Fire & Hearing

 For most of my life I expected, at some time, California would drop into the ocean. 

Never thought that it would burn to the ground.

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I knew for a time that I've lost some high frequency hearing. The Boss has wanted me to get my hearing checked for a year or two. I sometimes have trouble understanding what she says, especially when she's not looking at me. This week I went for a hearing test and learned a couple things. My high frequency hearing is absolutely terrible. That means that some words or parts of words I can't hear, so at times comprehension is a problem. 

I'm now wearing hearing aids programmed to amplify high frequency sounds. The amplification will be increased over time, maybe for a year or two, to give my brain time to adjust to the new stimulus. I'm now hearing some minor sounds that I don't remember hearing before.

Government Sucks

I'm a retired engineer who never lived up to my means. That means we didn't spend on a lot on things or go out very often. I invested the extra. Our children are grown and have children of their own. Our vehicles and home have been paid off for a long time. I don't owe any money to anybody, and my income is now just a little less than when I was working full time, and we're not spending all of our present income. 

So why in the hell did I get another "stimulus" check?  Sending it to us isn't going to stimulate anything!  If government had any smarts a programmed search by the IRS would rule out folks like us and give the extra to those who actually need it. But nooooo, that makes too much sense.

Over the years I've worked at small and large companies. The small companies, without exception, were more limber and efficient. Our federal government has grown way too large and inefficient. It needs to be cut in half, with some authority moved to the states and most of the rest eliminated. Maybe then the Fed would do what was intended and stay the hell out of our pockets and lives. Unfortunately it will never happen because the DC criminals are way too addicted to the power.

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On another subject, I'm making some adjustments in our portfolio. I'm anticipating the usual high taxes and poor economy associated with Democrat controlled federal government and rampant inflation. I'm moving a portion of my IRA from stocks to cash. That will make it less painful withdrawing additional money in the future (inflation) as stocks fall in value with higher taxation (Democrat economy).

Financial Impacts

Instead of using all $50k of cash in my account, I bought into a couple of mutual funds with $30k.  Those funds have historically done well.

Every month I get a royalty check from a company in Texas.  The amount depends on the market price of crude oil and natural gas, and also on how much was taken out of the ground.  It's not that much money, but it has served as our 'pocket cash' for the month.  We like cash over plastic. We use it for groceries, restaurants and other minor expenses. Back when gasoline was twice as expensive most people were complaining.  Not me. The royalty check was almost as much as my salary.

The virus has greatly reduced the demand for petroleum energy, which then reduces the market value of oil.  And to make matters worse the Russians and Arabians are in an oil price war.  With the price of oil around $34 a barrel there is no profit to be made. With time, this will kill the oil fracking industry, and thus make us dependent on oil imports once again.

And to throw gasoline on the fire, the company that sends my royalty check has filed chapter 11.  Apparently they borrowed and made investments when oil prices were high, betting it would stay that way.  They can't pay their debts. I have no idea, at this time, as to how that will effect me.

Good thing I have a decent retirement portfolio.

Chinese Bug

By my estimate I lost, theoretically, around $200k from my retirement portfolio last week. The bug from China is hurting a lot of businesses and the stock market. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if the bug was originally intended to be a weapon, but managed to get accidentally released. You never know about the Chinese.

Oh well, it's about time to buy in with the $50k of cash in my account now that stock prices have dropped.

That's Going to Cost

The Boss has wanted the kitchen remodeled ever since we moved into this smaller house, but it wasn't practical until her father passed.  This afternoon we visited a place with some room dimensions to look at cabinets, counter top and flooring material.  The crew that did the bathroom guessed $11,000 for labor. I got a feeling this is going to be very expensive, something like $30,000 +. 

The guy we saw will be creating a virtual model of the finished kitchen and a price.  We'll know more then.

Getting SS & Medicare Sucks

I plan on retiring some time in May.  The Boss turns 65 and becomes eligible for Medicare the first of May.  A couple of weeks ago I got on line and signed up for Social Security.  It took about 1/2 hour to fill in information that should be readily available in the federal government data base.

Last week I got on line again to sign up for Medicare, unsuccessfully.  Part way through the process I was stopped.  The message said there was a conflict of information.  It would not tell me anything specific.  I called a 800 number to ask what was going on.  There was a long wait so I elected the call back option.  I got back to my desk early so as not to miss the call that never came.

I tried calling again, but elected the wait on hold option.  I again had to leave my desk but got back plenty early for the estimated wait time.  I found the line was dead.

After trying twice to get more information, and knowing the Boss also needed to sign up for both, I asked her to call the local SS office for an appointment to meet someone in person.  She was told that the first available was in April.  That sucks.  No way we can get Medicare coverage in May for my planned retirement.

Hope we can see someone at a different SS office sooner.

Why??

So why does our wonderfully corrupt government continue to send our hard earned money, stolen from us, to other governments that treat the U.S. like shit?  And to make matters worse, as a country we're broke.

Our asshole controllers haven't considered that eventually they'll not have any more of our money to spend and give away.

Magpull Good to Their Word

Magpul details plans to leave Colorado over gun rules

I wonder why manufacturing is going to Wyoming while corporate offices are moving to Texas.  Could the big shots prefer the slightly warmer Texas climate.

Stimulus a Bust ?

I'm not an economist by any means.  Having said that, I've often wondered about the sanity of spending bunches of citizens money on any kind of government program intended to stimulate the economy.  Seems to me that the government serves us best by staying out of anything having to do with economics.  For instance, the recent collapse was started by the government trying to help by pushing artificially cheap mortgages on those that can't afford them, then the financial institutions had to play games to cover their butts.

John Lott has a graph that shows our past stimulus had only a temporary effect on unemployment.  Seems to me that we'd all be better off if the stimulus never happened.  If so we probably would've recovered from the bottom by now.

Stupid Governemnt

Sorry about the stutter.

I see on the news that our olympic athletes will be taxed for winning medals.  The IRS wants $3500 for a brone.  There is a move to exempt those that represent our country from being punished for doing well.

Those serving our country in the military are also income taxed for, in some cases, risking their lives for our country.  So why not exempt them?

Then we have millions, I assume, that get federal pay checks.  They also pay federal income tax. 

All this seems to be very stupid to me, especially those getting paid by the federal government.  The government pays for a service, then takes some of it back?  That's stupid!  Pay a little less and forget the taxation.  Just think of the IRS and accounting hours that would be saved.  I'd bet the government would actually be ahead financially. 

Naturally this will never happen.  Just think of the government jobs that would be lost, and the money that would stay in citizen pockets and kick the economy.  We'd never want that to happen would we? 

Deeper and Deeper

I heard on the TV this evening that our national debt is larger than our gross domestic product. We are fast approaching the situation in Greece. If compared to a family that doesn't sound all that bad. After all when I bought my first house, the mortgage was about 120% of my yearly gross income.

The difference is that I never got any deeper in debt, and over the years my debt decreased until I now owe nothing. I never once even considered borrowing to increase my spending. Our government just keeps digging in deeper and deeper.

Infinite Debt Hole

According to this report, the country now owes every cent of the gross domestic product to creditors.

During my young decades when I was supporting a wife and 2 children, I owed many time my annual pay to a creditor. It was called a mortgage. My personal situation wasn't unusual or of any major concern, because I was paying the interest and the principal. In addition I wasn't allowing myself to get any deeper in debt.

Now I presently have 2 homes. The more expensive is paid off, and the lesser has a mortgage. The big house is for sale because we're in the process of downsizing. And if I chose, I could tap into my investments and pay off that mortgage.

So the only real concern is that the government just digging the debt hole deeper, and deeper and deeper. There's not a chance in hell of getting out of that hole.

Nature of the Beast

Recently the lack of verbalized sympathy from the Dems toward the "occupiers" has been deafening by the silence. Since the true nature of the beast has emerged, the potential for political gain has diminished. Violence and such doesn't do much, but tarnish the Democrat machine, despite the obvious similarity in goals being handouts for some at the expense of others. That's the only transparent thing about the Democratic party.

The whole situation does remind me of the issues in Greece. That's exactly what their street riots were/are all about. Government hand-outs became so large and to so many that it became the norm. That is until they ran out of money earned by the productive. Now the babies are crying over the lack of free milk.

Isn't it interesting that there's so many people who play the blame game of pointing fingers at those who managed to be successful? They should be looking in the morror.

Oil in The Hills ??

According to the local rag, some oil company(s) has invested $1 billion in buying leases here in Ohio. Obviously somebody thinks there's oil and/or natural gas here that can be harvested for a profit.

It was also said the the state government is looking to open state forests and parks for drilling. And naturally this has the tree huggers all in a dither.

Several years ago I took 3 trips to hunt deer in northwestern Pennsylvania. I was hunting near Titusville and Oil City where the oil craze first started. In the old days all the timber was harvested to build derricks. When I was there, decades later, you couldn't tell the hill sides were ever stripped bare. The only trace of the oil rush was the occasional tank, rusted pipe and non-working pump. Mother nature took care of things.

Today's technology would leave basically no trace of mans harvest of oil or gas within a few months.

As additional testament, when I was in Alaska, along the pipeline, I found that wildlife was actually helped by the big and long pipe. Plant life flourished and so do the animals.

I love the outdoors as much as anyone, but I also live in the real word, not some fantasy land. The tree huggers need to go pound sand.

Right-On

Sent to me via -email.

This was in the Waco Tribune Herald in Waco, TX on 11/18/10

Put me in charge of food stamps. I'd get rid of Lone Star cards; no cash for Ding Dongs or Ho Ho’s, just money for 50-pound bags of rice and beans, blocks of cheese and all the powdered milk you can haul away. If you want steak and frozen pizza, then get a job.

Put me in charge of Medicaid. The first thing I'd do is to get women Norplant birth control implants or tubal ligations. Then, we'll test recipients for drugs, alcohol, and nicotine and document all tattoos and piercings. If you want to reproduce or use drugs, alcohol, smoke or get tats and piercings, then get a job.

Put me in charge of government housing. Ever live in a military barracks? You will maintain our property in a clean and good state of repair. Your "home" will be subject to inspections anytime and possessions will be inventoried. If you want a plasma TV or Xbox 360, then get a job and your own place.

In addition, you will either present a check stub from a job each week or you will report to a "government" job. It may be cleaning the roadways of trash, painting and repairing public housing, whatever we find for you. We will sell your 22 inch rims and low profile tires and your blasting stereo and speakers and put that money toward the "common good."

Before you write that I've violated someone's rights, realize that all of the above is voluntary. If you want our money, accept our rules. Before you say that this would be "demeaning" and ruin their "self-esteem," consider that it wasn't that long ago that taking someone else's money for doing absolutely nothing was demeaning and lowered self-esteem.

If we are expected to pay for other people's mistakes we should at least attempt to make them learn from their bad choices. The current system rewards them for continuing to make bad choices.

Alfred W. Evans, Gatesville, TX

AND while you are on Government subsistence, you no longer can VOTE! Yes, that is correct. For you to vote would be a conflict of interest. You will voluntarily remove yourself from voting while you are receiving a Government welfare check. If you want to vote, then get a job.



"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem."

Ronald Reagan's first Inaugural Address January 20, 1981

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Now if you'll excuse me I need to gather some gear and get ready to leave. I'm meeting a friend at the range for a little trigger time.

Big Mommy Strikes

Looks like the Chevy Volt isn't doing so well in sales. So the Fed government is pushing the Volt as either a saver of the atmosphere or a way to get away from fossil fuels. Since regulations, federal, make it next to impossible to build nuclear power plants, where do you think the electricity comes from? Fossil fuels.

I understand they're also subsidizing the cost of production. The only economic reason to do that is the cost of the vehicle has zero or negative payback versus the electricity used. Then again road performance may have something to do with it.

That's not the only circular policies from the big mommy in DC.

Get less dependant on foreign oil, but restrict or ban drilling of our own large supply. Also make it cost prohibitive to build or improve our refineries.

Subsidize ethanol as a fuel because it's not economic viable. Spend our tax dollars to use more corn and at the same time increase food costs.

Destroy our economic future by borrowing big for the short term.

Require all to purchase some kind of health insurance that has the immediate effect of increasing health costs and driving health professionals out of the business, which will increase costs again.

And those are just the ones that come immediately to mind. One would think that our elected leaders are intent on destroying our way of life, our country.

Screwed Again

The local rag has an article claiming we have a shortage of corn that predicts a significant increase in food prices within the next few months. Economics says that high demand and low supply results in high prices. The Boss says she's been seeing a steady increase the last several months as it is.

The Fed Gov't has been subsidizing ethanol production as a fuel source. The only reason I can think of for this is that it's not economic viable and/or that in somebodies utopian world, fossil fuels are no longer used. Either way we're screwed again.

Whenever politicians mess with the natural order, they always mess it up. Whether intentional or unintended the long term always, always results in the citizens taking it in the ass. The least they could do is buy us dinner before we get screwed.

And I've been asked why the sign on the back of my truck.
"FIRE THE FED GOV'T"

And another thing.

Tonight I read an article, with damn good evidence, the our wonderful Gov't has been cooking the books regards the national unemployment rate. I had thought so, but I didn't know it was this bad. The recently reported drop in unemployment is a lie. It hasn't dropped at all. And the real rate is not just under 10%, but more like a little over 20%.

Not only do politicians lie whenever their lips move, but so do the agencies.

Taxes European Style

According to an e-mail I just received;

United Kingdom
Income Tax: 50%
VAT: 17.5% TOTAL: 67.5%

France
Income Tax: 40%
VAT: 19.6% TOTAL: 59.6%

Greece
Income Tax: 40%
VAT: 25% TOTAL: 65%

Spain
Income Tax: 45%
VAT: 16% TOTAL: 61%

Portugal
Income Tax: 42%
VAT: 20% TOTAL: 62%

Sweden
Income Tax: 55%
VAT: 25% TOTAL: 80%

Norway
Income Tax: 54.3%
VAT: 25% TOTAL: 79.3%

Netherlands
Income Tax: 52%
VAT: 19% TOTAL: 71%

Denmark
Income Tax: 58%
VAT: 25% TOTAL: 83%

Finland
Income Tax: 53%
VAT: 22% TOTAL: 75%

And so if you're one of those that want to be more like Europe, keep this in mind. Also keep in mind that a couple of those countries have, or are on the verge of defaulting. Large social programs don't even work in small countries. Here in the US, disaster awaits.

Consumer Separation

When we buy most anything in the way of goods, we know the price up front. We then decide what that particular good is worth to us, and decide whether to buy it. When we require services like auto repair or furnace repair we know (if asked) what the hourly rate is and can make an estimate as to the cost before the service is performed. But why not with medical services?

Most people have no idea what a doctor visit or prescription drugs actually cost. They pay their deductible and go on about their business. When the consumer is separated from the cost of good or services, the idea of value and competition dies, and actual costs increase.

Yesterday I called the surgeons office and asked for a cost estimate. After a short time of surprised silence I was asked to hold. Apparently very few people ask what it costs. I was eventually told they will bill my insurance $4,000.

I told the lady that I was going to call the hospital and ask the same question, and she chuckled, "good luck with that". I probably won't get an answer because of variables, I'm told. All I want is an estimate for planning purposes from a place where hip replacement surgery is a routine activity. Will I get an answer? I doubt it. I can smell a song and dance routine coming.

Bucket Economy

In part this is why I will never be able to retire. I'll have to work as long as I'm able, because the government keeps screwing with us, . . . . for "the general good" of all.

. . . It isn't bad home loans, or under performing financial sectors, or irresponsible executives which are really the problem here. It is something far more pervasive. And destructive.

The government is stealing from us. All governments really. From everyone. That's what government is.

And the economy suffers the very predictable results of being subject to a large, parasitic entity which exists to constantly drain productive capital. It coughs. It struggles. It limps along. And eventually it will die.

Imagine the economy as a bucket half full of water. The goal is to fill the bucket completely. In order to do so, the government dips into it and removes a cup of water, and then pours it back in again. They repeat this process over and over again, and can't figure out why no matter how many cups they pour in, the bucket never gets full.

Only the problem is even worse, because as I've said before, for every dollar they spend on stimulating economic growth, they must pay for tax collectors, and reams of forms, and offices which must be heated and cooled, and name plates and parking spaces and pencil sharpeners. It's like they dip into that bucket, drink half the cup, and pour the other half back. So now, the bucket doesn't even stay half full. Instead it gradually loses water.