Between the devil and the deep blue sea...

 

 

 

"A bit of grace please! The paint was not even dry on Tom's door when the first vote was taken..."

Yesterday was an historic day. The new Congress was sworn in. After one of the most lopsided elections in recent history, the new team is now in place. And the first critical vote was taken. Not for the Keystone Pipeline or anything like that. It was for who would be the next Speaker of the House. And that is where the ship hit the sand.

John Boehner was running for another term as Speaker. He was being challenged by Louie Gohmert from Texas. If you ask most Conservatives, they will tell you the same thing. Boehner is weak kneed, and at times unprincipled. Gohmert on the other hand, is highly principled, very Conservative and likeable (except by Lefties). I knew even before the vote was taken that it was a long shot for Louie. The former Speaker was about to become the current Speaker.

While the paint was still trying on Tom Emmer's door, he had to take a decisive vote. Knowing Tom, it was a hard one. He knew a vote for Boehner would set off a firestorm, especially on social media. He also knew if he voted for Gohmert and Boehner won, there might be "ramifications". Tom's a smart guy. Even though a freshman, he knows his way around the block. He was stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea. He, as well as enough others, voted to give Boehner one more term.

Now I am not, by any stretch, a John Boehner fan. I don't believe he is a Conservative and I sure don't think he has shown much backbone in standing up to the President. I am however, a Tom Emmer fan. Was I disappointed he voted for Boehner? Not really. I know Tom weighed the options and came up with what he believed was the best of the bad. I promised a friend of mine who ran against Tom in the primary, if Tom did not stand by his promises, his principles, I would not support him for reelection. I would support her should she run again. I am betting however that Tom will not disappoint. This vote is over and it is time to move on. Votes in the future will constitute Tom's report card.

I consider myself to be as Conservative as many (not all). That being said, I probably would have plugged my nose and voted the same way that Tom did. As Governor Christy said last year, "You can't govern if you don't win." In committee assignments, it is hard to effect change when your assignment is something which does not matter. Once Tom earns some strips like his predecessor had, he can become more embolden in casting tough inter-party votes like this one.

Wither Gasoline?

 

 

"One man's meat is another man's poison..."

Two big news flashes from yesterday as it relates to gasoline or the oil it comes from. First, the price of regular in my home town just went below $1.90. Who would have thunk it? Second, the price of a barrel of crude dipped below $50. Again, who would have thunk it?

What does all this mean? First off, let us only address this from a consumer's perspective. I will use a very simple example with simple math. John has a new truck. It gets better mileage than the truck he just traded in. That being said, it is still a truck. John drives 15 miles to get to work, mostly through congested traffic. His mileage is at the worst in this type of driving. He gets only 15mpg, whereas on highway driving, he can get 20mpg.

When John bought his truck, gasoline as at its highest point - $4/gal. To drive to work and back, entailed John using 2 gallons of gasoline - a gallon each way. It cost him $8 a day. However, last week when the price of gas hit $2/gal, the cost of driving to and from work was $4/gal, thereby saving $4 a day, or $20 a week, or $80 a month.

For many families today, an extra $80 (net) in their pockets is a real plus up. So what is the down side? Well, the market tanked again yesterday on the news oil went under $50 a barrel. There is a point where it is not profitable to frac and pump oil shale out of the ground. That point is somewhere between $65 and $50 a barrel. The net result will be the market correcting itself. Up in the Bakken Fields layoffs are looming. Layoffs will ripple into industries which supply Bakken its tools and equipment. Equipment in the field is now being "cold stacked" and soon some of the wells will be capped. The big party in North Dakota might be getting ready for a recess and some sobriety.

In Russia, the news is worse. Oil is a very important export for Russia's economy. Some say it is also used as a nefarious tool to finance Russian expansion. In Iran, a similar story. Iran needs oil revenue not only to live on, but also to fund it's "agent state" status on terrorism.

So where will all this lead us? Plain and simple, this is a textbook example on economics. We are in an energy bubble. Enjoy it, as it will not last. Market forces will soon prevail. The demand for petroleum products (the biggest of course being gasoline), continues to grow worldwide. In particular in China and India. Soon oil will again find its normal level and life will go on. Gas will no longer be $2/gal, but it will probably never again see $4/gal. That is as long as the government does not mettle.

The world of petroleum has always had a boom or bust history. That will continue until the next big thing in energy comes along. I still believe the next big thing is right around the corner. Be it more cars capable of running on natural gas, better, cheaper and safer batteries for electric cars, or viable fuel cell technology. When that happens, the glory days of oil will be over. For good.

Well, I have to sign off for now. I need to run down to the local gas station and fill up my truck at $1.89.9. And that for this retiree, is a good thing!

Get ready - it is coming...

 

 

"Anybody who is happy with our road system is either drinking Kool Aid or driving where I don't travel..."

This article today might get me defriended, egged, beat up and a few other things. But this is something I have read quite a few articles on as well as the tea leaves. What am I talking about? A different way to fund our roads and bridges. A user tax instead of a gas tax. I know, I know - I hate it also. It pains me to write this article, but I truly believe it is coming. And sooner rather than later.

Just like the partial collapse of the Bakken Oil Fields is a result of their own success, the reduction in road tax revenue is a reflection of what we drive. With the introduction of CAFE standards, EPA mandates, and newer automobile technologies, more vehicles are being driven more miles using less fuel. Less fuel used means less fuel purchased. Less fuel purchased means less tax collected, both state and federal.

I see user fees coming to fund both the highway system as well as the rail system in this state. Both are need of expansion, major repairs and minor repairs. And lets face facts. Living in this brutal climate is not only hard on us, it is murder on our roads. Every spring we have all had to endure roads which look more like a bombing range than something fit to be driven on. For alignment shops and tire stores, this is great. For the rest of us, this has become a yearly, expensive hassle.

There was an extensive article in the Sunday paper which addressed our transportation shortfall. There is no solution being offered right now which is popular and viable. That is all except one. This one is NOT popular with many, but it might be viable. That would be the user fee. A user fee for miles driven.

Funding for our highway system comes from three sources: 1) Gas tax 2) Sales tax on cars sold and 3) License tabs. Even with those three sources, repairs cannot keep up with the needs. As I have said, our weather is brutal. The increasing loads on our highway system is brutal. I don't care if we use concrete or tar, they both wear out - and quickly. Even our brand new 35W "100 year bridge" is showing signs of wear. We have hundreds of bridges on the "watch list". Our rail system has been pushed to the limit with the ever increasing oil shipments. It needs also needs almost $1B of upgrades.

So where do we go from here? Are we going to argue this one to death while our rails and roads continue to crumble? Are we going to wait until we have a catastrophic bridge collapse or train derailment? I will only criticize solutions being offered which syphon money away from road and rails into additional light rail infastucture or bikes trails. How we should fund trains and bikes is the subject of another article. Hint - the "greenies" will not like it.

Stories, untold...

 

 

 

"When a person dies, the library closes. Untold stories are lost forever..."

I have mentioned this before. Both my wife and I have gotten into the habit of reading obituaries. I know, I know. That is an old people thing to do. Well, now that I am legally a "senior citizen" I guess I can read the obits on Sunday with impunity.

When someone dies, all the life experiences, all that person's stories, also die. Our stories reflect our human condition. They are the fabric which binds us together. When I read an obituary, many times I can't help thinking there might have been opportunity lost to share thousands upon thousands of life stories. Some glad, some sad, some epic, and some ordinary. But they are all stories.

A friend of mine from high school went on to Hollywood to win an Emmy for the TV production Bill and an Oscar for the movie Rain Man. I ran into him at a high school reunion a few years ago. I asked him what drove him to do all the research to come up with such fascinating scripts on these two characters. He answered in one simple word - stories. He had to tell their stories. He too, is a person who is fascinated by life stories. It just so happens he has a talent for bringing stories to life on the TV or the silver screen.

My Mother has been in a care center for a few years now. She has been blessed with not having memory depleting diseases like Alzheimer's or Dementia. My wife and I have delighted in prodding my Mother to tell more stories of her childhood and early adulthood. Stories she might have thought were fraught with banality, my wife and I find fascinating and entertaining. When my Father-in-law was alive, we would hear his stories also.

One of my objectives in 2015 is to hear more stories, to repeat more stories, and to tell more of my stories. Very few stories are identical. Some are similar, most are unique. Stories left untold are similar to treasures squandered. We may think our stories are ordinary, but they are not. They are a big part of what made us, us. Tell your stories. Don't be humble, don't be shy. Tell your stories before they become part of the growing library of stories untold. 

A Thousand Chirps!

 

 

 

 

"Some friends today just call me 'Bird' - I am okay with that. Some on the Left call me birdbrain. Whatever..."

Today is a big day in the Birdhouse! This post will be my 1,000th since I have started this blog. It is a humbling experience to say the least. It has been a real treat for me, and I have enjoyed sharing some experiences as well as my (sometimes unwanted) views on politics. I do so for only this reason - the waters swilling around our country are not for a cruise ship, not for the faint of heart. These are critical days in the preservation of our great republic.

I have been surprised at how some of my articles have been read and received. I have published some articles which I think are some of my finest. And yet, they receive very few views. On the other hand, I have two articles I published which have gone viral. One has over 2,700 views and the other close to 2,000. When I wrote them, I never thought the readership on them would have been that high. A pleasant surprise to say the least. 

As the blog closes in on 50,000 views, metrics allow me some visibility in the who, what and why of viewership. I look at that information only out of curiosity. The metric I find the most interesting is where in the world the blog is read. Besides many different states in this country, it is also read in Russia, Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. The vast majority of the readership still occurs in this country, in this state.

As we continue on into the New Year, the Bird will be watching very closely. In particular, our newly elected officials. I am old enough to have walked this path before. The utter disappointment of having great opportunity squandered. You see, I really do care about this great country. I care about it's future not so much for me, I care it for the sake of my children and my soon to be born grandson. I believe our nation's path has become so occluded with partisan politics and political correctness, we have lost our way. It has led to an evisceration of our national courage - we have lost the ability to do the right, if not painful, thing. Our kids deserve better. They deserve to have the table set for them the same way the table was set for us by our parents.

In 2015, the Bird will continue to watch and listen. When so moved, there will be social commentary published. There will be occasional faith based stories. Human interest stories. If relevant, rare stories of some of life experiences. 

For those who have read my postings, thank you. It really does mean a lot to me. I don't expect all to agree with everything I write. In fact, I really enjoy the occasional feedback I get when another view is expressed. I learn and grow that way. In the meantime, it is time to get back on my perch and get ready for tomorrow's edition - number 1,001. Tomorrow it will be back to business as usual. 

Living the dream, man!

 

 

 

"It is okay to be happy and carefree. However, it is even more okay to be practical..."

At a local store my wife and I frequent, there is a very young man who recently started to cashier. My wife thinks he looks 15, but since this store sells spirits, one must be at least 21 to work there. So here he is, working the cash register, probably making just above minimum wage. Once in a while when a customer comes up to check out, the young man is asked how he is doing. The young man's answer is always the same. "I'm living the dream, man!"

Really? That is my thought the first time I heard him say that. I worked minimum wage jobs when I was much younger. They were not much of a dream. When I mentioned that to my wife, she quickly calibrated me. She reminded me there was nothing wrong with this young man being happy at his job. And she was right. There is nothing wrong with that. However, the practical streak in me once again took over. At $10/hour, he cannot afford rent anyplace decent, he can't afford to get married and have kids, and he sure can't afford to go to school. In other words, I circled back to my first premise - not much of a dream.

Today we have many in our government who also believe we are still "living the dream". We have money to burn.  If I hear one more time, "We can afford it - we are the greatest nation on Earth", I am going to throw up in my mouth. Here is my practical side coming out once again. Yes, we are the greatest nation on Earth. No, we can't afford much, as our credit cards are maxed out, and the piggy bank is about empty. "Living the dream" and the "American dream" are not always the same. Many times the "American dream" entails being responsible. Saying no at times. Not writing checks when there is no money to do so. Spending like we are still "living the dream" on the other hand, may not.

So next week starts "go time". The new Congress will be sworn in, and assignments will be handed out. According to Drudge, budget battles with the incoming Congress are already starting to percolate. We shall see. If there are going to be battles this year, I want our side to be fighting for a budget surplus this next year which will start chipping away at our cancerous debt. That is a hill worth fighting for. To simply argue about how much of an increase the budget is going to get year after year does not sound like too much of a battle to me.

It will be interesting to see which path Congress takes this year. Are we going to continue to allow them to spend like we are "living the dream", or are we going insist they responsibly budget for our "American dream". By not being responsible, Congress might let our "American dream" turn into our financial nightmare. And that is the kind of dream none of want to live.

No regrets...

 

 

"What a year! Could next year be just as special? Yes, if we let it be..."

Another year completed. Another journey. As I look back on 2014, it was a year of loss as well as blessings. It was a time of saying goodbye to some precious loved ones. It was a time of knowing new life would be joining our family shortly after the New Year starts.

It was yet another year when the world seemed to spin in fast forward, sometimes out of control. As with years before, events of the world, events of the nation, or even local events, would pop up on a daily or weekly basis and overwhelm our senses. There was simply no time to understand them. Once you thought you might then BAM, another important event would pop up somewhere else.

That being said, I have no regrets in my journey through 2014. Did I make mistakes? A ton of them. But long ago I gave up on regretting my mistakes. As long as my mistakes did not damage others nor permanently harm my future, mistakes made are an excellent way to learn. To say you regret mistakes is to say you regret an important part of life.

I will take the liberty of speaking for my wife as well as myself. Learn we did this past year! Neither of our daughters allow us to rest in our comfort zones very long. Even though they may or not know this, they both challenge us to do better, to act better, to love better, and try more. By doing so we have met some wonderful people we otherwise might not have. We have learned new ways to serve we never had imagined.

So what is new for us in the New Year? Only two things I hope. More of the same from last year and to experience things yet untried. To love deeper, to serve more, to know better. To see with my heart as well as my eyes. To listen with my heart as well as my ears.

A few years ago on a New Years Eve, I jotted down a few simple things to help me on my quest to live a better and more purposeful life:

• Free my mind from worry.
• Free my heart from hatred.            
• Live more simply.
• Give more.
• Expect less.

So what are my resolutions for the New Year? Only one. The same one I have had the past few years. No regrets. To listen to my heart, then to follow to my heart, and most of all, to love with my heart. By doing so at the end of the day, at the end of the year, I should end up accomplishing my one single goal. No regrets. Happy New Year everyone!