Lockjaw's Lair

With Iran in the middle of widespread unrest, I think it is important to look at what our President has said on the issue.

I love to play World of Warcraft.  Questing, killing beasties, gaining achievements, and Player vs Player are just entertaining things to do on a nice relaxing evening. One of the great things about WoW, as it is known, is that there are so many different ways to play the game.  One of my most enjoyable things to do, though, is profiteering.  I farm expensive materials, gather sellable quest items, and pick up items from vendors in my travels for resale.

My favorite way to find things to sell, though, is to scan the auction house for items that are, frankly, being sold too cheaply.  I buy them at the seller's asking price, and immediately place them back up for sale at a higher price.  The price I sell for more closely matches the price that the market will bear.  Sometimes, I can multiply my investment several times on one item.

Now that we're starting to get an idea of what President Obama's economic knowledge is like, it's starting to get a little worrisome. Taxpayer money is being thrown at hundreds of projects, like museums, sidewalks, libraries, and a trolley in Puerto Rico.  Pushes for more "green energy" projects will do more to raise energy costs, which tends to hurt the economy as that cost is reflected in the price of milk and bread.  Even Obama's so-called tax cut is designed to cause hardship, as taxes aren't being cut.  When your income tax withholding is reduced, but the actual tax rates are not adjusted, it isn't a tax cut at all.  It's a deferred payment, because you'll either have to pay the money back in April 2010, or have your refund reduced.

So ... is there a stimulus plan that could work?  Is there an idea that could put an immediate cash infusion into the American economy?  Could we, with one or two quick decisions, take action to put our economy on the fast-track again, while costing no more than the estimated one to three-and-a-half trillion dollars that Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress have allocated so far?

Yes.

A violent street gang, over the course of months, randomly fires bullets at houses in a populated residential area.  For months, the city asks politely for them to stop.  Over time, the mayor begins to suggest that the gang has gone too far.  Eventually, the police move in and strike at the leaders, and begin to return fire on gang members who are seen firing weapons into neighborhoods.  Local college students protest against the city and the police.

As I wake this morning, before loading the car for the day's travels, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas.

Because the opposite of Merry Christmas isn't "Happy Holidays," "Happy Festivus," or "There is no God."  The opposite of Merry Christmas is, "I hope your dog craps on your face to wake you up on December 25th."

I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

As the arguments have gone on about how to bail out the US auto industry, I've thought a lot about it myself.I believe that the US auto industry can be saved with some rather simple steps.  Primarily, these include such common-sense things as un-crippling the automakers, reforming the automotive market, and trying some innovative experimental tax reform.

Great post over on Pink Elephant Pundit about Why Liberals Hate Conservatives. It's a well-considered presentation of differences between left and right, and why the left is so often driven to hate-speech when speaking of conservatives. As a former liberal who decided hate wasn't a good enough reason to choose a political stance, this post appealed to me. Good read. Head on over and check it out.

Last week, my wife and I finally upgraded our phones.  We knew we needed more from our phones, so I spent some time looking at the options.  I'm crazy like that.  When we first got our cellphones four years ago, I spent 2-3 months talking to everyone who had a cellphone about their plan, their service, and their phone.  I wanted to make the right decision, without hassle.  I gathered the evidence myself, and made the decision.  I did the same with this purchase.

I prepared for a few days beforehand, browsing apps in the iTunes App Store, and grabbing a collection of apps that looked useful, so I could jump right in when I got the phone.  Finally, the day before Thanksgiving, the wife and I drove down to make our purchase.

As the latest in my ongoing series of posts advising President-Elect Obama, I'd like to approach international issues.  This may be a moot point, since Obama already has many international ties.  Regardless, I'll try to hit some high points.

I won't bother with advising on interactions with the palestinians, since Obama has ties to the palestinians; already. Likewise, he seems to have good ties with Kenya. Heck, some think Obama was born in Kenya, including his own grandmother who says she was in the hospital at the time.