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Ryan Fisher

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An interesting day at vail.

ryanf | 11 February, 2008 22:10

So on Saturday I went up to Vail to celebrate Gary's birthday. I brought my GPS unit for the first time, and was able to have a fun time seeing how far and how fast we went.

Trip Odom24.7 Miles
Max Speed43.9 MPH
Vertical Feet13960

GPS map of snowboarding at vail.

 Looking down at Mid Vail.

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Our Annual Christmas Message

ryanf | 01 January, 2008 10:59

http://www.ryanandbritta.com/christmas/2007.htm

Thanks to Britta who did most of the work.


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Christmas Presents

ryanf | 01 January, 2008 10:00

I'm having a lot of fun with two of my Christmas presents. The first is a Garmin GPSmap 60CSx that I got from Britta. It's a handheld GPS that is great for Hiking and Biking. You can use it for road directions also, but I haven't even figured out that part yet. So far I'm having a great time with the mapping capability. This weekend Britta and I went snowshoeing so that I could try it out. There is a great trip calculator that tracks your speed, elevation gain, and a lot of other fun stuff.

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Politics and Money

ryanf | 04 November, 2007 21:43

I'm 27 years old and I'm starting to get worked up over Politics. The Presidential election is in a year, and I'm looking for a candidate who's ready to talk to my generation.

I'm 27, but the average member of Congress is 57, over twice my age. I always vote, and I have taken part in my party's caucuses. Yet the reality is that most members of the house and senate were voted in before I reached a voting age.

That is why it scares me that recently the first baby boomer applied for social security benefits. Unfortunately, the baby boomers don't get their money back with interest. That's not the way the system works. They get most of their money from younger workers. The system requires a constant flow of money. Today there are 3.3 workers for each Social Security beneficiary. According to Social Securities web site, by 2030 there will be only 2.1 workers per beneficiary. The boom is going to hit Social Security pretty hard.

I understand why the topic is virtually unapproachable. No one wants to raise Social Security taxes and pay more for something they have already been promised. No one near retirement wants to consider reducing benefits. No politician wants to tell any group of voters that they need to be a part of the fix.

I have heard many politicians say that we need to fix Social Security. That's usually as far as the conversation goes. I want to see the Greatest Generation take part in this conversation. I'm afraid that if it's left, we will have very few options by the time we have the will to make a change. Social Security is just one indicator of our countries overspending. Our nation's dept is over $50 trillion. That is a lot of money.

When I was younger I read Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy In America. There is a quote in that book that I have never forgotten. "The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money."

I think we need some leaders who are ready to be honest about the financial future that is coming. I also think we need some voters who are willing to admit that changes need to be made. We have some very large challenges ahead of us. In 2019, the Medicare is program is expected to be out of money. The White House estimated that the Social Security system will go bankrupt in 2042. Coincidentally, that is the first year that I will be eligible to receive benefits. I just don't think there will be any benefits for me to collect.


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Eccles Pass Hike

ryanf | 16 September, 2007 21:11

On Saturday I hiked to Eccles Pass in the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area

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