One of their latest. The Cactus Cuties sing again.
MUD
7/04/2009
7/03/2009
New Terms
PONZI Scheme - a Fraud that takes a couple million dollars away from investors by paying old investors with the money from new investors.
MADOFF Scheme - promise to pay a rate that is too good to be true by expanding a Ponzi to the big leagues. Really pay the "salesmen" great salaries to bring in the money from charities that need to even out their money flows. This runs into the Billion to two billion range.
PELOSI Scheme - wait until the times go bad and then spend Trillions of dollars with no hope of ever returning any of it. Promise no tax increases then pass a Cap and Trade bill that will cost each person well over $100 a month in higher utility rates next year. Promise to not tax medical benefits and then change the program where it all flows through the government and everyone will pay with higher costs and get poorer care. Spend 6% of the stimulus money and tell everyone we need another one just to keep the ball rolling.
Ponzi was deported. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years. What will it take to get the Pelosi Scheme off our back? I know, lets re-elect no one next time.
MUD
MADOFF Scheme - promise to pay a rate that is too good to be true by expanding a Ponzi to the big leagues. Really pay the "salesmen" great salaries to bring in the money from charities that need to even out their money flows. This runs into the Billion to two billion range.
PELOSI Scheme - wait until the times go bad and then spend Trillions of dollars with no hope of ever returning any of it. Promise no tax increases then pass a Cap and Trade bill that will cost each person well over $100 a month in higher utility rates next year. Promise to not tax medical benefits and then change the program where it all flows through the government and everyone will pay with higher costs and get poorer care. Spend 6% of the stimulus money and tell everyone we need another one just to keep the ball rolling.
Ponzi was deported. Madoff was sentenced to 150 years. What will it take to get the Pelosi Scheme off our back? I know, lets re-elect no one next time.
MUD
Typical
Yesterday the MG spent a lot of time dragging the hose around to all the new little trees to make sure they got a drink. This morning it has rained about an inch.
I wonder if cold Taco Pizza is as good as the meat lover's Pizza?
MUD
I wonder if cold Taco Pizza is as good as the meat lover's Pizza?
MUD
7/02/2009
7/01/2009
My View - 7 Deadly Sins Reviewed
The Seven Deadly Sins was discussed on Flea's World and It made sense, at least to me, for it to be the place to start talking about things that worked for me. This might be one of those blogs that hits the trash but for now, here it is.
Pride - My father worked for Beech Aircraft for 40 years in Quality Control. He always talked about what he felt was a big problem in that people didn't take pride in their work. I always felt like that If a man couldn't feel pride in himself, who would. I wonder if I spend too much time worrying about this area. Who cares if when I finish mowing what it looks like. ME!
Envy - Now here is one of the silliest things I try to never get involved in. Your new car or new house or new clothes should bring you pleasure not make me feel bad. I have always smiled when someone got a medal, a promotion or met one of their life goals. I try to do my best and that is more often than not, is good enough.
Gluttony- There is always that little kid in me that wants to eat that whole damned bag of circus peanuts. Every once in a while I want to eat a cheeseburger, drink a chocolate malt and have a side order of onion rings. It is tougher to not let this side of me set in when I have enough money to spend $50.00 on a junk food run to Wal*Mart.
Lust - I think there is a side to every guy that jumps out now and then that makes us lust after things or people we can't have. It is what we do when no one is watching that is the important part. I can't speak for women but I'm sure that at least 50% of the people in every illicit liaison fit that category. (Well, perhaps that number might be off a little bit)
Greed - There is a part of me that says this is a driver and not a bad thing. Growing up with little extra gives me that need to exceed or give in to greed and accrue things beyond what I really need. My stuff piles up bigger than your stuff so I win, or not.
Sloth - Suffering from Attention deficit Disorder, this is foreign to me. I can spend more time doing things than anyone I know. I guess if all this doing is not really fully productive it is for naught. Oh well, yards to mow and places to go. Get up off your butt and do something even if it is not the best thing to do. I did benefit from using a Franklin Planner when I was working. I had to focus my activity.
Anger - Somewhere about the age of 50 I gave in to this. I really never did suffer fools gladly but now I am way to quick to fire and forget when discretion might be the better part of valor. Treat me nice and you will find a friend for life. Screw me over and you will find me hard to be with.
BONUS - STUPID - I don't think ignorant people are bad. You don't know what you don't know. But, when you do something that is so hard to swallow that a normal reasonable person just couldn't believe it to their core, I will cry foul. This doesn't include those silly little things that we all do as a mistake, but those things that we flagrantly do and then try to convince others that it is OK. My reaction is to give in to the seventh sin and to move on mad.
Did this help, hurt or just give you something to spend some time doing something different.
MUD
Pride - My father worked for Beech Aircraft for 40 years in Quality Control. He always talked about what he felt was a big problem in that people didn't take pride in their work. I always felt like that If a man couldn't feel pride in himself, who would. I wonder if I spend too much time worrying about this area. Who cares if when I finish mowing what it looks like. ME!
Envy - Now here is one of the silliest things I try to never get involved in. Your new car or new house or new clothes should bring you pleasure not make me feel bad. I have always smiled when someone got a medal, a promotion or met one of their life goals. I try to do my best and that is more often than not, is good enough.
Gluttony- There is always that little kid in me that wants to eat that whole damned bag of circus peanuts. Every once in a while I want to eat a cheeseburger, drink a chocolate malt and have a side order of onion rings. It is tougher to not let this side of me set in when I have enough money to spend $50.00 on a junk food run to Wal*Mart.
Lust - I think there is a side to every guy that jumps out now and then that makes us lust after things or people we can't have. It is what we do when no one is watching that is the important part. I can't speak for women but I'm sure that at least 50% of the people in every illicit liaison fit that category. (Well, perhaps that number might be off a little bit)
Greed - There is a part of me that says this is a driver and not a bad thing. Growing up with little extra gives me that need to exceed or give in to greed and accrue things beyond what I really need. My stuff piles up bigger than your stuff so I win, or not.
Sloth - Suffering from Attention deficit Disorder, this is foreign to me. I can spend more time doing things than anyone I know. I guess if all this doing is not really fully productive it is for naught. Oh well, yards to mow and places to go. Get up off your butt and do something even if it is not the best thing to do. I did benefit from using a Franklin Planner when I was working. I had to focus my activity.
Anger - Somewhere about the age of 50 I gave in to this. I really never did suffer fools gladly but now I am way to quick to fire and forget when discretion might be the better part of valor. Treat me nice and you will find a friend for life. Screw me over and you will find me hard to be with.
BONUS - STUPID - I don't think ignorant people are bad. You don't know what you don't know. But, when you do something that is so hard to swallow that a normal reasonable person just couldn't believe it to their core, I will cry foul. This doesn't include those silly little things that we all do as a mistake, but those things that we flagrantly do and then try to convince others that it is OK. My reaction is to give in to the seventh sin and to move on mad.
Did this help, hurt or just give you something to spend some time doing something different.
MUD
Conventional Wisdom
Every Once in a While, (Does this replace Once Upon a Time) I read an article that causes me to stop and rethink some of the conventional wisdom that I heard growing up. For Example:
GET A JOB AND KEEP IT - There was once a time when employers hired people and did their best to keep them through thick and thin. You could go to work for somebody and make a career out of it. Other than the Post Office, Police Department and Fire Departments that is not nearly as true as it was. Even our local School Board who kept people I would have fired is less likely to keep people and hire and fire to make budget. Be prepared to move from Company to Company to move up.
BUY A HOUSE - If you are going to change jobs more often, it doesn't make sense to buy a house at every stop. The old days of appreciation in the housing market may be over and renting might be an option that gives you more freedom. I can't imagine living in an area where a house costs several hundred Thousand and needing to sell it and move. That once stable thing in your life could be the anchor that sinks your financial plans. On the other hand, if you can afford to put 20% down and pay it off in 15 years buying a house might be for you. Those qualifiers will keep a lot of people out of owning.
GET A COLLEGE DEGREE - There are a bunch of jobs out there today where well qualified workers can make a good living without the benefit of a college degree. Our neighbor's boy went to a local lineman's school and got hired at the end of his second semester because of the need for people to run electric lines. He is an apprentice but started well over $10.00 per hour and will be in the $20.00 per hour at the end of this year. There are similar opportunities in the automotive repair, air conditioning area and I think solar and wind energy areas will soon have a lot of opportunities. I think there is a whole new ballgame starting in building that retrofits, re insulates and makes property more energy efficient.
BUY A NEW CAR - I am sure that in the era of the 50's, 60's and even into the 70's the life span of a car was shorter and it made sense to trade in your vehicle every couple of years to have dependable transportation. More and more the cars are lasting 200,000 miles and it makes sense to buy a good used car and drive it until the wheels fall off. Yes, I do support proper maintenance on your cars. The depreciation a new car suffers the first year can run several thousand dollars. Add to that cost the high tax rate and sales tax and it could easily be as much as we paid for houses a couple of years back. Those 2008 cars just off lease that run about $12,000 are a bargain compared to the new cars at nearer $20,000. Dollar per mile is a lot more important than smiles per miles.
INCOME MUST BE GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO OUTGO - This is one of the few things I don't disagree with. I think that having a life where you buy those things that you need not the things you want will make you happy in the long run. Wanting what you have not getting what you want is more often good enough. For those of you starting out in life, this equation might be off for a year or two but in the long haul you must pay attention.
BUY STOCK - The problem with this is who will buy it when I retire? I don't see a lot of the kids out there heavily investing in the stock market to keep it high so I can get my money back. I also have been a miserable picker in this arena. Hell, even my Blue Chip GM stock that paid dividends of 50 cents per quarter for years has tanked.
Tomorrow I will write about some ideas that have worked for me. Got to go call my momma, that's always good advice.
MUD
GET A JOB AND KEEP IT - There was once a time when employers hired people and did their best to keep them through thick and thin. You could go to work for somebody and make a career out of it. Other than the Post Office, Police Department and Fire Departments that is not nearly as true as it was. Even our local School Board who kept people I would have fired is less likely to keep people and hire and fire to make budget. Be prepared to move from Company to Company to move up.
BUY A HOUSE - If you are going to change jobs more often, it doesn't make sense to buy a house at every stop. The old days of appreciation in the housing market may be over and renting might be an option that gives you more freedom. I can't imagine living in an area where a house costs several hundred Thousand and needing to sell it and move. That once stable thing in your life could be the anchor that sinks your financial plans. On the other hand, if you can afford to put 20% down and pay it off in 15 years buying a house might be for you. Those qualifiers will keep a lot of people out of owning.
GET A COLLEGE DEGREE - There are a bunch of jobs out there today where well qualified workers can make a good living without the benefit of a college degree. Our neighbor's boy went to a local lineman's school and got hired at the end of his second semester because of the need for people to run electric lines. He is an apprentice but started well over $10.00 per hour and will be in the $20.00 per hour at the end of this year. There are similar opportunities in the automotive repair, air conditioning area and I think solar and wind energy areas will soon have a lot of opportunities. I think there is a whole new ballgame starting in building that retrofits, re insulates and makes property more energy efficient.
BUY A NEW CAR - I am sure that in the era of the 50's, 60's and even into the 70's the life span of a car was shorter and it made sense to trade in your vehicle every couple of years to have dependable transportation. More and more the cars are lasting 200,000 miles and it makes sense to buy a good used car and drive it until the wheels fall off. Yes, I do support proper maintenance on your cars. The depreciation a new car suffers the first year can run several thousand dollars. Add to that cost the high tax rate and sales tax and it could easily be as much as we paid for houses a couple of years back. Those 2008 cars just off lease that run about $12,000 are a bargain compared to the new cars at nearer $20,000. Dollar per mile is a lot more important than smiles per miles.
INCOME MUST BE GREATER THAN OR EQUAL TO OUTGO - This is one of the few things I don't disagree with. I think that having a life where you buy those things that you need not the things you want will make you happy in the long run. Wanting what you have not getting what you want is more often good enough. For those of you starting out in life, this equation might be off for a year or two but in the long haul you must pay attention.
BUY STOCK - The problem with this is who will buy it when I retire? I don't see a lot of the kids out there heavily investing in the stock market to keep it high so I can get my money back. I also have been a miserable picker in this arena. Hell, even my Blue Chip GM stock that paid dividends of 50 cents per quarter for years has tanked.
Tomorrow I will write about some ideas that have worked for me. Got to go call my momma, that's always good advice.
MUD
6/30/2009
Minnesota Star
Well, they did it again. If Jesse Ventura wasn't bad enough, the Supreme Court of Minnesota decided that Al Franken is the new senator for the State of Minnesota. They get what they asked for and lets see if they are laughing at the next election.
Way to go!
MUD
Way to go!
MUD
Oh No I Didn't, Oh Yes I Did!
I think I have mentioned the Master Foods training and follow on volunteer training I am doing. Yesterday I spent two hours on an empty stomach telling people about the value of a proper diet and watching portions. That speech includes the food pyramid and how you need to spread your calories across the spectrum for proper nutrition. Then, I packed up my stuff in the truck and headed west to the new Hamburger joint.
By my calculations, I consumed well over 100 grams of fat, well over 1800 calories and there was simply not enough vegetables to mention. I feel like Hugh Hefner teaching abstinence. At least I didn't eat much else for the day. If you read yesterday's blog, you will realize that I didn't think too much of the quality of the experience. It is hard to be a food snob and a food hog at the same time.
The weatherman is telling us that not only did the Heat Wave break, we are due to get another light cool front by the 4th of July. It is very nice out there this morning and it should be mid 80's for the high temp today. It is cloudy right now and we might get some rain. I need to go to Dave's and do some trimming and a little mowing so I hope not.
For those that try to remember that poem or use the knuckle method to remember the days of the month, today is the last day of June. We will start July tomorrow and the Shawnee County Fair is going to happen. I found out that I will get to help set up and judge foods. I will be paired with an experienced judge and get to put my training/taste buds to work. I know what I taste and what's good by my standards. It is the blue ribbon standards that I need to learn.
Guess I had better get moving on or my butt will set in place. Miles to mow.
MUD
By my calculations, I consumed well over 100 grams of fat, well over 1800 calories and there was simply not enough vegetables to mention. I feel like Hugh Hefner teaching abstinence. At least I didn't eat much else for the day. If you read yesterday's blog, you will realize that I didn't think too much of the quality of the experience. It is hard to be a food snob and a food hog at the same time.
The weatherman is telling us that not only did the Heat Wave break, we are due to get another light cool front by the 4th of July. It is very nice out there this morning and it should be mid 80's for the high temp today. It is cloudy right now and we might get some rain. I need to go to Dave's and do some trimming and a little mowing so I hope not.
For those that try to remember that poem or use the knuckle method to remember the days of the month, today is the last day of June. We will start July tomorrow and the Shawnee County Fair is going to happen. I found out that I will get to help set up and judge foods. I will be paired with an experienced judge and get to put my training/taste buds to work. I know what I taste and what's good by my standards. It is the blue ribbon standards that I need to learn.
Guess I had better get moving on or my butt will set in place. Miles to mow.
MUD
6/29/2009
Flower Pictures
Barb read the last blog and while I was out today she took some more pictures of the flowers here.
Zennia
Regular Sunflower
Red Sunflower
It was a beautiful day here in Topeka. Hope yours was a good one also.
Asiatic Lilly
Zennia
Regular Sunflower
Red Sunflower
It was a beautiful day here in Topeka. Hope yours was a good one also.
MUD
Cheeburger, Cheeburger, Petsi
There is a new hamburger joint here in Topeka named after a Saturday Night Live sketch. It is called Cheeburger-Cheeburger. I went there for my first and last meal. It was well after the normal lunch period and I got seated in one of the few empty seats. After about five minutes a waitress came over and we discussed what I wanted.
They have cheeseburgers from five OZ up to a pound. You can have your choice of 12 cheeses and so many toppings that the list is several inches long. I ordered mine on a platter so the fries came with the meal. The platter was 9.98 and with a chocolate malt plus tax it was $15.00 and some change.
First of all I would have expected that the cook in the kitchen who made my burger to order would remember to season the burger. It tasted like it had no flavor other than what was on the bun. I asked for grilled onions and got raw onions. The bun fell apart about half way through the meal and I'm not sure what the hell the pickles tasted like. Even when I ate one of them separate it had so little taste as to be just departed from a cucumber. The Onion rings (instead of fries) were five little skinny things that unless dipped in the special horseradish sauce didn't have any taste either. For the sake of brevity, all I can say about the chocolate malt is that it was cold and chocolate.
So, if you are in Topeka and have a hankering for a great burger, drive to Lawrence and go to the Backyard burger.
MUD
They have cheeseburgers from five OZ up to a pound. You can have your choice of 12 cheeses and so many toppings that the list is several inches long. I ordered mine on a platter so the fries came with the meal. The platter was 9.98 and with a chocolate malt plus tax it was $15.00 and some change.
First of all I would have expected that the cook in the kitchen who made my burger to order would remember to season the burger. It tasted like it had no flavor other than what was on the bun. I asked for grilled onions and got raw onions. The bun fell apart about half way through the meal and I'm not sure what the hell the pickles tasted like. Even when I ate one of them separate it had so little taste as to be just departed from a cucumber. The Onion rings (instead of fries) were five little skinny things that unless dipped in the special horseradish sauce didn't have any taste either. For the sake of brevity, all I can say about the chocolate malt is that it was cold and chocolate.
So, if you are in Topeka and have a hankering for a great burger, drive to Lawrence and go to the Backyard burger.
MUD
Monday Morning
What do you get when you are married to a Master Gardner and she has a great camera with a nice selection of lenses? Yep, pictures of pretty flowers. The nice thing is that there are flowers everywhere here in the Heartland his year because of the nice mixture of sun and rain. If you think the flowers are great, you should see the corn and soybeans.
These flowers were all captured through the eyes of Barb and some are from our yard. Others were seen on the garden tour. While mowing yesterday, I saw an area of Rabbit Run that is just covered with wild flowers. I also noticed this morning that we have a sunflower blooming with a red flower. I'll see if Barb can catch that one in a day or so. It is out by the butterfly garden and that garden is almost over run with milkweed. Should be a great year when the Monarchs start back south.
These flowers were all captured through the eyes of Barb and some are from our yard. Others were seen on the garden tour. While mowing yesterday, I saw an area of Rabbit Run that is just covered with wild flowers. I also noticed this morning that we have a sunflower blooming with a red flower. I'll see if Barb can catch that one in a day or so. It is out by the butterfly garden and that garden is almost over run with milkweed. Should be a great year when the Monarchs start back south. MUD
6/28/2009
Lecompton Days
In the 1850's, few questions stirred up controversy with the passions as did the slavery issue. Kansas was a territory next to a slave state (Missouri) and many battles between the Free-Staters and the pro slavery people were held. In the effort to make Kansas a Free State a battle was held near Lecompton at Fort Titus. Col Titus was a pro slavery advocate and his homestead was attacked and he was captured. Lecompton was the Territorial Capital and a draft State Constitution was adopted there. The US Congress voted down that document and required new elections to be held to settle the question of Slavery in Kansas. During the Lecompton Territorial Days they re-inact this battle next to the Lane Museum. Dwight D. Eisenhower's parents met at Lane University. You would enjoy stopping at the Museum there in the old University building.
A Cannon crew prepares for the opening salvo of the battle
The fort falls and the men and Col Titus are captured
They brought a rope to hang Col Titus.
He plead for mercy and was spared because he was a Mason.
All over the United States there are summer activities that bring people to the small communities to celebrate who they are. These activities help raise money to support the activities that promote the heritage of our past. We started with a chicken diner at the local church and then watched in the bright sun the attack of Fort Titus. After we left there was an afternoon full of activities and the day ended with a street dance.
Very little of this would be done without the support of Paul Bahnmeyer
This is the Fort Titus Sign by Lane University
This is the Fort Titus Sign by Lane University
A Cannon crew prepares for the opening salvo of the battle
The Free Staters Prepare to attack
The fort falls and the men and Col Titus are captured
They brought a rope to hang Col Titus.
He plead for mercy and was spared because he was a Mason.
All over the United States there are summer activities that bring people to the small communities to celebrate who they are. These activities help raise money to support the activities that promote the heritage of our past. We started with a chicken diner at the local church and then watched in the bright sun the attack of Fort Titus. After we left there was an afternoon full of activities and the day ended with a street dance.
I would encourage you to get out and see some of the activities near you this summer. I'm sure that the re-inactors would appreciate your being there.
On a happy note, the Weather Bureau announced that the heat wave in officially over for a short while. It was a nice morning when I went out to get the paper. The cool front passed here without rain and tornadoes here near Topeka. The high today will be in the 80's after Heat Index Temps in the 100+ range.
Have a great weekend out there.
MUD
6/27/2009
Same Thought, Different Perspective
On NPR this morning someone pointed out that in Tienanmen Square, the person standing in front of a tank had courage. The second person said that the tank driver and his commander were the brave one's in stopping the tank. Clearly, a person would just crush beneath the tank but the driver and his commander were the one's that went against the might of the military to stop. They were the one's that had to stand inside the military and explain why the human rights of one person was as important. Clearly many of us saw the man standing in front of the tank and doubted about the safety of the man. Our perspective is important.
In Iran there is a movement to have people stand up for their rights and face the might of both the political party and the religious leaders in pointing out that they are in fact the reason for a country. I guess unless things are taken away from us we will not realize how important our freedoms really are.
On the morning talk radio here in Topeka, Dave Ramsey talks to people that are just striving to get out of debt and those newly arrived. I think he needs to have a program where those that have made it share experiences of how they live once they achieve financial freedom. We have been pretty much debt free for 10 years and fully understand the concept of income and outgo. If we want a new(er) car we save to get there. We don't have to worry about borrowing money to replace the big window in the living room the same month as replacing the A/C A Coil. Just this week I was talking to a retired friend who bought a new house a few years back. In spite of selling a nice house and having all their parents pass away, they are still making payments on the new house. Makes me wonder what they must think each month as they make that house payment.
Oh well, I didn't start this to gloat, only to point out that problems and solutions can and do look differently from different perspectives. This has been the week of deaths and I'll add another name to that list. Don Coldsmith a Doctor from Emporia who wrote about 40 books on the Plains Indians passed away at the KU Med Center. While at the Western Writer's convention he suffered a stroke. I would hope that when I die, I'm doing something I enjoy with a group of people I want to be with. At 83, he had lived a good life and I hope his family finds the memories of his life and his books ample reward for his life. He was one of the writers that gave a human face to the Plains Indians that made me aware of the depth of their lives and gave me a compassion for the true founders our our country.
Gave a great day out there.
MUD
In Iran there is a movement to have people stand up for their rights and face the might of both the political party and the religious leaders in pointing out that they are in fact the reason for a country. I guess unless things are taken away from us we will not realize how important our freedoms really are.
On the morning talk radio here in Topeka, Dave Ramsey talks to people that are just striving to get out of debt and those newly arrived. I think he needs to have a program where those that have made it share experiences of how they live once they achieve financial freedom. We have been pretty much debt free for 10 years and fully understand the concept of income and outgo. If we want a new(er) car we save to get there. We don't have to worry about borrowing money to replace the big window in the living room the same month as replacing the A/C A Coil. Just this week I was talking to a retired friend who bought a new house a few years back. In spite of selling a nice house and having all their parents pass away, they are still making payments on the new house. Makes me wonder what they must think each month as they make that house payment.
Oh well, I didn't start this to gloat, only to point out that problems and solutions can and do look differently from different perspectives. This has been the week of deaths and I'll add another name to that list. Don Coldsmith a Doctor from Emporia who wrote about 40 books on the Plains Indians passed away at the KU Med Center. While at the Western Writer's convention he suffered a stroke. I would hope that when I die, I'm doing something I enjoy with a group of people I want to be with. At 83, he had lived a good life and I hope his family finds the memories of his life and his books ample reward for his life. He was one of the writers that gave a human face to the Plains Indians that made me aware of the depth of their lives and gave me a compassion for the true founders our our country.
Gave a great day out there.
MUD
6/26/2009
How the Hell Did We get Here? What's next?
In the 70's, I studied at Wichita State and Kansas University. My study was Business as I tried to get a degree in Business without taking that dreaded Foreign Language. I finally settled on a BS in Business. The additional science credits avoided the foreign language. It did push me into calculus but I managed to scrape by with a D and pass was all that was required.
As I studied, I took finance classes, accounting classes and a couple of Tax Courses that did little to prepare me for the events happening out in the real world. In those days, banking and finance were two different worlds and kind of like the mythical Church and State separation they were not to cross breed or self pollinate. In fact since the depression they were directed to split with Banking to be a bit stuffy and Finance to be a little volatile or risky. (Glass-Segal Act of 1933)
As we entered the realm of Ronald Regan, there was a move to let deregulation take hold and some of the stuffy rules to be eased. The good news is that there was still a separation of the Congress and the Presidency that kept the pace steady in change but not one of absolute craziness.
Once the message of Ronald Regan began to hit home, we entered a period of asking why does the system control all the guidelines that work so hard to limit and restrict. Why should City Group not be allowed to make loans and then to capitalize the loans as investments? Beats the heck out of me, but it did fly in the face of what I learned in Business School. In 1999 the Congress and the President Bill Clinton asked those questions and in a lot of ways, the rules got thrown out with the bathwater. (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act 1999)
The age old tradition of citizens buying a home and that being the major investment in their portfolio changed to one of speculation in the whole market. I think it reflected the change in employment where people no longer worked for one company in one location their entire career. People began to move from home to home and job to job to move up rather than the age old move up in one system. Then somehow the profit in selling a home got untaxed and the whole system began to change.
Banks saw that they could capitalize the loans, they began to focus on growth through selling shares of an investment organization rather than protecting the loans on houses. Billions were made in the trading of the loans and transferring the loans to the Federal (Fannie May) system rather than managing the loans. It was almost like everyone closed their eyes to the excesses and if you could make more money by owning a home who cared? Simply put, people in California could buy a house, live in it for a couple of years and sell it for about a 10% a year gain. It did not matter how much money you could pay on the principle of the base loan, the gain would make everyone well. It was a Ponzi scheme so big that no one would or could shout stop for fear they would be left holding the bag. I cannot imagine a home in Topeka with no yard or place to park selling for $400,000. That is less than the average price for a home in Washington, D.C.
In my humble opinion, the limit of the amount of money that could be invested was reached and as the housing market began to slow, the payment of the mortgage began to be more important than what you could make on the sale of the home. Foreclosures have flooded the market and losses have the market swimming in red. The government owned the paper on more real estate than the market could bare. Those people that have been making money on selling and the capitalization of the housing market began to realize that the soft market has exposed the weakness of the whole mess.
The 8 years of Bush 43 did nothing to help clear up the mess and now that Barry has inherited the mess, everyone wants to know what are we going to do now. Massive debt has been placed on the shoulders of the taxpayers and the system shored up. If that was all the congress did for a couple of years we would all be well served.
What are they doing? As if they didn't understand the enormity of the situation, we have Government taking over the Auto Industry. Next they are proposing Cap and Trade (the giant Ponzi Scheme to give Congress all the money they want) and want to Federalize the Health Care system.
Cap and Trade will raise your utility rates by over $100 a month next year. If it cured the CO2 problem it would be a good thing. The truth is congress will not spend any of the money for bettering the environment. It will sweeten the pot of money the congress will have to spend next year. It will help rob the economy of needed capital and the slow down will further hurt the economy.
If you love the Medicare system and Social Security, you should love Federalized Health Care. I for one don't think the idea of expanding the idea of free Medical Care is a good idea. The States have faced the health care issue for years thanks to congress. I would encourage you to talk to your State Legislator to see if they think the system works.
Yes, I did move from how did we get here to where I fear we are going. You try to write it down any better. I'll be glad to read your side of this. I read that the Devil is in the details. The devil of this deal is that less than half of the people out there are paying attention. I'm not sure that half of them even begin to understand how important this issue is. Just when I think our Government should be in a hide and watch mode, they feel they need to try to right more wrongs with money they don't have.
MUD
As I studied, I took finance classes, accounting classes and a couple of Tax Courses that did little to prepare me for the events happening out in the real world. In those days, banking and finance were two different worlds and kind of like the mythical Church and State separation they were not to cross breed or self pollinate. In fact since the depression they were directed to split with Banking to be a bit stuffy and Finance to be a little volatile or risky. (Glass-Segal Act of 1933)
As we entered the realm of Ronald Regan, there was a move to let deregulation take hold and some of the stuffy rules to be eased. The good news is that there was still a separation of the Congress and the Presidency that kept the pace steady in change but not one of absolute craziness.
Once the message of Ronald Regan began to hit home, we entered a period of asking why does the system control all the guidelines that work so hard to limit and restrict. Why should City Group not be allowed to make loans and then to capitalize the loans as investments? Beats the heck out of me, but it did fly in the face of what I learned in Business School. In 1999 the Congress and the President Bill Clinton asked those questions and in a lot of ways, the rules got thrown out with the bathwater. (Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act 1999)
The age old tradition of citizens buying a home and that being the major investment in their portfolio changed to one of speculation in the whole market. I think it reflected the change in employment where people no longer worked for one company in one location their entire career. People began to move from home to home and job to job to move up rather than the age old move up in one system. Then somehow the profit in selling a home got untaxed and the whole system began to change.
Banks saw that they could capitalize the loans, they began to focus on growth through selling shares of an investment organization rather than protecting the loans on houses. Billions were made in the trading of the loans and transferring the loans to the Federal (Fannie May) system rather than managing the loans. It was almost like everyone closed their eyes to the excesses and if you could make more money by owning a home who cared? Simply put, people in California could buy a house, live in it for a couple of years and sell it for about a 10% a year gain. It did not matter how much money you could pay on the principle of the base loan, the gain would make everyone well. It was a Ponzi scheme so big that no one would or could shout stop for fear they would be left holding the bag. I cannot imagine a home in Topeka with no yard or place to park selling for $400,000. That is less than the average price for a home in Washington, D.C.
In my humble opinion, the limit of the amount of money that could be invested was reached and as the housing market began to slow, the payment of the mortgage began to be more important than what you could make on the sale of the home. Foreclosures have flooded the market and losses have the market swimming in red. The government owned the paper on more real estate than the market could bare. Those people that have been making money on selling and the capitalization of the housing market began to realize that the soft market has exposed the weakness of the whole mess.
The 8 years of Bush 43 did nothing to help clear up the mess and now that Barry has inherited the mess, everyone wants to know what are we going to do now. Massive debt has been placed on the shoulders of the taxpayers and the system shored up. If that was all the congress did for a couple of years we would all be well served.
What are they doing? As if they didn't understand the enormity of the situation, we have Government taking over the Auto Industry. Next they are proposing Cap and Trade (the giant Ponzi Scheme to give Congress all the money they want) and want to Federalize the Health Care system.
Cap and Trade will raise your utility rates by over $100 a month next year. If it cured the CO2 problem it would be a good thing. The truth is congress will not spend any of the money for bettering the environment. It will sweeten the pot of money the congress will have to spend next year. It will help rob the economy of needed capital and the slow down will further hurt the economy.
If you love the Medicare system and Social Security, you should love Federalized Health Care. I for one don't think the idea of expanding the idea of free Medical Care is a good idea. The States have faced the health care issue for years thanks to congress. I would encourage you to talk to your State Legislator to see if they think the system works.
Yes, I did move from how did we get here to where I fear we are going. You try to write it down any better. I'll be glad to read your side of this. I read that the Devil is in the details. The devil of this deal is that less than half of the people out there are paying attention. I'm not sure that half of them even begin to understand how important this issue is. Just when I think our Government should be in a hide and watch mode, they feel they need to try to right more wrongs with money they don't have.
MUD
6/25/2009
Friday Stuff
Indigo Bunting
Yes, this my driveway and I'm too busy to move 
Karen Stahel Garden at Tecumseh South School
Barb keeps this full of flowers and looking good
How much grass could a grass mower mow if I drive fast and not too slow
Clematis, love the flower, not the color
Dragonfly in the garden
Barb is always saying I need to post more pictures so I selected a few of the 85 on the card. I try to stay away from the 4 giga bite card because it has over 1200 pictures on it. With my machine, the individual pictures have to be downloaded or found and then only the new one's are actually put in a file. The first step takes about 10 minutes so I try to not go there.
Barb and I went to Best Buy the other day to pick up Dave and he indicated that they had the latest and greatest NIKON camera in their display. Never have I seen such a messed up system. The kid in the camera department actually opened about 20 cabinets before he admitted that the camera we wanted was no longer in the store. His boss (at least an older guy that looked appropriately pissed off about the whole thing) looked on the computer and said it is no longer on their inventory. I guess a $3,000 camera is just inventory to the person who doesn't have to pay for it. It really dawned on me that NIKON has a screwy way to number their cameras. They have figured out that their digital cameras should have a D and then a number but from there it is sheer madness to figure out what the new position is. For example they have a D3X that is about $6,000 and is the top of the line professional studio model. It had a lot of ability to capture pictures in a large format. It lacks the bells and whistles of the later models but is the choice for the capture of a lot of Megapixtels. There is a series of cameras from D40 to D90 (They did drop our D-70 number for some reason) and then there is a D500 and a D7000. Oh well, someone at NIKON should get this straight and renumber the cameras or issue a game guide so we will all understand.
I am normally a fairly compassionate person and I wish Farah had lived longer. In the case of that other guy that is a drug using, crotch grabbing child molester who died of an apparent overdose, I don't care. I love music but the music is the product not the person making the music. I think it is stupid to listen to people come on TV and tell us how bad the pain was and how that led that un-named pervert to taking multiple drugs to avert the pain. Take enough stuff, and you too will die at 50. A man should stand for something and put his money to a good use. To create an amusement park is not high on my list of those things he should do. Kill yourself with drugs, and I'll put you in a box and bury you away in my memory.
Better go find something to do. My back hurts this morning and I need drugs. Naproxin Sodium is the limit of that need.
MUD
Guess What?
Konza Prairie House. My dream garage/vacation home
Butterfly Milkweed. Pretty stuff
Asiatic Lillies in bloom.
Dragonfly
We got another 1/2 inch rain yesterday.(Barb said 3/4's of an inch) It is hot as hell out there but the rain has arrived just in time most of the spring and early summer. IT is cool this AM and Barb wants to load up the bikes and go for a ride. I think that's a darned fine idea. See you all later.
Conundrum of the day: It seems like almost all the new tools are going digital electronic. That means that as often as not, I go to use a tool and find the battery dead. I am pretty sure that I can't just lay in a supply of the odd battery's so it means that I have to make a trip to Walgreen's
There has to be a better way. Most of them come in a 2 pack and the tire pressure gauge uses three. If I can't use the 4th battery right away, there is little chance I'll find it when I need it next time. Don't get me started on the disposal issue.
MUD
Conundrum of the day: It seems like almost all the new tools are going digital electronic. That means that as often as not, I go to use a tool and find the battery dead. I am pretty sure that I can't just lay in a supply of the odd battery's so it means that I have to make a trip to Walgreen's
There has to be a better way. Most of them come in a 2 pack and the tire pressure gauge uses three. If I can't use the 4th battery right away, there is little chance I'll find it when I need it next time. Don't get me started on the disposal issue.
MUD
6/24/2009
About 3 Hours
If you wonder how long I can stand to mow in this heat, 3 hours. About a half a gallon of water, 2 Popsicle's and a cold piece of pie later I may have enough energy to stand up in the shower. There was this one time I had to sit on the floor and let he water do the work. That which doesn't kill us can still be a beast.
MUD
MUD
Wow, it's Warm
The heat index hit 106 yesterday and it hit an honest to god 100 here in Topeka yesterday. Barb and I took a short road trip and when we would stop or slow down in traffic the AC would almost get warm. Way to hot to be out and about for long. Just as I saw it was 102 in Lawrence we saw a guy out on a mower. Crazy Man.
The new Garmin nuvi is very interesting. It did not find the Price Chopper store until we were in Kansas City. The good news is that it is right at the end of the 18th street expressway and 48th street. That store has produce from Mexico that I haven't seen any where else. Their cuts of meat were great for grilling fajitas and a sea food selection that looked great. We didn't partake of any of the meat because of the temperatures. We have one of those silvery bags from Sam's club but even with that it was way too warm for fish and an hour long car trip.
Yesterday on the cooking channel they showed two programs back to back that had my name written all over them. The first was my favorite fried foods section. What's not to like when Jiada De Lorentis eats fried doughnuts and they had tempura fried bacon. That program was followed by my favorite, BBQ. This close on the heals of Father's Day I still have some "Planned Overs" in the Fridge from Sunday. There was one dish that was BBQ shrimp. Not just shrimp on the Barbie, but cooked in a dish of hot sauce, butter and lemon. I'll bet I gained ten pounds watching that program. There was one segment where they covered Salt Lick BBQ down by Austin. I have been there and am not as big a fan of the hot vinegar based sauce in Texas. If they would let me bring my KC Masterpiece Hickory Smoke flavored sauce I would eat there often. (Or at least every time I am near there) I have started to put brats on the grill to serve with my chicken and steak. Oddly enough, I don't use a lot of BBQ sauce on the grill here. I believe that a good marinade and smoke flavor is just what the doctor ordered. Oh well, too hot to grill today.
Our porch cat was gone for a couple of days but arrived home hungry and full of weed stickers. He let me comb out most of them as he ate. If busy he will tolerate the brush. If not, he will hiss and bite. He still isn't too crazy about using the steel prongs on the tail when it is full of stick tights. I would feel better if he could gain some weight. I guess with all the traveling over to a nearby farm to visit the girls he just burns it off.
On an earlier post I mentioned the Flint Hills of Kansas. Those rolling hills don't seem like much at 70 MPH on the turnpike but get out and walk them and you'll see why I love them as much as I do. I know that Barbara loves them because she never missed a chance to take me to the Tall Grass Prairie or to one of the events scheduled in the Heartland. If you would like to see what's out there go to: http://flinthillsofkansas.blogspot.com/ I want to ride my recumbent in the Wamego 4th of July parade just one time.
Have fun out there.
MUD
6/23/2009
Huh?
On our trip to Spain, we could take pictures of wonderful buildings and places. What did Barb pick out? Kids. You can tak the teacher out of teaching but you can't take the kids out of the teacher
Young people can walk all day and have fun all night. Give me a good book and some down time or I get grumpy (ier)
Not sure where we saw this but my dad would second the motion.
I just read an article on MSM.com about the top 10 places to move to for a new job. Several of them have unemployment levels of 10% with housing prices that are unreal. I am personally glad that they didn't focus on the Heartland where housing is affordable and unemployment levels are in t 5-6% range. They did pick Omaha/Council Bluffs on the list but to pick Washington, D.C. with the average selling price of a new home at $490,000 is just ludicrous. In fact, I'll bet the person writing the article could not afford to move there.
I got a note from my pal Ken who did some work for me last year. He said he found one of his pay envelopes in his van. Not only did it have a date, it had real money inside. So typical of him, he rushed to the grocery store and bought groceries for one of his kids. With a house full of boys, they probably could use a resupply on a regular basis. I remember what it was like to be a hungry young guy. I could go to the fridge and just graze for hours. One thing I always try to do is pay a man what he is worth. Give me a good days work and I'll give you a good days pay.
Speaking of good days, it is summer here in the Heartland full blast. The heat index has pushed up over 100 a couple of days in a row. I can't imagine what life would have been like without AC. For that matter, I listened to a radio program where a survey was listing the top things people could not live without. Stupid things like cell phones and I-Pods were near the top of the list. My choice the dishwasher was number two and I didn't hear AC mentioned. TV was down to number 6 and I have no idea where computers are. But back to the main thought in this paragraph.... It is hot out there and if you don't have your work done by noon drink a ton of water.
I got a note from my pal Ken who did some work for me last year. He said he found one of his pay envelopes in his van. Not only did it have a date, it had real money inside. So typical of him, he rushed to the grocery store and bought groceries for one of his kids. With a house full of boys, they probably could use a resupply on a regular basis. I remember what it was like to be a hungry young guy. I could go to the fridge and just graze for hours. One thing I always try to do is pay a man what he is worth. Give me a good days work and I'll give you a good days pay.
Speaking of good days, it is summer here in the Heartland full blast. The heat index has pushed up over 100 a couple of days in a row. I can't imagine what life would have been like without AC. For that matter, I listened to a radio program where a survey was listing the top things people could not live without. Stupid things like cell phones and I-Pods were near the top of the list. My choice the dishwasher was number two and I didn't hear AC mentioned. TV was down to number 6 and I have no idea where computers are. But back to the main thought in this paragraph.... It is hot out there and if you don't have your work done by noon drink a ton of water.
I just read on Compost Happens a great description of the food I cook on Sunday for eating the rest of the week. Planned overs. They aren't left over, they are cooked for a purpose and will be served with gusto and pride. I don't go to the fridge and look for new things to cook, I look for the meat I have plans to cook over again in another form. Take that planned over steak, a couple of potatoes (Nuked in the Microwave and sliced up) some onion and the left over green vegies and cook them up in a skillet. I ate so much I had to wait a couple of hours to be able to eat some apple pie the wife planned over. I'm not sure what to call the vanilla ice cream on the pie. Other than good to go!
Better go see how long I can work today.. Nah, too damned hot. Going to take the Garmin Nuvi and the wife out for a ride.
MUD
Better go see how long I can work today.. Nah, too damned hot. Going to take the Garmin Nuvi and the wife out for a ride.
MUD
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