29 December, 2006

Islamic Radicals Terrorizing Your Country?

Who you gonna call?

Ethiopia! Huh?

Apparently, when it's time to rid an area of jihadists, Ethiopia gets the job done. No hand-wringing, just action. Like we did in Afghanistan shortly after 9/11, except the Ethiopians will probably not spend time "rebuilding" the things they've destroyed...

Perhaps when the Ethiopians leave Somalia, they'll turn their sights on the Sudan and clean that mess up in Darfur as well. Who needs the U.N. when Ethiopia can get the job done?

26 December, 2006

I Hope It's a Public Hanging

Couldn't happen to a nicer guy... Kill hundreds of people, get killed yourself. Justice, old school.

18 December, 2006

I've Been Named Time's Person of the Year

for 2006! It's an honor that I won't take lightly, and I promise that I won't let it go to my head. There are so many people that I would like to thank...

Season's Greetings

Have you seen this joke making the email rounds?

For My Democrat Friends:
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. We also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere . And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes. By accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

For My Republican Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Kinda funny. People need to get over it and grow a thicker skin- I personally like "Happy Holidays," but then the sensitive types believe even that is an attack on Christmas!

05 December, 2006

Good for US Airways

and their decision to kick the imams off the flight... I'm thinking this whole thing was staged by the Muslims to prove a point, but still the right decision by the airline.

03 December, 2006

Empty Threat, If There Ever Was One

All this talk about an Al Qaeda cyber attack is ludicrous... The most they could possibly come up with might be a denial of service attack on some corporation's servers. You can't expect me to believe that an organization that is run from caves could bring down our cyber financial infrastructure... Apparently, we run a much greater risk being poisoned but Putin and his spies!

28 November, 2006

Back From Vacation

We had a little family road trip last week that took us through Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky. Below is a typical view in Western Virginia and West Virginia- probably a great drive when the leaves are changing- not so much now!

More importantly, we got to see friends and family on the trip and the kids had a great time, so all the driving was worth it.

11 November, 2006

So We Chose Tax and Spend...

OK, it's not much different than the borrow and spend Republicans. Of course, now I get to hear about how I need to pay "my fair share" of taxes. Uh-huh...

06 November, 2006

Ah, Election Eve...

And it's about time. The political ads here in Missouri are sucking my will to live... Missouri Senate race, tricky constitutional amendments. It'll all be over tomorrow! So who are you for? Tax-and-spend (democrats), or borrow-and-spend (republicans)? With maybe one exception, I'll be voting Libertarian.

30 October, 2006

Random Pics of the Week

Some photos from the Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum:

Being a BMW fan, I couldn't help but include the pic of one of the bikes that Rommel & crew used in North Africa in WWII. What a great gun on the side-car. Forget rush hour, the intimidation factor for other motorists would be huge...





26 October, 2006

Weekend Review - Back from Florida

Just back from the diving trip to the Oriskany, the world's largest artificial reef. It must have been a really impressive aircraft carrier back in the day. What an experience! The whole weekend was great, with the exception of having to ride our bikes through some nasty wind and rain on the way down...

The Oriskany: the coolness factor of this dive is high. Plan on short dives, however, because the coolest swim-throughs and things to see are from 90' to 120', in my opinion. The top of the crow's nest is at 70', and the flight deck is at 136'. Stay too long on the flight deck, risk going into deco. Gotta keep a very close eye on your dive computer. This was no doubt my deepest dive, and it's kind of the ultimate "wall" dive, in that you feel like you're descending the side of an underwater skyscraper as you go down. Marine life is still a little weak, but there are already BIG barracuda lurking about. I can't wait to see it again in a year or two, when it's had more time... We managed to meet a man in downtown Pensacola who served on the Oriskany in 1965- a great way to cap off the experience.

The Scuba Shack: (Pensacola, FL) recommended. These guys didn't hold our hands at all, which we found extremely refreshing. We did our own thing, at our own risk.

The New World Landing: highly recommended accommodations. Basically across the street from the Scuba Shack. Great location, great staff, real keys. Old school.

29 Dreams Motorcycle Resort: (Vandiver, AL) a destination in itself. First-class operation, basically a very popular campground for motorcyclists. You'll see every kind of bike imaginable! Great motorcycle road to get there, as well: Alabama highway 25.

Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum: (Leeds, AL) Coolness factor was off the charts. Motorcycles from every manufacturer, and many you never knew existed... You could easily blow the better part of a day there.

Those are some of the highlights of the trip. I couldn't ask for a more fun "guys weekend."

18 October, 2006

I'm off to go Dive on the Oriskany

Leaving Thursday by motorcycle. This should be a fantastic dive... What a great reef the Oriskany will be for Pensacola. On the way back, I'm stopping at a vintage motorcycle museum in Alabama- should get some great pics... Mixing my scuba diving and motorcycling habits- beats a day at the office!

14 October, 2006

Here's a Little Gem

for all the people in the Business and Finance section at Yahoo Answers who seem to continually ask, "What is the best way to save money?" They go on to explain the debt piling up, etc. Here's the answer:

ALWAYS SPEND LESS THAN YOU MAKE.

There we go. I've done my part today. Now you go to Yahoo Answers, and prepare to read questions that will have you laughing out loud... Enjoy!

09 October, 2006

Ah, Columbus Day...

If you want to encounter some extreme intellectual firepower, head over to Yahoo Answers and check out the questions about Columbus. Plenty of haters over there... Good guy or bad, Columbus started the ball rolling on the eventual conquest of indigenous people that made our quality of life what it is today! It is what it is, so the haters will just have to get over it...

On a much lighter note, my next 'adventure' occurs this month: I'm riding my motorcycle down to Pensacola Florida to go scuba diving on the site of the USS Oriskany, the now-sunken aircraft carrier of John McCain fame... the flight deck is at 135 feet, and the top of the tower is at 70. Can't wait for this one!

On the way back, my friends and I will stay at the 29 Dreams Motorcycle Resort near Birmingham, Alabama. It's motorcycles only, so it should be cool.

27 September, 2006

Welcome Aboard, 7-Eleven!

I see that 7-Eleven has joined my boycott of Citgo... Glad you're on board, boys.

23 September, 2006

Just back from Chicago

Had a great time at a meeting with a supplier. Took in a Sox game from a suite, a boat ride downtown, etc. It's not NYC, but an awesome city nonetheless.

18 September, 2006

I'm Just an Infidel Trying to Make it in this World...

Perhaps Pope Benedict is as well: "He said, I quote, 'Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.'"

(story link: CNN.com - Pope's Islam comments condemned - Sep 15, 2006)


I wish the Pope wouldn't be so apologetic- the truth is the truth...

11 September, 2006

If you know the enemy and know yourself,

you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. So said Sun Tzu in The Art of War...

September 11 reminds us of the capabilities and intent of our radical Islamic enemies. They are not interested in getting along, sharing the planet with non-Muslims, land for peace, or any other negotiation. They want us to convert to Islam, or die. It's that simple to them. So we know our enemy.

How well do we know ourselves? It's gut-check time. It seems that many people (USA, UK, and other Europeans included) want to keep their heads in the sand as to the nature of the threat we face. Claiming that those of us who clearly see this threat are "fear-mongering" or are "blood thirsty" doesn't make the threat go away. Do we have what it takes to eliminate these people who wish us harm?

We did in the second World War. We were forced to flex our muscles and show the world what the USA is capable of accomplishing if it chooses. Had we not, my guess is that a hell of a lot more people would be speaking German now, and the genocide would have continued unabated. It's time to take the gloves off, let the CIA do some really dirty work (assassinations and other covert operations), and kill the enemy before it happens to us again. I think Blair and Bush see the threat pretty clearly, but the U.S. Congress is a different matter.

If you haven't yet made it down to Ground Zero in NYC, I strongly recommend you go. It's hard not to get angry when you see it.

06 September, 2006

Moral Relativity

is not a good thing... But it may increase the returns on some mutual funds... I noticed in last Friday's Wall Street Journal that some of the "socially responsible" mutual funds are relaxing their restrictions on the stocks that are eligible for their portfolios. The lack of "vice" companies has held back the performance of these funds for some time now. Shame on the funds for easing their morality- I thought it was their #1 motive in their investments.

I have no moral problems with the vice stocks- in fact, I am the proud owner of Altria stock (cigarette manufacturer). My morality makes me believe that you have the right to pollute your body with anything you wish, just don't let your habit infringe on my rights. Some choose nicotine to pollute themselves, I choose chocolate. Nevertheless, I am a good death merchant, and always smile when I see someone buying Marlboros at the gas station...

Vice stocks always seem to do well when the economy slows- so if you believe we're in a slow-down, go get some vice stocks!

04 September, 2006

So the Crocodile Hunter Died

He was clearly passionate about his work, and he died doing what he loved. Not a bad way to go.

29 August, 2006

Well Here We Are, a Year Later,

and no one seems to have learned anything from Hurricane Katrina. The Army Corps of Engineers says that the New Orleans levees are back to pre-Katrina levels (able to withstand a category 3 hurricane). Ray 'Chocolate' Nagin is still in power... Huh? How did that happen? Definitely one of those 'get what you deserve' sort of things, agreed?

People are still moaning and pissing about the Federal Government's response to Katrina- why aren't there more blank checks from Congress?

Several newspeople today still spoke of Katrina's "wrath," as if the storm had the capacity to think! Don't forget the global warming, etc, etc, ad nauseum.

The bottom line- New Orleans is no better prepared for a category 3+ storm than it was a year ago. The only difference is that there are now fewer residents to get caught up in the floods if it happens again. As I said in previous posts, no one took the time to consider any bold new ideas for New Orleans. So New Orleans remains a very susceptible town to hurricanes, not to mention any terrorists who have designs on the levees. I hope that the people who have the desire to recover and relocate can get it done before this tragedy inevitably repeats itself.

23 August, 2006

Motorcycle Trends

I believe that the height of the popularity of the motorcycle 'cruiser' has been, or is very close to being, reached in this country. SO many custom choppers/etc.

Recently, custom sport bikes are all the rage. 'Adventure' riding is also becoming popular, and should be so for the next several years. The next trend will be the restoration of old classic motorcycles... Mark my words. Competition on ebay is already starting to heat up for old bikes and parts. Better scoop up that great fixer-upper while you can!

16 August, 2006

Israel / Hezbollah Cease Fire

Uh- yeah. A big opportunity wasted by the Israelis...

10 August, 2006

I Think it Would be Interesting

if one of the U.S. oil companies would sell gasoline derived solely from North American oil sources. (I realize that the majority of our crude oil comes from Mexico and Canada) They could call it 'Certified North American Gasoline'. This would be interesting because we would learn how much more some people would be willing to pay per gallon for gasoline to know that they are not funding Middle Eastern or Islamofascist countries...

08 August, 2006

It Seems

That Bill O'Reilly is on a Big Oil Jihad, the likes of which haven't been seen since Lou Dobbs and globalization... He thinks that BP is shutting down their Alaskan operation to shock the markets and line their pockets even further with higher oil prices. He spoke on the Radio Factor today about how preventative maintenance could have prevented this shut-down. Bill- this shut-down IS the preventative maintenance! Would you have BP keep pumping oil through that system without shutting it down to replace the pipelines? Come on! There is no sense in rolling the dice on what could potentially be a big oil spill.

I've said it before- the government makes more than double what the average oil company makes on a gallon of gasoline. Until it's the other way around, I don't care to hear about your Big Oil conspiracy, Bill.

02 August, 2006

Off to the Lake

This weekend for some family time and scuba diving. Can't wait! Gotta put some new (to me) scuba equipment through its paces. If I keep up all my expensive hobbies, I'll have to move my retirement age back a few years. Oh well, it's worth it...

01 August, 2006

I Think I'll Vote Libertarian

Well, I would have anyway, but here is a Democrat contender for Congress (vs. Jo Ann Emerson) in Missouri's 8th District:


In case it's hard to read, E. Earl says that a Democratic Congress will:
Create Jobs *
Raise Minimum Wage **
Close the Border
Bring Down Gas Prices ***
Revive Lost Industries ***
Level Global Trade Field +
Balance the Budget
Lower the Trade Defecit ***
Re-Energize the Family Farm +
Re-Direct Government to the People +

* not the function of government
** destroyer of entry-level jobs
*** impossible in the long term, due to economic forces beyond the government's control
+ total B.S., feel-good political rhetoric

Clearly, E. Earl was no economics major. A Congress of any political makeup can really only accomplish three of these goals. Raising the minimum wage is easy enough for Congress to do. Closing the Border, a different story. We better get to work on the Great Wall of the Southwest soon... Maybe E. Earl will lend a hand in its construction! Last, but not least, E. Earl and friends could balance the budget... While I recognize that in E. Earl's world, that's a code phrase for "raise your taxes to balance the budget," it could actually be done with radical spending reduction as well. That would take a tremendous amount of leadership...

Kudos to E. Earl for not race-baiting or playing a class-warfare card in his ad. Classy, indeed.

25 July, 2006

Occasionally, I Check

my statcounter to see who has been poking around the blog. It's kind of fun to see where all the readers are coming from. I noticed yesterday that someone from the Bill Richardson campaign was reading several posts here at D.R.

Welcome, lefties! We mean you no harm. At least not physically!

Joe's Crab Shack as a Destination?

Who knew? Saturday, my brother, a friend and I rode our bikes down to Memphis, Tennessee to have lunch at Joe's Crab Shack- the downtown location has a great view of the river and downtown Memphis... It was a good way to spend an afternoon. Clear weather, good riding, and a belly full of seafood. Beats a day in the office.

21 July, 2006

I am Now a Motorcycle Collector

I just bought, for a very reasonable price, a 1982 Honda CB 650 Four... An excellent winter fix-up project. It will never see the same road time that my BMW R1150R gets, but it will be fun to get it running again and ride it in the summers.

19 July, 2006

Motorola Update

I am happy to say that Giant International, the manufacturer of Motorola FRS radios, has stepped up and resolved my warranty issues to my satisfaction... So Motorola at least partially lives on in the world of Dennis. Cell phones are still out, though.

17 July, 2006

Hezbollah Gets What it Deserves...

14 July, 2006

Bye-Bye Moto!

Well, not yet, but I am very close to chunking all things Motorola around my house and workplace. Too many quality issues lately with cell phones and FRS radios... Did you realize that Motorola doesn't even manufacture its own FRS radios? A company called Giant International does. Motorola had no interest in assisting me with my warranty issues, so now their credibility with me rides on what Giant does or doesn't do (not that Motorola cares, I'm just one customer- but I do get to vent here) ...

11 July, 2006

Rife Sticks It

To the NOW gals, that is... with his usual biting truth. Check out his thoughts on the NOW gang and the topic of female genital mutilation (a legitimate feminist issue).

Even I Get It Right Sometimes

My Ken Lay prediction (see previous post) was spot-on... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/07/06/ny-post-wants-lay_n_24479.html

Indeed.

05 July, 2006

Prediction of the Week

Ken Lay of Enron fame is dead... I give it one, maybe two days before some nut-case claims that Lay paid off the appropriate officials, faked his death, and is living well in the Caribbean- avoiding the potential 20 year prison sentence... Just wait, it will happen.

04 July, 2006

Jihadists, They're Not...

While it bugs me to defend the New York Times on Independence Day, it seems the rhetoric has ramped up to the point of insanity... Conservatives are calling for treason charges to be brought against the Times reporters, often saying that the Times has endangered the lives of Americans by revealing our financial monitoring methods. Really?

While I agree that the Times is an incredibly self-centered, 'blame America first' organization that sees itself in an epic struggle to bring down Bush and will publish anything to bring him down a notch, I don't believe they've committed treason. Just incredibly bad judgment. While there might be a few terrorists out there who didn't realize that we were monitoring international wire transfers, I can't believe that those terrorists are very smart. I assumed on September 11, 2001 that all wire transfers going out or coming in to the United States would at the very least be scrutinized by computer, if not human analysts. Isn't that an obvious assumption? If it was that obvious to me, it should have been that obvious to any self-respecting terrorist out there.

So back off the Times for now...

25 June, 2006

Nobody Rides For Free

I noticed in Wednesday's Wall Street Journal this headline: China Relents, Accepts 19% Rise in Iron-Ore Price. Did they actually think they could dictate the market for raw materials? The really cool thing about free markets is that no matter how big a player is, as long as there are several market participants and more than one source of goods, no one player can manipulate the market for any sustained period of time.
China can't have a free ride- they sell billions of dollars worth of exports every year, then try to get a better-than-market price for their inputs. It'll never happen. They should enjoy the fact that their labor costs are lower than most of the industrialized world, and the business outlook is good for the forseeable future...

19 June, 2006

New Bank Account, Anyone?

I was in a public place having lunch today, reading the Wall Street Journal, when a couple in the booth behind me were talking quite loudly about their situation: the wife's purse had been stolen from their vehicle, and they were in the process of changing bank accounts for direct deposit purposes. Of course, I heard account numbers. I thought about writing them down on my newspaper and giving it to them as I left, but decided not to. Someday their recklessness will cost them more than the contents of a purse...

15 June, 2006

Sell in May and Go Away

The old stock market adage was certainly holding true, until today... I hope you made some $

06 June, 2006

Defense Attorneys, Take Note!

I heard on today's news that "road rage" has a new, clinical name: Intermittent Explosive Disorder. Yes, that's just what the doctor ordered. We've been given a new medical name to replace "Neanderthal idiot," and have provided defense attorneys with a legitimate defense for stupidity! Are we creeping back into the 1990's? My actions are not my fault!

31 May, 2006

The Center of the Universe is Not New York City...

Neither is Los Angeles. So where, you ask, could it be? Judging from the CBS news coverage for the last couple of days, it must be wherever a big-name CBS reporter happens to be. While I agree that it's terrible that a reporter and her crew were wounded in Iraq recently, the story certainly shouldn't be the lead. Innocent people are hurt in Iraq every other day. Why cover a reporter's injury with such high priority when there are simply too many other stories with significant economic/societal implications?
It seems that the CBS 'eye' looks squarely in the mirror before seeking out the news of the day.

28 May, 2006

He Can Still Kick Your Butt

I'm enjoying listening to all the Royce Gracie critics since he lost his fight with Matt Hughes last night at UFC 60. While it's true that mixed martial arts have come full circle and a fighter must have both strong skills in striking and grappling, the facts remain:

  • Royce Gracie revolutionized modern martial arts as we know them, no less than Bruce Lee did in his time
  • Royce Gracie can still beat most people in a fight, particularly the critics...

26 May, 2006

Barney Frank Gets Free-Market Religion...

If only it were true. He did, however, sarcastically stick it to the inconsistent Republicans. Welcome, Mr. Frank, to the free-market people of the world. Now that you've found religion at the altar of Adam Smith, let's see if you'll be consistent with your new-found philosophy and reel in your rhetoric about 'fair trade' and 'worker's rights'...

23 May, 2006

Only Cowards Think We're at War?

Really- check out this article... While I agree completely that we should never give up our civil liberties, even in "war time," I have a problem with his terrorism analogy. Yes, we were sucker-punched on 9/11, and while there is no defense for said punch, it doesn't happen in a vacuum. Once you are sucker-punched, you are in a fight. You had better deal with the problem as effectively as possible. If you don't, others will be encouraged to do the same.

I further suggest that we were sucker-punched while standing in the middle of a number of people in the world who are sympathetic to the ones who punched us, if not perfectly willing to pile on themselves. Once the sucker-puncher has been dealt with, you had better quickly study his friends carefully, lest you become an enlightened idiot with a broken nose...

19 May, 2006

Giant Sucking Sound

I heard a good one on talk radio yesterday. Regarding the current hot topic of illegal immigration, the caller asked, "I thought NAFTA was supposed to cause all of our jobs to go south to Mexico- why are Mexicans still trying to get into this country?" Good question. Maybe one that Ross Perot could answer.

11 May, 2006

Hugo Chavez is an Ass.

Although I believe that boycotts are generally ineffective, I can't help but vote with my wallet and refuse to trade with Citgo from now on... Indirectly, doing business with Citgo benefits that Che/Castro wanna-be... That's the free market for you- we all have choices!

09 May, 2006

I Spoke Too Soon

regarding Mexico adopting a more sensible drug policy... I am the last guy to be a member of the 'blame America first' crowd, but Mexico only backed off this drug policy improvement after their neighbor to the north started flexing its anti-drug muscles... Just as Bush has never met a spending bill he didn't like, he apparently has the same love for all things prohibition. When will people learn that drug use, like alcohol, is a free market force that won't be denied?

06 May, 2006

Happy Anniversary, Baby

Just had my second anniversary a couple of days ago. It still blows my mind how different my life is now than just a few years ago. Wow. No trip to New York City this year, just dinner and a movie. I might surprise her again next year with another mystery trip- maybe a warm destination with plenty of scuba diving sites-

02 May, 2006

The Ride Home this Past Weekend

was worthwhile, but very challenging. With strong winds and rain all the way from Little Rock to Southeast Missouri, needless to say it was a little unnerving at times. Still had a great time, though. Assuming you and your bike remain in one piece, even a 'bad' motorcycle ride is better than none at all.
My friends and I went to the open house at BMW Motorcycles of Little Rock. The weather was bad, but they still had a crowd. Little Rock BMW has added Triumph motorcycles to their mix as well- they were certainly interesting to check out, especially the Triumph 'America' cruiser.

This Quad was also there on display. Wild stuff. I'm just not sure that folks here in the U.S. will pay nearly 50 K for a four-wheeler!

I will say this- after a ride like that one, my Cabela's Ultra-Dry Plus rainsuit was SO worth what I paid for it...

Even Mexico Recognizes

that trying to fight every little battle in the war against the free market in drugs is futile. (Arkanssouri blog)
I noticed the immigration protests got plenty of news coverage yesterday. I wonder when folks will begin to understand that in the free market for labor, as long as there is a great disparity between our illegal under-the-table wages for low-skilled work and what can be earned in Mexico, Mexicans will continue to attempt to enter this country and obtain a better life. You can't stop some people from using drugs, and you can't stop some people from seeking a better work situation...

27 April, 2006

Game, Set, Match...

  • Average oil company profit on a gallon of gasoline: 9 cents
  • Federal tax on a gallon of gasoline: 18.4 cents
  • The realization that the government is the real thief in this picture: priceless.

24 April, 2006

Aaaahhhh, Internet!

Internet is back- the last piece of the puzzle following the Caruthersville tornado of April 2... I can't resist posting one picture from the disaster, within sight of my house; a 40,000 gallon water tank (roughly 320,000 pounds) knocked off its supports like a golf ball falling off its tee:


On a lighter note, I went for a motorcycle ride to Cape Girardeau, Missouri this weekend. Had to check out the new owners of Grassroots BMW. It seems like they are good people, and the service should continue to be just as good as before. Next weekend, the ride will be to Little Rock, with the return journey going through the North-Central part of Arkansas. Should be plenty of scenery, hills, and curves. Can't ask for much more when you're riding.

18 April, 2006

Tax Day is Behind You,

But you're still working for all the various governmental agencies that mess with your life... After April, you should be working for yourself again. I got lucky this year; my 2005 payments/filing aren't due until June 5, since I live in a Federal disaster area... At least I can get interest on the money until then!

10 April, 2006

A Refugee No More

Damn! I forgot- I can't say the word refugee- what a Hurricane Katrina-related racist term! I meant that I'm no longer a temporarily displaced citizen. No internet yet, but I'll settle for power and water... Good to be back home.

03 April, 2006

Tornado!

Some excellent excitement on the natural disaster front- As you may have seen on the national news, Caruthersville was hit hard by a large tornado Sunday night. My trusty NOAA weather radio alerted me about 1/2 hour before it reached our area, so my family and I temporarily relocated to a friend's house in Arkansas. It turned out to be a great decision - houses within sight of ours were totally destroyed. With moderate damage to the house, your host has survived to write plenty more drivel here at D.R., so stay tuned!

29 March, 2006

It Never Ceases to Amaze Me

that young people will protest just about anything, without understanding much about the issue in question. Someone else is in power running the country, and there must be something wrong with the way the powerful are implementing their decisions. Of course, the powerful - whoever they are - have never been young, never had sex, never tried drugs and/or alcohol, and could not possibly understand the angst of today's youth... Nothing new under the sun? HA! The world has never seen anything like our generation! Yes, down with the man- we can do better! Uh-huh.

A few examples:
  • The 'globalization' protests of the late 1990s and 2000s: the protesters had no clue that globalization and free trade has raised the standard of living in most parts of the world, including here in the United States; they only believed that crap Nader spoon-fed them about losing 'American' jobs
  • The recent protests in France over the law that would allow French employers to fire workers under 26 years old at will: Unless France can enact more laws that repeal the old, economically crippling ones, the current unemployment rate of about 10% will look like child's play, and France will eventually become a poor country
  • The Mexican-American youth currently protesting the various iterations of the immigration bill here in the U.S.: Most versions of the bill allow their illegal immigrant relatives the chance to stay in the country and gain permanent legal residence over time- that's what they really want, verdad? Why protest against the thing you want most?
Someone far wiser than myself once said, "if you want to truly understand something, try and change it." Perhaps these angry youth should try and change it, not by blind protest, but by learning more about the issue at hand. Take some basic economics courses. Maybe a law class or two. Learn how the world really works. Get involved in a political party, or start your own. Vote (if you're a legal citizen). Run for office!

23 March, 2006

Isn't it Interesting

that the peaceniks who were rescued in Iraq were saved by the very people they despise most (the military)? I think it's great that the former captives are alive and in good condition, but I'm not sure that it was worth the risk to our (or any other country's) troops to conduct a rescue operation. These are people who were there to do nothing more than peacefully stir up more shit through the media- people who believe that the people of Iraq were better off before Hussein was removed than they are now... People who to my knowledge, have shown zero gratitude to the military that saved them...
My feeling is that if you're dumb enough to go into an unstable Islamic country during a time of an occupation and guerilla war, then don't expect the men with guns to come save you before the Islamofascists behead you... I'll mourn for your family, not for you.

20 March, 2006

Spring Has Sprung

At least the calendar says so... Much more motorcycle riding soon!

12 March, 2006

We've Arrived at a Fork in the Road

Politically, and economically. I want to talk about the path we're leaning towards, and it's not the right one. We should be ashamed of ourselves regarding the recent flap over the Dubai 'ports' issue. The Democrats involved were willing to give our country a black eye for domestic political gain. They really stand for nothing but bashing Bush. The Republicans have been exposed as all-around frauds in my opinion-not just on the Dubai deal. They talk a good Libertarian game when it come to the rule of law, free trade, and domestic spending restraint, but when the rubber meets the road, it all falls apart. They will probably get what they deserve in the upcoming elections. They've had control of the White House, the House of Representatives, and the Senate for most of the Bush adminisration, and here's what they've managed to do of any substance: kick ass in Afghanistan and Iraq, and enact some tax reductions. With that much control of the government, excuses no longer hold water. Our politicians talk about radically changing our energy policies. We could immediately (and substantially) reduce our reliance on foreign oil by removing the import tariffs on Brazilian sugar-based ethanol. Our politicians would rather us keep heavily subsidizing the domestic corn-based ethanol industries instead. It seems we are not that serious about changing our ways, are we?

Do we continue with this political madness? Unfortunately, I believe we will. Both parties are well-entrenched, with no real choice for people who believe in a government that is truly limited to its Constitutional functions. We talk free trade, but don't practice what we preach. The Social Security and Medicare time bombs are ticking away, and nobody in Congress has the guts to radically change them before our kids and grandkids have to deal with an economic meltdown. I find it interesting that people speak of Enron and Worldcom like they were biblical disasters. Both of those situations combined are merely a speck on an iceberg when it comes to the future implosion of the entitlement programs.

Regrading free trade issues, we've lost all our credibility. A major component of free trade is the free flow of capital, and that means that a Chinese company might own a U.S. oil company. A Dubai company might own some terminals at our ports. A U.S. company might own a company somewhere else. Big deal. I can see why our defense contractors should be strictly American. Otherwise, an obvious Constitutional function of our government could be compromised. Other than that, who cares? It's not like Dubai can take our port terminals with them. As I understand it, operating terminals at the ports is an unattractive, low-margin, slow-growth business. If so, that's why American companies are not interested in the business. We should be shaking the UAE's hand while muttering, "suckers!" under our breath. I remember when Japan was buying up real estate and U.S. businesses back in the 80's. This same isolationist sentiment was surfacing back then- it turns out the Japanese overpaid for most of their buying spree; remember Rockefeller Center?

Why would foreigners want to continue to do business with us? We talk a great free-trade game, but only when it benefits us. With our repeated mistreatment of our trading partners, you have to think that we're less attractive to do business with than before. For the time being, we will continue to be an economic powerhouse, and we won't have to worry about things too much. But someday, when China and India become major world economies, we will not be the biggest economic kid on the block. When the grass is greener on the non-U.S. side of the fence, will our current trading partners place such an importance on our markets? I don't think so.

Will we choose the right path and remain one of the most dynamic, economically-free technology leaders of the world? Or do we continue engaging in isolationist, hostile economic policies that will drive business and capital elsewhere? It's our call.

06 March, 2006

Support a Young Capitalist

An online acquaintance of mine, Sean Rife, has started what may become a nice little antidote to all the statist crap that seems to be popular with the kids these days (most of them have no clue that Che was a murderous thug) : the I-store. An example of one of his products:



Go check him out. I have one of his "i" logos affixed to my scuba tank.

27 February, 2006

Come to Caruthersville for the Hospitality, Stay for the Sex Education!

In the unconfirmed talk-of-the-town department, it seems that one of the teachers in the Caruthersville School District has taken sex education into her own hands... The word is that an as-yet-unnamed female teacher is sharing her expertise with girls on how to satisfy their boyfriends without 'doing it.' If this is true, I think that parents have a right to know about it. Perhaps KFVS-12 TV will come down again and really press for answers this time. Just two years ago, some teachers were "allegedly" involved in a nude hide-and-seek swinger game in the school (after hours, of course) - no substantive action was taken by the board. I wonder what will happen this time?

Perhaps the administration or a board member could set this all to rest by commenting below and either confirming or denying the situation...

22 February, 2006

Wal-Mart Common Stock has Lost Its Mojo

( I am currently not an owner of the common shares)

How can the company get it back? Let's put aside all the current controversy about Wal-Mart's morality, etc. I have written both positively (here and here) and negatively (here) about their business practices. The bottom line is this: things are going along just fine operationally, so why has the stock been so brain-dead for the last few years? Are investors just scared of all the Wal-Mart Jihadists* out there attempting to destroy the company? Perhaps.

What can the company do about it? Forget all the b.s. stock splits they were famous for in the past... Here's my suggestion: RAISE THE FREAKING DIVIDEND! The dividend on WMT has always been puny; the company could raise it substantially and still have enough capital for expansion... Something has to be done to re-kindle investor's interest. Weigh in with your ideas in the comments section. Believe it or not, their P.R. firms do read blogs, as I have received an email from one of them about one of my Wal-Mart related posts in the past.

*I may have coined a term here- a quick Google search of 'Wal-Mart Jihadists' doesn't really come up with anything other than articles that mentioned both words in separate places... 'Wal-Mart Jihadists' will henceforth be used in this blog to describe the irrelevant, failing unions that are losing their battle with the company, as well as the politicians and main-stream media types who sympathize with the same.

19 February, 2006

Things are a Bit Slow Around the Old Blog Here...

It seems my daily visits have fallen off a bit lately, but I do have a handful of semi-regular readers. Hmmm. Maybe it's the plain-jane blog design. Maybe people are getting bored with blogs in general. It could be the crappy writing! What to do to get the hits back up? Perhaps I should mention Anna Benson Nude like the New American Revolutionist- he gets lots of traffic from that one! Nah- I'll just keep it boring for now, ranting whenever the mood hits me.

About this weekend, we did make it up to St. Louis for the party. It was really good to see some of the old crew there. It's kinda strange, but most of the people (with few exceptions) that I would consider to be trustworthy friends are scattered all over the country and unavailable for frequent in-person visits. I don't get to talk to all of them as regularly as in the past, but it seems like we pick up wherever we left off without missing a beat.

17 February, 2006

Winter weather permitting,

the Wife and I will be headed up to St. Louis tomorrow night to attend a party. It will be good to have a break from the kids, and perhaps participate in some legitimate adult conversations! Salud...

14 February, 2006

E*Trade Update

I previously griped about E*Trade. While I still say their customer service sucks in general, I managed to get a hold of a customer service rep today who not only knew his business, but was also willing to immediately go and get the answer I was looking for. My confidence in the company is slowly starting to increase. I hope I luck out and get the same guy on the phone for any future service issues. Fat chance, right? Here's where I stand with them now:

Trading platform/web site: excellent
Commission pricing: excellent
Customer service: lacking, but there is a glimmer of hope

06 February, 2006

For All You Who Think

That appeasement is the right path to take with Islamic extremists, go check out this post by the New American Revolutionist... Once again, he's right on the money. (great pic there as well- shows you the type of people who are determined to fundamentally change your way of life)

05 February, 2006

Good Riddance

To the 18 year-old idiot from this story: The Seattle Times: 2 slain in capture of gay-bar fugitive

His shootout with police ultimately saved the taxpayers a lot of money for imprisonment, trials, and perhaps an execution (in Arkansas)... This was one of those situations where justice was achieved before the wheels of the 'system' started turning.

01 February, 2006

Democracy is Overrated!

Democracy is overrated. Wait, you say- how can a hawkish libertarian capitalist pig jerk say something like that? I'll get to that in a moment. I've been really amused at all the people who are shocked about Hamas being democratically elected in Palestine. Did you really think the Palestinian people were interested in moving along the 'road map' to a peaceful coexistence with Israel? What people say and what they do are often two different things, you poor sweet kid...

Hamas' victory is what the people wanted, and it's a prime example of democracy being overrated- people don't realize that democracy is just a nice word for mob rule. The mob's decisions aren't always good ones. A country of 51% men could win a democratic vote as to the legality of rape- certainly not a moral outcome for the women. History is littered with terrible collective decisions. The Salem witch 'trials' from our own history immediately come to mind.

Only when democracy is checked by a strong, well-defended Constitution that denounces the irresponsible use of force and holds the individual's rights above the mob can the system work. The fact that our Congress and Supreme Court have pissed all over our Constitution is a topic for another day. Just understand that our goal of spreading democracy across the world will only work when the framework of individual freedom and free markets is laid first.

27 January, 2006

E*Trade Sucks

I became an E*Trade customer when they bought Harris Direct Brokerage... E*trade seems to work fine, but it's been almost a month and they haven't resolved a fairly serious customer service issue for me. E*Trade is too big to miss my account if I move it, so maybe arbitration is in the future... I may end up being a happy customer, but they have a really big mountain to climb. I can't recommend them to any family or friends at the moment.

24 January, 2006

Looking up in Canada

It looks like the conservatives are in power now in Canada... I hear they may try to eliminate the capital gains tax there. Before you lefties start trotting out the old- 'another tax break for the rich,' try to realize that you've never been hired by a poor man... Elimination of the capital gains tax will do nothing but strengthen an already strong economy.

I've been investing in Canada for about a year now, and things are looking even better. Go Canucks!

19 January, 2006

This Plantation will be Vanilla at the End of the Day

Wait a minute! This post isn't supposed to be about racists Nagin and Clinton! (see previous post) This is an update on a particular societal leech: Jackington Viego points out the update on the woman who attempted to extort Wendy's about the finger in her chili... She got 9 years! Excellent... that may just restore enough faith in my fellow man to get me out of my funk... Yes, indeed.

17 January, 2006

He Who Smelled It Dealt It

Have you noticed that the person who speaks up quickly and loudly about another person's behavior is often guilty of behavior that's just as offensive? Sometimes even the very behavior they're railing against? By now, you've heard the unbelievably racist comments made on MLK day by New Orleans Mayor Ray 'Chocolate' Nagin... A recap of a couple, in case you missed out:

"We ask black people ... It's time for us to come together. It's time for us to rebuild New Orleans – the one that should be a chocolate New Orleans," the mayor said. "And I don't care what people are saying in Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day."
"This city will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be. You can't have New Orleans no other way. It wouldn't be New Orleans."

I very well remember Nagin screaming something about racism and the slow response to Hurricane Katrina by the Federal government... Now we all can see who is racist. I also enjoyed his comments on God being angry at America- sending us "hurricane after hurricane." Hey Nagin- it's called the weather; please note also that America's greedy, horrible pharmaceutical companies have done wonders with anti-psychotic medications these days! Call your doctor and ask about a prescription.

12 January, 2006

I Am in a Funk

and I'm not sure why. Maybe I am disappointed that the Maryland state legislature would actually have the audacity to dictate to Wal-Mart what its costs will be. If Wal-Mart's health-care benefits are too low for you, then don't work there. Folks, we've seen the results of the old command-and-control economies; they don't work, and nothing has changed in that department. I know that Wal-Mart would never do it, but it would make my year if Wal-Mart responded to the law by unceremoniously pulling out of Maryland, dumping all those horrible, low-paying jobs. There are apparently plenty of people in this country willing to work for them, and plenty of states out there glad to have the local jobs and tax dollars they provide.

Perhaps that's not the cause of my funk. It is sad, however. While I'm ranting about employment, I continue with this: All those industrial union types who demanded lavish pensions and artificially high pay in the past are now realizing that the birds come home to roost (Think General Motors (I say GM goes bankrupt by the end of 2007) , Delphi, Ford, etc). Pretty soon, no employer to pay them anything. Damn. Take that, Local ### worker- you may not have a job, but by golly you fought for your 'fair share.' You showed them.

Nah, it can't be that stuff. It's not enough to put me in a prolonged bad mood. Things are only temporarily out of phase, however. I know this because I rarely experience the funk, but when I do, it seems to resolve itself. Back to the grind. I have work to do.

10 January, 2006

Here's the Angle

on the coal mine disaster mentioned in my last post, and why it's Bush's fault (in the minds of the lefties): lax regulation and enforcement. From the Seattle Times article: Large fines are rare, and the most serious sanctions — such as closing mines — are almost never used, documents show.
This pattern has been even more pronounced under the Bush administration, which came into office with a promise to forge cooperative ties between regulators and the mining industry. During the past five years, the number of mines referred to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution has dropped steadily, from 38 in 2000 to 12 last year.
Meanwhile, inspectors who sought to impose large fines on coal companies have seen those penalties whittled down by agency negotiators and administrative-law judges.


The miners have hardly been buried, and the lefties are trying to make political hay of the situation. Not surprising, but sad. Of course, Congressional investigations/hearings have been called for. I will give them this: at least it's more important than steroids in Major League Baseball...

04 January, 2006

Some Observations

The new year is off to a great start, at least personally. Hopefully it has for you as well. Some observations for the past week:

  • Dick Clark was actually on TV for New Year's Eve. He is clearly a man that deserves much admiration, but it's time to call it quits.
  • It's only a matter of time before someone figures out how to blame Bush for the coal mine disaster in West Virginia.
  • I predicted that foreign investors would shy away from Russia due to Putin's power grab, but I didn't expect that high-level insiders would bail on him so quickly... From the article: "This year, Russia has become a different country," said Illarionov, citing the most recent report by the U.S.-based Freedom House. "It is no longer a democratic country. It is no longer a free country." And: "Six years ago, when I took this position, I was planning to create conditions to increase economic freedom in Russia" continued Illarionov. "The situation has radically changed and there is no longer room to follow a policy of economic freedom."

Predictions for 2006? Here's one that doesn't go out on a limb very far at all: Energy prices in the USA remain extremely volatile, due to a lack of refining capacity (we've really done nothing so far to solve the problem- maybe India and China will stop growing and demand will wane? Wrong!) and more Gulf of Mexico hurricanes... The highs for the price of crude oil get tested once again. Another: The continuing anti-capitalist/anti-USA sentiment in South America ratchets up a few notches, probably due to some insane policy decisions by Venezuela and/or Bolivia.

You heard it here fir-- well, you heard it here.