The Grand Canyon by Back Road

 

We took 19th Avenue to the Carefree Highway and then up 7th Street which turns into New River Road. After a short hop on I-17 the Bumble Bee turn off becomes a dirt road all the way to Mayer, nothing but dust and cows. From Mayer on  Highway 69 we finagled our way to 89A up to the ghost town of Jerome and then back to dirt roads most of the way into Williams for a burger and some fuel. The final leg was a two lane blacktop into the national park.

We met up with the girls (our wives) who drove in the regular way. On the way back we stopped by to see Bedrock but the wind was so bad we didn’t stick around.

 

A Final Destination Experience

Every now and then something happens that makes you wonder if some things are meant to be, or not. Today I decided to not stay in the computer lab after school so I left an hour early. It was an uneventful ride home until getting stuck behind a stalled bus on Peoria Avenue just past the I-17. The frustration lasted about 30 seconds but I was able to go around it when traffic cleared. I got to the intersection of Peoria and 19th Avenue and noticed cars blocking my lane. The accident had just occurred and I was the first in line. No one had gotten out of the vehicles, the airbags were still deployed …. and one of the cars was sitting in the left lane, right where I would have been stopped for the light.

The No-Nonsense Bailout

$50 Billion in Cash Headed for Paid-Up Homeowners

by Scott Ott for ScrappleFace · 120 Comments

(2009-02-17) — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner this week will unveil a plan to address the nation’s housing crisis by making $50 billion in direct payments to the 91 percent of homeowners who currently pay their mortgages on time.

The plan is an 11th-hour revision of the original scheme which would have allowed government-backed renegotiation of loans between banks and delinquent or foreclosed homeowners.

“We want to invest in what works,” said Mr. Geithner. “It suddenly dawned on me that rewarding people who bought more house than they could afford, and backing banks that made risky loans, would just throw good money after bad. But the vast majority of Americans make sensible mortgage decisions, so when we put cash in their hands they’ll use it in ways that will reinforce a sound, sustainable economy.”

Only about nine percent of mortgages are delinquent or in foreclosure, Mr. Geithner noted.

“The best thing for these folks is to get them out of the McMansions and into modest homes or rental units they can afford,” the Treasury chief said. “If we bail them out now, then we just send a signal to the banks that Uncle Sam stands behind every foolish, risky or evil thing you do. We would effectively nationalize the banks while subsidizing people who think the American dream is a birthright payable upon demand.”

Asked by a reporter why the federal government should get involved at all, taking out a $50 billion loan to try to stabilize credit markets, Mr. Geithner said, “We’re just following the great Democrat example of Franklin Roosevelt during the Depression.”

“FDR knew that it doesn’t matter whether what you do will work, or even make sense,” he said, “What matters is that people think you care, and they see you doing something. Borrowing money against future tax receipts is something we can do, and we do it well.”

Why Not Try This?

Since we’re talking huge amounts of money, enough to pay off 90% of the mortgages in America, why not just hand out checks to those of us who have a mortgage with the understanding (hell I’ll even sign something) that we will pay off our mortgages. No need to “bail out” those in foreclosure, prop up banks, keep track of thieves or spend money on a bunch of pork projects. Toxic assets covered, crisis averted, income freed up for more buying, banks flush with cash to loan, everyone is better off. Now that would be a stimulus!

The Stimulus That Isn’t

There really isn’t much more to say, because they wouldn’t let us see it.

It’s law, so enjoy the downward spiral. It took a less than a month to get a good picture of what “hope and change” is all about.  2009 may be a lost year but 2010 will be payback.

Time to Chill

Finally a slight feeling of euphoria. Global warming is a hoax, we aren’t going to die because of CO2 so all that wasteful spending is unnecessary. The economy is weak but fixable, no need for the the Spendulus. The Kool-Aid may be in the glass but we don’t have to drink it. People are beginning to get it! I think the stock market is reflecting the feeling that it all aint gunna happen. The Republicans (and a lot of Democrats) are beginning to get some focus. We need to make it crystal clear that we won’t be railroaded into idiotic decisions.

Frog Rock

I don’t know how many times I have gone up Yarnell Hill but today I happened to look to the left and there it was, Frog Rock. Now how could I have missed it? About 100 yards down the road on the right is The Frog Rock Cafe, could that be related?

After the big discovery it was time to kick back and have a cup of coffee in Peeple’s Valley. The trip back was just as interesting. I darn near hit a couple of donkeys on Carefree Highway. The four-legged kind. I stopped as quickly as I could to take a picture (If it had of been J the camera would have been ready) but by the time I got my camera out they were hiding somewhere in the brush. While I was waiting for them to surface I saw a couple of hunters and they told me, “They’re all over out here.” Well I’d heard that but have never actually seen any and didn’t see those ones again either. Another thing to watch out for while riding, I guess.

A Cold Shoulder

Hundreds attend global warming protest ….. and they look pretty mad!

Elections Have Consequences

This is why Barry should have never been elected. We are being inundated by climate scare tactics designed to further destroy our economy and forever create a socialist state. People will buy into this because the media is the Democrat party. Oh we got our “historic” new president and a bunch of fools following him off a cliff. Just give him a chance, they say. I did. One week is all it has taken to prove to me that he absolutely can’t be trusted and is destined to be the all time worst president we have ever had. I’m sorry friends and family but between letting terrorist free, buying into global warming, pushing a huge pork laden so called stimulus bill designed to buy votes, paying for abortions, putting a tax cheat in charge of the Treasury Department and Hillary at State there isn’t much good to look forward to the next couple of years except one hell of a fight.

Vicki’s Birthday

When I woke her up this morning at 7:00 and asked her if she wanted to go out for breakfast or dinner she answered, “I want to go back to sleep.” She didn’t get the chance because Brad, Jackie, Alana, and Sammy stopped by with cinnamon rolls and presents.

After opening presents and having rolls and coffee she did what makes sense on a beautiful day, go outside and read, which leads to falling asleep.

We went out for dinner (Dale, Donna, Wally, Peggy, Howard, Michele, Brad, Jackie, Alana, Elizabeth, Ric, and Vicki) at Villa De Los Antos and came back for cake and coffee. Happy Birthday Vicki!

What Ever Happened to "Appropriate Technology"?

It's deja'vu all over again. If you can remember the periodical "Mother Earth News" you know what I'm talking about. Ben Franklin Stoves to heat the house, Volkswagens with batteries driving electric starter motors, passive solar collectors, wind generation, large home gardens, a woodlot, earthworks to modulate home temperatures, earthworm bins for fertilizer, mulching, picking pests off vegetables by hand. I could go on and on, after all, I was a subscriber.

Of course, now it's high tech, but the same. The problem was that it was too much work, the power was insufficient, didn't work well, and not cost effective. But now that we only have 4 years to live .... it's all doable... again. Back then the wind generators were small enough to fit on your micro-farm. The heat generated by the sun was used in a way that was more efficient (heating water) not converting to electricity and wood was considered a renewable resource. Your house was built underground (and you didn't have to deal with city building codes) so heating and cooling was minimal. It was almost like returning to cave dwelling.

Here we are again in the 70's with our new generation of (metro)hippies, a black Jimmy Carter and this time without our Franklin stove.

I Don't Know if I Should Voice It

I had the Inauguration on a live feed today for my computer classes so that the students could listen and watch it in it's entirety, oaths, prayers, and speeches without commentary. What I was left with was a sadness that seems out of place.

The rambling poem and the sometime inspiring sometime insulting benediction created a feeling in me of foreboding. Obama's speech was not the type that a commander would give his men going into battle but a disjointed list kind of like a State of the Union but without applause lines. I feel sorry for those who put their trust in him and I don't want to feel that way, they are my friends, my family, and my country.

And Another Great Day for a Ride

I was talking to a friend who has been chipping ice off of his toothbrush up in the frozen wasteland of Illinois and wanted to cheer him up a little. So this one's for you TJ.

It was a clear frigid 52 degrees this morning when I headed out the door at 7:30. On the way out to Cave Creek the roads were full of motorcycles and bicycles. The royal blue sky made the sun feel even warmer.

After a brisk 100 mile ride through scenic country on a twisty two-lane to Bartlett Lake I sipped coffee enjoying the view at an overlook. The ride home was a pleasure as the temperature rose to 70 degrees.

When I arrived home the scent of freshly fried chips and home-made salsa greeted me. And it isn't even noon yet.

Where Do We Go From Here?

In America we have an utopian "gene" that resurfaces occasionally. All it takes is some distance from pressing problems and a group of believers. The experiments fail for the "simple" reason that the desire for personal freedom will not die easily. It's "human nature". The second or third generation buys out. The problem has been attacked by the current group of believers by taking over the school system and the information media. They have been able to secure at least a majority of the population .... for a while. The only way they may succeed is to take away enough freedoms that the average person can't see the horizon, so to speak. No dissension, "the science has been settled".

I think that reality will rear it's ugly head and bring us back. A few terrorist attacks, very cold winters, a little bit of financial suffering, and hopefully all this wishful thinking will fade away or may be swept away. For instance, what would happen if terrorists put bombs in a bunch of soft targets, shopping malls, baggage check-ins or public plazas? How about freezing temperatures where no amount of "green" energy will suffice? What about bailout after bailout that doesn't work? What about taxation that punishes those who produce and feeds the seed for the next crop (money that would have been invested rather than spent) to the takers? One or more of these will probably happen. And soon.

Then we can get back to raping the planet. You know, raising the standard of living, growing enough food, producing enough energy, improving medical care, creating wealth rather than redistributing it, creating new jobs, cleaning up pollution, increasing lifespans. A return to the bad old days.

The Vulture Gold Mine

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Just Thinking

I spoke to one of my sons today about government's financial games that often lead to unintended consequences. In particular, for those or you old enough to remember, the tax breaks for interest paid. Remember when any interest on loans was non-taxable probably as an incentive to get the economy moving? It didn't take long for people to run up all kind of debt so the politicians decided to focus just on getting people into homes so they removed the break on all interest and allowed it only on a home and a vacation home too (if I remember correctly). The idea was that if people were owners they would be better citizens, I guess, and it would raise tax revenues because all debt wouldn't be subsidized by tax breaks.

The unintended consequence was the invention of "home equity loans". People turned their home into a cash cow by transferring all debt in the belief that property values couldn't decrease causing the building boom and equity borrowing to skyrocket. The politicians saw some people being left behind so they made credit easy by requiring a percent of loans to be made in various high-risk areas which weakened the lending institutions triggering the lending crash (Another unintended consequence).

At the same time workers were needed to build all the homes so a deal was crafted that for humanitarian reasons (really economic) the border was allowed to become porous filling the needs of employers and the politicians. Unfortunately the unintended consequence was that American citizens lost jobs to those willing to work for much less. They had no intention of staying here but were mining America to send the money back home which drained off billions of dollars that American workers would have spent here. On top of one consequence was another, when the market crashed those workers either left with the money they had made or had children while they were here and those new citizens are now in our public schools being educated at taxpayer expense in many cases living with parents who are without formal education and are in the process of becoming citizens or living here illegally.

Now we have thousands of homes that no one can afford. The people who built them are gone and the ones who are here don't have the education to hold jobs that could support the payments.

Are we better off? Should government be in the "business" of economic manipulation? Check out the latest scheme here.

Final Ride of the '08

It has become almost a tradition to take a ride on the last day of the year and this is no exception. Last year I went to Canyon and Apache Lakes and up to the Reavis trailhead. This year it had snowed so a trip to see what was left of it at Crown King sounded like a good half-day excursion. It was a fairly cold morning so I bundled up with the new jacket Vicki bought me and headed off for Bumble Bee.

It was clear and crisp as the asphalt turned to dirt. Bumble Bee looked clean and inhabited but Cleator seemed more worn than the last time. As the trip progressed the road became a muddy bog in places but still passable. Cars and trucks didn't fly down the road as is typical but carefully chose their paths. There were large puddles on the road as well as ice and snow. In Crown King it was just as I had left it last year after the snow, a muddy mess. The road are all dirt in the summer and mud and ice in the winter.

Just after ordering breakfast the owner (she also works as the waitress) came in upset and I could hear talking going on in the kitchen. I guess the owner of the building (such as it is) decided the rent was going to be increased so the owner of the restraunt served me and let her staff leave. She said that she couldn't make it if the rent increased so she just shut down. I was the last that day to eat, at 10:30 AM. Happy New Year!

The trip back was a whole lot less eventful and at least the cows stayed off the road.

Light Rail

They finished the new light rail this month and were allowing free rides. Vicki had to work so Michele and I decided to go from beginning to end. Well it ends in Mesa so instead we got off at Mill Avenue in Tempe.

We got on right away, no waiting but by the time we returned 3 hours later there was a huge line at Christown (where it starts).

I guess we must have just missed the first crash while we were riding around today.

Some New Gear and Interesting People

The leather jacket I have been using is nice to look at but leaks a little too much air and is heavy so I looked around for something warm, air tight, water proof, armored, and light. LeatherUp.com had just the ticket so for Christmas Vicki got me one. I gave it a good workout this morning and it was pretty darn good.

It wasn't raining but it was cold and overcast, probably near freezing with windchill. The balaclava helped around the neck and face and wearing my leather pants made it quite comfortable.

While on the ride to Bartlett Lake I met a couple of guys, one on an '85 Goldwing and the other in a SUV. We may have been the only ones out there. The guy with the Wing bought it used with 25K miles on it for $2,900 and uses it for long hauls and his Guzzi for commuting to work. The Guzzi has over 100K on it but he finds it annoyingly loud on the road. The guy in the SUV is recovering from a motorcycle wreck he had in November. He was on a Road Star when a Passat (he said, "piss ant") turned left in front of him doing about 45. His bike was totalled as was the car. Luckily he had at the last minute (because it was getting cold) decided to put on all of his gear. Even though he was wearing a full-face flip up helmet he still broke his nose in 3 places (I didn't even know that was possible) and damaged his 4 lower teeth enough so that they will have to be removed. He broke a wrist, dislocated his hip but only suffered a little road rash due to the car tearing his jacket as he flew over it. He planted his helmet in the windshield of the car and according to witnesses did 3 flips after clearing the car. Lucky guy!

The Coming Obamination of America

There are basic differences in this country that some can’t fathom. Why would we pass legislation that can’t be paid for? Half of the country believes that the government should be a husband to the widow (or divorced), father to the fatherless (or parentless), protector of the weak (or lazy), a provider for the poor (or a least less wealthy), teacher, doctor, retirement advisor, realtor, and underwriter of last resort. The other half doesn’t want these things and doesn’t want to pay for them. It is a case of having to live with an oniomaniac. But that’s who is running the place. They have the family credit card and the ability to print money.

The plan is to steal (by taxation and devaluation) the wealth of those who have carefully attempted to create it and redistribute it to others. Consider that the “solution” to the foreclosure crisis is to decrease the principal and interest rates of those being foreclosed on (usually with little wealth of their own at risk). They will be handed the advantages of those who have sacrificed and invested their own money (lower payments due to less owed). The message is clear, “Be as irresponsible as you want; there is no advantage to saving or planning.” Worse than that, I predict Obama won’t address the cause of this whole thing, the housing meltdown, except to blame it on Republicans. The guys in charge will still be there.

The bailout of American car companies is a prime example of the differences. Why should tax money be used to pay off a bad agreement by a private company and a union? The message again is clear, “If there are enough people (constituents) involved those who are trying to be responsible (non-constituents) will be forced to pay the bill.”

To make things even worse Obama and those supporting him in the middle of a financial downturn want to waste money on the fraud of global warming. They refuse to consider solutions to our energy needs that even have a chance of success (nuclear, clean coal, domestic oil production) and insist on throwing money away, or worse, increasing the cost of energy to all Americans by denying access to cheap energy. They promise mythical “green” jobs in exchange for real ones.

I predict that it won’t take until 2010 for the lapse in judgment to become apparent to a majority of Americans because these wastes of money won’t work. But I have been wrong before about the wishful thinking and depth of ignorance out there involving basic economics.

BTW I was discussing AGW with my science teacher friend and he is becoming pursuaded that it is not true. But, he argued, changing over to alternative energy could be a good result of it anyway. Manipulation of people by fear based on lies is not, in my opinion, the right way to make decisions. It will ultimately destroy trust and that is what holds this whole thing together.

“America is divided into two parties: a stupid party and an evil party. When they both act stupid and evil, that’s called bipartisanship.”—- Author and public speaker Dinesh D’Souza from Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, when his elderly mother asked him to explain bipartisanship to her.

Finally a Break ... And a Chance to Think

School's out for the next two weeks and I can think again. Christmas time, the new year, and time off allow for a chance to reflect and boy what a mixed bag that is.

The cold weather is so refreshing it almost makes me want to be snowed in up in the mountains, but only if I can escape on one of my bikes. Is there a conflict?

Reflection sounds good as long as I don't have to think about all of these insane bailouts, but how can that be avoided? The huge Ponzi scheme that crashed (and the government is going to bail out) just makes me think about the much larger one we call Social Security that is scheduled to crash in the future, but don't worry, the government can bail it out. That was a joke that not many people get yet. On the bright side, if the government prints a bunch of money to cover every one's losses the inflation will make what we owe worth less. Unfortunately, I don't have a fireplace so I can't use it to heat my house. Why don't we just print enough so that the government can hand each family $100,000 a year and do away with all this capitalism stuff? Really, it's just that simple.

And then there's the darkness crisis to consider!

Animals have begun to check out due to despair over global warming, but thankfully Santa was saved in time.

Charged With Battery

It didn't cost much, $32.95, Walmart. Not only did I get charged but I also had to charge the battery.

It often happens with things mechanical that you get the euphoric feeling of accomplishment only to be stung by a reoccurance of the same old malfunction. After crying to my new friends at KLR650.net and getting a dozen different diagnoses it all came down to a weak battery. But not before I was served many an interesting story from bugs in the tank vent to a bug that caused a flat (wedged in the valve stem at speed). There is nothing like a bunch of guys talking who have been riding for a while to get one's imagination running wild. One guy said that an old deisel mechanic told him that whenever a starting problem crops up, try the battery. I assumed that that the old mechanic's advice was from experience not just because he was old. Anyway, I knew that my battery had to be recharged after about 4 or 5 start attempts so it sounded like the best and cheapest advice. I also found out that my KLR was a CALIFORNIA BIKE!!!! Extra hoses, extra canisters, tubes that no one can explain, and all. But fortunately Tex Earnhardt, a local car dealer and previous owner, had someone yank all that good stuff so that all there is left are hoses going nowhere.

To celebrate and check out the fix I rode out to 7 Springs, started it various times, and tempted fate since it was an area with no cell phone service.

Get'r Done

The job I had been dreading wasn't all that bad and was actually kind of satisfying. Last week I skinned both knees when I fell push-starting the KLR. It had a hot start problem and down deep I knew it was probably not a serious sign but .... the fix was going to be a pain, not as bad as road rash on the knees though.

I tried the easy stuff, checked the battery and electronics. There is a great resource on the web KLR.net, a forum of owners who help each other. After signing up a quick search told me what I suspected, a valve adjustment. There are a lot of easy things to do to the KLR but adjusting the valves requires removing the seat, tank, head cover, and both cams just to make an adjustment. You see, replacing the shims under the cams are what needs to be done.

An old Fiat 128 that I owned back in the early '70s had the same kind of adjustment but the shims could just be popped out without removing the cam so this was not my idea of a well planned out engine. It took all day but turned out nicely. Tomorrow it's time for a ride.

Public School Propoganda

I run a computer lab after shool most days. Yesterday I had the arctic sea ice site up and a couple of students noticed it on my screen. They asked what it was so I explained that during the summer I heard a report that the arctic ice would be gone in a few years so I was keeping an eye on it. When they asked how it was doing I told them it was much better than last year and didn't look like there was a problem. They were surprised, but no wonder. They never hear anything other than the planet is in trouble, us humans are to blame, and we need to fix it.

A teacher friend was in the lab at that time and overheard the conversation. He looked at the screen but then said that the glaciers were still in retreat so the information about the arctic must be inconsequential. I mentioned that the glacial retreat has been going on for the past few centuries and was occurring before there was a United States. That apparently was inconsequential too. He then went on about, of all things, Fox News and political agendas as though bringing up inconvenient truths was somehow sinister.

Another Democrat. Is there some kind of talking point that anything that calls into question the modern orthodoxy must have come from Fox? I didn't get into a further conversation since I was talking to a true believer and no amount of evidence would matter. This is who we have teaching our kids.

UPDATE: The science teacher I spoke with in a previous entry has looked at some of the evidence and was surprised to see that it has some validity. I think it shook him that the conventional view may be wrong. He liked Michael Crichton's speech about aliens causing global warming.

Who Will Bail Out the Government?

Let's see, every business in sight is looking for a handout because someone thought that propping up Lehman, AIG, and then Fannie & Freddie was a good idea. It reminds me of the scene in "The Jerk" where the rich guy with worn out seats in his airplane is hitting up Steve Martin for money to replace them.

What did we expect? Bailing out every company in the country will not fix this problem because the issue is not as much whether or not we can trust capitalism but can we trust our own government. When push comes to shove the politicians and the people do what they always do, one makes a promise and the other believes it. But isn't it getting a little hard to believe that guys (and gals) who buy votes with other people's money can actually keep their promises?

After all the lies are told and the money is spent who will bail out the government?

Junk Science and Arctic Sea Ice

If nothing else it is entertaining to work with liberal (oh, I mean progressive) Democrats. It is almost impossible to keep up a blog that even touches on what it is like working in a public school and engaging in truly insane conversations.

The other day my "free" bicycle recipient (future) friend told me that people who make over 3 million dollars should be taxed at 90%. I asked if he thought that would raise money and he looked at me as though I hadn't heard him. So I asked him just how long would a person bother to make that kind of money if he couldn't keep it and would that have an effect on the economy. You know, some really deep thoughts.

Then there was the conversation about the election turn-out. Apparently it wasn't that big turn-out we had all been primed for. In fact, it was about the same percent as 2004 because 1.3% less Republicans bothered to show up. One of my colleagues asked me if I got that from Fox News (since it is so biased, you know) and I said that actually it was CNN.

Then there is the constant propoganda about global warming and the total lack of interest in any explanation other than it is caused by Republicans. That was a joke. So when I asked our science teacher if he remembered that the Arctic sea ice was due to disappear and wanted to know if he had been keeping an eye on it, he was surprised to see that it was still there. That's a little exaggeration. But he would not believe that it was growing from last year. He wanted to know if I got that from Fox News (Fox or Drudge might report a story since failure to report defines bias). I told him that actually it was from a University of Illinois website. Well you really can't believe your lying eyes you know.

There will no doubt be many other interesting conversations in the future that involve pulling one's self up with one's own bootstraps (economics). I'll keep you posted.

A Dream

Last night I had a dream that I was riding a bicycle down a forest trail. Ahead of me was a large rattlesnake lying across the road apparently asleep. I stopped and looked for a way around but then became aware that all along the trail and even within striking distance were various vipers that blended in with the foliage, all in a state of stupor. I carefully turned the bike around and rushed back along the trail. That's where the dream ended.

A Time for Healing?

I was on the playground the day after the election and a little hispanic girl came up to me on the verge of tears because some other kids were calling her a racist because in the voting at school she was for McCain. I gave her a high five and said I voted for him too. Her face lit up.

The same day a couple of 8th grade hispanic girls asked me who I voted for. Since it was after the election I decided to answer. When I said, "McCain," they asked me if I was a racist. I said that I wasn't and then they proceeded to explain to me that McCain wanted to send all the illegals back to Mexico. I decided not to bother explaining that he actually sponsored a bill to allow them to stay and become citizens if they wished because I then might have said that it was something I strongly disagreed with him about.

I guess it is probably time to not say what one thinks.

Congratulations Obama

An Israeli airstrike on Gaza
A rocket attack on Israel
A warning to the US from Iran
Russia to place missiles on the border of the EU
and
The stock market drops 500 points

Welcome to the big leagues.

The 95% Solution

I got in a fairly heated discussion the other day with my liberal buddy (the one who is looking forward to the new bike we will all be buying for him). Anyway the topic of how much is too much came up. You know, the $250,000 limit. Anybody who makes more than that should be taxed more since obviously it won't keep them from taking care of life's necessities.

I answered with, "We should tax the poor!" It stopped him in his tracks.

He answered that it wasn't fair. To which I responded, "It wasn't fair that a person who only had something to gain got to choose." If 95% of the people will not see a tax increase that translates to, "Let's gouge those other 5%."

Making a deal with someone who has nothing to lose (and a lot to gain) is not fair ..... unless the goal is to buy votes with other people's money. Could that be the game? Ya think?

As the Advent Approaches

The Earth is cooling; (no word on sea levels yet)
Gas prices are falling,
The economy is rebounding, and
Peace engulfs the planet.

(well 3 out of 4 ain't bad)

Socialism (or charity at gunpoint)

A story redistributed (stolen) from an unknown (to me) source:

Yesterday on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read "Vote Obama, I need the money". I laughed. Once in the restaurant my server had on an "Obama 08" Button, again I laughed as he had given away his political preference -- just imagine the coincidence. When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--I pointed out the homeless guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight. I went outside, gave the homeless guy $10 and told him to thank the server inside as I've decided he could use the money more. The homeless guy was very grateful. At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn, but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn even though the actual recipient "lacked" the money more. I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in concept than in practical application.

Predicting the Future

McCain Win - "300" (Spartans)
It will be a continuation of the war on terror, war on big government, picking up the pieces, fighting a congress with even more Democrats in it, and even more frustration.

Obama Win - Jimmy Carter 2 - Organizing the Communities of Malaiseia/Held Hostage by Iran 2
Surrender on the war on terror, surrender on the war on big government, more pieces to pick up, no one to fight the Democrats in congress, and even more frustration.

Unfortunately, I don't see much hope either way, at least for the next 2 years.

Warm Body Democracy

I heard that term the other day and it struck a chord. In Athens male citizens above a certain age voted and what was decided upon affected them as well as others. For instance, if it was decided that war was to be, you and your boys better get the armor out and get ready. Of course, that was a direct democracy.

Over the years various groups have been allowed into the decision making process to the point that now any warm body (along with Mickey Mouse and that dead goldfish) are on the voter rolls. The author who used the phrase "warm body democracy" was warning that as soon as the dependent class finds out that they can vote themselves a pay raise, it's over. Sounds kind of like Congress huh?

My dad used to say that, "The inmates were running the place." We may have reached that tipping point.

Stick it to the Rich!!

It would be amusing if it weren't so dangerous to hear people demand more from "the rich" because by rich they mostly mean people who have worked and prospered more than themselves. In the teacher's lounge I hear this and have to remind them that I make what they do but have done different things with my money. I'm certainly not rich but I am a Republican which by itself means I am hateful and selfish.

The talk is always the same, "My daughter (who got pregnant in highschool and is still not married) doesn't have a good paying job and doesn't qualify for susidized child care." Or, "Student loans are difficult to get." The answer is always that teachers don't make enough (therefore the taxpayers need to pay more) or the government needs to "do something". Many are single and in financial straits due to divorce and have found that as a teacher you just can't make enough. Almost all are Democrats and usually union members.

The simple answer is always that the rich are getting away with something and need to pay more. They never consider that businesses have to make a profit (but not too much the corporate tax rate in America is the second highest in the world) to be able to hire the unmarried daughter at all so that someone, probably not her, can pay taxes to keep us in our jobs.

But look at the bright side, people like them will possibly elect the next president and get to see first hand how it is all tied together. Unfortunately the rest of us are on the same train.

Bar Stool Economics

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten
comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it
would go something like this:

The first four men (The poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh would pay $7.

The eighth would pay $12.

The ninth would pay $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every
day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the
owner threw them a curve. "Since you are all such good customers,"

he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20."

Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the
first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free

But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they
divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted
that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would
each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested
that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same
amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).

The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued
to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to
compare their savings.

"I only got a dollar out of the $20,"declared the sixth man.

He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar,
too! It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back
when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison.

"We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat
down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill,
they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money
between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is
how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the
most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for
being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they
might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat
friendlier.

When Will the Market Turn?

The short answer is when people perceive that the government can be trusted. The polls say, "It's Obama", the market says, "Oh no!" Confidence is needed but Obama does not make business investors comfortable, and there are very good reasons for that.

This current problem was caused by government policy distorting the market by creating customers that should not have been there. Capitalism is very good at making things, in this case houses. The builders said that if there would be customers to buy their houses, we will build them. The banks said if the government is backing the loans, we will give them. Investment companies said if we have loans to sell, we will package them and sell them.

An Obama win means more government distortion of the market with a weak economy and a broke government. A community organizer needs money, lots of it, and government power. That money needs to come from somewhere, either tax increases (letting the Bush tax cut die), printing more money, or borrowing from someone else (at a higher rate). Any of those choices will make it tougher on business. Hence the stock market falls.

I think, that even at this late date, it will still be a landslide for McCain when people connect the dots.

Time To Name Names

The following is info gleaned from a variety of sources:

Barney Frank, the Black Caucus, Chris Dodd and many other Democrats are directly responsible for the bad loans that triggered the financial crisis we are currently experiencing. Barack Obama worked with ACORN and as a lawyer for a firm was personally involved suing banks to ensure that risky loans were made. He is part of the problem.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's mortgage policies fueled the trend towards issuing risky loans.[83][84] In 1995, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac began receiving affordable housing credit for purchasing mortgage backed securities which included loans to low income borrowers. This resulted in the agencies purchasing subprime securities.[85] Subprime mortgage loan originations surged by 25% per year between 1994 and 2003, resulting in a nearly ten-fold increase in the volume of these loans in just nine years.[86] As of November 2007 Fannie Mae held a total of $55.9 billion of subprime securities and $324.7 billion of Alt-A securities in their portfolios.[87] As of the 2008Q2 Freddie Mac had $190 billion in Alt-A mortgages. Together they have more than half of the $1 trillion of Alt-A mortgages.[88] The growth in the subprime mortgage market, which included B, C and D paper bought by private investors such as hedge funds, fed a housing bubble that later burst.

A September 30, 1999 New York Times article stated, "... the Fannie Mae Corporation is easing the credit requirements on loans... The action... will encourage those banks to extend home mortgages to individuals whose credit is generally not good enough... Fannie Mae... has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people... borrowers whose incomes, credit ratings and savings are not good enough... Fannie Mae is taking on significantly more risk... the government-subsidized corporation may run into trouble... prompting a government rescue... the move is intended in part to increase the number of... home owners who tend to have worse credit ratings..." [89

Damning video compilation of the 2004 hearings on Fannie and Freddie.

The Big Three Oh

I was given the chore of getting Brad out of the house for the day so that Jackie and Vicki could get the actual work done. My part wasn't tough because the goal was to just have fun.

We went to breakfast at a nice outdoor cafe in Cave Creek and then to Cracker Jax, kind of a game place that caters to kids and adults. We chose the top level of the driving range so that we could appear better than we were (It probably gives your drive an extra 10 yards or so). Five irons and excellent form let us smash drives out to let's say 150 yards. (yeh). After blisters began to form we moved on to the batting range.



Sixty mph seemed about right and both of us looked like pros.

The plan was to hang out at the ballfield for a while before the last Diamondbacks game of the year so we talked stats. Believe it or not the numbers this year were very interesting. Home runs were down but stolen bases were up. There was speculation that a drop in the use of steroids may have had something to do with it.

The game was against the Rockies but both teams were out of the running so it was low stress. Winning at home on the last game is a lot of fun though, and win they did. Randy Johnson pitched and if you have ever seen him his long lanky body seems to stretch half-way to the plate. Unfortunately the win was one of those that is fun but in some way not satisfying. The relief pitcher loaded the bases and walked in the winning run. Sad.

On the way home we stopped at Dale's house and Brad got to try out his massage chair that looks like an ejection seat. It's the real deal. The thing grabs you by the arms and legs and squeezes. No kidding. By the time you finish you are sore and relaxed at the same time. Quite a machine.

When we got home Brad saw that they had decorated his office in NY Mets style. The wall was blue, there were pictures of the City and stadium and a new swivel chair. A very good day!

An Opportunity of a Lifetime

This could be what we have all been waiting for. Many of us have said for years that the government and its programs are wayyyy too large and expensive. We have pleaded for restraint at the yearly expansion and maybe the time has come. It is clear to the world that under pressure our Senate could only pass a "critical" bill by adding pork to it. (One of my liberal "green" friends was excited because the bill had a provision in it to pay for his new bicycle if he could document that it was used to ride to work. He couldn't understand why I wasn't impressed. OMG!!!) Government as usual. Time for a change.

If our way of life is looked at as a tree with the trunk being the free market system then many of the branches that the trunk supports are government. What we have now is a hurricane strength wind that will either snap off those limbs or give us an incentive to prune. And boy is that doable! I think it's clear that government can't save us, we need to save government but not by more of the same. If you watched the last debate there was only one person out there that was even talking about reducing government. Guess who.

In Case it is Still Not Clear

What is happening is a purposeful transferrance of wealth. Democrat socialists used race (political correctness) to intimidate those who would resist the largest theft in American history. When people understand that their hard work and lifetime of savings have been sacrificed to buy votes for crooks it will be the beginning of a landslide for, of all people, John McCain.

This crisis was not only unnecessary and preventable but planned. It will sink in that there are many Democrats that need to go to jail not just defeated in an election.

It will be easy to dump Obama when his ties to radical socialists and his community "organizing" is revealed for what it is, part of the problem.

More market not government is necessary but it will not happen with the current Democrat leadership and speech-stifling atmosphere.

Rewarding Bad Behavior

I guess the solution that our politicians came up with to the over building of homes is to devalue all of ours and reward people who "can't afford" what they bought. Since us taxpayer now own a bunch of worthless property why don't we just level it?

It sounds funny in a way but consider that supply and demand drive prices. Cut down on the number of houses and those left will be more valuable which will stabilize the housing market. There is no shortage of apartments so "affordable housing" is not the problem. No one will be left living on the street.

Why punish those who have been living within their means and reward those who haven't by giving them something for nothing?

Bad Loan Crash, What a Surprise!

They say that there was a blockage in the old financial intestines keeping new food from getting through. Now where did these loans come from? Who thought it was a good idea to let people buy houses with no down payment? Who was crying the blues over people "losing their house"? If a person has nothing but "rent" invested what will make them stick around and not just walk away? This was all so predictable provided the thought crossed one's mind that all "investments" don't make money. And some even lose it.

This all comes down to what a business friend once said, "Don't ever go into business with someone who has nothing to lose." No substantial down payment means nothing to lose.

Truly Treacherous

I took a little ride out to Bartlett this morning after breakfast (don't tell Vicki!) and saw scads of bicyclists on the road. The road is two lanes wide, full of blind curves with no room to pull over, no passing zones, and people towing trailers. It is fun on a motorcycle because no one is likely to sneak up on you from behind and the lane is wide enough to share with a bicyclist. It is not a bicycle friendly place, but there they are on every fourth turn.

Surprisingly the accident I saw was on a straight-of-way on Carefree Highway. Luckily, there wasn't a need for an ambulance but the paramedics were on the scene. I can't say how to make it safe but it sure makes me nervous to see the mixture of traffic on the road.

Nightmare Before Christmas?

Imagine a railroad track with a tight turn and workers with too much time and paint. The story is that around 1900 some railroad workers thought it would be fun to give passengers something to think about as they sped toward a sharp curve on a deserted stretch of track.
Apparently someone must be keeping the paint fresh because it looks pretty good.
It is located about 6 and a half miles down a dirt road a mile or two past the wide spot in the road named Congress, Arizona. A mile or so before the climb into Yarnell watch for a graded dirt road called 62. If you turn left and go the 6.3 miles you still could miss it. Only the front and half of the side of the rock is painted so you will need to be looking to the right.

Green and Humid

This morning I took the road to Horseshoe Lake and found the lake empty. There was nothing but a huge mud plain. It had to have been planned because there has been no shortage of rain. Bartlett Lake a few miles downstream is as full as I've ever seen it, the water covers the highest waterline on the cliffs. The desert is unbelievably green.

I drove up to Skull Valley outside of Prescott for breakfast Saturday morning and again, cool and green from horizon to horizon. Motorcycles and even bicycles were all over the place. It may be the price of gas or just a fad but bring it on!

A Rainy Night in Georgia

Our good buddies the Russians are at it again. A replay of helping out the Czechs, and the Hungarians, and the Afghans, and the .... Well you get the picture. Where is "the world" on this one?

Help ! Help! Send in the U.N. They'll solve it. Surely Europe will not let another "Poland" happen .... again. Don't worry, Putin only wants this one little thing, right. It's only one free country being swallowed up.

The only thing between the world being dominated by totalitarians and freedom is us. Hope we elect someone who understands that talk is cheap but protecting freedom requires a will, a military, and maybe some blood.