Hey Clint! What If You're Wrong?

"It may explain to you the facts of life

and maybe

you can get on the right track before

it is too late" 

                                     Grandpa

For sixty plus years I have watched the elite of each generation prepare their progeny for the all important role of preparing their progeny for the all important role...  Commonly this replicating sequence is successful.  It , in current culture, is called "living conservative".  It has always been both a rare and disappointing outcome when a presumed elite legacy fails to assimilate by 30.  Neal Boortz, a nominal popularizer of "living conservative" said to a fully indoctrinated college graduating audience:  "If, by the time you reach the age of 30, you do not consider yourself to be a conservative, rush right back here as quickly as you can and apply for a faculty position".  So what is the core concept that energizes this super virulent philosophy?  Neal Boortz in the same fear evoking graduation speech pretty much summed it up.  He said, "Conservatives, I among them I might add, think that individuals have the right to protect their lives and their property from the plunder of the masses.". Clint, as you know, not many lives have been plundered by the masses in our life time and as such it is rather obvious that Koontz is talking about property or "wealth".  No doubt at some reasoning level all self replicating elites realize that their status requires a "masses" not simply for their "market/labor pool" attributes but because ontologically to be "wealthy" is very much dependent on there being a same set others who are "not wealthy".  Regardless, throughout history elites have worried little about either the "have nots"  disappearing or plundering.  The French Revolution perhaps withstanding, in general the "have nots" have always multiplied, yes but plundered, no.   Indeed, the most flagrant plunder  in this perennial struggle belongs to the elites who de-facto took over the "libertarian identity" of the "yearning to be free" masses  . ( Is it not bizarre that Glen Beck considers himself a "libertarian" hoping that by the Grace of God and "higher sales taxes"  he will be spared the tyranny of the masses.)  Regardless, my aging friend, before you "Trustee Out", I hope you will consider that in the current "information age" and the knocking "bio-synthesis age" it might well prove disastrous for today's elite beneficiaries to be goaded into the same old "conservative club" as their forefathers.  Are you sure that in a Google/Twitter era an entirely different world structure isn't compelling, even vital?  Are you so egotistical that you can't imagine that today's youth may instinctively be guided by a providence deeper than your Darwinian/Capitalist/R.Paulian "survival of the fittest"?  Do you really think that in a time of super-statins and gene therapy you will be righteous in arguing that "father knows best", even when father is 104 and prefers Ayn Rand to Lady Ga Ga?

Seasons Greetings from Branson! Want to buy a Timeshare?

Most days, I drive by both the Grand Crown and Spinniker Sales Centers near the Thousand Oaks Complex. Judging from the overflow parking lots you would think that they might be giving away "Timeshare Vacation Property".  A closer look reveals that most of the vehicles are not SUV's from nearby states, but are clunkers driven by nominally employed young locals hoping to get $9 an hour sans manual labor.  These "telemarketers" gather daily and make 200+ obligatory phone calls reciting professionally scripted pitches touting free vacations to our magical little town.  Perhaps Charlie the math whiz on the TV show Numbers could calculate more accurately, but my rough multiplication suggests that during the last 15 years every home within 1000 miles of Branson has been called, about 4 times.   I have heard from more than one seasoned "telemarketer" that some prospects have "free toured" as many as 10 of the 30+ "resorts".  From the 100 million visitors during this period, a modest less than .3%, have opted to "tie the Branson knot". This is shorthand for "contractually obligating one's self and his/her progeny to annual prepay the cost of a Branson vacation until Jesus returns". This is shorthand for "what happens when one becomes the owner of a "timeshare unit" with open ended maintenance fees and in perpetuity deficiency judgment provisions.  Thank you to these 250,000+ altruists who signed up to forever fund our rich little Ozark town.   Merry Christmas!

Terminating Branson Timeshares/A New Profit Plan

Branson's aging Country Music Celebrities are not the only Legends here in the picturesque Ozark Mountains. Indeed, through the boom years, much of their show business success was due to the lesser known timeshare sales legends.  You cannot find a Branson local who does know a story about that friend/neighbor/relative who "made a killing" selling timeshares.  In tandem with the "entertainment legends" these Porsche driving, Rolex appointed, fast talking "Vacation Consultants", made Branson what it is today. But alas, as the economy weakened, even the best of these "hard sell ninjas" just couldn't get Fred & Martha to contract, in spite of the singing/dancing/lodging/golf/food.  But then a funny thing happened as the "Vacation Consultants" were on their way to the unemployment lines.  They realized that those 100,000's of "timeshare owners" converted during the golden years were now desperate to unload their prized "week 32" to get out from under the obligation to pay maintence and special assessment fees.  Being savey "Vacation Consultants" who had routinely overcome the dubious economics objections of timeshare investment, they knew full well that there would be no secondary commissions to be made in the resell market.  Ebay validated this insight by offering up pages of "no bid" owner offerings on every timeshare project in town.  What they came to understand, as counter intuitive as it might have seemed, was that their past customers who had paid $5k/20k to own a timeshare would now be willing to pay $1k/$3k to disown their timeshare.  It might not enable the "hard sell ninjas"  to keep their Cabin Cruiser or Rolex, but for now, the Porsche is safe!. 

By the way, where are all of those disowned timeshare units going?

 Guess!_________________________

Branson's One God, One Nation, One President

For six decades, I been accustomed to seeing the United States President's picture being displayed in public buildings supported by tax dollars.  Not so, here in Branson, the "God & Country Mecca" for America's emboldened fundamentalist.  Each year 9 million+ of the faithfully find their way to our celebrated Vacation MegaTown.  They bring their Visa Cards and their Extreme Christian Values.  We locals appreciate both, and in our own quiet way pay tribute to the politics that, "as best we reckon", produced our bounty. In tribute our new City Hall Complex offers but the one displayed "presidential likeness"........yes, it is  "W".     

Come To Branson and See If God Likes You!

The Fall Creek Extension has now been open a couple of weeks and there is some good news and some bad new to report.  The bad news is that virtually no drivers are using the multi-million dollar road.
 It has previously been reported that we locals who circumnavigate "the strip" everyday have yet to figure out what confused assumption led to building the road. Further,  there is no chance that tourists will over a three day stay  find this up/down or down/up connector useful.  The good news is that so far the few who have driven the road have seemingly met with God's favor, in that neither of the two "ROCK CACHES" has released yet.  Actually, I have driven the road several times just to assure myself that it's not yet "my time".  I TOOK THIS FROM THE PASSENGER WINDOWIf you seek verification that your still "good with God", come on down and drive the road with two caches of 10 ton boulders precariously perched 100 feet over the road.  If they don't release, you will feel good.  If they do, you'll never know it, but you "will" make the evening news.  (Click on the photos for a close-up).