Happy Thanksgiving...

This year, not only a semi amusing photo to share with you, but also an important quote.

First the comic...

Can't wait to get our hands on the family turkey (currently in the brine).

Now for the quote...

Secure property rights are the key. When producers know their future products are safe from confiscation, they take risks and invest. But when they fear they will be deprived of the fruits of their labor, they will do as little as possible.

Prepare for more private property rights battles in Mohave County in the year ahead. May God be with you and your family on this important holiday.

And one more and this time a video....

Happy Thanksgiving folks!!

Ahh... I love the classics. Thanksgiving is such a beautiful holiday, my sincere best wishes go out to you and yours (yeah Loyd, especially you).

What am I thankful for this year?? Well I'm thankful for the hacker that blew the lid off the Global Warming nonsense.

Veterans Day

In honor of those who have sacrificed for our freedom...



Thank you.

Just warms my heart...

Here's to hockey season!! Go Flyers!!

Venturing out of the shell...

Loyd sent me the heads up on this comic. Link.


It is almost as if Loyd wrote the thing himself.

Okay... so who saw the UFO in Kingman??

And I'm not talking about little green spacemen either here... good friend of MOCO, Ken, saw a UFO the other day. There may be an article about this in the paper soon. But I thought if you wanted to comment about what you saw please feel free to comment.

Ken... please feel free to explain what you saw in your own words. Hopefully others will chime as well.

I realize this post isn't water related, thus breaking a steady stream of posts on water issues, but I think this event is worthy discussion as well. I didn't see whatever it was... did you??

I'm back...

... but I already want to go back. If you get the chance, ever... Whistler, British Columbia, Canada... is nice <--- (that is a severe understatement).

My wife is already posting photos on Facebook, meanwhile I look forward to catching up on email and the latest and greatest that always seems to happen when I leave town for a few days.

When bureaucrats attack...

It won't come as a shock when I say government equals bureaucracy, and that bureaucracy equals obstacles for free enterprise and personal responsibility.

Nationally, this country is in dire economic straights and many folks will be facing the prospect of pulling themselves up by their boot straps in hopes of providing goods or services that are worth the exchange of dollars in return. Dollars for things like food and rent for shelter.

Guess who will be standing in the way?? The government.

From this San Francisco Chronicle piece...

He sleeps under a bridge, washes in a public bathroom and was panhandling for booze money 11 months ago, but now Larry Moore is the best-dressed shoeshine man in the city. When he gets up from his cardboard mattress, he puts on a coat and tie. It's a reminder of how he has turned things around.

In fact, until last week it looked like Moore was going to have saved enough money to rent a room and get off the street for the first time in six years. But then, in a breathtakingly clueless move, an official for the Department of Public Works told Moore that he has to fork over the money he saved for his first month's rent to purchase a $491 sidewalk vendor permit.

Read the whole thing, of course, and you will find that Mr. Moore has simply a great attitude about his plight. Others aren't so happy. While Mr. Moore will go on and placate the bureaucrats and find private shelter, the news of this will likely be a microcosm of things to come from governments top down. Too much government control over free enterprise and the pursuit of happiness.

Christine Falvey, spokeswoman for Public Works, said the department's contact with Moore was meant to be "educational."

"We certainly don't want to hamper anyone's ability to make a living," Falvey said. "Our education efforts are actually meant to support that effort by making our streets an enjoyable place for people to visit."

Really?? How about requiring a permit for the homeless that use the public streets in San Francisco as urinals??

Sounds like San Francisco is not all concerned about the homeless problem that is apparent in that city, cause if they were they would be promoting the free enterprise efforts of Mr. Moore, not penalizing them.

Health benefits brought to you by Wal-Mart??

This one caught my eye today. Give this article, titled Wal-Mart's Weight Effect, a read.

I liked this last part of the article the best but be sure to read the whole thing...

The Wal-Mart effect shows, finally, how incentives matter. We've illustrated how changes in relative prices and purchasing power affect people's decisions, and this research suggests that people do make the right decisions when the prices of healthy foods fall and purchasing power rises.

Do you want to make poor people healthier? Then restricting the growth of discount chains is the last thing you should do. Instead, repeal programs that distort incentives--like agricultural subsidies that make junk food made from corn and soybean derivatives artificially cheap. Next, cut payroll taxes. With more take-home pay in their pockets, lower-income workers can afford to buy foods that are better for their health.

I bet there is a correlation in there for 'poor communities' looking for new economic development opportunities as well. Think about it.

Bowling at the national tourney in Vegas

I spent Sunday and Monday in Las Vegas bowling in the USBC National tournament. Had a great time but didn't actually score very well. Actually it was rather humbling. Lane conditions were tough for me and I simply was not up to the challenge. So I won't be posting scores because frankly I've already done a great job at forgetting the rather forgettable scores.



The motley crew above represented Kingman (and Flagstaff)... and I think most all were all too happy to see this event come to an end for us. Maybe next year!!

Still on the road...

Stopped by this monument today and snapped this photo...



... always with Arizona on my mind.

Was also here...



... the world famous Corn Palace folks. Kingman represents at the Corn Palace!!

A good day to be a...

... small wind energy turbine. It is windy in Kingman today.

Today I thank the goalie mask

Some of you know that I still try to play a kids game called hockey. There is an organization in Mohave County that has kids and adult leagues/programs and play at Sara Park just south of Lake Havasu City. I've been playing the game for many years now, the position I play is goaltender. Anyone familiar with the sport might start to understand me a bit better knowing this little tid-bit. You see, goalies are considered a tad 'off' shall we say.

The mask pictured above is the mask I use to help protect this simply gorgeous face of mine (see, I'm a bit off).

Last night I had the opportunity to play a second game because another goalie couldn't go (he was going to play a second game but tweaked something and didn't want to risk further pain). Of course after traveling more than 60 miles one way for a hockey game I normally accept playing a second (or even a third) game. Gotta get my monies worth.

With about 5 or 6 minutes left in that second game the opposing team is on the attack in our zone. I have traffic in front of the crease and am looking for the shooter who is setting up about 15 to 18 feet away. He launches a heavy, rising shot towards the goal. Only problem... my head is in the direct path (but trust me, that is a good thing... at least my teamates think so).

So what followed in the very next instant is a rather loud and violent sound, almost an explosion of sorts. Luckily the puck falls right in front of me and I quickly cover it to get a whistle. By the time play is stopped my ears are ringing louder than after sitting next to a set of speakers at a Who concert. The ringing goes on for more than a few minutes.

Typically every other week or so I take a shot off the cage (cage is goalie speak for the mask). Mostly glancing blows off of a deflected shot, but probaly once a year I get popped with a shot like I did last night. After the game, many players and other bystanders asked me if I was alright after that shot... that is how I know the shot was the real deal. I answered each and every one of the concered that I'm just fine.

And that is why today I thank the goalie mask.

But... if you ask me about the remaining minutes of the game, the details are a bit fuzzy (I heard we won though).

Today's email share...

Go this a little while ago...

Once upon a time a man appeared in a village and announced to the villagers that he would buy monkeys for $10 each.

The villagers, knowing there were many monkeys, went to the forest and started catching them. The man bought thousands at $10 and, as supply started to diminish, the villagers stopped their effort.

He then announced that he would buy monkeys at $20 each. This renewed the villager’s efforts and they started catching monkeys again.

Soon the supply diminished and people started going back to their farms. The offer increased to $25 each and the supply of monkeys became so scarce it was an effort to even find a monkey, let alone catch it!

The man now announced that he would buy monkeys at $50 each! However, since he had to go to the city on some business, his assistant would buy on his behalf.

The assistant told the villagers, "Look at all these monkeys in the big cage that my boss has already collected. I will sell them to you at $35 and when my boss returns, you can sell them to him for $50."

The villagers rounded up all their savings and bought all the monkeys for 700 billion dollars.

They never saw the man or his assistant again, only lots and lots of monkeys!

Now you have a better understanding of how the Wall Street Bailout Plan works.

Thought you might like it.

Time for a tea party...

Wow... really, really cool.

Kingman is set for our own version of the Tea Party Movement that has, with very little main stream fanfare, spread out across the country. Now a couple of people that post here have put their heads and resources together to organize such an event in this great location.

Click on this link for more information on the Mohave Tea Party.

I want to thank Donna Crouse and Loyd Peterson for taking the next step and organizing the event (there may be others that have had a hand in this and they should get credit as well).

Are you not sure what a Tea Party is all about... try this...

The American tea party movement bears more resemblance to a rolling block party than a unified organized movement or cause. And that’s precisely why I love it. These people are nice. They’re smart. They come from all walks of life. And they’re sincere. I’ve met hard-hat wearing construction managers, accountants, school teachers, the unemployed, retirees, even the nicest anarchist couple who are worried about their kids’ futures.

You could also 'google' American Tea Party for more info.

Come on out, fashion up a sign, and remind your government that they work for you.



Related post on MOCO

Heading to AAR's Winter Conference...

Posting might be a bit slow for the next couple of days.

Tea... anyone??

I'm sure that you are aware of the 'tea party' demonstrations that are underway around the country. So my question is... are we having one in Kingman?? Should we??

I'd be willing to help organize such an event, with help being the key word.

If there is already something like this in the works, give me a heads up and I will help spread the word.

Folks for the most part based on what I've read about other demonstrations there is very little true organization, yet hundreds of people are coming out to join.

I'll let you decide.

Here is a link to a scheduled for next week tea party in Rochester New York.

Rural Housing Loans...

Two things.

First, I'm messing around with a new (to me) screen capture program I've installed.

Second, because of the above I thought I'd try using it on an email that may have some local interest.



Just passing this along. If it is too difficult to read on the blog, click on it for a larger view.

Please note, I do not recommend or refer clients to particular lending agencies or institutions. The above was included for informational purposes only (and practice on my new screen capture program).

Polar Plunge time again...

When I say 'again', I don't mean again for me... as I'm not all that fond of icy cold water in subfreezing weather. However once again it is my wife, Gail, that is raising money for charity in the Minnesota area and this coming Saturday she takes the plunge again.

See this post from last year.

Looking at the weather forecast here and while it only goes to Friday (as of today), I doubt seriously that a warming trend of any significance is in the offing for Saturday. Should be much colder than last year.

If you would like donate this year to help the cause please do. I know that financial times are tough this year and maybe you are left with less than you normally are for charitable donations. To entice you though this year Gail will be raffling off a trip to Cabo. Details below.

Here is the link to the Frontier Team website, there you can scroll down to find Plunger Gail Tarson. Please help if you can.

Thank you for visiting my web page to support Special Olympics! This is my second year taking the plunge and you can imagine my excitement to freeze my bum off again. In all seriousness though, it is well worth the temporary sting of the bitter cold. It's a small sacrifice for a GREAT organization.

Your kindness and generosity in supporting me and the Special Olympics is inspiring and a great blessing. Last year, with your help (my family, friends and business colleagues), I was the TOP on-line fund raiser for this event. You all made it happen! Thank you! Let's do it again this year!!!

To support our fund raising efforts, my husband Todd and I have donated our Condo for 1 week (7 days, 7 nights) in Cabo San Lucas. Every person who donates to my fund raising effort with a minimum of $20 will be entered into a raffle drawing to WIN!

$20 1-ticket

$40 3-tickets

$60 5-tickets

$100 10-tickets

Drawing will be held and winner announced Monday, March 2nd, 2009.

Note: Winner is responsible for airfare and must have a passport. The raffle is for the condo only. Check out the resort at http://www.loscabosguide.com/hotels/vdpalmar.htm (Valued at over $1,200)

If by some chance donations come in and total over $5,000, Gail will wear a swimsuit at the event and I'll post photos here on this blog and on my social networks. She at least needs to make her goal of $1,000 in order for me to publish photos of the event.

Help if you can, thank you.

Sums it up in many ways...

Click for larger view