I really like cars...

Ok, so it's more like I love cars. Just something about them that gets me all excited. So, being that I am almost certain that I will soon have to give up any sort of sporty-ness for the automotive death known as practicality.

Being that I intend to stave off automotive death as long as possible, or possibly substitute it for something else on the side, I have compiled a list of cars that I think may suit the job of being a "fun" car, while not breaking the bank. My idea was to look at getting rid of my current ride for something more practical and better able to withstand the wintertime grind without getting stuck (or at least not without a helluva fight), but still have something that I can park during the winter and use during the seasons where you don't need a few extra layers to simply go outside.

Here's the list (bare with me, it's long and there are pictures)

Lets start in the US of A shall we?

3rd Gen Camaro





3rd Gen Firebird





Late 80's early 90's Mustang





How about Japan?

Mitsubishi Starion




Mazda RX7




Nissan 300ZX




Toyota Supra MkIII




How about Germany?


E30 BMW




E34 BMW




E24 BMW




SL Mercedes




Porsche 944











All of these cars were made in the late 80's and into the early 90's, making them just about 20 years old. This means that there should be some out there in decent condition with simply high mileage. They're old enough to be used, but not old enough to yet become classics. This I feel is the perfect time to pick up one of these gems and do them up right, get everything straightened out and then have some fun with them while they're still able to have fun. Then maybe sell it off at a slight profit or at least break even to start it all over again.

What do you think? Either post responses here or post them on my Facebook page here

It's such a simple concept...

I'm watching "Supersize Me" on Planet Green HD. I should be going to bed within minutes, but I couldn't take it anymore, needed to vent, and since this is going out to the infinity of the world wide web, I figure someone will read it...especially if I post the link on my facebook status, but that's beside the point.

Everyone has a pet peeve, and I have a few. Like people who don't drive fast enough in the left hand lane, but I think my biggest peeve is enviromentalists.

Now, don't take this the wrong way if you're concerned about the environement, I am too. I don't want people to dump toxic waste in rivers or to poach animals, but I hate it when people try to shove ideas down my throat, or who do things that are totally unreasonable to attempt to prove a point.

This Morgan Spurlock fella apparently eats McDonalds for every meal for 30 days. So, after eating what I guess is a total vegan diet prior, he decides to delve into the world of further processed fast food. The only problem is that he is unreasonable. No one eats nothing but McD's, or if you do, not everyone gets the Breakfast Platter, then a supersized Big Mac meal, and then a Double Quarter Pounder, again supersized. Oh, I forgot to add he picked the most unhealthy soda, and he picked up shakes, and sundaes, and parfaits...a completely unreasonable meal. I am a big guy, I love fast food, but I would never have a Big Mac, and a Shake, and a Sundae.

What's the problem? Like I had said, he is unreasonable, as are most people like him. They try to prove a point by being unreasonable. Yes, fast food is dangerous, but so is walking down the street, but you don't see people making documentaries about the dangers of uneven concrete and inattentive drivers which could result in broken bones. But then, I'll be told that's not the point, that he's attempting to show the truth about the evils of big food.

Whatever. As long as people are stupid enough to forget that anything is dangerous out of modeation, there will be people like this Morgan Spurlock who has had not only a mediocre career (in film terms) but he's one of these in which no one cares. His documentary did nothing to stop the evils of McDonald, instead he just gave people like me a premise in which to launch the first of many salvo's.

It's late, my mind is foggy...and I just saw this lady compare ham to heroine...and that's where I draw the line. Ham is not heroine, but vegan lady thinks bacon is immoral, and there is nothing immoral about bacon.


Keep your eyes open, I know I will,



Smus

You have metal...and Metal...and of course...METAL!

Ok, so this only has a little bit to do with METAL of the METAL kind, but it has to be said. In the early days of Glam Rock, (which is most defiantly not Metal) there was a band called Motley Crue. There's an umlaut in there, which makes them seem German and those Germans know how to rock, like the Scorpions for example.

I digress. One member of that mediocre band (filled with egotistical members in my mind), is going to be on "Skating with the Stars". That's right...this guy here is going to be doing ice dancing on national television.




Very not metal. The only good thing is that this guy here was so pissed at the man above...that they formed Metallica. Yes, a band so Metal, that they have Metal in their name.


Boom...James Hetfield.


To get back to the serious stuff though, commodities are on the rise still. There's been almost a dollar rise in soybeans, golds over $1400/oz, its gonna be brutal guys. There was almost no consensus at the G20 meeting. Germany, China, and others have been very aggressive in telling the US to stop devaluing the currency of choice, which luckily is still the US Dollar. There is really not telling how this will truly effect the US Economy. If we descend into a currency war with other nations, we will lose. Do not think that we can survive an massive devaluation of the US Dollar, we do not have the infrastructure or the wherewithall to survive a massive currency slide, or worse yet a massive flight of capital from the US economy. The Federal Reserves continued pumping of dollars will not work. In fact, it will do nothing but open a bigger hole in the sinking ship. If you own a home and can afford it. Get some food stored up. Prices will only be going up for the forseeable future, not only that, but its good to have a bit of food stored up. A chest freezer is a worthwhile investment.


Again, not to sound like a paranoid freakazoid, but if what could happen does happen and inflation hits hot and heavy, we will all be in a world of hurt.




Keep your eyes and ears open, I know I will


Smus

What's the worst that could happen...

November 3rd is a big day.  Mid-term elections will be at the front and center of everyones minds...except for mine.  Rather, I'll be gnawing at my fingertips wondering what sort of action the US Federal Reserve will take in regards to it's planned Quantitative Easing...part 2.

Oh, Never heard of Quantitative Easing? Didn't even know there was a QE1?  Yeah, most of us didn't. Quantitative Easing is troublesome, but that I'll attempt to explain futher down.  Quantitative Easing 1, however, took place during the last year.  QE1, (if I'm not mistaken) included the purchase of selected mortgage backed securities, primarily the purchase of those nasty little subprime loans, the ones that started it all.

Here's the problem.

The US Treasury doesn't print money.  Don't believe me?  Read the very top of this $1 bill.



Oh me oh my. Yes, it is a Federal Reserve Note.

So what's the issue here? The issue is that the US Federal Reserve, on Wednesday November 3rd 2010 will announce whether or not they will attempt Quantitative Easing Redux.

Didn't answer your question did I? Let me say it this way, the US Federal Reserve will attempt to increase the US money supply by $500 billion to $2 trillion over the next 12 months. This is a massive increase in the money supply. The issue must be explained in basic economics (so pardon me if you hate economics). If you increase the money supply, the demand for dollars drops. That means that dollars are worth less, which is good right? Not necessarily. What happens when the value of the dollar drops is an increase in prices, but your pay check stays the same, so everything costs more. This is called inflation.

Inflation itself isn't bad, a small amount of inflation is almost required for a growing economy, the US Federal Reserve (in charge of monetary [money] policy) increases the money supply yearly, making sure there is enough dollars available, and preventing monetary deflation. Inflation turns into an ugly beast when it happens at a time like now.

The worst happens when the debt of a country is purchased by its own central bank. This is called "quantitative easing" by some, others call it "monetizing the debt". Either way, it doesn't end well. If the Fed decides to openly monetize the debt, purchase US Treasury bonds, and help to fund the US government through 2011, it can't end well.


How does this affect you? I mean I told you this was important right? Other than the obvious, a hidden problem could be lurking in the commodity market. As a man well in tune with agriculture I know for a fact that something isn't right. The closing price for December corn (the primary grain in animal feeds) was 577.6, or in regular person speak $5.77 and 3/4 of a cent...per bushel. Lets compare that to even 5 years ago at this time. That price in November (7th to be exact) for corn to be delivered in December, was a humongous $2.72. Everything is on the rise, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended up 6 points at 11124. Gold is up, Silver is up, Copper is up, Oil is up, Soybeans are up.

This could be the creation a a whole new bubble. Prices are on the rise, and dramatically so. Partially due to the decrease in yields in corn this year, but also because of speculation in the commodities market that really began during the first part of this economic crisis in 2008. The speculators never left the market. Part of this is due to speculators, part of it is due to the increase of ethanol, and another is due to the decrease in expected yields throughout the US. The problem then becomes one of "what do we do next" especially if the Fed decides to start with QE2 and doesn't half-ass it, goes for the full monty, and puts it all on 00 and gives the wheel a spin.

The best thing that could happen, is the economy is stimulated, and we get out of this sluggish ~1% growth rate, decrease the unemployment rate, and begin to truly recover. Whats the worst that happens? If the US Federal Reserve screws this up, we could be on a path to total economic destruction. Not to be Mr. Doom-n-Gloom here, but the possibilities of something bad happening by the monetization of the debt is higher than it should be. The possible outcome could look something as benign as Japans "lost decade" where they were caught in a liquidity trap, and their economy has never truly recovered. Or, it could be as malignant as hyperinflation.


What needs to happen, is there needs to be a concerted effort to understand the situation that we may be heading towards. A time in which everything we know will not be the same. Hyperinflation can destroy a country in no time at all. It's hyperinflation that caused prices to double in 15 hours in Hungary in 1946, and it's hyperinflation that leads to something like this fella here off to buy a loaf of bread during the Weimar Republic of Germany in 1923.




and its hyperinflation, and the economic chaos it brings that allows people like this to seize power.





Keep you're ears and eyes open. I know I will.



Smus