Okay, so I thought I'd just stay off the blog for a while and see how things shape up. No, I'm not going to rant about all the Clinton cronies that Obama has filled his cabinet with, that's a whole other can of worms. I'm still going to sit back and watch all that play out and wish him and his very partisan administration good luck in turning things around.
I'm also going to apologize to those who are waiting for my comments about this "The Last Eight Year's of the Horrible Bush Administration" BS. That's also a very touchy subject with me and will require a lot of work to present the opposing view. One of the key arguments of that commentary is the fact that the Dems were just as much at fault for the last 8-years (actually only 2-years) as anybody in the Bush administration. Yes, capitalist greed also played a huge part in the meltdown but it was primarily our grossly out-of-touch politicians who set us up for this mess. And, yes, I will get back to that mess soon.
What got me back to the old Blog Slog today was a couple of recent news events that grabbed my attention. Now, most of you may well know that I vehemently oppose all this government bailout stuff. And, yes, that too, is also a whole other can of worms. What I want to throw out here today is a very interesting tidbit that may just get you thinking about just how hosed things really are around here...
Okay, so on Thursday, Reuters runs a report that the Saudi Prince, Alwaleed bin Talal, planned to up his stake in Citigroup (another major US financial institution). Siting that the company's shares were terribly under-valued. Okay, so just maybe he's read too many Warren Buffet "Value Investing" books.
http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE4AJ45G20081120?feedType=nl&feedName=usbusinessearly
The point is, if we're really in deep doo-doo like our illustrious Treasury Department say's we are, why would one up their stake in a company that has seen its share value fall by $48.7 billion this month alone. How does this past and future sheep herder know that Citigroup has hit the bottom?
Well, I didn't think much of that other than, yes, how does he know? So, on Monday I see another news report that our illustrious government has given Citibank a massive $20B bail-out. I found that pretty interesting since the previous reports on Citigroup had emphasized that the company had not yet requested Federal financial assistance. So, did they suddenly fly to Washington (0ver the weekend) and ask for a bailout? Don't see any record of that. In fact, I can't find any record of Citigroup even mentioning their interest in a bailout.
http://www.reuters.com/article/businessNews/idUSTRE4AJ45G20081124?feedType=nl&feedName=usbeforethebell
So to recap, on Thursday the Saudi billionaire decides to up his stake in the company substantially. On Monday the Feds deliver a $20B check to Citigroup executives. Well, that's a very nice coincidence don't you think? Shoot, I should have figured that one out and up'd my stake in Citigroup.
So, let's see, what would that have done for me? Well, Citigroup's shares rallied Monday up 58%. Sweet! Now, if you up your ~4% stake in a company with over $1 Trillion in assets, by over 1% on Thursday, and its shares go up Monday by 58%, I'd say that's a pretty savvy investor, wouldn't you?
So now, how did the Saudi prince figure out they had hit bottom? Well, apparently even Citigroup didn't know they were going to get $20B from the Feds. Yes, their share price was down around $5, and they had at least $306B in very risky debt assets, but with over $1 Trillion in total assets, surely they could get themselves out of the mess. Or so they thought they could.
They apparently didn't ask for the money but some nice folks at the Treasury Department thought they should get the money anyway. I really like a proactive government. I'm now confident that if I run my business into the ground some clerk or aid in the U.S. Treasury Department will see my predicament and shoot me out a check to keep me going. That's why I faithfully pay my taxes, yes, indeed.
So who tipped off the Saudi prince?
An interesting question. Why does our government know that a company has to have $20 Billion even though the management of that company hasn't even asked for it? Why does a company with over $1 Trillion in assets need a government hand-out?
Is it me or does this sequence of events seem a bit sketchy to you also? I hope I'm wrong in my conclusions here or that the media just didn't report things right. However, the facts seem to be correct and the question remains...
What the hell is going on here? All of this is wrong...horribly wrong!
Okay, enough of the blog slogging.
Happy Thanksgiving...at least in the historical spirit anyway. :(
Steve
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Democracy in Action, History in Motion
What a night! No matter who would have won, we would witness history in the making. The first African-American President, or the first female Vice President, of the United States. And, a shining example of how democracy really does work. The people got out and voted their minds. Maybe a bit misdirected and un-informed, but tonight demonstrated that democracy works and is alive and well.
I must say, while I still don't believe in Obama, I was truly impressed by his victory speech tonight. Yea, I know, he's a gifted orator (when scripted) and certainly Hollywood scripted this one. That said, he mentioned many things in his speech tonight that resonated with me. He also said many things that I had not heard from him before. Quite impressive and inspiring.
I hope I'm wrong in my judgement of this man. In any case, he is only one man and our government is designed to withstand the wrong-doings of any single government official or administration.
My hope is that his liberal campaign rhetoric was just to get the votes needed to win. I'm hopeful that he may move towards the middle and get to work fixing our current bodies of government and reeling in our whacked-out capitalist system, which continues to skim the continually thinning layer of cream from our failing economy. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for capitalism. It's just that our system is out of control and needs a hard reset.
And no, this isn't a "Democrats to the Rescue" capitulation on my part. As most informed Americans fully understand, the Democrats are as much to blame for our current problems as anybody else. More on that later.
Sadly, it seems that many Americans just don't pay attention to what our government does unless there is an election. And, as some of us also know after tonight, they don't really pay all that much attention to the facts and events even then.
Okay, I'm curious if Obama will put his hand on his chest during his inauguration and fly the flag at the White House? My guess is, yes, he will.
Now, let's get behind our new president and his administration. And let's also watch them more carefully and get more involved. Write letters, email government officials, tell them what you think. And most of all, don't just listen to what the liberal or conservative media tells you! Listen to both sides and research the issues at least a little so you're a little more informed. The media generally only tells you what they want you to hear. It's your responsibility to pay attention to facts and the events as they unfold and make up your own mind!
Don't be a Sheeple!!
Okay, enough slogging the blog.
I must say, while I still don't believe in Obama, I was truly impressed by his victory speech tonight. Yea, I know, he's a gifted orator (when scripted) and certainly Hollywood scripted this one. That said, he mentioned many things in his speech tonight that resonated with me. He also said many things that I had not heard from him before. Quite impressive and inspiring.
I hope I'm wrong in my judgement of this man. In any case, he is only one man and our government is designed to withstand the wrong-doings of any single government official or administration.
My hope is that his liberal campaign rhetoric was just to get the votes needed to win. I'm hopeful that he may move towards the middle and get to work fixing our current bodies of government and reeling in our whacked-out capitalist system, which continues to skim the continually thinning layer of cream from our failing economy. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for capitalism. It's just that our system is out of control and needs a hard reset.
And no, this isn't a "Democrats to the Rescue" capitulation on my part. As most informed Americans fully understand, the Democrats are as much to blame for our current problems as anybody else. More on that later.
Sadly, it seems that many Americans just don't pay attention to what our government does unless there is an election. And, as some of us also know after tonight, they don't really pay all that much attention to the facts and events even then.
Okay, I'm curious if Obama will put his hand on his chest during his inauguration and fly the flag at the White House? My guess is, yes, he will.
Now, let's get behind our new president and his administration. And let's also watch them more carefully and get more involved. Write letters, email government officials, tell them what you think. And most of all, don't just listen to what the liberal or conservative media tells you! Listen to both sides and research the issues at least a little so you're a little more informed. The media generally only tells you what they want you to hear. It's your responsibility to pay attention to facts and the events as they unfold and make up your own mind!
Don't be a Sheeple!!
Okay, enough slogging the blog.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Night Before the Storm...
Not that I believe that our country has really has gone off a cliff, but I am a bit nervous that the Sheeples of our nation may just outnumber the people with conventional minds. I guess we'll find out tomorrow evening.
Sheeples: Often used to denote persons who acquiesce to authority, and thus undermine their own human individuality. The implication of sheeple is that as a collective, people believe whatever they are told, especially if told so by authority figures, without processing it to be sure that it is an accurate representation of the real world around them. (Wikipedia)
It is a bit mystifying to me that our liberal community has embraced a candidate that has almost no history within our society. Virtually everything about him has been obscured by political manipulation or media bias. His educational records have been sealed, his birth records have been sealed, and his political record is almost insignificant.
I know, I thought he was a good choice about six months ago. I guess I was taken by his rhetoric and was truly impressed by his demeanor and presentation. Now that I've had the opportunity to evaluate him over the last few months, I'm convinced that he's not what he appears to be.
Now, I don't think he'll tank the country any worse than it already has been. But I do believe that the Sheeple Dems and independents are asleep at the wheel. Obama has no plan, few good ideas, and no idea what really makes the world go round. He's either a hostile nation's plant, or just a completely oblivious American product like millions of others who have grown up here without a true clue as to how and why they have such a propensity to think so liberally.
I'm not worried. Yes, the country is in bad shape. And, yes, we have some very serious issues to address. If McCain wins, we'll get it sorted out in about four to eight years. If Obama wins...well, it'll be a bit longer.
The good news is that many of us know pure liberal leadership doesn't work. We also just witnessed pure capitalism going off the cliff (with a lot of help from Clinton-Era liberal Democrats easing financial regulations). So we know now that capitalism, as it is defined today, has reached it's useful life in this country.
So what do we do now? Well, I'm going to continue to support and believe in my country. Even with the Dems in control (for a while), logic may prevail. However, things have to change. We all need to be more active in politics. Not just Presidential elections, but all of them. We have to get rid of the extreme liberalism, we have to get rid of the greed and corruption, and most of all, we have to rid our system of this ridiculous party polarity politics in the functional areas of our government. We have to get back to the basics that made this country great. Go to Washington to change things for your constituents or the country and get the hell out! No more career politicians funded and controlled by special interests!
Today we have politicians that have been convicted of felony crimes running for office. That seems a bit too liberal to me. If you've been convicted, sure, you can appeal your conviction. But, no! You can't continue to be eligible to run for public office...come on!
This is the stuff that has to change. We need to be able to recognize corruption and get rid of it. Just like the great people in our world that work hard finding cures and relief for diseases, oppression, and atrocities, we can formulate a body of good with a charter to eradicate corrupt politicians and political groups.
And, yes, we need to address these capitalist excesses like the former chairman of Exxon retiring with a $400M parachute. Do the math! Every time you pump gas in your car or scooter, you're contributing to this man's well-being. Do you really think he needed the extra $400M. I'm sure he was doing just fine with the whacked salary that he received in the final year of his esteemed career--even after taxes!
Yea, I can go on and on with the excesses of our country. Will Obama change it? No, the Dems have lost their way. Not since John Kennedy's presidency have the Dems even hinted at a good solution for fixing any particular problem. Will McCain do it, not likely. However, McCain will reform our tax system and our political campaign system. He'll also likely make some dramatic changes to help rid our current systems of corruption.
So, now we just have to wait and see what happens. It's not the end of the world if the Dems win. It'll just take a little longer to turn things around. The important thing is that we have to take the ideals of all the major parties and blend them together to come up with a "New Deal" for America. And when I say "We" I mean regular people, not the whacks that are currently working our government systems.
Okay, I'll shut-up now. Get out and vote!
Sheeples: Often used to denote persons who acquiesce to authority, and thus undermine their own human individuality. The implication of sheeple is that as a collective, people believe whatever they are told, especially if told so by authority figures, without processing it to be sure that it is an accurate representation of the real world around them. (Wikipedia)
It is a bit mystifying to me that our liberal community has embraced a candidate that has almost no history within our society. Virtually everything about him has been obscured by political manipulation or media bias. His educational records have been sealed, his birth records have been sealed, and his political record is almost insignificant.
I know, I thought he was a good choice about six months ago. I guess I was taken by his rhetoric and was truly impressed by his demeanor and presentation. Now that I've had the opportunity to evaluate him over the last few months, I'm convinced that he's not what he appears to be.
Now, I don't think he'll tank the country any worse than it already has been. But I do believe that the Sheeple Dems and independents are asleep at the wheel. Obama has no plan, few good ideas, and no idea what really makes the world go round. He's either a hostile nation's plant, or just a completely oblivious American product like millions of others who have grown up here without a true clue as to how and why they have such a propensity to think so liberally.
I'm not worried. Yes, the country is in bad shape. And, yes, we have some very serious issues to address. If McCain wins, we'll get it sorted out in about four to eight years. If Obama wins...well, it'll be a bit longer.
The good news is that many of us know pure liberal leadership doesn't work. We also just witnessed pure capitalism going off the cliff (with a lot of help from Clinton-Era liberal Democrats easing financial regulations). So we know now that capitalism, as it is defined today, has reached it's useful life in this country.
So what do we do now? Well, I'm going to continue to support and believe in my country. Even with the Dems in control (for a while), logic may prevail. However, things have to change. We all need to be more active in politics. Not just Presidential elections, but all of them. We have to get rid of the extreme liberalism, we have to get rid of the greed and corruption, and most of all, we have to rid our system of this ridiculous party polarity politics in the functional areas of our government. We have to get back to the basics that made this country great. Go to Washington to change things for your constituents or the country and get the hell out! No more career politicians funded and controlled by special interests!
Today we have politicians that have been convicted of felony crimes running for office. That seems a bit too liberal to me. If you've been convicted, sure, you can appeal your conviction. But, no! You can't continue to be eligible to run for public office...come on!
This is the stuff that has to change. We need to be able to recognize corruption and get rid of it. Just like the great people in our world that work hard finding cures and relief for diseases, oppression, and atrocities, we can formulate a body of good with a charter to eradicate corrupt politicians and political groups.
And, yes, we need to address these capitalist excesses like the former chairman of Exxon retiring with a $400M parachute. Do the math! Every time you pump gas in your car or scooter, you're contributing to this man's well-being. Do you really think he needed the extra $400M. I'm sure he was doing just fine with the whacked salary that he received in the final year of his esteemed career--even after taxes!
Yea, I can go on and on with the excesses of our country. Will Obama change it? No, the Dems have lost their way. Not since John Kennedy's presidency have the Dems even hinted at a good solution for fixing any particular problem. Will McCain do it, not likely. However, McCain will reform our tax system and our political campaign system. He'll also likely make some dramatic changes to help rid our current systems of corruption.
So, now we just have to wait and see what happens. It's not the end of the world if the Dems win. It'll just take a little longer to turn things around. The important thing is that we have to take the ideals of all the major parties and blend them together to come up with a "New Deal" for America. And when I say "We" I mean regular people, not the whacks that are currently working our government systems.
Okay, I'll shut-up now. Get out and vote!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Nothing significant to report tonight other than the (conservative) media uncovering some more stupid remarks from Obama, on energy this time. I guess all I can say at this point is that we're in a deep mess and other than the oil & gas profiteering, it isn't an entirely Republican created situation.
Obama wants to spend another $1T bills to execute his ideal agenda for America. McCain wants to cut government spending and champion political reform.
I think I'm going to cast my vote for McCain on Tuesday.
Whatever you decide is, of course, your choice. All I expect is that you get your butt out and vote...intelligently and well informed.
I'll leave you with a quote I just ran across, sent to me from my sister:
"![]()
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The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they're ignorant,
it's that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
Obama wants to spend another $1T bills to execute his ideal agenda for America. McCain wants to cut government spending and champion political reform.
I think I'm going to cast my vote for McCain on Tuesday.
Whatever you decide is, of course, your choice. All I expect is that you get your butt out and vote...intelligently and well informed.
I'll leave you with a quote I just ran across, sent to me from my sister:
"
it's that they know so much that isn't so." - Ronald Reagan
Friday, October 31, 2008
Back Into the Fray
Well, got back from Colorado and started taking care of business. First off was our well problem. Seems the prolonged drought has emptied our well. Asked Kathy to use the house (storage tank) water to water her plants and such. The external water system normally used to fill the pool and water, etc., seems to lack pressure and tends to trip the breaker on the pump switch, which causes everything to shutdown.
Of course, the recent rain is timely and will hopefully fill the well enough to keep us going until more rain comes. I have to confess that I made it rain by finally getting the new road bike that Kathy and Jackson gave me for my 50th B-day built up. Jackson swapped the original 56cm frameset for a 51cm frameset and purchased some very nice deep-dish wheels to replace the carbon tubulars that he original built it with. Consequently, I ended up rebuilding the bike and took it out for its maiden voyage Thursday. First time back on the bike since the previous Tuesday due to the Colorado trip.
Well, it spit rain most of the Day Thurs but I decided to head down to Silicon Valley Cycling Center to drop of some parts they needed. Jackson had a 25-tooth cassette on the rear so I thought climbing our hill would be tougher than my typical 27T gearing. The BMC is almost 3 lbs lighter than my next best road rig so climbing our 12% (avg) climb was not too bad, all things considered.
Anyway, the maiden voyage was going great all the way to SVCC. On the way back, however, was a different story. The wind was a 25-mph headwind and rain was on and off. When I got to Los Gatos and hit the Creek Trail (dirt) the rain and wind really started hammering me. Made it all the way over the Lexington spillway and about half way along the single-track that parallels Hwy 17. The rain was so heavy that I didn't see a large sharp rock in the trail and pinch-flatted the rear tire.
A flat is normally not a big issue but not only did I forget water bottles, I also forgot to stow a pump in my jersey. I had a tube, tire levers, patch kit, MP3 player/phone, and food. But no water or pump. Didn't realize the gravity of the situation until I got the new tube and tire mounted and ready for air...Oh well, at least I had a phone!
I called Kathy and she reluctantly left work to come and pick me up. Boy, it really started raining so I ended up having to carry the bike to the road due to the mud collecting on the tires and getting caught in the frame and fork. I wanted to get up the road where Kathy could find me and maybe find some trees to mitigate the heavy rainfall. Found a nice spot on Old Santa Cruz Hwy and waited for Kathy to arrive and bail me out. I hate when that happens. :(
Anyway, the new bike is sweet and rides like a dream. Sure is nice to have a competitive machine for the coming racing season and a real climbing weapon for those hilly fun rides like Mt Hamilton. Haven't had a competitive rig for quite sometime.
The shoulder is still not progressing well since my recent club ride crash. Just seems to stay the same and doesn't look good. It's beginning to look like another surgery to get it to finally start healing. Just makes a lot of noise and always hurts. :(
Okay, it's Halloween night and we had a few kids swing by for trick-or-treat stuff. Nice kids except for the couple who tried to empty the candy bowl into their bags--wankers!
On the political front, I still keep hearing the issue of Obama not being born in the USA. Well, the major media networks don't seem to want to talk about it while the conservative radio stations around the country seem to be all over it. Can't seem to find out if the story has merit or not. The fact that nearly every facet of Obama's life seems to be obscured or "sealed" by government or educational institutions is quite alarming. I'm very suspicious about this man at this point. He just doesn't seem to stick to any position and has been very stealthy about everything from his health records to his birth certificate...strange behaviour for an elected official and guy running for president in a democratic country. We'll see what happens with that, among other things.
Okay, time to call it a day on the blog slog...
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wrapping Up Colorado Trip
Hi All,
Just getting ready to call it a day here in Colorado. Had some serious Web server issues with BayAreaRider.com and spent most of my leisure time hacking Apache and PHP. Not sure what the issue was, but you get all kinds of surprises when the power goes out and your server reboots. :(
Anyway, turns out some upgrade or apt install I did on my Debian system created an issue and Apache would not restart after the power failure. Could not figure out how to get Apache 2+ to run so went back to 1.3 and PHP4. Just took about six hours to sort it out. Thank god the remote access stayed up and I could get to the server from Colorado.
Okay, one more day here in Colorado. It's been very nice weather but a bit cooler than the bay area. Came out here to celebrate Kathy's mom's 80th B-day and put together a new Jamis Commuter 3 bike for her sister, Vicki.
She really enjoyed the day and the great family and friends that came to the celebration. Kathy and her sister really did a nice job with the planning and preparations.
Sure will be glad to get back home and start riding my bike again. Seems like all I did was eat and drink the entire time here. Hopefully the time off the bike will allow my hosed-up shoulder to heal up some. Doesn't feel much better but still have one day off the bike left.
Okay, that's it from beautiful Loveland, CO. More blog stuff later...
Just getting ready to call it a day here in Colorado. Had some serious Web server issues with BayAreaRider.com and spent most of my leisure time hacking Apache and PHP. Not sure what the issue was, but you get all kinds of surprises when the power goes out and your server reboots. :(
Anyway, turns out some upgrade or apt install I did on my Debian system created an issue and Apache would not restart after the power failure. Could not figure out how to get Apache 2+ to run so went back to 1.3 and PHP4. Just took about six hours to sort it out. Thank god the remote access stayed up and I could get to the server from Colorado.
Okay, one more day here in Colorado. It's been very nice weather but a bit cooler than the bay area. Came out here to celebrate Kathy's mom's 80th B-day and put together a new Jamis Commuter 3 bike for her sister, Vicki.
She really enjoyed the day and the great family and friends that came to the celebration. Kathy and her sister really did a nice job with the planning and preparations.Sure will be glad to get back home and start riding my bike again. Seems like all I did was eat and drink the entire time here. Hopefully the time off the bike will allow my hosed-up shoulder to heal up some. Doesn't feel much better but still have one day off the bike left.
Okay, that's it from beautiful Loveland, CO. More blog stuff later...
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Blogging Started
My first blog session...
Just listening to the news and realizing how most of the media just tells us what they want us to hear. I'm not sure that is the spirit of journalism, but it seems very apparent that the majority of the U.S. media is extremely biased.
Got to hit the hay since I have to get up early to fly to Colorado for a week or so.
Just listening to the news and realizing how most of the media just tells us what they want us to hear. I'm not sure that is the spirit of journalism, but it seems very apparent that the majority of the U.S. media is extremely biased.
Got to hit the hay since I have to get up early to fly to Colorado for a week or so.
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