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Overreach!
The problem in Colorado is that a bunch of Kalifornicators moved there to escape the liberal la-la land they lived in, but brought their liberal idiot ways with them. Colorado used to be a great state in which to live.
Perhaps I am lacking in some mental faculty, but it seems to me that the logical approach to reducing violent crime would be to punish those who pertetrate it, not those who obey the law.
While things that hurt us taxpayers will be denied funding if the debt limit is not raised, I can guarantee you that the salaries and perks of our rulers will continue to be funded. If that means cuts to those who receive social security, so be it. Our rulers are more important.
I do check in from time to time, Eric. Since I got out of stock picking I spend less time on such things.
Ms. Doris and I are doing fine. We do have a new dog. He is a border collie, and full of energy. Perhaps a bit too much so for a pair of eighty somethings. Our cat Puppet is also doing well and is in charge of things.
"The market may not be manipulated but it certainly is encouraged to move in a direction that makes the big banks and investing houses as much money as possible."
Well, Eric? What would you call it then? Isn't doing thing to "encourage" markets to move really manipulation, but using another word to describe it?
It may be time for me to purchase an AR. If the liberals don't want me to have one that is a good reason to do so.
I remember one particular Christmas (68 years ago) when I was just 12. A neighbor had taken pity on me and took me small game hunting for the first few times the preceding fall. I had mowed lawns and done various chores to save up enough money to buy a 16 gauge single barrel shotgun so I could go with him, but had always wanted a .22 rifle. Up to that time I hadn't saved enough to buy one.
On Christmas morning there was a package under the tree with my Father's name on it. Mom had told me he was thinking about taking up golf, and the package held a couple of golf clubs. The shape of the package was such that her answer made some sense to me, so I bought it, hook line and sinker. When we got around to opening gifts, Dad asked me to unwrap his. When I removed the paper and boxing, lo and behold a Savage .22 rifle stared back at me. It was the best Christmas gift I ever got.
I still have that old .22, and take it out squirrel hunting on occasion. I also use it to keep the local groundhogs in check. The rifle is so old that it doesn't even have a serial number, but I love it.
I usually trot this one out about this time every year. I guess it is time once again. To all who post here, hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
A Christmas Story – A Rifle for Christmas
The following story makes the rounds on the internet. I don't know if it is a true story or not but the story reflects the Christmas spirit and, to me.
Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not from receiving.
It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to buy me the rifle that I'd wanted so bad that year for Christmas.
We did the chores early that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time so we could read in the Bible. So after supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood to read scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good it's cold out tonight."
I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a night like this. But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what.
Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick little job. I could tell. We never hitched up the big sled unless we were going to haul a big load.
Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high sideboards on. When we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and came out with an armload of wood---the wood I'd spent all summer hauling down from the mountain, and then all fall sawing into blocks and splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked,"what are you doing?"
"You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest being eight.
Sure, I'd been by, but so what? "Yeah," I said, "why?"
"I rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told me to put them in the sled and wait. When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder and a smaller sack of something in his left hand.
"What's in the little sack?" I asked.
"Shoes. They're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be Christmas without a little candy."
We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa buying them shoes and candy?
Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than us. It shouldn't have been our concern. We came in from the blind side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?"
"Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt. Could we come in for a bit?" Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit the lamp. "We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack that had the shoes in it. She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. There was a pair for her and one for each of the children---sturdy shoes, the best, shoes that would last.
I watched her carefully. She bit her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted to say something, but it wouldn't come out. "We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said, then he turned to me and said, "Matt, go bring enough in to last for awhile. Let's get that fire up to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and, much as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks and so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled within me and a joy filled my soul that I'd never known before. I had given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these people.
I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I know the Lord himself has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he would send one of his children to spare us." In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the earth, save One.
I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on it. Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord would make sure he got the right sizes.
Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to leave. Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed their pa, and I was glad that I still had mine.
At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around again. Matt here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the youngest. My two older brothers and two older sisters were all married and had moved away.
Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't have to say," 'May the Lord bless you,' I know for certain that He will."
Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, "Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for you, but we didn't have quite enough. Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to do just that. But on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I had to do. So, Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those children. I hope you understand."
I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Just then the rifle seemed very low on my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three children.
For the rest of my life, whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Fortunately I live in a County in Pennsylvania where it is relatively easy to get and renew a carry permit. both my wife and I have them. IMO it is more important now than it has ever been. As we are in our eighties, we could easily be targets for the young thugs who are becoming more numerous by the day.
Consider that done, Nick.
She says we have been in the "stocks go down" phase of her theory, Nick. We don't panic when this happens. We just wait for the "stocks go up" phase to begin.
We are at least slightly interested in CDs and bonds, Eric. Not yet. I want to see at least 5% on a 2 year CD. Maybe then.
That strategy of turning over rocks works well when one is hunting snakes.
Why does ABBV show up as delisted?
I will add my thoughts to that. Nick was in the bullseye, and I hope he made it out OK.
Say goodbye to Thursday night NFL games since Amazon now controls that broadcast. I refuse to get their "Prime," so it is goodbye. The NFL isn't that important to me that I want to subsidize Bezos.
I am sure most criminals use their credit card to purchase such things. NOT!!
The smart thing to do would be to end the entire student loan program. But nobody ever accused this president of being smart.
Figures don't lie, but liars can figure.
They put Martha Stewart in jail for a whole lot less.
Perhaps you can help me out here. Why do you think energy costs will decrease?
Spot on!
Ms. Doris does not panic in such situations. Neither do I. We have been through a number of bear markets, so as long as we have enough set aside to survive we tough it out. This is the second part of Ms. Doris's theory: Stocks go up and STOCKS GO DOWN.
They make the Martin's Potato Rolls here in south central PA (near Chambersburg). I will continue to buy them. My guess (and it is only that) is that the Martins are supporting Doug Mastriano for PA Governor. He was endorsed by Trump. I suspect that the loss of business from the far left will not be a cause for bankruptsy for the Martins.
Nothing about increasing penalties for crimes such as murder or assault with a deadly weapon, nothing about school security, and nothing that will be effective in detering any sort of criminal behavior.
Good find, PW. Moral idiocy is exactly what it is.
Using the same sort of logic the democrats use, we should prohibit sober people from driving cars since drunk drivers usually kill other drivers who have not been drinking.
OK now. Is this week's rise in the indices a bear market head fake or is it the end of the bear's reign? Whatcha think?
--and, by definition, criminals do not obey laws. Not even gun control laws.
Camp is my little slice of heaven, Nick. I guess that says it all.
I will say this on the subject of politics. I think Biden is doing a simply horrible job as president, and I don't like the far left movement the democratic party seems to have taken. I would probably not vote for a single democrat, but I do disagree with the republican party's aparent religious conservatism. I am a fiscal conservative, but am not a religious fanatic as many in the republican far right are..
Well, having looked quickly at the results of the primary, not much surprises me. I expected the democrats to nominate Shapiro and Fetterman, as Shapiro was running unopposed and Fetterman might as well have been. Fetterman had a stroke, and we will need to see how that plays out. Mastriano lead the race for the republican nomination for governor the whole way. My wife and I disagree on him. She doesn't like him. I don't care much about him. The senate race surprised me. I thought Oz was a very poor choice. I personally liked Kathy Barnette, but didn't think she stood a chance. McCormick had some issues I agreed with him on and a few I did not.
The tragedy of all of this is that there must be better people out there, but one needs to be wealthy to run.
I don't know yet, Nick. I was at my hunting camp the past couple of days and don't know who won the primaries. I'll get back to you when I catch up.
It has been my experience that there are times when one should sit on the sidelines for a bit, but that time will come to an end and one needs to get back into stocks for the long haul. We are perhaps at such a point in time now, which is where I sit. I won't be in this chair awefully long though.
It also seems that the time to be a bear is when markets are so high as to defy logic. The time to be a bull is when everyone else is a bear.
Ms. Doris and I weren't around for that one, Nick. The Pacific Island Real Estate boom either.
I told my financial advisor that Ms. Doris and I have been through a few of these "trying times." We don't panic. Stocks go up and stock go down. Besides, we do have enough cash to weather this one easily.
Just in more recent times:
the long bear market of the 1960's and 1970's
the 1987 quicky crash
the 2000 dot com crash
the 1988 housing bubble crash
and now this one.
We managed to survive so far.
up to 44 here in beautiful and semitropical downtown Saint Thomas, Nick. I am thinking about working on my tan.
Yesterday's 4 inches of snow is all melted, so spring is here.
Spring has sort of sprung here, Eric. We have a cold weekend ahead, but next week looks to be warmer with highs in the 60s. Haven't had to mow the lawn yet, but did run the rototiller through the garden once.
I purchased ABBV at 81 awhile ago. I sold half of my holdings in it at 162. What do you think, Nick? Should I sue?