The Art of Losing- The Sunday Collage

I've had a very interesting couple of weeks. I took a job, which is temporary throughout the winter, moving heavy freight and delivering it. It can be viciously hard work moving a 500 pound gun safe up or down a steep staircase but it is also interesting.

Imagine spending the better part of 25 years as a cop. Virtually everyone I talked to was never happy to see me. Cops deliver a stream of bad news. We aren't Welcome Wagon. Realistically speaking, that experience skewed my view of the world. I began to feel as though the world was full of assholes. It was the anti-thesis of the Stockholm Syndrome.

Everyone is happy to see me now. I am bringing them some new toy. Maybe it's a gun safe, a new bed, a giant plasma tv, or some other hideously large item.

I have always said that one in ten people are assholes. Those numbers have remained constant throughout my working and private life. In the old life it was true- in the new life- it is true also. That has been my observation.

This past week, I delivered about ten items per day. On three days, I ran into three assholes. What did the three have in common?

All three of them were educated and well off. Their homes or ranches were all in the 600k plus category. They seemed annoyed by my presence. Like I was inconveniencing them by showing up with whatever they had ordered. No amount of being nice to these people works. You cannot rehab an asshole. On one occasion, I paid a compliment to one of them on a very uniquely carved interior wall of their home. He told me he didn't like the wall and then made a couple more diminishing remarks that apparently his ego demanded that he make in order to reassure himself of his superiority.

Make other people feel bad so that you can feel better. It is a form of mental illness. In the old days, I let people like that have both barrels. When they took a cheap shot, I put a torpedo in the water.

You know what happens? I always feel bad after igniting a flame war. Wisdom is the art of losing and realizing that you are really winning. I am mastering the art of losing and I gotta tell ya, it feels like winning.

Some people are just miserable. Perhaps they are stressed out, failing, insecure, or maybe they have some wall that their deceased wife just had to have and it cost a fortune to carve. I don't know. The good news is that I don't need to know.

In fact, I used to be one of those people. In my most most depressed days- I'm not sure I could have mustered enough where with all to come off like a decent human being. What I am saying is this. I used to be one of the "one in ten."

Today I have learned not to take anything personally. I accept that one in ten people, for a littany of reasons, is going to behave like an asshole. That has nothing to do with me. These people present growth opportunities. They force you to learn, to develop counter solutions, and to learn that often in life the answer for many mysteries is nothing more than acceptance and trying something new.

Sometimes you must give up to win. That is the art of losing. That type of wisdom does not come easy. Imagine our government saying- this drug war thing isn't working. We should give up and try something different- maybe even legalizing drugs. Can you imagine that? Government does not possess that type of wisdom. Every problem is a nail. Government will never be anything more than a hammer. They might as well sell every other tool in the box because they will never need them.

It's been an interesting month. Meeting people without a badge on. It is an amazing thing to see people happy when you show up. It's like a whole different world for me. The contrast is amazing- it almost makes the job worthwhile. Well, except for pushing 500 pound gun safes up hideously steep staircases.

Icelandic Cops Shoot Man, First Ever

I read an interesting story this morning. In recorded history, Icelandic cops have never had to shoot a suspect. Until yesterday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25190119

As soon as I read this, I remember that some people with mental illness are responding to a drum that nobody else hears. That doesn't make it any less real for them. I think this was one of those guys.

The Dangers of Anal Sex

A woman went to her doctor for advice. She told him that
her husband had developed a penchant for anal sex, and she was not
sure that it was such a good idea.
"Do you enjoy it?" The doctor asked.
"Actually, yes, I do," she answered.
"Does it  hurt you?" he asked.
"No. I rather like it," she responded.
"Well, then," the doctor continued, "there's no reason that
you shouldn't
practice anal sex, if that's what you like, so long as you take care
not to get pregnant."
The woman was mystified. "What? You can get pregnant from anal sex?"
"Of course," the doctor replied.  "Where do you think people
like Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, Debbie Wasserman
Schultz and Barak Obama come from?"

"If I don't write you a ticket, who would I write one to?"- The Sunday Collage

Today, I thought I'd use an old cop story as an illustrative tool. I hope you enjoy it.

Many years ago on a Monday morning, I donned a new uniform and went to work patrolling city streets. It was probably about 7:30 when I saw this old pickup truck roll through a stop sign. His windows were still frosted up, I remember him peering out a hole near the dash.

In the old days before complete paranoia set in among the police culture, I would often ask motorists to sit in my car rather than freeze my ass off while talking to them outside. Oddly enough, this practice often resulted in cops and motorists actually getting acquainted and having civil conversations. This then... is how I handled this traffic stop.

When I asked this guy for his driver's license, he handed me an old driver's license before the days when we laminated them. I hadn't seen one of these in years. As I squinted down and saw the expiration date, I bellowed out that this thing had been expired for 17 years! The motorist, now looking very sheepishly about the patrol car and at me, remarked that he had never been stopped in 17 years. Of course that degree of traffic obedience was not lost on me. However, I told him that I would have to give him a ticket and I added, "If I don't write you a ticket, who would I write one to?" Perhaps I would have to draw the line with motorists once their driver's licenses had been expired 20 years or more. That seemed a little foolish.

So I felt around my shirt to get one of the pens I normally put in my pocket and realized I had forgotten to put them in my new shirt this morning. I immediately checked my console and equipment bag. The glove box also. I could not find a pen anywhere and my passenger was now smiling. When I asked him if he had a pen on him, this is what he said. "Dude, if I was a fucking pen salesman, I wouldn't give you a sample pen right now!"

Such was my embarrassment that I handed him back his useless license. I told him that if he didn't get a new one TODAY...I would see him tomorrow, with a pen, and issue that ticket. I saw him at DMV later that day.

This evening, I actually read a Washington Post editorial piece written by a college professor who was making his case for the repeal of term limits so that President Obama could run again.

Like a license that was expired 17 years prior- it should be obvious to all by now- that term limits were designed especially because of people like Obama. He is the poster child for the genesis of term limit laws.

I am in complete awe. I am in awe that a college professor could write something like that. Awe that a widely circulated newspaper would print something so ridiculous. I am in awe of anyone, anywhere, that thinks Obama is anything but a useless, self serving liar who couldn't find his ass with both hands in a well lit room. The days when he does absolutely nothing- are his best days. But mostly I am in awe at anybody who thinks this guy is actually a good president.

But then again, there are people who actually bought AMC Pacers.

I can't link the WaPo piece. If you want to read it, you can find it.

Obama should probably have been impeached back when he stonewalled Congress for the government's criminal activities in Fast and Furious which includes Agent Terry's un-necessary death. How may subpoenas has he disobeyed? How many people have been targeted by the IRS or have to die at places like Benghazi while Captain Do Nothing gets some beauty sleep before his Vegas golf outing the following day?

If Obama were white, he'd be gone. We all know it and thankfully I can say it. Had George Bush committed just one one of the many scandals that Obama has been involved in- the liberals and collectivists would be calling for his head. Nixon and Bush were pikers compared to this guy.

What level of maliciousness, corruption, dereliction of duty, incompetence, or outright dishonesty does one have to engage in before the American people say enough is enough?

I'm not sure. I thought we were well beyond that point where it was obvious. Nixon would be in complete awe of Obama and the fact that a nation full of idiots would most likely re elect him.

Mob rule is here.

There used to be a time in our culture that when you screwed up, you clearly understood what that meant and you were willing to suffer the consequences. You were taught some level of responsibility and healthy shame. In today's culture, taking responsibility for your poor decisions is unheard of. Humility and shame do not exist. In fact, if you can convince people that none of this is your fault- they might be stupid enough to believe it.

We have rules with good reasons. While I don't necessarily agree with taxing citizens for a new license every four years- at least it provides a system of checks and balances for the ill or the elderly who unfortunately, should no longer drive. Term limits were installed after FDR essentially turned our society into a socialist paradise- seizing gold, printing money, and installing programs with the help of Congress. Programs that we can no longer afford and which Congress as usual- has ruined.

Kind of like Obamcare. The difference is, we won't have to wait 70 years to see this program fail.

The Last Issue of Harley Enthusiast

It's not everyday that you make the last cover of a magazine.

In 2007, eleven of us toured the Lost Coast of California. The only thing that remains- is my right leg and one Chippewa boot. And maybe Troy. I think that's Troy in front of me.

Funny how you stumble into weird things on the innartubes.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/FALL-2008-HARLEY-DAVIDSON-ENTHUSIAST-MAGAZINE-LAST-ISSUE-105TH-ANV-2009-ULTRA-/380763470452?pt=Motors_Manuals_Literature&hash=item58a7457a74&vxp=mtr

The Single, Greatest Mystery of the Obama Presidency

Forget the birth certificate, his 17 year old mother (at the time of conception) or who exactly the father of Barack Obama was.

Forget the name Barry Soetoro, forget his missing passport, and forget where he got the money to go to Columbia and Harvard. All of these mysteries are interesting but not particularly useful to the 300 million of us who currently inhabit the United States.

The single greatest mystery of Barack Obama is this. How could a newly anointed President completely ignore the greatest economic collapse of the last 80 years, and rather than prosecute bankers and restore confidence- he sets about the business of implementing government run healthcare with a bill that nobody read?

How?

It is a mystery for the ages. I have mulled it over extensively. Either Obama was a complete idiot or he was bought and paid for by the nation's banking interests. In a malicious sense, perhaps he was even trying to bring about the complete and utter collapse of the United States in a Cloward- Piven sort of way. If that is true- then he is a most sinister man.

In 2008, this country was in complete collapse. Our people were completely in debt up to their eyeballs. The bankers had completely corrupted the banking system and the entire mess was on the verge of imploding, the stock market (DJIA) was at 6300.

Is that the time to bring about some sort of nationalized health care system that will cause an already heavily indebted people to go into debt even further? Does that make any sense to anyone?

Of course not.

I have absolutely no sympathy nor compassion for Obama and his army of largesse seeking sycophants. This is exactly what happens when you ignore a huge problem and create a new problem instead. Obama is getting exactly what he deserves.

Eventually, the ACA will be completely abandoned. That may occur about the time Obama leaves office and yields to history. I don't think history will be very kind to Barack Obama and I am encouraged that we only have 3 years left on this rudderless, leaderless administration.

And I thought George Bush Jr. was bad. It's like a 16 year nightmare.

The Smartest Guy In the Room- Now Making Idiots Everywhere Feel Good*Updated

I took on a new job a couple weeks ago. It involves driving and moving very heavy freight. I had been looking for a job that would help me to stay in shape and I found one.

Unfortunately, I haven't felt like writing. The truth is, I haven't felt like writing for quite some time.
I have just been sitting on the computer reading about one ACA disaster after another and enjoying it.

The smartest guy in the room. Thank gawd for Obama.

The Affordable Health Care Act might be the single most ruinous piece of legislation to occur in the last 100 years. It is such an utter disaster- that when Obama calls it his signature legislation- I cannot think of a better way to describe this Presidency. Obama and the ACA, forever linked, just as it should be. Very fitting.

The President's approval ratings have found new lows ever since it dawned on Americans that Obama had been lying to them since 2010 about keeping their health plans and their doctors. It's pretty hard to escape 30 or so You Tube videos. What excuse could Obama use? You either lied to everyone or you did not know the contents of your own bill. Either way- you hardly appear to be the genius that the collectivists say that you are.

So let me do a brief recap.

The government had a 2500 page bill written that hijacked 1/6th of the American economy. Nobody read the bill and several politicians admitted that. The democratically controlled legislature used strong arm tactics and bribes- in the case of votes in Nebraska and Louisiana- to get the bill passed. The bill passed without any bipartisan support.

A year or two later, the Supreme Court acted on this bill and most of us thought this law would simply get tossed out until Justice Roberts cast the tiebreaker- and for reasons still inexplicable- allowed the ACA to stand and labelled it a tax.

The government waited until after the 2012 elections to implement the ACA. As they began to roll it out last year, corporations and unions realized that they could not comply with the onerous law as they began to read and comprehend it for the very first time. It was too expensive. The administration began nullifying their own law by granting exemptions to various friendly corporations and other entities- although the ability to grant those exemptions was not something contained in the bill. It has not been lost on all of us that the Obama administration has never been too concerned with the letter nor the spirit of the law. To this administration- the rule of law is similar to a suggestion. If they don't feel like complying with a law- then they simply don't. Like supplying guns to Mexican drug lords while ignoring half of the federal firearms code.

They are above the law.

The problem Obama faces is the same problem that every self centered egotist on the planet eventually faces. He can't out run his own bullshit and he's gonna drown in it.

The ACA website is a disaster. It won't be fixed by Nov. 30.

Today it was announced that over one million privately held health insurance policies are getting cancelled in California because they're "substandard." It doesn't break my heart at all to see the California statists take one in the tailpipe. Finally, they get to put some skin in the game. Suddenly, we are starting to hear the collectivists whine. Forgive me if I don't shed a tear here.

Can you imagine if Obama hadn't extended the employer mandate for one year? Millions upon millions of employer paid for plans would have been declared "substandard" just as the privately held individual plans are getting tossed out. At least 100 million people would have collectively lost their insurance at once. The lynch mob would have been enormous.

Healthy people aren't going to buy 600 a month insurance unless it's subsidized and paid for by Uncle Sugar. Premiums will skyrocket this year as the only people coming in will be getting free coverage and fixing all of those health problems they have been putting off for 5 years or longer. Everyone else is going to pay the penalty.

And get this. If you know your health premium is based on your income- what incentive do you have to report all of your income? Answer- zero.

The ACA premiums are based on income. If you can trade work, barter, pay in cash, or do anything to hide your income from the IRS- then the net cost of healthcare goes down. Quite simply, millions of Americans are de-incentivized to work or if they do work, they will be busy figuring out ways to not report their income. If you are making 10-15 bucks an hr and dropping your two kids off at daycare- you'll end up quitting your job, saving the lost daycare expenses, and reducing your income for healthcare premiums. You'll be money ahead.

The smartest guy in the room lied his ass off to get the ACA passed and today even his party faithful are turning on him and demanding that he come up with a plan for Americans to keep their health plans as insurance companies send out pink slips.

So no matter where you are in the world, no matter what you do for a living, be thankful for this.

You did not lie to millions of people. You did not bribe or coerce legislators into passing a law that nobody bothered reading and that everybody hates. The only body of work that you have ever managed to finish is crumbling before your very eyes and no matter what you do- you can't fix it. Because at the end of the day- it was a bad idea and you were insane enough to make it into a bad law.

So no matter what happens to you today, be thankful. Things could always be worse. You could be Barack Obama.

I am enjoying every minute of this.

*Update. Zerohedge now stating that Obama has capitulated this a.m. Will allow people to keep "substandard" policies for one year but warns them they will be cancelled. (Small consolation to those that have already bought new plans.)

Zerohedge commenters noting that Obama simply changes the law at will. Like I've always said- Obama treats any law like a suggestion. Here's a clip from the ZH article:

As CNN reports:

As the story of the Obamacare website fiasco unfolds, senior administration aides tell me that the President is "mad, frustrated and angry."

Mad that his signature legislative achievement is stuck at the gate, frustrated that he's running out of time to fix it and angry that he's got a second-term agenda now going nowhere. He's so furious, in fact, that he stepped out of character to vent to an assembled group of top aides. "If I had known (about the website problems)," the steaming President reportedly said, according to The New York Times, "we could have delayed the website."

Each and every day, my enjoyment level rises. Could not happen to a more fitting nor perfect administration.