Consumerville

I always say, if you knew everything about your consumer purchase -where it comes from, the conditions of the people who made it, where the source components come from - then you could make an intelligent consumer choice.  Save the world!  Encourage healthy and safe working conditions!

So faced with a choice of patio furniture - most of which is very ugly, to my surprise we found some sustainably harvested Ipe wood furniture.  The wood is grown in Bolivia and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council, and manufactured by Jensen Leisure Furniture.

In the store (Fishels in Beaverton) they even have an entire book about their community, where the wood is grown, how it is harvested, how it has helped the community with jobs, income for education, housing.

And it is the most beautiful wood furniture, and way prettier than any other patio furniture out there.  So maybe the consumer choice is political.  rah.

Which Tent?

Since when did the Republican Party become the party of the immigrant work ethic?  Catching up on cspan videos (see www.cspan.org/rnc for updates on all those convention videos you missed).

Marco Rubio taps into the essential immigrant work ethic, while his dad worked as a bartender, and his mom the night shift at K-Mart, he is now speaking as Senator, introducing the party's nominee.  Inspiring.  Looking at all the other boxes on the R page, Chris Christie, Paul Ryan - they all tap into this second generation immigrant experience.

Kind of hard to turn that down. I suppose both sides offer this up, and offer to accept us into their tent.

While the Dems bash the Rs as representing the party of the rich, lets take a closer look.  Which party will lead your great-grandchildren into serfdom due to massive debt?

Beyond the Rhetoric

It could have been someone like Condi Rice, or Rob Portman, and then I would have a choice.  Or it could have been someone like Marco Rubio, or Chris Christie, which would be interesting.  But Paul Ryan.  Lets give him some credit.

The rhetoric and devil names are already coming out, since I still seem to be on Mr Obama's favorites email list.  I get to hear about all the rich and famous movie stars he will be dining with.  Is this supposed to make me think he can solve fiscal policy problems, and get us on a sustainable path to the future? So that my kids won't have to pay for my medical bills when I am aged, and their kids don't have to wait till generations hence to cash in that Millenium Barbie (please try to save it till Year 3000)..

As they explained on Poli-Optics, when our own Ron Wyden joined up with Mr Ryan to propose Medicare reform, well some of us wrote letters of praise.  Yes, bipartisan cooperation!  Yes, a chance at real reform!  But Poli-Optics explained how Wyden was chastised so badly by the Democrats that no one else was going to stick their neck out.

It is going to be painted as an epic battle between good and evil.  Light and Darkness.  Before you believe, like apparently half the cspan callers-in (the other half are authentic!) the rhetoric, stop and think.

Who is actually trying to solve our fiscal problems.  Who is actually putting forth solutions - maybe not perfect ones - but even trying to start the conversation.  Who cares about the American economy and is not willing to give up on it, and let us sink into a hand-out society.  Which is really what we've become.

Beyond the rhetoric, give Paul Ryan a chance - he is authentic.  And now Romney has my vote too!

Political Cover

What does it take?  Can I run down to the local antique dealer/lotto shop/gun shop, in a neighborhood near my nice urban enclave, and buy an automatic assault rifle?

Now don't get me wrong, AK-47s have their place.  I will always always remember the brave truck drivers like Reynaldo, from my 2-week stint in Nicaragua doing random technical chores (in solidarity).  He carried such a weapon on his food distribution rounds.

Well, if that is what it takes to get rice and beans to equalize inequality in a less developed nation, then I am all for it.

But we do not live in a less developed country.  Though it appears every day that Oregon is in some kind of dis-reality bubble.  But nevermind state politics.  Assault rifles.

Listened to the weasley Jay Carney, President Obama's press secretary, on the "reaction" to the latest episode of horrific violence on normal average Americans.  This incident in Milwaukee Wisconsin, the last in Colorado.  And the evening radio news talking about cracking down on gang violence in my city of roses (my city!!).

Mr Carney spoke about needing a broader discussion beyond specific legislation, aimed at reducing violence overall.  So - the time is not right for anti-assault weapon legislation?  But to talk about stuff??  Like some sort of encounter session?

Flash the episode of West Wing - the one where Josh gets shot.  Maybe if someone close to the core of power was involved, instead of normal average Americans, who are supposedly represented by The Executive Branch We Voted For, then maybe the time would be right?  Help us all.

A Tiny Bug

I must not complain about bureaucracy today.

Today while waiting for exploratory surgery on my car A/C - where I learned I can rightly call my hybrid "vintage" since people think it was the first off the assembly line.  But alas, that long ago (2005) we were lucky to have A/C.  Today, maybe I will settle for opening the windows.  When they tested it, it was truly colder outside the car than inside.  Well, at least they didn't charge me.

So I had plenty of time to research "bringing a car to Canada", as in moving.  The vehicle must meet the requirements of:  Canadian Border Security Agency, Transport Canada, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

Transport Canada maintains a Registrar of Imported Vehicles (RIV) which list the safety standards required in Canada.  Welcome to the Commonwealth.

Turns out that soil (everyday dirt) is a "high risk pathway for pests", controlled by the following legislation:  Plant Protection Act, Health of Animals Act.  So beware if the border patrol agents find some on your vehicle.  If your vehicle doesn't pass muster, you must either export it, or destroy it at your expense under Canadian Border Security supervision.  Oh, and your entry duty and General Services Tax will not be refunded.

Sometimes I truly wonder how the average person gets by in the thicket of bureaucracy presented up every day.  But I suppose today I should be glad to have a dirty, vintage car, here in the US of A.

The Seeds of ..

If you lived in a country where someone was jailed for failure to file taxes..

If you lived in a country where "executive privilege" was a reason to hide policy decisions from its citizens that resulted in dead federal employees, due to guns run from its own agents..

If you lived in a country where the elected branch of government was continually engaged in political theatre, and nothing else..

If you lived in a country where the chief executive had broad powers - to exempt key fundraisers from any criminal prosecution (whats a couple $billion?), power to pass laws unilaterally, target drones on U.S. citizens in foreign countries on his say so, orchestrate more policies to stop life in its tracks by witholding care from aborted babies..

If you lived in a country where the rich stayed rich, the poor stayed poor, the vanishing middle class stood close to the edge of peasantry..

This used to be considered the definition of a "third world country".  Now the politically correct term is "less developed"..

But - this is the US of A.

What has gone wrong with this picture.  We have surely lost our way.

Today Tomorrow Yesterday

I miss cspan.  Well, its still there, its just that I don't have as much (or any) time to legitimately watch it on the job anymore, what with this project management coup and all..

Listened to some of the House Budget Committee hearing this past week on cspan radio.  Paul Ryan is all about "social mobility".  Then I reflect on Obama and how he rails against the unfair tax system, wanting to divide the pie now for everyone.

Yesterday.  The 5th amendment to the Constitution "nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."  So, shall I hand over more of my hard earned paycheck (private property) for public use (more bailouts, handouts, and the like) - where is my just compensation?

Today I see a debt this country owes of $16 trillion and growing.  Had to ask a lawyer friend what comes after Trillion?  To my surprise he answered right away, Quadrillion.  Of course, there must be something to those Latin roots and all.

Yesterday, people learned the classic languages - Greek (so they could read the original un-translated Bible) and Latin (the root of all the romance languages).

Our national discussion now routinely includes trillions, but some day may evolve to quadrillions.  It seems meaningless, except that it will render every human in this country (and then some) with a debt choke collar around their neck.  Perhaps all the amor over dogs in Portland is just training us for the day when each of us has a debt load that chokes off our social mobility.

hmm, Atlas Shrugged on my bookshelf, awaiting completion.  Required reading for Paul Ryan's staff.  If he were candidate for VP, I would vote Republican.