North Korea

Wanna know why one coutry spreads rumors about having WMD's and gets invaded, while another boasts that they have WMD's and can prove it and then tests delivery systems and hardly gets any consideration by our government?

For all you leftists out there that immediately screamed, "OIL!!!" please sit down and be quiet.

The Korean peninsula is not very big. The North Korean Army outnumbers the South Korean army by a factor of 10:1. The city of Seoul is within artillery range of North Korea. Basically the South Koreans are sitting ducks. Only our military intervention would eventually liberate the southern part of the peninsula, but would never prevent a successful invasion.

Not much has changed since 1950.

I do hope the Seattle Rainiers win the pennant again this year.

Hamas (part 2)

When Hamas won the elections in Palestine I wrote that they would eventually lighten up their rhetoric against Israel...and they did. They were only a week ago ready to forge documents that actually recognized Israel's right to exist. Hardly anyone believes that they were actually sincere, but this is still the first step in diplomacy. For the words 'diplomacy' and 'Hamas' to be used in the same sentence is still a step forward.

Now militants have captured an Israeli soldier and will let him return to his homeland alive if the Israelis let go 1000 Palestinian prisoners. This was an opportunity for Hamas to shine in the eyes of the world. They could have and should have turned up ever stone to find this soldier and return him to Israel. If they had done this they would established themselves as a Government that respects the rule of law and would have bolstered their position to negotiate for the release of these same Palestinian prisoners.

Instead they hemmed and hawed and provided no real assistance and as a result they have tanks lined up on their Gaza border and will probably be invaded soon.

Hamas did lighten up. Their willingness to have diplomacy with Israel angered loosely connected militants and now their hands are tied. Instead of using their power to restore order they began to make speeches that sounded more like the militants themselves. Hopefully in the coming years Hamas will not just lighten up, but also smarten up.

Happy Independence Day

This is my favorite holiday without a doubt. I celebrate this day with all the gusto I can muster and I'm not the least bit sorry for it. I'm so excited for this day I can't stand it.

I'm going to a kid's parade in the morning and then the 'grand' parade my town has. After the grand parade I'm going to a revolutionary war reenactment and watch redcoats and minutemen shoot at each other...I hope we win this year.

After that my family is coming to my house and we're gonna stuff ourselves with food and pretend to like each other until it gets dark...then we'll go see a fireworks show. If I had more land I'd explode stuff myself...maybe in a year or two.

I enjoy the story of this country and the miracle of its founding. It's a story I never grow tired of hearing. The principles of liberty are so core to our culture...even among conservatives and liberals. I love my country and I'm proud to be a citizen of the United States.

Have a great weekend!

Schizo Society

A social observation that simply needs to be made.

I've sat and watched over a period of nearly a couple of years as young people have experienced the early demise of friends through the irresponsible use of drugs and alcohol and the whole party lifestyle.

I've followed closely in particular those who consider themselves to be close to my niece's husband who was the victim of a hit and run where the driver was under at least some influence of alcohol and on his way to score some meth for his exciting sleepless weekend. So many close to the situation resented the driver for the heinous crime that he committed, leaving a man for dead on the side of the road.

What has floored me is that these same people who resent this man so much would've probably found themselves in the same circle, or at the same parties if only he hadn't killed their friend. I've looked at their myspace accounts and read in the weeks that followed Jon's death their discussions about their way cool, out of control, party lifestyle.

So Schizo are these people that they cry and curse the driver for being such a POS, and then only a day following an emotional and heartwrenching memorial tribute to their friend they talk about being under the influence of the same substances as the driver...the man they now hate.

The words of King Solomon reflect what these people are all about:

"Like a dog that returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."

I believe it is me that truly needs to accept the fact that my life's mission is to help people and sometimes it involves helping dumbasses.

Back to more Bush bashing soon, I promise.

Many Thanks

Thanks to everyone for kind letters, emails, and cards during the past couple of weeks. I'm very humbled by the generosity that many of you have shown to my two nieces. They have expressed many heartfelt moments opening envelopes with kind words of encouragement and financial gifts.

A call for help

I apologize for using the blog to draw your attention to something else but my family has had a tough week as a result of a tragedy. If you'd like more information about the possibility of helping two deserving people then please head over to my main site I use to promote my book.

Thank you,
-tracy

Straw Poll '08

Get out your straws. Tell me who you would support if they announced their candidacy right now. Only restrictions are that they must be eligible for the presidency and be currently alive. Normally a person has to be alive to be a candidate but I'm reasonably sure that Gerald Ford was a robot.

Ann Coulter

I had a request to blog about Ann (you know who you are) because she just released another book and she was just criticized heavily by Hilary Clinton who is the smartest woman on the face of the earth except for Washington Governor Christine Gregoire.

I haven't read Ann's book nor have I read any of her books. I have however heard her in several interviews on different websites and she is never and I mean never shy about backing up something she writes. In fact she usually takes her words and makes them more harsh.

First of all, I find Ann Coulter's attitude funny. She is an iconoclast not a politician. (I also find Al Franken funny) It's a politician's job to be diplomatic and attempt to make everyone happy by using double-talk and BS. The job of an iconoclast is to challenge what are commonly held perceptions from a contrary point of view. She's good at it and besides she's trying to sell books. Personally, I relate to her attitudes because I also love seeing icons torn down, but I won't defend her. She can defend herself.

What about the wives of the 9/11 victims that she has been criticizing?

It's the role of an iconoclast to say unpleasant things sometimes. Most of the victims have struggled to go on with their lives, but others have attempted to become public figures using the leverage of their victim status. I refuse to accept that once these people become public figures they are 'untouchable' because they're also high-profile victims. If being an activist is your way of grieving then I'm sorry; you've chosen a terrible way to grieve that will never really help you to heal.

It's like how Grump has told me several times that a Vietnam Vet can win any argument about Nam simply by saying, "...but you weren't there." End of story; Vet wins argument by default.

People like Ann Coulter and Al Franken are important to have around. They make it okay to talk about things we'd normally feel uneasy about...plus, I like Ann's hair.

No bill of rights for pharmacists

In Washington State there is a great deal of discussion about Pharmacists who may refuse to dispense birth control or 'morning after' pills based upon moral or religious grounds.

The Governor of our state has said repeatedly that pharmacists should be required by law to dispense medicine that is legally prescribed.

Every profession has a provision by where they are not required to perform certain duties based upon conscience. For example some doctors will not perform abortions and many lawyers will not work divorce cases. They can associate or disassociate freely based upon their own decision.

The debate that the pharmacist has is really with the company for which he works. If a drugstore has a policy that the pharmacist disagrees with he can go work somewhere else or even leave the profession completely.

But our governor thinks that they should not have the right to morally object. However, I wonder how she would feel if some pharmacists objected to dispensing a new medicine that say could detect and abort a fetis if it contained the 'gay' gene. Or perhaps some new genetic therapy that 'fixes' the gay gene so that the baby would grow up to be heterosexual.

Again the answer to this problem is something libertarians understand very fundamentally. Citizens should be free to engage or disengage from any business relationship as they see fit. The freedom of association must always stand as a load-bearing pillar of a free society.

Hurricanes and the 2nd Amendment

States in the gulf coast have begun a campaign urging self-reliance and preparation to defend themselves against another season of nature's windy onslaught. The citizentry have been told to rely upon themselves and their stockpiled provisions if they do not evacuate the area when they are warned that a storm is coming. Aside from citizens who are immobile for health and age reasons, all able-bodied citizens have been in a sense told that they are left to their own in the event of an emergency.

While the state governments of many states realize they can't come to your personal aid in the event of an emergency, these same states still restrict an able-bodied, and law abiding citizen from keeping a firearm in their homes.

I think once the government has admitted that protecting individual life and property is not the priority of government in any emergency, they've lost the argument to keep you from owning what the 2nd amendment guarantees as a right.

To our politicians this is what the 2nd Amendment means:

To Republicans: The 2nd Amendment guarantees your right to own certain arms, in certain states unless those weapons look military in nature. Even if they are less powerful and useful than say a hunting rifle they'd like to stay on the safe side because a military-looking weapon (even in the hands of a law abiding citizen) is just too much temptation to shoot up an elementary school playground.

To Democrats: The 2nd Amendment guarantees your right to play army one weekend a month and help border patrol agents give water to Mexicans crossing the Arizona desert.

Memorial Day

Memorial Day brings about many thoughts for me. Number one among them is that it is the first 3-day weekend in the Seattle area where you wish the weather was nice, but it never is. It rained nearly all weekend...again.

Another of my thoughts is drawn to the tremendous sacrifice made by our fighting men and women. I've talked to several people in my life that have experienced combat and I'm always very awestruck as they attempt to explain the unexplainable.

I love this country. I desire for my country to have so many freedoms that if someone dared think they could take them away, they'd experience a fight like they've never seen before. I never want to see a soldier die so that you and I could have 'relative freedom.'

The most fitting tribute to the memory of those who died to protect this country is to do our part at home keep our country free.

Which is worse - Tax Preparation or going to the Dentist?

This poll does a state-by-state breakdown of how they view raising or lowering taxes in terms of how it impacts the economy. The poll does nothing except explore the general perception of taxes.

I think the best part of it is the column that compares tax preparation versus going to the dentist.

Gas Prices

I paid $47 dollars to fuel my car this morning. I realize many of you pay more but you must realize that I drive a humble compact car with a small gas tank. Because I ride my motorcycle as often as possible I fill up my car about every other week.

I had a conversation with a Seattle lefty about the price of gas, and she complained endlessly about 'big oil' and their price gouging. I told her that she should be thankful as I know in the past that she and other Puget Sound Bolsheviks have dreamed of the days where gas prices would be higher so that we would all pile into buses or take the upcoming light rail that goes nowhere. She has just had a baby and doesn't see the practicality of taking the bus at this time. I find it amazing how 'progressives' are experts in how everyone else should live.

She demanded that our government do something about the price of gas. Knowing this is just a trap and the average Seattle-ite knows bumpkus about real life economics I just let her continue. I asked, "What would you have them do?"

It didn't take but a minute to uncover what it is she really wanted. She suggested finally that the price be controlled. I did my best to explain to her that the laws of economics cannot be changed anymore than the laws of gravity.

She said, "Yeah, yeah...the law of supply and demand. I believe that's just an excuse to charge more so they can take in all these outrageous profits."

Unfortunately this country doesn't have a supply and demand problem, it only has a demand problem. Our supply will not grow without more refineries. Everytime we (and other emerging nations) demand more oil, the supply in our country stays the same. Under this arrangement our prices will always go up until we either increase supply or demand far less.

I can't increase the supply of oil in our country so I'm demanding less. I drive less and take my motorcycle anywhere that I can in place of a car.

If the government fixes the price of fuel we will see gas lines and shortages. There won't be any left to even fill up my motorcycle that gets 60+ mpg.

Here's a tip for my Seattle area liberal friends: Wanna get prices lower? Tell your congressman to let oil companies build more refineries and then find a way to use less YOURSELF. Try taking some of the advise you so willingly dish out to others.

Bump or Dip?

On a road I take to work everyday there has been some sinking in one of the lanes. I don't know what is causing it but the left side of the lane has been sinking for the last year or so. Finally the DOT put up a sign that read "DIP".

Last week they patched the roadway to remove the dip. The patch job does not exactly make the road surface smooth, in fact it looks like the asphault was dropped from a helicopter. Now instead of a sinking lane you have to drive over this clumpy raised area. Today the DOT replaced the DIP sign with a new sign that reads "BUMP".

Sorry, no libertarian rant about roads. I think government should oversee things that cannot be compartmentalized and roads would fall under that category.

I really preferred the DIP over the BUMP.

Border walls, boredom, and a homeless guy with a lawnmower

Even though our government is spending tons of our hard earned dough, they've decided to take advantage of the extra receipts coming in from the strong economy to build a fence between the United States and Mexico. I don't know anyone who wants to build a fence so this must be one of those jobs that "Americans aren't willing to do." So we'll have to hire illegal immigrants to build the wall.

Our only instructions will be: When you're done building the wall, please be on the other side of it. Thank you.

I think boredom is a modern invention. I may write about how I'm beginning to win the battle against boredom in a future blog.

I came across a new homeless guy approach. The fellow I ran into had a cardboard sign that read, "I need food. Please let me mow your lawn." Resting beside the homeless man was a push lawn mower. He was getting money from lots of people in cars. I don't know if he really was going to mow anyone's lawn but that is a creative prop at least. Good on him.

The Modern Republican Movement

This is a good summary of the modern Republican movement:

"Other than telling us how to live, think, marry, pray, vote, invest, educate our children and, now, die, I think the Republicans have done a fine job of getting government out of our personal lives." -Editorial Page, Sunday, June 19 Portland Oregonian

A tip of the hat to Platinumgirl for bringing this quote to my attention.

Sigh, at least they have Ron Paul.

My dumb Cat

I went downstairs to feed my cat. While I was grabbing the bag of feed he went upstairs and jumped up on my desk.

I returned upstairs to find him eating some lemon pound cake I had just sliced for myself before realizing he was out of food.

I have to hand it to him; his plan was well-executed. He distracted me by acting hungry and then made a break for my food while I was feeding him.

My cat is a jerk.

Another kind of soft target

Let me 'splain to you a scenario I encountered recently.

A young man turned in his cousin who had several warrants out for his arrest. Because the young man had a job and a fairly predictable schedule, bounty hunters routinely 'hung around' to see if said cousin would show up. Growing tired of being trailed he finally turned his cousin in when he had shown up at the young man's place of business.

The mom of the cousin (the young man's aunt) became enraged as did the cousin's sister (yet another cousin) and expressed their disgust at the young man in their best Jerry Springer Show vernacular.

The next day a calling card from Child Protective Services (CPS) appears on their door. They had come to inspect the home of the young man who lives with his wife and 1 year old daughter. Apparently an anonymous call to CPS initiated the need for an inspector to look for signs of abuse. They called CPS back and told them to come to the house the next possible day.

During that evening the couple called around to find out who would've done this. After only a little investigation it seems all evidence points back to the Aunt and the Sister Cousin. There was word also that the aunt and the cousin intended to have more people (their friends) call anonymously to CPS.

When CPS did their inspection they found the same things I've found whenever I personally have visited their home. A well-fed, cared for, happy, and loved 1 year old girl. The young man and his wife explained what had transpired over the week and explained that more 'anonymous' tips were likely to come.

The CPS inspector said if more tips came in (whether they were false or not) they would have to follow-up on them and eventually demand that the young man and his wife take a drug test. Hearing this the young man and his wife asked where they could take a drug test that very day to get it cleared up. They had the test taken but the problem was still up-in-the-air because follow-up would be necessary if more reports came in.

"Can't something be done about them making false reports?" The young man asked. The CPS inspector explained that they do not require those who make anonymous reports to be accountable so that people are not discouraged from calling if they suspect abuse.

What will happen to the young man and his wife? Maybe something, maybe nothing. But because they are attempting to comply with the law they have become the soft targets of law enforcement. CPS will return to their home and pile up a big long record on them only because they are cooperating with the law.

Wouldn't it be nice if law enforcement focused on the initiation of force, theft AND fraud?

It's time for supply-siders to put up or shut up for good

The economy is booming right now. Economic growth is flirting with 5% over this quarter. The Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke (if that's his real name) is likely to raise federal reserve lending rates again. If I'm to believe the heart and soul of supply-side economics then this is the time that our deficits should be disappearing.

I'm not going to argue with anyone about how lower tax rates can increase actual tax receipts. Every serious economist from Friedman to some schlub down at Schwab understands this is true. Hell, play Sim City for awhile and you'll understand it's true...anyway....

But where supply-siders continue to LIE to us is that they're not really interested in reducing the deficits. They only sell that as one of the benefits to lowering tax rates for high wage earners. Because of this they're always being accused of giving tax breaks to their rich buddies. Whether it's really true or not doesn't matter to me...it looks true.

It's time for supply-siders to take this cash that has been bringing in federal receipts hand over fist and start paying down. Don't let it sit around in your precious general fund to be yet again swallowed up by another omnibus package.

Will they do this? Probably not and this is one reason alone that anyone in Washington who claims to be a fiscal conservative is a liar. If you keep sending fiscal conservatives to Washington then be prepared to watch your dollar shrink in your wallet.

Illegal Immigrants Play Hardball

I was ready to deport all illegal immmigrants until I read this sign from a demonstration yesterday.


I think it is clear that they are playing for keeps. I think as a country we really need to ask ourselves: "Can we live without burritos?"

I am one American who does not even want to begin to picture my nation sans burrito.

Viva La Raz!