The Law of Perpetual Political Motion

Yesterday's column by Holly Mullen was interesting. It talks about how (in general) the political pendulum swings back and forth over time. This is a concept I have talked about before with people, when I have complained that the two-party system works best when both parties are more different than they are right now. This thought suggests that the pendulum is moving again, and it's true here in Utah. In my view, the national side of the Republican Party seems to be moving in a direction that this state is less familiar with. Conversely, the national Democratic Party seems to be moving in a direction that more Utahns may identify with. When that pendulum is in motion (and some argue correctly that it is in perpetual motion), there is a period of time when both parties are so similar that they are hard to distinguish. This has been the case for a while now. However, at a state level, the shift seems to be taking hold and differences are becoming more distinguishable.

Although it will not be an overnight shift, there seems to be a movement to more Democratic values as they are currently constituted and recently updated (?), and a move away from the demonstrated values that seem to be part of the Republican platform, (which seem old, outdated, and basically ignored by those holding office under that party's banner). Consider: There seems to be more acceptance of democrats in races currently under way, with several platforms sounding VERY familiar to most self-badged conservatives. I believe a guy like Pete Ashdown is a good example of this, as many have stated here and other places before.

The Holly Mullen column focuses on Steve Olsen, the challenger for Republican Rob Bishop's seat in House District 1 here in Utah. He states that many people who SAY they are republicans have not paid attention to their party's newer platform planks, and may in fact relate more closely to the Democratic platform, without even knowing it. Olsen wrote a pamphlet with an eye toward helping people identify with what he thinks are the distinguishing features between the two parties today. Excerpts are here:

If you truly believe in the principle of limited government, rather than secretly wanting government to promote things you agree with and outlawing those you don'’t, you may be a Democrat.

If you distrust big corporations as much as you distrust big government, you may be a Democrat.

If you believe that religion fills a critical role in American society, but see proof in modern America of JeffersonÂ’s doctrine that direct involvement in politics corrupts and weakens religion, you may be a Democrat.

If the strident tone of conservative talk show hosts is starting to get on your nerves, you may be a Democrat.

If you believe that frugality in government is best promoted by giving the American people an honest account of what new initiatives will cost and how we're going to pay for it, rather than promoting a fantasy world of increased spending, tax cuts for the wealthy, and increasing debt for our children, you may be a Democrat.

If you believe devoutly in the sanctity of human life, but respect that good people may differ on how to best protect it, and would rather reach out and actively work to find solutions to the root causes of abortion rather than stand idly behind a line and shout slogans at the opposing side, you may be a Democrat.

If you believe it'’s unfair to shift the tax burden from extreme inherited and investment wealth to wage earners, you may be a Democrat.

If you believe the large and expanding poverty gap is a real problem that requires real solutions, you may be a Democrat.

If you believe our foreign policy should consist of cooperation with other nations and diplomacy to solve problems, with war being used as a last resort, rather than an arrogant and isolationist "“go it alone"” policy, you may be a Democrat.

If you are a person who considers that talents of extraordinary intelligence or ambition are gifts from God, and feel that average Americans deserve a piece of the American dream just as much as gifted Americans, you may be a Democrat.

Anyway, it shall indeed be interesting to note some of these races in light of the current deficit trouble - and it IS trouble, with a capital "T", and that rhymes with "P", and that stands for POOL, right here in River City - along with the idea of tax and spend and spend some more, as well as perceived intervention, and some say hijacking, of the political process by zealous and well-funded religious groups and politicallitcal action committees, etc. The republican party is broken down by the side of the road right now, and the occupants of that vehicle (an H2, symbolically appropriate) are waving cash around in hopes somebody will stop by the side of the road and put more gas in the car.

Meanwhile the Democratic party has taken the time to craft a platform that speaks to the values of more Americans (some say, and I would have to agree in some instances, that they have simply come more toward the political center in recent years - it's the pendulum thing), at this time in history.

As I said, it will be interesting to witness. The possible shift here in Utah would signal a change that has not taken place in decades, and it's high time. Fire Orrin. And speaking of that, check out the "Spirit of '76" series over at Bob's Place, here, here, here, and here. Good stuff. It's high time.

Ameriquest - a scourge on the mortgage industry

Just clearing off junk from the hard drive. Here is another one of my recent “things that make you go, “Hmmmmm.”:


Popping like

Ameriquest cashing out? Their parent company has just announced (last week – May 3, 2006, that the company will be restructured by closing 229 offices and laying off 3,800 workers. Ameriquest is a mortgage company that specializes in home loans and home equity loans to people with poor credit histories.

This week's announcement follows a $325 million nationwide settlement in January. Ameriquest’s parent company and its subsidiaries agreed to pay $295 million to consumers. It also agreed to make sweeping reforms of practices that states alleged amounted to predatory lending. Ameriquest also agreed to pay $30 million to 49 states and the District of Columbia for costs of the investigation or consumer education and enforcement.

Ameriquest denied all the allegations of predatory lending raised by the states. Despite their innocence, they just handed over the cash. Now that the company is $325 million poorer, it is time to downsize.

Reading that, from last week, puts the following in an interesting perspective:

From the Washington Post: it records the nomination of Roland E. Arnall, the owner of Ameriquest, as Ambassador to the Netherlands. The article first appeared in July 29, 2005.

Bush Picks Ameriquest Owner as Ambassador
July 29, 2005

On the same day that the White House announced that President Bush is nominating California billionaire Roland E. Arnall to be ambassador to the Netherlands, the company he controls said it would set aside $325 million for a possible settlement of allegations of predatory lending tactics.

Arnall's company, Ameriquest Mortgage Co., is being investigated by regulators in 30 states. A $325 million settlement would be one of the largest ever in a predatory lending case.

Ameriquest is the nation's biggest privately held mortgage company. The company, which is in negotiations with a group of attorneys general to resolve the investigations, said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission yesterday that the amount "represents the company's best estimate of its maximum financial liability for a comprehensive resolution of this matter." Arnall is the firm's principal shareholder. He, his wife and their companies have been the biggest political contributors to Bush since 2002.

Speaking about the ambassadorial nomination, White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said: "The president . . . feels Mr. Arnall is well qualified for the position. He had a long career in the private sector and has contributed a great deal to his community."

In a written statement, Arnall said he was "humbled and honored" to be nominated. Ameriquest is facing complaints of wrongdoing from coast to coast, with thousands of customers seeking restitution. The Connecticut Banking Commission settled cases two weeks ago for $7 million, and a private class-action lawsuit in California, representing about 62,000 claimants, was recently settled for as much as $50 million.

"We've made a lot of progress, but the talks are continuing," said Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who is in the group negotiating with Ameriquest. He said his office had received hundreds of complaints, "numerous and long-standing," about the lender. In response to requests for comment, Ameriquest yesterday issued a statement that said it "continues to be engaged in discussions with a number of state attorneys general and regulators about the company's business practices. We are focused on resolving the issues under discussion with these agencies and hope to reach a reasonable resolution that is fair to our customers and fair to the company. We do not comment on the specifics of regulatory or legal matters."

In depositions, Ameriquest customers have alleged that they were promised good loan terms but instead got high rates, sometimes higher than they had previously been paying; that their incomes were overstated so they could qualify for the high-price loans; that appraisers overvalued their homes so they seemed valuable enough to secure the loan; and that they learned only after closing that they would be required to pay steep prepayment penalties if they sought to move to other lenders.

Patti Thompson, a secretary, was paying 6.1 percent on the $175,000 loan on her Minneapolis home when a pop-up ad on her computer offered the chance to reduce her monthly payments. She clicked on the ad, filled out a questionnaire and 24 hours later, she was contacted by an Ameriquest employee, who said he could lower her monthly payments and pay off her high-interest credit cards. Within about a week, a closing officer came to her home with documents for her to sign.

The hastiness of the transaction raised "red flags" for the Thompsons, and they tried unsuccessfully to cancel the transaction. They went to another lender, who reviewed their documents and told them their interest rate had been increased to 9.1 percent and that they had been charged $17,000 in settlement costs, bringing their new loan total to $193,000. Their monthly payment rose from $1,300 a month to $1,700 a month. The company did not pay off the credit cards, according to Thompson, and she and her husband filed for bankruptcy in April. An Ameriquest spokesman said the company would not discuss specific cases but "works very hard" to resolve problems.

Thompson was stunned to learn that the White House would consider Arnall for such a prominent post. "Does Bush realize what they are doing?" she said. "I hope not. This guy is ripping off people, hardworking people."

words to live by:

how true.
Although I'd like to think I go
better with a spicy plum sauce.

Randomness: The Oilers have been outplayed two games in a row

The Edmonton Oilers were the 8 seed that upset the 1 seed. But now, they're having trouble with the number 5 seed San Jose Sharks. They've been out-hustled where it counts: in the neutral zone. It's been a trial to get the puck into the offensive zone at all, and when it gets there, it doesn't stay there for long.

The Oilers will need to win the next game at home on Wednesday night to make this an interesting series, and Detroit hopes that's exactly what happens, so they can point to the team that beat them handily, and say that they were beaten by a truly better team. If the Oilers don't win the next game, Detroit will look like a bunch of no-desire pansies who were late for a tee-time.

Just my $0.02.

Problem: My Yacht Is Just Not Big Enough.

check it out

What to do, what to do... real-world problems for real-world people. Grappling with the hard things in life.

I CERTAINLY hope this works out. I mean, really.

Moussaoui: "Just Kidding!!!?!"

The admitted 9-11 conspirator now claims to want to withdraw his guilty plea and have a retrial. He says he lied about the whole thing because he didn't trust his lawyers or the American people of the jury.

So now he wants a do-over. When he was sentenced to LWOP, he turned to the courtroom and said, "America, you LOST!"

Actually, Mr. Moussaoui, YOU lost. Have a nice life, dumb-ass.

Get your bling here!!

Do you think there is a direct correlation between MTV Cribs and the housing bubble?

I have thought about the very same thing on many occasions...how the MTV Cribs, pimp-my-ride, bling-bling attitude IS having an affect on society. I was talking with a title rep friend the other day, and they mentioned the "bling factor" that everybody is striving for and I said the same thing: that everybody wants to "live" like "mtv cribs" but they don't have their albums on the charts yet, movies in theatres yet, or play for a pro team yet. On a side note: the title rep didn't like the financial situation that many people were getting into, but they said the same thing that soooo many others say "if we don't do the deal, somebody else will".

I don't think MTV Cribs or any of those things CAUSED the bubble, but they are definitely influencing the perspective of generations of Americans. I think it extends to way more than housing though...it's the cars, big chrome wheels, tv's in the cars, Crystal in the fridge, etc. It is a "look" that you have to have if you want to be "somebody". MTV Cribs even has their own line of home furnishings...for those who want to "live like a celebrity".

There has always been an interest in "lifestyles of the rich and famous" and there always will be. The difference is that living that "lifestyle" has become more "attainable" through lax credit standards. Years ago, if you wanted a TV, you saved your money, and bought a TV. You didn't make buying a TV a 4-5 year process. I recently heard an ad on the radio where you can lease and/or finance wheels for your car! Call me crazy, but if you have to lease the wheels to put on your car, then I think your priorities are slightly out of whack. But hey, at least you are living a "pimp-my-ride" lifestyle!

Almost every single person in MTV cribs...says "you ain't a playa without a plasma on the wall". Go over to Best Buy or Circuit City, and EVERY lcd and plasma tv has a little sticker with a bow on it "take me home for $47/52/77/120 a month" "no interest for 18 months on TV's $299 and up" etc. Sure, many of those MTV Cribs were done by professional designers, for millionaire sports stars, actors, or recording artists. They can actually afford to pay cash for the TV, and not finance it over 3-5 years. Debt is what happens when people try to live a life they cannot afford today. Everybody wants to live like a millionaire, but does anybody really want to do the work, or wait the time it takes to REALLY be able to afford these things?!?!? Why wait until tomorrow, when you can finance today?!?!?

It is even having an impact on children’s toys. I happened to be in Target the other day to get some detergent and other necessities. There was a display in the toy section for remote control DUB cars. If you don't know what DUB Magazine is, here is the link. Anyway, these cars are all "pimped" out with big chrome wheels, lowered, and all the bling you can imagine. Check the 2 links I just highlighted to see what is showing up in the toy section. There is nothing wrong with the cars, bling, etc. in and of itself, it just becomes a problem when people make it a priority in life, and will go into great debt to "look" like they are a "baller".

There are lots of books written about how to become a millionaire. It doesn’t involve landing that big pro sports contract. Here, I'll give you a big hint: it involves living beneath or within your means, and not taking on needless debt for things like "bling".

So, how are you going to feel when your taxes go up because the government decides to bail-out all the people that wanted to live an MTV Cribs lifestyle on a Gomer Pyle income?!?!? How much are you going to wish that there were more financially responsible people in this country?

So that is what I think. I don't think any of those things CAUSED the bubble, but they are definitely influencing the perspective and consumer spending of generations of Americans. Several months ago, a broker friend was telling me that their daughter thinks she is getting an H2 when she turns 16. The thing is, she thinks she is entitled to it, and that you are a nobody without it. It seems that many children in their teens see the lifestyle, but they have no comprehension of how hard it is to really earn the 50k needed to buy a Hummer...and how old it gets spending $500-1000 a month on gas to keep it running.

I think the biggest disservice we can do for our children is let them see what the media blasts out each and every single day, without the accompanying education that goes something like this: if you want that, you better get that sports contract right out of college, or be prepared to live within the means that you can generate on your own. I think schools don’t do us any favors by not offering some real world financial training. By the same token, and perhaps primarily, we as parents should be doing the same for our children at home. Are we the kind of parents who practice safe financial principles? If we are, are we passing them on to our children, or are we letting the TV instill the attitude of entitlement that is so prevalent right now. If you don’t think there’s a problem, choose a high school in you area that represents a median income cross-section for your area, not the poorest, not the richest, and drive through the parking lot right as classes let out for the day. Do you like what you see? Do your kids know what it takes (financially) to run your household each month? If you ask them how much it costs every month to live like they live, would they be in the right ball park, dollar-wise? At what age SHOULD they be able to figure that out, or be trusted with that information about our family? If you have a 15 year old daughter who thinks she SHOULD have a car at 16, does she know what it costs to buy, then maintain it? Does she know where that money would have to come from?

I know there are many responsible parents and children out there, but I have a feeling their numbers are falling behind those of the MTV generation. If the number of people overextending themselves to finance homes, cars, and consumer "lifestyle" items is any indication, I think we will be in for trouble in the long run if we keep extending credit for everything in the world.

I think that people chasing a lifestyle is definitely contributing to the consumer spending that is being financed through this housing boom. Debt, and living beyond your means, whether through housing, lifestyle, or a combination of the two can certainly get some people in some REAL trouble.

Immigration debate continues to simmer

So, the immigration debate is heating up, or, it’s at least boiling some sub-factions to the top of the stew.

The main (and un-emotional) issue is simply the act of “immigrating to this country using illegal methods.” Period. While this seems like a fairly simple and inert statement, the fire has been fanned with emotions, frankly, from both sides of the argument. Latino communities across the country have taken umbrage with any private or governmental body who opposes their position: Mexicans, (and by extension, any Latinos, and, by further extension, any person of any other nationality who has arrived here in the country) should be made “legal” simply by virtue of their presence here now. They continue to fan the flames by playing the race card, by use of civil unrest – protesting in the streets, first with the Mexican flag, then with a national “day of boycott”, and the like.

Their opponents have fanned the flames in their own way too. With subcultures of groups like the minutemen, and others, as well as legislators who take a publicly hard stance, the emotions have become the front burner stories, as opposed to the real issues at hand. That is, what to do about border security, what to do about those who are already within the borders under illegal pretenses, and what steps to take in terms of punishment, amnesty, or rectification by some other means.

Now missing from the discussion seems to be the fact that there are people of MANY nationalities, in the country using illegal means. It’s now an emotional race-charged argument.

This past Tuesday, May 2, KUER ran RadioWest with Doug Fabrizio under the topic of immigration and assimilation. There are some illegals who argue they are assimilated or have already assimilated themselves into the American culture, and as such, should simply be handed whatever documentation is required to make it right.

The point was made that Theodore Roosevelt (having expressed very pointed opinions and thoughts all through his life) pretty much set the standard for the measuring stick against which all immigrants should be measured. His quote is below:

"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person's becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American...There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language... and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

The assertion by immigration reformers is that the “New Immigrant” is not assimilating at all, but rather the system seems to now produce more of an “Impact and Integrate” scenario. Some call it “selective acculturation”. The “melting pot” is now more of a stew, where there are still discernable solid chunks within the concoction, people come here and now, instead of blending in a becoming American, they retain their culture, language, and customs. When our first immigrants showed up here, by way of Ellis Island, they were processed and released into society, expected to forsake prior allegiances, and become Americans, not Italian-American, not Irish-Americans, not British-Americans, just “Americans”. Can we expect that of our LEGAL immigrants today? DO we expect that of our immigrants today?

And DID those immigrants actually accomplish that task at all? Don’t we have areas in many of our major cities even today where certain cultures of people tend to congregate, in order to maintain their national heritage? That’s been the case for a long time now. So what’s different now? Do we expect all immigrants to maintain the “White European” model of citizenship?

Much of the emotional conflict in this situation now comes from the symbolism involved: you can’t disrespect a nation’s flag, its national anthem, its language, cultural idiosyncrasies, etc, and still expect to be accepted by that nation as a whole, without a certain degree of emotional response and conflict from the citizenry. If you do disrespect the symbols of a nation, you can expect to have some sort of reaction along the lines of enacting laws that state that English is the official language of our state, etc. Almost every single state has a law that states that English is the “official language” of the state. In Utah that is a fairly recent enactment. Our gut reaction is that if someone waves a Mexican flag at a rally, they don’t really want to BE an American.

Articles like the one written to the Standard Examiner by Ana Ayala last week (tip of the hat to Reach Upward here) don’t help their case either, and in fact, the Latino community should be calling for her head on a platter. I fear the opposite will be true however… She notes:

“Latinos are constantly being told: "Speak English!" Enough already! The future in this country is Spanish, like it or not. If you spout, "Speak English!" I say: "Learn to speak Spanish!" It's the wave of the future, and you're a fool if you don't!"

Anti-Latinos say immigrants take American jobs. To this tired complaint I respond: "Hell, yeah, we do!" Latinos in particular do construction labor, landscaping, janitorial, housekeeping, cooking, food service and farm-worker jobs better than most Americans. In fact, Latinos do these jobs because Americans perceive they are too good for this work or they are too lazy. Latinos appreciate a good hard day of work; we always have. As long as employers appreciate and hire hard workers, Latinos will continue to take these jobs and succeed at them.

Anti-Latinos shout: "Immigrants don't pay taxes!" Nonsense! We pay billions of dollars in taxes in the U.S. each year. The kicker: For undocumented folks not allowed to file tax returns, they don't get any taxes back that they've paid out. Who benefits from the undocumented Latino's hard paid taxes? We Americans of all races!”

And in closing, she states:

“In conclusion, to all anti-Latino-minded persons, I say: You would do well to do right by Latinos. We will one day be the boss to your sons and daughters, grandsons and granddaughters. You would not want your progeny to be treated the way you feel about us Latinos!”

She fails to mention crime rates, gang activity, property destruction, depression of wages for all blue-collar Americans, identity theft, forgery/fraud, etc, in her diatribe. She also disregards the fact that since cultures (of almost ANY origin) tend to congregate in certain areas, the schools in those areas have an unfair burden to support the children in those schools with school meals, substandard test scores, etc, resulting in lackluster education for all students in the school.

Her fanning of the emotional flames here doesn’t help ANY of the parties trying to make a sensible solution to the ROOT PROBLEM: People who disregard the laws by entering this country using illegal means.

Proponents of immigration reform point to several factors, borne out by numerous studies, that include rising crime rates, the tendency to send one’s income over the border to feed one’s family members or to build second or vacation homes, etc. Anecdotally, there are stories (which we have all heard) of illegals who send massive quantities of dollars into Mexico, use it build a MASSIVE home in their home town, and go “home” for a two- or three-week period in the summer to have a huge fiesta before going back to the US., becoming local heroes.

The Mexican government has a huge monetary interest in its people NOT being assimilated into American culture. The money sent back to Mexico is that country’s second biggest line item income stream behind oil sales. They are happy to encourage the unrest we see right now. That’s why the statements from Cancun a few weeks ago at a meeting between our President and Mexico’s president ring so disingenuous. The Mexican government stands to lose a huge revenue stream as a result of “assimilating” Mexicans into American culture. The new citizens might lose that motivation to send most of their money back to the homeland. (Although I seriously doubt that.) Certainly, if they are taxed and are forced to become legal residents, there won’t be as much money anyway, as a simple matter of math. Additionally, there will be many who will either be deported or will leave voluntarily out of fear of incarceration, etc., cutting that revenue stream even more. So not only do we have a clash of cultures, we also have a clash of national interests.

Bottom line: I think most people want to try to address the real problem here, rather than making emotional attacks on race, culture, etc. The citizens of the county overwhelmingly support some sort of measure that forces the borders of the country to become much more regulated and secure. (Up to 81%, depending on what survey you look at.) And that is really the issue here – what do you do with the people who shouldn’t be here (if you’re here illegally, you SHOULDN’T be here), and how do we make it so this can not continue into the future?

The Minutemen have sent a letter to congress stating that if there is no action by May 15^th, they will start to build walls using private money, with the permission of property owners who control MANY miles of southern border. It’s unclear whether the appropriation approved last week by congress will go far enough to appease the Minutemen. It’s equally unclear whether any measure enacted will sufficiently address the root issue effectively. An effective law here would require sanction of American business owners who hire illegals, border security, an amnesty/punishment solution for those already here, etc. It is now a multi-faceted problem – one which I doubt lawmakers will be willing to touch in an election year.

At least they didn't get ugly recently...

They been ugly for a long time. Genetic lottery losers.

On the other end of the scale, we have Suri - WINNER of the genetic lottery, by birthright.

TWO UGLY DOODS

It's a FLIPPIN good thing these guys made good music, cuz they shore iz ugaleee....

I'm just sayin.....

Burger King Up For An IPO...

So Burger King is going for an IPO... from the web site:

Burger King Holdings Inc. said it plans to sell 25 million shares in the IPO at between $15 and $17 a share. The high end of that range would raise $425 million, before underwriting discounts and fees.

All sounds great, yes? But read on... further on in the press release:

Burger King said it would receive net proceeds of about $374 million with an IPO price of $16 per share, deducting underwriting discounts and other expenses. It expected to use almost all the money to pay off debt it took on for the cash payout to its current owners.

Burger King paid the owners a $367 million dividend in February. The owners and insiders also got a $30 million fee and $33 million for options and restricted stock -- bringing their total cash payout to $430 million.

So, let me get this right here - we're going public to acquire cash to pay off our owners?? They take on a debt to pay some cash-out to the new owners, and now we're raising money through an IPO to pay it back and relieve some of the debt burden on the company.

This is the company that has had 11 CEOs since 1989. That's not very long at the helm for any of them.

Then there was this in the press release:

The sale would represent about 19 percent of the company's overall shares, and a sale at $17 a share would value the entire company at about $2.25 billion. The biggest burger chain, McDonald's Corp., has a market value of about $43.2 billion, while No. 3 Wendy's International Inc. has one of about $7.1 billion, by comparison.

So the company is the number 2 burger joint in the world, but has a market cap (generally, its "value") of only 2.25 billion. The number 3 burger joint, Wendy's, has a market cap of a WHOPPING (no pun intended) 7.1 billion.

So if you read between the lines there, the number 3 joint has a market value of more than 3 TIMES that of the number 2 joint.

If I was investing, I'd be looking at Wendy's, even in the number 3 spot, with the better market cap, rather than Burger King, with the revolving door on the CEO's office, and the ownership group who allowed the company to take on a massive debt to get them paid at the closing table.

I'm just sayin....

A Smart Car; a SmartCar

About a year ago I somehow ended up on the Mercedes-Benz web site. Not sure how I got there, but I wound up looking at a car called the “SmartCar”. It is designed in a joint venture between MB and Swatch. Pretty cool little car. For a little car. It is a regular gasoline powered car, that gets 60 miles to the gallon. It's upside over a hybrid is that you don't have to replace $5000 worth of battery in five years. That's the dirty little secret they don't tell you unless you ask. the downside is this: imagine getting hit in this car by one of the two-ton battering rams GM is selling onto the road right now. Nuff said.

Vehicles that big should only be available to Agricultural buyers, etc. 99% of those huge SUVs never even leave the pavement. It's no wonder we are seeing gas prices like we are - when you are getting single-digits-to-the-gallon mileage, there are bound to be shortages at times. The irrevocable law of supply and demand calls for the price/value of ANY commodity to go up when there is less of it to be had. It's frankly our responsibility to demand less of the stuff, by being responsible in what we buy to drive. The American Ego is certainly alive and well in this regard.

At the time I thought, no way will that SmartCar ever get imported over here, much too small for our roads. Nobody will have the sense to buy it, even though it's selling well elsewhere. It outsells the mini cooper in Canada right now, among other "it" cars. I thought nothing of it until a day or two ago when I saw a web site www.fuh2.com which I found rather humorous, brought to my attention by SarahBellum

There are literally THOUSANDS of pictures of people flipping the bird at Hummers.

Anyway, I had a good chuckle at that and then thought about a previous post I stuck up here regarding things that pretty much just piss me off - My Class Action Suits – I noted that I would like Cummins Turbo Diesel engines to be off city streets. At least out of the hands of the little commuter weenies falling in the "little boys under 28/not a student" category, who stop at red lights then gun it off the line just to produce the cloud of soot and smoke, and have a good laugh at the guy who just got his car filled through the open window… that’s a really great guy who does that.

Coexist

There is a dude that works here in the same building as me, and he has this sticker on the back of his car:








And while I think that's a great sentiment, isn't this part of the whole problem in the Middle East? Don't we already have a bunch of Jewish people, Islamists, Christians, etc, over there trying to "coexist"?

It's pretty hard to coexist when one group thinks dying in suicide bombings or driving planes into buildings is a glorious and righteous pursuit, and another group thinks they have biblical evidence that some chunk of land should actually be THEIRS - and they're willing to kill people to get it, and another group, whose government is regarded by western civilization as a terrorist organization, and so on and so on...

It's great to be tolerant, and preach tolerance, but really, it seems that in this world, we need to have seperate spaces where people who believe a certain way can be with similar-minded folks. We should all be tolerant of each other, but that has to be the way with EVERYBODY, not just a few. I mentioned this a while back, HERE. See item 2 there.

So there you go. In order for that to work, everybody playing the game needs to have the same level of repsect for each other's space.

Darfur Conflict

SLTRIB ran this morning a story about the continuing genocide occuring in Darfur, Sudan. It seems Oprah ran a show on it last week with a few well-meaning celebs. It seems every day that it comes further out into the light.

4 what it's worth notes some information on the Oprah program and a link.

Elsewhere, it's beginning to gain a toe hold as well. Hopefully, there is enough traction there to finally gain enough purchase to be able to actually DO something. Anyone who has seen Hotel Rwanda, and similar films, should be moved to at least educate themsleves and be more aware of the world out there beyond our borders, and then demand that sometihng be done.

The question is, can we (the US, or any other single entity) afford to be the policeman of the world? Generally, the US chooses to inject itself in areas where there is a significant US interest - the Iraq "conflict" notwithstanding - Scott over at Reach Upward speaks well of this HERE make sure to read the comments - he replies well to a comment there.

It seems that as the years go by international agencies like the United Nations (a peace-keeping force generally and initially, now more often looked at as some sort of ad hoc relief agency), and others, seem more strapped with regulation and international law, and are viewed with blatant disregard and even contempt when they try to go into countries where lawlessness reigns supreme. That doesn't seem like an effective resort. Even at home, our own relief agency, FEMA, is called "broken" and dead, even beyond the point of repair, as recently as last week.

So, what to do, then? Does anyone reall think a country run by dudes with rifles is going to care about a bunch of guys running around in white hard-hats? I will guess "no" for sake of the argument here. Therefore, if UN "forces" aren't really something that can be effectively plied, then what is it? It's not the fear of being dragged before an international tribunal, so what is it? Sorry to say, but it will probably have to be some internationally sponsored military action that quells this horrific set of circumstances.

Which comes back to the statement that, hell, we can't even care for our OWN people right here within our own borders. Do we need to get that fixed before we look outside the borders? Human compassion says no, but angry Americans on the end of the "fortunate scale" will say yes, and they VOTE - so there is part of your answer right there.

There needs to be some sort of humanitarian summit, or a UN committee, or whatever, where these things are addressed, because if we wait around til everyone in our own country is fed, sheltered, cared for, and educated properly, we're going to be waiting around for a VERY long time. Generations, I fear.

Thoughts?

Burrito-free Monday

So, no street corner burritos today, they're all protesting. So on that note, I would suggest the following:

How about if all illegals stay home from our schools. And if you're an illegal, do us a favor and don't drive on our roads without insurance. Honestly, we could do without a day of spinny-wheels and tires the size of Krispy-Kremes that stick out from the fenders of your car by 10 inches.

And while we're at it, how bout a day where you DON'T get service at the local hospital, doctor office or "free" clinic. And don't call 911 either, we have to pay for that, not you, apparently.

Just a thought. It seems this little "protest" is so brutally one-sided. Illegals come here and take advantage of all the wonderful services we have, for free, because they aren't documented. Then when some legistator wants to try to hold everyone equally accountable to the rule of law, as it should be in a FREE AND EQUAL society, those who are breaking the law stand up and demonstrate that their rights are somehow being tread upon. Let's have that equality extend in both directions - equality should be color (or race) blind. That means ALL should be accountable to the same rule of law.

Okay, enough of that, I said I wasn't going to rant anymore on this issue. It's not good for my bolld pressure.

On to other things.

Sting Concert at Tiger Woods Foundation Event - Las Vegas, Apr 29, 2006

About a year ago, maybe a little more, Sting came through Salt Lake on the Broken Music tour, and I chose at the time to not get tickets to that. My Bad. The pre-concert press/info was that this was primarily an acoustic set with only a few musicians. I decided that I didn't want to spend the money. What was I thinking?? The next morning, upon reading the review, I realized my folly.

So when I heard that Sting would be doing the Tiger Woods Foundation concert this year, I decided that I would need to get tickets for it. That was this past weekend. Contrary to the other dates on the Broken Music tour, this show was a veritable tour de force through 90 minutes of the Police/Sting catalog. With songs going back all the way to the Ghosts In The Machine era, and one song from even before that, all the way up to music from the very most recent albums, this was a nostalgic trip for pure Police and Sting fans.

The line from the song "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You" about Polititians who seem like game show hosts got a rousing cheer of derision from the crowd. All in all, it was a great concert, and both Val and I remarked that for an old dude, he has some serious stamina and still has the ability to hit the notes, which he did remarkably well. I noted, from a sound perspective, that he was overloading his mic at a couple of points and it felt like he was yelling a bit, but with what was going on onstage, that was undertandable, the drummer was kicking the CRAP out of his drums, at one point knocking over a cymbal stand, hitting it so hard.

But, yes, a great concert, one that I am glad I didn't miss this time.

:)

"bottla-red"

So, last week sometime I went over to the Sugarhouse wine store and, among the shopping cart contents was a bottle of red wine. It was a California Shiraz, not the typical varietal for California. It also had a screw top, and I thought I'd give it a try. Bad choice in general. I don't know if it was the screwtop, the varietal, the fact that the brand was "Virgin", or the fact that I was on a three-day bout of nuclear-fusion-gone-horribly-wrong heartburn. But I didn't like it. Maybe I'll have to try a screw top bottle of some more traditional regional wine.

Interestingly, it was the Australian wine-makers that first experimented with the screw tops (and Australia is the TYPICAL place to find a good Shiraz/Sirah, as opposed to California.) Any of y'alls had screw-top wine experiences??? Just wondering.

Busy Posts - Part Deux

5. Chinese President Hu Jintau had dinner the other night at the home of Bill Gates. I'm sure the President was taking frantic notes from the seasoned veteran on how to REALLY run an oppressive dictatorship.

Busy posts

Overloaded at work, so here goes a few half-poached thoughts for you to mull over:

1. We awoke to a CRANE (the bird kind, not the machine kind) in our backyard the other day playing around in the pond.














Quite the interesting sight for the middle of suburbia. I don't think cranes and fish are a good mix. Black Labs and cranes, though, that's another story....

2. It seems that in general sports programs in our high schools are going the same way as the music programs (in general). Schools are so strapped for funding that anything that doesn't fall within the "no child left behind" required curriculum just gets left by the side of the road.

3. 41% of Americans making up to $40,000 per year don't have health care coverage. Health care costs in this country are QUICKLY reaching epidemic proportions, to borrow a health term. The middle class is carrying the country's economy, and the health care companies are riding on their (our) backs like an old sway-back mule, extracting everything possible til the last breath leaves our tired old bones.

4. A post over at Reach Upward HERE notes a change in political motion between the two major parties and more notably some of the sub categories of each. He notes that fiscal conservatives within the Republican party are not diggin the "spend and then spend more" attitude of our nation's own prezz. I noted this because I do consider myself a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. Some say those two things are kind of mutually exclusive, but I seem to have a pretty strong (and I think generally defensible) position on most things - which you know if you spend any time reading around my blog.

Anyway, it's interesting how fluid the political landscape really is. I often think how interesting things would be if there were more parties for people to affiliate with. The two parties we are forced to choose from seem to move, in varying degrees, closer to the middle with each passing day, depending on the issue. It's like a glacier, measurable motion, just not always visible to the observer who sits and watches all day every day.

In a side conversation I had with Reach the other day, he noted that the Christian Right movement has grown strong in the last while, having learned how to ply their brand of religious intimidation and money-pandering to an expert level. He notes though that their influence could be more noise than actual substance. They represent up to 14% of the republican party, which was more than the margin "W" needed to win his last trip around the White House lawn. I guess that's all the power you need, when it gets you the man you want. They came out in droves to support the state-level Marriage amendment traffic, and now I wonder if they still feel the same way about him now that he has apparently become TOTALLY senile, and has run out of real potential staffers to the point that he is now pulling new Press Secretaries right off the floor of the white house briefing room... it's like a nasty game of hot potato lottery.

Reach notes that an amendment such as the one proposed would have a hard time passing 34 state legislatures in order to become valid. And while that's probably true, it still pisses me off that something this hurtful and discriminatory, so obviously phobic could even reach the point of going to the states for ratification. I believe this would be the first Constitutional amendment to actually formalize the EXCLUSION of some CITIZENS from rights the rest of us enjoy.

KBYU advertising

So, I was watching KBYU the other night (LATE), and, to my surprise, noted that between programs, KBYU announced that, among other "underwriting sponsors" ("advertisers" in the "for profit" world), "the program you just watched was sponsored by the Freemasons of Utah, and the Masonic Temple of Utah." As the announcer said this, the "compass over square" symbol was taking up the entire screen.

Needless to say, I was startled for sure.















Most members of the LDS Church will be familiar with most of these symbols. Chuch detractors have maintained for MANY years that early LDS rituals were lifted directly from Masonic practices. Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, along with MANY other early church leaders and members, were also Freemasons.

Thus my utter shock and dismay that KBYU is accepting ad dollars from them. I can't, for the life me, however, remember what program I was watching.