I agree 100%. But as you said people have to go against their nature. I think most people have a tribal mentality even with our sophistication. What you described above is completely true but will only occur in a very small fraction of the population. Oh the humanity.

Yes. Sadly I feel we have been molly-coddled into a society that rejects challenge and expects entitlement. I watched "Zombieland" this weekend. I found it interesting what one character would go through for a twinkie. Some good lines in that movie, despite being rather simple minded most of the time.

We ought to post the rules list from that movie. I'll see if I can find it somewhere.

We feel the next survival situation we will encounter is an economic one. My wife and I are doing the same thing as some of you. We are buying hard goods, and paying down our house at an almost crippling rate. That knocks off 17 years and 45K in interest, and if all goes well, will insulate us from what is coming. With the national debt that has already accrued, taxes and interest rates will be high enough to change all of our lifestyles permanently. In the recession of the late 70's, the government printed more money, and as an example, the mortgage interest rate went to 24% in 1982 (that's the year I bought my first house). Anytime the gov't prints more money, the fed must collect it back through higher interest rates, and banks must follow suit. This keeps the value of the dollar from falling, and prices from skyrocketing (inflation). We are in a recession now, and the government is again printing more money. This is the scarey part...In the late '70's, they printed an extra 25% relative to the existing money supply. In 2009, they printed an extra 120% relative to the existing money supply. Do the math.....and be prepared.

That's because popcorn and two Cokes costs $15.99 at the theater now.

This is what concerns me; the gov't TARP program has propped up failing businesses with unlimited borrowed money which we taxpayers are on the hook for. Other businesss have to compete against them using only their own resources. This is the opposite of the free market system. In the long run, no company is 'too big to fail.'

I am worried about my 401k, and I'm honestly looking for someone to calm me down. Have you factored in the probability of interest rates in the 40% range, along with a devaluation of the dollar and a doubling of the current income tax rate? The national debt is approaching the GDP and confgress just votedto increase it. These scenarios would also cause another market 'correction' and look very likely to me.

Here in WA, our governor, Queen Christine, is trying to find a way to increase every existing tax, and new ways to tax everything else.

One of the new taxes is ticketing people for going through yellow traffic lights. It isn't really illegal, but they're doing it anyway, as a source of revenue. If you don't show up to fight it, you have to pay the ticket. If you don't go to work so you can fight the ticket, you lose your job money for that day. Now they want to cut the yellow light times down to four seconds -- if you try to stop too fast to stop in time and get rear-ended, you're caught, if you can't stop in time, you're caught, and if you speed up to make it through, you're caught.

It's a pity they weren't that creative when they were SPENDING the money.

Sue

State law (RCW 46.61.055(2)(a)) specifically states that you MAY enter an intersection on a yellow light, until that light turns red:"Vehicle operators facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal are thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection." In addition, the normal response time to a stimulus is between one and one and one quarter seconds for a normal driver. They cannot arbitrarily assign a length of four seconds to all yellow lights, without regard to the posted speed limit on that roadway, because four seconds may not allow a reasonably perceptive driver to react, AND STOP, at higher speeds, given the braking ability of the vehicle combined with the coefficient of friction of the roadway (I'll spare you the mathematics). Drivers who are rearended while attempting to stop, are victims of drivers behind them, who are violating RCW 46.61.145(Following too closely). This cannot be attributed to the changing of the light, as the drivers of the following vehicles should have left enough room for ANY emergency braking by the lead vehicle(e.g. a small child running into the roadway).

Yes, and everyone seems to know it.

They're using it simply as a source of revenue, making up their own little rules as they go.

One of my rail crews says if you just show up in front of the judge, he/she will cancel the charges and the fine. If you don't/can't show up, you're 'admitting guilt', and KA-CHING! BUT it doesn't show up on your driving record. And since it's all done by camera, not live cops making a decision... *shrug*

They'll probably get some attorney one day and he'll fight it and win and they'll stop, but in the meantime they're making quite a bit of money at $124 a pop.

Western WA isn't exactly Mensa Country. It all sounds totally insane to me.

This must be where they got the idea...
6 Cities That Were Caught Shortening Yellow Light Times For Profit

Sue

I am seeing the same thing. Instead of patrolling and attempting to prevent crime, the state and local cops are sitting in the median and trying to catch and tag speeders. The company I work for has experienced a huge increase in federal state and local public agency inspections. Fire, Agriculture, Health, Osha, BATF, Weights and Measures...all looking for fine money (which, I'm happy to say, has mostly eluded them in my place of employment).