global warming

Collapse is Starting

President Obama promised “Hope and Change” when he was elected; he has definitely managed to deliver “Change,” and last week he was quoted saying “Hope” doesn’t happen overnight. Change has come at us like a freight train and repeatedly I have our covered loss of civil liberties, now our economic future has been stolen by Washington:
– The debt deal promised cuts, but the debt will increase by $8 trillion dollars to $23 trillion by 2021. “Why?” Because the government calls a “cut” less spending than was projected for the following year, not less than is spent now.
– The day after the deal passed the government spent $236 billion, or $750 per citizen, in a single day. For my family of six, the debt increased by $4500. I don’t have an extra $4500 lying around, do you?
– Standard and Poor’s downgraded the U.S. credit outlook for the first time in history on August 5, 2011. To claim this is a political move would underscore the objectivity of credit reporting.
– The official Chinese news agency commented, “China has every right now to demand the United States address its structural debt problems and ensure the safety of China’s dollar assets.”
– Food stamp usage hit a new historic high last week, 45.5 million, up from 26 million in January 2007, and 32 million in January 2009 when Obama took office.
– According to the Census Bureau, homeownership fell to the lowest level since 1998, 65.9%, and if delinquencies are included the numbers match 1965’s level of 59.2%, according to Morgan Stanley.
– Housing prices have dipped 32% since they peaked in mid-2006, again for the 50th straight month realtors call a bottom to the decline.
– Weekly first time jobless claims continued their record setting levels above 400,000 for the 17th straight week.
– The average length of time to find a job has surged to a new record, 40.4 weeks.
– The labor force participation rate fell to a new low, 63.9% not seen since the early 1980s.
– Including those who quit looking but desire employment, the broader unemployment rate reached 16.1%.
– Gold topped historic numbers last week, closing above $1660/ounce.

I believe President Obama and Congress sealed their political fate last week and I am hopeful revolution will begin with the election of leaders, not self-serving politicians in 2012. A quick read of history will point to failed governments following the same path as the United States. We will not have societal Armageddon tomorrow, but our standard of living, and more importantly future generations’ standard of living, will continue to decline.

August 14, 2011 by Big Government Depression Great Recession Obama Peak Oil

What lifestyle changes would you make?

Check out this house. Is it worth it? No mortgage, living happy without the fear of a bank taking everything. Depending on where you have been in the last two years financially you may not understand the changes taking place in America.

The Greatest Depression is continuing in a rapid downward spiral with the plummeting value of home prices. Too many Americans have tied their fate to the future of their home. Since 2008 home prices have fallen 33%.

What is a house? How many people thought they were living the dream of a McMansion – 4000 square feet and a $4000/month mortgage?

I will continue on my 1.6 acres of rural countryside – chickens, woods, space, and simplicity. Life is easy when you have less.

June 7, 2011 by Depression Great Recession Peak Oil preparedness

Nuclear Meltdowns

Nuclear Meltdown (5/25/2011)

This past week I counted at least four meltdowns, all covered with vigor, in the media headlines. Probably the most obscure and curious regarding the hype to most Americans was the arrest, indictment, and release of IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Little do many of my countrymen understand regarding monetary policy, let alone the calls for an end to the dollar as the reserve currency by Strauss-Kahn. The second meltdown was the failure of the Gingrich campaign to gain traction. Laughably, the most academic of a possible Republican field of presidential nominees, fell flat before starting. Like Strauss-Kahn, Newt melted down.

Meltdown number three was President Obama extinguishing his fiery return in the polls by crossing middle-east ally Israel with a call to return to territory held 44 years ago. The contradictory nature of Obama is puzzling as a blind-eye is turned toward our own border issues and we idly watch killing of refugees seeking democracy in Syria. But, the President is pro-Hamas supporting the terrorist organization publicly as far back as May 2008. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu skillfully schooled our President on the fallacies of his position and Obama’s action may be the beginning of his re-election meltdown. Finally, the mainstream pundits could not get enough of the Terminator’s marriage meltdown, number four last week, as revelations exposed infidelity and a love child with a household staff member. Each of these personal meltdowns, in my opinion, is rooted in ego and self-interest.

Sadly though, the most important nuclear meltdown in the world is not garnering any media coverage and is similarly rooted in ego and self-interest. However, this meltdown over the next 30 years will result in many unnecessary deaths and cancers worldwide. On March 11, 2011 the historic earthquake rocked northern Japan, suspiciously damaging nuclear reactors, but denied by Japanese government. A newly released TEPCO report this week contains a disaster timeline stating within 5 hours of the quake fuel rods were exposed and rapidly melting, and within 16 hours Reactor No. 1’s rods had melted down and dropped to the bottom of the reactor. Similar events occurred in Reactors 2 and 3. Today the reactors are continuing to spew radiation and radioactive water is flowing to groundwater and the ocean. Worse than Chernobyl, Fukushima has become the world’s first nuclear meltdown. Curiously, the four men in personal meltdowns garner far more coverage, but every plant, animal, and human being in the Northern hemisphere is now poisoned by the ineptness of a government and power company that chose to hide their failures to protect their egos.

May 26, 2011 by Big Government Civil Rights Controversy Mainstream Media Stupid People

Politics and Science

Politics and Science

Published in the Observer 3/24/2010

Throughout history major corporations, governments, and philanthropists have played a role in funding scientific research. Funding is required to pay salaries, buy materials, and ultimately sustain research; therefore it is reasonable to expect the funding of research to be driven by self-interest. My favorite example would be the story of Archimedes discovering the concept of density to confirm King Hiero had been swindled in making his gold crown. The outcome of his research confirmed King Hiero’s concerns, and history benefitted from the discovery of the principle of density. We should be concerned when subjectivity in science overrules objectivity. The scientific method clearly outlines the objective process for creating a hypothesis, testing, analyzing data, and making valid conclusions.

I worked as an engineer, have a minor in mathematics, and am an expert in statistics, thus I believe I am well qualified to look at a set of data and make conclusions using experience and knowledge. However, I am not an expert in every field, nor is anyone. Therefore, I trust scientists to objectively examine data and come to valid conclusions. Under review, publishing, a peer process exists to monitor the scientific community. However, concern arises when this process is called into question and therefore raises doubts about conclusions and recommendations. If the conclusions are used to effect public policy the method and authorities providing the information must be trustworthy and verifiable. Continue reading…

April 24, 2010 by Big Government Freedom Stupid People

Redux

Redux

The last few weeks I have touched on three key topics and want to revisit them today as each has made headlines, reiterating my concerns, or in one case giving hope and contradicting my thoughts. Last week I touched on energy policy, the failure of the Department of Energy to meet its mandate by President Carter, and cornucopian ignorance by conservatives. The prior week I alerted you to my concern over failing state governments. Three weeks ago I hit on the issue of entertainment and sports prevailing as the interest to Americans instead of citizenship. I typically write this column on the weekend preceding publication so it has been fascinating to watch thoughts, predictions, and trends materialize.

Snowstorms battered the mid-Atlantic and northeast again this past week reiterating my focus on state governments running budget deficits and the upcoming economic malaise. The same week I wrote my column the governors of the states met and voiced concern over impending shortfalls. In world headlines, Greece continues to make the news, but the state of California is the eighth largest economy in the world and remains on the brink of failure. On the U.S. east coast snowstorms may bankrupt individual states. For example, Georgia has no budget for snow removal but has spent $5 million. Virginia has suffered; outspending its $79 million snow removal budget by another $70 million. Those are critical monies ordinarily available for social services, schools, libraries, and road maintenance. In Virginia, the state Continue reading…

March 3, 2010 by Big Government Peak Oil