If I Were Obama

If I were Obama, after the health care summit yesterday, I would say, "I will not run again for president of the Unites States." I would take my incredible speaking ability and sharp mind and put it to use torturing Republicans from the cheap seats (ala Newt Gingrich - also a great speaker and sharp fellow) for the rest of my days.

I love this exchange from yesterday's summit:

"Obama also gave House Minority Whip Eric Cantor a stern talking-to when he noticed that the Virginia Republican had stacked the more than 2,000-page bill in front of him while he griped that patients would not be able to maintain the same level of coverage under the Democrats' plan."

"You know, when we do props like this, you stack it up and you repeat 2,400 pages, etc -- the truth of the matter is that health care is very complicated. And we can try to pretend that it's not, but it is," Obama said. "These are the kind of political things we do that prevent us from actually having a conversation."

Health care reform for a nation this side is complicated and the political showmanship isn't helping. So, President Obama, make their day - tell'em your done in 3 years and then go work hard to embarrass the naysayers.

A New Blog Series - Part Five

To prove that the general public isn't much smarter than politicians and CEOs we get this gem:

GM couldn't sell enough cars to keep out of bankruptcy, but plenty of its worthless stock sure got sold afterwards.
The old version of the company, now known as Motors Liquidation, was left with GM's debt, unwanted plants and dealerships, and its old shares, which trade under the symbol MTLQQ for about 60 cents apiece.

Oddly enough, investor demand has been brisk even though GM and the Securities and Exchange Commission have warned that the shares will become utterly worthless once the entire bankruptcy process is complete.

The last week of August saw more MTLQQ shares change hands than shares of blue chips such as Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola or Apple.

Back From Cruising

Damn - we are back already!

Eight nights is statistically longer than the 7 nights we took in the past. Still not long enough.

Here are a few observations:

1. I am going to move to England and become a famous singer like Elton John or Paul McCartney because they are now called "Sir." Our room steward called me Sir Jeffrey and I admit that I liked it. Like most room stewards, I think he was from the Philippines.

2. Security in Costa Rica stinks. Any nut job could walk up mighty close to the ship unless the security detail was just well hidden. Given what I saw in Costa Rica, that seems highly unlikely.

3. I think you have to go to the Pacific side of Costa Rica to see what everyone is raving about. The Caribbean side was a dump. Poor, poor, poor.

4. Did you know that the Panama Canal uses lake water to raise and lower the boats? Millions of gallons dumped per day from Gaton lake - fortunately the rainy season is about 8 months long. Interesting to see the canal work. Apparently it costs about $300k to send a cruise ship through the locks. Thus when we gave the canal to the Panamanians in the late 90s, we gave them millions of dollars.

5. Panama is a beautiful place. Costa Rica was a dump.....oh yea, I already said that.

6. Most skinny people today are not as skinny as they were in years past. Nor am I.

7. The bar bill on a cruise sucks - but the wine is good!

8. People who work on cruise ships are pleasant and hard working folks. They work ridiculous schedules, day after day, week after week, month after month, and yet still are able to smile at you and make you feel welcome. Very few Americans working on ships. I didn't see any on this trip. Hmmm, I wonder why?

9. Ship comedians always tell jokes about the bathrooms in the staterooms. The jokes always make you laugh because they are so true.

All in all, a reasonable way to travel.

Ciao

Ciao folks. On our way to Ft. Lauderdale to go on a cruise. A great and reasonable way to travel!

Airport Security

Through some oddity, since the Christmas Day bomber burned himself, I have had to fly several times, more than normal. The other oddity is that I have not noticed any uptick in security or how long it takes. The only observation is that it seems fewer people yet are flying.

At any rate, I went through a body scanner yesterday in Las Vegas. I didn't feel violated, nor do I suppose the woman viewing these picture (wherever she was) said, "wow, look at that hunky guy." What I can say is - we zipped right through versus if someone was patting you down.

Now this morning I read that some Muslim American group is complaining via a fatha (some sort of decree) that these scanners violate their religion due to modesty rules. They encourage fellow Muslims to enjoy a pat down instead. Sure, having some stranger's hands running up and down your legs is less of a violation.

Can you doubt that soon they will file a lawsuit? Soon we will all be going through these things (good) except the Muslims, terrorists and all. I say the government should simply say, "then don't fly.....and then we won't need the scanners at all." After-all, 100% of the airline terrorists have been Muslims; I am not saying they are "good Muslims"; and I believe the vast majority of Muslims are "good Muslims."

Fatha means unreasonableness.

Sports Prognostication

I apparently stink at this prognostication. I am not shocked that Na'wlins won, but surprised. What a party in the French Quarter. And Mardi Gras right around the corner. Good for New Orleans.

A New Blog Series - Part Four

Gettin' ready to go on a cruise, thus this stuff shouldn't effect me much. However,........well just read it and weep. These are the types of people running and ruining the economy.

"AIG's new chief executive Robert Benmosche had a rep for shooting from the hip before he was hired to lead the bailed-out insurer in August, and it didn't take him long to start taking shots.
In his first meeting with AIG employees, Benmosche called Congress a bunch of "crazies," saying he would tell them to "stick it where the sun don't shine" if he was called to testify on Capitol Hill. He also announced that New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who had been investigating AIG, "doesn't deserve to be in government."

Benmosche didn't stop with the barbs. After board members tried to rein him in, he asked for a private jet for personal use and later threatened to quit over government-prescribed pay restrictions.

It's not easy to feel sympathy for politicians, regulators and overpaid corporate board members, but Benmosche is doing his best to make them look good."

A New Blog Series - Part Three

Not to be out done by the dimwit bankers, Tim Geithner had his own foolishness.

"Following a speech at Peking University on his first trip to China as Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner was asked to share his thoughts about the safety of Chinese investments in the United States. They are "VERY safe," he quickly asserted.
At which point the audience burst out laughing. Apparently, the audience was amused not only by the answer's substance, but by the flat "don't worry your little young heads about it" certainty with which Geithner insisted that China's U.S. debt holdings were A-OK. Because as even a group of Chinese college kids understood, that's just not as clear as the Treasury Secretary insisted it was. "

China should keep lending money however because the world (and our stock market) saw what happens when a country's credit is called into question. 4 European countries having problems getting credit and the markets take a dive. Ugh. These Europeans need their own Geithner.

A New Blog Series - Part Two

Since A.G. Cuomo from NY decided to go after Ken Lewis yesterday, I thought I would highlight his folly next:

"What Ken Lewis wanted, Ken Lewis got. During his eight-year tenure as Bank of America's CEO, he embarked on a dizzying series of acquisitions to create the nation's biggest financial services company.
But when his last two big buys -- toxic-mortgage giant Countrywide and dead-on-its-feet bank Merrill Lynch -- drew too much scrutiny from regulators and shareholders, Lewis packed up his golden parachute last October and bailed."

He was paid more than $20M for his last year, and $165M over 5 years while he was killing the company with these ridiculous purchases. I wonder how many people lost their jobs, families, homes, etc. while this dunce was raking in the dough?

M. Jackson's Doc

Why would a murder suspect be allowed to negotiate how he will be brought into custody by the police in LA? Dr. Conrad Murray, who apparently gave Michael Jackson a cocktail of powerful drugs to induce sleep, is now having his lawyers negotiate how he will give himself up.

How many criminals get this kind of treatment? It is better treatment than the treatment the doc gave to his patient.

Weird, and unreasonable.

A New Blog Series

I have heard it said several times in the past month that bankers, corporate CEO, etc. are being unfairly vilified. Hmmm. What is a blogger to do with that set up? Share.......

I will try to remember to share some of these from time to time, one at a time so as not to bore all of you.

This is priceless (full disclosure - I lifted this from a Forbes piece):

"For all the complex financial products they can dream up, simple common sense still seems to elude the bright minds of Wall Street. Or at least, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein.
Hoping to shore up his firm's battered image, he spearheaded an all-out public relations campaign this fall, touting his company's important role in building economies and helping everyday workers prosper.

Last month, however, he got a bit carried away, telling a Times of London reporter that he was just a banker "doing God's work." For $43 million a year.

Super Bowl

Indianapolis Colts, with the genius quarterback Peyton Manning will win the Super Bowl against the New Orleans Saints. I am pleased for the city of New Orleans, and the bond between the city and the team is great, but I just don't think it is enough.

I wouldn't be shocked if NO were to win, but I think it unlikely.

Only in Arizona

Sometimes the stupidity of elected officials is even more difficult to understand. Arizona, the place that had men with assault rifles on their back within yards of the U.S. President - because they could, has decided that the gun rules here are too onerous.

First, there are very few states with as lax laws as Arizona. Next, other than CA, no budget is more screwed up than Arizona's. Third, we are dependent on conventions, tourism, and the housing market to survive and thrive. Lastly, after the assault rifle-President Obama incident, many travel sites withdrew recommendations to travel to AZ.

Given these four statements, what should our legislature do about guns, if anything? What they have decided to do is to loosen the rules. They propose that having a concealed weapon no longer require a permit. If the gun is manufactured and sold in AZ, they propose that it needn't be registered. What?

I have a friend here in AZ, a professional (generally not a group associated with ultra-conservativeness), who admitted that when Obama was elected, he bought thousands of dollars of ammunition. This friend is a good man and very successful. Some how, when it comes to guns, brains apparently suffer a disrupted signal. I certainly haven't ever heard Obama talk about taking away any one's gun.

This info was provided in today's newspaper. Also in the paper this morning was the story about the funeral for valley police officer Lt. Eric Shuhandler who was shot last week in the face during a traffic stop. I wonder how his fellow officers, and his kids, and his widow feel about more unregistered, concealed weapons?

Our government, at every level, needs to get to work on real issues. Totally unreasonable use of power.

2010 Election

Going to get a head start on the off year vote of 2010. This will be interesting, and perhaps show the fickle nature of the electorate. Really, the moderate electorate is what I mean. The far right Republicans are going to vote for Genghis Khan if he runs as anti-tax right-wing conservative. The far left Democrats are going to vote for Vlad Lenin if he runs as a bleeding-heart, left-wing liberal. (Yes I know those guys are dead, but have you ever seen the guys in the Senate now?)

That leaves the Independents and the moderate members of the two other parties, and I suppose those who associate with the fringe groups (Libertarians, Green Party, etc.)

Until 2006, the Democrats hadn't had control of the two congressional chambers for 12 years. In 2006, the electorate (again those not on the extremes) said, "enough of this already and booted the Republicans out.
Pre-election numbers: Republican Senators - 55, post-election 49
Pre-election numbers: Republican House Members - 229, post-election 202

Then 2008 came along and the Democrats correctly pummeled GWB's policies, hung them on to McCain (perhaps unfairly but he didn't do anything to dispell this), and gathered an enormous gain in the seats. Oh, and of course they got the white house with a half-Black candidate. The Republicans couldn't have been more thoroughly trounced.

Now, there is a feeling that the middle is going back the other direction. Most likely true, and necessary since the Dems in congress have been basically useless. Some of you will argue that it is Obama's fault. I don't agree on the Obama part, but think that Pelosi et al are useless.

The old White guy crowd on the right are salivating. A Black president they can blame and a female Speaker of the House they can further vilify. Bonanza! Eureka! Shazam!

So what will the middle voters do in 2010? We won't have to stay tuned long before the fun and games begin - especially given the free-for-all that the Supreme Court has just unleashed on us. Won't it be fun to watch Dr. House grouse and then a bunch of insurance companies grouse during the commercials? SNL will be fun - it will be 1 1/2 hours of a political commercial - some funny, some serious, and all nauseating.

Clearly Pelosi is a failure and it seems highly likely that the Republicans will gain seats. A majority? I don't think so, but we won't know until November. More likely, the middle electorate will send a message - we don't want to be a socialist country, we don't want to own banks and car companies, etc. But I think they will also be saying that if the extremes on either side take them for granted, they will feel the wrath.

Dems turn to feel the wrath.

Speed Cameras

In Arizona we have a massive system of speed cameras on our highways. The premise is that if you drive 10 MPH over the posted limit, the camera will take your picture and the state will send you a ticket in the mail. No points are given (or taken) against your license. Just a stiff fine.

This has been very divisive in the state. Basically, if you set your speed (I use cruise control) at 7 MPH over, you won't get a picture ticket and the live cops aren't likely to nab you either. There is a fair amount of evidence already that deaths and injuries are down.

I have three objections to the program, but basically support having them. The objections are:

1. Some people don't pay the fines, and there is no one to collect it in the prescribed time frame.
2. You can get on the freeway and not see a speed limit sign, but come to a camera. There should always be a sign saying what the speed limit is in the zone - reasonable since they already have two signs telling you there is a camera. Yes, that is true - they warn you in writing that you are coming to a speed camera zone.
3. Which brings me to the last one - idiot drivers going 55 in a 65 zone to avoid getting a ticket which they wouldn't get if they were travelling 74 MPH. So they jam on the breaks when they see the warning sign, or the camera even though there is no chance they will get a ticket for driving between 65 and 74. None.

Being of reasonable mind, I believe people want to get rid of the program because they are not aware enough on the road. Rather than admit they are unaware, they would rather get rid of a program that perhaps saves lives.

I assume other states are watching to see how this goes in AZ before investing millions of dollars as AZ has. I guess it is unreasonable to start it now since the overwhelming consensus of the loudest orators is that they should go away. The right wing conservatives (loudest orators) view this as a tax. Funny stance for a generally "law and order" type.

I just don't want any more tickets (5 cars, 4 drivers((2 under 22 years old)) so again, I say drive 7 MPH over and you shouldn't have a problem.