tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31934265953908015502012-01-30T09:55:17.753-08:00Rebellious political reportage, armchair economics,<br> events both natural and unnatural,<br> and lowbrow humorRonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.comBlogger2661100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-62900815629416701052012-01-29T19:26:00.000-08:002012-01-30T07:30:51.934-08:00

I posted an opinion on This is Reno about the state of the TEA party movement. I think for many Republicans, the race is effectively over. Not that Mr. Romney is going to beat Mr. Gingrich, it's more a case of it just doesn't matter. Ron Paul will get his 5-20 percent; that won't matter either. The TEA party lost this one and lost their reason for being in the process.Opinion: TEA party perdition

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-64150419723838499612012-01-21T09:52:00.000-08:002012-01-21T10:31:39.336-08:00

I’m going to try and re-launch a somewhat weekly Twitter highlights post. You may remember when I re-started this blog, it was something I was going to do. I think it lasted all of one or two posts. Since I now spend most of my internet time on Twitter and some of my readers refuse to join, maybe this will help them see the light. If you follow me on Twitter, but don’t breathlessly await my every

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-11099774149231350622012-01-20T09:23:00.000-08:002012-01-20T09:27:48.207-08:00

For any reader(s) who don’t follow me on Twitter or read This is Reno, I wrote a book review that I posted on This is Reno. My friend Bob Conrad has written a second book, this one deals with media bias. It’s not about political bias though, just human bias and how it affects the news business. There’s also some stuff in there about where the news business is headed. It really is a pretty good

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-60070063205634058802012-01-02T09:02:00.000-08:002012-01-02T09:44:37.495-08:00

You can always tell when we’re about to wage another pointless and meaningless war when the WWII and Hitler analogies start appearing. Last time, it was Saddam Hussein who was the next Hitler. Now, it’s the Iranians. It’s almost enough to make you feel sorry for the North Korean regime. They always seem to get left out.My old buddy Orrin Johnson is even getting in on the act. He has a theory as

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-30968915836546021232011-12-28T10:27:00.000-08:002011-12-28T10:29:19.534-08:00

It stands to reason that after running off one outsider candidate over affairs he never had, the press would now focus on another outsider over newsletters he didn’t write. Dr. Paul’s views on race relations are not the issue. I believe his opinions on it are much like anyone else’s; befuddlement about the lack of any real progress, and the realization that if there is to be any progress it will

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-11486813403115540162011-12-05T09:11:00.000-08:002011-12-05T09:15:04.936-08:00

My poetry education continues. I've known about Rudyard Kipling's "Gunga Din," since childhood, and have read it several times since, but it wasn't until I tried writing a poem of my own, based on his, that I noticed the first part of each verse is in third person and the last rhyme is in first person. Pretty tricky. I didn't know that was allowed.Anyway, the subject of my ire is Newt Gingrich.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-152514242278058432011-11-20T07:55:00.000-08:002011-11-20T08:01:21.438-08:00

Here's something you'll never see on network TV, or even a low budget cable channel. I know what you're thinking. "An hour? Of Ron Paul? He's got to be kidding." No. I'm not kidding. It's all about liberty. And people should at least have a chance to hear it.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-7235676775753624442011-10-16T14:30:00.000-07:002011-10-16T16:27:13.084-07:00

I went to the Occupy Reno march and rally yesterday, but it wasn't until I got home that things really got wild. Sincerity and hypocracy on a Saturday afternoonIf your not on Twitter, you're missing all the fun.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-16397833555877804442011-10-11T12:24:00.000-07:002011-10-11T12:29:00.152-07:00

In the past, the networks have been asking for people to send debate questions to them via Twitter. Not so this time. Apparently, someone among the powers that be has learned his lesson about the Twitteratti. That's too bad. I had assembled the crackerjack Not Ready For Publication News Team to come up with some questions for the candidates. I'm posting them here in the slim chance that the voice

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-28774997030772315802011-09-05T06:08:00.000-07:002011-09-05T06:09:53.653-07:00

It is Nibiru, the Death Planet, the blue star Kachina of Hopi prophesy, and it's coming to a solar object near us in 2012 - except that it isn't.This so-called "theory" has been going around the web for a while now, but it only got my attention a few days ago. Thanks to a troll in the comments section on one of my favorite websites, I got the instructions for how to find Nibiru.If you go to

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-21838580841865971442011-08-20T07:40:00.000-07:002011-09-11T15:50:00.805-07:00

It looks like the journalist/blogger kerfuffle is heating up again. Just in case, I thought I'd get in early this time.Newsroom suffers Cheetos envyBob Conrad's post, which is linked at the beginning of mine, is well worth a read. The journalist/marketing war has been going on long before bloggers entered the picture.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-57720201416795058212011-08-18T09:58:00.000-07:002011-08-18T10:02:14.327-07:00

If you've been a little less than dazzled by the Perseid meteor shower that was more like a light sprinkle, here's something that should make up for it a little. The fine folks at the U.S. Air Force Space Surveillance Radar in Texas recorded the sound of the meteors as they passed overhead. There is a lot of background noise, but you can definitely hear the swoosh as the meteors pass by, and

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-81711339687253388192011-08-16T08:31:00.000-07:002011-08-16T19:40:14.228-07:00

Governor Rick Perry of Texas is running for president. I've heard he is a conservative, but then according to the standards of the Eastern Media Establishment, anyone who talks about Jesus in public is automatically a conservative. I'm not buying it. He used to be a Democrat, which is forgivable. A lot of people used to be Democrats, and in spite of my best efforts, some of them still are.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-28828005811735179712011-08-05T10:07:00.000-07:002011-08-05T10:15:45.956-07:00

It should be a good weekend for sky gazing as the Perseid and Aquarid meteor showers are both hitting at the same time. Unfortunately, the peak on August 12, coincides with a full moon and it will be up most of the night. This weekend we have a half moon that sets at 10:30 - 11:00.And just to get you in the mood, check this out. (Click the full screen at bottom right for full effect).Ocean Sky

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-56492615906749949712011-08-03T14:59:00.000-07:002011-08-03T15:12:18.903-07:00

I have a new post up on This is Reno. I've been trying to think of something to do with John McCain's comparison of TEA Partyers to Hobbits ever since he said it. A tale from the Middle Earth investment portfolioMy friends, as I write this, the debauchery of the Eastern Alliance has now become the law of the land. The forces of Lord Neokeynes are once again setting about to ravage our little

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-21111027226055857502011-07-20T16:54:00.000-07:002011-07-20T16:54:17.217-07:00

Last weekend I headed out to Laguna Seca to check out the Rolex series with my brother, Steve. This series is the competition for my usual favorite, the ALMS. The two series' are similar in that they are timed endurance races for prototypes as well as production cars. The main difference is that the Daytona class prototypes in the Rolex series are much more standardized. The advantage is lower

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-81547874454211010762011-07-04T10:50:00.000-07:002011-07-04T10:55:49.953-07:00

I finally finished a post. It's over on This is Reno. It's not exactly a 4th of July post, since I started it 2 weeks ago, but it's about politics so I guess it's close enough. Isolationism revisited

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-10073342303479879722011-06-15T15:42:00.001-07:002011-06-15T16:07:39.157-07:00

I don't know who this guy is and the video is a few months old, so maybe it's been around the web already. I just thought it was funny as hell and worth posting.She's Too Good For Everyone - Watch more Funny Videos

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-74192698110792896252011-06-12T14:20:00.000-07:002011-06-12T14:22:42.381-07:00

Another 24 Hours of Le Mans is in the books, and from a U.S. based fan's point of view, the Europeans have some things to work on if they are going to compete with the ALMS. Readers of this blog may remember last year I "watched" most of the ALMS season with a combination of Radio Le Mans, Live Timing and Scoring, and Twitter. This year's race in France was a somewhat similar experience. Once

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-71078948033149621312011-06-11T07:09:00.001-07:002011-06-11T07:28:25.934-07:00

Most of the commentary is in French, but every so often we get an English language recap. The video coverage is much better than the Audi site so far. Live by Peugeot-Sport-Endurance

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-44246738628601459842011-06-10T05:09:00.000-07:002011-06-10T05:18:27.695-07:00

I've been hunting down livestream info for the 24 hours of Le Mans. Here's what I have so far. If I find more I'll post an update. If anyone reading this knows of more, just post it in the comments section. The green flag flies at six AM Pacific Time on Saturday. Both Peugeot and Audi will have in-car cameras in each of their three entries. The Audi stream will also have in-car telemetry, race

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-63294600648782731562011-06-07T11:41:00.000-07:002011-06-07T11:43:07.560-07:00

I've posted another opinion piece on This is Reno. As before, you can read it in its entirety by clicking the title link below. Ir's about the changing meanings of our political identifiers. I have reason to suspect that conservative Democrat and liberal Republican are about to make a comeback. The new liberal, or part 3,284,582 in an ongoing series on our nonsensical politicsDon’t worry, this

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-28509011989524676012011-06-02T08:00:00.000-07:002011-06-02T08:03:21.676-07:00

There is an old rule in survival guides that says if you ever become lost in the mountains, seriously lost, just walk downhill. It is nearly certain that by walking downhill, one will find a stream, which leads to a river, and where there are rivers there are people, and civilization.It's not always true, of course. Some streams end in a pond or lake with no outlet. Oh well, at least you'll have

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-76377919209975756812011-05-26T15:05:00.000-07:002011-05-26T15:32:49.033-07:00

As I announced a few weeks ago, I'm trying a new way of doing things and this post is part of it. I've posted an opinion piece on This is Reno (TIR) which you can read in full by clicking on the link below. It's all subject to change, of course, depending on whether it works or not. I've already changed the other half of my new format idea, so it may only be a matter of time.Anyway, this first

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-32009539263460193192011-05-24T11:16:00.000-07:002011-05-24T14:06:02.327-07:00

The 24 hours of Le Mans is still three weeks away, and so far it looks like TVU is the best bet for a livestream. There are other possibilities, so I'm keeping my options open.In the meantime, I found a nice video featuring an Oreca flm09 much like this one.The Oreca is a French built car that is made from a variety of parts suppliers. It's turned out to be very popular with teams and drivers due

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-58289273353121257992011-05-13T15:48:00.000-07:002011-05-14T06:01:01.448-07:00

Crank up the volumeFor those patiently waiting for the sports car world to start racing again, ALMS got some shots of the Muscle Milk Aston Martin testing at Road Atlanta. It’s unclear if they plan to race at Le Mans next month, but you can bet I’ll be seeing it in person at Laguna Seca in September. This video has no particular point or socially redeeming value. It is this weeks prototype porn.A

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-56358584703617199472011-05-07T05:09:00.000-07:002011-05-07T06:34:12.301-07:00

In my last post I mistakenly used a chart that wasn't quite as up to date as I thought, so the comparison between paper silver and physical silver wasn't accurate. My bad. Here is an updated comparison using the closing prices from Friday, May 6th.Yearly SLV ETF closing at $34.48Yearly spot silver closing at $35.62 The charts are roughly similar, with a $1/oz edge going to physical silver. Note

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-16773500085478335942011-05-05T19:17:00.000-07:002011-05-06T05:06:01.956-07:00

The trophy huntSo what really happened in the Bin Laden raid? Assuming there really was one, I mean. There have been so many official statements followed by official denying the previous statements, combined with a complete lack of any evidence whatsoever, it all seems tailor made for the conspiracy crowd. All we have so far is the word of a not very credible government. Who knows what the

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-4617873408981037222011-04-29T15:25:00.000-07:002011-04-30T04:34:37.782-07:00

Ahhh, it felt good clicking the "new post" button. I've been putting a lot of thought into what to do with this blog and I'm going to start something a little different from before. For the record, I've been spending most of my online time on Twitter, and helping out on This is Reno. Some, but not all, of my reasons for not blogging can be found here. It's complicated.There are a couple of trends

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-59724513681528757452010-08-12T06:35:00.000-07:002010-08-12T06:38:46.780-07:00

Mark Thoma, writing for Money Watch, identifies the three basic types of unemployment. Frictional unemployment arises mainly from the combined movements of a free people. Cyclical unemployment, what most economists believed was the cause of the current recession, is the normal ups and downs of the business cycle. There is a growing body of evidence that the persistent unemployment we are

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-44802996217617999612010-08-07T04:58:00.000-07:002010-08-07T08:20:26.857-07:00

There is a moment in every horror movie between the first appearance of a ghost and the pretty lady’s scream. It begins with an unrecognizable shape, a strange color, or the glimpse of a sudden unexpected movement on the periphery of vision. The heart leaps, the adrenaline flows, and the brain begins a wild search for pattern recognition. Our nation’s economy has been stuck in this moment for the

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-82320341338678779252010-08-01T08:06:00.000-07:002010-08-01T08:15:39.796-07:00

A few weeks ago, a Chart of the Day showed the rise of consumer credit in America since the end of World War II. The hook at the end is the beginning of the housing market collapse and cut-backs in credit card purchasing.What are the ramifications of this major trend reversal? Certainly the banks and credit companies will be struggling well into the future, more bailouts not withstanding. Mark

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-52670812050206183432010-07-31T08:29:00.000-07:002010-07-31T08:31:38.688-07:00

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released their projected unemployment numbers for June 2010 yesterday. The 0.02% rise in unemployment to 14.2% no doubt caused some anguish in Carson City. The BLS stat sheet also included total workforce, total employment, and total unemployed. By looking at some of these other numbers, another story appears.The chart below shows the total number of people

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-56167077763947685862010-07-22T05:51:00.000-07:002010-07-22T05:51:43.332-07:00

There is quite a lot in the financial press these days about whether our government should be piling up more debt or cutting expenses. It’s all politically motivated, and therefore as a matter of economics, is safe to ignore. This chart showing congressional spending demonstrates why.Courtesy Pajamas Media.One would not be going out on a limb to say no matter who wins in November, our congress

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-87287566890884650862010-07-13T05:52:00.000-07:002010-07-13T05:53:15.304-07:00

In a strange twist of fate, I've begun to cheer for the Democrats. My thinking is that the faster they build their progressive utopia, the sooner rational people will see it for the Orwellian nightmare that it is. Many Republicans believe this is already happening, and all will be well in November. I believe it will take longer, mainly because the Republicans seem to be helping them. Just to make

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-70863317215799186792010-07-04T05:57:00.000-07:002010-07-04T06:23:42.922-07:00

I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.John KennedyPutting a man on the moon was easy. What people often forget is that doing so without killing him was the hard part. Fooling Mother Nature is always a temporary project. July 20th will mark the 41st anniversary of the

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-50211252371713644882010-06-27T06:47:00.000-07:002010-06-27T06:49:14.128-07:00

Yep, summer is upon us, it is time once again for yours truly to dip his toe into the storm tossed sea that is internet dating. My primary interest is in “50ish” women, and as such, I have a few observations that I would like to relate. Young fella’s take note, it‘s a possible future you may want take steps to avoid.It may seem hard to believe, but single women at 50 are even pickier than single

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-21577413263216179332010-03-24T06:42:00.000-07:002010-03-24T06:42:53.784-07:00

I ran across a short article with big implications in the latest issue (spring 2010) of American Heritage magazine about historians and cell phone technology. Historical parks and museums have been using cell phones for guided tours for a while now, but it looks like we are on the verge of a great leap forward. The combination of internet, video, and GPS can bring full-scale productions and

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-45374783401523656772010-03-21T05:58:00.000-07:002010-03-21T06:01:07.803-07:00

Ever since I started blogging a couple of years ago, there has been a question nagging me that I can’t seem to shake. “What is your blog about?” It came back again when the subject of this years Nevada Interactive Media Summit came up. I attended last year and had a great time. I learned a lot, met a ton of interesting and friendly people. But, when it came around this year, I decided to skip it.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-58808665137153789872010-03-14T08:26:00.000-07:002010-03-14T08:26:39.526-07:00

There are many arguments over methods in economics. For instance, during the depression, when GDP was invented, we were an industrial nation. Now that we have become a service based economy, many economists question the validity of GDP as an accurate measuring device. There are other lesser disagreements that at times become mind-numbingly arcane, but one statistic that is difficult to

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-79416648753823124222010-03-05T06:18:00.000-08:002010-03-05T06:19:09.860-08:00

It's been pretty quiet in the banking sector lately. That's not to say the banksters haven't been busy. According to the LA Times, they've launched a PR campaign to improve their image, complete with interviews and OMG! they're even blogging now! And here all this time we thought they were blood-sucking pond scum. But no, it turns out that behind those Italian suits and manicured fingernails,

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-80352410026640352552010-02-21T10:05:00.000-08:002010-02-21T10:09:05.380-08:00

I've been reading a book called Literature and the Economics of Liberty, a collection of essays about economic principles found in classic novels. What drew my attention to it was one of the essays on The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells. I had read the book as a kid, strictly as a science fiction story, with no thought of it's literary value. Most literary types will tell you that it is a story of

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-83245364039485649652010-02-14T10:38:00.000-08:002010-02-20T08:53:25.158-08:00

Dr. Gary Smith, who heads the Regional Economic Analysis Project (REAP), has announced a major upgrade for the Nevada website. Many of the enhancements we made to the website are backstage and may not meet your eye from the front end: a new computer server, new server software (Win Server 2008), and a major revamp and restructuring of the programming architecture for the entire website...we’ve

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-46376388836231138652010-01-24T11:35:00.000-08:002010-01-24T11:36:54.785-08:00

I'm not the first one to notice this, and I won't be the last, but our country is in desperate need of a paradigm shift in the "political process". Not to pick on Sue Lowden, although she does make a fun target at times, I'll use her HQ "Grand Opening" yesterday only as an example. If I was a Democrat, I could just as easily use Harry Reid, or any other candidate for any other office for that

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-68867040446547964382010-01-23T11:03:00.000-08:002010-01-23T11:07:41.151-08:00

Oh to have been a fly on the wall when the two old bulls, Paul Volker and Larry Summers, locked horns preceding President Obama's unveiling of his latest finance reform plan. Hopefully, little Timmy Geithner was taking notes. Volker, the ex Fed Chief and the only contrarian advisor the the president, has been pounding the table for months about the looting rampage the banks have been on. It

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-39774460348015767882010-01-21T05:54:00.000-08:002010-01-21T05:54:43.672-08:00

No matter how the Democrats play it, the news of a Republican win in the Massachusetts senate race was a big deal. It got me thinking about what could be big news here in Nevada. Sure, Harry Reid losing would be big, but what else could happen that would really grab the nation's attention? I assembled the crackerjack Not-Ready-For-Letterman News Team for a little brainstorming.The top 9 biggest

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-54426906569974307112010-01-16T09:21:00.000-08:002010-01-16T09:25:16.365-08:00

In less than a year of Democratic one party rule, it seems our government has produced the most feared of all political outcomes; a general sense of unease. Among Republicans, there is the predictable righteous indignation; with the so-called "progressives", there is the growing realization that they've been had; and for the highly prized independents, a simple case of buyer's remorse. All of

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-47693420004135825442010-01-12T05:02:00.000-08:002010-01-12T05:08:49.394-08:00

Way back in August, I mentioned a Bloomberg article regarding their court case against the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. At the time, Manhattan Chief U.S. District Judge Loretta Preska had ordered the government to hand over TARP fund documents within 30 days. Well, the 30 days came and went with no news forthcoming. Nearly 5 months later, SURPRISE, the government is going to appeal the

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-81897429201496421722010-01-10T11:46:00.000-08:002010-01-10T11:50:04.171-08:00

It was another cold, overcast day in January. There was only a week left before the Rembrandt exhibit at the Nevada Museum of Art would close, and I hadn't been to see it yet. There was also going to be a Raphael painting that had just been put on display, but I really wanted to see the Rembrandt's.Hanging 'round Downtown by myselfAnd I had so much time...*It looked like the museum was having a

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-62694835697291585172010-01-02T09:00:00.000-08:002010-01-02T09:03:39.435-08:00

One of the cornerstones of Keynesian theory, is that during an economic downturn, the government should "prime the pump", inject capital into the market to keep people employed until the natural demand cycle returns. Measuring demand is a tricky business, all sorts of numbers get tossed around and the validity of those numbers is hotly debated. The debates tend to distract and confuse, more than

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-83168784093780338472010-01-01T13:43:00.000-08:002010-01-01T13:43:43.576-08:00

In a word- bleak, but that's not to say hopeless. If you're of the opinion that our economy is a ship without a rudder, and/or that chaos reigns in the captain's quarters, I may have found a life jacket.As I see it, there have been two major developments lately, neither of which should be a surprise to anyone. 1) The government has involved itself up to it's eyebrows in the economy, and 2) the

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-61713327076426755492009-12-12T11:42:00.000-08:002009-12-13T08:06:16.273-08:00

Over the years, I've met several people who have said they're writing a book. I even looked into it once myself, before deciding that blogging is much easier. So when my friend, Bob Conrad, said he was writing a book I didn't think much of it. Those who know Bob better than I do probably weren't surprised when Bob not only finished writing it, but has now had it published.The Good, The Bad, The

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-75844267041749066162009-12-06T09:11:00.000-08:002009-12-07T06:24:01.053-08:00

Senate hearings for the reconfirmation of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke started this week. He is expected to be reconfirmed. Aside from a few Republican Senators, criticism seems to be light. Senator Jim De Mint of South Carolina almost identified the problem. In an exchange with Bernanke (see the video here), De Mint asks about the duties of the Fed. (The questions have been edited for

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-24778562646539707982009-12-03T06:53:00.000-08:002009-12-03T06:54:12.804-08:00

Ordinarily, I bypass books with prophetic titles. In the case of The Return Of The Great Depression by Vox Day, I was willing to make an exception. I've been lurking on Vox's Blog for years, as well as reading his WND columns, and like most bloggers who have been around for years, he can be counted on to at least be thought provoking. Vox has an eclectic set of interests and his writings are

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-70104262484532294842009-11-22T08:54:00.000-08:002009-11-22T08:55:32.515-08:00

It's good practice to pick up a book, from time to time, that you know you're going to disagree with. Knowing why you favor one idea over another requires knowing both. This was the reason why I read Keynes: The return of the master by Robert Skidelsky.Having already written a three volume biography of Keynes, Skidelsky covers a lot of territory in 193 pages. In order to understand how

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-67548675952650103142009-11-15T06:00:00.000-08:002009-11-15T06:10:18.448-08:00

As one of my favorite bloggers, Sybil's Star often says, "you can take the gold out of the standard, but you can't take the standard out of the gold." A case in point was the 1970's. In 1971, President Nixon took the U.S., and the rest of the world, off the gold standard. Gold prices went up, as expected, but soon began to settle. The OPEC oil embargo of 1973 caused another bump, but again gold

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-61610655896743305872009-11-08T16:33:00.000-08:002009-11-08T16:34:53.066-08:00

A buddy of mine at work, who is roughly the the same age as me (55), informed me one day that he had been "talked into signing up with Facebook." He then went on to describe how stupid and pointless it is. I asked him about Twitter;"Oh hell no", he said. "I can see where teenagers would like it. They can talk on the phone for 3 hours about nothing. But what am I going to tell everybody, that I

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-4872037297401224142009-11-04T05:04:00.000-08:002009-11-04T05:04:57.376-08:00

In a clear case of the Empire striking back, Mel Watt, a Democrat from North Carolina, who chairs the domestic monetary policy and technology subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee has "gutted" H.R. 1207, the bill to audit the Federal Reserve. Some possible motivations for Mr. Watt's actions come from American Banking News.Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) has its headquarters in his

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-54333603522517286172009-11-01T06:18:00.000-08:002009-11-01T06:19:34.826-08:00

Edmunds car guides have been around since 1966. In 2006 they ceased paper publication and went all online as edmunds.com. They have become a "must use" site for anyone buying a new or used car. So when they came out with a report that the governments Cash for Clunkers (CARS) program cost the taxpayers $24,000 per vehicle, it raised a few eyebrows, including some within the White House.At issue

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-49818260528037352292009-10-25T12:33:00.000-07:002009-10-25T12:33:31.666-07:00

In 6,000 years of recorded human history there has never been a country, or an empire, that grew strong with a weak monetary system. The fall of empires is always foreshadowed by devaluation; Always. From Byzantines byzant, to Rome's drachma, to England's pound, the deliberate cheapening of the money marks the beginning of the end.I think of this when I read in the financial press about how the

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-23601847145845104312009-10-20T05:14:00.000-07:002009-10-20T05:14:00.091-07:00

Another October, time for me and my brother Steve to make our annual pilgrimage to Laguna Seca Raceway for the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) 4 hour endurance race in Monterrey, California. The series usually features 4 classes of cars, 2 prototype (experimental) and 2 production (street cars). Recently they added a 5Th, the Michelin Green X Challenge. All of the Green X cars run on bio fuel and

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-24850045254078555682009-10-17T08:34:00.000-07:002009-10-17T11:15:45.397-07:00

Dr. Elinor Ostrom became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Economics this week. Her selection was somewhat controversial, not because she's a woman, but because her nearly 60 years of field work and research challenge the left/right political and economic establishments. Her work centers around the Common Pool Resource, a condition where a resource is neither regulated by government nor

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-18711465222344809292009-10-13T06:14:00.000-07:002009-10-13T17:46:02.384-07:00

Now that the who-haw over President Obama's winning of the Nobel Peace Prize is subsiding, was the story really that big of a deal? Is it so big that the traditional media needs to spend the better part of a week on it? It seems everyone is trying to find some greater meaning from a mostly meaningless prize. Was this really news, or a manifestation of the herd mentality? OK, so he hasn't really

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-1807620540711490302009-10-06T06:30:00.000-07:002009-10-06T06:30:00.873-07:00

The REAP and BEA websites offer a wealth of regional information and both encourage republication of their data, tables and charts.The Regional Economic Analysis Project (REAP) is the brainchild of retired professor Gary Smith of Washington State University. Along with the charts and tables, REAP includes analysis on what things mean, and just as important, what they don’t mean. Just poking

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-80044929045449541492009-10-05T06:50:00.000-07:002009-10-05T06:50:18.312-07:00

On Tuesday I attended the “Navigating Nevada’s Economy Workshop” hosted by UNR. As far as I could tell, with the exception of a UNR camera crew who stopped by for a quick interview, I was the only member of the media present. Too bad, the workshop offered a powerhouse line-up of speakers from both government and academia focusing on our area’s economy. Economists, teachers, and computer

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-29310261619519705732009-09-27T09:38:00.000-07:002009-09-27T09:38:46.228-07:00

As part of the Street Vibrations event in Reno Saturday, Ryan Capes set a new world record for motorcycle jumping at the Grand Sierra Resort. I arrived at about 4 PM and the jump was scheduled for 6. There weren't many people there yet, so I had my choice of a long shot or a close-up. Since I had beat the crowd, and there were a lot of trees and lamp posts to shoot around, I went for the close-up

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-19761771293959995072009-09-22T06:40:00.000-07:002009-09-22T06:40:15.723-07:00

A major split has developed between the Treasury Dept. and the Federal Reserve. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke has denied a request from Treasury Secretary Tim Giethner for a public review of the Fed's structure and governance. Earlier this year the Fed denied a similar request from congress. According to American Banking News:Much of the impetus behind this initiative from the Treasury Department

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-63773404790705310692009-09-18T07:39:00.000-07:002009-09-18T07:46:07.977-07:00

There's not much argument that Ben Bernanke has been one of the more active Federal Reserve Board Chairmen. The "cash injections", covert buys of Treasury Notes, and some rather strange occurrences in the metals markets over the past year, has everyone outside the CNBC cheerleaders wondering if this stock market rally is real. A look at the straight line gain in the S&P 500 since March is

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-41585203707314628172009-09-14T06:45:00.000-07:002009-09-14T06:45:40.543-07:00

Congressman Ron Paul's new book, "End The Fed" is an excellent book, especially if you're of a libertarian mind. If not, there are still several good arguments for the abolition of the Federal Reserve Bank that could have mass appeal. Speaking as one who was sympathetic with Dr. Paul's rEVOLution in 2008, I can see that this book could be written off as the work of a crackpot by Dr. Paul's

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-45614870018128350182009-09-08T06:25:00.000-07:002009-09-08T06:29:34.618-07:00

Six months ago economists and financial experts debated three scenarios; 1) the stimulus would take until September to pull us out of recession, 2) the stimulus would be good short term, but after September it was anyone's guess, and 3) after September the stimulus would be over and the economy would get worse. The next few months will determine who gets bragging rights.Many analysts are saying

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-72497134242474077292009-09-03T06:43:00.000-07:002009-09-03T06:46:17.874-07:00

California's much heralded IOU's will be redeemable with interest at Bank of America between Sept. 9th and Oct. 9th. Wells Fargo will accept them between Sept. 4th and Sept. 30th, but will only credit interest above $5.00. According to American Banking News, three other banks, Citibank, Bank of the West, and Union Bank have announced similar programs, but no dates or particulars are given. IOU's

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-74726977740346958422009-09-02T03:28:00.000-07:002009-09-02T05:26:50.248-07:00

Are we still arguing about federal health insurance? Sorry, I tuned out for a while. It seems the "debate" has moved off of death panels and such, and into the realm of presidential popularity, or lack thereof. Former conservative, David Brooks thinks that the misnamed Obamacare may be the reason for the drop in the president's poll numbers. He goes on to say, drum roll please, that the president

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-50401812491166269342009-08-28T05:27:00.000-07:002009-08-28T05:27:29.498-07:00

There's been a couple of important developments this week that have gone almost unmentioned in the press regarding the Federal Reserve. Nearly simultaneously with the announcement that Ben Bernanke will be renominated for another term as Chairman, a court case was being decided in New York. The case, Bloomberg LP v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, 08-CV-9595, U.S. District Court

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-58866134123837107942009-08-24T06:00:00.000-07:002009-08-24T06:00:16.297-07:00

In 2007, a book was published called The Panic Of 1907 as a way of documenting the crisis on it's 100 year anniversary. My original interest in the 1907 panic is that it was the last in a series of panics that led to the creation of the Federal Reserve System. Although the authors don't spend a lot of time on how this panic led to the Federal Reserve, it turned out to be a great history book

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-91158435035165426692009-08-23T14:20:00.000-07:002009-08-23T14:21:16.976-07:00

Be sure not to miss the thrilling conclusion of "Deflation Threat Debunked", appearing today only on This Is Reno. If you missed part 1, you can find it here.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-13117799315592477452009-08-22T08:32:00.000-07:002009-08-22T08:33:04.825-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was scrolling through my Twitter feed and found that a couple of blogger/journalist friends of mine had started a new website called This Is Reno. Bob Conrad and Ryan Jerz have some unique views on what journalism is , and what it can be. You can find some insight into their views on the philosophy page. Another interesting aspect is that they're encouraging participation

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-84565720373843201382009-08-16T08:16:00.000-07:002009-08-16T08:16:04.556-07:00

Like weeds in a garden, Woodstock stories seem to be a fact of life. We are now at the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, and since I started growing weary of Woodstock stories 'round about 1975, this year marks the 34th anniversary of the onset of my chronic Woodstock fatigue. Sure, I saw the movie, several times in fact. I bought the album. Everybody bought the album. What's an album? Ask the guy

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-22234128782590546362009-08-15T08:39:00.000-07:002009-08-15T08:39:00.712-07:00

We're all familiar with the term, "backed by the full faith and credit of the U. S. Government". Credit is difficult to quantify, as the recent banking troubles demonstrate, and faith even more so. Our credit deteriorates with each raised debt ceiling passed by congress. So, how's your faith doing lately?In an article about reasons for optimism, Businessweek's Peter Coy describes "splatter

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-85691680393701645292009-08-13T05:31:00.000-07:002009-08-13T05:32:40.181-07:00

Just as I was giving up hope that the health care debate would serve no useful purpose, along comes Sarah Palin to the rescue. I think a Death Panel is a terrific idea. Not so much for the elderly, but I have long felt that what unruly children need is a good consultation regarding end of life scenarios. Threatening them with a trip to the Congressional Death Panel might be just what the doctor

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-83375919320075557742009-08-11T06:39:00.000-07:002009-08-11T06:44:09.663-07:00

From the current issue of Forbes Magazine comes a story about chemists at Procter & Gamble (P&G). Back in 1996, they came up with a substance they called olestra. The stuff wouldn't stick to anything, including human intestinal tracts. It was supposed to be a calorie-free fat; a dieter's dream come true. Sales projections for olestra were $1 Billion a year. Unfortunately, the non-absorptive

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-59113339581122404352009-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:002009-08-10T06:01:45.768-07:00

Way back during the Bush Administration, when bailouts were measured in mere billions of dollars, many writers in the economic field warned of the "moral hazard". The idea is that when failure is rewarded, those that have failed will have learned nothing and will continue their failing ways. Evidence of the truth of this argument is now on full display. The Wall St. investment banks are back to

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-24017633980122165622009-08-08T16:46:00.000-07:002009-08-08T16:47:11.565-07:00

I'm becoming increasingly dismayed at the trajectory of the health care "debate". Watching the videos of the town hall meetings, reading the hostile rhetoric of both sides, I see this as about to get way out of control. What's needed is a leader to calm everybody down, but I don't see that forthcoming. This morning, I was watching a video of a White House spokesman on Breitbart talking about

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-3884219740849711072009-08-06T05:50:00.000-07:002009-08-06T05:51:19.227-07:00

"Everybody in, nobody out", so sayeth the Oz. Or, as Benito Mussolini once put it, "All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state". You can flag me now.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-73817397837276248972009-08-04T18:27:00.000-07:002009-08-04T20:29:28.677-07:00

One of the great issues of the age is the new-media/old-media debate. Over the last year, as I've slowly immersed myself in what is more properly termed "social media", I've seen it takes many forms. The most common is print journalism versus bloggers. Hardly a week goes by without a print journalist weeping over the death of newspapers. Recently, here in Reno, it took a generational turn with

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-64488262388105365082009-08-03T06:52:00.000-07:002009-08-03T06:53:56.136-07:00

Once again an old rule sheds some light: If you want to know what's happening in America, read a British newspaper. It turns out the Federal Reserve really is being transparent, at least for some people. The Fed has emerged as one of Wall Street’s biggest customers during the financial crisis, buying massive amounts of securities to help stabilise the markets...However, the Fed is not a typical

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-4078084794172437942009-08-02T12:06:00.000-07:002009-08-02T12:07:12.818-07:00

It's true that one can cherry-pick any numbers and find an economist to support any idea one wants to imagine. With the recent upturn on Wall Street, the bulls-versus-bears battle seems to be tilting towards the bulls and a recovery. The question remains; is this the recovery, or is it just a bear market rally preceding another plunge?Over at National Review, Head Wall Street Cheerleader Larry

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-74065574249711847942009-07-29T06:41:00.000-07:002009-07-29T06:41:43.909-07:00

There has been quite a lot in the press the last few days about political maneuvering in regards to the health care debate. One interesting thing about it is the terminology used by the big government control-freaks and their lackeys in the press. The term of the day is "blue dog". The term "moderate" has apparently been disallowed by the powers that be, when speaking of Democrats. Even the right

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-77766959667220190762009-07-27T06:10:00.000-07:002009-07-27T06:11:17.550-07:00

Today's lesson in economics comes from Abe Lincoln. With the Civil War raging, and the Confederates approaching Washington, Lincoln received a report that J.E.B Stuart's cavalry had kidnapped a general and stolen 40 horses. The next day a messenger appeared saying, " There's good news Mr. President. We've found the general." Lincoln replied, "That's unfortunate. I can always make a new general,

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-25945448562583269012009-07-22T06:32:00.000-07:002009-07-22T06:32:13.450-07:00

It looks like the stars are coming into alignment for a devaluation of the dollar. The first set of signs comes from then recent run-up in stock prices, and subsequent multi-billion dollar bonuses, involving the Wall Street banks. An excellent look at this is by Daniel Harrison, who points out that some of the bigger banks resorted to accounting tricks to post a good quarter.But on closer

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-91766066669143320732009-07-21T19:42:00.000-07:002009-07-21T19:43:01.799-07:00

There are two questions about blogging that I am sometimes asked, and I have never found a satisfactory answer for; "What is your blog about?", and "When are you going to start making some money at this?". A blank stare is my usual answer. I'm 54 years old and no single subject has ever held my interest from one day to the next, nor have I ever made much money at anything. Why should my blog be

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-89463610476816633222009-07-19T09:10:00.000-07:002009-07-19T09:10:21.881-07:00

Photo by Penny Starr/cnsnews.comEarlier in the week, Joe Biden, last years smart VP candidate, addressed a meeting of the AARP in which he was quoted as saying: “We’re going to go bankrupt as a nation,” Biden said.“Now, people when I say that look at me and say, ‘What are you talking about, Joe? You’re telling me we have to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt?’” Biden said. “The answer is

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-16020369397922439132009-07-15T20:57:00.000-07:002009-07-15T20:57:29.538-07:00

Seeing as how we are about to set the precedent that empathy is the most important quality of a Supreme Court Justice, as opposed to say, brains for instance, I've been thinking that maybe I could be a Supreme Court Justice too. After all, I'd like to think I'm a pretty empathetic fella'. Why, just off the top of my head I can think of 15 reasons why I should be considered for the job.15)As a

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-40884050197116711312009-07-14T05:17:00.001-07:002009-07-14T05:24:08.782-07:00

We won't get to see how our money is being spent, but at least Omaha gets a new museum.

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-44332293155141568612009-07-14T04:42:00.000-07:002009-07-14T04:43:23.905-07:00

In a previous post, I referenced the fact that the Energy Bill, that recently passed the House, was unread by anyone at the time of the vote. In fact, the bill wasn't even in completed form. Over the weekend, Rep Steny Hoyer, when asked by CNN, actually laughed at the idea of reading the Health Care bill before passing it. "I’m laughing because . . . I don’t know how long this bill is going to be

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-14005845095049015722009-07-12T05:46:00.000-07:002009-07-12T05:46:50.344-07:00

I guess it was only a matter of time before we were treated to this headline: Teen Girl Falls In Open Manhole While Texting. Alexa Longueira, a high school sophomore, was walking along Victory Boulevard near Travis Avenue on Staten Island Wednesday evening when she felt the earth move and was plunged into smelly darkness..."It was just really gross and it was shocking and scary," she said. In her

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-72211316149425800282009-07-11T05:59:00.000-07:002009-07-11T06:02:26.189-07:00

Incredibly, there is talk in Congress of a second stimulus package. For the record, the first stimulus is somewhere between 15-40% spent, depending on who you choose to believe. It's not due to get to 100% until sometime next year. Apparently, for the truly empathetic, one just can't spend other people's money fast enough. For whatever reason, this has caused me to burst into song.Ode to the

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-26817593659953022232009-07-09T06:53:00.000-07:002009-07-09T06:54:51.754-07:00

OK, here's the deal. The market is so over-saturated with Sarah Palin stories that even I don't read them anymore. It's time to let the poor woman exit the stage. Let her go make some peanut butter sandwiches for the kids and be a mom. Let her get, what had been, a normal life back. It's not that Governor Palin was such a great candidate. She wasn't. She was the last slim hope and the most

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-61581068466014651952009-07-08T06:42:00.000-07:002009-07-08T07:07:17.433-07:00

Undisclosed sources are reporting that Senate Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had a "night on the town" recently. A gushing Ms. Pelosi was overheard saying, "I've never been to the Senate cafeteria before. It's simply stunning!" The tab for the chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and green beans, was said to be in the neighborhood of $1.3 Billion. The frisky couple then retired

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-610165333118140832009-07-05T08:42:00.000-07:002009-07-05T08:49:33.102-07:00

Twitter at the Siege of YorktownAny similarity between the characters and persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. However, I would like to thank the 40 or so people I'm following on Twitter for their inspiration. Icons are from clipart.com, all rights reserved.Cast of Characters……………....……..played byMeFirst…………………........General WashingtonYankeeYuppie……Aide to General

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3193426595390801550.post-19834849074590293122009-07-01T06:58:00.000-07:002009-07-01T06:58:16.379-07:00

I'm still in the lurking phase on Twitter, but I think I'm beginning to figure it out. In this mornings Financial Times Gideon Rachman is beginning to figure it out too. Along the way, he imagines what Twitter feeds might have looked like at different times in history. My personal favorite of his is Karl Marx: If Marx really had lived in the age of Twitter, he would probably not have been sending

Ronhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09347604316112150273noreply@blogger.com0