Burnin' Down The House

Go see my good friend Phel Jones for the scare of your life. See the "Burnin' Down The House" post. Google the facts. You want to see how we got to this financial mess and who is to blame? You obviously have the internet. Do you have the courage to believe the truth?

Bills of Goods

The Beer: I've been drinking the Lawnmower, which my wife thinks is the best ever.

The Bicycle: It's getting chilly. And dark. It's time to maintain the bikes and dream about warmer weather.

The VRWC: Looks like we've been sold a bill of goods.

Not to be confused with this bill of goods. This piece hits the proverbial nail. I'm done bailing people out of bad decisions because we "feel" sorry for them. Looks like I'm not the only one. The taxpayers are going to take it the shorts regardless, so let's share the love here. Why would we want to give money back to the same people responsible for this mess. And now I hear that Barney Frank wanted to give a "slush fund" to "community organizing groups" like ACORN. Are ya freakin' kiddin' me? I'm beyond upset over this. Oh...and the bill increased the debt ceiling to $1.3 trillion. That tells me they don't think the $700 billion is enough.

End of An Era

Paul Newman gone at age 83.

No Good Deed

In the , "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished Department" and the "Wall Between Church and State" department.

Does anyone else see the disconnect here? I'm guessing both the guy complaining and the Pastor of this church are both Obama voters. Any minister worth his salt would be a lot more concerned about bringing his flock to Jesus than endorsing a candidate.

Full disclosure edit: The organization sponsoring this protest against the IRS is a Right Wing org. So I could be wrong about the Pastor. I still don't think a minister worth his salt is endorsing a candidate from the pulpit.

Left vs. Right

Is it just me? Or are those of us on the Right more likely to hold our politicians accountable than the Left?

Meltdown and Bailout

I don't really care how you come down on the current economic issues, but if you stop and think for a minute, you'll realize that none of this could have happened without the complicity of the government. And it didn't happen overnight. When you throw out perjoratives like, "Wall Street Fat Cats", you take away from who the real culprit is (or rather, "are"). It's us. We have determined that our greed and avarice are more important than anything else....including our children. This whole mess is but a symptom. Start looking honestly and you will see where the real responsibilty lies and what the real cause is.

More to come.

AAAaaarrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!

This is infuriating! 500 years of observing and cataloging sunspots and observing sun activity and "some" scientists believe it affects weather and climate? I'd argue the rest of them don't deserve the degree they got from the Crackerjack box.

Plan on cold and snow. For a while.

Aftermath?

The Beer: It's time to start the fall/winter brewing season. If you have any ideas, please pass them along. I also plan to start some all-grain brewing before spring.

The Bicycle: Meh.

The VRWC: I tend to go with the Senate. I don't like any of this. Many financial advisors are telling their clients to bail on the market. This isn't like 2001/2002. I'm holding. Do what you want. Long term, long term, long term.

An Obama campaign volunteer stopped by sunday. I was pleasant, she was pleasant. I hope she saw that we on the right are not the devil incarnate. I don't believe they are. Wrong, but not necessarily evil.

The Bailout

The Beer: Central Waters Brewing Company Happy Heron Pale Ale. Very nice, but not exactly a Sierra Nevada clone. It's from Central Waters Brewing Company. First time I've seen it. MPB was kind enough to buy a six for our post-ride soiree.

The Bicycle: 25 miles at Maywood. The Maywood Earth Ride is a pretty well run fund-raiser for the Maywood Earth Park in Sheboygan (hey...I'm a Teddy Roosevelt conservationist....not an enviro-whacko. I'll put my money where my mouth is).

The VRWC: I'm still trying to understand what has happened in the financial markets this week. WSJ, via Opinion Journal has a good summary. I offer this without comment, because it really isn't my forte. Time will tell if this is good or bad.

Where From Here?

The Beer: A nice Scotch Ale on a cool September evening would be nice.

The Bicycle: I got a couple short ones in this week. Maywood on Saturday. P and I are riding 25. Then a little time at Kohler for sightseeing and stuff, then to MPB's casa for dinner and fun. MPA can't come, but they will be there in spirit. I'm to the left of the guy waving (that's MPB). Picture is from last year.

The VRWC: Wild week in the markets. I don't quite know what to say except that this is no worse than the late 70's, the mid 80's or 2001-2. Hang in, we'll come out of it. Don't panic. Everyone else is doing that for you.

Anybody need an Environmental, Health and Safety guy? I'm pretty good at it.

Sarah Palin Against the Full Court Press

I thought the basketball reference was appropriate.

I'm betting there is nothing here, but the Democrats will keep coming, if only to raise suspision. She must be destroyed. At all costs.

Where is the Tony Rezko investigation? Where is the Bill Ayres investigation?

Owen at Boots and Sabers does a nice job of showing us how to clobber a Lefty professor.

Here's how you respond to reasoned debate if you're a Lefty:

1. Use terms like "neo-con" and "elitist".
2. Make sure you don't recognize your own stand as "elitist".
3. Make sure to post, "Grin. I was only raising the question, Owen." Isn't that, "I'm just sayin' "?
4. Challenge your opponent to debate in a public forum, "over coffee". Preferably at your academic institution where you know you will have a sympathetic audience.
5. Call Free Market, "Corporate Welfare". Remember, you've never held a job in the private sector, but being in academia, you are, "The Great Oz", so you know these things.

So, don't challenge the position; change the subject. Use name-calling and, "I'm just sayin' ". It's a no lose.

Sauce for the Goose

The Beer: I normally get my brewing stuff from www.midwestsupplies.com. But these guys here have some exceptionally cool stuff . I'm an "extract brewer", but I'd like to try my hand at all-grain. Northern has cool stuff for doing that.

The Bicycle: Between rain and mechanical problems, my mileage is almost zero. I'm not sure that's a bad thing. If it's dry, I can ride on weekends until at least Thanksgiving. I've got one ride scheduled (Maywood), then I think I'm pretty well done for the season.

The VRWC: There are so many stories and rumors around Sarah Palin. Most, if not all are already shown to be false. She fired a trooper who tased his own kid? No problem. Doesn't answer questions well in front of the media? I know a Democrat presidential candidate who can't make answers up on his feet either. Oh and questionable relationships? I'm still waiting to hear the media talking about Obama and Tony Rezko and Obama and Bill Ayres.

Probably asking too much.

Oil Shale

I'd like to correct a statement I made here on energy. I claimed 4-14 trillion barrels of oil locked up in shale. Not correct. It's more like 800 Billion. Here is the link. That said, it's still more than we have used to this point. There is no oil shortage. And there won't be for many years to come. It is our unwillingness to exploit our own. $4 a gallon for gas? In the words of that genius "Pogo", We have met the enemy and it is us.

How to Lose an Election

The Beer: I'm drinking a very nice California Cabernet tonight (yes, I drink something besides beer.

The Bicycle: Out for a decent ride for the first time in about 3 weeks and I can feel it. At this age, one loses fitness in a hurry. No flat tire, although the brake pads need adjusting to keep them from rubbing on the rim (wierd. They didn't do that before). It's getting cooler. I don't like it.

The VRWC: The Obama campaign has come up with the best way to lose an election: Focus on and viciously attack the Vice Presidential candidate. For whatever reason, the Democrats feel they need to go after Palin, instead of McCain. Voters don't care about Palin (at least the undecideds don't). The afternoon talk guy here (Mark Belling - WISN radio) made a good point: Democrats can't muster enough hatred for McCain because he's been such a "bipartisan" guy. This is the same reason conservatives are less-than-happy with the selection. But we all recognize the down side of an Obama presidency.

This is priceless. But it's also the reason Democrats can't stand her. Let's see....4 years of McCain, followed by 8 of President Palin? I can handle that.

Obama and the Military Vote

The Beer: I had a Lawnmower yesterday. Pretty good. My wife says it's her favorite from this summers' brews.

The Bicycle: Madone tire is fixed, but my hip isn't. I strained it Friday night by, of all things, bowling on ("on"?) Nintendo Wii. Some friends just got one. It's pretty wild. I think I understnad the technology, but....wow. "I gotta get me one of these!"

The VRWC: The Lefty blogs are brimming with stories that the Military vote is going 6-1 for Obama. I first heard this from the UAW Chief Steward at work. Pretty straight-up guy and Obamaton. He's voting (what he believes to be) his self-interest. But I digress. So I Googled, "Obama Military Vote" and came up with a bunch of hits on Left-Wing blogs, including that perky little girl from CBS. So does anyone know? I've seen nothing in the news either way. I'd think if it were true, the MSM would be all over it. I emailed an old Navy buddy who is still pretty connected (Army Reserve with duty in Iraq), but haven't heard back yet.

Anybody?

Big Environmental

The Beer: If I'm going to make an Octoberfest, I should get after it. I've never had particularly good success with Octoberfest-style beer, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't keep trying, right?

The Bicycle: I'm in flat-tire hell. Two in a week plus the tube debacle. 10 miles out today. Brought a tube, but did I bring an inflator? Of course not. Almost makes me happy to see the season end.

The VRWC: Phelony Jones asked me to post a definition of "Big Environmental" A little background first. The Left loves to use terms that make people afraid of some kind of overlording, all-controlling entity like "Big Business" or "Big Oil". I've decided that two can play that game. "Big Environmental" refers to any of a number of allied Luddites opposed to technological progress in the name of the environment. The groups include, but are not limited to, Earth First!, Sierra Club (once a respectable conservation group), Natural Resource Defense Council, Greenpeace, Environmental working Group...you get the idea. They are all well funded, Leftist in political orientation, unwilling to compromise and willing to use any tactic from legal intervention to "Direct Action" (i.e., domestic terror) to get their way. They own the Democrat Party. If you are against them, then you must be against "a clean world for our children". They use, The Precautionary Principle, meaning that if there is any potential risk from an activity, it must be regulated out of existense or outright banned. It's amazing what you can find by Googleing the term. Environmentalism is a religion to them, not a science. Evidence of this is the "Global Warming Dogma". The mantra? "Global Warming is happening and there is no debate". If there is a debate, you are a "Global Warming Denier".

The hypocrisy of the Big Environmental is well documented, even in this blog. Other opportunities to turn the tables? Big Labor. Big Welfare. Big Government. Use them early and often.

Sarah Palin

The Beer: I actually had Miller Lite at my brother's place Monday. But I don't complain about free food, free beer and free help.

The Bicycle: Monday was also a day of boating and waterskiing frivolity, leaving me in no condition to ride. Washout predicted for the next couple days.

The VRWC: I'm seeing a pattern here. Any politician who is a threat to Leftist power must be personally destroyed. They did it to the President the moment he showed any leadership after 9/11 (he coulda been a contenda). Now they must do it to Sarah Palin. More qualified to be President than the Leftist candidate, Ms. Palin must be painted as incompetent and one of those gun-totin' religious-types. If she were a Democrat, and her story the same, she would be the darling of the Left and the MSM. I can hear it now: "Oh, she's so wonderful and one of the 'regular people'. She's had such a tough go of it, but look at how she's clawed her way to the second highest position in ther land. Yes, if only it could be that way for everyone. But the evil Republicans are keeping them down. Wonderful Sarah fought The Man, including Evil Big Oil and won. Oh...she's so wonderful. And with a pregnant daughter and baby with Downs' syndrome! How wonderful is our sister-in-arms!"

But she's on the Right. She must be destroyed by the hypocritical Left. More reason to despise all they stand for.

Phelony: A Big Environmental post is coming soon.