Pick your Poison...

...would you like arsenic or cyanide?

Is that a crazy question or does it seem reasonable?  Would you like more information?  Is the  poison for a big animal or a small animal.  Is the poison meant for me or perhaps for someone else?  If the poison is meant for me or for those I love and respect, why am I facing this question?  Why is it an either/or question in the first place?  Surely there must be an alternative answer.

There should at least be an alternative question such as which ice cream would you like, vanilla or chocolate?  Who cares either way it is still ice cream.  (The correct answer to that one is of course yes.)  And in case you hadn't noticed it by now, ice cream comes in way more than two flavors and with very few exceptions they are all ice cream and you have a high probability of having an enjoyable experience with any choice you make.

So how in the world did our country get itself into this mess?  Like most of our sporting events we reduce the competitors to two teams for the finals but this time we really did get the two biggest losers.  Sad part is we knew this about them before we got to this point.  The signs were all there long before anyone even decided to start campaigning.  How could a reasonable person not see them for who and what they are?

And as for the original question, how could a reasonable person be expected to answer it?  How do you make a logical choice in an illogical world?

Perhaps it would be better to change the question entirely.  Perhaps we would be better off changing the way the game is played and refuse to be stuck in a lose lose proposition.

In track and field the final race is not between two individuals but between a field of the fastest and best individuals.  Here is an idea worth pursuing, open up your field and let the others in.  I mean really open up the field and go beyond the few side shows the media has been willing to mention a few times in the effort to appear to be journalist.

I am saying that this is the year to stand for something and not just take action to be against something.  If you honestly like one of the choices you have been given that take it and bare the consequences.  But, if you like one of the earlier candidates then write them in.  If you didn't like any of the candidates at all and would much rather have someone else you know would represent you better then write them in.  If you think that a dead comedian would do a better job than the current bunch then write them in.  (I am sure that Pat Paulsen would love the attention and always showed more common sense than the average politician.)  Just make sure you know the rules for write in candidates for your voting area or the rules of the game will get you thrown out.

'But Ed, doesn't that mean I will just be throwing away my vote?'

You don't think it is thrown away already?

What better time than now to make a statement and stand for something?  In the movies when the good guy is presented with a 'pick your poison' question he usually reacts by spitting in the questioners face.  You can at least respect him for that.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.

Finding hope for capitalism in a game on my tablet

Roy H. Williams of MondayMorningMemo has talked about an 80 year cycle that takes our society from the extremes of a me generation to an us generation every 40 years.  We are approaching the apex of an us generation which would explain all the political correctness of socialism at the moment.  So I was pondering on how will society change back to something more moderate when it seems that socialism is all that is taught in the schools and talked about in the media and legislated in our governments.  Have the roots of capitalism been abolished and replaced with the entitlement mentality?  Has the drive of the individual to become the greatest individual they can become been weened out and replaced with a submission of will to serve the common good however the overlords dictate it to be?

Socialism along with it's more forceful cousin Communism are some of the least effective economic models for a nation even without addressing the moral issues of abolishing free agency.  Take a moment to think about how "well" this world would run if every aspect of your life operated by the same bureaucracy that runs the post office or DMV.  There would be no incentive for efficiency or innovation and therefore there can be no growth.

My vision of the future was growing rather bleak when I happened to find hope in the unlikeliest of places...the games I downloaded on my newly acquired tablet.  Within those games are the elements of capitalism.

At first the elements went unnoticed as I was still learning how to play the various games but then I realized that they were there and hopefully were instilling themselves on those that took the time to play the games.

I have narrowed my recent game time to three games in particular, The Simpsons Tapped Out, Star Wars Tiny Death Star and My Muppet's Show.  All of these games are considered Freemiumware (a combination of free and premium software) in that they can be had for free and played for free but there are extras that you can buy with real money to advance the game a little faster or gratify your vanity.

Within these games there are usually two kinds of currency whether they are called credits, or bux, or vegetables or donuts.  One of the currencies is easy to get and is the basic measuring unit of the game while the other is much more difficult to get but there is always the opportunity to get more in exchange for real life currencies i.e. you real life wallet.  As an added feature of my gaming experience, I make it a point never to use real money in the virtual world .

The games become an analogy of life as they are played.  You are asked to perform certain task for which you earn credits.  These credits can then be used in the game to obtain the next level, a new character or an extra power or decoration.  These will in turn help you earn more credits and at a faster pace in order to obtain more new things that are better, faster, cooler than the last thing and almost always at a higher price.

These are mini simulations of life played out in a somewhat benign way through a computer screen.  Instead of berating our kids for wasting too much time playing video games perhaps we should be playing those games with them and then having discussions with them to help them see the lessons there to be had, lessons we may have missed or forgotten along the way.  The longer you play the game, and the more games you play, the better you will recognize the rules of the game and learn how to play it well.

As the next generation grows up on a diet of these types of games they will provide the energy to reverse the cyclical societal momentum we face and let the pendulum swing back towards a more moderate approach in our lives.

And with that thought my hope was restored.  I remembered that good can be had even in times of extremes.  It is that hope that drives man forward, to challenge the odds and the mandates and give it a go anyway.  It is that spirit that will overcome the oppressive nature of a collective society.  It is that spirit that we should foster to grow and survive not only in ourselves but in others.

I will discuss further some of these lessons I have seen from playing these games and doing the paid to clicks.  Maybe they haven't been such a timesuck after all.  For now this is Ed Nef with a view from the Farrwest.

I'm Back

Hello everyone. I'm afraid I've been a little busy lately, and more than a little distracted, but I have returned to share thoughts and insights but probably just to rant and vent.

In fact I have been so upset and angered by this countries lack of discipline, integrity, and sensibility while being driven by an overwhelming self-centered selfishness and an overpowering level of stupidity that my emotions got caught up in it all and I couldn't quite bring myself to compose from a reasonable centered me so I gave it up for awhile.

Anyone that has been watching the news for awhile will have noticed the insanity that has laid claim to the world around us and often makes it tempting to retreat into hibernation or at the very least begin practicing the life of a hermit.

But alas I am too far entrenched in day to day living to commit that form of social suicide. And neither should you if you are experiencing the same level of frustration of that external world that tries so hard to dominate our lives. It is at this point that we must stand and say "nuts to you" and move on with what we do, and that is to live the good life and fight the good fight. To accept anything less is to deny our true inheritance.

So what was the trigger that brings me back around. A little news article on the radio this morning that reported President Obama praising someone other than himself, a republican no less that goes by the name of Mitch McConnell. You have got to know that you are way off base when no less than Obama and Harry Reid are calling your ideas a 'serious proposal'.

So what is this 'serious proposal'? How about letting the President raise the national debt ceiling without GOP support. That's right, the Senate minority leader is suggesting that Congress forgo its duties and responsibilities and hand the President the last keys to national destruction. I don't know why they would bother since all three branches seem to be working in a concerted effort to accomplish the same willful degradation of the remnants of a once upon a time fine upstanding and well respected country.

If you understand the debt crisis at all, or even just a little you are shaking in your boots right now along with the rest of us, but it is not the core of the problem. It is not even center stage of our drama or worse yet in the eyes of the people that matter most, the citizens of this nation. It is also just one symptom of a long list of symptoms plaguing our country right now and its future is hanging in the balance.

Someone from the White House said "never let a good crisis go to waste" but the scary truth that walks hand in hand with that is 'if you don't have a crisis now, make one'. I don't know how much of what is happening is fabrication and deliberate manipulation but I have seen enough to make me think that there is a definite plan being played out and there are some who think they will gain power by allowing events to unfold the way they have. Over the past several years (and decades and beyond) these types of events have led those in power to excuse themselves in taking action that has undermined our freedoms and our liberties. And for all intense and purposes it is happening again. Just as we now joke at the cliche of 'do it for the children' (although I still hear that one used time and again) we are not laughing at the effects it has had on our lives. Last time we were all too willing to do 'whatever it takes' to maintain our homeland security. This time we will do 'whatever it takes' to maintain our economic security. And all the while we have willingly done 'whatever it takes', we have done so without really realizing what was taken. The physical and economic security that was once in our hands as been placed in the hands of another, and now we have neither.

Where is that country that was so highly praised for freedom and liberty and was hailed as a land of opportunity and righteousness? Where is that people that stood proudly for one nation under God and valued it so highly that many would willingly give their lives in defending it? Where are the voices of reason in the tumultuous din of stupidity?

It is not all gone...yet. It is not all forgotten...yet. Fear not to add your voice to reason. If it sounds like stupid and feels like stupid, please don't be afraid to say so. When stupid looks itself in the mirror, truth is revealed and reason can stand. It is time to let laughter and ridicule drive stupidity back into the long forgotten shadows from whence it came.

History is replete with examples where stupidity runs rampant, but it only last for awhile. For those of us looking for the better way, having lived it and knowing what it is, there is still a light of hope that all is not lost. There is still a chance for the return of sanity. And although I am predicting that there is the potential for some serious hard times ahead, both economically, politically and socially, there is still an opportunity for much good to come from all this. That is what I continue to look for, hope for and pray for. I hope that you will be doing the same.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Increase your e-mail awareness

Since I am continuing to send myself an e-mail trying to sell myself Viagra, and growing increasingly tired of the many implications I decided to do a little checking to see where the link was going. I did this without opening the e-mail’s link. I just hovered the curser over the link and looked at the address listed below. I then entered the address into www.networksolutions.com/whois-search and it came back showing the current registrar as Beijing Innovative Linkage Technology LTD. It also shows the name server as ns1(2,3,4).collig.ru. In other words they are using a Russian domain.

There is some other information and some phone numbers but I am not pursing it any farther. I don’t know whether someone is spoofing them the same way they are spoofing my e-mail address to make it look like I am sending myself these e-mails or what but I don’t like it. If our government was really concerned about our welfare they would be actively reaching out and attacking these people. What they are doing is deliberate and with intended consequences. This is not an accident.

If there are any of you out there that love to hack and disturb but still want to do something for a good cause and stand for something right, here is your target. Take out a spammer. Actively eliminate those that are deliberately out to do harm. I don’t have the wherewithal (resources or knowledge to do it) though I really wish I did.

We have all seen the warning about not clicking on a link from an unknown source or untrusted party and that is good advice. It seems that is still only a portion of the advice you need as I can’t even trust my own e-mail now. Either way please be careful out there. The war that is waging out there is bigger than any of us realize and we are getting caught up in the crossfire, so when in doubt…duck.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Beware credit companies, the consumer is coming

You may have noticed an increase in credit and credit card offers lately. Don’t be drawn in. The rules are about to change and the increase in offers is an attempt to lock in the old rules on those willing to play by the old rules.

So what are the old rules vs. the new rules? I am not sure, but I do know this, they involve high fees and high rates with harsh penalties, new or old. Like so many things coming out of Congress these days in the way of financial regulation, the details somehow get lost in the delivery to the public. I do know that there are rules trying to reign in the current almost obscene method credit card companies are using to adjust rates and charge fees.

In fact if you have listened to Clark Howard, Suze Orman or Dave Ramsey you have probably heard at least one call from a listener telling their story of how the credit card company was changing the rules on them mid stream and wondering what they could do about it seeing how they had been a long time good customer with that company. If they do not have any free cash available to close out their account then most times the answer seems to be try to negotiate with the company or try to live with the new terms. (Wherever possible provide yourself some options.)

Trouble is many people have been living on the edge for so long that there is no room for new terms. All of their spending money is pre committed and they are stretched to pay the minimum balance on these credit cards as it is. Sad to say but many people had a very hard time making their new minimum payment the last time Congress got involved and raised the required minimum payment on outstanding balances as the Congress’ way of trying to help (by force) people to lower their debt levels.

The latest round of increased minimum payment is coming about because of changes in the interest rates charged to the card holders by the card companies. The higher the rate, the higher the interest charges and the higher the minimum payment based on that higher charge. These rate changes come about because of changing terms that made your fixed card now a variable card or even worse. Some card companies have added clauses that state if you are late or default not only on their account but that of anybody else’s account they will raise your rate to loan shark levels, and they are doing it.

“But I had an agreement with them” you say “they shouldn’t be able to change the rules mid stream.” They shouldn’t but they do and it comes in the form of a little tiny printed piece of paper that comes with your statement every so often. Do you take the time to read all of them all the way through? Buried in the legalize is the change and if you aren’t paying attention they have you because it usually comes with a phrase or two that indicates your options are two, either continue to use the card and by default accept the new terms, or notify us now and we will cancel your account and your bill is now due in full for the outstanding balance.

If you are able then my suggestion is to pay off the amount in full and close out the account. Let’s put the power of the consumer back in our pocket. There are still lots of competition for credit cards out there if the number of offers I get is any indication which means there are still many companies that should be competing for my business. I as the consumer have the power to pick and choose who has the best deal to meet my best interest. I get to decide which if any is right for me, and I will vote with my hard earned dollars who I will work with, even if that means none at all.

After the new rules go into effect we should begin to see a new set of offers from companies that are trying to decide how best to play the new game in town. If you can hold off till then I think you will be better off for it. When it comes, I think it will be in all of our best interest to take a close look at what the new offers are and compare them to what we have now and actively switch to a better provider if one is found. Credit Card Companies you have officially been put on notice. If you don’t treat me better, and with the respect I deserve then You Are Fired.

The new rules Congress is laying down should make it harder for the companies to change your rules mid stream like they are doing in abundance now, but to get the new rules to apply to you it sounds like you will need to create a new account where the new rules will apply. I hope that is not the case but if it is I see it as an opportunity for those willing to spend the time and effort to search out better and more trustworthy companies to work with in the future. I will share with you my ideals of standards for a credit card in a later entry.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Slower Traffic Keep Right some more

For those of you that know me and to those that don’t I must state here and now that I am opposed to speed limits. I like many thought that they were a necessary evil and that in some situations it was the only way to control drivers for safety’s sake but the more I think about it the more I think that that idea is bogus.

I have been on many different roads in many different lands and it is interesting to find that every road has a naturally occurring speed that is comfortable and safe for any given situation of weather, road condition, traffic, time of day, vehicle used, and present state of mind. Given this formula it should be easy to note that the right speed limit is not the same for all users. This is natural.

Speed limits in this country were originally set by building the road and then opening it up to traffic and watching to see what rate of speed 85% of the public was traveling at. They then set the speed limit at the next highest multiple of 5 and on we went. Occasionally the limits would have to be reevaluated and that is normal too. As technology has advanced, so have the capabilities of the cars we drive. Our cars have better brakes, suspensions, tires, engines, windshields, seats, seat belts, airbags, crumple zones, and a host of other things that exists below the skin beyond our view. What we drive today is nowhere near what we drove a decade or two ago let alone what was available in the era before seat belts and steel belted tires.

As times have changed, so have we. Some cities made it a law that when you went out to go for a ride in your horseless carriage, that you must have someone walking in front of you with a red flag to warn others of the impending danger your horseless carriage might make. Sometimes I wonder if we have really advanced that far.

Let’s face it, speed limits are not about safety, it is about control. I have heard some of the most ridiculous agreements for and in behalf of speed limits and their enforcement. I have been in cities where the natural flow of traffic was 10 mph faster than the stated speed limit and heard people say that if they raised the speed limit higher by that 10 then people would just drive 10 faster than that. So what does that tell us? Is the speed limit set 20 miles to low? Can you keep raising the speed limit eventually to infinity and people will continue to travel 10 mph faster even to infinity plus 10?


But Ed, we have always been told that speed kills. I must state the fact that I have yet to reach a speed that I spontaneously combust. Anybody that has witnessed a race will not that there is no magical speed that when it will cause the car to immediately burst into flames and sail into the stands wiping out many of the fans that came to watch just such an event.

No, speed does not kill. The misapplication of speed can. Does that mean that there is a skill level involved in the operation of our vehicles? Of course. Does that mean that the average driver out there is not being properly trained and their skills have not been developed enough to cope with any higher speeds than we currently allow? Possible but whose fault is that?

I’m sorry but I believe in people and their abilities to make good choices and to have capabilities that far exceed what they use on a daily basis. I believe that people can have common sense or at least develop it in the course of their lives to a point that they do not need to be told how to do every little thing. I believe that people have the ability to decide for themselves what is best for them and have the gumption to do it given the chance.

I would love to see a movement start on the interstate system. These roads were designed for safe 80 mph travel in the 50’s. Remember the cars we had in the 50’s. Remember that all those cars were not new then either. How far have we come, or rather how much farther should we be if we could only continue to advance our lives in a progressive manner? So what could we do?

Take all the speed limit signs down and replace them with “Slower Traffic Keep Right”. It is not making everyone drive at a set speed that creates a safe situation but having rules that make it possible for people of different speeds to coexist peacefully. “Slower Traffic Keep Right” allows for everyone to travel at the speed they are comfortable with and anyone that is comfortable traveling faster can move to the left, pass, and then return to the right at the speed they are comfortable with. People would know the rules and know what to expect from other people that knew what the rules were. People would use turn signals and rear view mirrors and be aware of those around them.

Drivers already know these things. Drivers use their turn signals and rear view mirrors. Drivers pay attention to what is going on around them. The look ahead and try to predict the possible actions of others around them. Drivers realize their own abilities of those of their cars and make decisions based on those abilities for the given conditions. Drivers know and care about these things. Real drivers also know just how slow the speed limits really are.

I have driven with the locals at speeds far faster than the stated speed limit but I have also driven with the locals far below the stated speed limit. 55 mph on an ice covered road in a heavy snow storm with gale force winds just isn’t going to happen no matter what the sign says. If we are smart enough to go slower than the speed limit as conditions warrant, then why aren’t we allowed to be smart enough to go faster as conditions warrant?

If you want to try something interesting, get in the right lane (where you should be unless you’re passing anyway) and drive 5 or 10 mph below the stated speed limit. See what happens to traffic around you. See what happens to you, how you feel, how relaxed or anxious you become. Can you make adjustments with merging traffic? Can you maintain that speed without absent mindedly trying to match the speed of others? Do you feel guilty for holding up others or do you feel empowered by it? Do this and you might learn as much about yourself as you do those around you.

It is all right to be different. All I want is the right to be different as much as I want you to have the right to be different. When we all can live differently together then will the possible become possible.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Is Slavery returning to America?

Government is intruding into our lives more and more. Frankly, I didn’t invite it and I don’t agree with it. As we turn over more and more of our personal responsibilities to the goverment, or should I say as they assume more and more of our personal responsibilities, we faulter as a nation and as a people.

It is easy to see how we have succumbed to the siren call for abrogating our responsibilities. It is easier to say ‘It’s not my fault’ than to take personal responsibility. We have all been given ample opportunity to participate in the blame game, and we have certainly been taught by masters.

Our politicians have worked hard to convince us that all our troubles are not our fault and that we should blame the other guy. Their very existence and all their power is derived by creating a strong emotional response to the ‘us vs. them’ point of view. And as we have seen in the past, ‘Don’t blame the present on me, it was the last guys that were here’ is the chant of the moment.

As they con us into the latest crisis of the day, it provides for them an opportunity to snatch away more of our personal responsibilities and liberties under the misguided notion that they can run our lives better than we can. I wish to state that this is not true in my case. I hope to shout that it is not true in yours either.

All it takes is one look at the decisions coming out of Washington lately to know that they have not got a clue let alone enough knowledge, wisdom and foresight to make any decision concerning our own personal well being. In short, They Don’t Get IT.

We were not put on this earth to let others take care of us. We were not placed here by a kind and loving Father to be left in a permanent state of childhood. We are meant to grow and learn and reach for our potential. We are meant to learn right from wrong, and to learn that there are consequences for our choices and our actions. As we live we will make mistakes and we are meant to learn from them, correct them, repent of them and forgive them, and then move on.

We can choose for ourselves the right paths to take. The right path for me may not be the right path for you. We can’t all be firemen and ballerinas nor would we want to be. We all have differences and we can all contribute. That is what you get when you talk about the family of man. It takes all kinds to make this world so why would we allow anyone to mandate their ‘one size fits all’ world on us?

So what got me started on this rant? Perhaps it comes from seeing traffic cops at every turn, perhaps it is hearing of all the various bailouts using my hard earned and all too easily extracted taxes dollars, or perhaps it is the massive government budget proposal with its accompanying changes to social policy. In fact it is a combination of all these things and many others that are not listed. Why does it seem to me that the current direction our government is taking us is down the path of voluntary slavery? Debt is the master of the borrower and though each of us may have worked hard to avoid this situation in our own lives, our government is seeing fit to shackle us all with our without our consent. Isn’t it ironic that the man leading the charge into this voluntary slavery is the very one chosen as the iconic representative to supposedly close out the chapter of slavery from our past history?

Do we have what it takes to make a stand? The longer we wait, the harder it will be. Just like debt, the cost to regain freedom given up only grows bigger and more painful the longer we put it off. Denial does not work. We will eventually have to face it head on or give up and accept living in bondage. Our forefathers fought and died to give us that freedom they valued so highly. What will we pass on to those that follow us?

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Politicians promise scary Halloween

I have been hearing a lot of very scary things this Halloween. I understand there is an election going on where the very fabric of our Society is at stake. It appears that there is an attack on the core values that made America great, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (Property).

I also understand that we are down to two finalist, (were there really ever going to be any more than two?) and both our out to destroy your way of life. Our job is comparing too what degree of destruction we are willing to accept.

This nation struggled throughout its lifetime to obtain and maintain the values that have stood the test of time as being preferable to anything else the world had to offer. But, at this point in its history, all of those past efforts are threatened to become null and void by the results of one election.

The reason it is different this time, is that those that oppose American values have stacked the cards in their favor. Whichever candidate gets the nod this time is a move in their direction. They win, we lose. And whichever candidate wins, they will take it as a mandate for them to continue to pursue and implement their Socialist policies and agendas.

And of the two remaining candidates that are essentially running unopposed, by far the worst offender to grace the stage has to be Barrack Hussein Obama. Where McCain is an old hand Democrat and has worked hard to one up the traditional Democratic party by pandering to its traditional campaign plans, Obama has raised the gamut completely past that stage to full on socialism.

(Lest ye think otherwise, I have been warning of and calling the traditional Democratic party socialist for far longer than the recent use by host and pundits on the airwaves.) The warning extends now to this fact. The next step beyond Socialism comes when it is no longer able to be enforced by persuasions political correctness but needs to be enforced by force and that is usually representative of Communism, and Dictatorships.

So do I really think we are on the verge of destruction? Actually I am not sure. I do find it hard to believe that this nation has spent so much time and energy to defend and promote these two candidates and in particular Obama as he appears to be the furthest removed from traditional American values. Obama seems poised to ruin the fabric of democracy from the first day in office whereas McCain might take an extra week to get there. It really scares me that a seeming majority of America's citizens would actually embrace what these two are proposing. Once we have gone over the half way point is there hope of bringing things back?

Actually there is hope. I have talked to quite a few Americans that still believe in America, what it stood for and what it stands for. They still have America's core values at their core. They do not want to give up and will not give up. They are just struggling to know what action to take to try and help ensure that those American values are not threatened. They want to put their voice with others and be heard. They want to have something to vote for, but once again they have a contest of choosing what to vote against. If you have to vote against then by all means vote against, but be sure that you make your vote against the absolute worst possible scenario, then work like mad to make sure that next time really will be different, and work like mad to preserve real American values.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Stop Congress from acting

We are faced with the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, or so they say. If Wall Street collapses Main Street will also, or so they say. If the government doesn’t step in and buy up all the bad mortgages then millions will lose their homes, or so they say.

The headlines and the talking heads have been heaping up a whole light of gloom and doom lately and in the wake we the American people and more especially the tax payer are headed for disaster. We can ill afford the plans being offered and the actions about to be taken. You cannot continue to cover up a mistake with a bigger mistake and hope no one will notice.

Let me present a simple little story to try to make a point. A local furniture store opens for business with the hope of making a profit by selling its wares to the local community. In the process they stock inventory that they hope will appeal to the local population. Some of it does and some of it doesn’t. Some of it is priced where the average person can afford it and some of it is priced way beyond the reach of the local community. Those things that appeal sell quickly while those that don’t sell are marked down to a price where they will sell. The business learns what the market wants, adjusts its inventory and repeats the process having found a formula that creates a long lasting relationship with the customer in the community.

Another furniture store opens for business and does a good job for awhile but management doesn’t understand the needs of the community. They stock inventory that suits their own desires and ideals and for awhile they see some sales but they begin to taper off. The furniture is just too expensive for what it is and the local economy can’t afford to splurge on these items even if they wanted the styles this store has to offer. As sales continue to fall, they finally reach a point where they can no longer stay in business. The last month the store has signs hung in the window that read ‘Going out of business Sale’ as they try to reduce their stock and payback their creditors. The final days see the owners taking any price on the remaining inventory in an effort to clear the books. The bargain hunters and shoppers find items finally at a price they can live with and clear out the remaining inventory of the store.

Meanwhile the successful store sees a slowdown in its sales temporarily as the ‘going out of business sales’ have taken away some of their shoppers. This only lasts for a little while though, as the successful business continues to provide their community with the right mix of product and price.

This is how business has worked in this country and around the world for years. That is what capitalism is about. Freedom to enter the market and exit the market as the market dictates. If you do things right you are rewarded, but if you do not get things right, you correct your methods or you go out of business. It works on a small scale and it works on a large scale.

If the government decided that the second furniture store should stay in business and decided to loan them enough money to pay their salaries and utilities and they stepped in and bought at full retail all the furniture they couldn’t sell, they could keep this company in business but only for as long as they were willing to pay for their salaries, utilities and buy their crappy inventory. If the company continued to operate the same way as they began it would take continued infusions to let them continue to exist.

Also, how fair is this to the first company? They also wish to remain in business but they have a plan that works and they have been successful in implementing that plan. They do not need the assistance or handout of government nor do they seek one. Is it fair for them to have to pay taxes that are transferred to their competitor just because he is not able to meet the needs of his customer? Is it fair to penalize the first company and reward the second? Is this the government’s role?

If we truly believe that America is great and want it to continue to be great, then we trust in those things that made it great. Freedom is one of them, Capitalism another. This is not a matter of scale, but rather of core values.

If the financial institutions have bad paper on their books then let them mark them down to true value and take the hit to the income statement. If they no longer want to own them, let them take them to the market place and get whatever price another is willing to pay. There is generally a market for everything; you just won’t necessarily like the price. If after selling off your bad inventory and you still find yourself in business then congratulations you are still alive and kicking. If after selling off your bad inventory and you don’t have sufficient cash flow to survive, then close shop, learn your lessons and start again.

Learning the lessons is not an easy thing to do. Some never learn. Some give up and never try again. Some try again but end up doing the same thing they did the first time. Some actually see what they did wrong; make adjustments and move on to bigger and better things. There must be consequences both for when we fail and when we succeed. This is America at its finest.

So what is wrong here, or should I say what are some of the things that are wrong here because there are many and that means there is not a simple single fix that will take care of everything.

As much as there is a cry against deregulation, that is not the problem. There is still more than enough regulation to choke a horse it just needs to be applied, consistently and equally to one and all, no favoritism. This runs throughout the financial world and many aspects of our economy.

The housing problem is a very large issue and one that has been compounded by previous bad responses. It is a market bubble with many providing the hot air to blow it up. Stemming from the last mortgage bail out of savings and loans with the RTC, the continued tax subsidizations that Congress passes to promote debt, and the tax laws that encourage and advantage those that speculate in real estate, it is no wonder that the bubble has ballooned to a point of explosion. If we continue with these proposed fixes then we are just slapping a band aid on the balloon and trying to force more air into the bubble.

All balloons can only hold so much air. There is only one way to find out how much it will hold, and after you find out, it will never hold that amount again. Then you are left looking for a new balloon.

Instead of all this governmental intervention to circumvent the markets, let’s make a way for the market to take over and work the way it was meant to. Let stability return to the market place naturally. Let the rules work naturally as they always seem to do no matter how much governments try to change them.

We will get through this. I just don’t want it to be harder than it has to be.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Energy solutions?

I have seen a couple of commercials lately that have caught my interest but then created disappointment and just a touch of anger. The two I am talking about are the ones espousing T Boone Pickens Plan and the other being the We Can Solve It group.

It seems like every other ad these days has an internet address attached to it for further information and in some cases the only way to find out any information about the company that is doing the advertising. In most cases, probably 98 times in 100 I don’t give the ad a second thought and very seldom if ever actually go to the web site. In fact I am almost anti web page advertising and actively ignore some of the more gimmicky ads like the one that starts you off on some adventure and then wants you to go to their web page to see what happens next. Sorry I haven’t done it yet and don’t intend to. I just don’t manipulate that way.

Curiosity did get the best of me on these two though because they are covering topics that I have had an interest in, or at least I thought I did.

As when American with a pulse knows the price of gasoline has gone up a little bit lately and it has caused some concern. T Boone Pickens, an oil man who has made a fortune from the oil industry is also concerned and has decided to put his money into letting us know of this concern and at the same time offer up a proposal on how to solve this dilemma we now face.

His proposals for the most part are sound with the stated goal of getting America to do some basic things that would significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He suggest converting some of our transportation vehicles such as trucks and buses to run on natural gas which burns more cleanly and is a product that this nation has a rich abundance of.

This approach has a lot of merit but will take a little time and some commitment on people and companies willing to break some new ground. The infrastructure for refueling vehicles with natural gas is not nearly as abundant as it is for gasoline and diesel. As demand goes up so will the facilities. I have a friend right now that is converting to natural gas powered cars and he is loving it. He has to plan his fuel stops but when he fills up it only costs 8 or 9 dollars as compared to the 45 to 50 it has been costing me. He deserves those bragging rights.

The downside is planning a long cross country or even a short trip to grandmothers house will take extra effort to make sure there is fuel available along the way. There are some cars that are dual fuel machines and can run either or but most are single fuel choice. Another setback is the added weight for carrying the heavy high pressure tanks that hold the fuel. This will reduce the performance of the vehicle and I am including handling as part of that.

Another key ingredient to the plan is to really start harvesting one of the energy sources that America has an abundance of, namely the wind. We have all seen the pictures of big wind turbines and some of us have actually seen them in action. They can be quite impressive. Some of the wind farms are immense and make quite an impact by its presence. I have seen wind farms in the hills of California to the high Wyoming valleys. I have seen giant windmills on the hilltops of Greece from 35,000 feet wondering what they would look like at ground level if they where that easily seen from that height. I have seen large single windmills set within city limits and on military installations supplying energy to their communities. I have also seen small single units and testing units churning away producing energy. Each time a see a modern era windmill silently working away I am impressed.

I have often driven through the back country of America, for lack of a better term, and have past often old and forgotten windmills that used to serve the ultimate off the grid user, the ranchers and farmers of the west. These old windmills had one important function, bring the water from the well to the surface to water crops, livestock, and family.

There is so much potential for wind and I hope that it begins to be realized. If interest grows then technology advancements will also grow and increased efficiencies will be injected into the equation making the cost benefit analysis of wind a great alternative energy source. The one thing missing in most all of these arguments is a true comparison of costs.

I think that the cost issue may account for the lack of mentioning of photovoltaic or solar cell technology. Again though, as interest grows technology advances and possibilities increase.

More information about the Pickens Plan can be found at:

http://www.pickensplan.com/index.php

The other advertisement that has had a lot of airplay lately is a group of people taking about the current problems we are having with the high cost of oil but ends with the collective resolve that we can solve it by demanding action.

Before I go any further let me tell you up front what it took a very little digging to find out. This web site is a front for Al Gore and his politics. It is totally centered on his vision of the environment and his environmental manifesto. Just know that going in. I for one was greatly disappointed by this fact.

The commercial has great power in that it alludes to the people of this land banding together as individuals and making changes within their own lives and actions they can take that will lead to a ground swell change. The kind of changes made for individuals by individuals. Changes that come from ideas that are freely shared, and expanded upon by individuals, with the common goal of freeing ourselves from the oil crisis.

What you get is a call to become a political activist and demand Al Gore’s environmentalist programs be turned into Congressional mandates. He has already conned more than 1.5 million into signing up. This means he can weld some influence in Washington which is easily pushed over by such silliness. Do all of those that signed up on the web site really understand that they are giving their voice to the personal fancy of one man?

There are the solutions already mentioned but without any detail nor again any cost benefit analysis which is to be expected of a long term politician. It is easy to say we should enhance energy efficiency and adopt the use of renewable energy; it is a whole other ball game when you actually infuse it with a real plan of action. And that is where Al Gore fails. He wants to set the goal that sets the agenda and he wants others to figure out how to met his goal and then he can take credit for it while he calls it innovative leadership.

Al Gore’s web site can be found at:

http://www.wecansolveit.org

My biggest gripe for both of these movements and especially Al Gore’s is that they both call for government action. Both want government intervention to force and fund full implementation of their plans. That funding would come from taxpayer dollars and changes would be mandated is where these plans break down. If they are viable worthwhile goals, both economically and environmentally, (which I think they are), they should be able to be implemented directly without the need for government mandates, infusions, or interventions.

Of the two plans at least Pickens is putting some of his plan into real action by starting wind farms to harness and produce a real change. I can assure you that he will only do this as long as it is economically viable and that is the other reason for him to seek government subsidization, but a better way would be to continue to seek ways that would make it profitable on its own.

The last energy crunch of the 70’s created a surge in wind generators and solar cells that were heavily subsidized with tax breaks. Because the cost break even points were artificial, true cost benefits were not needed. The quality of the products that were rushed to market to fill the new tax subsidized industry were subpar and new technologies were not needed because existing or old tech would meet the rules for tax write off purposes. When the wind generators broke they sat there broke because it was not worth putting any money in to fix them.

I don’t want to see us head down that path again. We can’t afford to waste time and energy on more knee jerk reactions that continually shift the problem. We need real solutions from real people for real people, not government solutions for the masses. If the government would kindly leave some money in my pocket rather than continually confiscate it for ill conceived plans, then maybe I as a consumer could create an influence through my actions and choices that would make a real difference. Maybe I could afford to support by investing in a wind farm of my own, or at least buying a solar system for my house. One that put money back into my pockets because of savings and sell back would make it all the more sweet. That is where you start and that is how you make it work.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

Don't take free agency lightly

The world would be a better place if instead of trying to find new ways to place limits on us, we found new ways to remove the limits we have and expand the realm of possibilities.

No one that I know of wants to have limits placed on them, but many are quite willing to have those limits in place not for themselves but for others. You see there used to be a comic strip that wasn’t all that funny called “There out to be a law”. I think it started out as a way to point out stupid behaviors that could be observed occasionally by the common man. As it continued though you could notice that it grew into something much more.

Driven by a desire to eliminate these poor behaviors in others, legislation was created to outlaw its existence by mandate. Unfortunately that desire has gotten out of hand. Now every little thing that bothers someone else is potential fodder for legal action. More and more actions are now controlled by the mandate of government at the behest of some group that has decided that they know better than you what is best for you. By process of elimination through a little nibble here and a little nibble there, we have lost much of our ability to function as rational mature human beings capable of reasonable thought and self determination.

Case in point, I don’t need a law to tell me to wear a seat belt. I shouldn’t have to be forced through penalties and threats to have to wear a seat belt. It shouldn’t have to be enforced by someone that carries a gun and has been given the authority to do bad things to me and create oversized consequences for not following their rules.

I should be allowed to wear a seat belt because I choose to. I should be allowed to wear a seat belt because I have been educated in its use and understand the statistical evidence that reason the benefits of its use. I should be allowed to wear a seat belt because I have made a conscious decision to do so for my own benefit.

This is what free agency is all about. The freedom to choose. The freedom to make our own choices and to be responsible for those choices. To make mistakes and to learn from those mistakes. To excel through making correct choices that benefits us and those around us. That gives us the ability to learn and grow and define who we are. We become capable as we move from childhood and become adults in charge of our own destinies.

This is a basic principle for which we should fight to maintain. This is a battle that started long before the world was formed. The freedom to choose for ourselves in order to prove ourselves is at our core foundations. We chose on the side of free agency once and that is why we are here today. Be wary that it not be taken away easily.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.

The world of hypocrisy continues

Not 24 hours after the comments from Jesse Jackson were made somewhat public, the media was a spinning. Not only did we not get to hear the whole and complete version of what was said ‘supposedly off the air’, but the story had little time to develop before Graham’s words of silliness were splattered across the airwaves. The morning news today continued with the distractions by going into history and pulling out old footage of President Bush’s off the mic comments.

A couple of things occur to me as I ponder on the absurdity from this example of the flaky times we live in. First, political correctness has gotten completely out of hand. Remember ‘when sticks and stones can break your bones but words can never hurt me’ was valued advise given to children as they were growing up providing a way for them to deal with others that had a cruel way of using their new vocabularies. So why are we as adults so quick to talk offense from passing phrases of no importance? Why do we let ourselves be affected so easily by the words of another when our own values, judgments, and integrity teach us to ignore them? I have noticed that all too often those that do take offense are those that do so for a purpose. They have their own agendas they are trying to promote and by bringing attention to another’s words it is really only to bring attention to themselves. Recognize that fact and then you have two things to try to ignore rather than one.

The second thing that disturbs me is the fact that people have been frightened into a corner and are not willing to have an opinion anymore for fear of being attack for that opinion. I say that there is no opinion but what I really mean is that people are having more opinions than ever; they are just keeping them to themselves (or sharing them with a select few). Now this is nothing new as one of the basic family rules for getting along has always been never to discuss politics, religion, or money around the family, (though I think these can be the most interesting conversations to have).

In fact, most all interesting dialogues revolve around opinions. What is the best car, engine, tire, transmission? What did you think of that movie? Did you hear the new album by …? Did you see the TV show last night? Do you ski, hike, bike, sew, bake, cook, row, etc., then you have had at least one conversation that involved an opinion. So what is wrong with having an opinion? Absolutely nothing. We should have opinions as well as ideas and we should be able to share them freely. It is that free exchange that makes us a better people. Does that mean we accept all opinions and ideas, mercifully no. That does not mean we readily reject all opinions and ideas either. If we are to grow we need to expose ourselves to new things and thoughts, and incorporate the best elements into our lives. A healthy debate also helps define and validate our own sense of right and wrong and who we are.

That is what this web site is trying to be. Expressions of opinions and ideas that should be unencumbered by worry that I might attract petty criticisms. In fact I welcome them as long as they are done in a civil manner. Anyone that has spent much time on the web soon is able to recognize the difference between an intelligent post and an emotionally driven ignorant response.

We should not fear opinions and ideas but we should recognize that many of them have strong emotional ties to them. In fact it is that very fact that gives the two political parties the power they seek. If they can define a topic in an emotionally charged way they can drive people to take action, whether it be to form a rally, tell a neighbor, write letters, make phone calls, or finally vote for their candidate, they know that it is emotion that will get a nation off its couch.

It is also that emotion that can create hurt feelings in someone and that may be the only time we need worry about sharing our opinions (How do I look dear?).

The third thing I have noticed from all this silliness is that once an opinion has been expressed there is a plethora of people waiting to share their opinion of what the first one said. The fact that the news cast spend more time and effort getting reactions from as many people as possible that have absolutely nothing to do directly with the matter, and spend ten times as much actual air time on the surrounding issue than what was used to report the original matter is frankly a painful experience for this viewer. I am one that wants to view the original act, in its entirety, unedited, and then decide for myself the relevance of the act. I don’t need so many others telling me how I am supposed to think and feel about these issues. If the new issue needs clarification or some background information to increase my understanding of its relevance to current events that is one thing, but to tell me how I should respond to those events is irrelevant and unnecessary. As one station claims (and I wish they would take their own advice) “We report, you decide”.

In order to do that though, we need more complete reporting; something with enough details to present a complete picture not just the typical sound bite laden snippets that pass for formal news these days. When the teaser before the break gives you the same amount of information as the formal presentation of the story you tend to realize that you might be missing something.

The final item is an item that I have noticed on more than one occasion in the past but was brought to the forefront strong and clear again with these stories and that is whenever we get a story second hand we get an interpretation of the real story, and when it comes to our political candidates this is not always o.k. Of course the candidates cannot be in all places at all times and therefore must rely on the assistance of others if they are to get things done and get their message out. Too often the message then takes on the image of the one delivering it. Bias enters in. The messenger projects their personal views of what they feel the candidate is about and tend to project their desires into the selling of the party platform.

Occasionally things go wrong. What typically happens is that we don’t really get what we are signing up for. There has been more than one messenger who has been deceived by their desires for qualities in a candidate only to find that reality is very different. Many a candidate has also found that their quickly formed political relationships truly do make for strange bedfellows.

So where is the hypocrisy in all this? There are many examples to choose from. What would the reaction have been if someone other than Jesse Jackson had made those remarks? Wouldn’t Jesse be one of the first to cast a stone? What if the remarks were made about someone other than Obama, would the press have suppressed the story with the same amount of zeal? Of course the other thing of note is that Jesse Jackson quickly withdrew his opinion with a boiler plate apology while Graham stood by his opinions with some minor comments to try and clarify to those that weren’t just trying to spin a sound bite. Maybe there is a lesson in this after all.

This is Ed Nef with a view from the Farr West.