Ready to Get Away

If you think that was a budget vote last Tuesday, you are wrong. That was the end of the US Constitution and the principles on which it stands. I checked the vote, to make sure my congressman voted against it like I heard him on AM radio saying that he would, and he did. On the radio he said why he was voting against it, and the reason is terrifying. The US budget will now be decided by Obama and a Congressional committee of 10. That's called taxation without representation. That's called no separation of powers. Think we averted an economic crisis by coming to a budget agreement? Take a look at the stock market dive this week. Look like December 2008? The beginning of that Great Recession that all the talking heads said was over?

From the NIA:

"The Dow Jones fell today by 512.76 points to 11,383.68, a percentage decline of 4.3%. The Nasdaq declined 5.1% today with the S&P down 4.8%.

From an economic standpoint, NIA considers this decline to be a sharp correction due to the world waking up and realizing that the U.S. economic recovery is phony. 1Q GDP growth was recently revised downward by 81% from 1.91% to 0.36%. There is now a strong likelihood of U.S. GDP going negative by the end of 2011, which means the U.S. economy will officially enter a double-dip recession. It is NIA's belief that the recession never ended and we are headed towards a hyperinflationary depression.

From a technical standpoint, NIA believes that today's huge drop was triggered by margin calls. Before yesterday, the market had declined eight days in a row for a total point drop of 857.79. Many investors who didn't have cash to cover these margin calls were forced to liquidate their stock holdings. With all of the U.S. economic uncertainties today, there is a lack of buying in U.S. stocks. Margin call sellers had to take anything they could get for their shares. Some investors were even forced to liquidate their gold and silver in order to cover margin calls, which drove the U.S. dollar and U.S. treasury prices temporarily higher."

That is enough out of me on that topic, but honestly I've felt like I was going to cry since Tuesday night.

It feels weird to be planning a hopeful trip to see my paintings in a show in a museum and see some of the awesome natural beauty of Idaho and Wyoming. I'm planning to drive to Idaho Falls with a side trip on the US Scenic Route 30 at Bliss. Saturday in Idaho Falls and the "Idaho Paints Idaho" reception, then to Jackson Hole and the Grand Tetons on Sunday. I'm staying at the same place in Idaho Falls two nights, so I will leave Idaho Falls Monday morning and drive back. I might drive back on Hwy 20 through the Camas Prairie, although I am still remembering that bleak trip on Hwy 20 earlier this year with endless snow. I will see how I feel on Monday.

I may post while I am away, but no pictures until I am back.

It dried out a bit yesterday, but this morning the summer thunderclouds were back and there was a really weird bright orange-yellow sunrise. It is supposed to be completely clear tomorrow, but I am hoping to see some of those summer thunderclouds over the weekend while I am out on the open road and I can really see them. Idaho Falls is the fourth largest city in Idaho, with a population of 56,813, and a metro population of 130,374. The three largest cities are Boise, Meridian, and Nampa, which would be considered one city anywhere else in the US. Idaho Falls is four and a half hours away by car, meaning there is a whole lot of open road between here and Idaho Falls.

I am really looking forward to the trip and glad I earned myself some house-watching and cat-sitting from my neighbors.

There are six more topics until enlightenment. The last one is Awe, which I am planning on practicing this Sunday and I was hoping to get the other five done before then, but oh well, I may have to skip around. Was there an enlightenment topic, Flexibility? There probably should be, it is not one of my strong points.