Trucking

I’ve been home for about a week now. The truck went in the shop for a minor fix, then I took the truck to have the APU fixed. That APU thing has been in the shop so much I’m not sure it’s saved me money or not. It’s always something different. If it goes out again, I may not fix it. It’s nice to have because that’s the only way I have right now to make the microwave work. I need it to watch TV, but I haven’t watched TV in the truck for a long time now and when I do, it’s usually a DVD of a CSI rerun.

RTC Southern Nevada

The mass transit system in Vegas is great. You can take a bus just about anywhere in the metro area. It’s $1.25 to ride one way or $2.50 for a 24 hour pass, as many transfers and any direction for 24 hours. It’s a great bargain. I rode to the shop, picked up the truck, took it to the APU shop, back to the house, then to my dentist appointment the next day. I was in the dentist for so long it was past 24 hours, so I walked home. All buses have bike racks and it takes two seconds to put your bike up or take it down. The website for the bus system has a routing program, you put in your origination, destination and the time of day and it gives you three options. All with times and walking distance and a very detailed map and trip info. It really is pretty cool. And since Vegas is a 24 hour town, a lot of the buses have 24 hour schedules. Those aren’t for the tourists, they’re for the casino workers and everyone else that works the night shifts.

The Bailout Mess

What else have we done? I’ve listened to way too much news. The so-called bailout that wasn’t really a bailout was probably necessary, but all of the extra junk that they put in the bill probably wasn’t. Everyone says they want to fix the problem and not place blame. I would feel a lot better if an investigation was done and people went to jail. Why is this different from Enron? People are losing their retirements and 401k’s just like Enron. Enron lied about their books while the executives were spending shareholder money. People went to jail. In this mortgage security fiasco, people need to go to jail. Maxine Waters, Barney Franks and Chris Dodd would be a good start.

Everyone has seen this video right? The democrats yelling at the regulators trying to tell them Fannie and Freddie are cooking their books, while the democrats are saying there’s nothing wrong.

Chris Dodd on the bank and finance committe getting the most money from Fannie and Freddie? What’s up with that?

What about ACORN?

While we’re throwing people in jail, how about the people at ACORN? And wasn’t Barack Obama training ACORN community organizers and telling them how to intimidate banks with racism if they didn’t make loans to people that couldn’t afford to pay them back? And no one knows who’s fault this is? They can’t have an investigation because it would be like a bunch of foxes trying to determine which one of them raided the hen house when they all did it at the same time they’re all denying it.

ACORN gets raided in Nevada for voter fraud? What a surprise? They actually investigated and raided ACORN’s office. ACORN will have so much power when Obama gets in office they will do anything it takes to get him in office. Did you know in Ohio, when you register to vote, you can place your vote. So if you just make up a name when you register, they can’t check and see if your even eligible to vote until much, much later. If at all. ACORN is working BIG TIME in OHIO. What a stupid system.

I can’t wait for the election to be over. I really don’t think anything is going to get much better and might even get worse, no matter who is in office.

And the first commercial is out. I listened to the first half of the debate, then was able to come back to it when it was done. This commercial come out about 30 seconds after the debate was over. Barack Obama says he’s going to cut taxes on the middle class, how come I don’t believe him? The bar is at $250k, is that net? Gross? Adjusted Gross? That’s also in the range of a majority of small business’ and small business is the core of the economy and if they have to pay more taxes, they’re not going to hire or spend more.

You know everyone is going to be watching the VP debate.

No one really messed up. I thought McCain was smoother with his answers. Hannity kept mentioning how Obama’s answers were well rehearsed. You could tell when he went off script a little and lost his train of thought a few times. But since McCain spent more time in Washington working on the bailout fiasco while Obama was rehearsing his debate speeches, McCain did really well. But no one thinks any minds were changed. Probably won’t be any movement in the polls next week.

Michelle Malkin has a ton of information about why we should kill the bailout bill, how we got to this point and where Congress wants more money to go to mortgage counseling to groups like AARP, ACORN, La Raza and hundreds of other groups around the country now have their hands out. 1.3 million to La Raza for mortgage counseling? Are they nuts?

And Michelle’s piece on how thousands if not millions of loans handed to illegals and of course, now they can’t pay. Can anyone say SECURE THE BORDER? Oh, too late. Never mind.

Kill the bailout: Illegal immigration and the mortgage mess
By Michelle Malkin • September 24, 2008 07:49 AM
Among many examples cited by the FBI: a conspiracy in Las Vegas involving a former Nevada First Residential Mortgage Company branch manager who directed loan officers and processors in the origination of 233 fraudulent Federal Housing Authority loans valued at over $25 million. The defrauders manufactured and submitted false employment and income documentation for borrowers; most were illegal immigrants from Mexico.

Newt Gingrich and others are against it because it’s anti-capitalist. Why is Bush trying to cram this down our throats? Congress wants more control and oversight, which they should absolutely have, but the Democrats will pass it because for one, it’s one more step toward socialism and it’s a chance to spend money and they want in on it. Go read Michelle’s site she’s up to the minute on all of this.

A non-partisan report blaming the Democrats from Fox News. Names and facts. The Democrats created this mess and now we’re expecting them and the messiah to get us out of it? I’m not thrilled with Bush’s plan either but I wouldn’t hand over a trillion to one guy that’s going to be in charge of handing it out. Thanks to politics, they can’t have a solution without a bunch of strings and BS attached.

Everyone else knows how we got here. How come Congress forgot? Once you hear the explanation, you’ll see how simple it was, how it happened and know exactly what happened.

Chris Dodd is the top receiver of Fannie / Freddie contributions, so you’ll understand why he was against any oversight of the mortgage giants. (Obama being third on the list and he’s only been in the Senate for two years? I’m sure that’s nothing to worry about, nothing at all!)

UPDATE: Also read this from the LA Times in 1999 explaining in more detail, be sure and read the entire article:

Minorities’ Home Ownership Booms Under Clinton but Still Lags Whites’
All of this suggests that Clinton’s efforts to increase minority access to loans and capital also have spurred this decade’s gains. Under Clinton, bank regulators have breathed the first real life into enforcement of the Community Reinvestment Act, a 20-year-old statute meant to combat “redlining” by requiring banks to serve their low-income communities. The administration also has sent a clear message by stiffening enforcement of the fair housing and fair lending laws. The bottom line: Between 1993 and 1997, home loans grew by 72% to blacks and by 45% to Latinos, far faster than the total growth rate.

I was going to post about the idiot truck drivers at the Flying J, but decided to put it on Life on the Road - http://lifeontheroad.com/2008/09/24/fired-up/974.html

I’m getting sick of politics, I want to hurry up and have the election so I know whether we are driving off of a a short pier or a long one. The bailout, even if done right is only going to prolong the inevitable. And god forbid Congress actually puts aside politics for a couple of days and get something done. Someone mentions a bailout and spending money and everyone’s hand goes out. Everyone is trying to get their pet projects tagged into this bailout bill and help the poor people that are losing their homes because they’re too greedy. Hey! They’re bailing out the stupid idiots that bought and insured the mortgages, why not everyone? 

What has the Government ever done right? Medicare? Yeah right! Social Security? Don’t make me laugh! An Energy policy? Stop it! My sides are hurting!!! Giving themselves raises and the best benefit package of any company in the country? Okay, you got me there, THAT, they can do.

Congress still thinks they had nothing to do with this? How can they fix it if they don’t even know how they broke it? 

Ron Paul was just a little ahead of his time. If him and Bob Barr could get major coverage as third parties I would actually have hope. I’m predicting if Obama wins, Ron Paul will run again and win in four years. We will be in such dire straits, drastic measures will be necassary for our survival and Ron Paul has the drastic plan to get back to basics. If McCain wins, maybe things will get better slowly. He’s going to have to cut Capital Gains and Corporate taxes, but saying that will be political suicide because everyone hates the rich and especially the rich corporations.

I’ve heard a lot of pundits say that corporations don’t pay taxes, they pass them along to consumers and employees. But in order for us to compete in the world market and get corporations to build new factories, buy new equipment and hire lots of workers, we are going to have to attract them here with monetary incentives.

Obama’s plan? He’s going to make corporations pay taxes and then pay more taxes and make it so they have to create jobs here in America. Oh yeah, and cut the CEO salaries to something more reasonable. You can’t legislate the economy. You can’t force a corporation to do anything when they have to option to leave and build their products anywhere in the world.

Here’s a few more links about the Sarah Palin Interview on ABC with Charlie Gibson:

How about the entire unedited transcript, with the edited portions highlighted: EXCERPTS: Charlie Gibson Interviews Sarah Palin (September 11, 2008)

Newsbusters.org is a great site, “Exposing Liberal Media Bias”. That’s a full time job! They have a lot on the Sara Palin’s interview and McCain on the View. It’s all the stupidity from the media all in one place.

To see the obvious bias of Charlie Gibson, transcript from his interview with Obama - In 2007 Interview, ABC’s Gibson Greeted Obama With Softballs

And his interview with John Edwards running for Vice President in 2004: Gibson Didn’t Pound Edwards in 2004; Asked Him If GOP Attacks Made Him Mad

If you watched it live on the west coast, ABC edited the west coast version and took out the part about how Charlie corrected her about what she said about God’s plan because he misquoted her, then when she said something about that may not have been exactly what she said, Charlie comes back with a resounding, NO, it’s an exact quote, when he was completely wrong.

The actual full interview on ABC’s 20/20 in three parts: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5793131 If this link doesn’t work, refresh and try again. Must be something with ABC’s player.

Throughout the entire interview I wanted to just slap Gibson and all of his attitudes and questioning just makes Sara Palin look even better.

Ground zero 9/11/2008 Still a hole in the ground.

Seven years ago today an incredible event happened that it seems most people have forgotten. Some people want to completely forget and never want to see anything about the attacks again like Olbermann at the RNC. We need to remember. 9/11 is the reason troops are in Afganistan and Iraq (okay, mostly Afganistan, but there couldn’t be one without the other).

For those that want to remember there are some great pictures over at Peter Nickel and the Video from the RNC that doesn’t say anything political until Olbermann opens his trap. If the Democrats had shown the exact same video I wonder what his reaction would have been.

The outrage should be directed as to why after seven years, there is still a hole in the ground. The bickering about every tiny little thing. The memorial should be done right and everyone’s concerns should be taken into consideration, but not so much as to halt construction of anything. Would you believe someone wanted the names of the hijackers listed as well? Thankfully, that one didn’t make the final cut. But make a decision an get it built. The only thing this hole in the ground honors is the terrorists that did this. The longer this is a hole in the ground the longer it highlights our own inability to do anything. The picture is from today from Earth Cam.

During Governor Palin’s acceptance speech at the RNC, she mentioned that Barack Obama can give an entire speech and not say the word victory unless it’s about his own campaign. He can’t even say it in response to a direct question!

Last week on George Stephanopoulos, George actually asked Barack, “What is your definition of victory?” And he can’t say it. He goes on and on about how Iraq is such a fiasco we’ve got to get out. The troops have done a great job, but he doesn’t say they’ve won, achieved victory or completed their mission, just that we have to leave.

ABC News doens’t allow an embedded video, go HERE or click on the picture for the clip or the entire interview. The actual comment starts at the -3:15 mark.

Whoopi Adds Her Two Cents

I saw this other video about how Whoopi Goldberg was upset about Palin’s speech. Anything that upsets Whoopi must be good. She goes through and picks out a few comments and tries to refute them. Here’s that page incase it’s not on the same page as Barack’s video clip anymore. Whoopi mentions that a “Community Organizer” has responsiblities, but doesn’t say what they are. Then she goes on and mentions a few more things that don’t make sense, of course one of them was when Sarah was telling about McCain’s service. Who would have seen that one coming? The clip ends talking about McCain and not about Sarah Palin. If that’s the best the wacko liberal whiney women on the View (except for Elisebeth), Sara Palin has got it made.

Would you believe that was the most popular search term last week? There are no real pictures of the future VP in a bikini. If you see any, they’re photo-shopped. (See snopes.com here)

Thanks to stories by the democrat operatives in the blogosphere that were immediately picked up by the likes of the NY Times and others, Governor Palin’s speech at the RNC was watched by 37.2 million Americans. Almost as many as Obama’s coronation at 38.3. Would you believe McCain was watched by 38.9 million beating Obama. The media must hate that, all the work they’ve done to bias and give more time to the chosen one and McCain is still in the race no matter what the media does.

A CEO for America!

McCain isn’t my first choice for President. I’ve always thought the government should be overhauled like any other failing business and a lot of Americans think the government should be run more like a business but we blew our chance at getting a CEO specializing in turning companies around. Mitt Romney is a proven businessman and a government executive and the Republicans choose McCain? (Thanks, Huck!) But the religion thing would have gotten in the way from the same people that still think Obama is a Muslim.

Third Parties have it tough

I’ve started following Bob Barr of the Libertarian party. But reading their updates, a third party has such a hard time even getting on the ballots in all 50 states, plus the trouble they have getting in the debates or getting serious time on TV, the two party system really locks out any other competition which is a shame. Except for waking up the establishment, I’m not sure a Libertarian White House could really get anything done. If they were more established in local and state governments it might be easier. I hate to say it’s a “wasted vote”, but unless you’re making a statement, I’m not sure what else would be accomplished.

Sara Palin

And now Sara Palin comes along. A social and financial conservative and has proven she’s willing to go after corruption and pork spending in her own party. It may be what the Republicans need to wake up and remember who they are. Everyone is hoping McCain will listen to her on a few issues, like energy! And hopefully she can keep the base energized enough to get out the vote in November, which will hopefully help out a few Congress members too.

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I haven’t watched any of the Summer Olympics from China. None. Zero. Not on TV or the Internet. I’ll read a few stories here and there but that’s about it.

From PeterNickel.com
2008 Olympics
There are still incredible personal stories in the Olympics but for me the entire China political crap gets in the way of paying attention to the individual athletes.

The Chinese Olympics are all about China and not about the athletes. China wants their image to be spotless so bad they go to any length to appear that in China’s everything’s perfect and everyone is happy.

From the LA Times

China abuzz over lip-syncing singer in Olympics opening ceremony

Peiyi had the voice and was supposed to perform, but was yanked at the last minute because her looks were deemed not suitable by a senior Communist Party official, Chen said.
“It was for the national interest,” Chen told Beijing Radio. “The child on camera should be flawless in image, internal feelings and expression.”

The other sleight of hand involved the massive fireworks display at the culmination of the ceremony showing 29 pyrotechnic “footprints” a second apart in recognition of the 29 Summer Games, as if the past Olympics were walking toward the stadium.

All of the footprints were at least partially detonated that night. Those on the scene saw them. But what TV viewers saw was an animated three-dimensional studio re-creation, Gao Xiaolong, visual-effects team leader at the Crystal Stone animation company, told the Beijing Times.

The footprints had to be done in a studio because they wouldn’t have been seen because of the “mist”.

The vast majority of Chinese, many of whom have no Internet access and live in rural areas, were pleased and impressed by the result of the opening extravaganza, produced by filmmaker Zhang Yimou, which they saw as a moment of national glory.

National Glory. That seems to be the entire theme for the Olympics since Beijing was chosen several years ago. The Chinese have done everything for their national glory and the Olympics are one big commercial for China and NBC’s role is despicable, but that’s an entirely different post.