WHINING ABOUT THE ECONOMY

I’ve been reading and listening to a lot of whining about the state of the economy in the last few weeks. According to the candidates – on both sides, unfortunately – the economy is in the tank, the Great Depression is about to begin, and we’re all gonna die!

From the Democrats, life was wonderful during the Carter/Clinton years; and in the tank during Reagan/Bush I/Bush II. From the Republicans, the opposite.

Yeah, right. Let’s look at it. Here’s a chart of the state of the economy for the last 30 years. The top line is the Dow Jones Industrial Average, which I’ve used as a surrogate for economic growth. The bottom line is the annual inflation rate.

I don't know about you, but that looks pretty good to me. Inflation peaked at about 13% the last year of the Carter administration, and has steadily declined to about 3% in 2007. Economic growth as measured by the Dow Jones Industrial Average has been about 9% (post-Carter), with a breather the last two years of the Clinton administration followed by 9/11. Since 2003, growth has resumed in the 9-10% range.

Doesn't look so bad to me.

MORE ON TAXES

I wish I had known about this a week ago ....

DEAR INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE,

Enclosed you will find my 2008 tax return showing that I owe $3,407.00 in taxes.

Please note the attached article from the USA Today newspaper; dated 12 November, wherein you will see the Pentagon (Department of Defense) is paying $171.50 per hammer and NASA has paid $600.00 per toilet seat. I am enclosing four (4) toilet seats (valued @ $2,400) and six (6) hammers (valued @ $1,029), which I secured at Home Depot, bringing my total remittance to $3,429.00. Please apply the overpayment of $22.00 to the "Presidential Election Fund," as noted on my return.

You can do this inexpensively by sending them one (1) 1.5" Phillips Head screw (see aforementioned article from USA Today newspaper detailing how H.U.D. pays $22.00 each for 1.5" Phillips Head screws). One screw is enclosed for your convenience.

It has been a pleasure to pay my tax bill this year, and I look forward to paying it again next year.

Sincerely,

A Satisfied Taxpayer

The pity of this is that when you've worked in the defense industry as long as I have and understand the byzantine Government acquisition process, a price of $171.50 for a hammer isn't totally unrealistic.

A VIEW FROM THE WINDOW

Spring is finally(!) arriving -- compare this photo with the one taken in December a few posts below.

This is the first year I can remember that the trees didn't leaf out nearly simul- taneously. Here's a tree that is fully green while the ones surrounding it are just beginning to show their leaves.

It's been an unusual spring.

A NEW FAMILY MEMBER

Diamond, or Princess Di as she's usually called, insisting on her royal perogative of being as near as possible to any food source.

COUCH POTATO

A VIEW FROM THE WINDOW

Home, December 5, 2007 at 11:15 am.

Some more views from the neighborhood ...

Pineview Street, Manassas, VA.

And a neighbor's yard.

A VIEW FROM THE WINDOW

From the Space Needle, Seattle, Washington, November 30, 2007, 1:14 pm.

A VIEW FROM THE WINDOW

The Flagship Inn, Bremerton, Washington, 0730 am.

THINKING ABOUT SOCIAL SECURITY

For those who think Social Security is a “really good deal,” here’s a factual tidbit.

My wife and I will begin drawing our social security income in January 2008, retiring at the ages of 62 and 63 respectively. My wife has had FICA taxes withheld continuously only since 2000, and intermittently before 2000. I’ve had FICA taxes withheld continuously since 1972.

If we had each been able to invest just our employee contribution in the Dow Jones industrials each year we had taxes withheld, we would be able to purchase annuities today that would pay only 5% less (wife) and 47% more (me) than we will receive in monthly benefits from the Social Security administration. Since social security payments are strongly biased in favor of minimum-wage or short-time contributors, (partial) privatization looks pretty attractive to me.

REQUIEM

Driving home from the office today, I was briefly behind a car with an Effingham County, Georgia, license plate. Effingham County was the home of blogger Rob Smith, who passed away June 26, 2006. Rob was irreverent, often obscene, and always brilliant. I miss him.

FELINE SOCCER FAN

Daisy cheers on DC United as Shadow looks for snacks in the kitchen.

PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE CALCULATOR

Here's an interesting web site. Just enter your response to 23 current political issues and the calculator will return the 2008 presidential candidate most nearly matching your responses. It also rates the other candidates as "other top matches," "middle of the pack," and "bottom of the barrel" when compared to your responses.

Surprisingly, it nailed my top choice (currently Fred Thompson); more surprisingly, my second choice was rated as "middle of the pack" while my third choice was rated as "another top match."

HOW STUPID DO YOU HAVE TO BE TO GET INTO AN IVY-LEAGUE COLLEGE?

Pretty damn dumb, if you ask me. From the Boston Herald:

Watching a crowd at Columbia University cheering Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmad Whack-I-Job yesterday was nauseating. How did a two-bit anti-Semitic
loon get the prestige and platform of an invitation to an elite, Ivy League
institution?

But that’s the point. It takes Ivy League hubris to make such a shameful mistake. Nobody else would.

The SEC, the ACC - why, there isn’t a barber college or school of over-the-road trucking that would let a Jew-hating nut like President Whack-I-Job rant away on their campus. Your typical American university might offer credit in basket weaving and Science of Star Wars, but they do have their limits.

Read the whole article for more examples and thanks to Instapundit for the link.

SIGNS OF THE TIMES

"I hate living in a place that won't learn from past mistakes." Well, no one's forcing you to stay.

Everyone is getting into the act.
The 60's are still alive.
Fake president supported by fake news and fake Americans ... uh, huh.
Iraq Solution: Prision for Cheney and Bush. Fox News Sucks. Two slogans for the price of one.
The obligatory "Bush is a Nazi" sign. Clearly not a history major.
The sign reads "Boy George was too scared of Viet Nam so he snuck into the Air National Guard and went AWOL for one entire year. But now boy Georgie is much more brave - he sends USA's kids to war in Iraq. Yet starting war is a war crime and for innocence Bush can never go back!"

I wonder how many grades this guy flunked ....
Another school flunkee....

This one reads "We dumped 5 million Jewish refugees on a poor desert Arab Country. Send them to rich England ...."
And this has what to do with Iraq?
"Out of Iraq NOW." " End the war NOW." We get the picture.
The obligatory "Bush is a moron" sign. You'd think they could be bit more creative.
"War is Terror." You don't say ....

MORE PROTEST PHOTOBLOGGING

Michelle Malkin and Powerline have more protest photos. The Powerline crew must have been very close to me as they took pictures on the Capitol grounds, as I have some of the same -- or nearly the same -- photos myself.

ANTIWAR PROTEST POSTLUDE

Proof that the anti-war types can't seem to get over the sixties. The bus was parked along the parade route near the Capitol Building.

Post-parade/march. The "die-in" was to take place near the Capitol steps. According to news reports, many of the "dead" were arrested.

THE COUNTER PROTEST

As the protestors moved down Pennsylvania Avenue, the counter-protestors lined un on both sides of the street with their signs. I would guess that the counter-protest numbered between half and two-thirds the number of anti-war demonstrators.
The counter-protestors had their own signs. From left to right: "Code Pink is Pure Evil,", "Welcome Bin Laden Fan Club," "Stand Behind Our President," "Win the War on Jihad,", "Give Petraeus a Chance," and "Here or There." These were pretty common signs and sentiments.
US flags were in abundance. The gentleman waving this one had some "pungent" comments fro the protestors. In front of him, and to his right, an aging Viet Nam vet had much more to say, including liberal use of the word "chicken" as an adjective. A heated "discussion" ensued with an anti-war protestor that brought the police over, prepared to intervene. It proved not to be necessary.

Another veteran. The sign reads "Petraeus = Hero; MoveOn.org = Scum."

PROTEST MARCH BEGINS

Waiting for Godot -- or the march to begin, whichever comes first.

The protest march begins. Anti-war protestors push the onlookers to the sidewalk so that the marchers have the street.
Here comes the "entertainment." This protest was more serious (or less organized) than most. Few painted faces, only two clown suits on stilts.

The protestors seemed to be divided equally between aging hippies and young students. The middle-agers were there, but not in abundance.

Most of the signs were the "End the War Now" variety, with a leavening of "Free Palestine Now" signs (what that has to do with ending the war is beyond me, but I sure the protestors must be able to make the connection).

Gen. Petraeus signs were in evidence; this one a little coarser than most.

DC ANTI-WAR MARCH -- THE PRELUDE

The juxtaposition of the two signs -- "Die-In" and "First Aid" seemed appropriate to the demonstration.
The number of protestors appeared to be on the close order of 5,000. Large, but not huge.

Lady "Liberty" at the rally check-in near the White House. She had at least one interview while waiting for the march to begin, but was not in evidence during the march itself.

Traffic was busy at the Viet Nam wall. This was taken about noon, before the anti-war march to the Capitol building was to begin. Rolling Thunder was very much in evidence to protect the wall from vandalism.

FRIDAY CATBLOGGING

The Daisy, she loves shoes ....