Hockey, Sprinkles, and the Texas Dept of Transportation

Well, tonight starts the 2nd round of the Stanley Cup playoffs and I am truly in Hockey Mode.  I have been in Hockey mode since the beginning of the season and will not have to wait long until the beginning of the next season considering the very brief off season that the NHL has.  9 pm local time will be the beginning of round 2 and the large noise from the N Texas part of the country will be from my humble dwelling.  Only thing better than watching the Stars in the second round is watching the second round in High Definition.

We were supposed to have rain today, and when we were projected to get a 40% chance of rain, I didn't know that they (the meteorologist) actually meant that there would only be 40 drops of rain.  Yes, I was bored, counted 40 drops of rain, I'll just wait for the next round of spring storms.

Now this next thing had to be the funniest thing that has happened to me in a while.   About this time of year I receive my registration from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDot) for my vehicle.  Last year, I had a different vehicle and since I bought it in Dallas County and not in Collin County (where I actually live) it was registered in Dallas county.  Now I do live in Dallas, but the really small part of Dallas that is in Collin County.  To be even more correct if I should move just three city blocks to the north I would no longer be in Dallas, but another adjoining municipality.   Now on the other end of the spectrum for me to actually be in Dallas County I would have to move 3 blocks south.  So let me get back to my registration.  About a month ago I received the "Dallas County" registration.  The same registration that was let's say $XX.xx amount.  So now today, just mear days from the month of May when my registration is due I receive another registration this one from "Collin County" that was in the amount of let's say $XX.xx +$1.50 for the extra Collin county tax.  So I'm trying to wrap the math around my head so here is how it would breakdown.  To save my extra $1.50 I would have to move to Dallas County thus incurring--- Moving expenses, an extra $250 a month rent, and extra gas to the tax assessor / Grocery store that would get me my registration paid and my little stick for the windshield (yes, we have window stickers).  I find the extra $1.50 that I pay will save me at least equal amount of gas to get my registration done a the local grocery and I find that it is valuable money spent in my county for roads.  I appreciate on the smoother roads the near bliss of the smooth glass like ride on my county roads, and on the other hand the random testing on my fillings on the other stretches of our road system.  I would like to publicly thank TxDot and the Collin County Tax Assessor for saving me more gas in this age of quickly approaching $4.25 / gallon gas (not including the state, federal, local taxes, and in addition to the probably newly formed finance charge for the gas, because we are no longer buying the gas but now leasing it) because I will now be able to take my chariot that I am purchasing and register it.  Registration that can go to keep the roads maintained.  Thank you Collin County.

Observations near the end of a vacation...

Well, it is the Friday near the end of my annual spring vacation and here are few observations that have occurred to me this week.

When your 5 year old asks you and your spouse if you need a time out  you've still got the cool factor left..

When the IRS sends you a letter in the mail explaining to you how you are going to GET money instead of SEND money.  That's a cool feeling.

The more water you drink the more of a coffee buzz you get when you go to Starbucks.  yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah!

Hockey season sucks when you lose the game with 28.7 seconds left.

Spring is in the air and it is soon to be opening day of Baseball season!  H-town represent!

Finding a few hours to spend with your bride after someone else's kid has went home is a cool feeling.

Getting your favorite baseball team's logo on your debit card... Definate cool feeling!!!

Spring cleaning sucks, but I'm glad I did it.

More later,

T

Very few people are going to want to hear this...

I've been thinking of this post for quite a while and I guess with the current political climate now is the time to post this one.

Everyone prepare yourselves–––  Our next President will be a Democrat.

Now I don't make this comment lightly.  I am an Independent for the fact that I see myself as more of an American than represented by anyone political party.  I see many benefits from each party, but not enough to totally polarize myself with any one party enough to go over and start drinking the Kool-Aid.  I will be the first to admit that in past elections I have voted for a Republican candidate and can remember vividly being a staunch Reagan supporter and even voted for the elder Bush, as well as, the younger Bush in the last elections.  However we are now at a point where the conditions in our country are priming "The Perfect Storm" of politics.

Let's take a quick look at the issues that are driving this...

First and foremost Democrats are hacked.  The last two general elections Dubya was voted into the Presidency first time by the same situation (the country wanted change) and in the second term he faced a weaker candidate (sorry, not a Kerry supporter).  The Democrats had lost their edge in the get out the vote area and Bush took advantage of it being a "uniter not a divider".  The second term also made more sense to keep the same President in office that was leading us in the war that we currently are in.  Democrats have worked harder in this cycle on starting grassroots support via the internet, younger voters, and minorities to get the vote out for their cause.  After Al Gore's defeat in 2000 the Democrats realize that they have to work hard to make sure that every vote leaves home and gets to the polling place.

Our national deficit has grown tremendously (as it does when a nation is at war) and this is effecting the many government programs that many people depend on.  As a society we have an obligation to take care of our fellow person.  It is just the nature of economics that when one area gets more money there is another are that will not get the money that it needs.  Now I realize that most of this weight falls on the Congress that a) writes the bills for the appropriation and b) if vetoed by the President has the power to over ride the veto with a 2/3 majority of the Congress.  How many Americans actually realize this?  I would think that not many realize this basic Civics lesson and where will the blame lie???  Bush-- a Republican.

Healthcare is in crisis.  It is sad that most people have insurance they don't use, don't have insurance or are uninsurable.  Let's get to the two basic principles that is causing this crisis--- Money and Prevention.  I find it sad that Hospitals, Doctors, and a host of support personnel have to raise the price of basic healthcare due to the fact that not only medical companies' prices are rising, but that this price has to compensate for the fact that in most cases these organizations are only getting 80% of what they are charging.  It is sad that many Pharmaceutical companies have already re-cooped their R&D budgets, yet keep charging money to get higher profits.  Whatever happened to taking care  of our fellow man?  Well it seems that our fellow man has every problem that hits the television.  Thanks to the pharmaceutical companies and their ever growing advertising campaign telling people "here is your problem see your doctor and buy our drug" versus doctors actually diagnosing what the real problems are then prescribing the medication to follow.  Companies are interested more in selling their product versus what will prevent needing their product.  Let's work on some prevention to the problems instead of just being ready for the problem.  

I even hesitate to start on the economy-- dear reader you might want to take an intermission, get a drink, a snack (keep your carbs in  line), and make a trip to the potty because I'm not coming to clean it up.  We are in an inflationary economy right now with the prices of most of the basic in-elastic (items in the economy that all consumers must purchase to take care of the basics of life in this economy) items continuing to rise paychecks don't go as far as they did not even eight years ago.  Why?  Fuel.  In 1999, not even ten years ago, the price of unleaded gasoline was at around 90 cents per gallon.  In 2002 gasoline went to 1.50 and there was a public outcry.  In 2004 still higher reaching around the $2.00 range and now in 2008 hovering around $2.80.  Normally if you were figuring the true cost of living roughly around every 10 years you could multiply your cost of living by 2 and this would figure your true cost of living or you could divide it by 2 and see what it would compare to in other decades.  Example... Milk now is at $3.56 a gallon.  Meaning that in 1999 it should compare to $1.78 (not in the ball park considering the rising gas prices).  Gasoline however multiplying should now only be in the $2.00 range just to the inflationary effect multiplication effect.  I do realize that there is more demand not only in our country, but also in places like China that has now moved from a biking society to a car society.  That Buick in China is needing gas too.  Now the part of this equation that will really hack a lot of people off is this.  The petroleum companies haven't built any new refineries in the last ten years.  They aren't building for demand so therefore the increase in prices is coming to these companies is coming in at profit.  ExxonMobil reported a 40 billion dollar profit for last year, that's with a B folks.  Now if I was being subsidized by YOUR Government I could drop down more money too.  With the price of fuel going up then no wonder the price of everything else that requires a truck to deliver it to the stores is going up too.  Enough is enough with the price of basic transportation going up.  With the government spending like it is going out of style why is it any wonder that the nation has followed this trend.  It is time for the FEW to quit getting the handouts and the many that really support this country get some real relief.  The stock markets are in turmoil due to the fact that many individuals have run their households like the federal government just going out to get new money and not taken care of their own house.  The markets contrary to popular belief actually do better during democratic years due to the focus on domestic issues.

Finally, let's talk about me, or at least people like me who aren't polarized.  The independents in this country yearn for change from candidates that aren't looking to only give tax breaks to large corporations.  The independents in this country are looking at the real problems not red states and blue states.  The independents are looking for solutions to the problems not who is to blame.  The independents in this country are looking for an end to an unpopular war that was not the focus of fighting terrorism.  The independents are researching the candidates for the candidate that best represents their cause (the nation's cause) to be a responsible leader in the world community.  I'm not alone and even I haven't made my decision on who will receive my vote.  However, as an independent I'm walking away from anyone's Kool-Aid and taking a hard look at the candidates.  I'm researching who honestly has a shot to turn this country around.  Meanwhile if you look at the popular vote numbers in the primaries Democrats are mobilizing more than Republicans.  Anyway you cut it, this general election promises to be a wild one and don't be surprised if a Democrat is elected.

T