Greeting the Obama Administration

And now the shoe has dropped. Yes it has happened, an American now tops the FBI Most Wanted Terrorist list (or disgruntled native criminals or whatever the Obama Administration calls a terrorist these days). No one should be surprised. Not after the memos came out about targeting right wing conservatives.

Just the other day, as I was going to New York City, I was thinking about what this new direction the Obama Administration was taking meant to the average American. I noted that a Somali pirate, an Al Quida terrorist, or any number of other people and groups that dream of America ceasing to exist are all less important to this Government than my blog posts. Yep, my writing is more dangerous to America than Osama Bin Laden.

At least that is the indication the Obama Administration is making. Because I am a former Marine, intelligent, conservative, and Republican. That just screams extremist – especially when you consider that I reach over 125 countries and tens of thousands of people every month on my blogs alone. I write for over 100 in total.

Yes I am on a watch list of law enforcement because I dare to be all those things, and I disagree with the highly socialist bent of the current Presidential Administration. I’m sure of it, because Blogger just proposed to shut down my blogs as spam sites. They have only been around for over 3 years now. It’s resolved now, I think, but isn’t the timing interesting.

But how dare I mention this. Yet if anyone might think the proposal by the Government was harsh or politically motivated, someone had to be on the list that everyone agreed needed to be caught. Thus everything else is a coincidence, or paranoia.

It’s like a magician’s slight of hand. Let me distract you from the important issue of a Government becoming bigger and socialist by pointing at a danger. Don’t pay attention to the broken campaign promises or violations of the Constitution and law of the land, fear losing your job. Don’t notice the complete ineptness of the politicians in place, hate a miniscule group of people who get paid a lot of money (and forget that the Government chose to pay them that money). Ignore the focus of the media and Government to remove any commentary that is counter to what the Government approves of, remember that they are all radicals (not left-wing radicals like Bill Ayers but right-wing radicals which are bad of course).

Look, I understand the need to be aware. America is a nation of extremists by definition. We radically opposed the rule of England to create this nation. We are made up of people (most of whom) left their homelands because they objected to some part of the ruling government there. We have fought amongst ourselves – the Civil War, Japanese internment, killing off Native American Indians, slavery, and so on. We have every religion on the face of the planet all living right next to each other; and more wars have been fought over that than anything. So I get the concern.

But this is ridiculous. According to the Government wishlist not only am I a subject of concern and require law enforcement monitoring, but so do the Amish. Yep, the Amish.

The Amish are radically extreme in their religious beliefs. They are ultra-conservative. They do not conform to society. They are against stem-cell research, green energy, hybrid cars, abortion, teaching about condoms, and a host of issues that liberal Democrats in the Government are promoting right now. According to the imperative that unofficially the Government wants to pursue, the Amish must be on the top of the list. If that does not explain how absurd this orientation is, let me clarify it a bit more.

The Government is not looking to watch true radicals. People like Bill Ayers is missing from the people that is the focus of the watch lists. His brand of terrorism is completely fine it seems.

Bill Ayers is a self described anarchist. Which means he would love to see the Americans Government collapse. He was involved with a radical terrorist group, that sought to destroy the government, by force. He has written propaganda supporting these thoughts. He is politically active in trying to pursue these thoughts. But he is the friend of, and initial supporter of President Obama, so he and his ilk are fine.

Think about that. The Government is upset if peaceful objection (the tax tea parties as an example) occurs. Yet the blatant rants of self-proclaimed extremists – that have acted to destroy the Government in the past – are considered harmless.

The Amish, news commentators, bloggers like myself are all targets of the Government now. But left-wing radicals like Bill Ayers are good guys. Because people like me, make comments the Government does not like. And it doesn’t matter that we may have criticized the prior Administrations as well. Because only this current incarnation is important. And nothing should interfere with their goals.

That is the message I am getting.

Does that sound like America to you. When you look past the polispeak, the smoke and mirrors, and observe the changes the Government is making and their implications, do you see a freer America or an image of the old USSR? I have lived in Russia, and I say it’s the latter.

In fact ask anyone who lived in a socialist or communist nation. Ask them why they left. Ask them how close the actions of President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Majority leader Harry Reid match up to non-democratic nations. You may be surprised by the answer.

So for all the Government law enforcement officials I say hello. And keep on reading, because I’m not about to stop.

President Obama thinks stock market is a good deal he doesn't care about

There is nothing like watching the daily polispeak dance that politicians like to do. It is especially interesting when the dance is being done by the President. Few Presidents are as skillful with polispeak as President Obama, which says a lot.

I mean just look at how President Obama has handled the complete meltdown of the stock market. The Dow Jones Index, along with virtually every stock on any exchange, have nosedived down a vortex nearly every day since he was elected. But this is considered merely “day-to-day gyrations” that are of no consequence.

An almost total freefall, some 26% since the first trading day of 2009, is a minor happenstance. This is hardly worth talking about in the view of the President. And if you must speak about it, it is all the fault of the prior administration.

Of course President Obama started talking to the markets and the nation months before he was inaugurated. He was dictating economic policy and outlining his initiatives well over 60 days before he was sworn in. And he has effected economic policy changes as well as given somewhat direct guidance on what steps he plans to take in these troubled times. But the current effects on the economy have nothing to do with his Administration.

I mean let’s just look at what he has done so far.

His Secretary of Treasury has gotten the remaining $350 billion dollars from the Bush mortgage bailout. There has been no word on how that money is going to be spent, if it has not been already, but he has the access to it.

He let the Democrat-led Congress loose on a stimulus package that swelled from the day he was elected (then a mere $50 billion dollars) to the final passage of $787 billion dollars. The package is all money borrowed from the nation to be repaid by taxpayers with interest in the future. But everyone who receives a paycheck will be able to make an extra $13 a week for 4 months – if they are under the class of rich which is $75,000 for individuals.

But besides the non-lump sum of $400, the public is also paying for honey bee research ($100 million), and moving Government Agencies at $500 million a move, and research to find a way to create usable green energy (~10 billion dollars - just to find a way to make it, not a dime to actually implement it since it does not exist and may not for a decade), and $100 million for moving fish barriers in mid-West rivers among hundreds of other spending programs.

All of this is to ensure that the roughly 500,000 people who were laid off from Circuit City and almost every other major private sector company in January alone will still have a job. I’m not sure how since I doubt most people have degrees in biology, physics, engineering, and so on, but he said it so it must be true.

President Obama also told the world that he was going to increase the tax on investments in the stock market. Because the fact that interest rates are too low to invest in bonds was not enough. Plus he intends to tax the hell out of those able to afford to invest. So you can understand why the world has rushed in to invest in our markets.

But in case anyone just wanted to hold onto their cash, President Obama is authorizing the Government to essentially take over banks. This way the Government can ensure that loans are made – as well as who will receive them (by the way, isn’t that part of the reason we are in this mess?). Plus the Government can be right on hand to wherever people are putting their money.

But lest you try to give away your money, to charity, the Government under President Obama has another answer. The taxes are to increase on donations. Thus you can give away all your money to a charity, and still owe the Government a huge sum of money. Because under President Obama the Government is smarter than the public and will decide where your money should go and who can receive it. Even though the Government can’t balance a checkbook and most of the public can.

Still just in case any money is not accounted for the Obama Administration has a plan. By increasing the cost of energy, like gasoline and electricity, with taxes they can scoop up more money. Even though this means the price of filling up a car, heating a home, buying food or any other consumer item will increase as well. But remember the Government gave everyone getting a paycheck an extra $13 dollars a week for 4 months to cover the cost of everything going up. If you make under $75.000 and thus not rich.

Yes, all of this. Yet the stock market has continued to sell off like a waterfall. Why should anyone be concerned. It’s not like the stock market is a forward indicator of the economy.

Still, just to cover his tracks, President Obama is now talking like he cares about the IRA’s, mutual funds, stock investments and retirement funds of tens of millions of Americans. He has now stated that “buying stocks is a potentially good deal”. Isn’t that great!

Oh I can see the crowds forming a line to just jump into the markets, with money left over from I know not where. Considering the prospects he has laid out, it’s easy to see how you can make all of 10% - before taxes and commissions – in about 2 years. That’s only a LOSS of maybe 20% after taxes and commissions. Why wouldn’t anyone want to get on that train.

And that loss should coincide perfectly with the $2 trillion in spending cuts President Obama plans to make, if he does not continue with his plans to spend $3.5 trillion on the national budget. Plus every projection he has made – that his own economists think are improbable – comes true exactly as he has stated they should.

Polispeak is a wonderful thing. Because after stating all these things, driving away investors and making every industry of business cringe, President Obama maintains a 64% approval rating. Just watch him dance

The new utility stock view

Utility stocks are the Shakespeare of the stock market. That’s the common thought. They don’t have big swings in price, are good for dividends, and are safe. Ask most stockbrokers and that’s what you will probably hear. Most think it’s the place to invest in bad economies and for old investors seeking to preserve money.

But is that true?

Utility stocks include several areas that are now, or possibly in the near future, growth industries. That includes ethanol, wind energy, biomass, hydropower, and other forms of green power generation. Each of these and many more are considered new areas of development that could help fuel the economies of multiple states, as well as the overall American economy.

A recent comment by Jim Cramer states

“Wind power is hands-down the best form of renewable energy.”

One of his picks in the wind power arena is Kaydon, which should have wind power account for 20% of the company's sales by 2009 possibly tripling by 2010. Kaydon is currently the market leader in wind-power bearings, with over 50% market share.

Now that is not the kind of growth that sounds stolid or boring. That sounds like big growth. And similar comments can be seen in several energy areas, that formerly were as unexciting as dividend returns (which have been cut by many utilities in recent years). Considering this a new look at utilities is in order.

There may be more reasons to be involved with utility stocks than you ever thought before. But check with a registered professional before making any investment decision.