Doomsday Bunker Baby!

All kidding aside, if someone has the room and resources I fully support a doomsday bunker. The Airstream parked out back seems like a good idea but typically only for mice to survive the winter.

The odds of a societal breakdown last peaked during the Cuban Missile Crisis. At the end of the Cold War (thank you for your service) very few "normal" people were thinking about what if scenarios. Sadly since 2008 very few of my friends aren't discussing "what if" scenarios.

The odds?

I'm still a believer that things for the most part have always seemed "Bad". That the odds life will just continue as is, as long as you and I are alive, are pretty high. Our kids lives? Our kids, kids lives? That's beyond my pay grade. 

The world and the U.S. will deal with stuff as it comes along. I look at Japan, Germany, South Korea, Vietnam and I'm blown away how far those countries have come since their wars and total collapse of society.

My takeaway... Nothing stays bad forever unless it does aka North Korea, Cuba, Haiti, etc... No doubt we are living in interesting times. 

That said:

I'm playing the cards I'm dealt. If the stock market tanks and doesn't come back, that means the country has failed. The United States of America isn't the federal, state or local governments. It's the thousands of businesses, massive to small, that make things work. Businesses that are forced to compete have changed the world mostly for the better which some falsely argue isn't true because they have no clue. The businesses that are not forced to compete have changed the world mostly for the worse. That would include most governments.

Takeaway, if the U.S. stock market collapses and does not rebound money will not be worth anything as hyper inflation will quickly destroy all savings. The law of supply and demand is a bitch and she will force everyone to their knees at some point.

So many basic things to think about and it's easy to go down a rabbit hole with your freeze dried food, guns, bullets and toilet paper. As friends have argued the need to prep, FEMA has quietly gone from recommending being independent for three days after a "disaster" to being independent for seven. I'm at two months with only winter as something I'm still trying to figure out.

The bottom line? The 30% increase in costs over the last three years has clearly hurt low income and fixed income Americans. It has caused great concern to those who have saved their entire lives. However, everyday life in America is still pretty awesome. We have to remind ourselves just how lucky we are to live with 333+ million people who for the most part are all agreeable. It's crazy that nearly all Americans concur with our fundamental founding principles and what's truly important in life. The bourgeoisie battle cry of diversity of everything but thought will one day fade away and be replaced by something else. 

It's true that America is blessed. We have an overly friendly neighbor to the North who's biggest offenses are slant drilling for oil under our shared boarder and harvesting large lobsters. To the South, we have a wonderful "semioutofcontrol" country that routinely kills it's politicians. For example during the 2024 election cycle 37+ Mexican politicians seeking office where killed. How is that not a story?

We have vast oceans protecting our East and West coasts. Enough farm land to feed the world and more natural resources than any country on the planet. No doubt the United States is uniquely blessed.

However, I believe American's greatest  strength comes from being built by people who left their place of birth, and their ancestors to seek opportunity and freedom. We are a country created by those who didn't want to settle for the status quo. We are a country built by people who risked everything. American was built upon the backs of those that could get things done. America's fundamental core philosophy may just be meritocracy overrides everything. Meritocracy is what we should celebrate not innate qualities that we a born with that can't be controlled.

Should we be building doomsday bunkers? Maybe, but I would suggest that we take steps to be self sufficient for two months and then get down to work needed to ensure that one day we don't wake up to country that nothing works.

This table shows the max income that is subject to FICA taxes. At the turn of the century any income over $76,200 wasn't subject to social security taxation. Today that cap is $160,200 and will continue to grow with inflation... Don't listen to the narrative. Inflation is very real!

Trump Indicted Again?

U.S. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg charged Trump with 34 felonies of "Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree". Why didn't the Justice Department, the IRS or the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) prosecute Trump?

New York State Attorney General Letitia James files a civil suit on behalf of banks who where defrauded by Donald Trump overstating the value of his business assets. Why didn't the banks involved file suit or join the prosecution?

Georgia Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis Charges Trump and others with creating a "criminal racketeering enterprise", in which Trump and other defendants "knowingly and willfully joined a conspiracy to unlawfully change the outcome" of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Georgia. Why wasn't this case dropped after the actual phone call became public and the Washington Post retracted their inflammatory story?

There are two full blown Justice Department "investigations/prosecutions" underway by Jack Smith for January 6th and the classified documents at Mar-a-Lago. With the release of the January 6th footage and the discovery of President Biden's classified documents in three locations from his time as Senator and Vice President the justification to prosecute Trump become Kabuki Theater on crack.

Alvin Bragg is a big guy but he's just one of sixty-two District Attorney's in the State of New York. Both Alvin Bragg and Letitia James promised their Trump hating voters they would prosecute Donald Trump. When you run for office promising to prosecute someone that's a promise you need to keep and "well, son of a bitch" they both kept their promise.

The Big Flaws in Bragg's prosecution:

- It was a campaign promise

- It exceeded the statue of limitations

- Falsifying business records is not a felony 

- It's not illegal to pay for someone's silence 

- The proper jurisdiction is the FEC and the FEC reviewed and passed on the case

- The Department of Justice also passed on the case

I don't know what is going to happen but many legal minds have repeatedly stated if you're going to prosecute a former President of the United States the case needs to be absolutely airtight. The odds that the FEC and DOJ passed on an airtight case are slim to none. Thinking that District Attorney Alvin Bragg has managed to cobble together an air tight cased when the FEC, DOJ and Attorney General of New York failed is not believable. 

What about the New York State Attorney General Letitia James civil lawsuit? For starters it's a civil lawsuit on behalf of banks that didn't miss a single loan payment and have no grounds to sue. Can government file a civil lawsuit? Sure but filing a lawsuit for a victimless crime involving a former president and the likely Republican candidate for President seems a tad much. Note - That was sarcasm.

What about the Georgia Fulton County election manipulation case? After obtaining a recording of the phone call the Washington Post "retracted" their story but Fulton County continues?

Finally, the release of an additional 44,000 hours of Capital Hill video and the FBI's actions and leaks before, during and after the Mar-a-Lago raid call into question so many things.

Will Trump be found guilty of these charges? Absolutely... My guess is 100% guilty on all charges. Our country is broken and my personal opinion it's going to take someone like Vivek Ramaswammy or Trump to take down the permanent bureaucracy. However, Mark Zuckerberg and "Zuckbucks" likely ended that possibility but stranger things have happened.

PS Special Counsel Jack Smith has a checkered past when it comes to political prosecutions. The Obama Justice Department tapped Jack Smith to prosecute Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell, the up-and-coming Republican rock star and potential Vice President pick of Mitt Romney. Smith offered McDonnell a plea agreement that Bob refused and he was found guilty on 11 corruption charges, innocent of the plea agreement charge and sentenced to two years in prison. A year later SCOTUS unanimously overruled and remanded the case back to the lower court. What else will Jack Smith get wrong this time? Understanding the very concept of free speech and his oath of office prevents him from prosecuting cases he knows are bogus.

We have to Protect Democracy?

Breaking of social norms...

The firing of Ronna McDaniel, the niece of Senator Mitt Romney:

"Our initial decision was because of our deep commitment to presenting our audience with a widely diverse set of viewpoints and experiences, particularly during these consequential times," Mr Conde's statement to the employees of NBC

So that's the official statement after hiring and then immediately firing someone who the "Right" barely claims as one of their own. Yet another example of the break down of social norms.

There are so many examples:

Trump is the death of Democracy. He must not be allowed on the ballot!

RFK Jr. will be the death of democracy! Hundreds of Biden paid lawyers will work diligently to keep him off the ballot.

Sasha Stone Explains 

10 million illegal boarder crossings in one Presidential term can't be justified or ignored.

Draining the strategic oil reserve to reduce gas prices before the midterm elections is not why we maintain a strategic oil reserve.

Leaving Afghanistan without a plan or coordinating with our allies ended badly.

Paying people not to work and expecting them to go back to work was dumb. 

Dumping money into the economy and not thinking it would be inflationary has to be one of the worst economic blunders in modern economic history.

The Biden Administration will be responsible for adding 8.5 trillion to the national debt by the end of his 1st term. The National debt is projected to reach 35.5 trillion. For years the "Smart People" said as long as the National Debt doesn't exceeding Gross Domestic Product we will be fine. Well Son of a Bitch that economic concept died quietly in 2013! 

The National Debt interest payment in 2023 was $624,000,000,000 or about $2,000 per person per year.

Peter Navarro - Democrats Continue Destroying Norms!

The other day Peter Navarro reported to prison to begin his four month sentence for refusing to comply with the January 6th Committee's Congressional subpoena. This being the first time in history that anyone has been jailed in a federal prison for refusing a Congressional subpoena seems lost on the main stream media (MSM). 

The fact that Peter Navarro was a senior presidential advisor, who will likely win on appeal, was prosecuted and imprisoned by the Justice Department is mind-numbing. The Democrats talk the talk of democracy and social norms but are openly shredding the norms of society. Executive privilege literally dates back to George Washington and was officially outlined almost 50 years ago by the Justice Department that just jailed Peter Navarro.

The President of the United States and his advisors have historically been protected by Executive Privilege. This "norm" was outlined in 1977 by Assistant Attorney General, Office of Legal Counsel, John M. Harmon when he signed off on a seven page memorandum that explained the doctrine of Executive privilege as it relates to requests from Congressional committees. Basically, the President needs to be able to discuss almost anything, with those they surrounds themselves with. The President needs to know that these conversations and any documents will not be made public.

"Simply stated, Executive privilege is the term applied to the invocations by the Executive branch of a legal right, derived from the need for confidentiality of it's internal communications and the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers, to withhold official documents or information from compulsory process of the legislative branch. The privilege has a long history, having been first asserted by President Washington against a Congressional request and thereafter by almost every Administration."

Democrats breaking norms seems to be the norm. For example The January 6th Committee was the first Congressional committee that didn't allow the minority to place members on the Committee which shattered one of the longest standing traditions of Congress.

The Democrats impeached a President over a phone call in which he supposedly was shaking down a world leader who didn't know he was being shaken down. We have the Democrat Speaker of the House tearing up the President's State of the Union speech as the nation watched. The Democrats conducted a historical 2nd impeachment of a President and the first impeachment of a former President which was so absurd the Chief Justice refused to preside over the hearing.

While saying they are protecting our societal norms the Democrats are destroying them one by one and there is no end insight. Just a few years ago the Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriage was the law of the land. Overnight 99.9% of state and local governments complied with the ruling and the handful of clerks who had a difference in opinion were quickly dealt with. Fast forward a few years and the President is openly flaunting a Supreme Court ruling that the President can't forgive student loans. Under President Biden the Constitutional norm that Congress controls the purse is destroyed with no repercussions.

On day one of the Biden Administration via Executive Order overturned a decade of Democrat and Republican work and killer the Key Stone Pipeline. 

An Executive Order ended the development of ANWR which was law specifically written into the 2017 tax bill. 

Over and over the norms that kept our nation strong have been attacked by Democrats while they profess they are protecting Democracy. The left professes to be the the Guardians of political norms however, nothing could be more untrue. 

If you add up those overstaying their visas, those presenting themselves at points of entry, those crossing the boarder illegally and being detained, those crossing the boarder illegally and getting away and those crossing the boarder illegally that we never see it's likely we will reach 10 million illegal alien entries in President Biden's first four years. How can one argue that this invasion aligns with our political norms?

Peter Navarro, I'm sorry that you have to serve four months in prison. I'm sorry that our counties leadership seems hell bent on destroying our political norms as they profess they and only they are the ones trying to maintain them. Bottom line? Those of the Left please stop pissing on my leg while telling me it's rain.

PS Donald Trump was fined $464,000,000 after being found guilty of loan fraud which is another example of norms being destroyed by the Left. President Trump's legal team failed to convince the judge that a fine almost five times higher than the highest individual civil fine in history was excessive. As far as I know no one is saying Trump defaulted on any loan. The banks who were "defrauded" didn't join the law suit because they couldn't show damages. The best example of fraud listed in the complaint was Trump's personal New York condo being listed at 30,000 square feet when it was actually just 10,000 square feet. That sure seems like fraud to me but again we are talking about the most sophisticated bankers in the world and I don't think Donald has prepared any paperwork for anything in decades.

Update - I was a loan officer for 22 years. Lending laws exist to protect the borrower from the "evil" banks. Only California and New York have laws dealing with commercial loans and no states have laws covering me massive loans. Why? Both parties are sophisticated and don't need protection from each other. The New York AG invent a law to prosecute Trump. These people are evil and have destroyed social norms that will take decades to repair.

I'm Just a Bill on Capital Hill...

I'm Just a Bill on Capital Hill...

Who is responsible for creating new laws? Congress, or government agencies with acronyms? That was supposed to be rhetorical question but unfortunately it's not. For decades Congress has been passing rough frameworks as law and leaving the details to government agencies. For example the EPA was forced to expanded their mandate to classify CO2 as a pollutant. Yep, a gas that is essential for all life on the dry surface of our planet is now a pollutant. MASSACHUSETTS v. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.

During my lifetime I've seen random episodic erosion of our Democracy/Republic. I'm not talking about Trump, Jan 6th or the 2020 Summer of Love. I'm not talking about governor's and mayor's employing unconstitutional "emergency" powers to keep citizens from traveling, golfing or going to the beach for 15 days that became 24 months during the Covid "pandemic." I'm mostly talking about the Executive Branch of our government and a few cases of the Judicial Branch taking upon themselves powers they are not entitled to. In some cases they are knowingly flaunting established norms and law to obtain their desired outcome. 

For example, it would seem even the Supreme Court wasn't able of stopping President Biden from spending billions forgiving student loans and essentially buying votes. The American form of government wasn't created from scratch. It's an amalgamation of the political theory of the time combined with government elements throughout history. At it's core all branches of government need to stay in their lane. 

Congress controls the purse and makes law. The Executive faithfully interprets and executes the law and if Congress and the Executive disagree then the Judicial branch mediates.

The erosion of our form of government occurs when government agencies stop creating regulations but actually create law. Judges bend the law to meet political policies. Lately the office of the President of both parties are guilty of using Executive Orders to obtain desired outcomes regardless of the law, Congress or the Judiciary. 

The end doesn't justify the means and no nation can survive such fundamental attacks to it's basic structure. In our system power must be shared. The assumption that our nation can indefinitely continue down this path of self destruction isn't sustainable. "Perhaps you and I have lived too long with this miracle to properly be appreciative. Freedom is a fragile thing and it's never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people.  And those in world history who have known freedom and then lost it have never known it again." Ronald Reagan, Jan 5th, 1967

RV-14A Fuselage Build and Working Around Laser Cut Parts

Like many Van's Aircraft experimental builders I'm on hold waiting for Van's to wrap up their chapter 11 bankruptcy and start shipping the Laser Cut (LC) part replacements in bulk. I feel so lucky that I had only 72 parts that need to be replaced and none of them were already installed. Just under half of my laser cut parts (33) are on Van's Red, Yellow or PURPLE lists and will be replaced at no charge. My remaining 39 laser cut parts fall into two categories. Either they are dimpled and attached to a skin or they are just crappy parts and I'm replacing them.

I had a total of 111 LC parts and many of them are absolutely fine. If they are NOT on Van's suggested replacement list or dimpled and attached to a skin I'm not replacing them unless they need lots of work to clean up and make serviceable.

While waiting for Van's to figure everything out I ordered 29 parts in three batches so I could keep building and I was so happy getting back to building it's not even funny. Yes, there are all kinds of small projects you can work on while waiting for your Van's bulk LC shipment but those small projects are not very rewarding.

One of my biggest decisions regarding the bankruptcy was canceling my Quick Build (QB) wings and likely forfeiting $1,650 of my $5,000 deposit. There is a $13,300 price difference between the new QB wings and slow build but this will allow me to complete a few mods and I really enjoy building. You know you are a sick puppy when you like working with tank sealant. As of now I have 43 laser cut parts outstanding and like most Van's builders I'm patiently waiting for Van's to acknowledge and complete my order. 

PS Turns out my 1st order consisted of 11 RED parts. My 2nd order was 8 YELLOW and my recent order was 10 BLUE. I spent $421.51 on RED and YELLOW parts that I could have gotten for free if I was willing to stop building months ago. Furthermore, who knows when the rest of the LC parts will be sent by Van's. With a typical build time of 3-5 years, at 59 waiting wasn't wasn't an option.

Note: March 8th, 2024 Van sends the email I've been waiting to get for over a year. Van's has asked me to submit my Laser Cut replacement order!

My last order was 10 seat ribs $477.79

2nd set of 8 parts arrive - PERFECT

Tail cone up out of the way

The horizontal stabilizers new home

Making tools... 

1st batch of 11 replacement parts!

Forward main spar looking good

Example of a bad Laser Cut Hole... 

Iowa Caucuses and the Bitter Cold of Climate Change

The temperature in Des Moines Iowa this Monday morning January 15th, 2024 is -9 degrees Fahrenheit which is a bit colder than normal. It's crazy that your average generation Z and X mind full of mush believes that the artic air mass dubbed the "polar vortex" is a product of global warming aka climate change. Nothing to see here move on...

Iowa has been colder lately than "normal" but the national narrative ignores data that doesn't fit the narrative. Iowa's 2014 average temperature being the 6th coldest year on record is ignored. Which I continue to find puzzling. How many times do I have to say CO2 is not the climatic thermostat we are being told it is. That I too would be part of the 97% of scientists who believe man has had some impact on warming but that impact is so small as to yet be measured.

Today is the Iowa caucuses. The media says we have just three viable candidates running: Trump, Haley and DeSantis. Brown Trump has been completely dropped from the narrative. No one is mentioning his name. If Vivek Ramaswamy comes in third or better we will know the Media and the powers at be are yet again meddling in our "free" elections.

Vivek has said some crazy things over the last six plus months. Things like the President has the power to eliminate 75% of the federal government. That the climate change agenda is a hoax. There are only two sexes. Biological men should not shower with women or compete against them in women sports. The majority of transgenders are actually suffering from mental illness. To Vivek and many others these are obvious truths. However, to Leftist these thoughts are dangerous and an existential threat to Democracy and they must be silenced.

By tomorrow we will know if the media is once again lying to manipulate the outcome that they want. Vivek is saying the deep state, big media and the ruling class have decided Haley will be the next President and Ron DeSantis likely doesn't know he's going to be her Vice President. I think this is crazy but I've  been wrong before so who knows. Right now I think it's more likely Brown Trump will be President Trump's VP. 

I don't know what's going to happen in Iowa. I'll be watching closely while the humor of climate activists not being able to protest outside for fear of frostbite is not lost on me.

Update: The results are in and Vivek Ramaswamy got 7.7% of the vote earning 3 delegates. Contrary to what he promised his followers he has pulled out of the race and endorsed Trump. He said no matter what he would go the distance. To me that meant March 5th aka Super Tuesday or at least freaking New Hampshire. I'm deeply disappointed with Brown Trump and I'm just thinking BOHICA?

Dropbox Joe

President Biden cannot win at the ballot box but he can and I believe will win (if he is really running) at the dropbox! 

Simply put the machine supporting the Democrat party, to include the mega rich, the mainstream media, the schools, the unelected bureaucrats - virtually all have conspired to create a system to increase their vote. One could argue the open boarder mass illegal immigration likely to exceed 10 million in this administrations first term is the cherry on the top of their steroid pumped long term get out the vote effort.

From private grants enabling certain voter registrars to register, mail, collect, cure and record votes to installing unmonitored drop boxes throughout critical cities to government coordination with social media to crush the First Amendment the Dems are on a roll. The once sacrosanct practice of voter, election day and the secret ballot inherited from our British ancestors has been utterly destroyed.

It's nearly impossible to argue that universal mail-in/dropbox box voting is not being manipulated if not outright rigged. Almost two decades ago both President Jimmy Carter and Secretary of State James Baker declared that:

 “Absentee ballots remain the largest source of potential voter fraud.”

Universal mail-in balloting for weeks if not months replacing election day seems like a great idea until you dig deeper and realize the voter registration roles are as accurate as the weight on your driver's license. If just a fraction of the fraud outlined in the movie 2000 Mules is accurate we are selecting, not electing our representation. How do we get back to fair elections?

Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswammy suggests making election day a national holiday, paper ballots and restrict absentee voting to those who can't vote on election day. I mostly agree.

First, states that are not compliant with the 1993 "Motor Voter Law" need to have highway funding withheld immediately. It's insane that this law has been on the books for a generation and is still not being complied with throughout the country.

Next, the voter rolls should be open to the public. The idea that you have to pay thousands of dollars to get a list of those who voted during the last election, by Congressional district, effectively prevents citizen oversight. I want to be able to log in and see that I voted and that my neighbor voted. I also want to see if anyone in the abandoned house down the street voted. Some would argue this is a violation of privacy but in reality it's already available to wealthy organizations and those running for office who have the funds to buy their list.

Lastly, I wouldn't make election day a holiday which adversely impacts the private sector. Passing a law requiring employers to give time off to vote is one thing. Creating another holiday is another. An actual election day, paper ballots, results within 24 hours and secure absentee ballots that are readily available for those who need them would bring us back in line with what worked for over 200 years.

The Democrats broke something that wasn't broken and it's time the Republicans fix it. Also the fix doesn't have anything to do with voter ID if you vote in person. Voter ID has always was a diversion tactic of the Left and the Republicans have focused on the shining object while getting out harvested.

Vivek Ramaswammy for President!

Vituperation & Claudine Gay

I seriously was hoping Claudine Gay wouldn't resign as the President of Harvard. I guess I will have to be satisfied she's once again a professor. 

On a serious note, how many of her articles and papers need to show clear evidence of plagiarism for the Media to declare her unfit? How many specific examples of plagiarism do you need incorporated in your doctorate dissertation to be embarrassed enough to stop pretending what you did was accidental? Crazy as it sounds it seems that losing support of the Harvard Crimson was the stray that broke Gay's back.

I have more important questions about Harvard than Ms Gay's noble fight against sexism and racism. Why are SAT or ACT no longer required for admittance? 

"For the College Classes of 2027-2030, students may apply for admission without standardized test scores."

The fact that Ms Gay doesn't understand a mob of students chanting "From the river to the sea Palestine will be free..." violates Harvard's Student Code of Conduct is shocking. There are other examples of violent student "protestors" threatening Jews. Support for genocide is something that the president of Harvard should acknowledge violates their Code of Conduct but then again maybe not.

Free speech is not lost when you attend university but students must abide by their institutions guidelines and published Code of Conduct. Calling for the genocide of Jews or being openly antisemitic is something that the President of Harvard shouldn't condon under any circumstances. The equal enforcement of norms and standards is something we should expect from any institutions receiving government funding.

"According to the Department of Education, violations of the act and refusal to address problems identified by the Office for Civil Rights can result in a school's loss of federal funding or a referral to the Department of Justice (Harvard received $625 million in federal funding in 2021)."

$625 million in federal funding is something that I haven't heard anyone discuss. Why are taxpayers giving millions to a school with a $50.9 billion dollar endowment?

Harvard Alumni, I'm truly sorry that you have to witness the downfall of your alma mater. In your stead I will visit John Harvard's grave and personally apologize for what has become of the institution he helped found.

Bidens Guilty!

Hunter, Jim & yes Joe Biden are toast. Not really but if this was Donald and his sons they would be in jail awaiting trial.

The internal bank memo below outlines just one aspect of the Biden's money laundering scheme. All of Biden men are involved up to their necks and yes they got caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar. If you're thinking this doesn't matter and seriously who cares, I totally understand. 

The real question for those of us who are interested is why now? This internal bank memo surfacing after being around for six years is not random. The Republicans are not digging up anything new that the "Deep State" doesn't want them to find. An administration three years into their term with leaks that I can count on one hand is not responsible for this bank surfacing. Who is?

Could it be the Republicans are just that good? Seriously, if you believe that you have been living under a rock. The Republicans play checkers by the rules while the Democrats beat their heads in with sledge hammers as they move chess pieces. Maybe the question shouldn't be why now? Maybe it should be who is giving these documents to the Republicans?

Regardless... If you read the memo below and can still honestly say so what, where is the beef, then congratulations you may have a future role in government. A government envisioned by George Orwell.