OregonGuy

Ruh-Roh

2009-11-29T12:41:00.000-08:00

Mebbe you've heard of the Mann Hockey Stick.

Or, David Rorvik. Or Bobby Pons. (Check the last sentence of the last paragraph.)

This isn't good for Professor Mann. (pdf)

Previous posts on Climatequiddick here and here.

Gonna Build A Mountain

2009-11-27T11:22:00.000-08:00

Listen to this one as you watch this one.

"I, painting from myself and to myself,

Know what I do, am unmoved by men's blame

Or their praise either. Somebody remarks

Morello's outline there is wrongly traced,

His hue mistaken; what of that ? or else,

Rightly traced and well ordered; what of that ?

Speak as they please, what does the mountain care ?

Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp,

Or what's a heaven for?" (Robert Browning, "Andrea Del Sarto", lines 90-98, 1855.)

At RCP: This was the day I was waiting for

2009-11-25T10:00:00.001-08:00

Howz that Hopey Changey thing working out?

Real Clear Politics here and here.

Send This To A Friend

2009-11-25T09:54:00.000-08:00

Hey, it's the Holiday Season!

Time to be thankful for what we have and the opportunities we have to lead our own lives, without government interference. Be thankful for this while ye may.

This horrible video was produced by Minnesotans. Minnesotans are defined as those unwilling to finish the trip to North Dakota.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Climate-quiddick

2009-11-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

I remember watching a television show back in the 196o's called "You Asked For It". Television as a broad medium was still fairly new. Historians may say that television was introduced in the 1930's, but to be real, anybody who could afford a television set in the '50's was pretty well off. Just look at the decline of radio TSL to television in the '50's to get an idea of the trade-off.

My family got our first television set in 196o.

Before then, my family got its information about world and current events from the newspaper. In 1960 we had three newspapers, the Oregonian, the Oregon Journal, and the Valley Times. The Valley Times was a weekly newspaper directed to those of us who lived outside the metropolitan area of Portland, and was found on newsstands at grocery stores and cafes in the Washington county area. We knew that living in a community like Metzger or Progress wouldn't draw the attention of urbanites like those who lived on Council Crest or near Grant High School. So game scores for teams from grade schools and high schools from Tigard or Scholls was left to the domain of the Valley Times.

The Valley Times was one of the earliest incarnations of what we have come to know, today, as a trader. Walking into Piggly-Wiggly on Barbur, you'd be greeted by a stack of Valley Times on the counter of each checkstand. When they sold out, they were gone. But folks, just like my folks, would pick up a copy to get the news on the local PTA, church functions and scores for local schools. And not just scores. There would be the names of kids whose parents we knew.

All in all, the usefulness of a local newspaper was to bring a community together.

This was all before the ascendancy of a type of journalism that was developed in the 1960's called, advocacy journalism.

We'd had yellow journalism before. What is odd, when referring to this "golden" age of "yellow" journalism is that just as this movement was proceding--and it was a movement--the ideas of the movement was being put to the test in post-Revolutionary Russia. To little or no use or value to the "real" revolutionaries of the Bolshevik Party. Emma Goldman? Get real. (Didn't she used to date an architect?)

The romantic revisionism of the Left has always relied heavily on proto-Judaic visions of Utopia. This has been one of the logical inconsistencies of the Left that has existed as far back as the eye can see. While the Left agonizes over the existence of Judaism, it attempts to co-opt Hebraic mythology in order to justify its own existence. (I think this self-parody of "the Jew" is unintended and observable in the political views of most contemporary American Jews. the derision of the Jew in early 20th century literature was best reduced by Gertrude Stein's critical comment to Fitzgerald that he'd "finally found your Jew." Because Jews are parodied, and have been for centuries, the "fuck you" gene has become recessive. The Jew was the sawbuck of the Progressive during the 1920's. Genetics and Jews. I understand they voted for Obama. Sheesh.)

As the "vision" of justice is written and re-written by the Left, the odd pause is neglected and ignored.

God didn't give us Reason in order to get along. And He didn't give us Reason to prove we were donkeys.

He gave us Reason.

While it is easy for the Left to denigrate the Jew, there is no point along the time-line of the Jewish experience where Man as Jew was separated from his God. In fact, if you've actually read the Torah or the Bible, it can be stated that a great deal of the works--up to and including the New Testament is a continuing conversation with God. Obviously there is a change in "voice" when reading the New Testament". Christ was God come among us. He was here to take names and kick ass. It only requires a selective reading of the New Testament to allow the radical Leftist to attempt to impose his views of the words of the Lord and His Apostles upon us through a revision of His Words, as an unintended consequence of the breadth of the revision in the Hebraic to Christian model. There are huge chasms that exist between the writings and teachings of the Jewish faith and the Christian faith. But it is my belief that the discontinuity that occurs is not greater than the breach. I am more Jewish in my beliefs and faith than I am Christian. Sort of "Christians for Hebraicism", I guess.

Unfortunately for the Left, there were local newspapers being published at the time of the ascendancy of Christianity. For those unfamiliar with The Bible, a lot of this published material is referred to as The Letters. These weren't the Words of Christ, but the words of the prophets. There was an intense period of intermediation that required taking up the Hebraic traditions and translating how the philosophical underpinnings of Judaism were, or would become, consonant with current modern thinking about life and creation, in re, Rome.

Writers were important during the Christian era.

The Letters of the New Testament are among the most important writings of the Modern Era. And yet, not a single public school in the United States of America is allowed to teach based upon the greatest, singly most important document in Western Civilization. Take the example of the current debate on-going in Idaho.

Long time readers of this webspace are familiar with my admission that I am not a Christian. And, I think, if you put "Christian" into the "search" bar above, you will be taken to my prior posts on Christianity.

But my inability to declare myself a Christian does not diminish for me the importance of the writings of the adherents of Christ, nor diminish their formulative importance in the development of the Western Philosophical Tradition. We stand upon the shoulders of our fathers. Remember, the conversation between Jews and God has been and will be unimpeded.

Being able to declare that religion is unimportant, or that the study of religion is likewise unimportant, is one of the declared goals of groups like the NEA, in Oregon the OEA, the ACLU and at least one political party, the Democrats.

The idea is pushed through media--our current version of Letters. From the New York Times to the Daily Astorian, we are told that simply asking questions about the roots or our ideas constitutes a violation of the wall between State and Church. This is a strongly and assiduously held belief among the Left. (Anybody thinking about the "wall" of Jamie Gorelick?)

But when asked about other limitations (a la "The Constitution") we find that these strongly held barriers only exist when it comes to intellectual inquiry. When it comes to requiring one to spend money in commerce for a product that one has chosen he neither wants to purchase, or simply can't afford to purchase, under this reading of the Constitution it is current doctrine coming out of Washington, D.C., that there are, or is, no such limitation. Walls only exist for the proletariat. Walls have become the whim of the Elite.

I cannot expect my children to be taught the exegeses of the Western Political Tradition, but I can be forced to purchase insurance or be sent to jail.

We have, at least for a time, the Internet to focus attention upon the disparity between the Leftist view of our future, and the more traditional American view of our future. The traditional view of America is being over-written every day by newspapers like the Oregonian and the Register-Guard. The role of the written word is every bit as important as it was two or three thousand years ago. What is occurring currently, as it has during every retrenchment in the past, is the obscuration of logic and learning in the favour of dilettantism and ideology.

The television show, You Asked For It, had a simple premise. Any question you had would be shown--on television!--as a response to your inquiry. It was a nakedly naive representation. You wanted to watch bears on roller skates, you watched bears on roller skates.

But where is the simple naiveté today? Long since passing.

The essence of naiveté is in the simplicity, or elegance, of the naif. There is no dissimulation. There is not an undue equivocation or obscurance. There are simple questions and answers. And you can determine whether or not your question was answered appropriately, or not. If not, you may disregard the answer.

No longer. In American politics, obscurantism is the highest form of the political art. Ask a clear question? Who cares. Dissimulation is an almost in-born trait among the political class. And the simple journal keepers who want to give pen to paper for this experience?

Where is the journalistic class?

Where are the bright young men and women of Columbia?

Long since passing.

It is my thesis that we no longer teach our children about the Western Liberal Tradition. We are now teaching our children that any idea is just as good as any other. Giving them hard walls to practise their serves against is anathema to the current crop of public school educators. It is Euclid standing upon his head.

Gibbon be damned.

History is now an eclectic series of apologies for having robust and forcefully held beliefs. There are no footnotes, no way stations along the way of progress. There is no longer a journo in journalism. There are no way-stations. There is no inquiry, and hence, no need for answers.

It is indisputable that Mary Jo Kopechne was killed by recently deceased Senator Edward Kennedy. But there is no way-station in the modern political dialogue that permits such a naif's view of the incident. There is indisputable proof that the current argument for Anthropological Climate Change (ACC), Manmade Global Warming (MGW) and Climate Change (CC) are the artifacts of a group of Leftists who wish to rein in the creativity of the individual.

See here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

We were told during the Nixon Watergate hearings that the cover-up was worse than the crime.

Not today.

Today, the cover-up is the crime, and no journalist is willing to find Deep Throat. What should be a chilling moment for the Left has become another Ted Sorenson moment.

Forgive me. I hope to remain naivé.

Matthew 18:2.

Angelina Jolie

2009-11-24T18:23:00.001-08:00

(Stolen from Ghost of a Flea.)

"She hates him," a source close to the U.N. goodwill ambassador, 34, tells the new issue of Us Weekly (on newsstands now).

Parking for the Civil War Game (Image NSFW)

2009-11-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

(Serially, I know this pic is inappropriate. But I have it, and when else does it make sense to use such a deplorable image?)

Maybe someone will correct me, but I'm under the impression that this is the first Civil War Game that has ever been played on a "work day". Getting around Eugene during rush hour is problem enough for its denizens, but how about a bunch of outsiders converging toward one location for a six o'clock game?

Shuttle service is going to different than on Saturdays, simply because there is a working, non-game seeking population that is going to want to go home after work. The number of busses available for shuttle transport will be reduced. If you're going to use the shuttle, you'll need to park at the Eugene Fairgrounds, Symantec, Valley River Center, Valley River Inn and Willamette between 10th and 11th. In addition, a new location has been added for this game only at the Eugene Christian Fellowship on Game Farm Road.

It took a miracle for the Ducks to recognize the contribution religion can play in Eugene society.

You know how hard it is to find reasonable parking on a weekend. The Autzen lot will be open, as usual four hours before the game, but remember, because of the time of the game and that the game is on Thursday, a lot of you will be looking for your "old" parking space at a business' parking lot where people are still working.

The Old Armory lot off of Martin Luther King Blvd. will open at 8 a.m. for reserved recreation vehicles and 10 a.m. for general parking; Centennial Loop businesses will offer limited football parking beginning at noon, with more spaces available at the close of the business day at 5:30 p.m.; and lots surrounding the BMX track off of Leo Harris Parkway will open at 1 p.m.

Plan ahead and reduce game day stress. Best wishes for both teams. Go Beavs!

Sekrit Code for Rednecks and Palin Supporters

2009-11-21T22:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a link for another important redneck.

Don't be subtle in your thinking. My admonition is to always be robust.

The Left is using non-argumentation as a ploy; an ersatz reality. Ersatz coffee isn't coffee.

It is something else.

Remember, never give up, never give in. Never quit.

An Inconvenient Leak

2009-11-19T20:30:00.000-08:00

Hackers have apparently crashed the computers at Hadley CRU (The Met).

According to Watt's Up With That, "An unknown person put postings on some climate skeptic websites that advertsied an FTP file on a Russian FTP server, here is the message that was placed on the Air Vent today:

"''We feel that climate science is, in the current situation, too important to be kept under wraps.
We hereby release a random selection of correspondence, code, and documents.'

"The file was large, about 61 megabytes, containing hundreds of files."

The site I rely upon for most of the best critical evaluation of claims made by the AlGore ManBearPig crowd is Climate Audit. But that site is down now and there is reason to doubt--remain skeptical--about the authenticity of the material involved in this "alleged release."

How damaging could this be? Take this series of e-mails:

#1047388489“This was the danger of always criticising the skeptics for not publishing in the “peer-reviewed literature”. Obviously, they found a solution to that–take over a journal! So what do we do about this? I think we have to stop considering “Climate Research” as a legitimate peer-reviewed journal. Perhaps we should encourage our colleagues in the climate research community to no longer submit to, or cite papers in, this journal. We would also need to consider what we tell or request of our more reasonable colleagues who currently sit on the editorial board…What do others think?”

#1047390562“I will be emailing the journal to tell them I’m having nothing more to do with it until they rid themselves of this troublesome editor.”
“It results from this journal having a number of editors. The responsible one for this is a well-known skeptic in NZ. He has let a few papers through by Michaels and Gray in the past. I’ve had words with Hans von Storch about this, but got nowhere. Another thing to discuss in Nice !”

#1051156418“This second case gets to the crux of the matter. I suspect that deFreitas deliberately chose other referees who are members of the skeptics camp. I also suspect that he has done this on other occasions. How to deal with this is unclear, since there are a number of individuals with bona fide scientific credentials who could be used by an unscrupulous editor to ensure that ‘anti-greenhouse’ science can get through the peer review process (Legates, Balling, Lindzen, Baliunas, Soon, and so on)…. deFreitas is such a poor scientist that he may simply disappear. I saw some work from his PhD, and it was awful (Pat Michaels’ PhD is at the same level).”

#1051190249“Note that I am copying this view only to Mike Hulme and Phil Jones. Mike’s idea to get editorial board members to resign will probably not work — must get rid of von Storch too, otherwise holes will eventually fill up with people like Legates, Balling, Lindzen, Michaels, Singer, etc. I have heard that the publishers are not happy with von Storch, so the above approach might remove that hurdle too.”

Imagine all these real sciency guys discussing avoiding the vetting by the science community of their research. And, say what if there was a bunch of data that was basically all made up, they knew it and worked together to conceal their collusion?

We better hope we can pass Cap & Trade soon. I understand that Senator Reid has promised to bring this before the Senate on Saturday.

You know what they say, "Timing is everything."

UPDATE: From Say Anything:

"We feel that climate science is, in the current situation, too important to be kept under wraps.We hereby release a random selection of correspondence, code, and documents.Hopefully it will give some insight into the science and the people behind it.This is a limited time offer, download now: http://ftp.tomcity.ru/incoming/free/FOI2009.zip"

Remember, anything that you download from the net may have nasties like viruses that you don't want to deal with. But Carrick writes, " Let’s just say this stuff would make the Pentagon Papers look tame, if it’s true and accurate."

UPDATE: It appears this story broke on "The Air Vent." Here's what happened:

"This is the biggest news ever broken here. The first thing I have to say is that I have no connection to the source of these files. It was left as a link on my blog while I was hunting for cloaked deers (fruitlessly) in the Upper Penninsula. These files are real IMO but they cannot be one hundred percent verified as such. How can we be certain but IMO, real. They were potentially scraped from multiple computers in my opinion by a hacker or an insider involved in some of the endless FOIA requests."

While he was "oot and aboot" fellers were planting the seeds of something else that wasn't apparent.

UPDATE: Nice article on this from the Essex County Conservative Examiner. From the article:

As embarrassing as the e-mails are, some of the documents are more embarrassing. They include a five-page PDF document titled The Rules of the Game, that appears to be a primer for propagating the AGW message to the average subject/resident of the United Kingdom. The document suggests that it is a precis of a longer document housed at the Web site of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

UPDATE: Some video from AlGore's Recent Unpleasantness in Portland.

UPDATE: The Growing Renewable Energy Scandal in Salem from Rogue Pundit. "And remember that gubernatorial hopeful Bill Bradbury is another climate catastrophist."

For The Moron Acolytes of AlGore(ManBearPig)

2009-11-18T07:35:00.000-08:00

This is your Saviour.

Listen to this person flapping his lips at the :40-second mark.

Al: It definitely is, and it's a relatively new one. People think about geothermal energy — when they think about it at all — in terms of the hot water bubbling up in some places, but two kilometers or so down in most places there are these incredibly hot rocks, 'cause the interior of the earth is extremely hot, several million degrees, and the crust of the earth is hot …

Which explains all of the terrible accidents that drillers regularly report. Oil is coming up from underground at a temperature of several million degrees. Well, now I know why people want a moratorium on oil wells. What rational person would want any liquid to escape from the Earth's core at millions of degrees? It could provide us with an apocalypse!

Thanks, Al! Don't forget, he's going to be in Portland tonight to share his wisdom. Plenty of tickets left. Or, if you really want some fun, there's this:

Attendees will have the chance to listen to Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips and sign a petition urging their members of Congress to vote “no” on cap-and-trade.

The event is free and open to the public.

What: Portland Hot Air Tour Event
Who: Americans for Prosperity
Tim Phillips, President of AFP
When: Wednesday, November 18, 6:00-7:30pm
Where: Keller Fountain Park
SW 3rd Ave. and SW Clay St.
Portland, OR 97201

UPDATE: DrewM at Ace of Spades explains that AlGore really meant "bajillions", not millions. Bajillion is an imaginary number, kinda like that dumb old "i" thingy. And nobody knows how to deal with i.

UPDATE: "Is Hell Exothermic or Endothermic?"

P P & L Restores Power

2009-11-17T20:36:00.001-08:00

The guys and girls of PP & L are magnificent.

Really.

I've watched them work. I've been in their local office during major downs...like the one in December of 2007.

These guys go out. They're kinda like the "Electrical Coast Guard" for me. When you see them in their weather gear making sure that we get juice...well, the next time you see a feller in your local watering hole, why not buy them one? Eh?

This just in from the Mother Ship:

News Release from: Pacific Power

PACIFIC POWER RESTORES ELECTRICITY TO CANNON BEACH

Posted: November 17th, 2009 5:36 PM

Pacific Power restores electricity to Cannon Beach

Major storm damaged transmission lines, flooded roads

CANNON BEACH, Ore.--Working around the clock in the aftermath of a major storm that damaged power lines and caused flooding throughout Clatsop County, Pacific Power crews have fully restored power to Cannon Beach.

During most of the day, 2,671 customers in Cannon Beach were without power resulting from wind damage to three transmission towers carrying the electricity that supplies the community and the north coast.

Company crews took a two-pronged approach to bringing power back to Cannon Beach. While multiple crews worked in rugged, remote areas outside town to repair the transmission lines, another set of crews installed a portable generator that had been trucked to Cannon Beach to re-energize the town's core area as an alternative.

The generator work was completed about 3:30 p.m., about the same time that the transmission lines were fixed. Power was restored circuit-by-circuit within town with full restoration coming at 5:17 p.m.

Bill Eaquinto, vice president of operations, said the portable generator would remain in the area for the next few days as another storm is approaching and more outages could occur.

"Given the scope of damage to the transmission structures, getting them repaired within 24 hours is a tremendous achievement," said Pat Egan, vice president of customer and community affairs. "We very much appreciate both the patience and preparedness of our customers as we have worked through this. The community has skilled leadership in place, and we valued their leadership and communication as our crews repaired the storm damage."

Eaquinto also reminded customers during any outage to stay away from any downed lines, to never leave lit candles unattended and to follow other safe practices.

Pacific Power customers should call 877-548-3768 (877-LITES-OUT) to report outages.
###

K-12 Teachers Drawn From Bottom Third

2009-11-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

The full quote:

"Baseless pedagogical theories mean that the educators’ long-term captive audience—K–12 teachers, most drawn from the middle academic tier of our high school population and the bottom third of our undergraduate population—will know even less about authentic mathematics than they do now."

William Briggs asks this question:

Here are four problems, published by the New York Daily News, that high school graduates attempted as they entered the City University of New York (CUNY) system. The percents are those who answered correctly.

64%: 5 + 3 (4+6)

44%: How much is 0.2 divided by 5?

34%: Write 3/8 as a decimal

10%: Solve the equation x2 = 9

What should you know about what is being taught to your children? Here's the conclusion of Sandra Stotsky:

"If the bleak math statistics in the United States don’t change soon, such 'surprise' may well be imminent. The math wars, which started in debates about pedagogy, may end in questions about the long-term prospects for American prosperity."

If you go over to the Astoria School District website, on the banner you will read these words:

"Astoria School District Vision: Students of the Astoria School District will achieve their individual potentials through academic excellence and the use of critical and creative thinking. Students will be citizens of the earth, embracing responsibility for self, family, community, and democracy."

Not a single word about math proficiency, or reading and writing at a college entry level.

The Sandra Stotsky article is concise. Read the whole thing here.

You want the government to run Health Care? They can't even run education.

And the picture at the top of this page? The high school posted this pic on their website a while ago. Somebody thought it would be a good idea for the kids to learn about homelessness, so they dragged some boxes into the commons and had kids pretend they were homeless.

What a country.

Cap & Trade Rally

2009-11-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Happening tomorrow.

Seems AlGore is going to be in Portland in order to save the world. Thank God!

Ennyhoo, the HotAirTour will also be in Portland.

BTW--the AlGoreEvent is hardly "sold out." Plenny of tickets if you should so choose. Should be the comedy event of the year.

The HotAirTour event is free. Actually sounds like more fun.

Gold At $3-Thousand

2009-11-17T09:42:00.000-08:00

In this post was mentioned $4-thousand dollar gold.

Now, the former Business Editor of UPI mentions $3-thousand dollar gold.

"Hence the bubble will inexorably move to its denouement, at which point gold will probably be north of $3,000 an ounce and oil well north of $150 per barrel."

Read the whole thing here.

Do you know what the shape of a "W" recovery looks like?

Found at the Corner.

Ruh-Roh: Liberals Dissect Cap & Trade

2009-11-17T09:32:00.000-08:00

This doesn't look good, Scooby.

Found at Moonbattery.

Jason Atkinson Puts Pandering Ahead of Policy

2009-11-16T20:12:00.000-08:00

Senator Atkinson is using a political ploy to curry favour.

"Salem – Senator Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point) will again introduce legislation in the 2010 legislative special session to eliminate the taxation of unemployment benefits. The bill is similar to a bill Atkinson introduced in 2009, which would give unemployed Oregonians their first $2,400 of unemployment benefits tax free.

“"Taxing someone who doesn’t have a job is like kicking them when they’re down,' said Atkinson. 'Oregon continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Those looking for work don’t deserve to have their unemployment benefits taxed. The least government can do is wait until they can find a job.'

"The legislation would follow the federal government’s lead and end taxation of an individual’s first $2,400 in unemployment compensation. Congress ended the taxation of initial unemployment benefits as part of the economic stimulus package past in February.

“'Unemployed Oregonians need to know that someone is on their side,' said Aktinson. 'If we really want to create jobs and get Oregonians back to work, we need to stop taxing their unemployment benefits.'

"Currently, Oregon taxes the first $2,400 of unemployment compensation on a sliding scale, depending on an individual’s taxable income. Most Oregonians collecting unemployment compensation are taxed at the top rate of 9%."

Unemployed Oregonians don't "need to know that someone is on their side", a la Atkinson. Oregonians need to know that someone with a brain cell knows how jobs are created or lost. It has nothing to do with the reluctant fodder of our State's assault on productive employment. If anything, I would have greater respect for Senator Aktinson if he took the opposite path, that those who have been sacrificed for their inefficencies during the recent downturn were able to personalize a fact; if you weren't of any value to the company or enterprise for whom you were employed, don't be surprised when you find yourself out of a job.

I don't want the unemployed to have reduced taxes. I want them to have increased taxes. They voted for the Left. Let the Left deploy their Smarter and More Important Policies to make the poor better off.

Perhaps, they will mandate their hire by the State.

Change!

Oprah Interviews Sarah-Cuda Today

2009-11-16T08:24:00.000-08:00

Thought you'd enjoy the preview.

P P & L Restores Power Quickly

2009-11-16T07:10:00.000-08:00

Called the power company at 6:36 am.

Power restored by 6:58.

Good job, gentlemen.

Three thousand people in the Seaside were without power.

Oh, and here's the weather forecast.

Windy.

Two Quick Notes on the Economy

2009-11-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

I've been a "weak dollar" advocate until recently. While China "officially" ended its peg of the Yuan to the Dollar in 2005, China maintained unofficially a pegged currency in the post-2005 period.

What we refer to as market forces in the West are, or have been, different from the forces that dictate supply, prices and demand in economies with greater government control. A free market handles the problem of resource allocation much more efficiently than centrally planned economies. The increase in efficiency means that new and innovative products and technologies come to market more quickly, while inefficient and outmoded products and technologies are more quickly dispatched to the graveyard of stuff that used to make sense.

I have posted here, and elsewhere, about my concerns about further erosion of the value of the dollar in the face of trillions of monetized debt looming over the American fiscal horizon. At a certain point it makes no sense to further devalue the dollar when no one wants a dollar anymore, anyway.

The second note I wanted to pass on is another warning; the future of gold.

I don't have a lot of gold. I do have quite a bit of silver coin. If the money supply were to self-destruct, I know a lot of Gold Bugs (a nice discussion from Seeking Alpha) who feel that they will be left in control of the future destiny of the economy. Not I.

The problem with $4-thousand dollar gold is the problem of divisibility. How do you measure gold for the small purchase? Silver coins have an advantage over gold in terms of their negotiability in a post-apocalyptic economy. Given the practical problems of using gold in a post-apocalyptic economy, silver is going to be embraced as a better currency simply given its characteristics; while it is worth less than gold, a few silver coins may cadge an half elk-carcass easier than would the filings from a gold coin. (An interesting summary of the Silver Bug case can be viewed here.)

But the future of gold isn't going to be determined by a post-apocalyptic economy. Rumours of our imminent demise are greatly over-stated. It may be true that we will have to suffer unemployment increasing to 30 percent or more before we come to our collective senses and indicate to our Leftist friends that all their unicorns are nice, but that we can't afford them.

A year from now we will know the result of the 2010 Congressional election. If you are thinking about getting into gold now, I would strongly caution you to do so sparingly. If you take to the post-apocalyptic view it is important that the whole concept of $4-thousand dollar gold will disappear in a wink if communication systems and national and international markets implode. The gold you have in your hand will only be worth what the feller sitting across the table from you believes the value of that gold to be.

More likely, what you will see is a return to greater centrism in our nation's capital. The extreme Leftism currently on display from our President, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader will be muted as seats are lost. Can Republicans pick up 40 House seats next year? Can Republicans pick up eight or nine seats in the Senate? Not that they'd need to do so. One of two additional Republican seats will completely change the complexion of the Senate. But eight or nine seats will signal an end to the current economic devastation predicted by the Gold Bugs.

And if you buy gold today, what is it going to be worth when common sense returns to Washington, D.C.?

A lot less.

The guys that are selling you gold today bought that gold when it was a lot cheaper. And from what I can see going on the television set they are willing to sell you not only gold based upon the spot price, but they lovingly include a huge margin of profit to themselves with extremely beneficial mark-ups. Benefitting themselves.

And what's happening with the Yuan? A lot of confusion. Some reports talk about increased flexibility. And then you have Timmy lauding pegs.

Remember; markets are stronger, more powerful, more robust than governments. Even though the current political leadership in Washington has little or no clue about the effects of the policies they're implementing will have on our economy in the near future, markets will eventually figure out how to avoid the pitfalls of regulatory and fiscal policies and find ways to minimize costs and maximize profits.

It's what markets do.

UPDATE: I don't have an apocalyptic "vision". Having a reasonable hedge for short-term financial difficulties does seem to be a prudent strategy. But, since the comments have descended to the post-apocalyptic, I thought this comment from Instapundit was interesting:

"Funny you mention that about South America and Africa. I’m currently deployed to Afghanistan (Khowst province), and a soldier and I were looking out from the guard tower we go to talking how the Afghans would be best prepared for the end of the world. They’re already living it. You take away the cell phones and the cars (brought to you courtesy of the West), and they’re already living in what we would consider a post-apocalyptic world. I mean hell, even the Romans had sewers and running water. These people don’t even have that. So I’d actually argue we can plan all we want, but its the places like Afghanistan that would probably be best off in the apocalypse… if they even realize its happened."

The Warrior Song

2009-11-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

Found this on The Real King of France's website:

If you haven't watched it yet, make sure you've got some decent "speaks" and the volume turned up.

We are different from the Left.

“Washington is doing everything in their manpower, capability, to destroy U.S. manufacturing...”

2009-11-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

Staff doesn't know it...but if the Left succeeds in passing the bills that promise to help me, I'm pretty much up against it.

I don't have any idea how the Left has been able to spread the idea that everyone who owns a corporation is rich.

I guess the key is, the Left has never actually had a job.

Take a look at our own Speaker of the House, Oregon's Dave Hunt. Speaker Hunt has never had a job where he has been held accountable to customers. He's never had to warrant a product. He's never made or fixed a thing. As far as I can tell, he has never built a thing. He has never owned inventory nor attempted to profit from owning inventory. He does have a degree from Columbia University which, I am told, is a measure of how smart and important he is.

The Governors "K" have never had to deal with the mundane, pedestrian issues that face a small business owner. The first Governor K did work with patients. He did have a professional role to play in the health care of his patients. Point given. Granted.

The Second K has never done any of the things that tens of thousands of Oregonians have had to attempt; making a living in the private sector. As far as I can tell, the Second K has only worked for the government, or government agencies.

Just like the House Speaker. Just like too many of the House Speaker's colleagues. The union teachers, the union attorneys, the union members.

What David Farr said today is important. That the spokesman for former Washington bureaucrat and current Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke disagrees with Mr. Farr gives you more, not less, information about the background and experience of our political class.

Chiding Mr. Farr will not change his strategic goal; to make a profit. When you cannot make a profit in this country, you will look for opportunities elsewhere.

I'll work until I get upside down. Thankfully, I have a sister who resides in China. Blood is thicker than water.

The Miracle of Cuban Health Care

2009-11-11T10:47:00.000-08:00

"Brief medical report".

Why can't we be more like Cuba?

Party Identification

2009-11-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, AreWeLumberjacks? asked the question of how we identify that which we see occuring around us?

Worse, the problem of the Left viewing the Rest as idiots.

Zogby has an interesting take on self-identification. One must always read Zogby with a grain of salt. Yet, a pinch is good for the stew.

Zogby on self-identification.

Power Outage In Seaside

2009-11-05T13:53:00.000-08:00

1800 customers are currently without power.

P P & L estimates power to be restored by 4:00pm.

Want to Run for the Oregon State Legislature?

2009-11-04T19:15:00.001-08:00

I've been given an e-mail address you can write if you know anyone who should run for the Oregon Legislature.

Here in the magic confluence of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean we have three seats currently held by Democrats.

I've been asked to request that you let your interest, or your interest in someone else, be known.

If you know of someone who you think should run for the Oregon Legislature, or you think you'd be willing to run for office, you can e-mail clatsoprepublicans@gmail.com with contact information.

There is a filtering operation that will take place, so submitting obviously stupid names isn't going to work.

But the names will be held confidentially until contact is made by a candidate recruiter. There are a lot of robust opportunities in the state. Fortunately for us on the Oregon North Coast, all of the current Democrats are vulnerable. And having spoken with several important organizers for both Republican and business organizations, the chances for a sweep in 2010 are looking good.

Debbie Boone? Brad Witt?

Betsy Johnson?

Why is it that we have the worst roads, the highest unemployment and the least investment in the state?

Good, if in fact accurate, questions.

Yannow what? None of it really matters. Clatsop, Tillamook and Columbia counties have each to each struggled against the smothering of economic development by the State.

Remember the Big Look? I was there in Tillamook listening to folks like Brad and Debbie and Betsy tell us that they were looking out for you and me.

That was before the last session. The result? Nothing.

Between the environmentalists, the no-growthers and the Leftists, those of us who live in Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook aren't having our voices heard. But if you have paid any attention at all to the elections that happened on Tuesday, I'm just telling you, there is a lot of pent-up anger at the way our state elected officials have continually sold us down the river for the Enviros and the Leftists.

Right-wing anger? You bet. As more and more builders and contractors go out of business...as more and more loggers find themselves unemployed...as more and more fishermen find that they are being regulated out of existence in favour of sports fishermen...as more and more businessmen find that they can no longer meet payrolls...

The dreams of the radical Leftists must need come to an end.

We aren't an Ectopia. We are a state, large geographically, small in population. Stopping growth and development isn't just stupid, it should be criminal.

But the Democrats write the laws.

It's time to end the dominance of rural Oregon by Leftist Democrat politicians.

Affordable housing? Won't happen under the Democrats. Job creation? Unless you buy into the fantasy of Green jobs it's not going to happen. (And even if you buy into the fantasy of Green Jobs, it isn't going to happen.)

Better schools? Are you kidding? If the State, through the office of the State's Superintendent of Public Schools is any indicator, we're years away from fixing education. Supplementing union dues? Yes. Fixing schools? No. No way. Nope. Ain't gonna happen.

Roads, housing, health, business. All these are being killed by your current Democrat politicians. And I don't want to hear about how "Brad intervened" or "Debbie intervened" or "Betsy intervened."

That politicans have to stand between you and state law is indictment enough. They wrote the laws. They are responsible for the laws.

It's time for a change. Not so much a change, but a return to the values that once made Oregon a great place to live, a great place to have children, a great place to invest.

We've tried being trendy. We've tried being a state where "we do things differently." Now we find out that all of this is fraudulent. The Governor lied to the Legislature, but you know what? Some legislators, like State Senator Betsy Johnson, had no reason to work for you and me...she was too busy making sure that her family ranch was protected from job creating investments in Josephine county.

You've heard rumours of State Senator Betsy Johnson's corruption before.

What does it tell our children about us if we allow this type of corruption to continue?