Why Europe Matters

Lots of eyes on Europe the last few days with people waiting for a "deal" or a "no deal."  Markets are up and down depending on the news which seems to indicate a deal has been struck as of this morning.  The Euros have decided private investors will take a 50% haircut on Greek debt!!!  Yeah, that will work out for them when they need to sell more debt in the near future.

While those of us in America are somewhat insulated from what is happening in the Eurozone, it's important to pay attention.  Here's why....

Sale!!!

Palmetto State Armory (PSA) is offering their "M4A1" with Aimpoint PRO for $999!  This is an awesome setup and an amazing price--perfect for new shooters or someone looking to pickup a carbine. 

The only thing I don't like is the BUIS and the buffer spring (black v. chrome).  These can be easily remedied!

The PRO itself is a $400 optic.  I was lucky to be able to pick one up on discount for around $375.  The mount screw is a little bulky but it doesn't bother me.


Couple of other things I like about this setup...  Barrel is Cold Hammer Forged (CHF), which produces more accurate barrels, and is made by Fabrique Nationale (FN) in South Carolina.  FN is a major defense contractor and has been making M16s and M4s for the services for many years.  I was once issued a FN M16A2 a long, long time ago.  Bolt and BCG specs are also impressive.

Some Thoughts about the "Occupation"

As I drove by the screaming Occupy Denver crowd last night, I realized this isn't going away anytime soon.  This is very angry and idle (good combination) group who seem to think that yelling at people will do more good than getting a job and improving their lives--yes, there are jobs out there.

I've also been observing a few other things over the past week...

PayPal Problems

I used to think that the only people having issues with PayPal were on the fringe of the electronic payments world.  The guy selling videos from Russia or the shop selling certain kinds of paraphernalia--those would be suspect.

I never thought the bureaucratic and arbitrary axe of PayPal's policies would be brought to bear against me.

Foreclosure Dilemma

I've spoken to many people lately about the prospect of abandoning their home given the current housing market and economic situation. 

The problem with this kind of decision is that often the options are clouded by uncertainly.  In addition, the [left-wing] media has a vested interest in keeping the housing market "up" as long as possible.

In order to make the right decision; dismiss the morality!  It's incredibly difficult in the Obama economy to find the moral high ground (by design).  Not to mention that defaulting on a mortgage is not necessarily a violation of good faith, provided the collateral (the house) is surrendered in the same condition it was in when the loan was closed when the bank had an opportunity to properly evaluate the property (appraisal).  I will be dismissing the morality arguments in this post.  I also will not cover recourse laws, which vary state-to-state--consult an attorney before making any decisions.

Watching the Other Hand

Sometimes we like to pretend that the Obama Administration is stupid.  It makes us feel better.  It offers an explanation for almost three years of failure in spite of promises of prosperity and hope.  I can't count the number of times I have heard liberals, who supported this President, say he's inept.  Apparently a newly formed conclusion in spite of the availability of information on this man's lack of experience and credentials prior to the 2008 election.

Downgrade: Taking the Wind out of Liberal Sails

Another first for the President!  Our nation's credit rating has been cut from AAA to AA+.  That's change, right?

The "Debt Debate," as the media has dubbed it, only existed because Obamanomics have failed.  If Washington could just be honest about that, we could have a conversation about how to fix the economy and move forward.  But Liberals can't admit it, and I don't expect them to do so--it's an admission that Liberalism (including Keynesian economics) doesn't work.  Never mind an entire century of modern history proving this inconvenient fact, we now have confirmed what we already knew and what Conservatives warned of nearly three years ago.

No One Left to Tax

I'm going to try to keep this simple:  The only people in the United States that pay taxes are the middle class. 

The middle class pay both direct and indirect taxes because they lack the mechanism to distribute these taxes to other socioeconomic groups.  The "rich" can distribute a higher tax burden to consumers, employees, reduce capital investment, decrease charitable donations, and hire an army of tax accountants.  Low income Americans are mostly exempt from income taxes and benefit from overlapping social programs that account for cost of living increases (to include increased consumer costs from taxing the "rich").

In the mind of a Liberal, our debt crisis is easy to solve because all we have to do is take "it" from "them" (corporations and "rich" people).  Michael Moore even went so far to say private property was a public resource that should be plundered so that reckless spending can continue.

Genocide

Until now, the comparisons between Obama and Hitler were mostly hyperbole.  Not anymore.  Apparently the President finds the Israelis, and perhaps all Jews, as an inconvenience getting between him and his campaign to embrace Muslim nations.  We all know how this President feels about inconvenient innocent life.

OBL Down

While the world celebrates Osama Bin Laden's death and Obama's apparent political win, there are many unanswered questions...

1999 3.8L Mustang Clutch

This is a huge job, not for the faint of heart.

I had several problems with the original clutch on a car with ~113k miles.  Hard shifting, chattering clutch, and the throwout bearing would whine when the clutch was disengaged.

I decided to go with the SPEC stage 1 clutch from American Muscle.  To put this much work and money into a car, I wanted good quality American parts.

DISCLAIMER:  I am not a professional mechanic.  This post is for entertainment purposes only.  I will not be responsible for anything you do to yourself or your car. 

Obviously, all the standard car safety rules apply here;  block the wheels, use jack stands, use the jack as a backup safety, wear eye protection, etc.

The Giant Sigh

Giant sigh heard in newsrooms across the country as the media finds a disaster to report that isn't the result of Obama & Co. liberal policies.  Not only is it safe to report, it's safe to hyperbolize and policitize!  While the Japanese are suffering and in need of humanitarian aid, we are apparently more worried about energy policy.

Meanwhile, our economic situation continues to worsen with food and energy prices continuing to rise.

Why I'm Starting to Love Michael Moore

He started out as a sly propaganda minister and has now become quite the liability for the American Left.  It was easy in the beginning for folks to get sucked into Bowling for Columbine or Sicko without a good understanding of the man's bias or selective "fact" telling.  Now that bias and dishonesty is overt--and I like it!

"American is not broke..."  Moore exclaimed at a rally in Wisconsin on Saturday.

Natalie Portman and Anti-Semitism

If you're reading the news, you'll know Natalie Portman has taken a strong stance against the anti-semitic rantings of a Christian Dior employee named John Galliano.  Galliano has subsequently been fired from his position--good for him!

Personally, I find anti-semitism revolting.  I believe I'm in the majority of people who would say the same.

But in 2008 Portman couldn't care less about Barack Obama's strong relationship to Jew haters.  In fact, she didn't just personally support Obama, she actively campaigned for him!  At this time his association to Rev Jeremiah Wright, and the ensuing controversy, was well known. Wright was, and is also pals with Louis Farrakhan and Muammar al-Qaddafi--another name in the news recently.

2010 Financial Review

Unlike a lot of people, I like to know where my money goes.  I book my expenses month-by-month along with my income and summarize it at the end of the year.  In addition to knowing where I am spending money, I also get an idea of how much in taxes I am paying.

The percentages shown are a percentage of gross pay before any deductions.  Total Expenses represents all discretionary and non-discretionary expenses to include housing, utilities, gas (excluding taxes), health and dental expenses, life and auto insurance premiums, charity, and special one time expenses.

Lessons from Wisconsin

1.  When a union's bottom line is threatened, it will create an issue

In the case of Wisconsin, it's "about the children."  The state shouldn't cut pay and benefits because it will harm the children.  Never mind that these are modest cuts that are happening everywhere as states wrestle with budget deficits.  Private sector workers have been experiencing this for three years--time for government workers to join the party!

The heart of this issue is actually overturning compulsory union membership (i.e. Right to Work).  The unions know this would mean a substantial pay cut and decrease their ability to further their agenda in the state and throughout the country.


2.  It's never about the children

If it were about the children, the Wisconsin school districts wouldn't be going to court to get their teachers back.  If these teachers really cared about their profession, they wouldn't be harming the education of their students--the very justification against cuts.

QE Kills

I'm going to save the "I told ya so."  At many times we forget that 2 + 2 = 4.  No matter how many people say the solution is 5, their ignorance (or deception) can't stand in the face of current events.

The violence in Egypt and Tunisia along with protests in Albania, Jordan, and Albania are such current events.

Quantitative Easing (QE) has pushed global food prices so high that people in fragile economies are going hungry.  These people aren't protesting and turning violent because of a political or religious ideology--they are out of food.  This creates the kind of desperation that inevitably leads to violence, and even revolution.

State Bankrupcty

The idea to allow states to declare bankruptcy demonstrates just how dire the situation is for some states.  Make no mistake, we are being prepared for what is to come by people making it all sound perfectly normal.

The Federal government will have two choices should a state become insolvent...

1. Bailout
2. No bailout 

Bailouts have become politically untenable not to mention unsustainable as we saw with TARP--like a junky, one is not enough.  However, a state going belly-up is also unprecedented (get used to that word). 

We Live in Dangerous Times

While the crazed lone gunman is certainly dangerous, what's infinitely more dangerous is the goals of the radical left and how this tragedy is being shaped by media to suit their agenda.

We now know that Jared Loughner was crazy.  There's simply no better way to describe him.  I have reviewed his YouTube videos and some of his writings.  It's going to be hard to put this monster into any stereotype or ideology, but there's one that certainly doesn't fit; Conservative.  Among Loughner's accomplishments was a drug charge, being rejected from the US Army, and failing to hold stable jobs.  He was an atheist and cited Mein Kampf and the Communist Manifesto as his favorite reads.