Dependence on foreign oil is something we have been trying to figure out since before I was even born.  I saw an interesting video from comedian John Daily

Click here to watch the videoAfter watching this I thought to myself.  Is it really that hard to become LESS dependent on oil?  Are there really no other solutions?

Here are a few solutions I have thought of in the last 30 seconds:

Wind power – we have lots of wind, turbines can be built…

Solar Power – half of my state has plenty of sunshine all year round…

Nuclear Power – sure it is a bit scary sounding, but really I am pretty sure we have some new technology out there and available since Chernobyl blew up close to 30 years ago.  Its cheap power…

If we were to use electricity, have plug in cars and find renewable energy sources we could reduce and eventually eliminate our dependence on oil.  Maybe if oil companies became energy companies they would look into the future and decide to spend some of the extra billions they have laying around on some alternative sources.  I am sure they do, but maybe a nice little tax break on profits could be given for spending and research on alternative fuels.

Lets stop talking about it and really start doing it.  Anyone have a good windmill kit provider I can take a look at?  I would love to power my house for the environmental impact of a simple spinning object in my yard.

Recently in his February 10, 2010 testimony before the Committee on Financial Services, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C., the Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke prepared a report about the current economic policies of the Federal Reserve. The goal was to explain the exit strategy the Reserve has for removing the extremely risky lending habits it has been using to try and provide economic stability for our nation. You can see the entire report at: http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/testimony/bernanke20100210a.htm#fn9.

Of particular interest to me is his statement near the end of his prepared statments in section 9.
“The Federal Reserve believes it is possible that, ultimately, its operating framework will allow the elimination of minimum reserve requirements, which impose costs and distortions on the banking system.”

WHOA! Did you read that? Do you know what they are suggesting? THIS IS THE LAST STRAW THAT WILL CAUSE THE CAMELS BACK TO EXPLODE INTO THE STONEAGE!

If you are not aware, recent history has caused us to move off of the gold standard, spend ourselves into oblivion as a country and now we are talking about removing the requirement for banks to hold funds in reserve.

The current money supply is made by bank a lending to bank b. Then bank b can lend out 90% of the money it has to bank c. Bank c can then lend to bank d who can then lend out 90% and so on and so forth. The 10% held is called the reserve. Actual HARD ASSETS (if you can call fake paper money hard assets) will no longer be required to be held by a bank.

So what does all this craziness mean? Your bank will no longer be required to hold any cash, they can lend out more and continue to make risky loans etc. at an even greater amount than they can today. It also means your money is going to be worth less as it will increase the money supply and INFLATION occurs when there is more money in the money supply.

Welcome to the $10 gallon of gas and the $5 value menu at your local McDonalds. Prices are going up my friends and your savings will take the hit. (Cash in the bank earning 1.45% interest doesnt cut it when inflation is 10%, you just lost 8.55% of your money).

Please contact your local representatives and ask them to support a bill to audit the Federal Reserve and bring to light the criminal activity that would have caused you or I to go to prison. Its not too late if we act.

Bravo… Clap Clap Clap!

Trillions (yes you read that right, the bailout didnt stop at 8 billion, that was just the begining) of dollars WASTED to save jobs has done nothing. Some may argue, it helped save a few hundred thousand jobs. I argue it caused more problems than it helped.

When the market started to crash and panic ensued, there were a few banks, car makers and large corporations that were going to fail. WE SHOULD HAVE LET THEM. However, to help stabalize the economy we let the government put an idea into our head that they can fix the problems by spending BILLIONS of dollars (your tax dollars which WILL go up from all the spending). Well my personal feelings on the matter? When the person in charge starts to panic at any business, the employees start looking for new jobs and stop spending money. The same goes for when the government PUBLICLY freaks out, the citizens do too. I contend that all the panic, hoopla, pomp and heroic legislation that created our bailout actually made things worse. Personally I would rather have seen a few big companies go belly up, people would have to suck up and hurt for a bit, but the rest of the world could continue on and work through the pain.

Yes it would have still hurt and shockwaves would have been felt in every other industry. But, did the bailout really slow that down? I think it sped up the panic, made EVERY industry cinch up the belt, made consumers freak out, stop spending and it has caused a chain reaction of frugalness slowing down every market and every industry.

The great plan of giving away my future and that of my children has failed. Any business who acts the way our government does would have a number of executives going to prison for fraud. Will we prosecute our leaders? I wish we could. We should. They should at a minimum be fired for their incompetence. But nothing will happen. Its all just the same old thing. Have the buddies at the Federal Reserve print more money, spend spend spend…

Could we please have someone who is NOT in debt voted into office so they can show some fiscal responsibility? Is anyone left out there that has rational thought? Please… Someone hear our cry for help. Someone figure out that we are on an unsustainable path of borrowing money that DOES NOT EXIST. I dont want your dollars… I want hard goods, something tangible that will still be there when dollar bills are worth less than the paper they are printed on. Anyone selling any silver/gold or other hard assets out there? I have a bunch of monopoly money I would gladly trade you for it.