25 Questions

#17) 43 percent of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. Tens of millions of Americans find themselves just one lawsuit, one really bad traffic accident or one very serious illness away from financial ruin. With so many Americans living on the edge, how can you say that the economy is healthy?

25 Questions

#16) Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently told the U.S. government that they are going to need even more bailout money. So what does it say about the U.S. economy when the two “pillars” of the U.S. mortgage industry are government-backed financial black holes that the U.S. government has to relentlessly pour money into?

25 Questions

#15) Existing home sales in the United States jumped 7.6 percent in April. That is the good news. The bad news is that this increase only happened because the deadline to take advantage of the temporary home buyer tax credit (government bribe) was looming. So now that there is no more tax credit for home buyers, what will that do to home sales?

25 Questions

#14) The FDIC is backing 8,000 banks that have a total of $13 trillion in assets with a deposit insurance fund that is basically flat broke. So what do you think will happen if a significant number of small banks do start failing?

Animal Attacks

Animal attacks are on the rise, as can be seen in this story from England. Many more examples can be offered in supposedly "modern" countries, especially the United States.
More and more animals are moving into suburban and urban areas. Always keep your children safe and don't "assume" all will be well, even in their own room. In this instance mom left the backdoor open for some fresh air and a fox wandered in, went upstairs and mauled the two twin infants in their beds. A screen door for $75, or a well maintained fence would have saved the entire family a lifetime of grief.
Do a walk around of your house and property, and look for evidence of local animals passing through. Protecting your children is 90% offense and only 10% defense. Think ahead, plan ahead and keep the lil' ones safe.

25 Questions

#13) The FDIC’s list of problem banks recently hit a 17-year high. Do you think that an increasing number of small banks failing is a good sign or a bad sign for the U.S. economy?

Total Suckage...or a lack thereof

So I'm on a call in my basement office and suddenly I hear an unusual alarm go off. Its not a smoke detector, its not my CO detector, not my Radon detector, all of which I have heard go off from time to time. Yep, its the H2O detector I put next to the water heater and sump pump years ago and forgot about. I dont even know when the last time was I replaced that battery. But since apparently the water finishes the electrical circuit, a 9 volt battery last a long time in one of those.
So, I turn the corner and see a 1/2 inch wall of water spreading out quite rapidly from the sump. The pump failed, hence the "lack of suckage" from the title. After jerry rigging the pump to run continously (it was the sensor that failed, so I pulled it apart and hot wired it. I don't recommend doing impromptu wiring on a water submersible pump, but hey, it worked and I didnt die) I ran to the hardware store about 2 miles away and bought a new pump and hurried the hell home. After about 20 minutes I had the old pump out, the new pump in and all was right with the world. Its been raining here almost every day for 5 weeks. Can't wait for monsoon season to be over.....
Makes me want to get a battery backup spare sump pump....

25 Questions

#12) Monstrous amounts of oil continue to gush freely into the Gulf of Mexico, and analysts are already projecting that the seafood and tourism industries along the Gulf coast will be devastated for decades by this unprecedented environmental disaster. In light of those facts, how in the world can anyone project that the U.S. economy will soon be stronger than ever?

25 Questions

#11) According to one new report, the U.S. national debt will reach 100 percent of GDP by the year 2015. So is that a sign of economic recovery or of economic disaster?

There is an AR accessory for everything it seems

What in the world? an AR Upper that is a ......crossbow?
http://www.shootingillustrated.com/Gear/Accessories/PSE_TAC-15.html

25 Questions

#10) The U.S. Treasury Department recently announced that the U.S. government suffered a wider-than-expected budget deficit of 82.69 billion dollars in April. So is the fact that the red ink of the U.S. government is actually worse than projected a good sign or a bad sign?

25 Questions

#9) Considering the fact that the U.S. government is projected to have a 1.6 trillion dollar deficit in 2010, and considering the fact that if you went out and spent one dollar every single second it would take you more than 31,000 years to spend a trillion dollars, how can anyone in their right mind claim that the U.S. economy is getting healthier when we are getting into so much debt?

Food for thought - Peak Oil

I'm not sure where I come out on the Peak Oil theory most days, depends on my mood and what I've most recently read. I have the feeling that we'll figure this one out somehow. One journal article I recently read though caught my eye. Instead of debatintg peak oil, it just asks, "Ok, what if..?".
It looks at test cases of societies that have all experienced at least a 20% reduction in petro imports. Its a harrowing look at the 4 major options of what will happen.
1: Your military will seize the remaining oil resources needed for your country.  (US and China are listed as the most likely to follow this role, Japan in 1931-1945 is the example)
2: Your elites will clamp down on everyday Joes and lots of people will go hungry and not have electricity. (North Korea, Latin American Pseudo-democracies, etc)
3:  You will all find a way to live together in harmony, with lesser reources and live happily with fewer calories. (Cuba after the Soviet Collapse)
4: Their will be winners and losers in a large country, so areas with resources will prosper other will crash. (The Southern US after the Civil War is listed as an example)
5: High % of population dies, Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies! Rivers and seas boiling! Forty years of darkness! Earthquakes, volcanoes... The dead rising from the grave! Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together... mass hysteria! (ok, #5 wasn't actually in there, I just added that as an homage to Ghostbusters)

But the idea I took most to heart was this:

In the event of peak oil,we should not expect

either immediate collapse or a smooth transition. People do not
give up their lifestyle easily.We should expect painful adaptation
processes that may last for a century or more.

Let me repeat...
painful adaptation processes that may last for a century or more.

That sucks.

Friedrichs, J.,Global energy crunch: How different parts of the world would react to a peak oil scenario.

Energy Policy(2010), doi:10.1016/j.enpol.2010.04.011

25 Questions

#8) In March, the U.S. trade deficit widened to its highest level since December 2008. Month after month after month we buy much more from the rest of the world than they buy from us. Wealth is draining out of the United States at an unprecedented rate. So is the fact that the gigantic U.S. trade deficit is actually getting bigger a good sign or a bad sign for the U.S. economy?

RIP Ranger Squirrel

Ranger Squirrel, a blog I enjoy reading, is no more.   Seems the Ranger wants to retire and he isn't going to pay for the site to be maintained past July 3rd, so if you have never read the eclectic musings, do so quickly this month, theres a lot of good stuff there.

I salute you Ranger, and wish you the best.
Sean

25 Questions

#7) But it just isn’t California that is in trouble. Dozens of U.S. states are in such bad financial shape that they are getting ready for their biggest budget cuts in decades. What do you think all of those budget cuts will do to the economy?

How not to exit a helicopter

Israeli commandos have taught us an important lesson, do not exit a helicopter straight into a mob of angry people with stick and knives. I'll keep that in mind for exiting any vehicle actually.....

25 Questions

#6) Do you think that it is a good sign that Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of the state of California, says that “terrible cuts” are urgently needed in order to avoid a complete financial disaster in his state?

3 items in the news....

OK, three things have caught my attention in the news:
1. You now have to say you are being silent, if you are invoking your right to silence when being mirandized. Excuse me, but if I don't say I'm being silent and I don't say anything else at all, what exactly are you going to hold against me in a court of law? My being silent? Can I be charged with non-cooperation if I just don't say anything? Seems like an odd thing to rule about, you can bet I will be reading the full case asap. Mind now, anytime an officer has pulled me over I've had trouble shutting my mouth...much less being silent....

2. Nearly 20 flags (does that mean 19?) were burned in Ohio on Memorial Day weekend
One suspect was later arrested according to my drive time radio yesterday and was quoted as saying he was utilizing his right to Free Speech. Lt. Greg Bolek (of the local po-po) says he faces possible criminal damaging and arson charges since THE FLAGS BELONG TO THE LOCAL ROTARY CLUB. You can burn flags in the US under your First Amendment rights. You just have to own the flag to avoid going to jail, dumbass.

3. The Federal Government has asked that all of the states rights movement firearm freedom acts be thrown out under the Commerce Clause of the Constitution. They say that having these weapons manufactured and sold without Federal oversight will affect inter-state commerce.
And by that they mean, there will be less inter-state commerce b/c of these states actions. So now, the Feds are saying they can regulate everything that is interstate commerce and ANYTHING THAT AFFECTS UP OR DOWN THE VOLUME OF SAID COMMERCE? Thats a pretty bold claim to be making. Me thinks we should sit back and watch the fireworks in court and see how this plays out.

BTW, the Firearms Acts arent the only States Rights issue hitting the news, Arizona's Governor has now publicly told Pres. Obama "Bring it on" as far as challenging in court the States right to pass a law that is a MIRROR OF FEDERAL LAW! Sheesh people, Eric Holder can't be bothered to read the Arizona law, and Obama doesn't even understand that he is bound by the same law at a federal level. What are these guys doing when they aren't on vacation/golfing? Obviously not picking up a law book.....

25 questions

#5) With the U.S. Congress planning to quadruple oil taxes, what do you think that is going to do to the price of gasoline in the United States and how do you think that will affect the U.S. economy?