The Second Amendment Stands

Thanks in large part to Supreme Court Justice Scalia the 32 year old ban on guns in Washington DC has been overturned.

I find it mildly humorous that this was the image that WCPO used to illustrate the story this morning.

Castro supports Obama

"the man who is doubtless, from the social and human points of view, the most progressive candidate to the U.S. presidency." Quoted in Investor's Business Daily.

Grandpa Stiner

Economics 101

I have written in the past about what government officials should be required to read. I would like to add to that list Economics 101. McCain and Obama both support a windfall tax on oil companies due to the profit margin.

Let us examine for a moment what happens when costs rise for a manufacture. If I am selling cookies and the price of sugar goes up, I have to charge more for my cookies in order to make the same profit. If oil companies are being taxed they are going to pass along that tax to the consumer.

Leave it to the government to create a bigger mess.

I may be in the minority but I don't fault oil companies for making a big profit. Companies in all markets charge the highest prices that the market will support. There is nothing wrong with that philosophy. In other market places a big company charges obscene amounts of money for a product or service until a new, smaller company comes in and undercuts the market. Prices go down and quality goes up. Markets are constantly balancing themselves out when left alone to do so.

In the gas wars that market balance is not possible due to the many, many environmental laws prohibiting the drilling of domestic oil.

If the candidates truly want to be part of the solution they would fight to allow Alaskan and offshore drilling. Tax incentives should be given to any domestic company willing to truly become an international player.

It is time that the United States becomes a producer again.

The government is not going to be the solution to this escalating issue. The private market holds the only solution and hope for our future economic independence from foreign oil.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdome of the Crystal Skull

We went to see Kingdome of the Crystal Skull last week. I loved it but the rest of the group was not so impressed. It was a typical Indy movie - lots of action, animals and of course love. There were a few references to the first three movies and the plot alluded to some of the missing years between the first three and the newest edition. The movie left the door open for a lot of possibility.



The only thing that I did not care for was the lack of reality. I am not talking about the plot we all know that the Indy movies are full of the supernatural and exaggerated, I am referring to the fact that a good portion of the movie seems to have been filmed in front of a blue screen. We have fantastic technology - we don't have to see it in every scene to make a movie good.

On the up side Harrison Ford looks great! I loved that Indy played the part of his age. He is a little wiser a little slower and a little more grey.

It was a great movie to take kids to see. There was almost no language, no sex and there was only one scary monster like scene. I can’t wait until it is on DVD.

It's time to get serious.

Now that we are a mere six months from the general election, it's time for me to stop procrastinating and start dissecting the candidates.

I have in past posts voiced my disgust for the candidates that have risen to the top. I have talked about the march to socialism and the decay of the Republican Party. I have talked about the personal relationships of the candidates.

Now it's time to look at the big picture. Who is best equipped to deal with the decisions that face a president? What are the goals of the presidency? Are those goals realistic?

A lot of people (me including) are going to be looking at which candidate is going to do the least harm in office. To those people I say - Trust the system. The president although influential still has to act in the boundaries of the office and the senate and congress still have authority.

Hillary

Is Hillary writing her farewell speech or is she buying super delegates at this very moment?