With Us, Or Against Us?

A reminder.
It shouldn't be necessary. Unfortunately, some memories are short.

A Quick Thought On The Mid-Term Elections

Bloggers across the spectrum are reporting the Tea Party movement is gathering strength rather than subsiding. There is considerable discussion about whether this is a good, or bad thing. I reported one of the things that disappointed me about the Ft. Walton Beach Tea Party we attended was that some political speakers were allowed to address those assembled there. I didn't ask about the political affiliation of those folks, but I assume they were Republicans...
Doesn't matter, they shouldn't have been given that priviledge.
Democrats are mostly responsible for the mess we are in, but GWB and other Republicans could have stopped this madness and instead, threw gasoline on the fire.
A pox on them all. We need fiscal responsibility in ALL offices now, and that's gonna mean PAIN for a while. Candidates prescribing the necessary medicine probably don't stand much chance of being elected, but we need to support them anyway. By doing so, as it has with President(?) Obama, it will be obvious what AIN'T workin', and as our (Tea Partiers) numbers grow, fewer and fewer RINOs (Republicans in name only) will run in primaries.
Let the Democrats run this train into a cliff...
Vote for conservatives!
Yeah, the pain will come, but it's the only way to heal the country.

Sunday, 18 October 2009

First, some airport/airplane thoughts...
Signs all over our hometown airport, "WiFi available throughout the concourse". Yeah, it's available alright, just enter your credit card number and you'll be billed $9.95 for the priviledge of using the service for what... 20 minutes?
WiFi at Salt Lake City... free.
WiFi at Phoenix... free.
If intitial impressions about cities are formed by folks with computers, our home town comes off looking less than welcoming.

Flying on Saturday, I hoped the airport would be less congested and maybe the airplane not completely full. I was right about the airport... we made it through security in 10 minutes or so, but the airplane was a sardine can. We forgot with Southwest Airlines you can book your seat online 24 hours ahead of time, so we were among the last to board the airplane at BigTown and weren't able to find seats next to one another. At 5' 9" and 190 pounds I'm not a real big guy, and I consistently wonder how the 6' 4" guy feels with his knees literally leaving imprints in the seat in front of him. Fastening the seat belt is a fiasco because there's not enough elbow room to grab the loose ends from beneath you. How does an obese person even fit between the armrests of an airliner today? If we ever get smart and develop high speed rail service in this country, I think the airlines will have to rethink the way they herd us into these "cattle cars".
Flying commercial is NOT a pleasant experience.

I think I've told you that my son thinks Phoenix is like the movie "Ground Hog Day"...
The alarm goes off and the weather is clear and 100 degrees plus, every day. He rescued us from Sky Harbor airport last night at just after 7 P.M. local time and the temp. was still 97 degrees. Yeah, it's a dry heat, and at 97 it's not stifling...
But it ain't paradise either. It will, however, be nearly like paradise in a few days, and it's easy to understand why so many "seasoned citizens" Winter here.

Big Bubba has moved into a larger apartment in the same complex since we were here last, so we came home, deposited our luggage, dropped Desi the Dachshund off, and took a look around the new digs. Three bedrooms and two baths, it's well laid out and there's enough room to get away from one another if we want. Perfect.

There's an "Olive Garden" restaurant right across the street... Sara Jean's favorite.
Happy Birthday SJ! We all love the salad and breadsticks, and all three of us liked what we ordered so much that we cleaned our plates.

Back to Big Bubba's apartment we chatted later than I expected since our bodies were two hours ahead of local time. It was 3 A.M. for our bodies when we finally hit the sack.
I woke at 10 A.M. local.
It's "Ground Hog Day"! (Predicted high- 97 degrees,)
I'll be leaving for Los Angeles by car in a few hours, driving Westbound on roads I have flown over headed Eastbound with a new helicopter 20 times. It'll be interesting seeing sights like the windmills at the Banning Pass from the ground instead of from overhead. It's about a five hour drive, so a book on CD is in order. I hope to have a review of the book, and the drive for you later.

Have a great day y'all!

Salt Lake City

Off work yesterday at 0700 hours with two hours sleep under my belt I drove to the airport to check a young man out in the R44. The aircraft had just finished having an Airworthiness Directive accomplished on it... replacement of the crankshaft, which is a pretty big deal, so the check out included making sure the helicopter worked properly. Federal regs required a guy with his total helicopter time to get 5 hours in the R44, so we killed two birds with one stone...
Five hours on the bird showed it to be glitch-free, and allowed him to fly the machine back to its owner by himself. On the drive home from the airport I was nodding off... off and on running off the road. I'm ashamed of myself for being so STUPID.

Awake this morning at 0830, I rose and threw some clothing into a carry-on bag. Charged this netbook, my camera, and my cellphone, drove to the Post Office to stop our mail for a week, dropped the "Loose Goose" off at a friend's house for dog-sitting, and made our way to the Big-Town airport. We're now in Salt Lake City where it is 70 degrees and clear, and we can see big-ole rocks East of us on this concourse. We catch our connecting flight to Phoenix in half an hour where our son informs us it is 105 degrees.
I'll drive from Phoenix to Torrance, California tomorrow to attend the Robinson Helicopter Safety Course for the 9th time since 1983. I'll be in school Monday through Thursday at Noon, then back to Phoenix for a couple days before heading back home.

Today is Sara Jean's birthday. She's 39+. Our family will be together to celebrate in about 3 hours...
Wish us safe travels. I'll update you later.

GB

Racist Hate

Mr. Obama, just because I hate the fact that the "Change" you are bringing to the country will make it a place I wouldn't want to raise children in, doesn't mean I hate you personally.
I'd like to point out those changes cause me deep sadness. The frustration over that sadness should not be confused with racism.

Safe?

Safe.

Safe!

Safe.

Kenya!

That's not in the United States, is it?
(Reported by the AP.)

What Will You Do?

When the government says, "Turn in all your gold, now."
What will you do?

When the government starts imprisoning your neighbors...
What will you do?

When the government says, "Turn in all your guns."
What will you do?

When the government says "Your loved one's cancer care is costing taxpayers too much...
It's hopeless. Take this Tylenol 3, go home and die".
What will you do?

Government now controls the insurance industry.
Government owns most of the U.S. automobile industry.
Now they're trying to control the health care industry, and they're working desperately to make your power bill "skyrocket".

When I can no longer point out here how government is steadily taking away your freedoms because your government is censoring bloggers...
What will you do?

At what point do you shout "ENOUGH!"?

Tomorrow

(In .308 Winchester, in case you're interested.)

In The Eighties, Chicks ROCKED!

The NFL , Again

Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Terrell Owens, and literally hundreds of other sociopaths inhabit the NFL, yet they feel comfortable isolating Rush Limbaugh for quotes he never even said?
Tell me again...
Why do millions watch NFL games?
Use your remote, folks!

"Panic Room"

We watched "Panic Room" with Jodie Foster last weekend.
Recommended.
Good story, well acted... I LOVE Forest Whitaker, and Dwight Yoakum does a wonderful job as the heavy, (as he did in "Sling Blade").
But be aware, "Panic Room" is another "Shouting at the screen" movie.

A Little Up, A Lot Down.

My precious metals purchase from three weeks ago is now UP almost 10%.
No other investment in my portfolio even comes close to that return.
But there's a problem, isn't there? The upward price of the metal is a sad graphic indication the greenbacks in my wallet are worth 10% less in that same amount of time.
And that's depressing.

Life Surprises

Surprises along the way...

There are people in this world you TRY to help...
With moral support, or they get in financial trouble and need help YESTERDAY and you are there with a loan... once, twice, three times.
The relationship is such that not only do they then conveniently forget you gave them money, you often find yourself in that "No good deed goes unpunished" situation.

Then there is the other side of the coin...
Sometimes, out of the blue, someone will come and say "You probably don't even remember the advice you gave, but you once told me something that had a dramatic impact on my life and I wanted you to know how much I appreciated it."

I've seen both sides recently...
Life can be full of surprises, can't it?
And oddly, it's ALL good.

Bet Ya Didn't Know, 'Cause I Didn't:

"...Sept. 21, 1991, when Gen. Petraeus was commanding the Third Battalion of the 101st Airborne in Fort Campbell, Ky. He was at a live-fire training exercise. A soldier tripped on his M-16, and it discharged. The bullet hit Gen. Petraeus in the chest."

The story has a surprise...
Who was the surgeon that saved General Petraeus'life?
Find out here!

More Thoughts On The Peace Prize-

Apparently nominations for the prize had to be submitted by February, so this nomination had to have been made what...
11 days after Obama was elected?
Tell me again, what had this man done at that time to deserve this award, other than not be GWB?

Some years back when the economy of the Soviet Union collapsed, in a political discussion with friends, I made the comment:
"We're in trouble now because we are the ONLY superpower in the world. Up 'til now, other countries needed/used us as a bodyguard. They won't need us now... in fact, they'll be frightened of our power."
Now they're watching as we are being castrated by this administration, and they couldn't possibly be more delighted.

Congratulations President Obama.
The future will tell if the cost was worth that prize.

The Peace Prize

Obama refuses to meet with the Dalai Lama, maybe the most pacifist person in the world, and the Nobel committee awards him the Peace Prize?
We truly do live in "Bizzarro World".

Metals, 7 October 2009

At the close:

Gold- $1,044.40, up $4.70, a record high.

Silver- $17.50, up $.21.

Both closed at the high of the day.
Are you on board?

"Kitchen Table Learnin' "

I think I've figured it out, at least a big chunk of it.
It's not just me that's noticed. It's not just me that's concerned.
And it's not just ethics, although indirectly I suppose your ethics have an effect on your total behavior. There is something different about most kids today and I've been trying to figure out what it is. I've come up with an answer, not necessarily the only one, but it's gotta be a factor...
Their "Kitchen table learnin' " was MUCH different from mine.

My Dad was one of seven kids in his family. Four boys and three girls, the boys ALL served in the military. Dad's older brother was on the West Virginia in Pearl Harbor on 7 Dec 41 as she sank there. My Dad was assigned to an ARMY infantry division in the Pacific theater, and the Purple Heart over his left breast pocket earned him an early return from overseas in 1945. His two younger brothers served honorably after the war ended. Two of Dad's sisters married men who served during WWII...
One of them was injured when his glider crashed during the Normandy invasion. A big man, he lost nearly half his weight while he spent the rest of the war in a German P.O.W. camp.
Extraordinary, selfless men (and women)...
These heroes were the "normal" folks I grew up with. They taught the living history lessons I learned around the kitchen table at family gatherings. They taught me there are barbaric, evil people in the world.

So when my draft notice came in 1966 there was no question about what I would do.
No, I wouldn't blow my "great toe" off my left foot. I wouldn't flee to Canada. I wouldn't marry the first girl that would have me and start a family just to avoid conscription.
I looked at the men around my kitchen table and knew what I had to do. I was frightened, but I couldn't disgrace these men in any way...
I would serve. I would do my level best. I would try to make them proud of me.

As you know, my training led to a year in Viet Nam flying helicopter gunships. I came home to a different nation than my Dad and his siblings came home to. Me and my generation were shunned in some cases. We weren't welcomed as heroes.

My peers? Many of them found a way to avoid serving.
To them, Viet Nam was a disaster. Many actually felt those that avoided the Viet Nam war were the true heroes. Those that risked their lives fighting the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong were chumps... "Baby killers", or worse.
Sometimes that attitude seemed to be the majority view expressed by my generation.

So then my generation had kids. And around their kitchen table, those children got a much different education about the world and the people in it...
-War was evil and to be avoided at almost all costs.
-The "military-industrial complex" was evil.
-We learned from "M.A.S.H." that military leaders were all buffoons, (except those that thought war was always evil like "Trapper" and "Hawkeye".)
(Granted, there ARE a few that are willing to suffer in uncomfortable situations to help others... Peace Corps, Mission work, etc..
And the fact that our military is an all-volunteer force shows that not all kids were raised in "Bizzarro world". God Bless those exceptional few!)

But most now seem to think all we have to do to get along with others in the world is extend a helping hand, build a campfire and ask them to join us in singing "Kumbaya"...
If there is evil in the world, it's because the U.S. is an aggressor nation.

Now we're seeing the result of the kitchen table education these kids got...
"I don't want to have to worry about getting a good job."
"I want good pay without having to work for it."
"I don't want to have to worry about my security."
"I don't want to have to worry about my health care."
"I want Big Government to take care of me from cradle to grave."
"What's so bad about Socialism?"

Well folks, we'll soon find out how successful this generation's kitchen table schooling has been.
But from what I read in comments here and what I overhear in real life, so far I don't like it much.

An Overdue Review-

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Celebrities And Health Care

Shouting At The Screen

I loved her then. I love her now. What a face, huh?
The first time I saw her was in the movie Shenandoah. It's a movie that moved me in several ways and I recommend it, but don't watch expecting it to be a "feel good" movie. The movie itself may bum you out, but the end will at least have you crying "happy tears".
Jimmy Stewart plays a family patriarch/pacifist in the Shenandoah Valley as the Civil War is heating up. In a terrible mixup, his youngest son is taken prisoner by Northern soldiers, and the bulk of the movie depicts Stewart's character, "Charlie Anderson's" quest to retrieve his son. He leaves one of his sons, James, to take care of his farm while he and the rest of the family go looking for "the boy".
Near the end of the movie, "James", the husband of Katharine Ross' character is murdered by two outlaws who then enter their home and rape and murder her.

My wife made me suffer through the movie Fear.
Well acted by Mark Wahlberg, Reese Witherspoon, and William Petersen, I found myself shouting at the screen continuously during the movie's last half hour...
"Where's your gun?!!!"

Most would agree, "Shenandoah" is an anti-war movie. "Fear" is just a movie about how a single thug can terrorize an innocent family. In both movies if the good guys had simply had access to a firearm to protect themselves, I'd have been standing on my feet applauding as more bad guys assume ambient temperature and the world became a slightly better place.

"Shenandoah" is worth your time, but if you're like me you'll take a different message from the movie than was intended. The role of victim doesn't fit me well.
"Straw Dogs" left me feeling more satisfied.
But that's just the warrior in me.

"If We've Lost Sesame Street..."

Yeah, It's STILL The Economy Stupid!

“The single threat in the credit area right now is commercial mortgages…commercial real estate’s in trouble… I think in terms of taking the loss and recognizing loss has only just begun.”

And more:
“You ought to be potentially worried about inflation…the administration is perfectly conscious of the fact that they’ve got a problem…"

...Quotes from the guy that used to be in charge of the Federal Reserve, Paul Volcker. He's now one of President(?) Obama's economic advisers. Some would say he's finally realizing he should have done more to straighten this mess out years ago. Maybe he's beginning to feel the need to atone, because he's now sounding the alarm.

Hope for the best.
Prepare for the worst.

Character: Tiger Woods. Brendan Marracco, and Kristy Swanson.

Go here and read.
Oh, fair warning....
Have your tissues handy.
(Thanks Wes.)

And on that theme, she looks like this:


But she's not stuck on herself. (Give the recording time to get past the ad.)
Thank God, not all celebrities are jerks.

National Public Radio

Heard on my way into work tonight, (paraphrasing)...

"... The couple, pretending to be a pimp and a prostitute, were seen being given advice from A.C.O.R.N. on how to comply with the law."

Uhhh..... no.
N.P.R., this is EXACTLY why this former donor will no longer give you a dime.
Dishonest!
Corrupt!

Capitalism

He says Capitalism has done nothing for him.
If he caught fire he'd burn for quite a while.
(Not that I'd wish that on 'im.)

My Friend The Chief

One of my closest friends is the Chief of Police of "Smalltown".
Since the force consists of three Officers, "Chief" is a patrol officer who happens to get the privilege of doing all the admin work for the department. He's a great guy (and a Commercial helicopter pilot because yours truly was very patient with him.)

A few nights ago he responded to a disturbance call. Far enough removed from town it was dark, dark, dark, so when he found the correct address for the complaint he waited for two Sheriff's Deputies to respond and all walked up to the residence simultaneously.
Their presence seemed to quiet the savage beasts...
"No, no problem here Officers. Yes, we'll be careful not to shout and disturb our neighbors."

Satisfied things are under control, our three heroes start back to their respective squad cars when "BAM!!", my friend finds himself on the ground with stars in his eyes, and these aren't celestial stars!
The area was so dark he failed to see the remnants of a kitchen chair in his path and fell over it, breaking his right wrist.
Now, the only flying he'll be doing for a while is as my co-pilot, and his police work will be accomplished while protecting the cast on that wrist.

Enforcing the law is dangerous work...
And not just because the bad guys want to hurt you!

Down Dollar?

You'll remember this post from about a week ago.
This amateur investor still believes we are in for a serious economic correction.

More and more, I'm finding professionals that agree with me. (You'll have to close a couple ads when you click that link.)
Notice however that most of the "insurance" moves they recommend require you to deal through a broker, which means that broker will get a commission on every trade you make. If I have to choose securities, I still prefer no load mutual funds. But in the last week I've taken a considerable (in hand) position in precious metals, and I'm still buying and storing ammunition as I can find and afford it...
Bought a couple boxes of shells... 00 buck and #2 shot for the new Remington 870 shotgun!

I still hope this is just near-paranoia on my part.

Honduras

I'm surprised at how few folks are aware of what Bozo is doing in regards to Honduras.
When he ran for President I made the point we COULD judge him by his associations. Now look at the crowd he's running with!

Canada, UK... I May Need To Borrow Your Pliers!

Apparently Canada's Health Care system favors one group over another pretty badly...
One group gets immediate, premium care, while the other...
eh, not so much.
What can you do to get the premium health care?
Grow another pair of legs!



I don't know the answer to this question...
Is Veterinary care also free in Canada?

Dirty Rotten Men!

I know gal...
Thirty-five miles per hour doesn't seem all that fast when you're cruising along, does it? And I have no doubt your husband was being an awful schmuck. But wouldn't it have been far better to wait for him to stop somewhere before you decided to disembark?

The ambulance folks say you probably tumbled for about 50 feet or so. They know this because you apparently ran outta your shoes trying not to fall. That was the distance from shoes to your road-rash covered body. Somewhere during your body's deceleration your head made solid contact with the concrete pavement, crushing your skull, rendering you unconscious. When you came to, you displayed the typical "fight or flight" symptoms we see so frequently in someone who has had their "bell rung" real good.

They'll take pictures of your noggin. They'll watch for your brain to swell and may drill holes in your skull so it has room to expand by squishing a little grey matter through the hole(s).
(Wouldn't it be nice if the material that squishes out could contain the memories of the argument and your subsequent stepping out of the moving vehicle?)
They'll look you over really good to see if you need skin grafting where the skin was sandpapered completely off... Shoulders, elbows, knees.

Hangover from way too much to drink...
Depressed skull fracture...
Unless they dope you up real good, that pretty head is gonna ache like never before when you wake in the morning.

Love That Click-Clack!

I ordered it today. I should have it in hand by the end of the week.
(Thanks Cary for the fix on the picture of "the shotgun that ate Cleveland!")

Not That It Matters To Ya- (Or Maybe It Does.)

We've previously discussed the fact that my 401K value is stll hovering near half what it was a year ago. Ouch.
Yours too? Yeah, most of us find ourselves similarly distressed.
We're continually being educated by Obama's media that the rate of job loss is slowing down and the recession is over. "We're dying more slowly now!" Big whup.
Believe what you want... I think we're still facing a helluva roller-coaster ride.

An acquaintance just wrote that a financial institution she worked for shuttered its doors last week, surprising everyone... present and former employees. I replied I'm reading that we can expect more closures... the near future may be a scary few months.
From the linked article:
"The FDIC estimates bank failures will cost the fund around $70 billion through 2013. Ninety-two banks have failed so far this year. Hundreds more are expected to fall in coming years largely because of souring loans for commercial real estate."
(Bold mine- GB)... Defaults on commercial real estate are gonna be a big deal.

Are ya doing anything to protect your assets? Regular readers know I'm buying precious metals and ammo, and storing food.
(None of this will go to waste if I'm dead wrong, which I hope to Dickens I am.)
Day before yesterday I checked and found there are no precious metals stocks for me to move my 401K funds into. What's the next best move to insure preservation of my principle?

I moved 50% of my 401K funds into an International Growth fund and 50% into an International Value fund, and will intermittently rebalance those as necessary in the future. Watching our leadership make financial mistake after mistake, my thinking is that other countries- particularly the Pacific Rim countries that are now more capitalistic than we, will fare far better over the next months and that should be reflected in the value of International stocks.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on the subject.

"Clear Blue and Twenty-Two"

When I show up for work this time of year the sun is just beginning to duck it's head behind the horizon. I have to do my walk-around quickly if I want to do it without the assistance of the flashlight.
Last night was one of those nearly perfect nights...
What we used to call "Field Grade" weather in the ARMY, 'cause the higher ranking pilots could wait until the weather was perfect to go meet their required flying minimums...
Clear sky, unlimited visibility, and temps conducive to great aircraft performance.

So it's Friday night...
High School sports. Date night. Folks moving around realizing bad weather is just around the corner. I was sure we'd be flying most of the evening, and since the aircraft sat idle my two previous nights
I was looking forward to lighting the fire in two Lycomings and contributing to global warming.
Didn't happen.
The phone rang twice to put us on standby for motor vehicle accidents, and we "stood by" for a few minutes on each before being called and told "NEVERMIND!".
(We never really know why we are not needed, but we know it's either because the patients are not seriously hurt, or they are "DRT"... Dead Right There.)

So for the third night in a row I checked weather and NOTAMS, preflighted the aircraft, briefed the crew and dispatch, then watched TV, surfed the net, told lies to my co-workers, and went to bed for a few hours shuteye while being paid well for wishing I was flying.
It's important to remember-
We're not paid for doing the job. We're paid for knowing how to do the job and being ready to do it when called.
Being idle causes mixed emotions...
When the phone doesn't ring it's a good thing 'cause folks aren't hurting. But it also means you're not feeding all those horses sitting out there on the pad beneath that rotor.
Too many nights like the last few cause bean-counters to begin to question whether you're needed at all.
Back to work tonight... Saturday night. The forecast is for rain and fog.
What a business.

Red Green

This research could have a dramatic effect on the lives of many. Some pilots restricted to "Day VFR only" could be set free to fly with the rest of us.
Exciting stuff.

Rodolfo! Come Back Rodolfo!

Ha! Remember this?




(Pay attention to the laundry list of folks she thanks... they're likely all complicit in fraudulent activity.)

Back in October my friend Rodolfo said this:
"This whole ACORN stunt has been widely overblown. The fact is there is no evidence to suggest there is a *systematic* attempt by ACORN to steal the election. It was ACORN themselves who turned in the fake registration to authorities and fired those canvassers who tried to take advantage of the system."

Well, the firings were ACORN's attempt to put out the fire.
I think Rodolfo may have been trying to cover for them because Bozama was affiliated with ACORN in Chicago and he didn't want any of that mud splattering on "Teh One". Now ACORN has been indicted in several States for "systematic" voter fraud. Their contract with the U.S. Census bureau to help collect data in 2010 has been canceled. Employees are being fired right and left because of unscrupulous practices. ACORN leadership has literally been reduced to trying to distact us with the "OLABSO!" strategy.
(Oh look... A bright shiny object!)

Rodolfo, I desperately need you and FlightFire to come back and help me understand what I'm missing here...
How were my fears "overblown"?
(I know, I know... it's not good form to gloat, especially when the Nation is gonna be in such pain.)

Wow! Updated:

How Liberals Are Destroying The U.S.

Three things that are becoming so evident, even discerning Liberals are beginning to be alarmed:

It might not be perfect, but it ain't broke to the point of needing a "frame-off overhaul"...
Most Americans don't want Big Government involved in their health care. If Obama's ideas take hold, health care in the U.S. may be catastrophically broken, and it is apparent the no longer "silent majority" has begun to realize it.

Is journalism dead? Chris Matthews "tingle down his leg" apparently also killed his desire to report the news. Our media is failing us. Asked about ACORN, and how that fiasco has unfolded, recently retired ABC anchor Charles Gibson was clueless...
ACORN is in charge of doling out BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars, yet a guy who is supposed to be immersed in the news is ignorant of their exposure by two young independent investigators? Newspapers are failing and ratings for broadcast media are suffering. Here's why.
Think they'll wake before it's too late?

Young folks who wanted change are getting it, despite our warnings that they knew NOTHING about the details of what that "change" would entail. Now they are shocked, SHOCKED!, to find they truly are "the ones we older folks have been waiting for".
Thank you, thank you, young people! Now give me all your change, please!

You know I didn't vote for this man. I was dismayed when he was elected because there were just too many loose ends indicating he might not be eligible to be President, and that he was not well-prepared for the job under any circumstance. When he was elected I tried to look on the bright side-
Maybe he CAN do what he claimed... be a uniter, by showing people of all colors that if you work hard you can climb to the highest post in the land.
Instead we are more divided than ever. If you disagree with this man, well, you are obviously a racist.

The Tea Party movement is opening eyes. I guess there are more and more racists coming out of the woodwork, (and more and more of 'em are folks of color!)
Can we survive this administration?
YES WE CAN!
Wake up America!

Updated:
Althouse echoes my thoughts on the first "post-racial" President.

Economic Experts!

"We all contributed to spending $3 billion to save $350 million. How good a deal was that ???"

Read it, and comments here.

Fort Walton Beach Tea Party, 12 Sep 09

Proscrastinator. That's me. And the reason I procrastinate?
'Cause generally it works.
Friday night before the gathering and I haven't even made our signs. I know there are "Tea Party" events scheduled for four hours, yet we have no lawn chairs.

That butt you saw hanging out of the dumpster at the "Dollar General Store at 11 P.M Friday evening? That was mine... grabbing a perfect "Absolut Vodka" box because the interior of the box was pure white... perfect for signage. (What was an Absolut Box doing in a Dollar General Store dumpster?)

Back to the condo with a smile on my face I search for the magic marker I KNOW is in the utility closet...
Nope. I can't find it.
Back in the car to Wally World for marker(s), and maybe they have comfortable lawn chairs at a reasonable price? I find a nice set of markers, black, green, red, and blue. No lawn chairs, but plenty of beach chairs. Their short legs won't do, so there's unfinished business to attend to on the way to the rally.

Home just before midnight, I cut the box into two large rectangles...
"Honey, what do you want to say on your sign?"

"I have no idea."

"Well, what issue troubles you most? That's what you want to say."

From the sofa my Mom shouts "You LIE!"...
The truth of Congressman Wilson's statement is still an open wound with my family.
Sara Jean agrees. So I cut her rectangle into a square and write "You LIE!" in bright green magic marker, and staple it to the wooden handle.

I turn my rectangle so it is taller than it is wide and write "$top $tupid $pending!!", dollar signs in red, the rest of the lettering in blue. It looks good. I am proud of my handiwork. I staple it to the handle. We head to bed, looking forward to our first political rally.

We wake to gray skies and a rainy forecast. We leave early so I can stop at "Bed, Bath, and Beyond" and buy some nice lawn chairs I saw marked "half off" earlier. Two chairs in the trunk we head out with only a Ft. Walton address for "Liza Jackson Park"...
I'm not really sure where the place is.
No worry... we arrive 20 minutes early and join a nice crowd in a covered pavilion that is steadily growing in spite of spitting rain...
Old folks.
Young folks.
Young folks with babies.
Brown people.
Yellow people.
White people...
All smiling and hopeful.
It seems everyone is fortified to find so many with the same fear...
What's happening to our government?

A guitarist and singer played/sang The National Anthem.
We recited the Pledge of Allegiance.

I cannot estimate the size of this crowd. There were several vendors set up beneath the pavilion and people had to crowd in to get out of the sprinkles. There was an overflow of people with umbrellas outside the pavilion on all four sides. If you pressed me to guess, I'd guess there were between two and three hundred people when speakers started speaking.

And there's one of my two complaints-
Some of the speakers were politicians running for office. In order for these rallies to be objective and most effective, Democrats and Republicans alike must be blamed for the catastrophe we now find ourselves facing. It does no good to say one party was more at fault than the other...
It took both political parties to run this train off the tracks and that needs to be emphasized.

A Doctor spoke on how our health care could be reformed without destroying the system we have.
A gentleman advocating a swith to the "Fair Tax spoke and answered questions.

The EmCee pointed out the several vendor's areas and asked us to read and sign petitions there. When I checked them out they were all headed "We the residents of Florida", so, unlike Van Jones, I couldn't sign them because I actually read the petitions.

My second disappointment was that once again our media seems to have failed us...
I saw no indication that video was being shot for later use on the local news. (Watching the news that night confirmed this.)
However there were a couple folks with reporter's notebooks walking around interviewing people, and the "Destin Log" was there to take some photographs of the rally.

I'm glad we attended. I'm now hopeful this movement will grow and we can attend events like this locally so we can sign petitions to our legislators here at home.
If you are concerned about the direction our government is headed, you MUST get involved!
Remember the truth in the quote I frequently repeat:
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Do something.
Get involved!

Concerned Citizens, Washington, D.C.

Stole it at CJ's.

Rainy Day Tea Party

Just got back. I'll wait to blog about the event when I can do it on a normal-size keyboard. I love my netbook, but only for convenience sake... it's a bear for big fingers to try to find the right keys.

The crowd was bigger than expected considering the rain showers. Everyone was well behaved and provided intelligent comments and equally intelligent questions. Lots of fun signs. One participant walking around in an Obama mask with a sign I hope to link to later... everyone wanted a picture with him!

The movement seems to be gathering strength. If you are tired of the inexorable march toward socialism remember the truth of the saying-
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
What are YOU doing?

Blessed.

Never forget.
Never forget that the way we live requires dedication and sacrifice from many.
Don't forget to thank them whenever you can.

"Destin"ation

A quicky update-
I'm recovering from "Bucket Seat Butt". After more than twelve hours at the wheel and a stopover in Pensacola to pick up Mom, we are safely in Destin, lovin' it. Nothing out of the ordinary to report about the trip... weather not a factor, and we took the "new" route again which avoids major cities so we had no traffic at all on the way.

Sara Jean and Cindy are at the pool. Mom and Lucy are asleep in the recliner. TwoDogs will soon be joining the girls poolside, as will I when I push the "publish" button.

Politics be damned.
Life is good.

Melancholy

1949.
I was not yet two years old.
My folks bought a little crackerbox house South of Indianapolis, Indiana...
Two bedrooms and one bath, they added another bedroom and extended the living room after my little sister was born. I slept in the bedroom of that little house for seventeen years until Uncle Sam requested my services in 1966. I was crushed when I came home to find my mother had turned my bedroom into a sewing room.

Anticipating Dad's retirement, in 1978 my folks bought another crackerbox, a 2BR/1 Bath house on lakefront property outside Bloomington, Indiana. For a while they lived in the house near "Naptown" during the week and spent weekends at the "Lake House". But soon they realized how much they loved drinking that first cup of coffee while watching eagles soar over the lake, and sold the only house I ever knew and moved to property I had no sentimental attachment to whatever.

Pretty quickly they again felt cramped by too little room and built an addition to this house, nearly doubling the size of the place while adding what it needed most... another bathroom. The addition included a huge second-floor kitchen overlooking the lake, which became the most comfortable room in the house...
the views of changing seasons on the lake were beautiful!

Dad retired in 1983 at the age of 62. He and Mother enjoyed that home together and we made memories with them there until his death in 2003. Mom stayed another year, but had a minor stroke in 2004 and was forced to leave.

From an uncomfortable distance, I became sales agent and caretaker of the property.

I had heard my Dad talk about properties around the lake selling for extraordinary sums. One little house, really no bigger than a small mobile home but on an absolutely beautiful finger jutting out into the lake, had sold for $160,000. Dad figured since his home was nearly four times the size of that home, his property might be worth something in the vicinity of $240,000... (amazing, for a house he and Mom had bought for a small fraction of that figure.)

I contacted a Real Estate agent expecting the property, because of its location, to sell quickly and for a princely sum. This guy toured the house and surprised me with his answer...
"I'm not interested in listing the property." It was the beginning of the bursting of "The Bubble" in real estate, and he had several upscale properties on the lake that weren't selling. My folks' property not only wasn't upscale, it needed lots of work to bring it up to sellable condition.

So for several weeks Sara Jean and I drove most of a day to this sad, empty house on a lake that brought back memories of the good times we had spent with my parents. Upon arrival we'd get to work. Weekend after weekend we mowed the lawn and did outside work-
Painting, replacing rotten fascia, spray cleaning concrete and stonework during daylight hours, then painting and doing minor carpentry work inside after darkness fell. We were exhausted and disheartened because we still had not found an agent to list the property for sale. Another surprise... when Mom's homeowner's insurance came up for renewal the insurance agent refused to cover the house because it was unoccupied. I had to scramble to find a specialized carrier, then purchased high-cost coverage for the empty house.

We finally found an agent who listed the property. Shortly after we finished "shining the place up", we got an offer on the house. It had been on the market for quite a while with no one showing any interest whatsoever, so we reluctantly accepted an offer that would certainly have dismayed my father.

That was four years ago. Now my neighbor across the street finds himself in a similar situation. He just lost his mother and inherited her home. Although it is just down the street from where he lives, making it much easier to do the necessary tasks to be able to sell, he faces a more depressed market with a house that has nothing much to offer in the way of "location".

His situation has sparked some sad memories.
I'll watch with interest and empathy to see how long he has to worry about taking care of two homes.

Krauthammer!

Ouch. Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!
(And the comments? DOUBLE OUCH!)

Call It What It Ain't.

"Death Panels"
Sarah Palin used the term to describe the "End of life" counselors called for in the House version of the Health Care Reform Bill. It's a phrase that has caused Liberals to pull out their hair, because although it IS a bit misleading, two-or-three word phrases are easy to remember and when they catch on, they stick like glue.
"Death Panels" certainly has.
Does the term bother you?

If it does, how do you feel about the phrase "Fairness Doctrine"?
What about "Employee Free Choice Act"?
Both are almost exactly the opposite of what their title seems to indicate.
"Death Panels" comes much closer to describing what those counselors might have to recommend in our near-bankrupt health care system.

"Give 'em a pain killer and send 'em home!"
(Barack Obama)

Just The Facts!

Saw, and borrowed it from Primordial Slack.

Compound Helicopters

We've discussed before how the forward speed of helicopters is limited by the speed of sound and by a phenomenon called "retreating blade stall".
As the rotor approaches Mach I a shock wave begins to build in front of it and drag increases exponentially.
The relative wind flowing across the advancing rotor blade is the sum of the forward blade speed and the speed of the aircraft, while the speed of the relative wind on the retreating blade is reduced because it is running away from the forward speed of the aircraft. Therefore, the retreating rotor blade has to have a higher angle of attack in order to produce the same lift as the advancing blade. I'm still amazed helicopters even fly.

So the speed of sound is a physical limitation for true helicopters and in order for rotary wing aircraft to go faster, we'll have to explore technologies that make the aircraft something other than a true helicopter.

The V-22 Osprey is an expensive, complicated (and controversial) way to attack the problem.
Compound helicopters are another, less complex way to increase forward speed...
By adding a wing, the angle of attack on the rotor can be reduced because the wing is assisting in production of lift. The speed where "retreating blade stall" is encountered is thereby increased, which allows the aircraft to fly faster before encountering that problem.

This video shows flight testing on such a machine...
You can see the stub wings on the fuselage, and the ducted fan and rudder-like device that replaces the tail rotor. It's an exciting concept, and may help bump up the speed at which rotorcraft can fly before encountering aerodynamic limits.

Exciting stuff!
(Hat tip to friend Terry for the link!)

Do-Over!

Attorney General Eric Holder will now re-investigate CIA cases that were concluded during the Bush Administration.
WONDERFUL!
Why?
Think of it...

Senator Chris Dodd,
Gov. Bill Richardson,
Rep. Charlie Rangel...
All tainted by corruption, all cleared by this democrat controlled Congress.
"Nothing to see here folks, move along!"

But when republicans are once again in control of things, there is now precedent to take another look, isn't there?
Yes, there is!

An Attempt At A Flying Post For "The Bob"

"The Bob" complains I don't write enough about flying. And he's entitled to his opinion about how I should manage MY posts on MY blog. I've taken his complaints under consideration and will consult with the owner of the blog about how to proceed. I think the owner and I can come to an immediate consensus. Comforting.

Still, if The Bob would like more flying posts, maybe others feel the same way.
So I drove 90 minutes to the airport yesterday knowing I had nothing scheduled, but hoping once I got there someone would say "Hey GB, c'mon, let's go fly", and I'd have blogging material to satisfy The Bob and others.
I love bein' an airport bum. I wish there was a way to make an income being an airport bum... (Maybe Bozama needs another Czar?)
Even if it only paid minimum wage I'd sign up tomorrow!

Pilots are all interesting folks. All have a zest for life... all spent some discretionary income to learn to fly. All are willing to take the additional risk required by strapping yourself into a small machine and pushing away from Mother Earth.

Some pilots are big risk takers, some are not. Pilots can spot the risk takers amongst our ranks in pretty short order. The old saw "There are OLD pilots and BOLD pilots, but no OLD, BOLD pilots" holds true, so those of us who are not "bold" pilots enjoy being around the bold guys while we can, hoping when they kill themselves they don't carry others with them into the "smoking hole". But all pilots have colorful stories...
Get a pilot started talking and you'll be entertained and educated at the same time.

I'm never bored at the airport. I arrived at the hangar to find Frank and Dr. H. chatting. Both Frank and Dr. H. are former helicopter students of mine. Frank is now a commercial pilot/CFI and owns his own R44, which I am blessed to have easy access to.
Dr. H. is a plastic surgeon. In addition to flying helicopters, he's also a fixed-winger and a glider pilot/instructor. He's also an amateur magician.
We chat about health care reform. We chat about Frank's recent trip to Costa Rica. Interesting stuff.
Dr. H. leaves... he has to go give someone a flight physical.

I walk across the taxiway to Mark's hangar. Mark also owns an R44 and my former student Frank was his primary helicopter instructor. I've also given Mark a little dual instruction and consider him a close friend. Mark owns a construction business and one of his focuses is building hangars. His main supervisor building hangars is Marcia, and she is with him in his hangar. Alongside the two of them is Keith, who has a hangar down the taxiway. Keith is also a former student of mine and also owns an R44, a T28 Trojan, and a
Piper Navajo Chieftain. Keith owns a security company.
Here again, talk turns to politics...
Energy prices going up. Taxes going up. Insurance costs going up.
Where does it end? Who can afford to own an aircraft? How do we continue to fly? And ultimately, what can we do about these questions?

Keith leaves and almost immediately Dr. R. walks in, accompanied by his grown son. Dr. R., a Dentist, owns a large Dental facility across town. Also a former student of mine, he's lost so much weight since I last saw him I don't recognize him right away. "Diet and exercise" he says, and I'm glad to hear that the loss is not because he's deathly ill.
Again, talk turns to politics. Dr. R. is buying gold.
Dr. R. is buying ammunition. Dr. R. says having stores of ammunition will soon be more important than owning gold...
With ammunition you'll be able to buy gold.

We sit at the big table and beers are opened...
Now, for me there'll be no flying tonight, but conversation will become more relaxed, (and may be more interesting).

Jodie drives up in her jeep. In the passenger seat is Sophie, her Golden Lab/Pit Bull mix. Sophie is one solid canine... easily weighs 80 pounds, so it's a good thing she's a sweetie. Jodie is a student pilot, working toward her fixed-wing Private Pilot rating. She grabs a beer, sits, and joins the conversation. Sophie saunters over and plunks against my leg, wanting her ears scratched.

After drinking a beer with us, Dr. R. leaves.
Dr. S., an ER Doc and fixed-wing pilot walks through the door, smiling. He goes immediately to the fridge, grabs a beer, sits and joins the conversation. The five of us talk for over an hour before we finally say our "see ya next times" and head for home.

Interesting...
Dr. H., Frank, Keith, Mark, Marcia, Dr. R. and his son, Jodie, Dr. S., and me...
And the only thing we disagree on about the coming "troubles" is how long it will take to start, and how chaotic it will be when it starts. (Sophie didn't offer an opinion, other than to indicate "ear scratching" was wonderful.)
No one disagrees that it WILL start.
All are working as quickly as possible to prepare.

So Bob, I tried for ya man!
I had high hopes I'd be able to go fling-winging and write here about the joys of watching the shadow of the helicopter recede as we climb out on takeoff.
Didn't happen, Dude.
But I want ya to know, this session was good for me...
Lots of intelligent, interesting people from different walks of life agree with me that we're sitting on a powder keg.

After the Town Hall meetings, do you think our elected representatives have a clue about how working folks in the heartland of the country feel?
I hope so. Last night convinced me more than ever...
Getting their attention is the only way to avoid the explosion.

Updated-
2010 is right around the corner. Maybe this will get their attention?

Why "Anonymous" Is Good

A blog acquaintance is expressing a negative view about online anonymity...
If you take the time to go back and read my original posts you'll find, in the first few, my explanation about why I decided to remain an anonymous blogger. My desire was mostly fueled by the fact I didn't want to be limited in expressing myself here. I thought, (erroneously I've found), that I might be able to write at length when I was having trouble at work, or with family/friends. But in those first posts I recognized someone willing to read my blog and do the research could figure out who I am. That's even more true now than then. What I didn't realize was that many, including those same co-workers, family members, and friends could be guided to "Pitchpull" with a simple "Helicopter Blog" entry in any search engine. (That task is made a little more difficult because there is a Rock Band by the name of "Helicopter").

I spend a lot of time at work waiting for the telephone to ring. Much of that time I'm poking around on the internet reading news, surfing blogs, researching things of historical import to me. Sometimes I'll click on the "Next Blog" tab at the top of "Blogger" blogs just to see where it leads me. One night I did that and was transported to a blog with some interesting photographs, including an attractive face in the blogger's "Blogger" profile. I left a comment there expressing my appreciation for her work. The next day there was a comment here thanking me for my visit and complimenting me, saying how interesting she found "Pitchpull", and forthrightly asking me to stop by often and comment.
Heh.
Joan Rivers wrote a book, "Men Are Stupid... And They Like Big Boobs... " and Joan is MOSTLY right... Men ARE stupid. Men like boobs, big, small, and in-between. But I can tell you from experience, if a woman has an attractive face she can manipulate most men to do her bidding if she's smart, (and in my opinion most women are more wily than most men.)
So yes, compliments from this female blogger with a pretty face massaged my ego. I went back to her blog and found an email address in her profile and emailed her. From there a "virtual friendship" was formed.

At some point along the line I started hearing a great deal about "MySpace". Remember now, I'm a complete idiot when it comes to computers and much of what they can do for me, so I asked my new virtual friend about MySpace. She responded by helping me start my own account, then sent me her MySpace account address so I could check it out. What I found there shocked me...
She was almost completely open with the information she gave others there. I wrote her and told her she, a divorced Mother living by herself, was being too free with the information she was sharing with others. Surprised, she expressed doubt there was enough there for anyone to find her. So in less than ten minutes I dug a little, found her phone number, and called her. (She had a professional link to her son, and he was using his/her real last name.) She was dumbfounded. She'd been flirting with a few guys and had them sniffing around after her like puppy dogs. She suddenly realized any one of these guys could do what I had just done and could show up on her doorstep at any time. Too late, she began to try to cover her tracks a little.

I need not tell most of you this world is a dangerous place, getting more dangerous all the time. Just this past week we've seen a man arrested for vandalizing the headquarters of the political party he belongs to, trying to pass it off as hate from the opposing party.
Lunacy.
So when others complain about anonymity online and the ability it gives all of us to speak freely about our passions, please consider what I've written. If you want to find me I know you probably can, and I'm fairly well prepared for unwelcome visitors. But I'd obviously like to make it as difficult as possible for you to throw a brick through my picture window, just 'cause you disagree with my politics.

To the blogger who thinks I'm just a mirage...
Don't think we'd be friends? Yeah, I realize now you're probably right.
But you don't know me at all except you've read my claim that I spent a year trying to protect your right to come online and say whatever you want. (And my efforts were apparently successful, weren't they?!!)
But here's what seems odd to me...
If you don't like what you read here, why come?
Am I THAT FAR into your melon? Wow.
Would you like for me to free you from my curse?
Abra-cadabra, PLEASE and THANK YOU!...
You're free. You don't have to come here anymore!

Keep your rotor in the green, man.

Call Your Congressperson?

I just got off the phone with my Congressman's office person, wanting to express my opposition to his signing any Bill that will increase our already disastrous debt load, (the health care Bill).
When I tried to express my opposition she interrupted me:
"You have two choices... Pro or Con."

I've generally been pleased with the way my Congressman, (a Democrat), has represented me and have voted FOR him in many, many elections.
But Congressman, I have a multitude of choices when it comes to your continued tenure in Washington...
And I'll be writing you a letter reminding you of those choices.

Just So You Know-

Sinclair thinks I'm filled with hate.
(Interesting... apparently some commenters disagreed.)

Mary Jo Kopechne Was Unavailable For Comment

Heroes are villains.
Villains are heroes.

The world truly is upside-down.

Dealing With Huge Numbers

$9 Trillion.
Let me once again write that so you can see the number:
$9,000,000,000,000.00

That's the number President Soros, (excuse me, that was a Freudian slip), President Obama says our national deficit will reach within ten years, assuming no more debt is added during his administration.
It's an impossible number to digest.
Let's try to understand it this way-

A second is a very short period of time, right?
But nine trillion seconds= 285,388 years.
(Check my math, if you can find a calculator that will hold that number!)

Think we'll ever pay off this debt?

Updated:
Nine trillion is impossible.
Fourteen trillion is impossible for even economists to comprehend.
Buy Gold, silver, and ammunition.

KAAAAAAAABOOOOOOOM!

Gosh...
Wouldn't ya love to see the Congressman tap dance to answer that question?

Social Security

Yeah, folks are waking up. It took a 2X4 upside the head, but their eyes are finally open. Seems half those polled would like to opt out of Social Security.

Tell you what, Barack Ponzi...
Even at this late date in my life, at a time when I'm eligible to retire and start receiving Social Security payouts, I'd make this deal in a heartbeat:
Pay me what I've paid in a lump sum, no interest included. I'll gladly take that money and invest it for my future.

You want to manage my health care program?
Ha. You're kidding right?
Thanks, BUT I DON'T THINK SO!

I'm Furious!

This upset me so much I went to bed angry!
BUMPED AND UPDATED:
I left a comment at that link that I think is worthy of your time, if Bob will publish it and leave it there.

This Doc Has Read The Bill!

Note:
Bumped back to the top of the page. Newer posts are below.
We now know more about how some legislators are trying to force this legislation into law, despite the fact most of them haven't read the bill and cannot correctly answer questions posed to them at Town Hall meetings.
(And I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to read Flightfire's "long response" about the anesthesiologists compensation!)

Have you read the Bill?
Of course not. Nor have I. I'm not sure I'd understand it even IF I read it.
This note looks genuine to me, and Dr. Fraser takes the work out of it for the rest of us...

"Senator, I guarantee that I personally will do everything possible to inform patients and my fellow physicians about the dangers of the proposed bills you and your colleagues are debating.

Furthermore, If you vote for a bill that enforces socialized medicine on the country and destroys the doctor/patient relationship, I will do everything in my power to make sure you lose your job in the next election."

You GO Doc, and THANK YOU!
Dr. Stephen E. Fraser's easily understandable summation and full email to Senator Evan Bayh is at this link.

This Is A Joke, Right?

I was riding my bike into town on a feeder street to buy a few needs for later activities. In the oncoming lane a big Crown Victoria came to a stop and flagged me as I passed...
"Sir, can you help me?"...
A bald-headed man, probably 80 years old, maybe older.

"Well I'll try. Whatcha need?"

"Do you know where the Comcast Cable office is? I need to pay my bill there."

"No sir, I don't do business with them. Do you have an address for them?"

"No I don't. I have the bill here..." (Flashes the the bill at me.) "I'm assuming they're in the business section in town."
(Our town of 7,000 has one main drag where most businesses are located.)

"Do you have a phone number for them?" (I have my cell phone and will call them if it's a local call.)

"No, all I have is their business office in Indiana."

"So you set off to pay this bill not knowing where you were going? You wanted an adventure, didn't you!"

"Yeah, I guess I did."

I got him turned around and headed back toward our business district where he said he'd ask for more directions. I had to laugh... this incident reminded me so much of this joke.
On his bumper? This sticker-

"OBAMA-BIDEN '08"

Perfect.

$0,000,000,000bama!

Stolen at Instapundit

Lock And Load

First, an observation from personal experience-
I reside in an area that at one time had a thriving industry where even folks without a High School diploma could go to work and make a decent salary. And many of my neighbors did just that-
They left school and went to work. So by definition we could call them short-sighted, couldn't we?
For them, this behavior trait showed up in lifestyle decisions too-
Looking out at my retirement years, I was denying myself some of the finer things in life by stashing as much as I could in my IRA and 401K plans.
Not these folks! Immediate gratification was the name of the game...
Big new truck.
Big new car.
A Harley-Davidson motorcycle of some sort.
Big Bass boat.
An RV of 30' length.
And of course a nice home.
All this "living" left no money at all for the future.

But then the economy changed, and because of environmental policy their industry was considered by the public to be "toxic". Their employers shuttered and closed, leaving these non-skilled laborers with no future, and no education to offer.
For months the newspapers were filled with motorcycles, bass boats, RVs, for sale.
Then it was 4X4 trucks.
Then it was the Cadillac or Lincoln.
Then it was the house.

Some of these folks are friends, so it has been painful to watch. But still, why didn't they learn some of the same things I learned from fables told when we were young?
So as an "ant" I've watched "grasshoppers" with interest all my life, feeling fairly secure that I was doing the right thing, living below my means and saving for the future.

Now I'm hearing rumblings that scare me to death. Granted, this is just talk now, I suppose thrown out there to see how we ants will react.
Think it's just "right-wing nutjobs" overreacting?
Take a look here and here.
If it's a reaction they're looking for, my reaction is this:

Right now I can only imagine two things that would make me take up arms against my government and some of my fellow citizens-
Restricting 2nd Amendment rights, and stealing funds I have suffered my entire life to put away.

Once again folks, here's the deal-
Sit quietly, and these Socialists will steal your stuff.
(They already stole GM/Chrysler bondholder's stuff!)

Be alert. Let your elected representatives know you're mad as hell, and you're not gonna take it anymore!

UPDATE, or I should just say MUCH MORE on this subject, (with some great comments), here.
I see the change. Now where is the hope?

I Channel Jack Benny

I've been driving my old Maxwell for almost 100 years now. What a great old car! Puttering around town with the infrequent trip down the Interstate at a blazing 45 miles an hour, I put about 5,000 miles per year on the old "Maxie".
Let's do the math-
93 years times 5,000 miles per year equals 465,000 miles, right?
(I have no idea how many miles are actually on the car... the speedometer/odometer quit functioning 50 years ago!)

But here's the problem. The old car is an antique and is worth a fortune to collectors. It's my daily driver, and insurance companies cringe at the idea someone could collide with me and do serious damage to this old gem. Insuring it has become a huge burden.

And parts? Oh, don't get me started! I mentioned the broken speedo... where do you think I'm gonna find a speedo cable for a 1916 Maxwell, for heaven's sakes? When parts break I'm having to fabricate replacements these days, Do you have any idea how much that costs?! (Insurance companies do, that's why my insurance premiums are absolutely through the roof!)

But here's the deal-
How fair is it that I have to pay a fortune to drive my car? Is it fair that I have to pay so much more for parts than my neighbors? I don't think so!

I want our legislators to resolve my problem. I want them to pass a law to help me continue to drive my old Maxwell-
I want affordable insurance!
I want an affordable extended warranty to fix anything that breaks on the old gal, and I want that warranty to include all "pre-existing conditions" like my old speedometer cable!

Is this too much to ask? After all, it's my RIGHT to drive my old car and if I cannot afford it myself, the American taxpayer should subsidize me, right?

Power to the people!