AIG

Citi

Lebanon

Oil

Inflation

Food

IF that doesn’t keep your mind occupied, trust me, the markets and big money will be paying attention. Don’t go into your summer slumber yet. More this weekend….

METALS NOW!

(So my friends and I can hoard them at a cheaper price)

By John Galt

May 5, 2008

I mean it. Sell every holding you have. Mail your coins to me. Mail your silver bars to me. Heck, gold, platinum, palladium, I won’t cry. Liquidate all of your holdings now, please.

So I can look back and laugh at those of you who do not understand the difference between “real money” or insurance, and those who follow the sheeple bleating herd that goes “Baaaa, Baaaa, Baaabooyah!” To say that yours truly has not enjoyed the circus like atmosphere created by low volume rallies in the equity markets coinciding with the futures in the commodities getting a much needed major correction, would be an understatement. Yet there are people who are swayed by panics in all directions so human nature being what it is, I would not expect anything less. So why am I telling you to SELL ALL YOUR PRECIOUS METALS NOW!?!???

Because my friends and I want to buy them during this correction at much lower prices.

That’s right, I’m one of those evil, anti-PC, anti-“Can’t we all get along,” anti-“please hug the trees for freedom,” Y2K survivalist-get-me-a-missile-silo-to-live-in, anti-CNBC, bitter gun totin’ Bible clinging capitalist pigs. And as our society accelerates towards the inevitable correction for paper excess in a fiat fantasy land I want to hold as much real money as I can get my insurance grubbing little paws on. That’s right boys and girls, I am a (gasp) “HOARDER!!!!!!!!!”

I know, that shocks all of my readers and listeners, but it shouldn’t. I believe that in the times we are about to embark on , that would be the bottom of the second inning of this absolute decimation of a fiat currency right about now, and the implications not just for capital markets but for American society as a whole are terrifying at best, horrific when thought about. As most of my readers and listeners “get it” this next section is to address those that ask “get what?” Because what we are about to witness will keep your head spinning for decades, and your wallets either super fat or super thin, depending on your desire to accept what is ahead or if you like the government issued FEMA Visa card or the wheelbarrow currency of the day issued to your family.

An Un-BEARingly Stearn Hint

As anyone can see(well, maybe not a bubblevisionista) on March 16, 2008 gold took a rather drastic turn to the upside, topping $1030 in overnight trading in Asia. This was obviously due to the crisis where the American banksters on Wall Street decided to devour one of their own with the full faith and backing of the American taxpayer. The trashing, allegedly deliberate and obviously overt, of Bear Stearns was designed to send the Godfather like message of an “offer they couldn’t refuse” and how our capitalist system has devolved into a Mafia like movie event with Jamie Dimon playing the role Al Pacino lusts for. While the great con was being perpetuated on America and the world that Benron and the Boys were doing a great thing by bailing out the bankster system and preventing a complete meltdown, what few seem to want to acknowledge or accept is that they people who initiated the problem all profited from it. The SEC will never investigate what happened, nor will CONgress, nor will the FBI. It’s like Don Corleone who always had all those judges, Senators and law enforcement officers in his back pocket except this group of thugs has the financial “press” (it’s hard to type that one with a straight face) as part of their collection also. So with all that background noise, those of you may be asking, so what does this have to do with the ever increasing price of tea in China or gold for that matter? Everything. What it indicated was the ultimate vote in the confidence of the American financial system. Which was “none” to “very little” depending on what corner of the world you were in or if you were a broker hiding under your bed on Wall Street that night. Gold did not skyrocket because it suddenly became the fashionable investment of the day. Google’s stock wasn’t purchased and hidden in back yards or safes. Microsoft stock issues and options were not purchased as a “hedge” against further instability. Goldman Sach’s corporate bond issues were not the “hot commodity” that night either. That’s right, it was gold and other precious metals. Real money which is the ultimate backstop or insurance against a systemic or societal collapse. Yet so few remember that month, that evening, nor the impact that day on the world. We came close, once again to a meltdown. And this one was self-inflicted; what happens when the “Black Swan” flies in and creates the validation of the law of unintended consequences being implemented upon unsuspecting traders? That’s right, there’s not enough gold nor limits upon it to stop the price from shooting up. And that’s where the “insurance” issue comes into my thinking.

Don Bernanke Says INFLATE or Die

It’s an amazing sight to watch this entire story unfold. In the movies a Godfather or crime family head (the ‘don’) issues an edict and the family snaps to into action. With the crime family running our central banking system, it’s little wonder we don’t see guys in nice Italian suits kneecapping taxpayers to steal their retirements to cover their blundering decisions. Wait a minute; they are kneecapping the schmucks; with an aluminum baseball bat called “inflation” which few understand nor desire to learn about. Alas, this is not a lesson on macroeconomics, but of insurance, safety and a desire to put a little bit away for a rainy, er, hurricane type day.

Last week the leading crime family met, the Federal Reserve, and elected to lower the Fed Funds target rate to 2%. Big whoop. The statement paid lip service to all of the usual suspects, inflation, gas prices, politicians, green ducks in a pond and the economy that they endorse providing fraudulent data to investors to provide cover for their operation. In reality, Don Bernanke and the boys are ready, willing and able to continue to flood the system with as much cash as necessary to keep the perception that things are in control alive and well. Who cares if 80 year olds have to eat Alpo dog food, at least they are eating so let’s destroy the dollar and get this meeting over with because the Hamptons are calling and summer is here. Of course this chart of the dollar tells the tail and if you’ll note, we still have yet to touch, kiss, hug or get a whiff of the 200 day moving average:

Keeping that in mind, you now begin to realize that the sell off in gold would be just as easy to manipulate and create as the market can be controlled quite easily by any one of the New York families like Morgan or Sachs. Because that chart should indicate gold priced at almost double it’s current levels. But with the organized crime family running our banking system it’s just a matter of selling enough futures or buying enough puts on GLD to trigger computerized sell programs. And since the average American sheeple only pays attention to what the mainstream media or Bubblevision tells them about prices, they have no clue as to the reality or depths of the crisis we are still in. That all being said (did I rant enough for ya?) I sincerely hope that you plan to sell me and my friends all of your precious metals. We don’t want futures. We don’t want paper. We don’t want promises. We want the real deal. The metals you can have and hold as opposed to the paper promises. Why is that so important and what’s the difference? Glad you’re asking….

Mafia Insurance Policy

With all of the stories since February of 2007, the fraud, the deceit, the bald face lies presented to the American public (you know, like 0.0% CPI in February), wouldn’t it seem prudent to maybe, just maybe put a little insurance out there to protect your assets, your family and your future? Think about it. If you lived in a crime infested neighborhood like the USA, you have three realistic options:

1. Pay the crime family their protection money and believe everything you see or hear on CNBC.
2. Buy some insurance to protect your family and pay the crime family off while you get ready to make your move.
3. Get the heck out of there.

Since most of us do not have option 3 as a realistic possibility, I highly advise option number 2. You see, we have to pay our taxes, that’s one of the realities of life we have to deal with. And those taxes are And those taxes are further penalized via inflation by the banksters, aka. “the syndicate,” who have elected to gamble at the casino with your money, your nation and your future and they rolled snake eyes over and over again. Here we, the public, sit exposed to not just a historic collapse of an economic system, but the potential collapse of our nation, planned or unplanned, all in our life time. Wouldn’t you want a little peace of mind and insurance against that? But all you hear on Bubblevision is the “relic” argument against precious metals because their time frame is minutes, not years, and yours needs to be for the long term also. You need insurance against these Mafia like clowns who are gambling with your children’s future. I will not go into another rant to teach you that in times of trouble, people flock to precious metals, gold primarily, to hedge against the destruction of a fiat currency. If the economic matters which triggered the crisis in Bear Stearns and the entire world credit market regime was truly “contained” would it not be logical to assume that the traditional safe haven investment of gold would be well back into the five hundred dollar price range where it traded when this latest move began two years ago? Look at the chart below and think; who knew what was coming and what hedge did they pile into?

Now you get the idea. A lot of the smart money knew what was going to happen. Heck, I’m just average schmuck money and I figured it out. Then again, I felt that since the year 2000, something was wrong and the speculative bubble in the dot.cons would create the nightmare we are living through now. I never imagined that those investments eight years ago would give my family long term security should this fiasco continue. And as the prices decline to what I deem are intermediate and short term levels of tolerance, I will buy again. And again. And again. Since we are kissing the 200 day moving average on gold all those screaming “sold to you” please form a line to the left.

I’m buying and it’s that “again” time.

Because this time, when the black limo pulls up and the two nasty looking guys come to kneecap me, I want to have a golden shield to protect my family and I from the inflation loaded baseball bat and the idiots behind it.

And if you’re wondering, Greenspan is the real ‘Don Corleone’ should we be casting the movie parts. Bernanke is Fredo.

God help us all.

From the AP today (May 1, 2008)….

Stocks rise as dollar advances on optimism about US economy

By MADLEN READ – 5 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street has enjoyed a big rally, with investors sending the Dow Jones industrials up nearly 190 points in response to a stronger dollar and falling energy prices.

————————–

And from yesteryear….

Editor Marcus A. Rose of The Business Week: “Business will be good in 1930 for the lean, hard firms. It will not be good for the fat, soft outfits.”

————————–

And back to today’s NY Times….

Optimism Begins to Ease Onto Wall St.

Main Street may be struggling, but Wall Street is on a bit of a roll.

Despite a drumbeat of bad economic news, the stock market is up — almost 11 percent in the last few weeks. Junk bonds, those risky corporate I.O.U.’s, are rallying. The value of financial shares, bank loans, tricky credit derivatives — up, up, up.

Many on Wall Street, the epicenter of the credit mess, seem to think that the worst is over. For the first time in months, analysts and executives sound upbeat again. Many of them see a broad, sustained recovery in both the economy and the financial markets coming in the second half of this year, a prediction some market strategists call hopeful at best.

For now, policy makers are echoing the mood on Wall Street. Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday that “we are closer to the end of this problem than we are to the beginning.”

A report from the Bank of England, meantime, concluded that mortgage securities, which have been at the heart of the financial troubles, probably have fallen too far. The central bank said prices of such securities should “improve gradually in the coming months.”

——————————

And from yesteryear again…..

Editor Ralph C. Busby of India Rubber & Tire Review: “Distributors everywhere in looking to 1930 have legitimate reason to be conservatively optimistic.”

——————————-

And back to the present from Michigan Live today…

Survey reveals optimism among Midwestern executives

by Carol Marshall | Oakland Business Review

Thursday May 01, 2008, 3:00 PM

The state economy could stabilize and begin producing jobs in the next two years, but that’s only if the state legislature addresses the newly enacted Michigan Business Tax and if domestic automotive manufacturers stay on the course to sustainability.

That’s the message from a panel of local Plante & Moran experts when the accounting firm released the results of its survey on middle market companies in the Midwest.

What the survey revealed is a high amount of optimism among those who responded to the survey - 344 respondents in all, with 145 located in Michigan. Half were CEOs, 25 percent are CFOs, and the rest are a mix of COOs, vice presidents and directors and company owners.

With 67 percent reporting optimism, that’s a gain from two years ago, when 56 percent reported they were optimistic or very optimistic, said Susan Telang, Plante & Moran partner.

————————

And one more from 1930……

Editor A. C. Saunders of Furniture Manufacturer: “. . . the business, valley will not be deep and will be crossed during the first quarter of 1930.”

————————

OH what the heck, let’s pick on the real estate fans and builders who know no downturns…from Globe St.com today…..

Last updated: May 1, 2008 12:50pm

Land: Now’s the Time to Go Back to Market

By Mark Cooney

Land has normally been the key to gauging whether the current economy is still in a trough or taking an upward climb toward normalcy. Well, if the past two months are an indication, land is back in play and the months ahead should bode well for all other commercial sectors.

We are finding a significant increase in owners wanting to list their acreage. More flexibility regarding valuations and lower interest rates are making it easier for additional players to obtain financing for new acquisitions.

There remains a large number of single-family lots and homes yet to be absorbed surrounding Tampa Bay. However, the entitlement process for some tracts takes months, if not years, and now is the time for owners to put their acreage back in play.

————————

And back to the future, 1930…..

Editor Peter A. Stone of American Contractor: “During the year 1930 the volume of building construction work materializing will be greater than in 1929. . . .”

And my favorite quote from the TIME magazine article, Dole or Revolution on Monday, April 14, 1930…..

Meanwhile Secretary of Labor James John Davis, than whom none has been more officially cheery in the present labor crisis, explained himself in the April issue of the Financial Diary: “I’m no believer in empty optimism. At the same time one doesn’t improve the condition of a sick man by constantly telling him how ill he is. On the contrary we do our best to fill him with courage and confidence. . . . Business is staging a record recovery.”
——————————-

Need I say more? It’s beginning to sound like an echo in here. A somewhat historical echo……stand by as the next shoes hit this fall.

New England Pension Fund in

the Red Zone

May 1, 2008: The New England Teamsters and Trucking Industry Pension Fund has put members on notice that the fund will be in critical status (the “Red Zone”) when its funding classification is officially certified later this year.

The fund also announced strict new rules that will make it tougher for local unions in contract negotiations.

The new rules are part of the fund’s Rehabilitation Plan—a plan required by the Pension Protection Act for improving its funding within a 10-year period.

The New England Fund has until Dec. 29 to officially certify its status under the Pension Protection Act—and a year after that to formally adopt a Rehabilitation Plan. But in a March 27 notice to members, the fund announced it is taking action now.

No Cuts—For Now

The good news is no pension cuts are being implemented—at least for now. Instead of reducing benefits, the fund is focusing on increasing revenue by requiring all new contracts that are negotiated to include a 10 percent increase in hourly pension contributions each year.

The 10 percent rule applies to all contracts negotiated after March 4. If a local union is unable to bargain a 10 percent annual increase in pension contributions, then Teamsters covered under the contract will suffer pension cuts.

The 10 percent Maintenance of Benefits (MOB) requirement is the highest in the Teamsters. It doubles the five percent MOB that the New England Fund implemented in 2005. The Central States Fund requires an eight percent increase in pension contributions each year.

The new requirement is so steep that the recently completed UPS and Freight contracts don’t meet the 10 percent standard—despite record pension contribution increases of 65 cents a year.

The New England Fund took this into account and allows any new contracts that include increases of 65¢ an hour over and above a current pension rate of $5.26 an hour to meet the new requirements.

Challenges in Bargaining

The new rules will create serious challenges for Teamsters in contract talks.

Healthcare costs are on the rise, and fuel prices are skyrocketing. At the bargaining table, we will face the triple challenge of negotiating record pension contributions, higher health and welfare contributions and wage increases to keep up with the rising cost of living.

All this, in the context of a recession.

Teamsters in New England need to get ready for tough bargaining and be prepared to get involved in contract campaigns if we’re going to protect our pensions and healthcare and win the wage increases we need to keep up with the cost of living.

And from the “Central” region…

Central States Fund’s Letters

Stir Concerns

May 1, 2008: Hundreds of thousands of working Teamsters and retirees received a startling letter from the Central States Pension Fund in early April saying that the fund is in critical status.

That’s also called the Red Zone. The notice is written in legalese and discusses a potential reduction in benefits.

Given the history of benefit cuts in Central States, it’s no wonder that thousands of Teamsters are calling the fund, their local unions, and Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) for info.

Even UPS Teamsters, who exited the fund at the beginning of the year, got the letter because their retirement after age 65 will in part come from Central States.

The letter—or funding certification notice—was required by the Pension Protection Act, and the wording about “possible benefit reductions” was required by the law. But the Fund could have done a better job of explaining it so that so many Teamsters didn’t assume the worst.

No New Cuts

The good news is that Central States Teamsters and retirees will not face any new benefit cuts.

Those cuts were made four years ago. As a result, the fund has lowered its future benefit obligations. The cuts have driven the average retirement age up from 59 to 61. The fund has increased future income by requiring all new Teamster contracts to increase employer pension contributions by at least eight percent a year.

These measures mean more money will be coming in and less flowing out, so the fund’s balance sheet is expected to improve in the coming years, moving gradually toward being fully funded.

Small Pension Increases

Pension benefits will actually increase over the next several years—even with the fund in the Red Zone. That’s because the amount of retirement benefits that Teamsters earn each year (called “pension accrual”) is tied to employer contributions, which go up each year.

By August 2012, a freight Teamster will accrue nearly $200 a month in pension for a year of work.

Unfortunately being in the Red Zone means that this is the only pension improvement on the horizon in the Central States.

The April letter explains that if a company busts the union, or refuses to sign a contract with the eight percent increases, then cuts will be made in the affected members early-retirement (25- and 30-and-out) benefits.

Our union needs do whatever it takes to ensure that doesn’t happen to any Teamster. Most Central States Teamsters are already under contracts that include the eight percent pension contribution improvement.

The Long Run

No letter from the fund or anyone else can guarantee our pension fund will be secure for decades to come. Our only guarantee is a strong Teamsters Union and labor movement that can stand up to corporations who try to weaken or cut our pensions.

That’s what TDU stands for. We work to inform and unite Teamsters to defend and strengthen our benefit funds.

That’s why we opposed the International Union allowing UPS to buy their way out of the Central States Fund. In that case, corporate greed got its way, and our union leaders didn’t even put up a fight.

Elsewhere, TDU members have successfully mobilized Teamsters to defeat benefit cuts and win improvements.

We need to build our pension fund on the strongest and broadest base. We intend to make that happen.

————————————-

Needless to say, should anyone have any misconception, this is the beginning, not the end. The American people area about to discover that a “recession” does have an impact on their futures. The real discovery that the baby boomers are about to make is that when banksters run wild the investments they rate as “AAA” safe are in fact CCC- deadly and often will break some hearts and retirement dreams as the pension plan administrators thought they were investing in safe, sane instruments only to find out, like the taxpayer, they’ve been conned.

Yes, the news tonight just broke 10 minutes ago and I would call it a nuke. But only the people who are in the know realize the pain this will spread. Just as I was getting ready to write another long treatise on the swirling sensation we’re all feeling (no sense clutching or scratching the porcelain bowl is pretty slippery) and where we’ll be when we are deposited into a new sewer system. Then this story breaks on Reuters at 1948 EDT:

Bond insurers face new payments on CDOs-report

Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:48pm EDT

NEW YORK, April 30 (Reuters) - U.S. bond insurers, including MBIA Inc (MBI.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Ambac Financial Group (ABK.N: Quote, Profile, Research), will likely need to make new interest payments for structured deals backed by residential mortgage debt, as more homeowners default on their mortgages, Citigroup analysts said on Wednesday.

This could place an even greater strain on the companies’ cash flows at a time when they are already grappling to sustain capital levels adequate for their top ratings, the analysts said in a report.

Story continues here……

The bottom line? The sentence where it says “as more homeowners default” which of course is a given since the judicial system in Florida can not even keep up with the pace of foreclosure filings and word is (an unconfirmed rumor for now) that there are rumblings that creditors are fed up with the flippers are going to file bankruptcy against them to get some assets back. So this is about to take a seriously ugly turn gang with property tax payments way behind down here which means they are defaulting on that in California, Arizona and everywhere else the bubble is imploding at a record pace. So just when you thought the word “monoline” has departed our vocabulary, stay tuned. This story indicates we are about to witness Phase II where not only do we have Alt-A and Option Arm defaults accelerating; it means now the governments are going to start filing liens against properties to get their back taxes back.

I wonder what the U.S. will look like when 20% of all the real estate is owned by the Federal Reserve, various municipalities and the big banksters.

Never mind. I wrote about that already. It’s going to look like Pottersville.

April 29, 2008

This is the story
About Hammerin’ Joe,
Hittin’ everything
With his hammer you know,

Then one day,
He made a mighty hit,
And broke his hammer,
Into itty bitty bits.

Along came a bankster,
Who said “Hey Joe!”
Need some money or a
Hammerin’ Loan?

Joe said sure,
But I’m quite dead broke,
After all I’m just a
Hammerin’ bloke,

The bankster said fine,
Don’t even start to whine,
No money down is how
To start a gold mine

Joe said great,
Where do I sign?
And the bankster said
On the bottom line

Joe made payments
The first two years,
Then the loan reset,
Which was what Joe fears

He said “Hey bankster”
My business is down,
Can I refinance
As I train to become a clown?

The bankster said no,
Give my hammer back Joe
And foreclosed is
The way the hammer goes.

Joe learned a lesson,
It was real hard,
A hammer is a tool,
And an economic wild card.

This officially ends my songwriting career(maybe). But if you hum it at a bankster board meeting, it might just work.

The moral to the story?

A house is a tool. It is not an “investment” in the traditional sense of the word and it is not something “liquid” which can be rapidly converted into hard currency, also known as “cash.” Just now Americans are discovering, it is a place to live, not to flip, take equity out for stock speculation or to leverage out for purchases of “investment properties.” It is a place where a profit is possible provided insanity does not take hold. It is an opportunity to get a decent return on investment IF inflation is maintained at reasonable levels. Am I calling a house a “hammer” in that sense of the word? Yes. It is a tool. It is shelter. It is a place to sleep and eat in, bath and raise a family, but it is an “it” which means the ability of the object to rapidly increase and decrease in value is a specter hanging over the head of the ownership. If people wanted to “invest” they would have been better off buying good stocks and bonds than piling a fortune into a home and calling it their nest egg. As many are finding out, their nest egg is now worth 40% less than what they refinanced it for.

What triggered this horrid song in my head? While listening to the local news yesterday morning, I heard a talking head from Raymond James discussing the real estate markets and declaring that it could have another 10 to 15% to drop before the prices were stabilized. No big deal, right? Immediately after that part of the news a commercial comes on for “make money flipping real estate now!” I about wrecked my car. I’ve heard some really stupid and ironic comments over the last two years, but to have that ad on in this market is tantamount to advertising Easy-Off Oven Cleaner at Auschwitz on the prisoner’s uniforms. The insanity of some people just blows my mind. And the people who think that even in current market conditions with an unstable interest rate environment are viable for real estate flipping are not just irresponsible, but fools. The 30 year mortgage is now up again to 5.97% on average as of the market’s close yesterday. Regardless of the lip service we hear from the Fed tomorrow, we will see a major problem with the 30 year mortgage as the bond vigilantes are getting ready to punish the markets for the stupidity of our central bankster over the last year. This means that the bailout in the housing markets, long hoped for to ease the pain, is not coming. It means that the 5.1 years of supply of condos we have in the south Florida markets will become a six, seven or longer year supply as no one can obtain financing. And what it really means this is far from over, as I’ve been screaming about, and that we have about two more years of serious pain in front of us.

So old Joe’s hammer couldn’t refi and it got foreclosed on. Well, that’s the story of the homes. Many people fell for the “take the equity and play flipper” during this last speculative boom. The inability for people to pay attention to the history of not just the Florida market, but real estate speculative booms as a whole is about to punish the remainder of the nation. I know this might seem like blasphemy but the crazy people who purchased new homes in 2005 through 2007 are not the only problems we will have to deal with. People who purchased homes in the 1990’s are the next surprise awaiting our system and those that took out second mortgages will pay a brutal price. The banksters have to clean up their balance sheets and the day of reckoning is coming at them like that asteroid which zapped the dinosaurs. And people who do not understand the difference between long term investments and speculation are sitting where the crater is about to be formed. Be warned my friends. The foreclosure process will accelerate in the months to come no matter the pleadings of the politically putrid pundits of D.C. Jim Cramer might actually get one prediction right this time; we may actually see over seven million foreclosures before this is all said and done.

And it will change our political and economic landscape for decades as a result.

April 28, 2008

The culmination of another superstar weekend of NASCAR racing at Talladega, AL, one of their “Super speedways” which dot the U.S. landscape, makes me realize what a waste of precious resources we witness each week when these vehicles make left turns for three hours, consuming nature’s gift and providing nothing more than a PBR inspired buzz for the millions of fans who watch it. Thankfully no animals were killed, nor were any drivers or spectators, so from a safety standpoint the improvements in this “sport” are the only benefit I can see and the idea of putting helmets and HANS devices into the new economy cars on the market might be something to analyze. The display, otherwise, was a horrid show which destroys valuable natural resources which could be used to keep the lower class Americans in affordable gasoline for quite some time and be of great assistance for the poor children of the nation.

Per NASCAR statistics, all of the cars consume about 6000 gallons of fuel during the race. This does not include diesel fuel consumed by the numerous rigs the racing teams drive nor the media circus which follows the teams around the circuit. Add in the waste of aviation fuel for helicopters and blimps which circle the event from above and you can deduce that hundreds of thousands of dollars of our valuable resources are wasted so Bubba can get a buzz on and watch a bunch of rednecks make left turns all day. The fuel consumed by the racing vehicles is also high in lead content which when burned in a confined area like many of these race tracks, might explain the deteriorating ability of some drivers to enunciate properly when interviewed after the race. If you think about the average household which earns less than $50,000 per year, they probably consume about 40 gallons of gasoline on average per week. While that number might seem high, if you add in the transportation to and from work for two adults and the various trips around the community for the children, it’s not that extreme. So based on that, each NASCAR event could provide gasoline, if the racing fuel were refined differently, for up to 150 weeks for that one household! That means almost 3 families would have 1 years worth of fuel and prevent the children from having to walk, hitchhike or take dangerous school buses to and from their public education Mecca. Think of the savings! Think of the children!

Also the skills of the truck drivers would be better utilized to haul food and clothing to keep costs down for our poor and middle class by better allocating the diesel fuel in this nation for things that matter. This would reduce our dependence on Mexican trucking companies to haul goods cross country and keep America strong. The aviation fuel would be better utilized for our military and of course hospital emergency helicopters which are in need for lower fuel costs to keep hospital bills down for the children when they are seriously injured. Thus grounding this aerial circus we see every Saturday and Sunday for the Busch Series and Sprint Cup races would immediately provide an economic benefit for the children.

Another consideration that everyone should understand is the increased dependency on government hearing aid programs as a result of the hostile environment inside a NASCAR event. They use no mufflers or sound reducing technology which with repeated exposure, especially in the infield and seats closer to the track. If this continues, the expansion of the Medicare/Medicaid roles to accommodate the drivers and fans could be a huge burden on our society. Adding to the hazardous nightmare is the lack of catalytic converters and pollution control devices which pollute the atmosphere and enhance global warming effects over the various tracks. The limitations of the ability for many plants to grow in such an area of polluted air only contributes to the rapid decline of our world’s atmosphere and the polar bears inability to swim to safety and areas where food is readily available. Alas, this sad state of affairs is neglected by the average NASCAR fan, as their only concern is swilling beer, spitting tobacco, and of course keeping their female partners enslaved as bare footed baby factories inside their homes. America must act and act fast to force NASCAR to modify their cars and the racing environment, if not outright banning the sport, for the good of our health care system, endangered birds and the children.

Finally, there is the social impact. No, not the drunk husband coming home yelling at his wife and kids after the race because number 88 choked again. It is the waste of talent and resources within the vehicular construction itself. These engineers are brilliant and probably all drive cars that average 100 mpg in the city as they know all of the top secret engine manufacturing techniques which should be shared with the world to prevent the Armageddon we all fear is coming. If these engineers were forced to work within the private enterprise system for the auto makers and maybe even a special U.N. project, the threat of global war and radical terrorist activity would be greatly reduced as the oil resources would be extended for another fifty years as a result of their work. We must encourage NASCAR to not hoard these engineers and their mechanics and to share them immediately to prevent war and protect the children.

It is my sincere hope that each and every one of you pick up a pen, a phone, or email your representatives in the House and Senate and urge action now. It is time to ban NASCAR and the affiliated races. It is time to start conserving and allocating our resources. It is time to give the powers to the government to do what is necessary for the Ashy Storm-Petrel to survive and come off the Endangered Species List so it does not fly over lead laden airways nor choke on non-catalytic converter cleaned exhaust. It is time for all Americans to act.

For the children.

If you believe one word of what you just read above, you are a victim of “Liberalitis” the disease which impairs your ability to take a joke and enjoy the sarcastic side of life. This is not a serious op-ed but something to illustrate just how absurd the socialist movement might actually sink to get their point across. While the idea of banning NASCAR might appeal to the liberal elites of this nation, some of us still enjoy our bible clinging gun toting rights to enjoy cars making left turns for four hours every Sunday. And if these same Liberals/Socialists would just get out of the way, the free market could and would solve many of the issues outlined above in short order due to market demand. If you think this is absurd, picture this: The elites and socialists actually want to regulate food production and distribution, income redistribution, modify the Constitution, and of course all aspects of your freedoms all for the children and the “greater good.” If any of you think they can fix NASCAR, then you probably believe they can solve any food supply related issues also. Seek profession help immediately if that is the case.

By John Galt

April 27, 2008

It was a weird experience this Saturday morning in April of 2010. I had never experienced walking right into the door of the Central Florida Gun Show at the Lakeland Civic Center as normally there was a long line waiting for the show to open. The armored car in the parking lot was a new, interesting twist as it has been two years since I had ventured into the show, but since the latest grocery store attack, security has been beefed up at all public venues and the deployment of the new Homeland Security “Home Guard” national police force was a given. The HG had about fifty officers there plus the car so as I walked in the door, I was not shocked to see their presence everywhere. The table with the ticket sellers had two people in line which for ten in the morning was rare as best I could remember. I started some idle chit-chat asking “so how many vendors are here for this show?” Suddenly one of the black uniformed officers walked over and asked me “why do you want to know this information?” I replied to him “just curious, I used to come to this show and see over six hundred dealers, nothing important I guess.” The officer nodded and walked away, with the MP5 dangling off his shoulder ready for action. I handed the money to the lady and she motioned me over to another table to turn in my ticket. I handed the ticket to another lady and she said “passport, USID, or driver’s license please.” Startled, I asked “when did this start to be part of the show?” She replied “April 1, 2010 when the Kennedy-Martinez Domestic Security Act was passed. There’s a copy of the information sheet and all instructions for gun show participants and customers at the end of the table.” She motioned to a stack of documents, photocopied and stacked high, as they seemed to anticipate a large crowd that day. Reluctantly, and under the watchful eye of some pretty scary looking officers, I handed her my driver’s license and watched her key in all of the information into a computer. Out of the printer another document was spit out which had a bar code and all kinds of official seals and information on it, but the large bold title was what caught my attention:

April 17, 2010 ONLY…Lakeland Civic Center 10:01 a.m. EDT.

Gun Show Permit – Purchases Permitted

Somewhat befuddled, as I was busy working at any job I could take and did not pay attention to much in the news I asked the elderly lady, “where to next?” She pointed at the door and I handed the document to the HG Officer who had some rank. He said “diver’s license, passport, or USID please” and put his hand out. I reached into my wallet again and handed my license to him. He scanned it, then passed a laser gun like they use at the grocery stores over the “permit” and handed everything back to me. The officer then said “have a nice day, enjoy shopping here” to which I just said thanks and moved on.

Normally this show had hundreds of vendors but now there were less than a hundred and the pickings were mighty slim. To my relief though, my favorite shop where I had been buying weapons and ammo for years was right there where he had always been on the second row by the main entrance. I said “Mike, how the heck have you been?” and walked up to him with my hand extended to shake his. He put his hand out, shaking mine and said “Tired and stressed my friend. The new regs are really killing the business.” I looked at his eyes and realized he was not kidding. He only had ammunition in .22, .30-06, 12 gauge, 9mm and of all things, .32. I asked him with some concern “What happened to all your ammo for AK’s and Bushmasters?” He said that they were no longer allowed to sell those calibers as they were restricted for military use only now. Then he stunned me by asking “Have you failed to turn in your ammo in those calibers?” As he said that the HG officer on that aisle moved in closer to hear my answer. I replied “Oh, we shot all that up years ago. It’s been two years since I’ve been to the show and I came here to buy a gun for my son on his sixteenth birthday.” Mike nodded and said “Well, I have just the rifle for him.” I cut him off and said “Where’s the Ruger 10/22’s? That’s what I really want to get him; are you sold out?” Mike’s eyes spoke volumes and he softly said “We are not allowed to sell semi-autos any longer. Rifles and shotguns only and that is restricted to single shot bolt action rifles or side by side or single round shotguns. The instructions and limitations are on the back of your show permit.” Stunned, I turned it over and sure as heck, there it was under the “Kennedy-Martinez Act” restrictions and notations. With that I told Mike “That’s cool. Let me have the bolt action .22 Marlin and a thousand round brick of ammo.” Mike shook his head again and said “You had best read all of that. The dealers nationwide are now limited to one hundred rounds per customer per month of rifle ammunition and thirty rounds of shotgun ammunition per month per customer.” With that stunning piece of information I said “Okay, let’s close the deal, that’s what I’ll buy then.” The HS officer motioned to the door and another officer started walking towards the table to join him. I pulled my debit card out of my wallet and handed it to Mike to close the transaction. “305.75 will be your charge today sir.” Mike was saying that like he was a robot and the HS officers were both watching intently. Then he said “Sir, your card has been declined. Your bank may be part of the National Gun Restriction Network which disallows firearm and ammunition purchases. Do you have another credit card or cash?” Now, I was getting upset but when guys in black are standing there with machine guns, you don’t say much. “Here’s some cash,” putting it down on the table somewhat harshly counting out three hundred and twenty dollars in twenties. As I finished, one of the HG guys approached me and asked “Where did you get all that cash sir?” I replied to him coldly “I’ve been saving my tax refund and withdrawing money from ATM’s over the last year to save up for this for my son. I had no idea prices had gone up so much. Who ever heard of twenty-five bucks for fifty rounds of .22?” The officer grinned and replied “Well fifteen of that is service, handling and processing fees. Welcome to the new gun show reality.” As Mike handed my change to me, he asked for my driver’s license and gun show permit. He walked over to a computer, scanned the permit, then my driver’s license. I thought that was unusual, but he came back with another document titled “FPPD-Federal Purchase Processing Document” and then instructed me to take this, and the firearms over to Booth 101 on the West side of the building. Befuddled, I reached for the rifle and Mike said “Uh, no. You’re not allowed to touch the weapon until processing is complete. The officer will hand it to you after you are done at Booth 101.”

Strange as that sounds, I headed that way carrying on idle discussion about the Bucs’ prospects this season with the HG officer as we went over to 101. As I approached the booth, he drew the curtain back and motioned me inside. It was just a curtained area with a camera, some computers, bar code readers, and two more HG officers with MP5’s. A tough looking lady in the all black HG uniform called me over and said “Please hand me your driver’s license, gun show permit, bank debit card, and FPPD please.” I obliged but now started to wonder just what in the tarnation was going on. After she scanned and typed for what seemed like forever she said “Please put your right and left thumbs on the two fingerprint scanners over here.” As I completed that a sudden pain hit my left thumb and it was bleeding a little bit. As I was about to ask here about the apparent DNA test and was about to ask her what was going on, she anticipated it and gave the pre-programmed speech “Per the Kennedy-Martinez Act all purchases are registered and validated as not a threat to Homeland Security and to protect you should your weapon be stolen. Terrorism is a real threat and we’re doing our part to insure your Second Amendment rights and protect your freedoms. If you will please, remove your ball cap so we can take a photo to complete processing.” Wrapping my thumb with the band-aid, I moved to the white line on the floor and got my picture taken and was motioned to the end of the cubicle.

She asked that I wait in Booth 102 while processing was complete which I was more than happy to do, as this process was getting on my nerves. She walked out ten minutes later with copies of all kinds of documents in a sealed Ziploc bag and said “Thank you for your patience. Enclosed in this bag is a record of your purchase, the serial numbers of the currency used, the serial number of your firearm and each round of ammunition, and of course the permit which is good for thirty days should you elect to go to another show. Thank you for upholding your Second Amendment rights in these turbulent times.” As I took everything and started to exit, I felt like I was booked by the police, which in fact, I think I was. “This is my last gun show, ever” I thought to myself.

Insane “Patriot” fiction you think? Do yourself a favor and do not read on if that’s all you think this is. The key to this document is to highlight an incoming issue. That issue is one that may or may not be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court this summer and one that will haunt the old-fashioned American who thinks as I do that the Constitution is immutable and not a “living” document as the Marxist ideologues would have you believe. As this prepetorial is being typed, initiatives are under way to register and monitor your DNA, firearms, ammunition, medical records, travel habits, automobile activity and speech by our ever charitable and freedom loving Big Brother advocacy groups from both sides of the political aisle. Control is something that those who advocate supreme Federal power desire and wish to maintain. So what does one do about it?

The fictional piece above unfortunately is tainted with some truth. Odds are we will experience the terrorist attacks such as I had speculated on ages ago in “Why We’ll Fight” over one year ago where Islamofacists (yes, I know that’s a banned term by the .gov) attack grocery stores and soft civilian targets. It is not beyond the realm to conceive of an attack by terrorists using AK-47’s modified by their ilk and purchased at “gun shows” to become fully automatic instead of semi-auto as bought. Imagine the consequences for the average American gun owner. If you think that is far fetched like the serial numbers on ammunition portion of the story, I give you this month’s feature by the NRA’s Christopher Cox titled No Bullets, No Shooting where thirteen states have already introduced laws requiring ammunition sellers to track and record purchases of ammunition, shell by shell, round by round. The cost alone would be staggering probably (my guess) taking the cost of a .22 LR up over a nickel a round, not to mention the bureaucratic costs imposed on the dealers. Most would just close their doors and sell their stock out so as not to have to deal with the absurdity of these programs. Add in the fervor by the Marxist left to impose restrictions on gun shows, one of the last vestiges of free market selling, buying and swapping firearms as intended by the Colonialists in their efforts to insure a freedom from tyranny. That is just one aspect which should have everyone scared. There are other efforts, subtle as they may seem, to impair the average American’s ability to purchase firearms and ammunition.

Despite the best efforts of the NRA and GOA to block actions by the ATF and their rash of sudden “enforcement actions” against dealers nationwide over the last four years for petty bureaucratic errors in paperwork, etc. the beat goes on. And the alphabet agencies are an imposing force which can distort market forces and cause the dealers to pass the cost of doing business on to the customer. Add in the huge ammunition purchases made by the Department of Homeland Security over the last year and the shortages noted in various regions of various calibers, any schmuck can add 2+2 and figure out there is a pattern emerging. The indirect imposition of purchase limitations via the creations of shortages in ammo and firearms is one thing. To deliberately hoard ammunition for whatever future we may be soon to encounter is another. Something, or someone, is planning for a future where the ownership of firearms by American citizens will be viewed as a threat instead of a benefit. While local law enforcement welcomes a well armed, safe, sane citizenry, there appears to be others that do not. The last gun show illustration above may or may not happen, but everything within the fiction above is plausible if not desired by some in power.

Plan your future accordingly, before things change beyond your control.

The future is now.

The show starts at 1900 EDT (that’s 7 pm) aka 2300 UTC.

We’ll know if the streams come up by show time as will you as AT&T broadband is “working” on the problem….