I'm back

This week:

Fascinating vacation stories.

I will ridicule the Ad Council (again).

Also some pictures taken by my 3 year old son.

Stay Tuned!

Vacation again

Likely won't blog while traveling several Western states. You can follow me on Twitter if you're so inclined. I can bore you with fascinating, small tidbits about what I'm doing at any given point. If you use Twitter and want to follow me you can do so at:

www.twitter.com/tracyagreen

Garage Sales - the last remaining free market?

There was a garage sale at my house last weekend. I can't stand them honestly but I did make some observations about how they might be the last truly free market in this country.

One thing that I noticed was that a good percentage of the people who came to my garage sale were immigrants. I have no doubts that many of them were not citizens and I couldn't care less. Even with the language barrier and my absolutely horrible Spanish we managed to complete transactions using my laptop and a language translator...which was probably worse than my own Spanish.

Immigrants are able to look for things at very low cost, pay in cash and avoid taxes. They accomplish this while living in their completely undocumented world.

While those who care about "illegal" immigration usually want to just "send them back" I would suggest that we all take a look at how they're able to live here in such a beautifully unsanctioned way.

A sign of progress

Apparently even Seattle has a limit to how stupid it allows itself to be. Voters rejected a proposal that would levy a 20 cent plastic bag fee at grocery stores.

I'm glad they found a tax that they would reject, but I will still say that for such a "green" and "progressive" city, its freeways are lined with trash. If Seattleites were as ecologically sound as they pretend to be, it'd be the cleanest city in America.

Freepers, deathers, birthers, thinkers...which are you?

The party of Hope and Change has now decided that instead of using the Bush administrations ploy of calling all dissenters unAmerican, they'll just now dismiss you as crazy and then maybe wink and imply you're dangerous.

Thinker: But wait, certainly we can have an honest discussion with the Obama administration that perhaps the role of a good federal government is not to intervene in vast like healthcare problem because of well...affordability?

Hey wait a minute buddy. Do you deny the fact that our president was born in Hawaii? Do you deny that he's an American citizen?

Thinker: I just think that Keynsian economics doesn't work and there is no way to pay for a system like this with our current monetary system.

JUST WHAT I THOUGHT! We got a birther here. Go put on your tinfoil hat nutbag. We know your kind. You just don't like having a black president. We're keeping our eye on you.

Thinker: The president has said that the only reason medicare is going broke as a healthcare system is because it takes care of only old and sick people without being balanced out by healthy people paying in. Doesn't this indicate that they'd need an end to private insurance eventually? After all isn't the only problem with any failing government program is that it is underfunded?

Look Freeper, go back to your tea party and say no to everything while us grownups try to have an adult conversation. If you can't bring something to the table and solve this crisis our country faces then get out of the way.

Thinker: Like private insurance companies, decisions are made about what expensive procedure is actually covered or not. But at least in many cases families have the ability to raise money seperately and pay a doctor on their own for services. How could a community step up and make sure a sick person got the medicine they needed if they were on the public option?

We got a Deather here. Yeah, we're just lining up death panels trying to kill grandma you weirdo. Is this all you have? Can't we just have an intellectual debate here?

Thinker: President Obama himself said that Fedex and UPS were doing fine and it was the post office that was always in trouble. (it's also illegal to charge less than the post office) There is at least a provision in the constitution for delivering the mail, what constitutional authority does the federal government have to force states to pay into a federal public option that allegedly is not designed to cover everyone?

Look, unless you want to solve this problem then I'm afraid I can't even talk to you. It's overdue that this country has the real reform that the American people deserve. It's just too bad we can't have a serious debate about it and come together as a country.
__________________________________________________

Disclaimer: Republicans are idiots too. As usual I believe there is no political solution to this problem and the only thing universal about what will come out of it is...it will cost too much and under deliver.

It's a false choice really. I refuse to take sides choosing between a centrally managed and regulated industry that doesn't allow me to pay my doctor directly and a centrally managed and regulated public program that doesn't allow me to pay my doctor directly. I don't want either system.

Maybe Mr. Hope and Change can begin dreaming of paying for this scheme if he wasn't already in the middle of domestic bailouts in addition to expanding wars overseas (oh yeah...remember the wars?...that big deal you pretended to care about when you elected him?), keeping U.S. troops based in hundreds of countries. One trillion dollars last year alone maintaining an empire overseas. But what do I know? I'm just a thinker.

RIP - Les Paul

RIP Les Paul. I own an LP. It's not my favorite guitar but mostly because I'm not good enough to make it sound nice. Instead, I sound like Ace Frehley...which I admit when I'm in the house alone...is still good enough for me.

One of my mom's favorite songs was Walkin' and Whistlin' Blues with both Les Paul and Mary Ford. Enjoy!



Thanks Les for your musical contributions to this world.

Openly Carrying in the Live Free or Die State

I love how these New York big city reporters being so shocked that a citizen is openly carrying a gun in New Hampshire.  They go on to say that lawyers somewhere should file an emergency injunction.

What idiots. The man is a peaceful man (who is also a libertarian) and does not believe in the initiation of force against others. Whether these TV talking heads like it or not the citizens of New Hampshire allow for open carry and many citizens do carry side arms out in the open. It is not a shock to citizens of New Hampshire to see someone carrying a side arm in public. I'm sure to all of the people who were brought in from Boston to cheer on Obamacare...they tinkled in their undies a bit.

I’d also like to add that the man was NEVER swept from the area and at no time was President Obama ever in danger from anyone openly carrying a firearm.

Wow, the shock and dismay.  If only we could live in a country where people did exactly what they were told from idiot news readers.

Healthcare

Okay, let's do it. You all want me to since I've had about seven email in the last two weeks asking me why I haven't talked about it.

It's about time really. I know there are people who read/participate on this blog who have paid for several thousand dollars in medical bills this last year. (including myself)

I'll start off since it's my blog...so nyah nyah.

I have the same level of enthusiasm for using public healthcare than I do using a public bathroom. I'm against any public management of health insurance. Period.

Your turn. Go.

Vacations

I was on vacation last week and the couple of times I had updates to post Blogger was also on vacation. We'll get this sorted out today. Thanks for coming back.

Lost a friend today

Roy Ulrich was a family friend who lost his battle with cancer this morning.

Roy has known me most of my life and knew me when I had particularly long hair (longer than lately) and he admitted to me more than once that he hated it.

His wife Delores called me very early this morning and told me that Roy had passed away just a little bit earlier. I told her I was sorry to hear that and laid down in my bed thinking about my last conversation I had with Roy just a few days ago.

He asked me for a special favor for which I'm truly honored to do. He then said to me, "I don't know why I ever cared about your hair...after all...it's just hair."

This morning I had my hair cut off. Alot of it. Shaved my beard too...well mostly.

Roy gave me two gifts. A complete set of classical music CD's and a recording of the old radio show Have Gun Will Travel.

I asked Roy how he wanted to be remembered. This is what he told me:

I want to be remembered for being a simple man who worked hard, loved his family and loved God. I want to be a person who never acted more important than I really was.

Good bye Roy. You were a good friend to me and my family.

An Argument for NOT Auditing the Fed

The Federal Reserve relies on a great deal of misinformation, overstating and smoke and mirrors to obtain assets to put up against Treasury Bills. If the entire world were to know how full of sh*t they are...getting loans in the future would be downright impossible...and would make holding an annual public debt very difficult.

...oh wait...I accidently argued for it again. Dang. Nevermind.

More Federal Reserve Lunacy

Before you watch this video I'd like to explain why I'm showing it. This Democrat congressman is pursuing a more popular theme running through congress these days. What legal right does the Federal Reserve have to send dollars overseas in the form of credit? Does it require any Congressional scrutiny at all?

Bernanke is correct in his answer though. He's offsetting volatility in dollar markets globally. Why? Because congress insists on spending more than what it has. The treasury is broke so the Federal Reserve is in the business of procuring wealth, credit, and assets so that we can insanely finance wars and payoffs. The Federal Reserve doesn't make our insane policy, it reacts to our insane policy. Congress should look inward before it points at the bank for needing to take extreme measures to keep our monetary policy alive.

I'm not a fan of the central bank at all, but they're only part of the problem.

Hot here

Not like Midwest hot or Southwest hot...like Northwest hot. Not all that hot but we don't have many warm weather clothes. At least we're not wearing socks with our sandals.

Cool updates coming soon.

Seattle’s love for boondoggles

Welcome to Seattle. 

Seattle is a city that will vote repeatedly for a mass transit solution they want and never get it…while its leaders put together another system that was in debt 1 billion dollars before a single foot of track had been laid. 

Below is video from the Seattle Times that shows an invitation only Sounder Light rail ride for area reporters.  The video shows the mayor of Seattle beaming over the accomplishment of 2.3 billion dollars being spent on 14 miles of rail line that doesn’t YET go anywhere useful.

Even though it’s a waste of money, I hope to ride on it some day for fun.  As soon as it goes some place different than Tukwila.

The Dangly Bits Show

I'm co-hosting a half hour podcast every Thursday night called The Dangly Bits show which is a spill-over of the The Dave and Steve Show. We do on occasion talk about politics and current events. You can find the show every Friday posted on The Dave and Steve Show website.

Dave (of the show) has really given me the forum to shape a midweek show out of the loosely FM talkradio style format. It's light so don't expect some of the heaviness of this blog or my two attempts at podcasts from last year. Please give it a listen...you can stream to it from the website or look it up in the iTunes store.

Change?

Seven soldiers died in Afghanistan this week.

The longer we are in that country, the easier it will be for the Taliban and different militias to resent our presence and mobilize forces against us. Sadly, I'm afraid more will die there for no good reason.

If this bugs you then just close your eyes and repeat the following to yourself until you begin to feel better:

They hate us because of our freedoms.
They hate us because of our freedoms.
They hate us because of our freedoms.
They hate us because of our freedoms.
They hate us because of our freedoms.

All you Obama supporters that emailed me and told me he was the peace candidate have some splainin' to do.

Independence Day

I haven’t shared my artwork on this blog since my own attempt at making the world’s most offensive cartoon (from an earlier post) but I’ll give it another shot.  Below is a sidewalk chalk representation of Old Glory.

Some key differences I took artistic liberty with:

• 10 Stripes instead of 13.  If forced to justify this I’ll just consolidate the Carolinas and merge New York and New Jersey…oh and boot Georgia completely.
• There are pink stripes.  No this isn’t a gay rights protest nor is it promoting breast cancer awareness…I just didn’t have red chalk. 
• Only 25 Stars.  Again…if the secession movement takes off this may not be a big issue.

Hope you all enjoyed Independence Day.  Mine was pretty good like always.

Hooray Canada!

Happy Canada Day!

I asked someone recently if they knew what Canada Day was celebrating. They replied, "I think it's Canada's Independence day." Don't we take being independent so much for granted that we assume everyone has fought for it?

Not Canada though. They pretend to be free but as we saw this last year, the Queen can shut down their government if she so chooses. That's not all bad though as I wish she could shut ours down for a few months.

It's not unusual to see Canadian flags fly beneath or along side the US Flag in the Seattle area. It's been like that all my life. The cultural differences between the state of Washington and the province of British Columbia are negligible. We probably have less in common with Oregon frankly.

Have a great day Canadians! Enjoy whatever it is you're celebrating today but remember that the banks and liquor stores are closed.

Viva la Canada!

Check this out

The Bureau of Labor and Statistics has an indexing program where you can look at how many dollars you’d need now to equal a dollar from years ago.  The oldest year you can look up is 1913…the creation of the Federal Reserve. 

Go ahead…select different years from the drop-down list.  You’ll get a good picture of how well the Federal Reserve and Congress has taken care of the value of our dollar.

Shoes – update

I got a lot of feedback on this post.  Emails, comments, Facebook thingies, you name it.  Nearly everyone had advice and I would say there was not much of a consensus (except maybe that I'm a jerk) which I think really just shows how much of a conflict there is when confronted with this sort of thing.

None of you changed my opinion but I'll share insight that I did not share within the original post.   After all, this was a bit of a thought experiment.

1. The man mostly had legitimate food in his basket and paid for it with cash.  He was not using any governmental assistance to purchase this.  I suspect it's true for the coffee too.
2. I absolutely did not judge him to be a panhandler/bum.  He fit the profile of someone who was simply poor.
3. He is not unlike about dozen other people at this same store, at this same time, just about everyday.
4. I'm not a bleeding heart.  I don't help people with a gesture to make myself feel good.  I help where I see help will actually help.
5. He seemed genuinely happy and greeted people around him.
6. I never, at any point, felt like I was enabling him to have a certain lifestyle by buying him shoes.  He needed shoes.  I don't consider poverty to be a crime or a virtue.  The poor will always be among us.
7. I called myself judgmental and this was a problem for three of you.  Being both judgmental and discriminate are good things.  We practice judgment and discrimination every day in the choices we make.  They are good things when done with the right motivations. 
8. My first instinct on this was to buy him shoes.  This was MY first instinct...I totally understand if it wouldn't be yours.  I don't compel people to apply my own convictions of mercy and charity to their own lives.  Any thinking person could raise credible arguments for letting him continue in those shoes…many of you did.
9. I’m also wearing worn shoes and with my longer hair and beard I could’ve been a candidate in someone’s eyes for help also.  That makes me laugh kind of.
10. Based on all that I've told you...I still decided not to get him shoes.  I judge that as a mistake...in this case.