Drive Smart, Uncle Sam

I was driving in Raleigh a couple of days ago and I saw a bumper sticker that said "Drive Smart, Save Fuel". The license plate was a North Carolina state plate. I find it more than annoying that government workers are telling me how to drive.

It was especially irritating because the vehicle was a tan SUV, and probably not the "smartest" use of gas. I had already decided to write about it here, when I saw another identical tan SUV a few hundred feet ahead of the other. Now that is smart.

I was so incredulous I could hardly continue driving my four cylinder Integra, embarrassed at the mere 30 MPG highway I was getting. If only I could learn something from the wise government who sets such a great example.

Vulpophobic Obama

Obama is a Vulpophobe!

Vulpes is Latin for fox. Last weekend, Obama made the rounds of (almost) all the networks to pitch his health care plan. He went to ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN. He didn't make it to Fox News Channel. He has ignored Fox consistently, having only minimal contact during the 95 year campaign and the first 9 months of his administration. Generally when Fox enters the picture it is because Obama is blaming Fox for attacking him or calling everyone who has ever watched Fox a racist.

But at least he made it to Univision. Ever heard of it? I haven't, but apparently it is more important than the highest rated cable news channel.

Vulpophobe! Vulpophobe! Vulpophobe!

Stunning Ignorance

I don't necessarily buy the idea that this is representative of the entire country, but it is pretty funny, and very sad. It drives me nuts that people like this have the right to vote.

Rush is Right

Obama's health care plan will be written by a committee whose head, John Conyers, says he doesn't understand it. It'll be passed by Congress that has not read it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a Treasury chief who didn't pay his taxes, overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese, and financed by a country that's nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong?
- Rush Limbaugh, August 20, 2009

Why we homeschool

This expresses my sentiment well, so I pass it along without modification from the blog of Neal Boortz...

TURN YOUR CHILDREN OVER TO THE GOVERNMENT DAY

No ... no rant here. It's just disappointing. The evidence is there in the form of letters, articles and memos. The people who engineered the evolution of our government school system in the early 1900s were clear ... the goal of "public education" was only to educate our children to the point that they would be good employees and government subjects. Nothing more. The evidence of the failure of our government schools is everywhere .. yet today, without a second thought, millions of people who call themselves "parents" will turn their children over to the government for nothing more than a mediocre education. They will be spit out at the end of the school year barely able to make change or read a simple lease agreement.

Here's a wonderful quote of H.L. Mencken that fits in real nicely:

That erroneous assumption is to the effort that the aim of public education is to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever the pretensions of politicians, pedagogues and other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else.

To those of you who make the sacrifice to get your children away from the government and the teacher's unions .. my admiration and thanks. Your children will be the key to our country's future. The kids going to government schools will be working for your kids .. or for the government.

Is Government Out to Get Me? (and You?)

The last few months, the government has been going nuts. Take, take, take from the productive. Give, give, give to the lazy.

I bought my house. I saved up money for a down payment. I bought a modest house that I could afford. I worked and payed the mortgage for years.

Others did not save up money; they got 100% financed mortgages. They bought a big house that they couldn't afford. Many have faltered in paying. So the government takes money from me so irresponsible people can stay in a house they can't afford.

I have never bought a new car in my life. I believe the numbers just don't make sense.

Now, the government takes more of my money to help buy a new car for someone else. Cash for Clunkers has been running for 4 days and is out of money. They gave away a billion of our dollars so some people could get a new car. And the old ones must be destroyed; they can't even be used for parts. So much for recycling.

I have rental property. I lost a renter earlier this year. He had lived in the apartment for about 10 years. He was a great renter. But he left...because the government gave him $8,000 from me and you. If you are not a landlord, you may not appreciate the value of a good renter, or the cost of finding a new one.

I have a small consulting business. The government requires me to pay unemployment tax. All business pay it. It is the fund that is used to pay unemployment when people get layed off. The only problem is, since I am the owner, I cannot be layed off. I can NEVER collect unemployment. But I have to pay for it anyway. And since so many people have been losing their jobs, the government has increased unemployment benefits. Who do you think is paying for that?

The government has created and upside down world. They reward bad behavior and punish good behavior.

The downturn in the economy has hurt. But the real pain in my life is caused by government's "solutions" to the downturn.

Is there any possibility of salvaging this nonsense?

Big Government

When times are good, a growing economy can support expanding the government to give out all kinds of new goodies.

When times are bad, we need to help people, so we can't allow government to suffer in a bad economy. In fact, it must be expanded to help all the suffering people.

Does anyone detect a slight bias toward bigger government?

It is almost like someone is stacking the deck.

Questions?

Do I find it annoying when people ask themselves questions?

Yes.

Will I engage in this annoying behavior myself?

No.

Ann Coulter Nails the Issues on the Tiller Murder

Here's the link to the full commentary.

Some of my favorite excerpts:

In the wake of the shooting of late-term abortionist George Tiller, President Barack Obama sent out a welcome message that this nation would not tolerate attacks on pro-lifers or any other Americans because of their religion or beliefs. ... Ha ha! Just kidding.

Why aren't liberals rushing to assure us this time that "most pro-lifers are peaceful"? Unlike Muslims, pro-lifers actually are peaceful.

I wouldn't kill an abortionist myself, but I wouldn't want to impose my moral values on others. No one is for shooting abortionists. But how will criminalizing men making difficult, often tragic, decisions be an effective means of achieving the goal of reducing the shootings of abortionists?

Following the moral precepts of liberals, I believe the correct position is: If you don't believe in shooting abortionists, then don't shoot one.

Keep your Hordes of Leeches

Last week I came home from work to be met by someone going from door to door asking for money. Right now most of us probably don't want anybody to ask for money, but this was particularly irritating because I have been forced to give money to this group for years for nothing in return.

I bought my first house in 1992. I lived there for 10 years. Property taxes were about $2500, and the bulk of that money is for schools. When I left that house I had one child that was a year and a half old, so I never got any of the use of the $20,000 or so they took from me.

We have been in our current house for over 5 years paying similar amounts of money. I do have one child of school age, but I don't intend to ever turn them over to the state to be educated, so I still see no benefit.

We get no credit for schooling our own children. We get no break from paying to educate other people's children. We have to pay for their education and pay again for everything our kids need.

So you can imagine how pleased I was that the local school, so short of my money, sent around students to go door to door to beg for more money for "supplies". How could I even think of withholding anything from a child? I haven't. I have paid tens of thousands of dollars to prop up their failing system. They won't even let me write off the cost of buying my kids a pencil, much less pay for it.

Just because something is "for the children" does not mean it is good.

The Second American Revolution

We The People Stimulus Package

The End of Our Money System?

Video from Glenn Beck 3/09/09

Bonuses for Failure

Everyone is upset about AIG. They are paying bonuses of $165M, some of which are going to the same executives responsible for the problems they are in. The argument is: why should they get paid extra for doing a bad job? A good question.

But the bonuses were pre-negotiated, so they are obligated to pay them (or owe double under Connecticut law). The government was no only aware of those bonuses when they handed out the bailout money, but they actually wrote a clause into the bailout that the bonuses could be paid. But now that people are mad, the government is outraged and "surprised" about those very bonuses.

Nobody likes to reward failure. Many people feel cheated because these bonuses are being paid because we kept the AIG afloat with $170B of bailout money. But wait, I thought I just said nobody likes to reward failure. So if it is wrong for AIG to reward failed employees with cash, why is it right for the government to reward AIG with cash -- over 1000 times more cash than the bonuses everyone is mad about.

As a rewarder of failure, no one can hold a candle to the government. Over the last six months, they have dumped trillions of dollars of our money into companies that screwed up. And now they want us to be angry over $165M. Methinks they dost protest too much.

So if you are angry over the AIG bonuses, at least be intellectually honest and be 1000 times angrier over the AIG bailout.

Economics for Kids 101

I took the kids to McDonalds a few days ago after one of my daughter's evening classes. There was a TV on in the corner with no sound. It was on CNN and was showing lots of pictures of the stock market, dollar signs, and to all too familiar downward pointing charts we have all come to love in recent months.

She asked me what they were talking about. Specifically they were discussing Obama's proposed mortgage bailout. To say I am not in favor of bailing out deadbeats that don't pay their bills would be an understatement. I said "They are talking about how to help people that can't pay for their house." I nearly lost my grip trying to hold back my tounge, but what else do you say to a six year old.

That answer, however, was not enough for her. "What do you mean?" Okay, I tried to let it go, but she insisted. So I'll tell her what is really going on. But how do I do that for a young person. "See that hamburger you are eating. What if you had saved your money and bought that hamburger, so now you get to eat it. Now what if somebody else came in who didn't save their money. Should you have to buy them a hamburger?" (I admit the analogy is not perfect, especially since I bought the burger she was eating, but the principle was sound) Unlike our leaders that seem to be forever pondering these "complex" decisions, she immediately and simply replied "No."

"Well, that's what they are trying do with houses. We paid for our house. Now other people can't pay for their house, so the government is trying to make us pay for their house." Her jaw dropped. She obviously got it. Like many in this country, she seemed to like Obama during the election cycle. I've got to admit, they guy has charm. I tried to not say anything to her against the man, especially since he is now the President. I say that so you understand I had not primed her with a bunch of Obama-bashing. "Obama did that?", she asked, accusingly. "That is what he is trying to do." I said.

And with that my six year old solved the problem: "He should be kicked out."

Government officials try to make things complicated. Often it is anything but. Just apply the same simple rules we teach our kids when they play with each other. Treat each other right. Share (if and when you want to). And don't take other people's stuff!

How Much Wood?

I was taking my daughter to her karate class. She was already wearing her uniform and she brought her belt along. As I was tying it on she realized she forgot something...her "woodchucks".

Stimulate This

Notice to all retailers: Just because you have something on sale does NOT mean you have a "stimulus package". Don't try to be cute; just have a sale like a normal person.

The Tip of the Iceberg