The American Public Is Destroying Me

The American public's preoccupation with cost is ruining us-

So there I am putting my new 30 year motor together, installing the freeze plugs. Noticing that the thickness is different I measured them. The American made ones are 20% thicker ie. last 6 years longer than those made in China. Next I feel the fuel pump gasket in the FelPro kit. It's 30% thinner than the pump manufacturer's.

It's become a shame to have to ask for quality.

I made it back in time to enjoy Christmas with my son and his family fortunately with no snow. We even got some shrubbery cleaned up and his Jeep started and it runs fine. Now there is just the transmission to go. And it's time for me to get back to my project Cherokee because my brother is bringing another bunch of parts for my Falls Flyer raceboat project on New Years. And I have to complete the ownership change of the mining operation to Cole.

Back From Big Bear

I decided to go to Big Bear for a few days. It was just that there was no snow predicted. That's our weathermen for you! Since I've been staying at my friends free apartment, I brought them a new computer. Now they have something fun to play with and not go outside ha ha.

Some Enlightenment

TIME Anoints Bernanke-
Time Magazine just named him person of the year. Bernanke joins previous illustrious winners, such as Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin twice, Yassar Arafat, and Richard Nixon twice.

The Federal Reserve's Ongoing Legacy-
The Fed was funded by the big U.S. banks originally, who still hold stock in it and have seats on its regional boards of directors. These banks receive yearly dividend payments from the Fed for their investments. If the Fed is making money, the big banks will be the beneficiary, not the American public.

Tree Trimming at the Orchard House

Having returned to SoCal, was visiting my son and his family and enjoyed their tree trimming efforts. It's only down to 50 degrees at night so it's only 20 degrees warmer than PA - not really a great difference.

Snow In Pennsylvania

The season's first snow...fortunately we didn't need the snowblower.

Friends-Sweethearts of the Rodeo

My friends Janis and Kristine moved to Nashville with
their families 20+ years ago and only play music on the Friday after Thanksgiving - I went to see them this year
and had a nice visit. Leonard and Kristine lived in our back house in Redondo Beach. Unfortunately it was way too short...maybe again next year.

Thanksgiving Update

Happy Thanksgiving to All-

I was able to enjoy the holdays with my daughter and her family in Pennsylvania.

We even got enough snow for a snowman

and snow angels. I ripped out the old upper

bath carpet and Aleta laid new tile.

Fall Colors in the Northeast- even poison ivy!

I have managed to finish the rest of leaves today. I am also continuously trying to clear the brush and poison ivy and found two specimens today. That is substantially less than when Phil used to say "Don't come out here!" I want to keep the brambles and p.i. out so the kids can have their own personal park to play in.

Techsid 4.6 liter V-8 - 585 hp

I have just found out from my buddy Nigel that my Grand Marquis Merc was the crossover year for the Ford use of the Techsid (Ferrari) 4.6 liter motor that also ran in the SVT 99 Cobra at 585 hp and is capable of 1600 to 1700 hp.

Mk III Leaf Plow - Aleta's Forest

I have added a permanent mounting for my 'Leaf Plow' so now Aleta can do the installation herself next year. It is really impressing the neighbors how we move so many leaves - with so little effort. It is really nice to excape to the tranquil rural life. The obligations are still there but on our timetable.

My How America Has Changed - Now PC Is In Favor

Today was the date of Henry Stanley’s finding Dr. Livingston 138 years ago. Here follows an excerpt from “The Autobiography of Henry Stanley" upon his arrival in New Orleans in 1859.

“The view of the sky was as freely mine as another’s. These American rights did not depend on depth of pocket, or stature of a man…I possessed privileges of free speech, free opinions, immunity from insult, oppression, and the contempt of class; and that, throughout America, my treatment from men would solely depend upon my individual character, without regard of family or pedigree."

My Current Occupational Therapy

Besides my observations on the economy...

I have finally got the Jeep motor to a state where it is looking like a motor again.

I really enjoy pulling up next to a Navigator and revving the motor so the frame twists during a power brake. Thise guys don't even take their 4WD SUV's off road ha ha ha!

Insights From Our Founders

Bernanke, Geithner & The Media - recovery - NOT

Mainstream media is opining that we are in a

recovery even maybe a result of the stimulus!
Karl Denniger(http://market-ticker.denninger.net/) has overlaid this chart with the dollar and The S&P 500 from the March lows to today.
Notice the near-perfect inverse correlation. The Dollar goes up, the market goes down. The Dollar goes down, the market goes up; near-perfect correlation
Folks, you don't have to engage in any sort of "conspiratorial" thinking on this whatsoever. You only need examine the facts. The rally in the market has exactly nothing to do with the economy and the outlook for it. It is tied to one and only one thing - the decline in the dollar. It is responding to hot money flows that are being intentionally generated and, if you follow them as an investor you will be crushed, just as those who bet on recovery in Japan following their original collapse were.

A California Workaround...

I am back in CA now and can sure tell it...those crooks in Sacramento are at it again.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-state-tax31-2009oct31,0,2028140.story
The provision is one of numerous maneuvers state lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approved in the summer to paper over the state's deficit. Many of the changes, including the extra withholding, were little noticed outside of Sacramento. Savvy taxpayers can get around the state's maneuver by increasing the number of personal withholding allowances they claim on their employer tax forms, said Brenda Voet, a spokeswoman for the state's Franchise Tax Board.

Stupid Car "Stimulus"

As you can readily see from the blip in the hole

our wonderful gummint's car stimulus was a complete flop. We're in the same hole we were in and possibly deeper because forward sales were robbed. Now we will see if the rest of the "Stimulus Package" is equally effective. ha ha ha

Visiting Family in Pennsylvania

Fall in the northeast is quite pretty but the ominous drop of temperatures is going to chase me out in another week. Besides I have caught up with most of the 'fix-it' chores around and the leaves have yet to fall. We'll save that for our return at Thanksgiving when my brother will be visiting here for fried turkey too.

Indian Summer in Minnesota

I have finally had some time to visit my brother in Minnesota. We both grew up on the Mississipppi River and now that he has returned from Beijing we can catch up on our missed time. He has a whole bunch of projects that will give me something to do too.

Motorhead Wrenching

Since there were no open flights to Minneapolis I have to take a later flight to see my daughter and grandkids for two days then go to MN. In the meantime the delay gave me a chance to start the engine assembly on my Cherokee. It's nice having everything clean and start getting the Navigator Eater back together.

Today's Hot Post - a followup from yesterday

It turns out the actions shouldn’t have happened for another, very simple, reason: ACORN can’t legally operate in the state of Maryland.According to the following documents, ACORN, Inc.–the parent organization of all things ACORN–forfeited its corporate charter in Maryland in 2006. ACORN Housing forfeited its corporate charter in 2008. Any ACORN office in the state of Maryland is potentially operating illegally.

Now guess what... It's sting time in San Bernardino, CA at the ACORN office! These crooks are nationwide!!
ACORN Prostitution Scandal: California Here We Come!by James O'Keefe
**This is a Part I of the ACORN San Bernardino exposé.

What News Do You Get and Where From???

My usual concerns regarding the dispicable news coverage by the usual suspects (CBS/NBC/ABC/CNN/MSNBC) has recently been heightened by their lack of coverage of the "Crooks in Residence" at ACORN and their support of (pseudo) whore's and pimps looking to buy a house for underage immigrant hookers. Tuesday promises to be a big bombshell day so check Fox News. In the meantime if you haven't heard...


ACORN’s Lawless Waysby Matthew Vadum
ACORN is not only a radical organization devoted to undermining the American system of government: It is a massive, ongoing criminal conspiracy that should be investigated for possible violations of federal racketeering laws.
With a long history of lawbreaking that is finally getting media attention, the poverty pimps of ACORN are currently in retreat across the nation, and an upcoming voter registration fraud trial may reveal embarrassing information that disrupts the operations of the embattled radical activist group. This is in addition to the undercover child prostitution sting videos revealed in recent days on this website.

Summer OUTTA the City

I am spending my second week in Big Bear Lake and I come down the hill 2-3 days a week. Well, I have to get something done once in awhile!

Last week I got all the machined and new parts back for the Jeep motor and have started on the building routine. At least it is cleaner work than taking it apart. I have to be in Long Beach on Wednesday for a meeting so I can enjoy summer from the mountains to the beach.

I'd Rather Be Hot Than Wet

Hurricane/tropical storm Erika is running a bit north but still too close for comfort. I'm glad I'm here even if it is getting all greasy rebuilding the motor.

I'm Enjoying Being The Family Patriarch

I was invited to join in the family festivities for my grandson Kane's 4th birthday. Dinner was at the Spagetti Factory with about 16 people. After we went back to their 'Orchard House' for presents and cake and a settling of our stomaches. An excellent time was had by all including me in my role of 'Family Patriarch'.

Living the Resort Life ~ Big Bear Lake California

I have escaped the 110 degree heat of San Bernardino and have gone to the mountains where it's just breaking 80. As a new perpetual guest of friends from long ago and far away I enjoyed a BBQ'ed turkey with them yesterday. I think that I will be able to stretch this out 'til Tuesday. My grandson Kane is having his birthday party Tuesday evening and I have to go back down the hill for that.
I received a call from the engine shop saying my Jeep motor is done and now I have a bunch of parts to pick up and play with - try to figure out how they go back together ha ha. More motorhead details to follow.

More Fed Shenanigans

Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve argued yesterday that identifying the financial institutions that benefited from its emergency loans would harm the companies and render the central bank’s planned appeal of a court ruling moot.

"Harm the companies" eh? You mean reveal that they are and have been insolvent, and The Fed has been engaged in covering them up?

The Fed is hiding the insolvency of banks. They, along with their handmaidens in Congress even went further and twisted the arm of FASB to legalize intentional accounting distortions that I argue amount to fraud. ~http://market-ticker.denninger.net/~

On The Road Again - my new 'home'

On the road up to Big Bear Lake, CA where I've be visiting TV Bob and his wife. His kids and mine grew up together across the street from each other. Later we were neighbors on the dock in the marina. Now after a big tri-tip dinner, I have accepted their gracious invitation to stay at their spare apartment a block from the lake. I will be there through late fall...Halloween?? It's a beautiful commute when I do have to work.

Back at Work - but that's not me there

I am finally back on the Caltrans project - here monitoring the application of the corrosion protection tape prior to the mortar lining and coating repairs. Fortunately they are not working Friday so I am going to visit friends at Big Bear Lake for a long weekend. It's got to be cooler than the 110 degrees we've had here.

Some Timely Historical Observations

Today's Notable Quotes giving a historical perspective on our economy's direction~

• “The spring of 1930 marks the end of a period of grave concern…American business is steadily coming back to a normal level of prosperity.”– Julius Barnes, head of Hoover’s National Business Survey Conference, March 16, 1930
  
• “While the crash only took place six months ago, I am convinced we have now passed through the worst — and with continued unity of effort we shall rapidly recover. There has been no significant bank or industrial failure. That danger, too, is safely behind us.”– Herbert Hoover, May 1, 1930

Now Where Did I Put That Bearing

After digging out all the scrap iron that went through the oil pump, I decided to throw all the bearings away! So new pistons, bearings all the way around, rebuilt heads, and on, and on.
But at least now the work is becoming cleaner to do.

Signs of Atlas Shrugging

More signs that our wonderful gummint is willing and intent on holding their thumb on the scale of American business. How much are you Sheeple willing to put up with?

Aug. 6 (Bloomberg) — Fraudulent or deceptive actions in the wholesale oil market may draw fines of as much as $1 million a day under a rule issued today by the Federal Trade Commission... Under the measure, practices such as keeping tankers offshore and crimping U.S. supply, or closing refineries for maintenance at a time that coincides with high price or demand, or exporting at a low price just to manipulate U.S. stores of oil will get a closer look...

As a capitalist I have the right to buy and sell when were and to whom I please ~ or I can quit and you can try your hand at it. Or better yet the gummint can do it like they're going to do with healthcare. Like they have already done with the post office, the IRS, or the CA-DMV.

Today's 90 Day Delinquencies and Foreclosure Data

So you watch CNBC and ??? and are told that things are geting better huh? Ha ha ha and Cramer showed his alphabet soup of graphs. Well why not ponder this salient tidbit of information datelined today (http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/).

New Motorhead Project

Since the Caltrans project is waiting for documentation approvals, I thought I would start a new project of my own. The 1977 Jeep Cherokee I use to go to the gold mine with has about 8 lb of oil pressure hot and 150,000 + miles on it I figured it was ready for the last re-build I will ever do on it. It is getting a complete new motor, new suspension, steering, and paint. At 7.2 liters this Navigator Eater will be ready for another 20 years. "Cash for Clunkers" eat your heart out and cheap tags for the CA DMV too!

Just Another Day at the Office

A red letter day (note upper left screen) REALLY means the market is down!!!

Back in CA and Working - only occasionally

I have returned to California and just in time to start a short project for Caltrans. They are improving that terrible Ortega Highway. Although the origial intent was for my return was to resume the engine rebuild on my Jeep Cherokee. I also understand that there is another project for Chevron that is pending. So much for my retirement. My boss (and daughter) is a real taskmaster.
I have just finished helping her refinish her laundry room after I repaired the blown-up washing machine. It's a good thing she enjoys painting. We even got the wood floors in the bathroom and hall reinstalled. I just have to retrofit a 'Smith tray' (hat tip George) to drain any future mishaps.
It is nice to return to visit friends, George in Forestville has succeeded in selling his house and is retiring. Now when I visit him we can both sit around and kabitz at the TV news commentators. TV Bob in Big Bear is retiring so I will have some great company when I visit the mountains far from the maddening crowds in 'the flatlands'.

Fun Time On The Ravens Fifty

And then the last thing I remember is stumbling around Fells Point in Baltimore's Inner Habor three sheets to the wind. The next morning I woke up on the Ravens 50 yard line trying to figure out how to get breakfast. Weeelll, how else do you think that I would end up here, ha ha.

BBQ Hickory Chips - free come and get 'em

This monster hickory tree blew down and I came back to my dughter's to see about making some firewood - there's a whole bunch of hickory chips for our 4th of July BBQ.

Wrenching with Cousin Len

I got into Miami where Len picked me up at the airport and we went up to Sebring, FL to hang out for a few days. He is in the process of putting a Land Rover body on a Chevy diesel Blazer. (it reminds me of some women) We needed to move the grill out to get more front-end room. And the diesel is real easy on the wallet too! After a short visit here including a brat-BBQ and fish tacos to get my Mexican tastes tuned up again, I am off to Aleta's for some grandkid pestering.

I'll Be Back or Where Ever I Go There I Am

I'm down the road...or in the air. I'm back in the You Es-es A. I'm visiting my cousin near Sebring, FL before I go up to PA. Catch ya'll later.
p.s. The phone is back on.

Father's Day at Kick Back Beach

My morning swim - my view. I acually went for a swim twice this morning before dragging the rum to the chair. Did you notice there is no glass!
It brings to mind Prince's tune "Raspberry Beret" and the line~
"'cause I was a bit to leisurely
Seems that I was busy doing something close to nothing
But different than the day before"

Saturday Afternoon BBQ At The Beach

Brats on the BBQ, beer in the cooler, and Jimmy Rabbitt's streaming radio show for tunes. I could not think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon. You would never know it's the rainy season. The housekeeper Cynthia said it rained all day over in Soufriere. That's where the Pitons are and the elevation change makes for MUCH more rain.

Sunset is Chased by Moonrise

And then a couple of hours later you can walk around again without any lights on and the light on the ocean is about a quarter mile wide.

The sunsets here are absolutely awesome. I could sit here and look at them for hours. Unfortunately they don't last that long.

Waking Up With The Morning Patio Coffee

I have been here in Vieux Fort, St. Lucia for three months now and have enjoyed every day and night of it here. The waterline is 43 steps out the front door and I find coral fans and conch shell quite often. The night has one of those South Pacific moods where the moonlight on the ocean is a quarter mile wide.
I came here and lived in town for a week to get my bearings but was fortunate to find a most hospitable landlord Terry LaTouche of True Blue Cottages. The internet service is excellent with CNN service from Bogata, Racife' and Santiago as well as La Monde and BBC Worldwide.

Every Day Is An Ocean Swim Day

The race to the water lends new meaning to the phrase "pell mell".
The sun is really hot here compared to California.
I was surprised that nobody got cooked.

Have We Lost The Reason For Grandparents?

In the ancient world, when social groups or tribes were traveling up the east coast of the Mediterranean from the Great Rift or even later crossing the Bering Sea via the Aleutian land bridge, there was a necessary function for everyone.
When the children were old enough to help their mothers gather roots and berries, the fathers were out hunting game, looking for better living places and protecting the extended family unit. The older women would help with processing food, making and mending clothes, and other ‘close at home’ chores. The older men would make hunting weapons, build new living quarters and the like.
But today in efforts for autonomy, self sufficiency or being farmed out because of available living space, the elderly and grandparents are no longer able to pass along their hard earned knowledge to both children and grandchildren. Now granted there are sometimes self-sufficiency hurdles or other psychological barriers for grown children to deal with just as there are dictatorial parenting and other parenting problems needing resolution. That brings us to other communication problems evidenced by divorce and abandonment. In tribal times there was no “other” place to go or escape to. While I am not advocating Cain and Able conflict resolution a dialog still remains to be maintained or initiated.
One rainy fall day my children and I accompanied my father and mother on a drive around where my father grew up. The family burial plots for his aunts and uncles and other family members as well as old homestead locations were seen. My father knew these places like the back of his hand from spending over 7 decades there and we all enjoyed his sharing. For me it went by all in a two hour flash one Sunday afternoon – and unfortunately, few specifics stayed with me.
A better understanding of maintaining/documenting a family history needs to be done. A better use of earned and learned life experiences would benefit both children and grandchildren ~ and coincidentally make grandparents useful again besides just babysitting.

House Guests for a Week - My Daughter and Grandkids

Aleta brought Ella and Philip down to visit "Grumpy
Grampy" for a week. We went down to the kiteboarding
beach to go swimming. They were amazed to watch the
waves from the Atlantic run into the Caribbean waves.
They spent at least part of every day in swimsuits. BBQ's
were the order of the day interspersed with shrimp & grits
and Hungarian goulash. And the local rum "Chairman's
Reserve" is really good here particularly if you get the STRONG 160 proof stuff.

I'm Giving Up Hope on Federal Fiscal Responsibility - Commentary

There is a current analogy to my view that 'any efforts to rectify the inconsiderate California drivers would be pointless.'
And that is 'the Federal governments collusion with big banking is close on the heels of California finances that have gone in the toilet' – paraphrasing:
"Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter (Reside) Here"
Stress Tests Are Over. The Stress Isn’t.
With almost 40 pages of charts, graphs and scenarios, the program was a “deliberately stringent test,” its authors said. Clearly, the message they want to send is that the banking mess we have endured for the last two years is finally becoming manageable. We'll see

Happy Mother's Day to All "My" Mothers

I would like to wish a Happy Mother's Day to my three generations of mothers where ever they may be. Ihpe your special day makes up for the other 364 ha ha ha.

The restaurant here called "The Reef" can feed you anything from breakfast to hamburgers to pizza. The people are very friendly and it is just west of the Hewanorra runway. Since it is always an easterly wind, we only see the take-offs and there are about 5 each day but the best one is the Virgin Airways 747 heavy leaving about 5 pm.

Crooks Are Pervasive From Banking to Bailout-Commentary

From the recent banking quarterly reports to the front page of the NYT/Business, the article “Bank Profits Appear Out of Thin Air”. The banking and investment house crooks are still gaming John Q. Public.
The article refers to Bank of America’s fraudulent earnings scheme of booking a $2.2 billion gain that falsely increases value of the Merrill Lynch’s assets recently acquired. BofA decided to give themselves a phony profit bump by raising the value of Merrill assets to prices significantly higher than Merrill kept them.

But it wasn’t only the banksters at BofA pulling this nonsense; All the cool kids were doing it:

• Goldman Sachs and the disappearing month of December
• JPMorgan’s profit was due to repricing the value of its falling bonds
• Citigroup also used the bond trick.

Barry Ritholtz http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/ comments, “Instead of receivership and liquidation, we rewarded these cretins with your grandchildren’s lunch money. It is idiocy on a grand scale, beyond my feeble imagination."

Home Sweet Home

There is everything that I need here with a full kitchen including a microwave. If I really want store-bought meals I could go over to the Reef Restaurant where the kiteboarders are.
But I'm content here with my cornbread and chili, shrimp and grits, and Hungarian goulash. Now I'm making myself hungry again.

Schwarzenegger and the California Budget-Commentary

There is always more than any single or simple reason for significant changes like moving for a beautiful climate.
After the wonderful Governor Schwarzenegger fell into bed with that bunch of spendthrift California legislators and thought they were going to tax me to cover that $42 billion worth of profligate spending making it the highest taxing state in the union, I said the hell with that – I’m outta here.
John and Ken at radio KFI have covered this much better than I and you can even hear their on-air rants here: http://www.kfiam640.com/pages/johnandkenshow/
If you’re a Californian, don’t put up with your representation – they’re mostly crooks!
Notable Quote: "It is said that married men live longer ….In fact, it only seems that way."

Best Kiteboarding On The Island

These kiteboarders are just west of the cottage about a quarter of a mile away. A Frenchman named Frank that worked there turned me on to the new cottages I'm at now. Frank will be back in December and Sebastian and his friend Maria from Spain are holding down the fort in the meantime.

From Outside Peering In-Commentary

So now you have bought some equities in the past month and some of the big banks have been reporting a profitable quarter, huh? Well the Dow has begun to flatten out from its 30% rise…
The “stress tests’ for banks are as bogus as their implementation. Do you really think that the 10 examiners assigned are sufficiently adequate to dig into the complex world wide CDS’s that Citi owns? Ha ha ha.
The Financial times reports that rising unemployment has been at a rate to invalidate the tests even under the Treasury’s “adverse scenario” model. Now they are going to interpret the results more stringently. The Treasury has declined to comment. Dr. Nouriel Roubini, chairman of RGE Monitor observes “The stress test results are meaningless as actual data are already running worse than the worst case scenario.”

New Digs - Moving To Anse La Sable

I found the coolest spot to move to! It's about a half mile from Hewanorra Int'l Airport...I can walk it. And it's about a mile into Vieux Fort - I go grocery shopping there on Saturday's. I spent a week in town finding my way around and where a good place to set up housekeeping would be. The landlord is from Grenada by way of England/Germany/USA and is very knoledgeable about most everything. I have run a test of video visiting and we'll have to try Skype soon.