What he said!

I'm a bigger and bigger fan of Peter Schiff every time I hear him speak. I agree with everything he says here about what needs to happen. After being part of a Libertarian force in a Republican caucus in 2008, and then part of the MoGOP convention, I know it's possible.

Neglected blogs, landlord blues, & thieving housemates.

It's been a few weeks since I put anything here, and it's mainly because I've been working through my lunch hour and trying to get enough sleep.

In the meantime, a semester ended and a new one began. So, I have a new batch of students in the Cisco Switching and Wireless class.

Also, I've been through a round of mortgage loan modifications and refinances to get lower payments on the rental properties, and move any missed payments to the end of the loan. So, with the foreclosure threat gone, I have focused on getting properties back into saleable/rentable condition. Not cheap. Not fun. I have one rented, one sold, one foreclosed (short sale failed, old house, needed to go), and one vacant while I'm slowly rehabbing it.

I also caught the folks who rent my basement stealing from me. That was a major downer. I lost my temper, but I got more than a confession, I got a pawn receipt. I asked them to move out in the next month, no matter what. Now, I'm in a dilemma. Do I press charges? Do I accept the pleas of apology, not press charges, and just go pay the pawn broker to get my stuff back until they can repay me? How frustrating is that?

If I tell the pawn shop folks the whole story, they'll press felony charges whether I do or not. Anyway, I hate to see a grown man cry, like when I threatened to call the police yesterday. He has a one year old child. What's the right thing? I don't want to send a desperate man to jail over a few hundred dollars, which he spent on diapers, formula, and birthday gifts for his one year old kid. Did he learn a lesson from being caught? Hard to say.

If only it was that easy.

Best Tea Party Speech!

Kansas City Tea Party

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Originally uploaded by chillkc

I went to the Kansas City Tea Party to protest overtaxing and overspending by the Federal Government. It was actually very inspiring. The speakers were good, the signs were pithy, and the weather was perfection, sunny and 70.

Confused Socialists

Socialism confuses the distinction between government and society. Every time we object to a thing being done by government, the socialists conclude that we object to its being done at all. We disapprove of state education. Then the socialists say that we are opposed to any education. We object to a state religion. Then the socialists say that we want no religion at all. We object to a state-enforced equality. Then they say that we are against equality. It is as if the socialists were to accuse us of not wanting persons to eat because we do not want the state to raise grain.

Frederic Bastiat, The Law, 1850

Hockey.

I am playing ice hockey Tuesday AND Thursday night this week. I am happy about this. That is all.