Ball Diamond Ball

As we end the year it seems that many are anticipating great change in the future. I hear optimistic notes in voices about next year and beyond.

I just finished a deal for replacing a pickup truck fleet for a client. They let the current trucks run until the wheels were falling off as they were unclear if they even had a business future.

As I sit here typing, I await a phone call from the owner to let me know he is ready to sign the credit app , the first money he has borrowed since we took him through chapter 11 six years ago. He is out playing golf to get some in before the deep freeze rolls in next week.

Another group is building apartments … Continue reading →

Israel has been in the news off and on since its inception in 1947. The latest brouhaha comes from the UN, where a particularly onerous resolution was passed, without the United States vetoing it.

?So what all is happening. Perhaps a brief review of Israel’s history might be appropriate.

Israel was created by a UN mandate in 1947. One may attribute some of this to the Zionist movement, some to national guilt, some to growing pressure within the Jewish community for their old country back. Take your pick which was the most important aspect.

As soon as Israel was announced, she was immediately involved in a war for her very existence. All her Arab neighbors colluded to attack her and push her into the sea. That failed.

Subsequently … Continue reading →

This was funny.

That is all.

Merry Christmas and Thank You Ball.

I am sure somewhere on the interwebhinterland there is no shortage of neocenterrightwarmongering outrage at Mr. Putin’s letter to Mr. Trump that His Excellency (Putin’s words, not mine and the funniest thing I’ve read this month) released this morning.

There is a lot enamel gnashing, ash slathering, garment tearing, and hand wringing because Mr. Trump has not automatically singled out Russia as a sworn enemy. Rather, His Excellency has chosen Islam as a target of indignation. To date I am challenged to dispute this strategy. By last count Muslims have killed more Americans than the Russians have though the Chechen judge has yet to … Continue reading →

Did anybody else get this? Mail from National Review begging for money to upgrade their website.
They sent a tasteful and self-deprecating goofy e-mail, but I can’t shake the feeling that this is not how grown-ups run things.
Sigh.

Lots has been mentioned here about what Trump can or cannot do. Part of the discussion has been, at least tangentially, about the central bank (the Fed) and its role in the country finances. Perhaps that and the title might be interesting topics to discuss some.

I would hesitate to put myself forward as any expert on anything financial. I know a touch of history, and that can come in useful. So at the risk of being grossly wrong, let me put forward some structure around which to discuss. Hopefully those with better knowledge will correct me where I have strayed.

Central banks and fiat money have been around since time immemorial. The Romans had it, and while I can’t speak to all situations, I believe that all modern … Continue reading →

Brent alluded to it as a possibility in an earlier post, but now suddenly it’s there and in our face. The Chinese blatantly took one of our vessels. The fact it was unmanned is irrelevant – it’s our ship.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/16/politics/chinese-warship-underwater-drone-stolen/index.html

So what should our response be? What will Obummer do? What would you do?

Perhaps it’s a fringe effort. perhaps it doesn’t really represent mainstream democrats. Call me paranoid.

But I see a steady and concerted effort to somehow overthrow the results of the last election. One approach has been the so-called Jefferson group calling upon the Electoral College delegates to change their vote. The actual change in how a delegate voted in the EC has only happened some 29 times in our whole history. Yet they are asking at least 30-some delegates to change their vote. AND apparently some delegates are acting badly, asking they be “briefed” on Russian hacking.

Which of course brings us to the second point – Russian hacking. I would not doubt that the Russians, among others, have hacked or attempted to hack, our computer systems. Indeed, IIRC, there … Continue reading →

http://www.duffelblog.com/2016/12/army-become-land-marines/

A little laugh to begin the weekend.

(Had to go back and figure out how to make it a link.)

This morning Donald Trump made it official. Mr. Rex Tillerson is his nominee for Secretary of State. I do not know the gentleman personally, but do know his corporate pilot at Exxon and the few times he discussed Mr. Tillerson it reflects well on our next Secretary of State.

There will be endless wailing and gnashing of teeth, garments will be torn, ashes, the whole parade. This is a pick that will piss off absolutely everybody and the pope. Good. When Elizabeth Warren and Marco Rubio are both pissed off we are moving the right direction although time may bear out they are not so different.

My friend that flies Mr. Tillerson’s aircraft has recounted the many trips and destinations they travel. This is not Mr. Tillerson’s first rodeo. … Continue reading →