Part trois

Study after study over the past several decades has shown how countries that spend more produce less, while nations that tax less produce more. Obama is doing it wrong on both counts.

Here is another good article... less angry... less "President Robin Hood"... more educational.

The budget that President Obama proposed on Thursday is nothing less than an attempt to end a three-decade era of economic policy dominated by the ideas of Ronald Reagan and his supporters.

Thoughts?

Better days

Politics part deux

Couldn't pass this up.

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama has approved adding about 17,000 U.S. troops for the flagging war in Afghanistan, administration, defense and congressional officials said Tuesday.

8,000 Marines, then 9,000 Army... After that 5,000 protesters will hit the streets in Berkeley, 7,000 in San Francisco, 8,000 in New York, 4,000 in... wait what? Really? They're not?

Reagan did it better

Didn't Obama say that he wouldn't sign a bill until the people have had a chance to read it, then comment? That wasn't too long ago right? The members haven't even read it, which makes me think that our chances of understanding what's in this thing by Monday are slim. For now, I guess we can try.

Washington is currently not bi-partisan. Not even close. And the majority seem to support ideas that do not reach down and "stimulate" the poor, struggling, lower class. They punish the successful. What's the point of embracing the opportunity that is America, only to get hurt, when I can collect checks for sitting on my front porch and eating flaming hot Cheetos and downloading new ring tones?

Four Score and Seven if by Sea is Well on the Western Front

We are currently up in the snow. We came up the other night to visit family, and help out in the office. Last night we played Wii, then played cards and chatted into the night with Keith and Karen and Mom and Dad. I do love the mountains. I would like to get into some serious mountains, seriously soon. Somewhere like this. That is a photo of a peak called Bear Creek Spire, east of Bishop Ca. in the High Sierra. I've been there as a child. We backpacked up a series of five lakes for a couple days, until we reached to foot of the Spire. There was a lake that was so fresh, one could stick one's face right in and slurp up the icy water. That's where I'd like to go soon. I always assumed that as a young, married man, I would camp and backpack and hike a lot. But I don't. Why is this? We have the gear. We live near some of the worlds most beautiful terrain. So why don't we go? This, my friends, is the question... Wait... I've just had an apostrophe! Lightning has just struck my brain! This is just coming to me now, literally as I type. None of this preplanned - "I'm going to blog about this this afternoon" - stuff. What if I began hiking? Start small. Realistic. Say every other weekend. Start local. There is a beautiful hike up the Arroyo Seco watershed, literally out my front door. It goes up to the Rose Bowl, underneath the Colorado Bridge. That's it. That's where I begin. When? Saturday Feb. 21st. Late morning. I have shows both Fri and Sat night, but I think I can make it work. So late in the morning on Saturday the 21st, I will pack a lunch and walk out my front door, up the Arroyo, and back. Does anyone want to join me? If so, let me know. And on this hike we will plan the next one. Good.

In other news:

Last week my boss and I presented a project to the 136th wealthiest man in America. It was big time. The presentation consisted of a few of my designs and renderings, as well as others. It was as real world as I've ever seen.

Last week I pulled into our driveway, and when I got out to open the gate and pull the rest of the way in, I realized that my truck was still in gear. Just like a scene in a movie, it rolled, by itself, through the gate, busting the lock and slamming it open, while I'm running for the brake pedal between the truck and the trees. I stopped it before it went into the garage, but was shaken nonetheless. It's funny now.

Shepard Fairey, of the Obey brand fame, is a moron. I heard him on NPR the other night talking about how he was arrested for putting up the now famous, communist-ish Obama Hope poster on private property. He said the police were treating him inhumanely because he couldn't get comfortable in the back of the cruiser.

School starts in two weeks. I'm 50% excited, 50% dreading it. All-nighters... bring the pain.

Ten points to the first one to get the Hook quote.