The Great American Gold Rush

Upon reading the title many would assume I am referring to the great Californian gold rush that began in 1848. The one that helped develop the west and made some otherwise ordinary men incredibly wealthy. In fact, wealthier beyond even their wildest dreams. The good ole “Forty-niners as they later came to be known, really paved the way. Just think about that part of the country in the context of “before and after”. I mean it’s hard for us to even imagine the growth, commerce and expansion that ensued during this time in history. New cities, new industries, the railroads, one could go on and on.

No my friends, I am referring to something much less grandiose. Something that pales in comparison yet I find myself interested in it nevertheless. I am referring to those of us that are out there today buying gold. Not those that are making it part of their portfolio, buying gold stocks simply to diversify because it is (and has always been) a good investment. No, I am referring to the folks that are buying physical gold thinking this will be a good thing to own if all goes to heck and money becomes worthless. This is where I get confused and require guidance from others who see something that I am obviously missing.

My father, Harold Lang (God bless him) used to say. “this whole world is going to hell and soon the only things that will have any value are canned goods and bullets”. Now mind you he was saying this back in the early sixties when I was a small child and had no earthly idea of what the heck he was saying or what he meant. However I do remember it well and now as an adult living in these times it rings true and makes more sense to me than ever before. But if this were true, wouldn’t physical gold be worthless also? I mean are you really going to give up your last can of beans for a lousy hunk of metal that at the time of this writing was valued at $1521.00  per ounce? Well I can tell you what Harry would have told you. He would very simply say “ take that hunk of metal and shove it up your poop”.

Now my sister Dianne and I both hearing dad spout his words of wisdom have different points of view on this subject. Dianne chooses to dabble with these purchases along with canned goods and bullets, while I only buy and stock up on the latter two. Just a little tidbit to help put this in perspective. The Dutch used to place such a high value on Tulip’s that one might trade a cow or a hog for one single bulb. Tulip’s were a great sign of wealth back then to them. Today this seems silly and frankly is laughable to us. But how different are gold and diamonds? Are they not just today’s Tulip’s?

Thank you and God bless.

 

Is Barak Obama the Worst President Ever??

Well the simple truth is I do not know the answer to that question. Since I am not a student of history I just can’t say. Frankly I can’t even name all of our past presidents no less speak to their character, abilities or their records while in office.

It may help most of us if we rephrase the question and ask if Barak Obama is the worst president in recent history or in our lifetimes. To help put it in perspective, if I had been asked who I thought the worst president in my lifetime was before Barak Obama took office, I would have quickly and without hesitation opined, Jimmy Carter! But wait, there is a new contender in the ring and he packs a hell of a punch. And now in the red corner weighing in at 180 lbs., the master of disaster, Barak… Hussein… Obama… This guy is tough to hit, nearly impossible to get up against the ropes and he can come at you from one side and then change direction effortlessly. Folks I think we are looking at the new undisputed “World Champion”.

I realize this is an over simplification but here is how I view his first term, albeit not yet complete.

The first two (2) years cramming “Obama Care” down our throats while effortlessly running up the largest deficit this country has ever seen. The next two (2) years campaigning and running for re election. Someone has to put on the brass knuckles and KNOCK THIS GUY OUT!!

Thank you and God bless.

Doug Lang

The 2011 Budget Battle - "It's Only a Few Billion Dollars"

Well my friends, I find myself a little torn on this one. Here is the dilemma. Should the House have insisted on the entire one hundred billion and shut down the government if necessary, or compromised to get things moving?

On one hand I find myself ready to buy into the argument about how important it is to strive towards great goals while keeping in mind that usually compromise is a key component of all negotiations. I certainly remember how furious I was just a short time ago when the Dem's controlled the White House and both houses of Congress and they crammed Obamacare down our throats. They did not offer an ounce of compromise and it was quite literally infuriating. I think I even remember Obama saying things like, well we won and you lost so this is how it's going to be. (I deliberately left off the quotation marks as I am paraphrasing, my memory not being what is used to be). So now that we conservatives have regained some power in Washington do we go with the "payback is a bitch" route or the "do unto others" route? I have been a businessman for many years and negotiated all sorts of deals. I have always thought that if any one party involved in the negotiations is one hundred percent (100%) pleased with the deal, then the other party got stiffed.

On the other hand how about we simply forget about the numbers for the time being and look elsewhere. In truth it is only a measly few billion dollars and will honestly not have any impact on our budget. How about instead of money we concentrate on silly outdated things like principals and keeping our word. I am going to keep this very simple as no "fluff" is necessary to make this point. If you state you are going to seek a cut of one hundred billion dollars and will not back down or settle for less, then don't! How in the world do you expect to be taken seriously in the upcoming battle over trillions of dollars when you cave on billions of dollars. Stand on your principals!

Okay, so there it is. Two very different approaches to the same problem. Frankly neither approach is unreasonable, so which way do you go? For me the answer while not simple, it is clear. If I give you my word on something you can count on what I tell you! I might later regret making the commitment but I will keep it.

Thank you and God bless, Doug Lang

One Little Thing I Do Not Like About Sean Hannity

I warn you now, this is not a meaningful post but more of just a little pet peeve I have with Mr. Hannity.

I consider myself to be fairly (meaning very) conservative and agree with nearly all of Mr. Hannity's opinions. I love when he points out all of Mr. Obama's flaws. I know that is wrong of me but I get a kick out of it.
However I really wish he would put down his pen before shaking his guests hands. It just seems rude to me to shake someone's hand while still holding a pen in the hand you are shaking with. But that is just me.

Thank you, Doug Lang