Happy New Year

Reasonable requests, hopes, dreams, etc. for 2009

1. Good health for my family and yours
2. To move to Hawaii, it is too cold in AZ
3. Congress doesn't totally give away all the money that they don't even have. Huh?
4. Barack Obama uses his considerable skills to negotiate his way past the inevitable partisan politics and get it done. He will remember that the loud mouths on the far right didn't deliver the votes to McCain in a sufficient quantity.
5. President Obama remembers the Republican party has a vested interest in his failure. Just listen to their spokesperson Rush Limbaugh. They will not be helpful.
6. John McCain will use his voice to stand up for quality Republican standards and ideals.
7. Jets trade Favre back to the Packers.
8. Diamondbacks win their second World Series.
9. A rebounding stock market
10. Every CEO of every company that takes money to be given no golden parachute, bonus, raise, etc.
11. Continued momentum for alternative fuels.
12. Continued movement away from unnecessary trucks and SUVs.
13. U.S. citizens living within their means
14. U.S. soldiers nearly out of Iraq and no where near Iran.
15. Some sort of lasting agreement between Israel and Palestine. I know that is a real long shot at best. Better odds of Favre going back to the Packers.
16. The Yankees continue to miss the playoffs despite buying the best players in all of the world. Creeps.
17. Dallas Cowboys continue to miss the playoffs despite buying the best players in all of the world. Creeps.
18. Recycling continues to grow in importance. Sustainability is the newest buzz word.
19. You will all be safe and have a Happy New Year.

Don't Do Unto Others

You are driving in California (and probably elsewhere as CA stuff usually oozes into the rest of America) and are in an accident. Citizens passing by do just that - pass by. To do anything else would be lunacy based on the unreasonable and ridiculous Supreme Court of California.

They have ruled that a "Good Samaritan" is only protected if they acted in good faith in a medical situation. This comes from an actual case where a citizen helped a woman she actually knew by pulling the injured woman from a wreck. The movement apparently caused further damage to the injured woman's spine.

So now the injured woman can sue the other lady for having done the right thing. Nuts. So when in California, don't get in a wreck because no one will help you. Idiots.

Pretty Cool & Reasonable

www.change.gov

Check it out. Want to know what Obama is planning? Want to participate and make suggestions? This is the place you can do just that!

Very reasonable.

Here We Go Again

This is an interesting paragraph lifted from an article in the NY Times:

Fairfield Greenwich Group, a hedge-fund firm that had $7.5 billion invested with Madoff, has been sued by investors for allegedly failing to protect their assets. A New York woman who says she lost most of her savings is seeking $7 million in damages from the Securities and Exchange Commission for Madoff losses.

Now, lets look at those two sentences. Fairfield has insurance for "malpractice" or whatever it is called in those circles, so they'll be covered and we will all pay higher premiums. The NY woman suing Securities and Exchange Commission should be out of luck. I don't recall my securities, which have lost value, being insured by any one.

The rich get richer even when they make stupid decisions. Totally unreasonable!

Evangelical Minister Rick Warren

This must be a good choice for the inaugural invocation because the far right is unhappy and the far left is unhappy. Good. Since they are the extremes and by this blog's definition, not reasonable, I like the pick.

The right wing is unhappy that the Reverend is hob nobbing with the liberals. I'll bet that the idiot drug abuser Rush is behind that one. God forbid people actually try to work together instead of simply trashing each other.

The left wing is unhappy as the Reverend apparently likens homosexuals to pedophiles. Seems like a stretch to me Reverend Warren but everyone is entitled to their uninformed, divisive opinions. He also has some good things to say about personal responsibility.

In the mean time, he is sharing a stage with a diverse group and that can only be good. Good choice, good decision to say yes to the invitation.

Now, lets get on with things that really matter.

Last Year's Wishes

From this blog - last year (December 24, 2007). Let's see how I did.

"As to Happy New Year - this is what I think would be reasonable and make for a happy new year."

The promise of a new presidency that will come with the elections in November 2008. (Good)
Leave Iraq, stay away from Iran and North Korea. Bring home our troops before too many more die in a needless and aimless "conflict." (Not Good - we are still there-Perhaps B. Obama will get it done.)
Agreement that taking care of the environment, for whatever reason, has to be better than creating a pig sty. It's as simple as that. (Progress being made - if slowly)
An economy that somehow survives the ridiculous home mortgage fiasco. (oops! - "You go George, literally")
I hope the creepy lenders that caused this, along with the homeowners who weren't smart enough to think through these ridiculous loans have to share the burden THEY jointly created. (More oops!)
I hope the government doesn't completely break the bank trying to buy the electorate back over the mortgage fiasco. Some bailout seems inevitable. I hope they don't buy the houses for the people. I am paying for mine - they should pay for theirs. (Darn - even more oops!)
Some sort of immigration reform before I cannot understand the majority of people in my own English speaking country. (Again, oops)
Along these lines, I hope the judicial system in Arizona will uphold the right of voters who said in 2007, "enough already - if the feds can't fix immigration, we will." (Good - despite many efforts, the laws stay on the books)
I hope employers stop hiring illegal immigrants because they get them cheap. Only the employer benefits. Legitimate employers foot the bill in terms of higher taxes and ridiculously high insurance benefits. Oh, and legal immigrants and citizens pay the price as well. (hard to tell)
I hope we keep gun ownership rights, rights for a woman to choose what is correct for her body, freedom to say, "Merry Christmas" and to otherwise celebrate whatever religion (or not) that we want. (Good, almost)
And finally, the Green Bay Packers should win the Superbowl
(oops! ?*&%)

Anything in green I will continue to hope for in 2009.

The Losing Battle

Last year I lamented often about retailers using the phrase Happy Holidays! This year, I gave up the battle - it is a losing battle. I do not personally understand how saying Merry Christmas could offend anyone. I believe diversity is a good thing and still, it has nothing to do with wishing a fellow Christian - Merry Christmas. You can celebrate all people and their religious beliefs and still wish each other Merry Christmas. I will wish my Jewish boss a happy Hanukkah and feel certain he will wish me a Merry Christmas. Simple, diverse.

However, this was sent to me and since it is my blog, I have copied it here.

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings,
the teachers would say December 25th is just a " Holiday".
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - nowhere to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Pelosi, Now Obama, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !

Madoff Made Off With the Dough

Bernard L. Madoff, the New York financier, made off with the dough. Get it? May-Doff ...Made off. Now, if we bilked our neighbor and friends out of a hundred K, say, we would be in jail, don't you think?

Not Bernie-I-Made-Off-With-Your-Money-Madoff. He has been hangin' at the mansion on the coast. Sounds cozy.

This guy has apparently robbed his friends, their friends, charities, etc. of billions. Yes, that was billions as in 000,000,000,000. These people who were bilked, charities excluded, are supposedly the financial geniuses of the land. Some of the snobs are now destitute - I know I shouldn't laugh, but........... No wonder we are in trouble.

Put him in jail.

What is it With Shoes?

Times have changed - When Nikita Khrushchev was unhappy with the U.S. President, he pounded his shoe on the podium at the United Nations.

Now, a reporter is unhappy (on behalf of nearly his whole nation) with the U.S. President and he threw his shoe at Bush.

Now, I have made it no secret that I think Bush will go down as one of the worst presidents ever. However, I didn't much like seeing someone throwing shoes at our president. It looked weird.

You gotta hand it to ol' George, he has good reflexes. His political reflexes are terrible but the other reflexes are totally cool.

How mad at the U.S. are these people, you ask? Martyrdom used to be saved for people who die for the cause. Now, simply heaving your shoe at Bush gets you cult status. Crazy. Unreasonable.

What an Interesting Concept!

The link below was sent by a friend as part of an annual Christmas Letter. While religion has been vilified (yes even by me in this blog - at least in regard to politics), not all religious methods and messages are bad. In fact, religion can and should play a meaningful part in our suddenly very small world.

For those of you who are not of a religious bent, just latch on to the important message - we can all make a difference with a reasonable amount of sacrifice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVqqj1v-ZBU

Looks like it is getting a fair amount of play at YouTube.

Blagojevich

This guy has to be mentally ill. Who thinks they can offer to sell a Senate seat, especially one that was held by the President-Elect?

Illinois, home to Chicago which is a great city but no stranger to a corrupt political machinery, has lost its MOJO. Here they just had the great outpouring of humanity at the Obama victory rally in Grant Park, and now Blago has derailed that good feeling.

As the Righteous Brothers would say, "Bring Back That Loving Feeling."

The only reasonable thing to do is to resign. Maybe he could sell the Governor's seat!

More UAW

It costs more than $70/hour for a UAW member to build an American made vehicle. That includes benefits, retirement, and wages.

An American worker in a Toyota or Honda plant, situated in America, is paid under $50/hour, again wages, benefits, retirement (still a good amount of money if you ask me), to build a far superior car. Hum?

If it were reversed we would have something to discuss. It is not reversed. For less money Toyota and Honda give us better cars built by Americans. That means the plants are more efficient, management is better planners, designs are better, and, yes, the work force is compensated in a more equitable fashion, allowing the company to survive and provide thousands of jobs.

GM, Ford, and Chrysler had management that got whooped in the free market and workers were over paid for the skill level required to build a substandard product. That is the problem.

Reasonable List of Why To Be Happy About the Economy

The original list 0f 26 has been culled to my favorite 10 (its my blog.)

1. The over grooming trend - professionally vacuumed pores, four-season pedicures, plucked-clean pudenda - will be reversed, leaving you to molt in peace.
2. Bottled water or tap? They'll give up asking.
3. No longer need to feel embarrassed about asking for cash as a gift.
4. Poverty is green! Reduce carbon footprint by wearing old clothes, driving old car, turning down heat.
5. Child will have much easier time finding great non-paying internship.
6. Will finally keep resolution to start using the library more often.
7. Fewer kids named Tiffany, more named Cash.
8. No more pressure to carry a $1400 purse: The new status bag will be Whole Foods - oooh! - recyclable.
9. Can stop worrying about what bling is.
10. All fur will henceforth be fake.
11. When you turn down the guy begging on the subway platform, you'll be able to look him in the eye.
12. Should you move to the suburbs now that you have kids? Move back to the city now that the kids are grown? Stop debating: You're going nowhere.

(okay, so my top 10 includes 12 items - so what)

UAW

The United Auto Workers (UAW) must be crazy. Given a choice between a job at a fairly high hourly rate and pretty good benefits or no job - I would personally pick the job.

Would I like the concessions - no, but I like it better than trying to get a job with limited skills in a market that shed a half a million jobs in one month.

Ron Gettelfinger, the leader of the UAW should step down immediately for jeopardizing the livelihood of thousands of people. If I were a union member there, I think I would want to break the union. I believe they call it a "vote of no confidence."

Serious times require serious solutions. The UAW is being stubborn and unreasonable. Foolishness.

As I Have Said Before.......

Sometimes you just gotta laugh!

While Detroit Slept

I just read an excellent opinion piece - in fact it was reasonable - by Thomas Friedman in regard to bailing out Detroit. The title of this blog writing is his, not mine.

He wrote, "our bailout of Detroit will be remembered as the equivalent of pouring billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the mail-order-catalogue business on the eve of the birth of eBay. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into the CD music business on the eve of the birth of the iPod and iTunes. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into a book-store chain on the eve of the birth of Amazon.com and the Kindle. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into improving typewriters on the eve of the birth of the PC and the Internet."

The article then goes on to discuss a company, an American company, called Better Place which is developing a model for electric car "refueling" in conjunction with Japanese car manufactures like Nissan, Honda, Mitsubishi, and Subaru. GM, by the way, dismissed Better Place - they apparently know better than the innovators.

The more I read about GM they less I like them, which is hard to say because I have never in my life purchased a GM product. How much less than that can I like them?

Does the Corruption Never End?

Whatever happened to reasonableness should be replaced with whatever happened to ethics?

Rod Blagojevich is accused of a wide-ranging criminal conspiracy, including attempts by the Illinois governor to try to sell the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by President-elect Barack Obama. In exchange he wanted financial benefits for himself and his wife. Blagojevich also is accused of obtaining campaign contributions in exchange for other Gubernatorial actions. Maybe with him they should be called "Goober"-natorial actions.

Did he think that in the days of instant electronic surveillance that he wouldn't be caught? Is there no end to idiocy?

Argh! He Must Be Kidding

How do some people sleep at night?

John Thain, chairman and CEO of troubled Merrill Lynch, which has taken 10 billion dollars in federal aid, is seeking a $10 million-dollar bonus. As John McEnroe would say, "You can't be serious."

So I wonder how much he would want if he had actually made a profit for his company in the year he has been there? As it is, they lost billions and they were purchased by Bank of America. And for that he wants a bonus?

This is lunacy.

But Who Will Find the Real Killer?

If O.J. Simpson is in jail for the next 9 years, who will find out who killed Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman?

Finally, O.J. is where he has belonged for the past 13 years.

Unions

Yesterday I saw an ad on TV, unfortunately I missed who the sponsor was. However, for this blog, it doesn't matter.

What the ad was basically saying is that workers should begin to organize so that companies will raise pay, give exhaustive benefits, etc.

What I am wondering is: On what planet are these people living? The UAW is busy giving concessions so that their sugar daddy doesn't completely get obliterated. No GM, no Ford, no Chrysler, no need for UAW workers being paid an enormous amount of money.

Unions served a purpose when companies were abusing their workers in so many ways. Now, CNN would be on the spot showing the horrible companies and they would have difficulty getting employees, or better yet, would get prosecuted. So the usefulness of a union is waning.

When ads are run that basically ignore the financial and political realities, you have to wonder where did the reasonableness go?

Sports - Good vs. Evil

Sport mimics real life in many ways. The Super Bowl hero, Plaxico Burress was arrested for shooting himself in the leg at a NY night club. He shot himself - idiot!

However, he could have easily shot a night club patron, one who probably couldn't afford to miss work from a gun shot wound. Plaxico can afford the dollar loss having signed a huge contract for many millions of dollars.

Now, the players union is filing a grievance saying Plaxico's rights are being violated. What? The idiot shot himself in a public venue and they think he should be paid and allowed to play. How can he play any way? He has a hole in his leg to go with the apparent hole in his head.

Argh!!!

Burning Down the House!

A few weeks ago I heard a commentary that George Bush wasn't going to be happy until he burned down the White House on his way out of town. This was in response to the concerted effort to deregulate everything in his sight.

That deregulation worked so well with the bankers that he now thinks that it should be spread to the rest of our government. The "Deer in the headlight" Bush is using precious resources to make this happen. Idiotic waste of resources with tragic consequences.

Sadly, President Obama will have to use equally as precious resources to put these regulations back into place. Crazy.

Please, please George don't burn the joint down.

Recession

The U.S. government was the last group or person to know that we have been in a recession. For a year now we have been in a recession. The good news is that most recessions last about 16 months, thus in another 4 months or so this should be over.

Who decides when it is over? I think we do when we start buying again.

I personally hope that we have learned something here, and unfortunately we probably have more to learn over these next months. Living within our means, saving some money, getting away from oil dependence seem like good places to start.