The Official Campaign Artist has finished the campaign button. It will be available for purchase at Cafepress soon.
Enjoy!
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Enjoy!
This image is proprietary.
10 years ago
15 April 2008
Waiting For Change
Today Senator Obama took credit for the phrase spoken by Alice Walker, "We are the ones we've been waiting for," which is one of the most nonsensical things I've ever heard. If you're waiting, you're not doing. In the case of Liberals and Socialists, however, that's precisely what I want them to do.
Every time I hear that asinine song from John Mayer "Waiting on the World to Change", my blood boils. The people among which he counts himself really don't understand the world. They think the world revolves around them. Although he sings about wanting the troops to come home, I doubt very much he would ever join them in their fight, even when the fight comes to our own shore (it already has). He thinks that the agents of counter-change own information, but it is precisely the same people who agree with him who own the media: the blame America first, bring the troops home now, and "Obama is for Change" crowd of liberals that own and run all the media outlets, all the while claiming that conservatives want to hold people back.
As a scientist, I know that nothing changes for the better without a catalyst. Entropy always increases, and the activation energy to put things right is very high without some type of addition to lower the threshold and make things possible. If you wait for something to change things, it will inevitably result that negative changes occur.
This is partly why the Founding Fathers made it so difficult and so long a process to change anything in our government. They knew that if it took time to make bad changes, it would buy time for agents of positive change to organize and prevent entropic forces of destruction. If agents of negative change could revert the nation in the blink of an eye to a stone age state, it would destroy all that they built. Learn from Lando Calrissian; you cannot make a deal with the devil and keep him out. You cannot compromise on things that matter and find that you get your way.
I fear the day when that generation rises to rule the population. For now, I thank my lucky stars that they're just waiting for the world to change. While you wait, I'm going to change it.
Every time I hear that asinine song from John Mayer "Waiting on the World to Change", my blood boils. The people among which he counts himself really don't understand the world. They think the world revolves around them. Although he sings about wanting the troops to come home, I doubt very much he would ever join them in their fight, even when the fight comes to our own shore (it already has). He thinks that the agents of counter-change own information, but it is precisely the same people who agree with him who own the media: the blame America first, bring the troops home now, and "Obama is for Change" crowd of liberals that own and run all the media outlets, all the while claiming that conservatives want to hold people back.
As a scientist, I know that nothing changes for the better without a catalyst. Entropy always increases, and the activation energy to put things right is very high without some type of addition to lower the threshold and make things possible. If you wait for something to change things, it will inevitably result that negative changes occur.
This is partly why the Founding Fathers made it so difficult and so long a process to change anything in our government. They knew that if it took time to make bad changes, it would buy time for agents of positive change to organize and prevent entropic forces of destruction. If agents of negative change could revert the nation in the blink of an eye to a stone age state, it would destroy all that they built. Learn from Lando Calrissian; you cannot make a deal with the devil and keep him out. You cannot compromise on things that matter and find that you get your way.
I fear the day when that generation rises to rule the population. For now, I thank my lucky stars that they're just waiting for the world to change. While you wait, I'm going to change it.
The Emperor's New Blog
I was stalking Laurel, which I've been doing for months, when I read her first post. For a long time I resisted the whole concept of putting things out there until my father told me the following story.
My father works as "Director of Programs" for the Nellis AFB range. At a conference on security, some NSA agent I think got up and showed the audience how vulnerable we really are by presenting things about several attendees of the conference whom he had never met, all of which he found on open source links. He talked about where they attended high school, a man with excessive parking tickets, and even about one attendee's pending divorce (which surprised his coworkers including my father). It made me wonder what you could find about me.
I googled myself. I found three things: the address of my first home, in which I have not lived since, the time I appeared on page A1 of the newspaper above the fold, and one thing I prefer not to mention. Google Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and you come up with a veritable slew of information primarily on blogs bantering various opinions back and forth. No matter what you think of the man, you can't find much original source data on the man unless you know what search strings to use, which I happen to know.
So, this blog became my opportunity to put original source material online for everyone to see. Yes, I use a fake name; all 12 of my active email addresses that end with something other than edu involve fake nome de plumes to protect my identity, but this blog shows who I am. So, when someone tells you that I said something, you can come find out exactly what I think and say.
I used to think you shouldn't write things down. Now I want to write them down before someone else starts putting words in my mouth. To the vast unknown crowd, here I stand naked before you but fully clothed in resplendent glory...or at least Wrangler jeans and a Craft and Barrow shirt...
My father works as "Director of Programs" for the Nellis AFB range. At a conference on security, some NSA agent I think got up and showed the audience how vulnerable we really are by presenting things about several attendees of the conference whom he had never met, all of which he found on open source links. He talked about where they attended high school, a man with excessive parking tickets, and even about one attendee's pending divorce (which surprised his coworkers including my father). It made me wonder what you could find about me.
I googled myself. I found three things: the address of my first home, in which I have not lived since, the time I appeared on page A1 of the newspaper above the fold, and one thing I prefer not to mention. Google Reverend Jeremiah Wright, and you come up with a veritable slew of information primarily on blogs bantering various opinions back and forth. No matter what you think of the man, you can't find much original source data on the man unless you know what search strings to use, which I happen to know.
So, this blog became my opportunity to put original source material online for everyone to see. Yes, I use a fake name; all 12 of my active email addresses that end with something other than edu involve fake nome de plumes to protect my identity, but this blog shows who I am. So, when someone tells you that I said something, you can come find out exactly what I think and say.
I used to think you shouldn't write things down. Now I want to write them down before someone else starts putting words in my mouth. To the vast unknown crowd, here I stand naked before you but fully clothed in resplendent glory...or at least Wrangler jeans and a Craft and Barrow shirt...
Swanky Neighborhood
Last night I ran an errand to the Seven Hills subdivision in Henderson, NV. I have never been to that section of town before, although there are several areas in town just like that, full of swanky homes and swell sweatered squares all out jogging or walking their dogs or hand-watering their lawns while they scowl at everyone who drives in as if part of a neighborhood watch.
I by contrast arrived in a dirty pair of jeans (I'd just played with my dogs) and a t-shirt driving my ugly Saturn which is losing paint. The scrutiny I felt as I drove in drove me crazy, but they're right in thinking I don't belong there. I could never afford such a swank abode. Trouble is, they don't know that just from the way I dress or what I drive.
Years ago I remember seeing my dad read about the millionaire next door. The basic premise for the book is that you can get to be a millionaire by being frugal. So many people however live in visible excess, buying the latest fashion and a new car every other year and surrounding themselves with the latest gadgets. I am a holdout from a bygone era.
I resisted getting a cell-phone when I came home, I bought a new laptop last year but opted out of Windows Vista for XP, and I don't have all the iPODs and Sketchers and Old Navy clothes that festoon those around me. Even my speech sounds archaic. Instead of playing Halo and watching Alias, I retire home in the evening and read James McCullough's biography on John Adams and memorize historic speeches and busy myself in the study of the scriptures.
No wonder then that I'm not popular. There is no apparent reason that men should desire me. I don't have to drive into a swank neighborhood to get funny looks, I just have to open up my mouth and people think I'm stuck in the past. All progress is however not forward.
I by contrast arrived in a dirty pair of jeans (I'd just played with my dogs) and a t-shirt driving my ugly Saturn which is losing paint. The scrutiny I felt as I drove in drove me crazy, but they're right in thinking I don't belong there. I could never afford such a swank abode. Trouble is, they don't know that just from the way I dress or what I drive.
Years ago I remember seeing my dad read about the millionaire next door. The basic premise for the book is that you can get to be a millionaire by being frugal. So many people however live in visible excess, buying the latest fashion and a new car every other year and surrounding themselves with the latest gadgets. I am a holdout from a bygone era.
I resisted getting a cell-phone when I came home, I bought a new laptop last year but opted out of Windows Vista for XP, and I don't have all the iPODs and Sketchers and Old Navy clothes that festoon those around me. Even my speech sounds archaic. Instead of playing Halo and watching Alias, I retire home in the evening and read James McCullough's biography on John Adams and memorize historic speeches and busy myself in the study of the scriptures.
No wonder then that I'm not popular. There is no apparent reason that men should desire me. I don't have to drive into a swank neighborhood to get funny looks, I just have to open up my mouth and people think I'm stuck in the past. All progress is however not forward.
13 April 2008
OK, BYU is Not That Bad...
I never thought I would ever say that. I've spent my entire life fighting the supposition that since I'm LDS I should attend BYU and taken every opportunity to disparage it. Last night, I finally visited the campus to attend a sketch comedy performance to which my sister and I were honored guests, and I have to say my opinion changed.
First off, the campus is spectacular. The vistas, the snow, the wide-open spaces; I was in heaven. I thought my alma-mater was cool with the brick and mortar look of a bygone era, but everything about BYU appeals visually. I saw immaculate landscaping, regal architecture, and no litter, all of which make one proud to bring guests.
Less evident but of no less impact, the culture of BYU, while droll, does the students a great service. The students are brought together into groups that encourage wholesome interactive activities. Given the lack of diversionary entertainment in town besides hiking the Y and the dollar theater, the on-campus groups and the organizations that support campus activities provide a myriad of options in which students may participate, all orchestrated toward helping them form the kind of close associations I hoped I'd find at college but didn't.
Finally, and most ominously, BYU has the Honor Code. I have no idea what exactly it says, but it basically encourages the types of behaviors, practices and attitudes that build youth into the type of people worth venerating.
Of course, anyone who attends may still elect not to avail themselves of these options, but BYU gives students perhaps the best opportunities to "suck the marrow out of life" and really live.
As for my Alma Mater, don't bother sending me requests for donations as an alumnus. I got my degree, but that was the only thing they ever wanted to give me or offered me. Punks.
To Laurel, Nick, Jeff, Sarahs, Amy, Matt, and everyone else who welcomed us so warmly, I send my very best regards.
Sincerely- Your #1 (chronologically) Las Vegas Groupie
First off, the campus is spectacular. The vistas, the snow, the wide-open spaces; I was in heaven. I thought my alma-mater was cool with the brick and mortar look of a bygone era, but everything about BYU appeals visually. I saw immaculate landscaping, regal architecture, and no litter, all of which make one proud to bring guests.
Less evident but of no less impact, the culture of BYU, while droll, does the students a great service. The students are brought together into groups that encourage wholesome interactive activities. Given the lack of diversionary entertainment in town besides hiking the Y and the dollar theater, the on-campus groups and the organizations that support campus activities provide a myriad of options in which students may participate, all orchestrated toward helping them form the kind of close associations I hoped I'd find at college but didn't.
Finally, and most ominously, BYU has the Honor Code. I have no idea what exactly it says, but it basically encourages the types of behaviors, practices and attitudes that build youth into the type of people worth venerating.
Of course, anyone who attends may still elect not to avail themselves of these options, but BYU gives students perhaps the best opportunities to "suck the marrow out of life" and really live.
As for my Alma Mater, don't bother sending me requests for donations as an alumnus. I got my degree, but that was the only thing they ever wanted to give me or offered me. Punks.
To Laurel, Nick, Jeff, Sarahs, Amy, Matt, and everyone else who welcomed us so warmly, I send my very best regards.
Sincerely- Your #1 (chronologically) Las Vegas Groupie
12 April 2008
Say Again?
My brother just now received a text message asking him "Hey, when is your funeral?"
First off, what an odd question. The very concept that I, being alive, might know the date and time of my own funeral seems rather silly.
Secondly, why would you ask a dead man questions? If you truly believed I were dead, would not talking to me constitute the delusions of a deranged mind?
O.o
It brings back to mind the words of a somewhat familiar plea: If I have done something of good report or praiseworthy, don't wait until I shuffle off this mortal coil and declare it before the gathered mourners at my coffin. Tell me now so that I may know my life mattered.
First off, what an odd question. The very concept that I, being alive, might know the date and time of my own funeral seems rather silly.
Secondly, why would you ask a dead man questions? If you truly believed I were dead, would not talking to me constitute the delusions of a deranged mind?
O.o
It brings back to mind the words of a somewhat familiar plea: If I have done something of good report or praiseworthy, don't wait until I shuffle off this mortal coil and declare it before the gathered mourners at my coffin. Tell me now so that I may know my life mattered.
I Can Be Your Friend...
My sister and I spoke for over an hour the other night because a "friend" of hers told her she was a bad friend. I think the real problem comes from the overuse of the word "friend". For those who know me, I classify people based on a much more classified rubric. Most people I know fall into one of various classes of "acquaintances", and I've had few friends reach the upper echelons of "friend" categories.
The other major problem I see comes from differences in classification. There are people who consider me a friend, but I do not consider them to be a friend of mine. I am friendly towards them, true, but they are not people to whom I would turn. If a person however claims you as a friend, there comes with that often a degree of expectation, which if unfulfilled leads to disappointment. These unreasonable expectations are not your fault; they are the fault of he who assumed, but that doesn't stop people from vilifying you.
When we were children, at some point our parents denied us something, to which we might have responded, "I hate you." Now, we don't really hate our parents even if we say that. We just hate not getting our way. So many of the people who don't like me or "hate" me do so because I didn't let them have their way. Truth is that a good friend does what is best for you which isn't necessarily what you want them to do in the moment.
Years ago an old friend of mine accused me of a heinous betrayal. In truth, I stood on principle and she disagreed with me. She expected me to validate anything she said because we were friends or because of shared confidences, but I have never been that kind of man. Thus began a campaign of protracted and pointed hatred to vilify me which in the end resulted in nothing. My sister's "friend" is doing the same to her, blaming her for the ills in her life and calling her a bad friend. I have never told a bad friend that they were that. I have commented on behaviors that make our continued association problematic, but such an accusation never crossed my lips.
Calling someone to the carpet for an aberration in thought or behavior is not easy. Just last night, my father chastised me for some small observance which he finds irrespectable. While I agree with him having thought about it, I know there was a better way to do it. You don't always do it in the best way, which is why I find the following muster so valuable:
- Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death. D&C 121:34-36
After the chastisement, one's behavior shows how one feels about the person. I know a few people with whom I no longer interact that I esteem and consider friends despite our distances because of how they treated me in the aftermath of my human weaknesses. They were faithful to me, but not everyone I've ever known is.
11 April 2008
Two-Face or Janus?
Over the last few weeks, I find more and more reason to disagree with Senator Barrack He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Obama. He touts himself akin to the Roman mythological figure of Janus as he tries to persuade Americans to accept him as a binding agent in wounds ages old. However, it seems the more he opens his mouth that he resembles Two-Face from Marvel comic fame and arch enemy of Batman and therefore freedom and order.
Senator Obama makes an intersting case study in contradiction. His ancestry puts him in a unique place to make history and do precisely what he claims his mantle entails. However in rhetoric he tells another story. He asserts the role of bridgelayer between the old ways (of which both Senators Clinton and McCain are a part) and the future, which accounts by and large for his popularity among young voters. If he were elected, he would possess not only the power of the presidency and American politics but also power over the future of American culture
On Janus:
Janus was usually depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions. Janus was frequently used to symbolize change and transitions such as the progression of past to future, of one condition to another, of one vision to another, the growing up of young people, and of one universe to another. He was also known as the figure representing time because he could see into the past with one face and into the future with the other. Hence, Janus was worshipped at the beginnings of the harvest and planting times, as well as marriages, births and other beginnings. He was representative of the middle ground between barbarity and civilization, rural country and urban cities, and youth and adulthood.
On Two-Face:
Two-Face was once Harvey Dent, District Attorney of Gotham City and close ally of Batman. After a criminal disfigured half of his face with acid, Dent became the insane crime boss Two-Face who would choose to do either good or evil depending upon the results of flipping a coin — a device which was taken from the 1932 version of Scarface.
Why Obama is no Janus
Senator Obama touts himself as the candidate of change and vision, appealing to the young and supposedly able to bridge the gap between darkness of the past and a bright future. However, everything about Obama is old. He speaks the same things as his opponents and subscribes to inflammatory rhetoric from his racist pastor. Truth is that he is himself a racist. Despite not coming from slaves himself, he resents the way whites treat him. Despite being successful himself, he resents anyone else who is wealthy. His own wife tells other blacks to regress into the past and avoid middle-classdom. He is not a mediator who occupies the middle ground. He is clearly an accolyte of the Black Values System taught by the church he attends, the philosophies of which would divide the nation and tend towards its regression.
How do we know Obama is just deja vu? Consider the way he condescendingly refers to his own grandmother. In an interview following his famous speech, Obama said this:
- "The point I was making was not that my grandmother harbors any racial animosity, but that she is a typical white person. If she sees somebody on the street that she doesn't know (pause) there's a reaction in her that doesn't go away and it comes out in the wrong way."
How can a man who is part white be so blatantly critical? He is a liberal. How do we know Obama is full of hate? Listen to the sermons taught by Rev. Wright. He sells them on the church website. Concerning his pastor, Obama said, "He Strengthens my faith". That man could not strengthen any man's faith with a liteny of hate and accusation. Anyone who comes closer to God after hearing Jeremiah Wright will do so in spite of him and on account of the Spirit which lighteth upon the earnest seeker of truth even when he is surrounded by agents of the Deceiver.
What has he done to change America? Nothing. We don't know anything about what Senator Obama has done with his life, with his money, or with power to influence policy, and the Democrats are about to nominate a non-entity, a Know-Nothing, to be President of the Free World.
As for two-face, I believe that like Harvey Dent Obama had tons of potential. He might be very good at what he does, but what he does is not good for the majority of the people. Much of his policy, what little we can nail him down on with definitive answers, is like Dent insane. From day to day you can flip a coin as to whether Obama will stay true to yesterday's statements or make up new ones. The reason for this is simply that he's told so many lies he can't keep the truth straight anymore.
PS: As of today, despite reports to the contrary, Reverend Wright is STILL listed as pastor on the church's official website. Since I know it will eventually change, I have posted a screenshot as well.
McCain: Make Use of the High Ground
Senator John McCain touts his military prowess but seems to suffer from the same leadership malady that plagues many armchair generals in this nation. As a segue from another article I wrote that will appear in my book "Faith of Our Fathers", I recommend a modus opporendi for Senator McCain from the battle of Gettysburg.
Thanks in part to the squabbling between Stalinists in the Democrat primary, Senator McCain maintains the moral high ground among the residual putative candidates. He tells us that he intends to run an honorable campaign and not involve himself in risky negative attacks. In essense, he tells us he wants to lose.
When General Buford arrived in Gettysburg PA and found the advance guard of Heath's Division of AP Hill's Corps moving blind in enemy territory, he quickly determined a plan of action to secure for his fellows still eight miles away a reasonable chance at the high ground. He put his brigade into array (2500 men) against Ewell, Heath, and Pettigrew (almost 10000 men) and held the main pike into Gettysburg until Reynolds arrived with advance elements of the US I Corps. Sacrificing their divisions, and ultimately their lives, these two Union Generals gave Meade a chance to take the heights to the southeast of the theological seminary and gave their army the advantage.
Meade however decided to sit pretty in his position of relative strength, and if not for the unwise decision of Lee to fight anyway against Longstreet's advice, thus began the bloodiest day in American military history. In successive military blunders, Lee ordered John Bell Hood into Devil's Den (pictured) and George Edward Pickett up Cemetary Ridge (man those names sound ominously doldrom) against the entrenched Union forces. Both of these positions were strategic for both sides. For the Union, they were positions of great strength. For the Confederacy they offered the only chances to flank the Union and gain the advantage denied them by Buford/Reynolds the previous day.
In the end, the hero of the day, and the man from whom it behooves Senator McCain to take stock is Colonel Joshua William Chamberlain of the 20th Maine who held the extreme Southwest flank atop Little Round Top. Having been placed their by acting Corps commander Colonel Alexander (after Meade's promotion that week), just an hour or so before the Confederates breached Devil's Den, he quickly ran out of ammo and options after refusing his line to prevent a Confederate flanking maneuver by the 3rd Alabama.
Seeing no other choice, he ordered a bayonet charge noting that "this is good ground, good sloping ground...the Reb's have gotta be tired...we'll have the advantage sweeping downhill." He took hundreds of surprised and exhausted prisoners and stopped Hood's advance then and there, later becoming the first recipient of the Medal of Honor.
The previous day, Colonel Chamberlain had given his men, and some deserters from the 2nd Maine, a stirring speech about the reasons for which they fought. His sentiments are the American ideal, that America exists to set men free. His words, and the steadfastness of his officers, in particular Captain Ellis Spear, inspired his men to stand their ground despite being at half regimental strength against an unrelenting attack on their position. Despite heavy casualties, his men held their ground and found by his rousing vigorous cantor strength that drove them in the words of a lieutenant to pursue the Confederates "all the way to Richmond".
Senator McCain, when you occupy the High Ground, a position of strength, you must use it. The stalinists are going to throw everything at you, and eventually you'll run out of ammo with which to pelt them from a position of relative safety. I adjure you to listen to Mark Levin, who on his radio show on 17 January 2008 gave the following advice: every campaign needs two messages. First, you need a positive message that inspires and uplifts. Then, you need a pointed "negative" message that clearly delineates the deficits of your enemies and allows you to gain the advantage.
If Senator McCain wants to go "all the way to Richmond" and win the victory, he must inspire his men and dissuade his opponents. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone, it is to the vigilant, the active the brave.
This election is McCain's to lose. If he keeps in the way he is in, he will go down to disastrous defeat despite having started the day in a position of strength. Will Senators Clinton or Obama succeed where General Robert Lee failed? Time will tell.
10 April 2008
Best Cars For a Recession? Yikes
OK, I saw this article today giving advice about what cars to buy, and I couldn't help but think this article is agenda driven. First off, this graphic says absolutely nothing about a Hyundai, which not only has the benefit of decent fuel economy but also costs under $8000 here in Vegas. Note that at least three of these vehicles use alternative forms of power and that only one of them is from a domestic automaker. Whenever you buy a car from overseas, you automatically have to pay the offset import fees put in place to protect domestic industry, meaning that you pay thou$and$ for the privilege of driving a foreign car that IMMEDIATELY depreciates.
| Ford Escape Hybrid |
| Honda Civic Hybrid |
| Honda Pilot |
| Infiniti M35 |
| Lexus ES 350 |
| Nissan Versa Hatchback |
| Scion xB |
| Toyota Pri |
When considering the concept of fuel, remember that how fuel is used matters. Smaller cars constitute a better bargain than alternative fuels, because it takes less fuel to power them. As for the Ford SUV, it's going to be very heavy and take more energy from the battery to move it. Also, if you're towing or demanding performance you're going to come off battery immediately. Oil remains the only combustion fuel capable of generating enough torque to run performance or handle loads. Plus, the benefit from hybrid technology mostly depends on driving habits and conditions than on the fuel useage matrix. Most of the people with whom I commute (23 miles one way) spend very little of the commute driving less than 25mph.
Some people will try to sell you on "saving the environment" or tax breaks for buying cars that are fuel efficient. First off, if you are not itemizing, there is no tax benefit to flex-fuel/alternative fuels, and I think the IRS has put a moratorium on that deduction anyway. On the other hand, as soon as fuel tax revenues fall off thanks to all of you who buy into that hype and buy hybrids to save money on fuel, our elected officials will raise fuel taxes and obliterate that savings. Meanwhile, you're thou$and$ in debt on a car you maybe didn't need or want but bought to "do your part". Be true to yourself.
Many of the cars listed are high end vehicles. If you intend on trading in your car (which I don't recommend) and want them to retain value, that might appeal to you, but when times are tough and you want to pinch pennies, you don't spend money for future potential. You would benefit more in a recession if you skimp on options. Do you need inboard navigation? A sunroof? Special rims? Rear spoiler? etc. In a recession, I'm inclined to keep as much money as I can.
Another overlooked issue is comfort in the ride. This is the primary reason why people I meet who know my car think I ought buy a different one. My 1995 Saturn SL1 is not very comfortable. At 6'0" I have a little trouble climbing in and out, and since it's manual transmission without cruise control on long drives my legs get tired. If you look at the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu (2007 model) which are incidentally clones you will note the molding around the doors differs slightly, making the Aura look sleeker at the cost of headroom upon entry. I doubt the comfort in hybrids and hatchbacks as well. None of the cars on this list that I have ever sat in were particularly comfortable. IN fact, the most comfortable car I ever sat in of late was the Chevy Trailblazer, which I saw on a Yahoo Autos article was rated one of the 10 worst cars to drive only because of it's fuel economy rating. At least it comes with towing and 4WD standard.
This brings us to the big picture. When you look at overall cost many of these cars on that basis are poor values. I've already addressed my own car shopping and how the Trailblazer comes with things standard that are upgrades on the higher rated Jeep Liberty. Does it really make sense to pay extra for things an off-road vehicle ought have or for things you don't really want? Factor in taxes, insurance, registration, and special costs (fancy tires, specific oil, repairs for complicated systems), and it may be cheaper in a recession to keep the car you already own. I know for myself, a periodic repair (even though I do most myself) costs me less than a monthly accounts payable obligation. Plus, my car is fully depreciated so my insurance and registration are the lowest they can be. It's a bare-bones, no frills means of transportation.
My father always said that cars are tools. After a while, your tools get beat up from use. Anyone who throws away a good tool on the auspices that it looks used is a fool. As soon as you use it, you're back where you started.
Beware of agendas. None of these are in an honest estimation a good vehicle in a recession.
Some people will try to sell you on "saving the environment" or tax breaks for buying cars that are fuel efficient. First off, if you are not itemizing, there is no tax benefit to flex-fuel/alternative fuels, and I think the IRS has put a moratorium on that deduction anyway. On the other hand, as soon as fuel tax revenues fall off thanks to all of you who buy into that hype and buy hybrids to save money on fuel, our elected officials will raise fuel taxes and obliterate that savings. Meanwhile, you're thou$and$ in debt on a car you maybe didn't need or want but bought to "do your part". Be true to yourself.
Many of the cars listed are high end vehicles. If you intend on trading in your car (which I don't recommend) and want them to retain value, that might appeal to you, but when times are tough and you want to pinch pennies, you don't spend money for future potential. You would benefit more in a recession if you skimp on options. Do you need inboard navigation? A sunroof? Special rims? Rear spoiler? etc. In a recession, I'm inclined to keep as much money as I can.
Another overlooked issue is comfort in the ride. This is the primary reason why people I meet who know my car think I ought buy a different one. My 1995 Saturn SL1 is not very comfortable. At 6'0" I have a little trouble climbing in and out, and since it's manual transmission without cruise control on long drives my legs get tired. If you look at the Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu (2007 model) which are incidentally clones you will note the molding around the doors differs slightly, making the Aura look sleeker at the cost of headroom upon entry. I doubt the comfort in hybrids and hatchbacks as well. None of the cars on this list that I have ever sat in were particularly comfortable. IN fact, the most comfortable car I ever sat in of late was the Chevy Trailblazer, which I saw on a Yahoo Autos article was rated one of the 10 worst cars to drive only because of it's fuel economy rating. At least it comes with towing and 4WD standard.
This brings us to the big picture. When you look at overall cost many of these cars on that basis are poor values. I've already addressed my own car shopping and how the Trailblazer comes with things standard that are upgrades on the higher rated Jeep Liberty. Does it really make sense to pay extra for things an off-road vehicle ought have or for things you don't really want? Factor in taxes, insurance, registration, and special costs (fancy tires, specific oil, repairs for complicated systems), and it may be cheaper in a recession to keep the car you already own. I know for myself, a periodic repair (even though I do most myself) costs me less than a monthly accounts payable obligation. Plus, my car is fully depreciated so my insurance and registration are the lowest they can be. It's a bare-bones, no frills means of transportation.
My father always said that cars are tools. After a while, your tools get beat up from use. Anyone who throws away a good tool on the auspices that it looks used is a fool. As soon as you use it, you're back where you started.
Beware of agendas. None of these are in an honest estimation a good vehicle in a recession.
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