accident scene where off-duty military personnel rescued a man from a tipped over semi-truck.  Even after agreeing to leave the scene the cop still had to lose control of the situation. 

A couple of weeks ago a pastor driving through New Mexico was tazered, dragged from his car and beaten up simply because he would not consent to have his car searched on the freeway.  Border Patrol and Highway Police perform these searches of vehicles to catch illegal aliens and drug trafficking.  Their justification for their actions was that the pastor was considered suspicious because he wouldn’t let them search him without a warrant.

Now a man in a Seattle theater was mistaken for a suspect in a stabbing incident that happened in a nearby convenience store.  The policeman came after the man who tried to get away from him and the cop body checked him against a wall head first.  The innocent victim in the case is in a coma.

King County Police did a preliminary investigation and their findings are that the policeman used force within their policies and did not commit any crime.  Their report questions why the man was trying to get away from the policeman in the first place…

…I don’t know…maybe because the cop could use life threatening force against an innocent person without any fear of going to jail or even losing his career…maybe that had something to do with it.

The clown who put the man in the hospital while he clings to life is on paid administrative duty where he gets to do his important law enforcement from a desk.

I know some will argue that there are good police out there but I’m going to have to ask the question that begs to be asked:

Where are they when this stuff happens?  Why aren’t they speaking out against rogue cops.  For every 100 videos out there of police doing stupid things like this a good cop could get killed because the public becomes more fearful of these clowns with a badge on their state-approved costume.

Enjoy the video below of what the King County Police calls a “Tragic accident”.  Don’t feel bad for the victim though…after all…no law was broken.

Make no mistake

Your president is full of shit.

Libertarian Purity Tests

It's amazing that a group so small and so ineffective in politics in our country would still be so aggressive about checking the purity of those of us who use the "L" word.

Senator Lindsey Graham from South Carolina knows what a libertarian is...as he proudly proclaims to his dwindling number of GOP supporters that he is not one.

I'd rather build coalitions. Try to achieve a bi-partisan libertarian reality. Allow both sides of the aisle downgrade their own particular brand of intervention.

Democrats give up a department
Republicans give up a defense contract
Democrats give up foreign aid to Palestine
Republicans give up foreign aid to Israel

Wouldn't it be nice to see a balanced, bi-partisan approach to collectively pulling this country's head out of its ass?

Yeah, I know. I can dream can't I?

The Hiatus is over!

Sorry about the delay in posts. I've had a bunch of stuff to say and very little time to say it in. Was working 7 days a week for the last two weeks...but I'm back now....so let's get started.

Rant #1 - Hey look you dumbass Paleo-Conservative/libertarian nutjobs who believe in every big conspiracy brewing out there...how can I talk to people about anything freedom-related if all they know about is you? To get someone's ear on something I have to first explain that I don't believe in your dumb conspiracies, that I'm not a gun nut ready to move to my fortress compound in Montana and that I believe that 9/11 was pretty much just a small group of guys with box cutters who had a lot of patience and planning. Maybe you could all just shut up for awhile and let the grown-ups talk for a bit?

Rant #2 - Pepsi Throwback? In plastic bottles? Are you kidding me? I'm going to try it still and I promise to bore you with the details.

Rant #3 - Hey guess what? I don't consent to be searched. You want to see what I'm carrying then go convince a judge you jerk-wads. The 4th Amendment is the most ignored right and the least protected.

Rant #4 - Secession. I do believe it is the inherant right of any free state to break off and do what it wants...if its citizens choose to do so. It would be nice if these states would start by cutting off the flow of federal money to their states to really drive home their points. It's one thing to want to be indpendent, but can they try it without going after my money first?

Rant #5 - I listen to the news talk about our debt and they're concerned about the amount of money we're borrowing to pay for the spending of the Obama administration. They still don't get it. They should be worrying about the spending on the money we CAN'T borrow. This latest spending spree has the fewest amount of treasury bills supporting it than any other spending package in US history. This is a much larger danger to our country and our money.

Rant #6 - You anti-war people who voted for Obama were used...and I told you so. The war in Iraq continues...and if it escalates we will delay our plans to dwindle down troop presence there. Afghanistan continues and will be escalated under the leadership of your savior. Congratulations voting for a man that throws good money after bad while sending your sons and daughters off to war. Morons.

Atlas Shrugged Revisited

I’ll throw a bone to my Objectivist fans:

US Labor Department reported 539,000 jobs lost.

Government employment increased during this same period by 66,000 jobs.

If you’re scoring at home:

There are fewer producers.

There are more takers.

Good Parenting Update

I wrote last year about my buddy Warren who took his son to South Africa for two weeks and I promised to follow up on this.

They had a great time and from what I can tell it was a life-changing experience for his son.  I’m happy to report that among all the normal troubles that a boy his age would have, he is engaged in school and still getting terrific grades.

I’m also happy to report that they were not eaten by lions, which as I wrote earlier, would’ve put a bit of a downer on what should’ve been a more uplifting story. 

I want to invite you to read his blog entries and see his incredible photography from their trip to South Africa.  I’m glad that there are parents like Warren in the world.

Reaction to the Georgia College Slayings

What?  You hadn't heard that a group of college kids in Georgia were killed by two gunman that burst into an apartment where they were gathered?  Of course you didn't...because it never happened.  Here's why.

Jack Kemp - RIP

UPDATE - Now with more vowels!
Sorry to hear Jack Kemp passed away over the weekend. I liked him...sometimes.

When listening to Kemp talk I was always agreeing and disagreeing with him, often while he was in the same sentence. Every time Kemp spoke about financial matters and taxation policies it was if he was putting Mustard and Raspberry Jam on a hot dog. You can imagine liking all three, just not together. Here are examples of Kemp's great internal conflicts:

Supply-side economics - Kemp long discussed the need to lower tax marginal rates to raise receipts. He understood like a few politicians that there are certain taxes, that when lowered,can actually raise revenue. I've not understood though why an advocate for less government intervention would want more revenue fueling it.

Flat tax - Kemp felt a flat tax on wages and earnings was more fair. He said it should be somewhere between 17-25%. I've never understood why someone who advocated for personal liberty would concede that one-fourth of my productive energy should belong to someone else.

When he defended Reagan, he was really defending himself. Reagan expanded the role of government in our lives...it's a sad truth. The most shameful elements of Reagan's time in office were orchestrated by the likes of Kemp and a few others.

Kemp as head of HUD recommended that it be closed. Bravo.

Kemp was not afraid to speak in front of minorities, in particular African-Americans. I wish he would have been a little less smug while doing it though.

Kemp also played for the San Diego Chargers. I've never liked the Chargers much.

He had local ties to my area and I had on one occasion back in the early 90's shook hands with Jack Kemp. I'm sure he talked about shaking my hand quite a bit in his private life.

Count your pennies

I've been working on some major projects and haven't blogged this week. Sorry. Come back next week...I'll blog your face off.

From the Mouths of Babes

Our country somehow expects a great deal from our beauty queens. We want them beautiful, elegant, poised, and able to solve the world's problems with a few sentences when pressed for answers.

Miss California recently was asked by Perez Hilton if she thinks that more states should follow Vermont's lead and legalize same-sex marriage.

Her answer is as follows:

Well, I think it’s great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage...and you know what, in my country, in my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman.

No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be - between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.

Later Hilton called Miss California a "dumb bitch" on his blog.

I guess what I'm wondering is: Why ask the question if there is only one right answer?

You don't have to like her answer but she was at least respectful to people who disagree with her and she gave her reason (albeit a weak one) why she can't agree with same-sex marriage.

Who cares what Miss California has to say on the subject anyway? Who cares about Perez Hilton? What I do care about is that we can disagree with each other without name calling.

After all, we're talking about the important position of Miss USA here. If we cannot protect the integrity of this important institution...how can we ever hope to solve the problems of marriage?

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

I love documentaries.  I even like documentaries that are trying to convince me of some stupid worldview.  No matter if it’s one I largely don’t agree with (Bowling for Columbine) or one I really agree with (From Freedom to Fascism) I take them with a grain of salt because a documentary is designed to take a subject and fill your head with reasons to agree or disagree with it.  Generally a documentary is not all that objective.

Last night I saw Anvil! The Story of Anvil. I loved it.

Here is the trailer:

When I first saw the trailer I thought it was another Spinal Tap rip-off but one thing stood out to me…I actually remembered Anvil. I saw this movie last Saturday night in Seattle’s University District and really enjoyed it.  You don’t have to be into Heavy Metal music to love this movie.  This is just an interesting way of telling the story of underdogs who refuse to give up…against all odds.

I’ll be giving a more complete review of this movie with Dave on the Dave and Steve Show this week.

A Special Message to Barack Obama

I asked my son if he could talk to the president...what would he say? Below is a message to the president from Rory.

Mr. President, I'm going to poop on the potty so I can have some chocolate and get my Thomas train back.

There you are Mr. President. The future generations have spoken.

Mad as Hell

Daniel Hannan - Member of European Parliament

I heard this speech the day after he gave it and was impressed.  Its popularity since has given me more reason to share it. 

Giving Back

I hate this expression and I hear it all the time.

I heard on the radio a guy who owned a couple of businesses talk about his sponsoring of Boys and Girls clubs and that he liked the chance to “give back to the community.”

So I wonder exactly what this guy exactly “takes” from the community that he is obligated to “give back.”  From the news report I could gather this:

• He employs 36 people in the community where they enjoy reliable employment with benefits.
• He provides a service in the community that I have used myself.
• He seems to perform the service well enough that people return as customers.

Is this productive energy that he uses that directly impacts those who are connected with him as employees or customers a clever form of stealing from the community?

How come I never hear politicians discuss tax rebates or tax rate reduction as “giving back” to the community?  That WOULD be accurate as their goal is always to take from the productive efforts of people and give it to the unproductive elements of our society.

The expression pisses me off and I beg you…if you hear someone use this expression…stop them.  Grab them by their fat heads and knock some sense into them.  If you do, you will have given society the greatest gift of all.  Trust me.

Oh, and hope you had a Happy Easter.

Pirates back in the news...they never really left.

Keep the Change

“Some may notice that the neo-conservatives who masterminded the policy of global interventions are not complaining about the level of military and foreign spending. This is because rather than drawing down our costly interventions, Obama is largely staying the course on these issues. In fact, this week a group of leading neoconservatives met to discuss how best to support the President on foreign policy! I am disappointed and concerned that, in spite of a change in leadership, we will remain the policeman of the world, placing ourselves at grave danger in many ways.” – Ron Paul

For Profit Charity?

Pepsi Natural - Naturally you've missed it.

I'm a cola nerd.  I don't drink much of it anymore because I'm old enough where I can actually feel how bad it is for me.  As long as I can remember I've collected soft drink advertising going back several decades.  The reason soft drink advertising intrigues me so much because it seems to encapsulate marketing lies...and it's comforting to know they lied to my grandparents every bit as much as they did me.

People have been up-in-arms about what serves for sweetener in these modern soft drinks and while I don't think I have anything in particular against High Fructose Corn Syrup, I can say that it seems to have ruined the taste that I remember as a kid. 

So out comes Pepsi Natural.  The label very plainly describes its main ingredients:

Sparkling water, sugar, kola nut extract

I looked for it in stores and I missed it several times.  Pepsi seems to have labeled the product as if to hide it on the shelves.  If you're not deliberately looking for it you're likely to pass it over.  And if you're me you might still anyway.

So what does it taste like?  Does it taste like the Pepsi I loved so much as a child?  In a word, no.  But I'm willing to bet it tastes like the Pepsi my grandparents enjoyed.  The kola nut extract provides a hint of a bitter, almost medicinal taste that is strangely likeable.  This flavor combination is pretty close to the drug store fountain cola of days gone by.  Sadly, you'll have to add your own cocaine to get the more authentic experience. I prefer to drink out of glass or metal.  I have never liked drinking out of plastic, so the glass bottle is a nice touch. I bought a 4-pack and it was more expensive than regular old Pepsi which I'm sure is attributed to the smaller supply they produce in manufacturing.  So here is what I'm able to add up from the Pepsi Natural experience:

• It costs more
• It contains real sugar
• It comes in a glass bottle
• It is backed by a passive marketing strategy (especially by Pepsi standards)
• It does not have an instantly desirable taste

And to summarize:

Pepsi Natural probably won't be around much longer.  Naturally.

TSA Thuggery Background

Some have asked me what the big deal is here.  Why wouldn't the guy just tell the TSA what the money was for and what he had intended to do with it even though he was perfectly within his legal right to possess money and bring it on an airplane.

What was mentioned briefly in the video was this report which identifies supporters of Ron Paul and the Campaign for Liberty as potential domestic terrorists involved in the modern-day militia movement.  Ironically, the Campaign for Liberty held their regional conference in St. Louis, Missouri (the state from where the report came) which had over 1000 in attendance with many high profile speakers including Judge Andrew Napolitano. (former federal judge)

More TSA Thuggery

Got a late start on the taxes

I'm working on the taxes tonight and going over the numbers and I got to thinking about all the challenges we face as a country right now.  As I think about the type of money required for this country  to lead and press forward with its role in the world, I began looking at the comparatively small numbers I was dealing with and came to this conclusion:

I'm getting along pretty well in my life and I'm getting a lot of bang for small chunk of change I owe back to our great society.  I'm really feeling pretty upbeat this tax season.

Hope you're all doing as well as I am.

Meet the Dumb Cats

My flu medicine is sort of keeping me awake at night so I may as well bore you with stuff. 

I mentioned before that I have my mom staying with me.  I've been working with several therapists to get her up and running (uh...well walking at least) so that she can return home. 

She was already separated from her cat for 6 weeks while in the rehab center so I agreed to have her cat stay with me.  He was already buddies with the other cat I took from her shortly before Chesty died.

Mr. Cat II (left) and Chairman Meow (right)

If I could just get them to behave at night I'd be happy with this arrangement.  As I type this at 1:30am they are both looking at me as if I'm supposed to be a form of entertainment.  Fat chance.

I'm going to bed now.

The Hated Flu

I've been enjoying the cool, refreshing feeling of Influenza A.

Only threw up once!

I'll be back Monday.

The Hated Earmark

As we spend trillions and fling our collective arms in disgust over a few million being paid to faceless executives we should remember something:

If the stimulus package was completely earmarked, we'd know where the money was being spent and it would be against the law to spend it any other way.

Just sayin'

If we're going to blow the money, we may as well know where it went so historians will have an easier time writing about this debacle years from now.

President Obama – fill out that bracket!

Recently Duke Men’s Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski commented on President Obama’s attention to his NCAA Final Four bracket.

"Somebody said that we're not in President Obama's Final Four, and as much as I respect what he's doing, really, the economy is something that he should focus on, probably more than the brackets,"

I’m going to have to disagree with coach Krzyzewski on this one.  I would go as far as encourage the president to fill out several brackets and organize a friendly pool with the White House staff. 

I can’t put enough emphasis on this.  Please Mr. President…invest time in the bracket and give careful consideration to all of your picks.  The economy will be there for you when you get back to your program of senseless intervention.

Mal-investment 101

Gas prices have dropped heavily over the last few months.  If you’re driving a hybrid car right now…how do you feel about the expensive little car you bought?  Well, you’re saving the planet so you must have a bit of a smug look on your face…at least on the days you’re not making your car payment.

Hyundai and Volkswagen have newer model diesel powered cars that get 50+mpg.  Even though manufacturers are resolving emission problems related to diesel, still most manufacturers won’t bring their diesel autos to the United States due to punitive excise taxes on diesel fuel.

In many states you can drive your hybrid automobile in the carpool lane even if you’re alone in the car.  Driving a diesel?…well…stay in line and wait your turn.

The US Government wants you to buy a hybrid…and it looks like you’re using other factors to decide to be uncooperative…and you’re doing this collectively as a country without being coerced.  That alone is amazing since all I’ve heard lately is that we’re unable to do anything collectively without proper incentives from an intervening (but caring) government. 

March Madness and Offensive College Mascots Revisited

Each March more college mascots are revealed to the general public as the average Joe fills out a bracket in an office pool and watches Blue Demons, Demon Deacons, Sun Devils, and the Retrievers battle against each other.

I did this post on Offensive College Mascots a few years ago and it remains a constantly searched post.  Most of the visits are from .edu domains and by the emails I get I can tell that college and high school kids are out there writing reports on this oh so important subject. (your sarcasm detector should have gone off about here)  Hopefully I’ve influenced the youth and college-aged men and women of America to finally assert that to be offended over mascots is simply stupid. 

Most who contact me agree with me though I get a half-dozen emails from those who plead with me to understand their plight as persecuted minority.  (a persecuted minority attending East Coast private schools…we should all be so persecuted)  I try to be understanding…after all…they’re smart college students so their sensibilities must be protected. (replace the batteries in your detector after you’ve finished reading this)

On the local front this year Seattle University returned to Division I basketball after being a powerhouse throughout the 1950’s and 60’s.  Once they were known as the Chieftans, but are now the Red Hawks.  Whatever.

Information overload

Reason Magazine sent me an issue a few years ago with a familiar cover.  The cover was a custom cover that was a satellite rendering of my home.  Every subscriber got a different cover with their own home/neighborhood on the cover.  The theme of the issue was the use of public information and how they used it to make a custom cover for their subscribers.  The cover was made simply by cross-referencing different databases with the information I voluntarily gave them (home address).  Genius!

The funny thing now is that we live in an age where privacy is a huge issue but also where many people engage in voluntary self-surveillance.  Through Internet communities like Twitter and Facebook people let their family, friends, and co-workers know what they're thinking, doing or planning at any moment.  I can imagine that a lazy private investigator only needs to become "friends" with the person they're watching and just wait for the information to come rolling in.

This evening some of my friends are doing these kind of things:

• ...just survived a car accident...
• ...drowning kittens.
• ...heading out to pick up some stuff...
• ...giving child a bath
• ...walking to the grocery store
• ...watching a movie On Demand!

Perhaps the issue of privacy is best handled with information overload in the information age.  So much voluntary information that what you're really doing is lost in all of the white noise.

The Politics of Cola

I've often thought of the world of cola and its parallel relationship to the major political parties. Why do I often think about stuff like this? Aside from being a dork I have no other explanation.
You can't start a conversation about cola of any kind without first talking about the cola that's in charge of this country. Yes, I'm talking about Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola is the old standby. Like the Democrat party of today it is a shadow of its former self. When the party was founded it was led by the likes of Thomas Jefferson who would today be a libertarian. The cola when it was founded was promoted as healthful and invigorating and in many cases did contain cocaine. The company denies this is true much like the Democrats today deny that there's any value in the small government envisioned by Jefferson.

Whenever you're done talking about Coke, you can then move on to Pepsi. There are people who love Pepsi and people who hate it, but you'll never find many that think it's just okay. It is a polarizing, yet very popular cola.

Pepsi is always reinventing itself. Every decade it has to tell you that it is the soft drink of a new generation. They change the logo and trot out some new angle on why you should like it. They know that if you're simply not paying attention, you'll just ignore them all together. Pepsi has been the number one soft drink at one time in history only. This was when "New Coke" came out. I like to think of the New Coke era. Pepsi became number one because of a monumental screw up by Coke. This explains Ronald Reagan in many ways and even more accurately does it describe Jimmy Carter. You have to look at foreign countries that use real cane sugar to find Pepsi in a form that anyone over 40 would remember.

Once you're done talking about the big two colas, you then get down to the minor colas. You know who they are...or at least you try to remember because they're not around much anymore. It's as if the big two have conspired to keep the little colas down. Moxie, Jones, and Shasta remain active in only small pockets of popularity. But everyone remembers...

Royal Crown Cola (aka RC) is the big cola of the 3rd Party colas. Everyone has tried it once or thinks they have at one time or another. They remember it tasted okay but can't really remember what it tasted like. They remember it fondly but admit they can't find it at any store where they currently shop. RC is the Libertarian Party of Colas.

For fun I've tried looking for RC in grocery stores I frequent and have yet to find it. It looks like it is crossed off my shopping list in the same manner my party has been eliminated from my state's ballot.

My preference in cola has gone the way of party preferences. I just want someone to come out with a cola that uses real sugar, is fizzy and not too sweet, and reminds me of why I used to love it so much as a kid. This time though...I'll drink responsibly.

What if...

Hey Lookit!

I am updating my list of blogs I read to include those of ordinary sane people who entertain me with their writing and pictures.  The summary descriptions are my own and are meant to entice you to read...not necessarily be accurate.

Shreds (Gino's Newest) - Gino is an angry Catholic Paleo-Conservative who is well-informed and blunt.  He makes me laugh and made me cry a couple of times in the last year also.  Gino makes me glad Al Gore invented the Internet.

Mad Mad Esther - (Are you a Mexican or a Mexican't?) Esther is smart...she'll blog about anything and will go way beyond politics.  She drives well in the snow...just ask her.

Justin Berger - Producer for the Dave and Steve show and brainchild behind HKL Films.  He is a thoughtful anarchist and friend.

Don Wood - Don is a carpenter, actor, dog owner, and beer drinker.  Also can be found doing The Doncast (Search for it on the iTunes store)

Lew Rockwell - Lew is President of the Ludwig von Mises Institute.  This blog has several contributors that range from Libertarians to Anarcho-Capitalists. 

Reason.tv - Watch this!  Drew Carey and Nick Gillespie...good stuff!

Cato Institute - Beltway libertarians...books...stuff...it's okay.

Libertarian Party - The RC Cola of politics!  Refreshing and fizzy but you can't find it anywhere.

Single Payer Healthcare

I may as well get this post out of the way.  I support single payer healthcare…as long as the single payer is the patient and the recipient of the pay is the doctor.

Socialized medicine is such an awful idea for this country and really represents a step backward for freedom in this country.  Like Social Security and so many other large programs meant to do good, it will bankrupt the country, become bloated and never deliver on the original promise made.  If we care at all about having a monetary system in this country that is built on wealth and capital we need to stop looking for holes to throw money down.

More government intervention is the not the solution for the problems caused by other attempts at intervention.  I hope and pray something reverses this love affair with socialism/fascism corporatism that this country seems to be having the last two decades.

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

It will be dead soon.  Good riddance.  Terrible newspaper that hasn’t made any money in years.  In this post I told you about a run-in I had with representative from the P-I.  I hope he’s found gainful employment with some place more stable.

As promised, I will buy their last edition on their final day and use it for toilet paper.  Which section should I start with?

You all vote:

• Local
• Sports
• Business
• Comics
• US/World

What I've been up to

I've been a little slow on the blog posts as you've noticed. Here's why.

I got my mom out of the Nursing/Rehab facility on February 13th and went home. She spent two days at home with 24 hour care but really wasn't able to stay home alone safely. So she's living at my house.

We've been working on her getting her to do the very basic aspects of life independently. You know...walking, eating, bathroom, medicine management, etc. I took every day off last week to dedicate fully to getting her to a point where she could be at my house when no one is there.

I've not had any free time to do anything and the stress level (which has now subsided) has been very intense. So to the many of you who asked me to comment on Obama's speech...I will...eventually but honestly I watched the whole thing and just said, "So what."

I have some awesome posts coming up, but haven't put them together yet. Posting will now resume a normal schedule...thanks everyone for understanding.

Socialism is dead?

...but Nationalization is alive and well apparently.

We're all fooled by this obviously.

The benefits of competition

The greatest generation overcame the Great Depression, defeated Hitler and nuked Japan for all of the freedoms we now enjoy.  They then went ahead and gave birth to the most selfish and spoiled generation of jerks known to man.  These are of course the baby boomers.

I call them jerks because the promises made to their parents through Roosevelt's hankering for massive intervention they claimed for themselves.  If claiming these promises for their own were not bad enough they doubled their portion at the taxpayer's trough. 

They are a large generation and the wealthiest age demographic in the history of the country.  Despite their wealth and bloated population they're not content until the entire country is broke taking care of them.  This said, they are experiencing many benefits of competition in a market.

Recently I visited an assisted living/retirement community.  The building was erected only a year ago and sits just six blocks from my middle-class subdivision.  The place has a resort vibe to it that makes you realize the days of "old folks homes" has long since past.  This place is nicer than my own home.

The large baby boomer population is now approaching retirement age so the business of caring for them has become a growth industry, even in this uncertain economy.  Companies that provide Assisted Living and retirement services must now compete for retirement dollars by providing amenities, comfort, and true community.  Only competition and the promise of a profit would produce this type of product.

We should be thankful that Obama's new Raw Deal doesn't include a provision for a Federal Retirement Housing Authority.  I'm sure if it did it would involve repurposing older Veteran's Hospitals and Asylums for the Criminally Insane...at twice the cost.

So while the baby boomers are ruining our country, it's good that they provided this one nice little market object lesson for all of us.

Disclaimer:  Please...if you're in the baby boomer generation understand that I'm only joking.  You're not ruining this country any more than say...70's Disco music did.

Inconvenient Debt

Glenn Beck used to be a conservative and with the help of Ron Paul,  Penn Jillette and lately Bob Barr, he has begun a bit of a libertarian transformation.  Here he uses a timeline graph to demonstrate money supply as it relates to different events in our nation's history.

Hat tip to Producer J. who took a little time off from his great work on the Dave and Steve Show to forward this video along.

So where is the $800 billion coming from?

The short answer is nobody knows. 

Once Congress appropriates this money and the President signs the bill into law all we will know is that around 800 billion dollars will be authorized for spending for the purpose of economic stimulus.  The US Treasury will then go about getting the money for Congress to spend...except it's not there.

The Treasury will go to the Federal Reserve and they will go about doing all that they can to procure the money.  We have no idea what the Federal Reserve will need to do in order to get this much money.  After all of the bailouts it's not likely they will be able to borrow all of it without dramatically raising interest rates.  How will this impact the economy?  The very act of getting the money to stimulate the economy may end up dragging it down further.  The average congressman has NO IDEA what will be required to get the dollar figure they are appropriating.

1. If it is borrowed interest rates will be forced to rise
2. If it is monetized then inflation will rise
3. If it is taxed then the private economy shrinks

It would be nice to hear just once, someone in government (besides Ron Paul) acknowledge that the simple act of securing this money could do great damage alone before it is even spent.

New Drug Czar?

No one subject works to gather emails in my Inbox than the subject of our nation's drug policy.  When I write about drug legalization it just seems to piss a whole bunch of you off.  Sorry.  I advocate for the legalization of drugs and I do so without reservation. 

President Obama looks to have selected former Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske to the position and I think this could lead to a positive direction on drug law enforcement.  Kerlikowske was a joke when it came to leading Seattle's police, but his position on drug enforcement was pretty reasonable.  He followed much of the groundwork laid by former police chief Norm Stamper (Norm appeared in this post last year) who made sure that marijuana possession was demoted to the lowest enforcement priority...lagging far behind jay-walking.  (and if you've ever jay-walked in Seattle you know this to be true)

I don't like having laws that are such nonsense that we don't bother to enforce them.  This tendency in America really erodes the rule of law as a whole, but the Federal Government has victimized so many innocent people due to unreasonable (and unconstitutional) drug laws that a "non-enforcement" policy is a true improvement.

Since many of you can't imagine a non-user advocating for legalization...I'll end this post with my obligatory disclaimer:

I've never taken any drugs in my life without a prescription from a doctor.  Having been around drug users in my life I very actively talk about the lack of wisdom related to so-called casual drug use.

Is Stimulis right for you?

Need a Cool Earthquake Testimonial?

We had an earthquake here a couple of days ago.  I didn't feel it.  But I didn't feel left out with all the truly amazing stories people told me because if I needed to...I could've had a cool story to tell anyone who would listen...over and over again.  If you've gone through an earthquake and don't have a story to tell...I'm here to help you.

Seattle is prone to earthquakes and on occasion they are large.  Most of the time they are isolated to small areas and produce no lasting damage. 

After a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in the year 2001 that rocked our little region I began to hear some commonality when it came to people describing how they felt the earthquake.  Everyone had their own account and talked as if their experience was incredibly unique and important. 

As a service to all of you, I will help you generate a cool earthquake testimonial that you can use to impress your friends.  Follow these steps:

1. All testimonials begin with where you were and what you were doing.  Don't miss this simple step as it adds flavor to your story. 
   
   For example:  I was at home and I was in the bathroom going poop.
   
2. Then describe what happened when the earthquake began.  This is an initial observation that there is something to talk about beyond your bowel movement.
   
   For example:  My cat suddenly ran out of the room and I heard something fall in my bathtub.
   
3. In this step describe what you thought it was.  This is important because no one thinks what they're experiencing is an earthquake, they always think it's something else.
   
   For example:  I thought the sound was my roommate passed out drunk in the bathtub.  Mr. Whiskers never liked him and I was sure that's why he ran out of the bathroom.
   
4. Then slowly, and in the most painfully boring way possible, outline how you used simple reason to deduct that your initial thoughts on what you were experiencing were completely inaccurate.
   
   For example:  Then I thought to myself that it couldn't be my roommate because he moved out two months because he wasn't paying me his half of the rent and he never slept in the bathtub while I was home during that part of the day because he was always afraid I'd hassle him for rent money even though I never did because I figured...hey...he's an adult and I don't like to nag people about...
   
5. This is the big finish.  This is where your whole story begins to climax into the now obvious conclusion that you understand that you're in the midst of a natural disaster. 
   
   This step goes like this:  ...and then I thought...OH MY GAWD...WE'RE HAVING AN EARTHQUAKE!

Go ahead.  Practice a bit and create your own and leave them in the comments.  You can thank me later when all of your friends and co-workers marvel at your awesome account of an earthquake you never felt.

The Detroit Bailout

 

While the news media has characterized this as an automobile industry bailout, it is truly just a Detroit bailout.  In Mississippi, and Alabama for instance (Nissan and Hyundai) no such bailout exists.  And why would it?  They build cars in America that people will actually buy.

Okay, prepare to be stimulated

It has passed. The stimulus package is days away from being signed into law to great fanfare. I get email from you out there that support Obama and I also get email from Republicans that think government has to "do something."

Please enlighten me. This is not a trap, but deserves an honest answer to this question. Here it is:

Where is this money coming from?

My follow-up question would be:

Knowing now where it has come from, can you tell me exactly how it will save the economy?

Feel free to pass this along to any Keynesian out there that wants to explain it. This subject deserves a chance to be discussed here.

Citizens Engaging in Freedom

The Canadian Revenue Agency wants citizens to make a trendy YouTube video to warn Canadians that their fellow citizens should not have the audacity to engage in freedom.

Sure tax revenue pays for roads, schools, and endless Canadian government programs, but do you know what the underground economy provides?

• The freedom for people to save money.
• The freedom for citizens to pay their own way.
• The freedom for people to decide what they will/won't pay for.
• The freedom to pay for timely medical care in the US.
• The freedom for people to give money where they choose.

The underground economy doesn't hurt Canada's economy, it just hurts the collective power that has concentrated in Ottawa.

I'm encouraged that the underground economy is a big enough problem for the CRA to have to address.  Perhaps the spirit of freedom is still burning, if ever so dimly, in our northern neighbor.

We now return you...

...to Ron Paul making sense...already in progress.

It would be nice to hear someone else in Washington DC just tell the truth about throwing bad money after bad.

Historic Piles of Garbage

The large crowd of advocates for change left 130 tons of garbage on the Washington Mall.  How inspiring. 

To Obama's credit one little bit of our nation's garbage has been cleaned up.  The detention facility at Gitmo will close as well as various other "secret" prisons around the world.  Not right away but within a year which is plenty of time to decide what to do with these people.  In many cases their countries of origin will execute them anyway.

Now Mr. President...open trade with Cuba.

Okay Chrysler...the joke is over.

You've gone too far this time.  It was bad enough how it started:

1. First you take my money from me because I don't buy your cars.
2. Then you spend my money to thank me for the money you took.

and now...your strategy for rebuilding your company is to align with...FIAT!?!?

Chrysler will have you believe that they'll benefit by sharing platforms and technology with the likes of Maserati and Ferrari but don't hold your breath for the new Ford Focus to appear on a Magnum PI reunion show.  Forget those famous Italian brands and think more along the lines of Lancia.

What next Chrysler?  Who is your next strategic partner to join your road show of scrap metal debris?  I'm thinking you probably already have AutoVAZ on the phone ready to import the Lada.

This whole thing would be funnier had I not be paying for it.

C'mon...make a creepy pledge

Inaugural Speech

I was a little unimpressed.

I was troubled by his estimation that greed was somehow the reason for our difficult economic times.  He admitted that market forces have an unmatched capability to provide for us but must be reigned in so that it does not spin out of control. 

The market doesn't spin out of control, but fraud and force can and does.  It is the role of government to protect its citizens from doing harm to each other through force and fraud.  Don't blame the market because a corrupt government (of which he has been a member) does not take seriously its role to protect the right of people to engage freely and put their capital at risk.  Call it greed or whatever you want but we ALL benefit when people take risks to improve their own personal well-being.

I loved the benediction...a good vision for America in my view.

What did you guys think?

Peaceful Transition of Power

Our country does something that many countries can't imagine.  We peacefully hand over the keys to the White House to a new guy and throw a big party.  Every new president shares high approval numbers as people who didn't even cast a vote for the winner share in the hope.  That's the way we do it.  I like that.

Obviously, I'm a partisan.  I have ideals and core beliefs.  You all know Obama doesn't fit into these and because you pay attention to politics you know that there is truth to the stigma that he's a socialist in many ways.  Today I will forget this and just celebrate the peaceful transition of power.  Just like Germany did in the early 30's...so be a good German for one day and enjoy the inauguration. (Yes, I'm kidding)

There will be many references to Dr. Martin Luther King made tomorrow and snippets of his speeches will be played but I can't recommend enough that you listen to some of his famous speeches from beginning to end.  So many memorable moments for me in those speeches never became sound bites.

Thanks for the many warm wishes regarding Chesty.  It sucks losing a pet and so many of you had many encouraging and comforting words.   Thank you again.

Chesty the Cat - RIP

Chesty the Cat - 199?-2009

Chesty came into my life back in the 90's like any stray cat would. He wandered up to my door and wanted food. I didn't give him any. I decided if he came back and was friendly even though I didn't feed him then he may actually be worth adopting.

He did come back and I did adopt him though the jury is still out on whether it was worth it. That said, I liked Chesty quite a bit.

I named him Chesty because I thought he was a female and I gave him a stripper name. Chesty LaRue was his full name. I took him to the vet to get him fixed and even the vet was fooled...until they called me back about an hour after I dropped him off and told me, "We're calling about Chesty...the cat is apparently a male...after closer examination we discovered a penis." I knew at that point I had a bond with this cat that would be long lasting. How many people can claim they have a cat with a wang so small that it even fools a doctor?

Chesty peed in my kitchen. It was annoying. I put down puppy pee pads in the kitchen because he would use them and it controlled the mess and odor and clean up. He also used the litter box too, just not exclusively. I tried everything to break him of it but he was beyond help. The cat was retarded.

He visited me last night in his last healthy moment and I pet him. He didn't really eat yesterday and I knew with his weight down so much it was only a matter of time. He labored all night and I knew this morning that today would be his last day.

I called the vet to see if I could get him put to sleep humanely and got a 10am appointment. He died just after 9am. I called back the vet to cancel the appointment and they said it would've been helpful to give them more notice. I told them that my cat didn't bother to tell me when he was going to die and that I would not be taking any animal to them in the future. A tip: Ask for a reason for the cancellation if you don't know why the appointment was made in the first place. Assholes.

My son and I dug a grave and had a brief Anglican graveside service for him. More than the cat deserved really but I wanted to convey to my son that what we were doing was respectful and thankfully he understood. My 3 year old son's eulogy was this:

"Chesty was a good kitty. Now he is dead. Bye bye Chesty!"

Indeed. Bye bye Chesty.

Update:
Related Post

Why Centralized Planning is wrong

You have heard much about central economic planning over the last year of the failed Bush administration and will hear even more in the coming months of the Obama presidency.  In both cases they will be wrong and against your best interest.  Here is why.

A free society and a free market requires not just voluntary exchange, but informed voluntary exchange.  In a voluntary exchange, all parties benefit from a transaction.  The role for government is to protect the freedoms of everyone to enter into voluntary exchanges.  Government would work to prevent fraud, it will protect contracts of all kinds.  This enables people to have lawful protection while doing business with another party that they do not personally know.

When Central Planning begins, it accidentally removes many of the fundamental components of free and informed exchange.  Central Economic Planning can attempt to make things "fair" by fixing a price, or fixing a wage.  The price of something in a free market can tell a consumer immediately if it is a good deal.  If the price is too high there may not be a market for it, if it's too low it may lend information about the quality or reliability of the product.  These are decisions that you and I make a thousand times as consumers.

Once "fairness" or "stimulus" has been added to the market, the ability to make an informed decision about an exchange becomes more difficult.  When a price becomes fixed, or more money or credit is allowed into the system, all the information we seek becomes harder to find.

The other piece of the exchange disappears as well.  The "free" part of the exchange goes away with choice.  After an industry has gone under the wisdom of central planning it's not long before the winners and losers in the industry are chosen by bureaucrats rather than consumers.  Protectionist policies, tariffs, regulation and bailouts all lead to a reduction in choice by the consumer.  It isn't long before the consumer loses the freedom to exchange with whomever they wish...after only a few choices remain.

The heart of a free society is the voluntary and informed exchange.  Once a government compromises this then believe me...there are no free markets.  President Obama would do well to ignore central planning and work hard to build a government that enforces fraud and tirelessly protects the rights of people to voluntarily exchange with one another.

Obama's Raw Deal

There has been a great deal of talk about Obama's plan for America and his first 100 days.  From universal this and that to bailouts, new era WPA, and mandatory civilian service...not much to like in that list frankly.  His advisor's have actually used the term New New Deal.

My hope is this type of thing will go by the wayside in the same way privatizing a tiny part of Social Security failed with the Bush administration.  This country doesn't need any of that and the last thing this country needs is dependence on the federal government to provide life support.

It's hard to say how much political capital there is to spend for Obama, but there could be a great deal as long as our current economic status is compared to the Great Depression.  It'll be interesting to see what signature line will be chosen for his inauguration speech...some type of "...nothing to fear but fear itself." line is what some speech writer is agonizing over somewhere.

I will celebrate inauguration day by paying bills.  Not my bills but those of my mom's.  While she would certainly qualify to have some of your money, we decided it would not be right to take your money unless you offered it first.  We're funny that way.

Let's hope Obama's call for change isn't just turning back the clock to the 1930's.

Hey Chrysler...ya got a lot of nerve

You couldn't get my money the fair and honest way could you?  Did you ever really try to make an automobile I would want?  Did you make an affordable and reliable automobile in recent memory?  How about a warranty so I would be willing to take a chance on your dodgy fit and finish?

But you got my money anyway didn't you?  You got it not because I bought your products but BECAUSE I DIDN'T!  Like the bandits you are you used the government as the agent of force to do your bidding...and what did you do with the first fruits of your theft? 

You take out ads across the nation in newspapers and Internet sites to thank me for what you call my "investment." 

Is this some kind of sick joke?  You take money from me against my will and then thank me for it like some kind of villain only found in comic books.

You are not welcome Chrysler and don't think for a minute I will forget this. 

Goodbye 2008, go on...who needs ya?

I began the year getting the flu...not once...not twice...but THREE TIMES.  I barfed, coughed and shot various fluid out of my body in every direction all through January and February.  Great way to start the year.

In February Larry Norman died as well as a friend named Sue Ady. 

In March I flirted with an audio supplement to this blog and wasn't totally happy with it after just two...it will make a comeback in 2009.

Later on in the year I joined the Dave and Steve Show which has been an absolute blast and a cool creative outlet.  I would enjoy doing the show even if it were not for the female groupies.

I became a Republican for awhile but after Ron Paul left I went back to my comfortable place voting for people who never win...was elected a delegate to the GOP State Convention and found I cannot stomach conservatives at all.

In July I went on vacation and promised to post pictures...and never did.  So there.  The vacation was so-so.

In August my best friend's wife died. 

In September I heard outrage over Socialism.  Where in the hell was the outrage over the last eight awful years I wondered.  Also in September I bought an Insurance company and pondered how much urine might be on my pants.

In October I grew less interested in the election since I don't remember an election where I could barely vote for any candidate...I eventually settled on Bob Barr.

In November I stayed away from politics and bored you with stupid crap...in December I did the same thing...except a little less...oh and I got sick again and took care of my mom during one of the biggest snow storms to hit our region in 20 years.

So see ya later 2008, don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.

Happy New Year everyone.  May God bless you in the new year.

Christmas Eve and other stuff

What a week.  First of all thank you all for the emails, instant messages and phone calls asking about my mom.  I'll begin with an update on her.

Mom's hip surgery was a great success.  Yesterday is what I'd consider to be her first good day really.  She sat in a chair for most of the day and took 20 steps using a walker.  Her rehab included using a recumbent bike for 10 minutes as well.  This is a great move forward for an 84 year old polio victim.  In a funny way the surgeon said the new artificial hip was an upgrade from the one she's had her whole life due to the polio she got when she was just 3 years old.

We've had snow here in the greater Seattle area and when it falls, it's a big deal.  I have about a foot of frozen snow on the ground now and it's still snowing.  I always hear from people in the Midwest and other places who think it's ridiculous that Seattle virtually shuts down after a few inches of snow.  The impact it makes on our region happens for a few reasons.

1. We don't get snow very often,  consequently we're not exactly prepared for it.  In this greater metropolitan area of over 3 million people there are probably fewer than 30 snow plows.
2. The Midwest is flat.  Very flat.  The whole time I've driven around in,  or flown over the Midwest, all I can think about is how flat it is.  Driving on flat terrain in the snow is simple.   There are more hills around here than coffee houses.
3. Seattle area drivers are idiots.

Here is an updated photo of me in the winter here.  

As you can see in the photo, I'm obviously amused by recent events...anyway...

Christmas is upon us but to me honestly if feels like it has gone by already.  My son has been a true treasure for me during this time and it reminds me of why so many aspects of Christmas are for children in particular.  We do a blended spiritual/secular Christmas here at home using the Charles Spurgeon approach to the holidays...since everyone is thinking about the baby Jesus during this time we may as well not ignore it either.  The account in the Gospel of Luke is beautiful and important to me on a deep level but I've not really made any attempt to connect it to the celebration of Christmas...but whatever...what can you do?  As a libertarian there is only so much bucking the system you can do before you either go on a killing spree or just go along.  For now I'll go along.

Have a Happy Christmas to all of you and thank you again for all of your kind words of encouragement and concern during this time.

Pre-Christmas Update

Haven't blogged lately due to some factors:

1. Mom broke her hip.

2. I've been sick.

3. Snowy roads, being sick and arranging rehab care for my mom has put me behind on blogging and Christmas Shopping.

4. Dealing with my brother makes me want to go on a 3 state killing spree...starting with Washington state.

I'll be blogging your face off in no time...you can count on that.

Thanks,
-t

Medicated Blog Post #9

My cat is sick.  Hyper thyroid plus kidney dysfunction.  He eats all the time and still loses weight...plus that fun vomiting problem.

It's supposed to snow tonight and we have a winter storm advisory in our area.  People in the Northeast would snicker at what constitutes a winter storm in the Pacific Northwest. 

I'm feeling okay but caught a cold roughly a few hours before I saw The Lost Dogs in concert.  While having no fewer than two Hall's Honey Lemon throat drops in my mouth I listened to some awesome independent Alt Country/Rock and some great stories about Route 66.

I patronize any place that hires handicapped people...especially those with mental handicaps.  The Fred Meyer Store near where I work has a gal named Noreen who takes the carts in from the parking lot.  She works hard, always has a smile and always brightens my day just to talk to her.  We talked the other day and she said to me, "You seem to come here during your lunch time...you should pack a lunch."  I guess Noreen would rather I stay away from the store or is concerned that I may be spending too much.  Not sure how to read that one. Hmm.

My advent calendar told me to make an elf hat last night.  Screw you calendar!

I called my mom this morning and she was getting an in-house massage in her living room.  For the record, if I was getting a massage in my house...I wouldn't be answering the phone.  That reminds me of a story I'll tell sometime.

I'm very behind on Christmas shopping.  Being sick puts me further behind.

Okay, I need to go get jacked up on cold medicine again.  Talk to you later.

I will not drive a broken window.

I've never owned an American car in my life.  Never.

I've owned cars from Germany, Japan, and Korea...but never any made in Detroit. (or even Canada on behalf of Detroit)  My reasons are simple and fairly reasoned:

• I've known many who have had terrible American cars
• I do not like their cars
• They do not warranty their cars to my satisfaction
• Overall reliability is poopy
• The true cost to own is prohibitive

Detroit has never received a dollar from me because I will not buy their cars.  Now they claim to politicians that they MUST have my money because I don't buy their cars.  They promise that once they have my money they will build a car I will like...and I hope they're right...since I will have already paid for it.

Frederic Bastiat, in the 19th Century, discussed this theory of economics in his explanation of the Broken Window theory.  Bastiat concluded that those who would support a Detroit bailout would look at a broken window as an opportunity to support the glass industry.  This argument tends to focus on what is seen (a new window and a glazier gainfully employed) rather than on what is unseen. (another industrious person not being paid because money is being spent on broken windows)

Washington DC will not be satisfied until we are all replacing broken windows (Detroit lemons) just to keep the glaziers employed.  How will a new automaker ever get a chance to succeed in this country if public money is used to nationalize the big three failed automakers?  How can we truly expect from Detroit the type of innovation and reliability we're demanding when we buy a car made by Honda, Toyota, or BMW?

Every economic advisor for your new president supports the bailout and ignores the advice of Bastiat (and scores of others) and continues in the footsteps of their hero Lord Keynes.  For you Obama supporters that thought you were getting diversity of thought and a wide variety of views advising your savior...get ready to be replacing many windows over the next four years.

Pearl Harbor Day and I'm a Jerk

After church I went to a large warehouse store with my son to get something to eat for lunch. His choice was pizza and I'd settle for a hot dog at a low low price. This is not a normal lunch as we almost never eat out together but today's schedule demanded it.

My son will be 3 soon and we are at the beginning stages of holding conversations together. This is how today's went:

Me: It's Pearl Harbor Day today, bud.
Son: Perr Hobber Day?
Me: Yup.
Son: What's that?
Me: It's the day we decided it wasn't over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.
Son: (chomps away on pizza)

I decided to forego historical accuracy with the conversation and quote a portion of the famous line from the 1978 movie Animal House. Honestly my son wasn't paying much attention anyway. The conversation continued with a man who was sitting near us:

Man: The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor (giving a stunned look at my ignorance)

I had a choice to make at this point. I could let him correct me and say thank you. I could give him the backstory on my attempt to comically encapsule history or I could do what I ended up doing: Act extra dumb to piss him off more.

Me: No, I'm pretty sure it was the Germans. (pretending to think about it)
Man: You've got it all wrong! It was the Japanese in the Pacific theater. (shakes his head stunned at how stupid I appear)
Me: Right! The Pacific...it must have been the Germans. See?
Man: Oh brother! You don't know anything.

I'm sure he's telling anyone who will listen in his life that he witnessed this dumb guy telling his toddler son that the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor and that people these days have no respect for history but I really had to do to this. It was his own fault that I acted this way.

He expects me to know specific details from an event that occurred 27 years before I was born but he can't know a famous movie line from a movie that came out in both of our lifetimes? Sure maybe he didn't see the movie or wasn't a big John Belushi fan but I couldn't resist being a jerk.

I find it entertaining that I quoted something historical correctly and was corrected by a man that didn't know what I was talking about. So I more strenuously responded incorrectly to make his factual correction demonstrate how dumb he was actually being. In the end, he feels smarter than me and I felt entertained. Win-win.

Someday one day my son will utter the words:

Was it over when the Mexicans brought down the towers?

I'm sure most of you would've handled it differently, but to quote the Yardbirds, "Mr. You're a better man than I."

Nerd Alert!

Craig Newmark, the founder of Craiglist, talked about his small role within the Obama campaign and demonstrates with clarity just how nerdy Objectivists can be.  I don't necessarily agree with some of the conclusions he's settled on in life, but it's nice to see that there are some freedom lovers involved behind the scenes in the next presidency.  Video courtesy of Reason.tv

Writing Holiday

My holiday weekend was spent writing, playing guitar and shampooing carpets. Except for the carpets it was like I was 20 years old again with nothing better to do. For the most part I really loved it.

I've been reading Christmas in Plains by Jimmy Carter. The former president talks about his boyhood Christmas memories in what turns out to be a pretty light-hearted way. Once you get past the slightly self-righteous first few pages about his lifelong view on race relations, it's a pretty enjoyable book. Not that it is much to brag about but...my copy is signed. So there.

I've had a few emails from people telling me that my post election coverage has been lackluster. I would go so far to say that it has been less than lackluster and more like...non-existent. I'll kick it up again but aren't we really all just sick of presidential politics for awhile?

I have a friend that says I speak in riddles. She's right about that.

I've been watching SpeedRacer quite a bit lately. Not the dumb movie that came out but the original cartoon that I loved so much from first grade. It's mindless enough that it is almost unwatchable as an adult though it has some entertaining spots due to age and non-PC Japanese origins. A line I heard yesterday was Speed telling Trixie, "This is no time to act like a girl, Trixie." For the most part Speed doesn't give her the time of day but doesn't mind having her by his side.

More email came in requesting another Podmess and I've delayed doing one because my own podcasts sound like a horrible NPR show. I'm playing with a format in my head to lighten it up some. I'm working on it...and I'm thankful a few of you have actually requested it...I always thought they sort of sucked. You can still hear me on the Dave and Steve Show but I don't talk nearly as much and it's geared for 8th grade boys...so be warned.

That's about it for now. I should probably give you something to fight about in the comments section...so I'll start it off with this:

I am the most awesome person in the world. Dare to disagree.