Frustrated

OK, so it's been a long time since I've posted anything here, but I've been busy with a job that doesn't allow a lot of time to digest the news, however the excrement is piling up, so I thought I'd post a few things that are really making me angry.

First, Obama. Pretty much everything he does makes me angry, but it's just getting maddening! The way this guy can lie (yes, LIE) with such a straight face absolutely puts Bill Clinton to shame! Take for instance this disaster coming up that will be National Health Care. Nearly everything Obama has said about it is untrue! He says you can keep your current private health plan, the problem is if you lose your job or change jobs you then have to go to the public plan. That doesn't even take into account how many companies will simply drop their insurance coverage and offload it all to the government. I don't believe for a second that everyone will get full health care even with preexisting conditions. We've already seen it in Britain and Canada, people who don't get the very best operations or treatment because "it's just not worth the money to do it to someone who won't live much longer anyway." And how will spending billions (more likely trillions) lower costs? Perhaps Biden can explain it since he said that we have to spend more money to lower costs. Where is it going to come from? We're all damn near broke as it is, and the rich, despite the stereotype, don't have a bottomless pit of money for the government to confiscate; eventually even the rich will run dry.

The latest Obama statement to piss me off was just yesterday. In a press conference on health care he was asked about the arrest of the [black] Harvard professor in his own home. I don't want to go into the details about the case, you can find all the information online. What Obama said was he didn't want to comment because he "didn't have all the facts" but then commented anyway saying the police "acted stupidly." If you don't have all the facts how do you KNOW the police acted stupidly? He then went on to infer this was all racial (despite the fact one of the arresting cops was black) and that there has been a long history of police brutality against blacks in this country.

What is with this guy! He's a complete man-child who is angry at white people. It's out there for us all to see, he's got a grudge against white people, he views whites as all racist. For the PRESIDENT to come out and say what he said is so immature, so tacky, so uncalled for, but Obama gets a free pass on it. 

The stimulus bill, now there's another thing I'm more angry at every day. We were told this bill had to be passed immediately so the economy could get back on track. The problem is most of the money is not even spent until next year, but the bill had to be passed immediately. (Of course I know that even if all the money was spent in the first month nothing would have happened, and nothing will in 2010 either). But the money that is being spent now is being spent on millions of pounds of pork and cheese for homeless shelters. How does this stimulate the economy? Sure, some farmers will make a little money off of this, but that's it, it's spent, that's the end of it, no real stimulus, no long term stimulus for those that even got the money.

I also just got word today stimulus money is being used to install automatic start/shut down equipment on train locomotives at my former employer, the Wisconsin and Southern. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are going to this project to reduce emissions. This money is from the stimulus bill, please tell me how this is stimulating? I know I sure as hell won't be getting my job back because the WSOR has fewer emissions! Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle claims that thousands of dollars will be saved in wasted fuel. Maybe, but I don't think it will be enough to matter as far as employment goes! The really stupid thing is that the railroad always shuts down its engines in warm weather anyway, and they can't be shut down in cold weather because they can't use anti-freeze, they have to be kept idling or they will freeze up. So really, what will this do? Not much more from the current situation.

Back to this health care bill. The secret is that it's not about health care, it's about government control of your life! How long will it take before they start denying coverage because you smoke or eat at McDonald's too much or don't exercise 30 minutes a day? Nearly everything you do can be said to affect your health, so if the government controls your health care and doles it out based on what you do, they now in effect have total control over your life! Forget supersizing that Big Mac, big government won't allow it.

And if you don't want health care you will be fined up to $2500 a year. Yes, that is correct, fined because you chose not to buy health care! It's in the current version of the bill. Doesn't that seem a bit intrusive?

I could go on with so much more, but these are the things that have been really irritating me lately. Most likely tomorrow there will be a new list.

What is the difference between our State run media and Iran's?

Reuters' coverage of the "election" in Iran is absolutely pathetic. How stupid do they take the world for? By the reporting you would really think that it was a fair election in Iran and that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually had a chance of losing. Ha! Haha!! Are you kidding me?

Just look at this coverage. "...Ahmadinejad, a hardline conservative,..." Are you kidding me? I guess if your definition of hardline conservative and tyrannical dictator are one in the same (and in this country I will guarantee that's what the media thinks!) then yes, Ahmadinejad is a hardline conservative. It then says his "challenger," Mirhossein Mousavi, is a moderate. Well, if that's the case does that mean that killings ordered by the state will now be reduced to brutal beatings? 

It gets better though as Reuters reports, "A bitterly fought campaign has generated intense excitement inside Iran and strong interest around the world, with policymakers looking for signs of a change of approach by Tehran, whose ties with the West worsened under Ahmadinejad." Do you actually think there was any kind of real campaign? There may have been a show campaign, but I hardly think there was anything legitimate. And why should we expect Tehran to change its views? Ahmadinejad is a lunatic. Worse, he is a dangerous lunatic. The guy has denied the holocaust ever happened! He's says Israel has no right to exist and is actively working to obtain nukes to destroy them, all with the help of our own President Obama! Who would think Tehran would change?

And speaking of Obama get this! "Obama said his administration was excited about the debate taking place in Iran and he hoped it would help the two countries to engage 'in new ways.'" Oh. My. God. This is absolutely pathetic and dangerous. I can't believe this is just pandering to Iran and giving legitimacy to the "elections," I think Obama believes all this is real! I doubt Bush would have ever thought there was any real debate in Iran. No, Bush was grown up and serious and correct by naming Iran as part of an Axis of Evil.

Ahmadinejad is a threat mainly to Israel right now, but left unchecked he will be a danger to us and the rest of the world and Obama is letting him get away with it. There will be no "new ways" with Iran, not in reality. Ahmadinejad wants Nukes and Obama has said that there should be no one country that decides who can have nukes and who can't. He has said it's OK to share nuclear power technology with Iran because they won't use it for weapons. Yeah, right, I'm sure they would never try that. 

A lot of people didn't like Bush but at least he would have handled this like and adult and not like the selfish man-child Obama who will let Iran get away with whatever they want. It's scary.

A Life in Perspective

Today I had a bit of a revelation. I realized that I'm only, that is only 25 years old. First a bit of background.

Since I've turned the age of say, oh, about 21, I've had a lot of new insecurities about myself. These were such things as I didn't feel I was achieving what I should be, that I was not on the path to success and a fulfilling life. That I was only one step ahead of other 21 year olds while at the same time being so far behind the other 21-year-olds I admired. I felt like a failure. This feeling has stuck with me. Until today.

Today my boss/friend (if that is possible!) made an off-hand comment that really stuck with me. He said I was really smart for being 28 years old. I said I was only 25. He said, "really, you're 11 years younger than me? Wow, I thought you were 28 or something. You're pretty smart for 25." All of a sudden it snapped into my head that indeed I was only 25. 25 years old is all!! What have I been in such a hurry for? Just think of everything that has happened since then! 25 years is not that long. That one comment has made me realize I still have a long time to focus on what I want to achieve. Why get hung up on 25? I have far more than another 25 years to become a successful American! 25 is nothing!

I may be in a job I dislike right now and may feel I'm going backwards but I have to look towards one of my heros, whom I know a lot of people despise but I absolutely love, Rush Limbaugh. Here is a guy that was fired seven times, seven times! So many of those times he was told  he would never make it radio, he would never amount to anything. And yet here he is, in his late 50's, a huge success, rich, and hated by half the country. My dream, of sorts! What if Rush had given up at 25 years old? He'd be nothing but a loser in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, instead of the huge success (in spite of a lot of people) in Palm Beach, Florida. 

25! Not even a quarter century and I felt like a failure! All it took was an offhand remark to again make me feel like I am on the right track.

Alternative Blog

I'm turning my dormant Form 19 blog into a log for my summer of weed spraying. Hopefully I will keep that one updated more than this one, but we'll see how that goes.

You can find it at:

http://form19.blogspot.com/

Just because Obama decrees it doesn't make it so

Everyone can all be so happy now that by 2016 an auto maker's fleet will have an average mileage rating of 35.5 mpg. Obama has decreed it and solved the problem of dependency on foreign oil and pollution problems all in one fell swoop. It's historic.

But wait! Just because the government says cars must get 35.5 mpg doesn't mean it can actually happen. Hell, why not just demand cars get 40 mpg, or 80 mpg, why not 400 mpg? If Obama can say, "Uh, by, uh, 2016, uh, all new, uh, cars, will get, uh, 35 mpg" why couldn't he say they will get "uh, 400 mpg?" Obviously the will of government will outweigh any actual technology.

This is the problem. Auto makers do have technology for cars to get upwards of 40 mpg, however the tradeoff is these cars will be little more than glorified golf carts. Americans want large cars, whether it be family sedans, crossovers, SUVs, or full sized trucks, the demand is for large cars and the technology to make those cars get 30 to 35 mpg just isn't there yet and it's doubtful it will be there by 2016.

Supporters of these new emissions and mileage standards will claim that the 35.5 mpg is an average of the fleet and that not all cars produced by one auto maker must be 35.5 mpg. Yes, that is correct; however, that average must still be met and if most of the fleet gets 20 mpg meeting that average will be a problem. 

The solution? It will be that more small cars will have to be added to the fleet to bring that average mpg in line. It won't matter if they can't sell a single one of these as long as they are available. Of course, how long will it be before these golf carts are the only car that is available and we are forced into them?

Obama does admit that it will now cost more to buy a car because it will be more expensive to produce these higher gas mileage cars. In fact Obama, who knows all, has actually nailed down the price to be $1300 more. Isn't it amazing how he can see that out in the future? But don't worry because you will more than make up that price in fuel savings says the Bamster.

If you believe all that then I have a tropical island in North Dakota to sell you as well.

But lets just say this whole thing did reduce the amount of gas you used. If you are using less than it's likely everyone is using less. If less gas is being used, bought rather, than that also means that there is less gas being taxed. And that of course means that gas tax revenues will be way down. "So what?" you ask.

We all know that the government, whether it be federal or local, can never do with less money. Do you think they will sit by idly as gas tax revenues decrease? Ha! Ha ha! Of course not, they will raise the taxes on gas to make up the deficit. This has already happened in places like Florida that put in water restrictions. People used less water (per the government mandate), therefore there was less money rolling in, so prices were raised on water. So when that gas tax goes up, how much will you really be saving?

Five Words

Five words that sum up my hope for the future:

I. Want. Obama. To. Fail.

That is all.

The Men of the Depression

I have been thinking today about the Great Depression since that is the direction we seem to be heading. And I've been thinking about my reaction to being laid off. I have to think the men of the Great Depression probably didn't get to feeling the way I have.

They didn't have time to get that way. There was no unemployment, there was no FDIC protection, there wasn't a thousand government agencies to take care of you; you had to do it yourself. Either you could lay in the gutter and feel sorry for yourself or you could go out in search of work, any work, to sustain yourself.

Some of these people lost everything. The Joads from The Grapes of Wrath were a fictional representation of the thousands of families that were hardest hit. They lost their home, nearly all of their belongings, and watched the earth turn to uninhabitable dust all around them. Former neighbors and friends bulldozed their homes as a means of survival for their families. 

And then I look at myself. I still have a house, a car, a full refrigerator, a TV, internet, what do I have to be so depressed about compared to the Joads? I only lost my job, they lost it all. Tom Joad had only a few minutes to reflect on what he had lost before he HAD to go in search of work; I've had a month and could continue on for several more before I felt any pain.

The question is do I compare up to the men who made it through the depression or have I just become another whining spoiled American? My grandfather didn't sit around during the depression, he worked for a farmer for a dollar a day - and that was a well earned dollar. The days were long, the work still backbreaking. He eventually went to work for the Civilian Conservation Corps building roads in western North Dakota until World War II started. 

I can't imagine he was in a great mood throughout this time period, but then how much time did he have to reflect on it? It was work or starve - and he sure as hell wouldn't ever become a beggar. But what about myself? I can probably collect railroad unemployment after July first, but I feel like such a leech in taking it (even though it is taken only from railroad retirement funds which is what I have been being taxed on separately since working for the railroad). It seems like I should be out there doing whatever in necessary instead of sitting around and whining about what has happened.

I used to think I would have made it through the Great Depression; I used to think I would never become one of those whining Americans that leeches off of others; now though, I'm not so sure I am who I think I am.

Not Myself

You know when I started this blog things were going great? Well, except for the political world, but then how could I possibly expect that to get any better for at least another two years. When I started this blog I was on the conductor's extra board for the Wisconsin and Southern railroad in Janesville, WI. I had six people underneath me, all still in training, but I knew it would not be long before I had at least enough seniority to keep me off the crappiest of jobs and there was no way I would be forced anywhere. I was meeting new friends and reconnecting with old friends. I was even getting really close to someone, which hadn't happened for almost a year prior. In other words, things were looking up.

Then the bottom fell out.

First the railroad got rid of all six that were in training. There went my seniority in one fell swoop. The good news was there were no plans for further cuts, so even if I had a crappy bid, I still had a job, and a job I was fairly well enjoying. Unfortunately they created a bid crappier than any they had done prior - a new job at Rock Springs, WI, at 1600. Since I was bottom of the list, you can figure who got FORCED to that job.

Now Rock Springs would have been a great job had it not been 80 miles away from my house. We had our own building up there, had a great rhythm going, and just sort of did things the way we wanted; there were no trainmasters and dispatchers breathing down our necks. Unfortunately, like I said though, the job was 80 miles away and that put a huge dent in my pocketbook based on gas.

I did try to make the best of it though. Rock Springs is located in the Baraboo Syncline with scenery you would never expect to find in Wisconsin. I took the opportunity several times to visit Devil's Lake State Park on my drive up; if I was going to do that drive five days a week, I might as well at least find ways to enjoy it, even if it meant driving back home in the middle of the night.

I figured it couldn't be the end of the world. The bid sucked but eventually I would get off it. Besides, there was no talk of cutting any more people, we were told things had settled down and the company was doing fine. In fact, they made me feel so confident I traded in my Ford Explorer (which I despised) for an 08 Hyundai Santa Fe. At least I could get a little better mileage on my 160 mile daily drive.

Not even a week later a fax came through to the Rock Springs depot: "All employees will receive a 10% pay cut and job cuts are also expected." Well they told ME I should be safe. So a 10% pay cut. I figured I would just spend a few nights a week up at the Rock Springs depot to cut back on driving costs. Yes it sucked, but I still had a job, and a job I still liked.

The next day my phone rang with the dispatcher on the other end of the line: "Show up in Madison, bring all your equipment." Fuck me, I knew exactly what that was. And to top it off I had to drive 80 miles up to Rock Springs and 50 back to Madison because all of my equipment was up at the depot. Talk about icing on the cake.

So we were all called in, 10 of us I think, and told we were all furloughed. The next week they let a bunch more go. That pretty much ruined my chances of coming back anytime soon, since I had nearly a dozen people that would have to be called back ahead of me and there was no sign they would be doing callbacks any time soon. Worst of all my trainmaster knew there were a bunch of people that should have been fired besides myself and a lot of others that were because we were following the rules and doing a great job, but some with more seniority are constantly in hot water, but they have seniority. Just like liberal politics, work ethic has no play, it was all just whoever had been there the longest.

So now here I am something like three or four weeks later and I am completely not myself. I used to brush off adversity (as you could see above "it sucks, but I still have a job") but now it just makes me depressed. I don't know what I want to do anymore. I'm looking at going to grad school but I'm not sure I could make the deadline which makes me more depressed because it's just that much longer I have to sit and twiddle my thumbs. 

Nothing I used to do that brought me joy does so anymore. I used to love sitting down to play jazz at the piano, now it just depresses me because I can't play as well as I used to; I used to enjoy traveling and photography, but now I don't feel like driving nor getting out of the car to take a photo. 

And I'm really drifting away from people. I just don't even feel like talking to anyone anymore. When my phone beeps a call or new text message I just get annoyed. A new voicemail just pisses me off. Some of the people I was getting close to I now feel like pushing away - I don't know why. The few people I would like to see are hundreds, even thousands of miles away; and when I do get within range I then don't feel like talking to them. Some of my new friends I've met in Wisconsin also drive me nuts - no real reason, just that antisocial stage I've drifted in to.

And now I'm back at home in ND. I love this state, love the scenery, but I just do not feel like being here. And worst of all I feel like I'm forced to be here right now. I have no excuse to remain in Wisconsin because I have no job. My only escape is that I have to return to check up on my house every few weeks.

Worst of all I hate this not being myself. I used to look at adversity in the face and laugh, I used to love getting a phone call or text message, I used to love visiting ND - but not anymore. I really hate not being myself, no direction, no sign of things picking up. I don't foresee things getting much worse, but I do see an endless wandering through the wilderness trying to figure out what path will get me out - unfortunately all I see is more trees.

Someone told me to put a picture up

So I did:

A self portrait of myself at Camp Douglas, IL, just south of Rockford, waiting on an Iowa Chicago and Eastern train. I like 10mm lenses. I also like my Route 66 hat.

Hoaxed

What is the biggest hoax being perpetrated on the world today? Santa Clause? The Easter Bunny? No, those are actually believable compared to the real hoax. Give up? Manmade global warming. I'll say it again, manmade global warming. I'm sure you think I'm crazy, I mean the news media is always talking about how much pollution our SUVs produce and how warm the world is getting, so it must be true, right? Ask yourself this, how much other mainstream news do you fully believe?

In the April 2009 issue of National Geographic they may have inadvertently destroyed the entire argument for manmade global warming. In an article titled "Outlook: Extreme" by Elizabeth Colbert she opens with the rise and collapse of the Akkad empire in what is now modern day Iraq. Colbert determines that the empire fell due to a climate change that brought about severe drought to the area thus causing the demise of the Akkadians some 4,300 years ago, along with other civilizations. She then goes on to write this:

"The rainfall changes that devastated these civilizations  long predate industrialization; they were triggered by naturally occurring climate shifts whose causes remain uncertain. By contrast, climate change brought about by increasing greenhouse gas concentrations is our own doing." 

Now to the unthinking crowd, you know, the typical Obama voter, they will read this and go "Yeah! It's our own fault for causing climate change! We need to stop it!" To the thinking crowd there's but one question that must be asked; if natural climate change caused massive drought in the past then how could it be that climate change now is due only to us increasing greenhouse gas concentrations?

An even bigger question is who do we think we are? Do we really think that we, as human beings, able to actually cause a global climate change, and even more arrogantly, able to stop a climate change? Look out your front yard. You mow the grass a few times a week, but it still grows back. You can douse it in herbicide, eventually something will grow back. You can't stop it.

One of the biggest problems the global warming crowd has now is that the earth's temperature has been cooling since 1998 (after a decade of warming that was pointed to as evidence of catastrophic climate change). Not only that but so little is actually known about weather it's almost impossible to really tell if the earth is indeed warming or cooling. Ask climatologist Dr. Roy Spencer, a former NASA scientist, he wrote an entire book on this subject called Climate Confusion.  One of the biggest problems is the effect clouds have on weather. There is no way to measure global cloud cover and the effects it has on temperature.

So why all the hype on manmade global warming? Control. Yes, control. It's all about a certain group of people having control over every aspect of your life: what car you drive, what you eat, how warm or cool your house is, etc. It may sound like a conspiracy, but these are the same people that see someone eating a Big Mac and yell at them and question how they can eat such garbage. They don't like Big Macs and think they're disgusting garbage, and so therefore you shouldn't be eating them either. Look at smoking, all smokers have been demonized as rotten, disgusting, evil people by those who just simply don't like smoking (despite the fact smokers are funding children's health care through massive tobacco taxes). 

Question every single thing you see about manmade global warming (or climate change). If it's not questions we'll soon wonder what happened to our freedom.

A Look into the Future

New York state, like California, once a great place to live, will soon be uninhabitable. The worst part is these two coastal states may be a glimpse into our own future in this country as a whole: taxes, taxes, taxes! 

Now that New York has governed itself into massive debt they've decided the best way back out is, you guessed it, higher taxes and more spending! I do really wish someone could tell me how massive deficit spending actually reduces debt; they seem to be going along those lines up in New York and I know the Obama administration has made that claim. Nonetheless New York governor David Paterson has just unveiled his $131 billion (yes, billion, with a "b," in a state budget) budget plan. What fun things are inside?

Well of course the first thing is to, you guessed it, raise taxes on "the rich." "The rich," says governor Paterson, "are going to do their fair share in trying to close this budget deficit and now all those that were yelling for them to do it need to do the same." The way Paterson talks you would think it was the rich that spent New York into massive debt while Paterson and the state legislature were just innocent bystanders. Unfortunately, in NYC, the rich are paying their fair share plus about 170 other people's shares. 

Earlier this year NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg basically admitted the rich were already paying their fair share. He said that about one percent of NYC residents were paying 50% of the taxes and a little over half of the other residents pay no tax at all. So in a city of eight million people there are about 40,000 that support the entire welfare state within it not to mention essential services. "The question is," Bloomberg asked, "'What's fair?' If one percent are paying 50% of the taxes, you want to make it even more?" 

I also love Paterson's line about those that were yelling for the rich to pay more taxes now have to do the same. I bet they never thought that was part of the deal! I'm sure they just assumed that the rich would be stuck with the bill and they could sit back and feel good about themselves. I wonder how these people feel now knowing they also get to pay "their fair share" as defined by governor Paterson? Critics are expecting that these average people will be paying about $5,000 more a year in taxes and fees.

So how much will taxes go up? For those earning over $500,000 it will be a raise of 31%. For single people earning between $250- and $500,000 a year and married and joint filers earning $300- to $500,000 taxes will go up 14 and 1/2%. Even for those that earn up to just $65,000 a year (not much in New York) taxes will be at a rate of 6.85%. You have to realize that, by New York standards, $300,000 isn't rich! And all of this is supposed to generate an additional $4 billion? I doubt it. How many of these people will leave (radio host Rush Limbaugh has already vowed to leave)? How many will just work less. Rush himself summed it up pretty well: "It's axiomatic: when you raise taxes on an activity, you reduce that activity. People start doing that activity less. In this case: working."

In addition to raises in income taxes, the state is also planning to hike fees on everything imaginable. Motor vehicle registration will go up, public college tuition will go up (I thought the Democrats were always complaining about the high tuition costs, yet it's the Democrats raising the tuition fees!), even bottled water! They're now proposing a nickel deposit on bottled water! And of course there's the obligatory tobacco tax, now raising taxes on cigarillos to bring them in line with cigarettes. 

And how does Paterson and the Dems behind this budget expect to get it passed? By using the oldest scare tactic in the book; claiming that if the budget isn't passed essential services, such as police and fireman, will have to be cut. That is a complete lie. There are thousands of other unnecessary, redundant government services that could always be cut instead of essential services, but doing so might make people less dependent on the government and votes may be lost so of course that can't be done. 

Sadly, this may be a view into what is planned for our country as a whole; higher taxes, more fees, less freedom. The Democrats are already in a full out class war in an effort to get "the rich" as hated as possible. Once we all hate the rich it will be easier to raise taxes on them. But what people don't realize, and what Paterson said is, "now all those that were yelling for [the rich to pay their fair share] need to do the same." 

Luckily at least some are standing up to the budget. State Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos, a Republican from Long Island, said, "These numbers are absolutely staggering, and the height of irresponsibility on the part of the Democrat leadership in this state. The public should be outraged." I'm sure some people are, but most people, I'm sure, have no idea what's really coming their way.

Floe from Glassworks by Philip Glass

Time for a break from the political side of things for a little music. Floe from Glassworks is one of my favorite pieces by Philip Glass the minimalist composer. I prerecorded four of the parts and then added the rest in real time. Some parts had to be omitted due to equipment limitations and the fact I only have two hands. The time signature changes part way through from 4/4 to 3/4 and that transition is a little awkward due to the fact I had to record each part separately. I will have to work on fixing that in the future. 

Why it's a Bad Idea to take Government Money

If you don't know why it's a bad idea to accept "free" money from the government, why don't you ask now former General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner. He begged the government for money and now it's time to call in some of the debt. How so? The Obama administration has asked (more likely demanded) that Wagoner quit.

Was Wagoner really that bad of a CEO? I doubt it, he had more than 30 years of experience at GM and eight were spent as chairman. GM got into trouble due to union contracts that finally caught up to them (along with the other automakers). When times were booming it was no problem to honor the contracts, but when things slowed down the company simply ran out of money. Was this GM's fault. Of course! But getting in over your head with labor contracts and just running a car business poorly are two different things.

In an article at the Politico by Mike Allen and Josh Gerstein claims that Wagoner brought the company down because he became focused on large trucks and SUVs "at the expense of the hybrids and fuel efficient cars that have become more popular in the last couple of years." I think this should have been written as hybrids and small cars since people will always go for the most fuel efficient car they can get, but they won't always trade efficiency over roominess and safety. Even so, this is just bogus. Trucks and SUVs were the most in-demand vehicles until gas prices rose to four dollars (thanks to government restrictions on drilling and building refineries), and since gas prices have come down again trucks and SUVs were good sellers again until the economy soured.

I think the whole popularity of hybrids and small cars has been mostly made up too. There's a certain demographic of people that these types of cars are popular with, but the vast majority of Americans will take a truck or SUV over a Smart Car any day. Small cars have been made to look popular in the hopes the rest of us will believe it and then actually buy those cars. I think it was an executive at Ford that was advocating higher gas taxes to keep gas prices high so they could actually sell their tiny cars they have a backlog of. High gas prices are the only way they do sell!

Actually it wouldn't surprise me that Obama got rid of Wagoner precisely because he was pushing larger vehicles. What is part of Obama's agenda? To become "environmental stewards" and "more European" which means smaller cars. Obviously a lot of auto makers aren't simply just following suit (because they can't sell them) so a government takeover is the perfect chance to finally force us into small cars. Sound radical? It shouldn't, we're already forced by the government to do a lot of things. Heck, California is even planning to ban black cars in that state because the use more air conditioning in the heat than lighter colored cars.

So now the government is forcing CEOs out of a private business. Yes, GM did take our money, just like AIG, but this is a dangerous precedent that is being set. It will start with companies that took federal money but before long it will be ALL businesses the government disagrees with. The only way a CEO should be removed is when the share holders say so. It's their business, not the governments!

The lesson here is never accept "free" government money. There will always be a cost associated with it, and it will usually be more than just repaying the money. It will be more regulations, more control, and the government deciding who will run the business. Ask Rick, I'm sure he can tell you the real cost of government money.

Fargo

Fargo, North Dakota, a town most people only have heard of from the Coen brothers' movie of the same title, is today making national news. Unfortunately it's not good news. The largest city in the state, along with neighboring Moorhead, MN, and various small communities along the Red River, are all about to be severely water-logged. That's the bad news. The good news is the amazing effort being put into stopping that from happening.

I grew up in North Dakota and spent over five years living in the Fargo/Moorhead community. I know the people and the way they're pulling together and working to just get the job done is a shining example of what make the people so great. There is no waiting for someone else to come do the job, they all pull in and get down to business. It's that midwestern work ethic you hear so much about. Not to mention the optimism.

The Red is expected to now crest at three to four feet higher than it did during the disastrous flood of 1997. In '97 the river was at nearly the breaking point for Fargo, and it was far beyond the break point for Grand Forks. Just a few more feet could really do serious damage to Fargo (Grand Forks is now very well protected after the building of dikes to prevent another 1997). But did the folks of Fargo give up? Absolutely not, the new, higher crest predictions may be a setback but there's still hope, there's still optimism that the Red can be held back. That's the wonderful upper midwest spirit.

I do hope that the citizens of Fargo/Moorhead succeed, and in a day or two we will know if they did. I really wish I could be there helping out. I wouldn't mind throwing a few sandbags around. That's part of my North Dakotan coming out, volunteering for manual labor even though I have no stake in it. And that's what's great about the people. It's not about them, it's about their neighbor. 

I wish the Fargo/Moorhead residents the best of luck. I know they can succeed.

When are we going to get Serious?

OK Obama, you've had the fun of playing President for a while, now I think it's time to get serious. Everyone below me at work today was laid off and other friends in the industry are being cut off every day. The sad part is we all started work at the same time a year ago and there was more work than we could handle. Today we're all wondering who's going to get cut next.

But instead of getting serious about actually turning this recession around what is happening instead? Obama's busy making fun of Special Olympiads, bowling, and laughing at the economic situation. Barney Frank is busy shutting down debate in the House and plotting ways to take over more business and target private citizens for destruction. Unions are busy pushing card check so that they can gain more members through intimidation. Anti-capitalists are busy protesting AIG executives and vandalizing property. And all of it's a distraction.

Yes, a distraction. It's all meant to get us looking the other way while the government grows and amasses more power and takes away more of our freedom. While we're busy being mad about contractually obligated bonuses to AIG execs (who can't raise our taxes or pass more regulations) Barney Frank and Obama are coming up with plans to nationalize more business. And as the economy worsens day by day Obama offers up feel good solutions and we gladly give up more of our freedom for these solutions that do nothing that make it worse.

So when are we going to get serious? When are we going to actually cut taxes, both income and capital gains? When are we going to just let the weak businesses fail and the strong ones survive instead of throwing money down a bottomless pit? When are we finally going to stand up and say, "enough is enough! You got us into this mess so why should we think you can get us out." 

When did the White House become the Frat House?

In a March 11 post at Salon.com Camille Paglia, writing about the White House attacks on radio host Rush Limbaugh, said the White House was appearing like "an oafish bunch of drunken frat boys." I think she's partially right on this one. The whole group does remind me of a cliquey group of know-it-all college students. Probably not frat boys, Obama seems too elitist for that. Perhaps a group of pretentious art students that spend most of the day sneering at the rest of us while smoking cigarettes out in the commons.

One of the first things that made me think of a bunch of snobbish college kids was Obama's gift gaffe with English prime minister Gordon Brown. Brown gave Obama an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the anti-slavery ship HMS Gannet. This gift was particularly well thought out as the desk in the oval office was made from wood from the Gannet's sister ship HMS Resolute. In addition Brown also gave Obama a framed commission for the HMS Resolute and a first edition collection of the biography of Winston Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert. Do you remember what Obama gave Brown in return? 25 DVDs of "classic" American movies such as ET: The Extra-Terrestrial and Citizen Kane. Of course no one bothered to make sure these DVDs were formatted for English players so when Brown sat down to watch Psycho the screen remained blank.

Then there was Hillary Clinton's gift gaffe with Russians. She presented them with a button (that looks a lot like the Staples Easy button) with words, written in Russian, that were supposed to say reset. She said, "We want to reset our [US/Russian] relationship." Unfortunately no one bothered to check the English to Russian translation and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out to Clinton, on stage, with cameras rolling, that the word on the button actually said "overcharge." "We won't let you do that to us," said Clinton, all the while cackling away.

And the coup de grace? Obama's recent television appearances on Jay Leno's show and "60 Minutes." On Leno Obama trashed the Special Olympiads by comparing them to his lousy bowling. On 60 Minutes Obama was laughing and joking around about the economy, like it's no serious problem (to which host Steve Croft asked Obama, "are you punch drunk?"). In fact both appearances gave me the impression Obama really isn't concerned with the problems facing him. He can find time to bowl and appear on TV talk shows, but what about time to actually do Presidential work (on second thought, maybe it's best he's not "working" to "fix" the economy)? Bush gave up golfing after the war started.

So what about the college student part? Well, it seems like we've given the art students the keys not only to the gallery but also to the dean's office and they're all in there having a grand old time, sneering at the rest of us outside. And what about thanking us for giving them the keys? Well, that's an afterthought. You should just be happy we have the keys, but to make it look good we'll send somebody over to Best Buy and Staples to pick up a few things before we get to hang out with Jay. 

And I thought Bush was the frat boy President!

What Happened to our Sense of Decency?

I sometimes wonder if people no longer have shame. Has our culture of do-what-you-feel and non-judgement finally taken away any sense of decency? Have people become so self-centered and selfish that they feel they can get away with anything?

Why do I ask this? I took the Metra train into Chicago today starting out of Fox Lake. Very few people boarded at Fox Lake, myself, a few families, with kids, and a couple of younger people. Oh yes, and then there was this woman that sat behind me. She was on the cell phone not one minute out of the station. So what's the problem?

It was her subject matter and vulgar language.  For 20 minutes I had to listen to her tell her boyfriend she hates him because he stinks like other women. I also had to listen to her then scream at him about where she place a jar with money in it. And I do mean scream! There's no way not everyone in that car heard her. Lace that with "colorful" language. Remember, I said there were kids on this train.

At no point did she even attempt to keep her voice down which tells me she doesn't care if people heard her. What was only important to her was her cell phone call. There was no shame, no decency. 

I'm not saying we should go back to the Victorian Era, but really, where has our decency gone?

Is Barack Obama following in the Footsteps of Ron Burgundy?

For those of you that saw the movie Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy you'll remember that the teleprompter used by Ron (Will Ferrell) would eventually lead to his downfall. After someone put a question mark at the end of what should have been a declarative sentence the producer, Ed Harken (Fred Willard), had to remind everyone that Ron will read anything that's put on the teleprompter. In order to get back at Ron, Veronica Corningstone (Christina Applegate) uses this knowledge to her advantage. At the end of a broadcast Ron then reads exactly what Veronica wrote: "Go fuck yourself San Diego." 

Obama seems to be heading down the same path as he seems to read whatever is on the teleprompter as well. On March 17, St. Patrick's Day, Obama was hosting a White House party with Irish prime minister Brian Cowen. After Obama finished his speech Cowen got up to the podium to give his. However, no one changed over the speech on the teleprompter so for 20 seconds Cowen was repeating Obama's speech that had just been given! After making light of the mistake Cowen stepped down and Obama came back up. Meanwhile the teleprompter had been changed over to Cowen's speech. This is where it got fun.

Obama, permanently attached to his teleprompter, then began to read what was on it (Cowen's speech). It was here that Obama thanked himself for throwing a party. "First, I'd like to thank President Obama..." Now, wouldn't you think you'd see that and stop before embarrassing yourself? I guess not if you're as dependent on a teleprompter as Obama is. Interestingly there is no video of this even though cameras were rolling. Why won't anyone post it? It'd be all over if it was old "W," but I guess Obama gets a pass on this.

So the question is, how long will it be before Obama says, "Go fuck yourself San Diego?"