more toys

My friend convinced me to open a facebook page.   I thought I would try it out.  It may be far too much communication for me.  I will start slow, I guess.  I won't let facebook spam my address book so I haven't connected with many people yet.

I also started twitter account to follow Hugh Hewitt on the radio.  That is pretty funny although I don't post there much either.   I did find an old friend on twitter.  I haven't figured how to find people there.  For example, how would I search for Glenn Beck if he had a twitter account?

twitter.com/z7greens

Biology Quiz Part II

Quiz question #2

Where do plants get carbon?

a. Mother Earth

b. dirt

c. air

d. government contracts

(answer to question 1 in comments section)

Kill the Bailout

I am glad the car bailout keeps failing. There are enough capitalist in Congress to keep it from passing by vote. President Bush has done a great job defending the country. That is his job. Running the economy is not his job. No one can do it. By trying to run the economy he is failing as President. The harder Pres. Bush tries the worse things will be and the more doors he will open for Obama. Just let the market work things out. Everything gets messed up when people that think they are smarter than millions start to pick winners and losers. "We will save this bank but not that one". That changes the rules of the game and so no one can play

Biology Quiz

Time for a little anti-environmentalism in honor of Obama's cabinet picks.

Question 1:    Of what substance are plants made?

a. chlorophyl

b. carbon

c. juicy fruit

d. acetametaphine

marriage without the state

Since prop 8 lost I am hearing a new argument about marriage

Why is the state involved in marriage anyway?




Marriage is not merely a function of the state. That is true only in terms of continuing our civilization. Marriage is the same around the world for centuries. Homosexuality isn't new but gay marriage is a recent invention. Alexander the Great didn't marry his male lover. Since he could pretty much do whatever he wanted, I wonder what restrained him? Most likely tradition alone. It just isn't done. Because it doesn't make any sense. People still think that way. (On another note - Most people agree in 30 states except for writers like this guy. This is horribly written opinion piece with slurs in every paragraph for those he personally disagrees with.) You cannot separate marriage from the state. The connection is more than collecting nominal fees. No one goes through this much trouble for $50. The state has a vested interest in marriage. The proof is in the examination of alternatives. If you removed the state from marriage and all of the advantages that the state gives to married people then were would be? If you want to visit people in the hospital and pass on property to someone other than a spouse than those legal rights already exist. Just go get them. Yes, married people get them automatically. That is one reward from the state. What is the vision of married (without the state)? Where do people get married (without the state)? Who can get married (without the state)? What rights are transferred to married people (without the state)?

Eat Crow

I guess I eat crow today

I can’t believe Obama pulled off the election. I never thought he had much of a chance because he is a socialist with no experience and horrible friends. Very sad. I realized last night that my perception was wrong. I think Sarah Palin is normal and Barack Obama is weird. It is apparent that a lot of people don’t agree with me.

I am glad that the Iraq was won and that it was no longer an issue in the election. I am glad that this election shows that America is the greatest land of opportunity. Anyone can be elected President of the United States.


I wish that Martin Luther Kings "I Have a Dream" speech would come true.
"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

Economic terrorism

Remember when a billion meant a lot?    

Who is more dangerous:  ACORN or bin Laden?   ACORN doesn't kill people so the question must be isolated to money.  The lives lost are a tragedy and can't be accounted for.  Who has caused America more economic damage?  

I looked into the estimates of damage done to the New York City economy on 9/11, and it comes to about $100 billion.   That is a lot of money.  

The estimates of the recent market upheaval is that something near $1 trillion has evaporated. That is a whole lot more money.  That is 10 times more money lost than on 9/11

If its true that ACORN and the liberals orchestrated this crash with bad loans then they should pay.  If Obama is their buddy then how can his recent polling numbers be above 3%?

same sex marriage is new

Historical First

My response to an article on cultofmac
http://cultofmac.com/apple-stands-up-for-equal-rights-with-100k-contribution-to-defeat-prop-8-in-california/4225

The timeline of this article is not correct and is biased against marriage. Leaving out prop 22 in 2000 is not honest.
Although homosexuality has been around for millennia, the idea of homosexual marriage is a first in history. Why didn't ancient greeks or egyptians have same sex marriage? Because it doesn't make sense. It has never been done for obvious reasons. Marriage is for a man and woman.
Trust the vote of the people on the definition of marriage. When this issue came to ballot in 2000, marriage was defined by law as a man and woman. Gavin Newsom violated the law with his ceremonies and they were nullified in 2004.
The judges stepped in and forced a vote to define marriage in the constitution. When it passes all the ceremonies will again have to be nullified. Very shameful. Apple should have stayed out of it. I will delay my purchase of an iphone until they make this right.

Government and Health Care

The government shouldn't be involved in healthcare.  There is no need for it.  What benefit is gained by having government involved in healthcare?   I would love to hear the argument that defines how great things will be once our healthcare is run by DC

First the constitutional argument:

I don't know of any law authorizing the government to be involved in healthcare therefore it is not legal.  

Not that anyone cares about that.

Second....

Why is the government involved in healthcare and when did it happen?  Well it was before I was born so I don't remember.  

The first tangle that I know of is related to WWII and the income tax.  Companies like to pay employees benefits as a bonus to salaries.  Companies used to offer retirement plans and pensions before the invention of 401k.   But later the income tax was expanded and then included paycheck withdrawal "to support the war effort" against powermongers.  The withdrawal plan was a huge success with few people complaining about it so it continued after the war.  As with most emergency legislation passed due to a crisis it didn't go away once things returned to normal.  The problem was that politicians wanted to tax benefits but how do you count them?  Retirements benefits aren't taxed until you receive them and medical insurance wasn't paid to the employee but to another entity so that it was not considered taxable income.  No income - no tax.    So that's how this mess started.  

I don't know how well the system used to work.  There isn't much history written on the topic.  Medical care was a relationship between people and their doctors with medical benefits paid for by some employers.  When government got involved with income taxes then HMOs were created and used as a loophole to avoid the tax.   The benefit is still paid but to an HMO rather than directly to the employee.  Slowly, for several decades, the relationship of medical care changed as more and more government jobs were created.  As an employer the government always pays medical benefits. 

 I don't know why that is.   I think it is absurd that government employees voted themselves retirements plans and pensions.  First it was pensions for soldiers and later for Presidents. I read that people were embarrassed about their past presidents living in poverty.  Didn't look good for the country.  Later came pensions for congressman and over time an avalanche as everyone else joined.  Our Gilbert town councilman recently added themselves to the state plan with retroactive benefits.  

I disagree with the whole notion of government pensions.  It encourages people to stay in office.  Never a good idea.  Serve and then get a real job.  There is no right to a retirement.  Leisure is earned, not guaranteed by others taxes.  But back to medical care.....

Government has become more involved in medical care and it hasn't helped anyone.  As with most functions the government didn't make improvements but rather took over the duties and functions of other organizations and proceeded to perform worse than they.

Today we have a so called crisis.  I don't see it.  Everyone I know gets the care they need.  Haven't seen a single case of a child limping around because their broken leg was never set.  The reports are always about a lack of medical insurance rather than about medical care.  But that is really an argument about how we may for medical care, not whether we can get it or what it should cost.  If the real argument is about methods of payment then the solution is easy.  We must end the relationship between government and medical care.  That will help to end the perception that healthcare is a right.  And end the notion that this perceived right is guaranteed by the government.  

People do not live forever and have no right to medical care.   Medical care at the expense of others is theft, not charity.  That isn't what life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness means.   

The simplest way to end the healthcare crisis if there is one is to get government out of it.  To do that requires a change to tax policy to end the practice of withholding and income tax.  This will return healthcare to its proper position of doctor and patient with some companies paying perks if they wish.  People can take the money and pay for a doctor.  Or join an HMO if they wish to get group buying power.  

Problem solved.  

Acres of oil

Coments on Off -shore drilling. Pelosi and Obama don't understand oil drilling or contracts if they keep saying that the oil companies already have 40 million acres of land on which to drill. "They need to use what they have", they claim.  Very ignorant.   Let the oil companies go where the oil is.  We don't need politicians deciding where oil companies explore.  Low prices will help the economy and starve our enemies in Venezuela and Iran.  Plus exploration will turn into jobs for people.  

Gas prices are down as of Dec 15 but they should still drill, drill, drill.  Don't let anything drive those prices back up.  

McCain Obama debate

I missed the first debate and part of this one.  It is hard for me to watch because they are such bad candidates.  Very boring. Obama is just flat out socialist.   McCain's proposals for mortgage relief lost my vote.  Mr. Anti-pork voted for the $700 billion monstrosity filled with pork on the grounds that it was an emergency.  Always is.   And now he proposed mortgage relief.  What a shame.   Guess I should have bought a mansion when I had the chance to be victim.  I played the market wrong.  Even with Palin I don't think I can vote for that.  Oh well, won't matter much.  McCain will carry Arizona without me.  

I can always vote for a third party.  I would never vote for Obama, whom I consider a baby-killer as cold as that may sound.  But he is definitely a socialist and I despise that also.

A recap on socialism of which Barack Obama is the worst type:

He will take your money to spend on programs you don't agree with because he thinks he is smarter than you and knows what is best for people and the country.  He and his programs will fail and it will be your fault.  Then he will say you aren't kind enough and that more sacrifice is required.   More taxes, more programs, more failure.   Government is not capable of solving the problems he wants to tackle.  The government does not owe you a retirement or healthcare or a job.   That is your problem to solve.  People have many rights but leisure and money and ease are not part of that package.  The idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer.  

The genius of capitalism is that it rewards work and intelligence.   Obama said he wants to tax rich people to make it fair.  Life is not designed to be fair.   Didn't anyone ever tell him that? He is delusional if he thinks he can make life fair.   He is especially crazy if he thinks life can be made fair through taxes.  It can't be done.  Attempting it is socialism and will always end in ruin.  

Read "The Law" by Frederic Bastiat who can explain this a lot better than I.  Read his brilliant pamphlet and you will wonder why Obama is pushing an idea that should have been crushed when this essay was written in 1830.  Law is justice.  It is the only source of "fairness" that Obama seeks.   Too bad he is way too far left to try it.  Only when people own and control their own resources, time, skills, labor and money can the best end be achieved.  Then the higher behaviors of people can become evident such as sharing.  Taxes are theft, charity is a gift.

   

Americans like to give and they will always take of people but it has to be done through communities and churches, not DC.

Last day to register

Monday Oct 6th is the last day to register.  Go to servicearizona to register.

Propositions Revisited

I read up on the propositions some more and have some revised views.  I think I have more yes votes than before.  Yes for Marriage is still a yes, of course

100  Yes - This would prevent a future law to tax real estate transactions.  I wish there weren't so many complications in the text that could create problems but the basic issue is to vote yes to prevent a future potential tax

101  Healthcare - vote yes.  Another one with too many words but the idea is prevent someone from being punished for opting out of Hillary Care when Obama puts it in place.  Once government takes over healthcare then the next step will be to punish those that don't participate because not playing along will be considered unfair.  

102 Yes for marriage.  Marriage is a man and woman.  Any questions?

105  majority rule  - This could be a scary one but I will vote yes based on republican principle.   This would help to get rid of all the propositions we have in Arizona.  The power to legislate lies with the people and they can reserve this right.  But in our republican government we turn over this power to the legislature and elect representative to create law.    The problem with propositions is there is no room for debate and compromise.   Bad laws go into effect without this required tempering.  After this passes it will make it much more difficult to pass a ballot proposition.   That I agree with.  You will have to have a majority of registered voters to pass an initiative.  The vocal minority will not be able to get things done.  Only when most of the people are very excited about something will you be able to get another ballot proposition to pass.

200  I am voting no like I always do unless I see a good reason to vote yes.  Payday loans are stupid but don't need to be illegal.  They will expire if you vote no.  But I am sure they will find a new way to renew them because too many people are making money.  Let the legislature talk this out and find a way to renew if people really want them so bad.  

201  Homeowner right bill - vote no!  This is a bad idea.  If you can read you will see how silly.  The homebuilder are not evil and don't need to be punished.  Unions are horrible and we don't need them.  Arizona has done well as a right to work state.  One effect is that it will take away legal rights of businesses.  It will remove people from bidding on work.  It is a lawyers dream and people will wait for courts to settle disputes

202 Don't employ illegals.  Vote no.  Our laws to keep illegals out of the system is just starting to take effect.   Don't ruin it now by voting yes.  It isn't perfect but things are improving.    This proposition guts all past attempts to curb illegal hiring.   The signs may say "stop illegal hiring - vote yes"  but if you read it then you will see.  Vote no to stop illegal hiring

p.s. once we get illegal hiring under control then we can work on guest workers.  It is the only logical progression

 

300 pay raise  Yes.  The legislators aren't overpayed.  I would like to get rid of their retirement program.   I think all government pensions are a bad idea but that is a different topic

There are still a few more weeks to read for more details if you want but they are pretty boring.  Note that 102 is the shortest. 

$700 billion bailout

Pres. Bush quickly signed the $700 billion bailout today. Everyone said it was critical, it was an emergency. Also that it won't solve the problem but without it there will be disaster. I am glad that my congressman was among those that voted against it. So if this amount of money won't solve it, what will? More money?

I can only hope that more responsible legislation will follow that will limit the influence of government on the market. It is government involvement that made the mess in the first place. The reports about meddling that started at least as far back as 1999 are becoming more clear that the GSE's Fannie and Freddie and other large mortgage holders were purposefully giving loans to those that could not pay them. Without going too much into conspiracy theories I think it was done intentionally to crash the market in order to gain control. But even in more sensible terms it was a terribly ignorant thing to do.

It is also racist. Martin Luther King dreamed of a day when his children would be judged by their character and not by the color of their skin. I think this should apply to home loans as well as all other aspects of life. Some people were approved for loans because of the color of their skin rather than on their credit score. That is not helpful. It is demeaning and racist. I am in engineer and so I think of this in terms of process control. If you don't measure something then you can't control the outcome of the process. You can't improve something without measure and understanding it. Worse than that is too ignore the data you get and make random judgements. Credit rating (not just scores BTW) have been used to control the mortgage loans. To ignore that data is to ruin the process. Like trying to control the water level in the tank while ignoring the level sensor. Just throw the valve wide open, fill it quick and ignore all else.

A measurement only has value if you are going to use it. Something ignored obviously has no value. Ignoring character and judging by race is wrong. Ignoring someones history of payments or credit score in place of demographics is wrong.

Another reason this interference is a bad idea is because it interferes with the free market which should not be violated. Even smart people are not smarter than "the market". Why is that? Because many people making many decisions in their own best interest is better than one person making decisions for everyone else.

I don't know if that is what caused the housing bubble. That may have been a big contributor. That sort of things happen when people mess with the market. If you take the average house appreciation to be 7% then we're just returning to normal marketplace. If you bought a home eight years ago at $150,000, then it would be worth $256,000. And that it's exactly what a house like that is going for these days. So there hasn't been a huge market crash. It only looks bad compared to the price of that same house two years ago when it sold for $400,000. But of course, everyone knew that that wasn't real. The bubble has burst, but the market hasn't crashed. It looks like things returned to normal.

Vote no on Budget increase

My rule is that any time you can vote for a tax reduction it should be a yes vote.  That is pretty simple but especially on anything regarding property taxes which is the worst sort of tax possible. Property tax is worse than income tax.  (Even worse than HOA fees.)  The school district is funded with property taxes.

Schools should make do with less money, just like everyone else.  Pouring more money into the system won't help it.   If there are extra needs and parents want them then they can write a check.  I agree with all the arguments that say that children need a good education and it improves society but that should have no connection with property taxes.  

Some of the other arguments however are pretty silly.  I read in the information packet that James thinks that out of date teaching materials will negatively impact the emotional health of children.   Marty thinks that a no vote is turning your back on obligation as parent or citizen.   Must be in the Biden camp that believes taxes are patriotic.  Or perhaps a religious duty.

Don't tax yourself.  Vote no

Did you see the fireworks?

The Constitution fair ended with a nice fireworks show. The kids enjoyed it again this and as usual we missed the Sunday evening activity. Something always happens, tonight it was a sick baby. Sept 17th is Constitution Day so the organizers of Constitution Week pick the closest Saturday.

We spent the day helping to set up. The organizers claim to have the largest Constitution Day celebration in the country. I don't think there are many challengers. Everyone loves to celebrate the 4th of July but not many on Sept 17th. Why do we do it? Because our country is founded on many documents with the Declaration and Constitution separated by thirteen years. The Declaration was about freedom and stated why we were willing to fight for it. But the Constitution gave us law and order. Without it we wouldn't have our government.

3 countries in Iraq

I was in favor of breaking up Iraq after we kicked Saddam out. 

It is a mistake. It would be a mistake to do so.  Let the people make their own countries. Iraq was a British creation which started the whole mess.  They also made the mess in Kashmir after WWII.  And they argued a long time against Israel.  I am glad the Brits are our allies but they sure made a mess of things when they collapsed their empire.

The Iraqi's should be left to choose their own fate and for now they have decided to stick together in one country.  That might be hard but they choose the challenge.  

Sarah is stupid

Sarah Palin is being called stupid. This idea is spreading among critics of the VP. This is a tired argument against conservative candidates. Look up the quotes about Reagan. He was called stupid constantly. Then Bush and now Palin. They are dismissed as stupid because they are conservative. Because intelligent people must be liberal, in their opinion. It won’t work in the campaign because there isn’t time for it to sink in and because of the sympathy that is generated by the vicious attacks against her. Although it has had some effect against those that don’t like Pres. Bush. For example, he is a good public speaker but most critics call him a bumbler. Strategory was a Saturday Night Live skit that stuck.

I would bet Pres Bush has a higher IQ than either Gore or Kerry who are considered intellectuals. He has performed well except for his socialist tendencies like no child left behind, embryonic stem cell research, medicare prescription drug program, business bailouts, “compassionate conservativism”, deficit spending etc. But other than that he is okay. Anyway, Sarah Palin is not stupid and her opponents should find a new criticism and a better method of attack. I heard part of the skit on SNL and the accent was pretty funny.

Why did Democrats lose the last two elections?

The answer to that is easy - because they nominated losers.  

But to be more specific, they lost by nominating someone from the extreme left.   Why don't they nominate someone more centrist?  Gore was a huge liberal.  Kerry was left of him.  And now Obama is left of Kerry.    Do they think that going farther left is a good strategy?  There are good democrats that are not among the Kennedy, Biden, Hillary crowd.  Why can't they fix their system so they can nominate one of them?

Gilbert Elections 2008

Primary is over - time to think of the general election. Get registered to vote, the deadline is Oct 7th



President
I wish there was another candidate to vote for other than John McCain. Where are my options?


Congress
No Senators up for election this year. Flake will win in this congressional district


State
Support Thayer for Senate, should be easy race. Andy Biggs has done a good job and should be returned to office. Who knows who the other guy is, but he will win because he has an R by his name. Hope he is a good guy. We'll see what these people are up to


Corporation Commission

no info



Gilbert
Council elections are in the spring.




Propositions
I will have to do some research. I will welcome any arguments. You can get info on elections website. I always vote no unless there is a compelling argument. New laws are generally worse than the old bad laws.


First is Prop 102 because that one is easy.
Vote yes on marriage amendment. Time to explain to the smart guys in black robes what marriage is.


Prop 100 real property
Prop 101 health care
Prop 102 YES marriage
Prop 105 Tax rules
Prop 200 Payday loans
Prop 201 Housing
Prop 202 Employee Identity
Prop 300 Salaries


Judicial Review
My theory to vote no to all on question to retain judges until they clean up their act. There are few that are good. You can usually find a list of those to support at the CAP website - but I don't see it up yet. I can update when I get more info