The other side has been heard from, sort of. They still have not addressed some fundamental concerns.
What happened to Obama's promise of transparency? I thought we would get five days to look at bills?
By what Constitutional Authority does the Federal Government dictate local building codes?
What is the rush to pass ANOTHER massive, intrusive bill with out even reading it. I would be pissed if my Representative voted in favor of something that he has not even read. From my earliest days as an adult I was told to read every document before I signed it. (my house closings have been long affairs). Should we expect any less when it is OUR money your Representative is voting to spend? Why the rush, are the Democrats afraid what will happen when the public finds out what is in the bill?
If you can explain why the polar ice caps on Mars are melting, I will buy into man made global warming. There is an inconvenient truth for you. UNtil then educate yourself. Read the many, many articles that debunk global warming. I learned in debate the best way to prepare an argument is to research the other side. Try it, you might just learn something.
This measure will force banks to give better terms to individuals buying houses that are more "green". Isn't that the kind of forced mortgages that lead to the current housing/financial crisis?
Can you honestly say you think the Federal Government (namely unelected bureaucrats at the EPA) should tell you how to heat and cool your house, what to drive, how your food should be prepared, etc.? Honestly, does anyone think that is freedom?
Click on this. And they say GW Bush appointed idiots. What kind of fool goes on TV to promote something she has not read?
Here is another great article. Yes, he has a vested interest in pushing natural gas. That does not change the facts he presents.
June 30, 2009
June 29, 2009
Eat me
It is Monday, normally my busiest day in term of blog hits. I need to post something to entertain you, but right now all I have is a big fat bag of empty.
I sure do not see many of the liberal blogs singing praises of The Obama these days. I am no genius, but it sure looks as if I was right last summer when I predicted dire consequences if we elected this guy.
Did you know the House version of the cap and trade bill puts the Feds in charge of regulating your local building codes and permits? Say good bye to that pesky state and local government. Your local elected officials will no longer be in charge -- the EPA will. Does that make you Obamaites feel better?
Home loans will be made easier if you have a higher "green score". Lower interest and more favorable approvals with less money down are promised to those who are environmentally aware. I guess we learned nothing from the real estate crash and Freddie/Fannie. That was so long ago, though...
Is there anyone who can argue in favor of the provisions to this bill? Like the stimulusjoke bill, this one was too important to read as well. I guess that transparency promise from The Obama was just another lie. I am sure the Kos Kids and all will be shouting about that any day now...
Never in my life would I believe we would see massive deficits and taxes run up on the American people in the name of junk science. I think some days I am living in an Alice in Wonderland world where cooling is warming, tax increases are tax cuts and a man with no experience of being in charge of anything -- ever -- is elected President. Wake up Hoosierboy, wake up...
Just as the North Koreans are increasing their missile technology along with the Syrians and Iranians we are cutting our missile defense capabilities. I guess the policy of putting our fingers in our ears and closing our eyes while shouting na na na na na na really must be a nuclear deterrent. That seems to be our policy. Perhaps The Obama would not really mind if the North Koreans nuke Hawaii as they have promised. All evidence of the non-existent birth certificate cover-up would be destroyed.
I hate to say this, but this clown is starting to make GW Bush look good. By the time Obama is done we just might long for the good old days of Jimmah Carter.
I sure do not see many of the liberal blogs singing praises of The Obama these days. I am no genius, but it sure looks as if I was right last summer when I predicted dire consequences if we elected this guy.
Did you know the House version of the cap and trade bill puts the Feds in charge of regulating your local building codes and permits? Say good bye to that pesky state and local government. Your local elected officials will no longer be in charge -- the EPA will. Does that make you Obamaites feel better?
Home loans will be made easier if you have a higher "green score". Lower interest and more favorable approvals with less money down are promised to those who are environmentally aware. I guess we learned nothing from the real estate crash and Freddie/Fannie. That was so long ago, though...
Is there anyone who can argue in favor of the provisions to this bill? Like the stimulus
Never in my life would I believe we would see massive deficits and taxes run up on the American people in the name of junk science. I think some days I am living in an Alice in Wonderland world where cooling is warming, tax increases are tax cuts and a man with no experience of being in charge of anything -- ever -- is elected President. Wake up Hoosierboy, wake up...
Just as the North Koreans are increasing their missile technology along with the Syrians and Iranians we are cutting our missile defense capabilities. I guess the policy of putting our fingers in our ears and closing our eyes while shouting na na na na na na really must be a nuclear deterrent. That seems to be our policy. Perhaps The Obama would not really mind if the North Koreans nuke Hawaii as they have promised. All evidence of the non-existent birth certificate cover-up would be destroyed.
I hate to say this, but this clown is starting to make GW Bush look good. By the time Obama is done we just might long for the good old days of Jimmah Carter.
June 28, 2009
Random Ramblings
To the best of my knowledge I have never owned, purchased, or copied a Jackson Five or Michael Jackson record, tape, cassette, or cd. That will not change with Jackson assuming room temperature this week. In the wake of the unending coverage on every radio and TV station there is a lone bright spot -- so far we have not been subjected to repeated showings of The Wiz.
I baked chocolate chip cookies yesterday instead of mowing the lawn.
The boy leaves for tennis camp today. He will be back on Friday.
My anniversary is Tuesday. On our first, I started a really dumb tradition. I bought her a single red rose. The next year two. I placed my order for 25 red roses on Friday. Holy crap, flowers are expensive. I guess I never planned on this marriage thing lasting so long, or else I was very short sighted. I know she would be disappointed if I were to stop now. Surely two dozen plus one roses is enough to get a fellow laid?
I have felt like shit the past few days. Nothing specific, I just do not feel right. I think the Democrats are killing me. The Obamanation hates middle aged white guys. We are the conservatives. They are purposely passing measures that are alien to our American beliefs. As my blood pressure surges the chances of stroke and heart attack increase. I tell you it is brilliant. It is a plot. If they can cause us old white guys to stroke out or have a heart attack we will not be able to vote out the Dems and Obamaites in the next election. You have to admire the subtle irony -- they promise health care while killing us softly.
Where in the Hell is the National GOP? If they do not publicly chastise (do that mean what I think it mean?)those assholes who voted to destroy the economy and pass the largest tax increase ever on the American people, the GOP is like Fredo -- dead to me. You know the identity of the eight men out. Remember that come voting time. The National (and local) Party should tell them they will never get another dime. Those traitors can't even visit their mother if the rest of us are going to be there. You broke my heart you fucking New Jersey bastards. Short of a harsh, committment to punish these RINOs, I will never send another penny to the National GOP. I will give to the candidates I admire, but never to the Party. The GOP must develop some spine.
Wake up -- people are not going to vote for Democrat light when they can elect the real thing. Why would we spend our time dry humping the homecoming queen when we can do the naked belly bump with her best friend? It is time the conservatives took back the Party. If businesses and individuals cut off the money, the GOP will change. Money talks. We want someone to articulate a clear opposition to the garbage being pushed down our throat. Finally, Boehner spoke up yesterday. Mike Pence -- it is time to quit being polite and diplomatic, call a spade a spade and bad legislation a piece of shit. Yes, it is a counterplan when you refuse to let the environmental-socialist destroy everything that made our country great.
Happy Sunday.
I baked chocolate chip cookies yesterday instead of mowing the lawn.
The boy leaves for tennis camp today. He will be back on Friday.
My anniversary is Tuesday. On our first, I started a really dumb tradition. I bought her a single red rose. The next year two. I placed my order for 25 red roses on Friday. Holy crap, flowers are expensive. I guess I never planned on this marriage thing lasting so long, or else I was very short sighted. I know she would be disappointed if I were to stop now. Surely two dozen plus one roses is enough to get a fellow laid?
I have felt like shit the past few days. Nothing specific, I just do not feel right. I think the Democrats are killing me. The Obamanation hates middle aged white guys. We are the conservatives. They are purposely passing measures that are alien to our American beliefs. As my blood pressure surges the chances of stroke and heart attack increase. I tell you it is brilliant. It is a plot. If they can cause us old white guys to stroke out or have a heart attack we will not be able to vote out the Dems and Obamaites in the next election. You have to admire the subtle irony -- they promise health care while killing us softly.
Where in the Hell is the National GOP? If they do not publicly chastise (do that mean what I think it mean?)those assholes who voted to destroy the economy and pass the largest tax increase ever on the American people, the GOP is like Fredo -- dead to me. You know the identity of the eight men out. Remember that come voting time. The National (and local) Party should tell them they will never get another dime. Those traitors can't even visit their mother if the rest of us are going to be there. You broke my heart you fucking New Jersey bastards. Short of a harsh, committment to punish these RINOs, I will never send another penny to the National GOP. I will give to the candidates I admire, but never to the Party. The GOP must develop some spine.
Wake up -- people are not going to vote for Democrat light when they can elect the real thing. Why would we spend our time dry humping the homecoming queen when we can do the naked belly bump with her best friend? It is time the conservatives took back the Party. If businesses and individuals cut off the money, the GOP will change. Money talks. We want someone to articulate a clear opposition to the garbage being pushed down our throat. Finally, Boehner spoke up yesterday. Mike Pence -- it is time to quit being polite and diplomatic, call a spade a spade and bad legislation a piece of shit. Yes, it is a counterplan when you refuse to let the environmental-socialist destroy everything that made our country great.
Happy Sunday.
June 27, 2009
I was just reamed by 219 Congressmen
Good morning citizens of the Midwest. Those of you from Ohio to Wyoming, from West Virginia to Michigan, how do you feel today? The Democratic Controlled Congress just gave you a Cleveland Steamer of epic proportions. Yes, those of us in the rust belt just took one up the ass so the feel-good liberals from both coasts could combat non-existent global warming. The cap and trade bill passed by the house will cause utility prices to "necessarily skyrocket". That is not your author using hyperbole. Those are the words of our very own President Obama back in January 2008. He promised it, we got it. This equates to the largest tax increase in histoy. And the middle class and poor are going to feel it the most. Do you have an extra $3,100 in your family budget? That is what the Heritage Foundation says this measure is going to cost you.
The liberal Representatives bought off your Congressperson with earmarks and pork -- paid for by you -- the already overburdened taxpayer. It is estimated that my beloved Hoosier State will lose 35,000 jobs and over $6 billion in lost State GDP and personal income. Hey Michigan -- you think things are bad now, just wait.
Remember that big sucking sound Ross Perot promised we would hear as jobs moved out of the country? You are about the hear it. I will explain this again to you liberals who believe the purpose of business is to provide jobs. It is not. Business owners are here to make a profit. They are going to pass those increased energy costs to you, the unlucky consumer. If they cannot pass on those costs, then businesses will manufacture in a place that allows them to. Sick of everything you buy at WalMart coming from China, India, and Vietnam? Guess what, they are not under the provisions of this idiotic law.
Further, could one of you who thinks this bill is a good idea tell me why we are combating global warming when an ever-increasing number of experts have come to the conclusion the idea of man-made global warming is a myth? Seriously, global temperatures have not risen in 7 years. We appear to be in a cooling trend. My 6 year-old nephew would not even buy the theory that global cooling (which scientist now say could last decades) is a sign the planet is getting warmer.
...chirp-chirp, chirp-chirp...
All is not lost. Thank the Founders for instituting a bicameral legislature to combat such popular idiocy. Call you Senators and tell them HELL NO when it comes to cap and trade. And remember how your Democratic Congressman just screwed you come 2010.
The liberal Representatives bought off your Congressperson with earmarks and pork -- paid for by you -- the already overburdened taxpayer. It is estimated that my beloved Hoosier State will lose 35,000 jobs and over $6 billion in lost State GDP and personal income. Hey Michigan -- you think things are bad now, just wait.
Remember that big sucking sound Ross Perot promised we would hear as jobs moved out of the country? You are about the hear it. I will explain this again to you liberals who believe the purpose of business is to provide jobs. It is not. Business owners are here to make a profit. They are going to pass those increased energy costs to you, the unlucky consumer. If they cannot pass on those costs, then businesses will manufacture in a place that allows them to. Sick of everything you buy at WalMart coming from China, India, and Vietnam? Guess what, they are not under the provisions of this idiotic law.
Further, could one of you who thinks this bill is a good idea tell me why we are combating global warming when an ever-increasing number of experts have come to the conclusion the idea of man-made global warming is a myth? Seriously, global temperatures have not risen in 7 years. We appear to be in a cooling trend. My 6 year-old nephew would not even buy the theory that global cooling (which scientist now say could last decades) is a sign the planet is getting warmer.
...chirp-chirp, chirp-chirp...
All is not lost. Thank the Founders for instituting a bicameral legislature to combat such popular idiocy. Call you Senators and tell them HELL NO when it comes to cap and trade. And remember how your Democratic Congressman just screwed you come 2010.
June 25, 2009
Hope and Change in Iran
"Newly re-elected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad used his victory speech to announce that hope and change have finally come to Iran after eight years of failed policies from the Bush administration."
Some things are too funny for words. Read the whole thing here.
And to think I saw it on Mulberry Street
With apologies to the good Dr. Seuss, sometimes you can see the darndest things while driving. Here is a van sporting a window air conditioner mounted in the back window.
How did they plug it in?
This picture was taken with my cellphone while driving a street near my house. I do not recommend taking pictures while driving. Insert all kinds of small legalese fine print.
I made some cavatini for dinner last night. The boy ate half the pan. He sure loves his Italian food. He got me to take him to the late showing of the new Transformers Movie. Great action, the plot has a few holes in it that bugged the crap out of me. We had a nice time. At nearly 16 he and I do not spend as much time together as we used to. I have become somewhat of an embarrassment, I guess (it took him a while to figure that out!). The movie is around 2-1/2 hours long, so we did not get home until 1:30 am or so.
When we got home the wife had done the dishes and made some Rice Krispy Treats. I told her she is the bestest wife I have ever had.
June 24, 2009
Learn Something Today
Some things bother me. I worry about them.
For instance, this morning I am determined to discover who invented the toaster. It was Charles B. Strite who invented the modern, timer operated pop-up toaster -- according to WikiAnswers.
My head is filled with useless information like this. Dates, names, part numbers all echo in a meaningless jumble through my brain matter. Do you know the last time the Isle of Great Britain was successfully invaded by a foreign army? Who commanded the Union Fourteenth Corps at the Battle of Chicamauga? What is the largest city in American without a navigable waterway?
Last night at dinner I was asked by my future son-in-law "Why would you know that?" in reference to some trivia I added to the general conversation. I cannot even remember what was said now, but his comment struck me. Why, indeed, do I want to know this stuff? It is not like it will ever earn me money or fame, unless I luck upon a stint on Jeopardy.
Why do I research the Constitution, the value of currency, the Laffer Curve? Why do I care about the historical references and the events that shaped our Nation? Why is the first decade of the 1800s important to modern political thought? What does the policies of the Lincoln Administration and Reconstruction have to do with the Stimulus Plan and the takeover of GM? How did the Presidency of George Bush (I) lead to the election of Obama? Why should every college economics course focus on the Japanese and German economies of the 1990s?
If we do not study history we fail to recognize the mistakes made by those who came before us. If we do not study the 1920 Prohibition era, we might think banning cigarettes was a good idea. If we do not study the economic effects of the Depression and the New Deal, we might believe the Government can actually spend the way out of an economic slowdown. If we do not do a little research we might think unemployment is at a level unseen since the Great Depression. With a little work you will see the early Reagan years were tougher than our current times, thanks to the genius of Jimmah Carter.
If one were to actually make an effort to learn something, to read, to think, to research, in the future you will take decisions based on reason. Then, not only will you pull the voting lever based on thought rather than emotion, but your head will be filled with useless fun facts, like the identity of the last Julio-Claudian Emperor of Rome.
here are some of the answers:
1066, Gen. George Thomas, Indianapolis, Nero
For instance, this morning I am determined to discover who invented the toaster. It was Charles B. Strite who invented the modern, timer operated pop-up toaster -- according to WikiAnswers.
My head is filled with useless information like this. Dates, names, part numbers all echo in a meaningless jumble through my brain matter. Do you know the last time the Isle of Great Britain was successfully invaded by a foreign army? Who commanded the Union Fourteenth Corps at the Battle of Chicamauga? What is the largest city in American without a navigable waterway?
Last night at dinner I was asked by my future son-in-law "Why would you know that?" in reference to some trivia I added to the general conversation. I cannot even remember what was said now, but his comment struck me. Why, indeed, do I want to know this stuff? It is not like it will ever earn me money or fame, unless I luck upon a stint on Jeopardy.
Why do I research the Constitution, the value of currency, the Laffer Curve? Why do I care about the historical references and the events that shaped our Nation? Why is the first decade of the 1800s important to modern political thought? What does the policies of the Lincoln Administration and Reconstruction have to do with the Stimulus Plan and the takeover of GM? How did the Presidency of George Bush (I) lead to the election of Obama? Why should every college economics course focus on the Japanese and German economies of the 1990s?
If we do not study history we fail to recognize the mistakes made by those who came before us. If we do not study the 1920 Prohibition era, we might think banning cigarettes was a good idea. If we do not study the economic effects of the Depression and the New Deal, we might believe the Government can actually spend the way out of an economic slowdown. If we do not do a little research we might think unemployment is at a level unseen since the Great Depression. With a little work you will see the early Reagan years were tougher than our current times, thanks to the genius of Jimmah Carter.
If one were to actually make an effort to learn something, to read, to think, to research, in the future you will take decisions based on reason. Then, not only will you pull the voting lever based on thought rather than emotion, but your head will be filled with useless fun facts, like the identity of the last Julio-Claudian Emperor of Rome.
here are some of the answers:
1066, Gen. George Thomas, Indianapolis, Nero
June 23, 2009
Things
Jon and Kate (whoever they are) are splitting up. I guess that is a bad thing?
Ed McMahon died. I am sure that is a sad thing.
It is not raining today (yet). That is a sunny thing.
The Cubs lost. That is not a surprising thing.
I met a buddy for a nice cigar smoke yesterday. That is a smoky enjoyment thing.
I am not in the mood for work. That is a dangerous thing.
Payday cannot get here soon enough. It is a financial thing.
I am seriously jonesing for BBQ. It is a summer thing.
Lakanookie is killing me. It is a man thing.
Not all Democrats are liars or hypocrites. It is a searching for a needle in a haystack thing.
There is nothing like a good book. It is a truth of life thing.
This has gone on long enough. It is an end of post thing.
June 22, 2009
Historically thinking
I have always believed the American people are tough. They fight for their rights and beliefs. I have studied history and until now I find that to be true.
If you study the history of the Twentieth Century, you will find that changing a government is usually a violent affair. Millions died in Russia during the Revolution. Ditto for China. The attempt to turn Spain socialist cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. The conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Cuba and even the Congo show that it takes many lives and years to implement a Socialist/Communist agenda. Lenin, Trotsky and Che all advised that the cost was dear.
Why are we rolling over without a whimper? Why is the Republican Party making it so easy for The Obama and his avowed "progressive" boot lickers like Pelosy, Boxer Dodd, and Reid to destroy our nation?
To whom do you attribute your success (or failures)? Is it your own hard work or the Government? Is the best way to make America stronger through its people? Or do you believe only the Government makes us what we are. Sit down and ask yourself some hard questions. Did the government provide your food, your car, your house? Did someone else buy your clothes, your lunch? Who will tuck in your kids, who tells you how to parent? Think long and hard. Does the government provide for your every need? Do you want them to?
Next time, vote accordingly.
If you study the history of the Twentieth Century, you will find that changing a government is usually a violent affair. Millions died in Russia during the Revolution. Ditto for China. The attempt to turn Spain socialist cost the lives of hundreds of thousands. The conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, Nicaragua, Cuba and even the Congo show that it takes many lives and years to implement a Socialist/Communist agenda. Lenin, Trotsky and Che all advised that the cost was dear.
Why are we rolling over without a whimper? Why is the Republican Party making it so easy for The Obama and his avowed "progressive" boot lickers like Pelosy, Boxer Dodd, and Reid to destroy our nation?
To whom do you attribute your success (or failures)? Is it your own hard work or the Government? Is the best way to make America stronger through its people? Or do you believe only the Government makes us what we are. Sit down and ask yourself some hard questions. Did the government provide your food, your car, your house? Did someone else buy your clothes, your lunch? Who will tuck in your kids, who tells you how to parent? Think long and hard. Does the government provide for your every need? Do you want them to?
Next time, vote accordingly.
June 21, 2009
I am insulted in a public place
Happy Dad's Day to all of you Pops out there. I hope you get a call or visit from your kids. Call your own Dad and say hello. I was gonna go visit mine today, but he is going on a mini-trip with Otter. I will take him out for dinner this week instead.
I ran four different virus scans yesterday, deep scans that took hours to complete and they found nothing. I am going to restore my computer to before the big IE crash and see what happens. Yes, I know there are legions saying I should be using Firefox about now. I might agree, except I do not know how or where to get it or how to use it if I do manage top get it installed.
The Cubs won a great game yesterday. I watched every minute.
The wife and I went to the movies last night. It is the first time we have gone to the movies in months. We saw the new Sandra Bullock film The Proposal. A very good romantic comedy. But that is not what is important.
The wife paid for the tickets since she had the money. As we sat in our seats, she gave me a forlorn look and told me she can't believe it -- the ticket girl sold us 'Senior' tickets. Senior Citizen fucking tickets!* I pulled out the stubs. Sure enough. I looked at her and said,"No, they charged me regular price, but gave you a Senior Discount. She did not think that was nearly as funny as I did. I thought about going to demand I be charged the correct price. Since I didn't, you can conclude my moral outrage was not as great as you might think. Besides, it would be even more humiliating to have the girl say it was not a keypunch mistake, but that she really thought we were older than 55. I have convinced my self the ywere running a Father's Day Weekend special and all tickets were being offered at the Senior Discount. Rather than reprogram the register, they just used the senior button for all. That has to be it.
So, in a short-lived picture feature, tell me what you think -- do we look 55?:
This was taken in March of this year.
*sidebar...that is what I said, the wife would not say "fuck" if it got her a hundred bucks.
I ran four different virus scans yesterday, deep scans that took hours to complete and they found nothing. I am going to restore my computer to before the big IE crash and see what happens. Yes, I know there are legions saying I should be using Firefox about now. I might agree, except I do not know how or where to get it or how to use it if I do manage top get it installed.
The Cubs won a great game yesterday. I watched every minute.
The wife and I went to the movies last night. It is the first time we have gone to the movies in months. We saw the new Sandra Bullock film The Proposal. A very good romantic comedy. But that is not what is important.
The wife paid for the tickets since she had the money. As we sat in our seats, she gave me a forlorn look and told me she can't believe it -- the ticket girl sold us 'Senior' tickets. Senior Citizen fucking tickets!* I pulled out the stubs. Sure enough. I looked at her and said,"No, they charged me regular price, but gave you a Senior Discount. She did not think that was nearly as funny as I did. I thought about going to demand I be charged the correct price. Since I didn't, you can conclude my moral outrage was not as great as you might think. Besides, it would be even more humiliating to have the girl say it was not a keypunch mistake, but that she really thought we were older than 55. I have convinced my self the ywere running a Father's Day Weekend special and all tickets were being offered at the Senior Discount. Rather than reprogram the register, they just used the senior button for all. That has to be it.
So, in a short-lived picture feature, tell me what you think -- do we look 55?:
This was taken in March of this year.
*sidebar...that is what I said, the wife would not say "fuck" if it got her a hundred bucks.
June 20, 2009
Samedi
Go over to Linda's place and read this parable. You will be smarter when you are done.
We got some hard rain last night. The sky was lit with constant lightening and the wind howled in the eaves. I am glad I mowed yesterday.
My 'puter has been acting all wonky. I hope I am not infected. I tried to log on to the internet Thursday, but the window opens and then locks up before the home page can load. Every time. I can log on and use the internet as another user, but not as me. Any advice computer geeks? When bring up the task manager it says CPU usage is 100% (that is why it is locking up). I have made that account a non-administrator, just in case. All of my work etc is tied to that account, so I really do not want to delete it and have to add it all back.
Have a great Saturday.
We got some hard rain last night. The sky was lit with constant lightening and the wind howled in the eaves. I am glad I mowed yesterday.
My 'puter has been acting all wonky. I hope I am not infected. I tried to log on to the internet Thursday, but the window opens and then locks up before the home page can load. Every time. I can log on and use the internet as another user, but not as me. Any advice computer geeks? When bring up the task manager it says CPU usage is 100% (that is why it is locking up). I have made that account a non-administrator, just in case. All of my work etc is tied to that account, so I really do not want to delete it and have to add it all back.
Have a great Saturday.
June 19, 2009
Friday Five
The economy got you down? Sick of politics? Terrified about the crushing debt being placed on your future generations? Has your woman or man done you wrong? Were you bitten by the dog or the kid? Hate your job? Do you live in Cleveland? Do you feel like you need a drink?
In no particular order, here are five choices for songs to get drunk to. Add yours in the comments.
In no particular order, here are five choices for songs to get drunk to. Add yours in the comments.
June 18, 2009
The Commies are coming here
Hold on there pardner, Now The Obama wants the power to go into a private business that may fail in the future -- and I quote "seize its assets". I was not in favor of the bailouts and TARP and etc., but this is too far. Who gets to determine what business 'may' fail? Why the tax cheat in chief, Timothy Geitner. How far are we from nationalizing industries that are too important the economy of the US, like the rest of the car companies, the oil companies, energy suppliers (Obama hates the coal plants anyway) and all banks? Are defense related industries next -- the aircraft manufacturers, bearing companies, guns and ammunition makers? Where does it stop? How about government control of the farms and food factories?
You fervent Kos kids and DU dope smokers were all concerned about GW taking your rights and ignoring the Constitution, does this prospect not frighten you? How will you feel when he comes after your employer or your company?
That will never happen you say. That is what the people of Cuba, Venezuela and Zimbabwe all thought in the not too distant past. I don't know about you, but I am sure hoping we get a little less change. I warned you this was the plan a year ago and I was accused of having pinko paranoia. I would laugh, except I am afraid I will cry for my country's future.
Apparently I am not alone thinking this way. Click this link.
You fervent Kos kids and DU dope smokers were all concerned about GW taking your rights and ignoring the Constitution, does this prospect not frighten you? How will you feel when he comes after your employer or your company?
That will never happen you say. That is what the people of Cuba, Venezuela and Zimbabwe all thought in the not too distant past. I don't know about you, but I am sure hoping we get a little less change. I warned you this was the plan a year ago and I was accused of having pinko paranoia. I would laugh, except I am afraid I will cry for my country's future.
Apparently I am not alone thinking this way. Click this link.
June 16, 2009
I swear every word of this is true
I drew the unlucky seat assignment again on my flight home yesterday evening. A young pimple-faced Eskimo boy from Anchorage heading to Purdue for placement tests occupied the window seat next to me. I am sure he is brilliant. He has plans to get degrees in electrical engineering and physics. I did my 'pull out a book and start reading thing' as soon as I sat down (to stop conversation with strangers), but this did not dissuade the youth. He began with loud discussions about what kind of books I like. I told him that no, I did not particularly care for science fiction. He asked me if I had read any of the classics. Clearly he had a literature course in high school. Dante, Conrad, Hemingway he dropped all of the names. He thought Vonnegut was the bomb. I told him Vonnegut was full of crap. When he persisted I pointed out Vonnegut himself said he was done after Breakfast of Champions and I said the man should have quit then. I pointed out old Kurt was a pretentious liberal fool. We did not discuss literature any more.
I just started to read again as we turned onto the runway. The kid hugged his giant owl pillow and began to rock back and forth. Did I mention his giant owl pillow? Against my better judgement I asked him if he was nervous about flying? He began to tell me about his plan to use industrial lasers to make a really bitching laser tag game. He shook his head side to side several times in the conversation like a dog shaking off water. He rang the call button on and off about ten times until the attendant came. He asked for a Coke. She told him we were still climbing to altitude and service would start in a while.
"Wouldn't it be cool to have Aladdin's magic carpet", he asked me. At least that is what I thought he said. I was distracted because he now gripped the tray table and shook it violently. The lady in the seat in front was not amused. I asked him what he had said. Yes, he did ask me if I thought it would be cool to have Aladdin's magic carpet. I thought maybe that was a video game or something. No, he meant a real flying carpet. I said sure. He spent several minutes describing flying while laying down on his carpet.
The flight attendants went by with the drink cart to begin their service up front. He rang the call button repeatedly until they came to see what was the matter. He asked for a Coke. I thought the attendant was going to hit him. The kid began banging his head on the seat back in front of him. The lady occupant turned around and told him to quit. I gave her an apologetic shrug. He advised me that when he got his masters and was done in six years it was his goal to be on the Enterprise. I asked him if he was joining the Navy. He said no, the Starship Enterprise. He was sure they were already building it and he would be finished with his education just in time. I told him he needs to get a grip, it was a movie. He clutched his pillow and rocked violently.
The kid asked for two different drinks. They gave it to him to keep him quiet. I faked sleeping for a while. As we were landing he looked out the window. He turned to me with scorn. "At least in Alaska we have grass in our parks", he proclaimed. I asked him impatiently what he was talking about. He described the brown and black squares. I told him those were fields, not parks.
"Fields?" Yes I told him, corn, wheat, beans, you know -- food. He told me when he got to Purdue he was going out in the fields and was going to make crop circles to "confuse the locals". I said he better stay out of the fields if he knew what was good for him, farmers would not find destruction of their crops too amusing. He told me he would use his flying saucer. I rolled my eyes.
The big lady across the aisle tapped me on the shoulder and said "Is that boy crazy"? I told her I thought so.
He asked me if I thought he would be better off to sleep for three or four hours tor just stay up and take the test. I suggested he get some sleep. He asked me how would he wake up? I said to have the hotel give him a wale up call. He had never heard of such a thing. He concluded they won't do that, he was going to just stay awake.
As we taxied to the gate, he started telling me to let him out. Repeatedly. As soon as the fasten seat belt sign turned off he pushed past me and headed for the front of the plane.
For part of tho flight I thought he was trying to screw with me. Later, I decided he was high on energy pills or caffeine. Maybe he was off his meds. I do believe he was the most immature teenager I have ever met. I have seen the future. It scares me.
Just think -- sometimes I wish I did not travel so much.
Edit: since yesterday evening the same guy from Australia has landed here searching for pygmy sex more than 40 times. I appreciate the hits, but wow.
I just started to read again as we turned onto the runway. The kid hugged his giant owl pillow and began to rock back and forth. Did I mention his giant owl pillow? Against my better judgement I asked him if he was nervous about flying? He began to tell me about his plan to use industrial lasers to make a really bitching laser tag game. He shook his head side to side several times in the conversation like a dog shaking off water. He rang the call button on and off about ten times until the attendant came. He asked for a Coke. She told him we were still climbing to altitude and service would start in a while.
"Wouldn't it be cool to have Aladdin's magic carpet", he asked me. At least that is what I thought he said. I was distracted because he now gripped the tray table and shook it violently. The lady in the seat in front was not amused. I asked him what he had said. Yes, he did ask me if I thought it would be cool to have Aladdin's magic carpet. I thought maybe that was a video game or something. No, he meant a real flying carpet. I said sure. He spent several minutes describing flying while laying down on his carpet.
The flight attendants went by with the drink cart to begin their service up front. He rang the call button repeatedly until they came to see what was the matter. He asked for a Coke. I thought the attendant was going to hit him. The kid began banging his head on the seat back in front of him. The lady occupant turned around and told him to quit. I gave her an apologetic shrug. He advised me that when he got his masters and was done in six years it was his goal to be on the Enterprise. I asked him if he was joining the Navy. He said no, the Starship Enterprise. He was sure they were already building it and he would be finished with his education just in time. I told him he needs to get a grip, it was a movie. He clutched his pillow and rocked violently.
The kid asked for two different drinks. They gave it to him to keep him quiet. I faked sleeping for a while. As we were landing he looked out the window. He turned to me with scorn. "At least in Alaska we have grass in our parks", he proclaimed. I asked him impatiently what he was talking about. He described the brown and black squares. I told him those were fields, not parks.
"Fields?" Yes I told him, corn, wheat, beans, you know -- food. He told me when he got to Purdue he was going out in the fields and was going to make crop circles to "confuse the locals". I said he better stay out of the fields if he knew what was good for him, farmers would not find destruction of their crops too amusing. He told me he would use his flying saucer. I rolled my eyes.
The big lady across the aisle tapped me on the shoulder and said "Is that boy crazy"? I told her I thought so.
He asked me if I thought he would be better off to sleep for three or four hours tor just stay up and take the test. I suggested he get some sleep. He asked me how would he wake up? I said to have the hotel give him a wale up call. He had never heard of such a thing. He concluded they won't do that, he was going to just stay awake.
As we taxied to the gate, he started telling me to let him out. Repeatedly. As soon as the fasten seat belt sign turned off he pushed past me and headed for the front of the plane.
For part of tho flight I thought he was trying to screw with me. Later, I decided he was high on energy pills or caffeine. Maybe he was off his meds. I do believe he was the most immature teenager I have ever met. I have seen the future. It scares me.
Just think -- sometimes I wish I did not travel so much.
Edit: since yesterday evening the same guy from Australia has landed here searching for pygmy sex more than 40 times. I appreciate the hits, but wow.
June 15, 2009
My kid's rock
It is real -- about 2.5kt real, with little diamonds around the monster in the middle.
June 14, 2009
Are all Prius drivers assholes?
In my travels in and round the Midwest last week I again noticed a rash of idiotic drivers have taken over the road. Friday's highways seemed especially crowded with nitwits and rude drivers. My trip home from the western suburbs of Chicago were a stress stroke waiting to happen.
It is very simple, assholes. The left lane is for passing. If you are a semi going 66 mph trying to pass a semi going 65 mph, you are holding up traffic. The pedal on the right is the gas. Use it and get the fuck around. Or tap the one on the left, slow down and get over. Look in the mirror and repeat this every day -- "go or get over".
It sure seems that every time I run into a bunch of cars backed up in the left lane I find the head of the line is being held up by a Prius. Is there something about that car that makes you drive like a moron? Maybe it is the sense of entitlement you feel by buying a green car that makes you drive like a Dickhead?
Why is it that people from Michigan and Ohio cannot seem to be able to drive in the right hand lane? The same mantra applies to you -- "go or get over". If people are passing you on the right that is a sign you are driving like an ass. Those big white rectangular signs with numbers on them are speed limit signs. If you are using that speed as a maximum, do not even think about driving in the left lane. If you are going five or more mph below the posted speed -- get off on the next exit. Buy a GPS and take the nearest route to a large river. Jump off the bridge. Your only alternative is to take a taxi, a train, Greyhound or fly. You are dangerous on the highways of our nation. If all else fails, take the cap off the battery that powers your Prius and breath deeply of the fumes. Please.
Summer is upon us and thousands of drivers are hitting the interstates that rarely drive at highway speed. Here is a tip for you suburbanites in your minivans, SUVs and fucking Priuses -- you car is equipped with a cruise control. Use it. You clearly do not have the driving chops to make your speedometer behave. You cannot seem to control your vehicle to within ten miles per hour. Look, the open road is not the congested commute. I-65 is not the bloody Ike. We do not like having to slam on our brakes because you cannot hold speed. After thirty miles of dealing with you passing, slowing down, passing, slowing down, I just wish I could shoot you.
And finally, a word about those signs that warn about the left lane closing ahead. They apply to you. The reason the right lane is stopped and slowed to a crawl is because you have to rush forward and try to shove in right at the barrels that mark the end of the lane. You force the entire conga line of cars in the right lane to slam on the brakes to accommodate your rude driving. The result is a two mile back-up. The primary asshats in this violation of good sense seem to be middle-aged white guys in German cars, white trash in old Chryslers and Buicks, and suburban housewives driving a gottdam Prius or Mini Cooper. Friday, a large semi, tired of the assholes rushing up in the ending left lane, straddled the center line just short of the flashing arrow that marked the beginning of the construction zone. An asshole in a old Plymouth Fury actually drove through the grass median to get around the truck. I am sure that extra half dozen car lengths was worth it.
In short -- slower vehicles keep right. Use your cruise control. Don't be a jerk in construction zones. If you drive a Prius go hang yourself.
That about covers Hoosierboy's rules of the road.
It is very simple, assholes. The left lane is for passing. If you are a semi going 66 mph trying to pass a semi going 65 mph, you are holding up traffic. The pedal on the right is the gas. Use it and get the fuck around. Or tap the one on the left, slow down and get over. Look in the mirror and repeat this every day -- "go or get over".
It sure seems that every time I run into a bunch of cars backed up in the left lane I find the head of the line is being held up by a Prius. Is there something about that car that makes you drive like a moron? Maybe it is the sense of entitlement you feel by buying a green car that makes you drive like a Dickhead?
Why is it that people from Michigan and Ohio cannot seem to be able to drive in the right hand lane? The same mantra applies to you -- "go or get over". If people are passing you on the right that is a sign you are driving like an ass. Those big white rectangular signs with numbers on them are speed limit signs. If you are using that speed as a maximum, do not even think about driving in the left lane. If you are going five or more mph below the posted speed -- get off on the next exit. Buy a GPS and take the nearest route to a large river. Jump off the bridge. Your only alternative is to take a taxi, a train, Greyhound or fly. You are dangerous on the highways of our nation. If all else fails, take the cap off the battery that powers your Prius and breath deeply of the fumes. Please.
Summer is upon us and thousands of drivers are hitting the interstates that rarely drive at highway speed. Here is a tip for you suburbanites in your minivans, SUVs and fucking Priuses -- you car is equipped with a cruise control. Use it. You clearly do not have the driving chops to make your speedometer behave. You cannot seem to control your vehicle to within ten miles per hour. Look, the open road is not the congested commute. I-65 is not the bloody Ike. We do not like having to slam on our brakes because you cannot hold speed. After thirty miles of dealing with you passing, slowing down, passing, slowing down, I just wish I could shoot you.
And finally, a word about those signs that warn about the left lane closing ahead. They apply to you. The reason the right lane is stopped and slowed to a crawl is because you have to rush forward and try to shove in right at the barrels that mark the end of the lane. You force the entire conga line of cars in the right lane to slam on the brakes to accommodate your rude driving. The result is a two mile back-up. The primary asshats in this violation of good sense seem to be middle-aged white guys in German cars, white trash in old Chryslers and Buicks, and suburban housewives driving a gottdam Prius or Mini Cooper. Friday, a large semi, tired of the assholes rushing up in the ending left lane, straddled the center line just short of the flashing arrow that marked the beginning of the construction zone. An asshole in a old Plymouth Fury actually drove through the grass median to get around the truck. I am sure that extra half dozen car lengths was worth it.
In short -- slower vehicles keep right. Use your cruise control. Don't be a jerk in construction zones. If you drive a Prius go hang yourself.
That about covers Hoosierboy's rules of the road.
June 13, 2009
It is not raining
I am in a real Chatty Cathy mood today. That always happens when I am away from the old blog for a few days. When I have no way to post I have plenty to say. Posting will continue to be light as roadwork is my foreseeable future. Even this weekend will be shortened by work, and that, my friends, really ticks me off.
In the wake of the senseless, idiotic shooting at the Holocaust Museum there is the inevitable hand wringing and "let's ban all guns" talk. This crazed fanatic would have failed to turn in or register his gun. If you are willing to commit murder, you are willing to take a gun possession charge.
Second, there again is talk about the KKK, the NeoNazis and crazy lone white guy. I find it amusing how the Government and the press are quick to scrutinize these groups, and wonder how we control them. Yet a group that has killed more Americans in recent years, and foments a significant amount of the world's trouble is again treated like the man behind the curtain. I am talking about the radical Muslims. Why are they left from the discussion? These fanatics spread hate and bigotry and anti-Semetism at a level that would make Goebbels proud. The Governments of the world go out of their way to accommodate these bullies, never realizing that a token accommodation is not enough. For the Muslim fanatics nothing less than Global Caliphate is acceptable. Better we stomp the baby cockroach before it grows into an adult and breeds and we have a real pest problem.
While we are at it, we should acknowledge there is a considerable amount of anti-Semetism to be found in the Black and Hispanic communities as well. Use your favorite search engine and take a gander at the Reverend Jeremiah Wright's sermons. Or just read the fishwrap about Wright's comments earlier this week. No wonder Obama continues to throw Israel "under the bus". "Blame the Jews" has been preached to him every Sunday for twenty years. How is that blind support for the Dems working out for you now liberal Jews?
In the wake of the senseless, idiotic shooting at the Holocaust Museum there is the inevitable hand wringing and "let's ban all guns" talk. This crazed fanatic would have failed to turn in or register his gun. If you are willing to commit murder, you are willing to take a gun possession charge.
Second, there again is talk about the KKK, the NeoNazis and crazy lone white guy. I find it amusing how the Government and the press are quick to scrutinize these groups, and wonder how we control them. Yet a group that has killed more Americans in recent years, and foments a significant amount of the world's trouble is again treated like the man behind the curtain. I am talking about the radical Muslims. Why are they left from the discussion? These fanatics spread hate and bigotry and anti-Semetism at a level that would make Goebbels proud. The Governments of the world go out of their way to accommodate these bullies, never realizing that a token accommodation is not enough. For the Muslim fanatics nothing less than Global Caliphate is acceptable. Better we stomp the baby cockroach before it grows into an adult and breeds and we have a real pest problem.
While we are at it, we should acknowledge there is a considerable amount of anti-Semetism to be found in the Black and Hispanic communities as well. Use your favorite search engine and take a gander at the Reverend Jeremiah Wright's sermons. Or just read the fishwrap about Wright's comments earlier this week. No wonder Obama continues to throw Israel "under the bus". "Blame the Jews" has been preached to him every Sunday for twenty years. How is that blind support for the Dems working out for you now liberal Jews?
June 11, 2009
The week is nearly over
*&^$ing Cubs.
Guess what, i saw in the USA Today that Congress is looking at taxing your employer-provided insurance. Guess that "I will not tax the middle class" rhetoric was just that -- a fucking lie. How do you feel now Obamaites?
Buried deep in the back section, and you can look it up yourself there was an article that the wind volume in North America has decreased significantly in the last 25 years, especially in the Midwest. How can that be, isn't wind and solar power going to save us?
You people are such sheep. How about we just drill for the natural gas and oil we have right in 'merica? Sick of the price of gas gouging you at the pump? You can thank the profligate spending and printing of money by your president and his tax-cheat in charge of the Treasury. As the value of the dollar falls, it takes more of them to buy a barrel of oil. If you need me to explain this bit of basic economics let me know, or better yet, I detailed it in a past post. Search the archives yourself, you may learn something.
The Hilton Garden Inn where I am typing this bit of wisdom smells like kerosene. It did the last time I was here too.
Guess what, i saw in the USA Today that Congress is looking at taxing your employer-provided insurance. Guess that "I will not tax the middle class" rhetoric was just that -- a fucking lie. How do you feel now Obamaites?
Buried deep in the back section, and you can look it up yourself there was an article that the wind volume in North America has decreased significantly in the last 25 years, especially in the Midwest. How can that be, isn't wind and solar power going to save us?
You people are such sheep. How about we just drill for the natural gas and oil we have right in 'merica? Sick of the price of gas gouging you at the pump? You can thank the profligate spending and printing of money by your president and his tax-cheat in charge of the Treasury. As the value of the dollar falls, it takes more of them to buy a barrel of oil. If you need me to explain this bit of basic economics let me know, or better yet, I detailed it in a past post. Search the archives yourself, you may learn something.
The Hilton Garden Inn where I am typing this bit of wisdom smells like kerosene. It did the last time I was here too.
June 10, 2009
Rain on my windows
Happy Humping people. Wednesday is upon us and the work week is nearly half over. Thunderstorms are rolling through the neighborhood this morning and it is raining a steady drumbeat on the skylights. I do not think anything severe is in the works, the frickin' birds are making their morning racket. The rain and distant thunder sounds just like the beginning of The Doors' Riders on the Storm. You can bet I will not be picking up any hitchers today.
I just glanced over that previous paragraph. I typed "frikjon" instead of "frickin'". I amso retarded such a poor speller typist. I have to go back and look, the wife said I had several typos in an email I sent to Blockbuster.com. Why am I emailing Blockbuster?
My wife's birthday was Monday. For a combo birthday/Father's Day gift my daughter and her fiance bought us a three month subscription to blockbuster.com. We can order movies etc. (like netflix). I put in the required info to redeem my gift. The site acknowledged I have three months of service and said my credit card would be billed when that three months was up -- beginning on August 10. That's only two months, bucko. In a chain of emails I get an acknowledgement that indeed my service goes until September 11. The account still says I will be billed in August for the August 10 through September 11 period. The last email said that if they do bill me they will give a refund. I do not want to have this fight two or three months from now, I want it fixed now. We will see what today brings. In the meantime (cue Ted Knight, Superfriends fans), I have a bunch of movies in the que waiting to be shipped to my humble abode.
I just glanced over that previous paragraph. I typed "frikjon" instead of "frickin'". I am
My wife's birthday was Monday. For a combo birthday/Father's Day gift my daughter and her fiance bought us a three month subscription to blockbuster.com. We can order movies etc. (like netflix). I put in the required info to redeem my gift. The site acknowledged I have three months of service and said my credit card would be billed when that three months was up -- beginning on August 10. That's only two months, bucko. In a chain of emails I get an acknowledgement that indeed my service goes until September 11. The account still says I will be billed in August for the August 10 through September 11 period. The last email said that if they do bill me they will give a refund. I do not want to have this fight two or three months from now, I want it fixed now. We will see what today brings. In the meantime (cue Ted Knight, Superfriends fans), I have a bunch of movies in the que waiting to be shipped to my humble abode.
June 9, 2009
What have you done for your country?
I personally saved 10,000 jobs yesterday. It is true because I said so -- prove that I didn't.
You slackers better get busy, between me and The Obama we have saved a ton of jobs.
You slackers better get busy, between me and The Obama we have saved a ton of jobs.
If you did not like the last post...
Only in America, the United States of America!
ONLY IN AMERICA….MUST WE SPEND BILLIONS BECAUSE WE CAN'T LET CHRYSLER & GM GO BANKRUPT, AND THEN, LET CHRYSLER & GM GO BANKRUPT.
ONLY IN AMERICA….CAN CONGRESS FORCE FANNIE AND FREDDIE TO BUY SUBPRIME LOANS, AND THEN BLAME FANNIE AND FREDDIE FOR BUYING SUBPRIME LOANS.
THEN LAY OFF THE CEO's WITH GIANT SEVERENCE PACKAGES AND NATIONALIZE THE COMPANIES FOR THE TAX PAYERS TO PICK UP THE COST !!
ONLY IN AMERICA….A MAJOR CRISIS REQUIRES SWIFT ACTION TO PASS A BILL WITHOUT READING IT, THEN WAIT FOR THREE DAYS BEFORE THE PRESIDENT TAKES THE TIME TO SIGN IT.
ONLY IN AMERICA…. CAN YOU BE LEGALLY ILLEGAL
ONLY IN AMERICA….THE CONGRESS CAN MAKE LAWS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW
ONLY IN AMERICA….WHERE YOUR VICE PRESIDENT DECLARES 'JOBS' A 3 LETTER WORD.
ONLY IN AMERICA...DOES THE MILITARY GET INVESTIGATED BY HOMELAND SECURITY AS POSSIBLE TERRORISTS, WHILE OUR BORDERS ARE WIDE OPEN.
ONLY IN AMERICA , CAN YOU GET A TAX REFUND ON TAXES YOU DIDN 'T PAY, AND ONLY IN AMERICA CAN WE HAVE A TREASURY SECRETARY WHO FAILED TO PAY HIS TAXES. ONLY IN AMERICA CAN THE FOX GUARD THE HEN HOUSE.
ONLY IN AMERICA, CAN YOU BLAME OTHERS WHEN YOU DON'T PERFORM
ONLY IN AMERICA, ARE YOU ABLE TO HAVE MORE RIGHTS BEING ILLEGAL, THAN YOU DO LEGAL
ONLY IN AMERICA, CAN YOU BE 13 AND HAVE AN ABORTION WITHOUT TELLING YOUR PARENTS, BUT MUST HAVE A WRITTEN NOTE FROM YOUR PARENT WHEN YOU MISSED SCHOOL.
ONLY IN AMERICA, ARE YOU PUNISHED FOR GOOD PERFORMANCE AND HONORED FOR NON PERFORMANCE.
ONLY IN AMERICA….CAN YOU CALL LARGE CORPORATIONS EVIL, WHILE 99.9% OF AMERICANS WORK IN COMPANIES WITH LESS THAN 500 EMPLOYEES.
ONLY IN AMERICA, CAN CHRYSLER GET 10 BILLION IN AID FOR THEIR COMPANY OF 30,000 EMPLOYEES. I GUESS IT IS DIFFICULT TO RUN A COMPANY FOR $333,333 PER EMPLOYEE.
ONLY IN AMERICA….WE CARE ABOUT 3 GUYS THAT GET WATER UP THE NOSE, WHILE OUR ENEMIES ARE BEHEADING US AND BLOWING CROWDS OF PEOPLE UP WITH SUICIDE BOMBINGS.
ONLY IN AMERICA….CAN YOU SAY OTHER INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES WORK, BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THOSE TECHNIQUES ARE.
ONLY IN AMERIC A…CAN YOU BE PRESIDENT WITHOUT A BIRTH CERTIFICATE
ONLY IN AMERICA, WHATEVER GOES WRONG WILL ALWAYS BE BUSH'S FAULT
LASTLY, HOWEVER, IN AMERICA, YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK AS THE PRESIDENT……… WHEN THE TELEPROMPTER IS ON BECAUSE WITHOUT IT YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF SAYING THE WRONG THING !
an email from my Dad
ONLY IN AMERICA….MUST WE SPEND BILLIONS BECAUSE WE CAN'T LET CHRYSLER & GM GO BANKRUPT, AND THEN, LET CHRYSLER & GM GO BANKRUPT.
ONLY IN AMERICA….CAN CONGRESS FORCE FANNIE AND FREDDIE TO BUY SUBPRIME LOANS, AND THEN BLAME FANNIE AND FREDDIE FOR BUYING SUBPRIME LOANS.
THEN LAY OFF THE CEO's WITH GIANT SEVERENCE PACKAGES AND NATIONALIZE THE COMPANIES FOR THE TAX PAYERS TO PICK UP THE COST !!
ONLY IN AMERICA….A MAJOR CRISIS REQUIRES SWIFT ACTION TO PASS A BILL WITHOUT READING IT, THEN WAIT FOR THREE DAYS BEFORE THE PRESIDENT TAKES THE TIME TO SIGN IT.
ONLY IN AMERICA…. CAN YOU BE LEGALLY ILLEGAL
ONLY IN AMERICA….THE CONGRESS CAN MAKE LAWS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO FOLLOW
ONLY IN AMERICA….WHERE YOUR VICE PRESIDENT DECLARES 'JOBS' A 3 LETTER WORD.
ONLY IN AMERICA...DOES THE MILITARY GET INVESTIGATED BY HOMELAND SECURITY AS POSSIBLE TERRORISTS, WHILE OUR BORDERS ARE WIDE OPEN.
ONLY IN AMERICA , CAN YOU GET A TAX REFUND ON TAXES YOU DIDN 'T PAY, AND ONLY IN AMERICA CAN WE HAVE A TREASURY SECRETARY WHO FAILED TO PAY HIS TAXES. ONLY IN AMERICA CAN THE FOX GUARD THE HEN HOUSE.
ONLY IN AMERICA, CAN YOU BLAME OTHERS WHEN YOU DON'T PERFORM
ONLY IN AMERICA, ARE YOU ABLE TO HAVE MORE RIGHTS BEING ILLEGAL, THAN YOU DO LEGAL
ONLY IN AMERICA, CAN YOU BE 13 AND HAVE AN ABORTION WITHOUT TELLING YOUR PARENTS, BUT MUST HAVE A WRITTEN NOTE FROM YOUR PARENT WHEN YOU MISSED SCHOOL.
ONLY IN AMERICA, ARE YOU PUNISHED FOR GOOD PERFORMANCE AND HONORED FOR NON PERFORMANCE.
ONLY IN AMERICA….CAN YOU CALL LARGE CORPORATIONS EVIL, WHILE 99.9% OF AMERICANS WORK IN COMPANIES WITH LESS THAN 500 EMPLOYEES.
ONLY IN AMERICA, CAN CHRYSLER GET 10 BILLION IN AID FOR THEIR COMPANY OF 30,000 EMPLOYEES. I GUESS IT IS DIFFICULT TO RUN A COMPANY FOR $333,333 PER EMPLOYEE.
ONLY IN AMERICA….WE CARE ABOUT 3 GUYS THAT GET WATER UP THE NOSE, WHILE OUR ENEMIES ARE BEHEADING US AND BLOWING CROWDS OF PEOPLE UP WITH SUICIDE BOMBINGS.
ONLY IN AMERICA….CAN YOU SAY OTHER INTERROGATION TECHNIQUES WORK, BUT YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THOSE TECHNIQUES ARE.
ONLY IN AMERIC A…CAN YOU BE PRESIDENT WITHOUT A BIRTH CERTIFICATE
ONLY IN AMERICA, WHATEVER GOES WRONG WILL ALWAYS BE BUSH'S FAULT
LASTLY, HOWEVER, IN AMERICA, YOU CAN ONLY SPEAK AS THE PRESIDENT……… WHEN THE TELEPROMPTER IS ON BECAUSE WITHOUT IT YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF SAYING THE WRONG THING !
an email from my Dad
June 8, 2009
Why I vote Democrat
“ I voted Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my boat.
I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.
I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I ever would.
I voted Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
I voted Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.
I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.
I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.
I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as IT sees fit.
I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite The Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.
I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass that it is unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own."
”
Merrily
h/t C&S You should be reading C&S every day.
I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.
I voted Democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I ever would.
I voted Democrat because freedom of speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.
I voted Democrat because when we pull out of Iraq I trust that the bad guys will stop what they're doing because they now think we're good people.
I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun, and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.
I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in ten years if I don't start driving a Prius.
I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about the slaughter of millions of babies so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
I voted Democrat because I believe that business should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as IT sees fit.
I voted Democrat because I believe liberal judges need to rewrite The Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.
I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass that it is unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.
"A Liberal is a person who will give away everything they don't own."
”
Merrily
h/t C&S You should be reading C&S every day.
June 7, 2009
June 6, 2009
Part three -- the end
The brokerage firm that sold Sam his franchise was very particular. They demanded a certain amount of public service. He was expected to be on local boards and committees. His earlier arrest did not go over well with the company. Senior management explained very succinctly that if he was not trusted clients would not invest with them. His actions reflected upon the company. His bad name was their bad name. They did not threaten. They did not need to. The message was clear to Sam.
Thursday morning found Sam slumped, drunk behind the wheel of his car at a local grocery. The cops arrived. Sam opened an eye and peered at the person tapping at his window. He could only manage a slurred "Huh?". The officer was saying something, but the vodka translated it to sound like the grown-ups in Charlie Brown...wah wah...to Sam's brain. "Huh?", he again asked.
The officer pulled open the door and Sam slid out of the car. His arm got caught in the steering wheel. Sam found this amusing and offered a lopsided grin.
"Sir, are you OK?"
"Huh?"
"Sir, are you OK?"
"Huh?"
The cop called for backup.
Later that evening Sam was released. His son had posted bail. Linda locked him out of the house. Neighbors saw Sam walking the streets of the subdivision, still in his suit and tie. It was after nine at night.
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Friday morning dawned bright and sunny. Midmorning, I was working at the computer when I heard the sounds of a truck idling outside. I passed it off as a UPS ruck. Sometime later I realized the truck was still outside, it may have been a few minutes or maybe as much as twenty minutes later. I looked out the window and saw a fire truck outside. I went out to see if the neighbor's house was on fire.
I saw an ambulance and two, three, no, five police cruisers parked outside Sam Cassidy's house across the street. I saw the old lady who lived next door to the Cassidys outside on her porch. I crossed to see what was going on. She said she heard on the scanner that Sam had tried to kill himself. "He is off the wagon again, you know", she confided. "He is such a perfectionist" she gossiped.
I moved here in 1989. The town we chose was half-way between my job and my wife's. As we had no intention of putting the kids in daycare in the capital city, we looked for a babysitter in the small town where I worked. A co-worker recommended a lady she knew. After a year or so, the babysitter said she was no longer going to watch kids, but suggested her sister, who had just moved to the city where we lived from North Carolina. She had kids about the same age as mine. Her name was Linda Cassidy. Over time, Linda and my wife became great friends. They shared many of the same tastes. They shopped together, went to the same playgroups and had a great time. Sometimes all of us would go to a movie or to eat. The kids were great friends as well.
As the Cassidy's lifestyle changed, so did their friends. My wife began to quit calling. Subtle hints and never returned calls can ultimately discourage even the best of friends. If we saw each other we would have a nice conversation, but things were never the same. A few years later we moved to a house across the street, by coincidence. We liked the house, it just happened to be near our old friends.
Linda rarely came outside and avoided conversation with everyone after Sam's first arrest. Her only comment on Sam was only that he had changed, but they were trying to make it work after she let him come home. They took a cruise in March. One April Wednesday Sam and I waved a pleasant greeting over the trash cans. The next day, a Thursday, Sam pulled the vodka bottle from his desk and took a fateful swig.
Some weeks later Sam remains in the hospital. His hands will never be the same after the deep cuts through the tendons and muscles of his wrists. His mental state is even more precarious. You see, now his failure to live the perfect life weighs even heavier. Who will trust their money to a crazy man? The shame, the embarrassment, the humiliation, the failure all depress him further. No amount of medication will erase the front page story of his attempted suicide and arrests from the public image or more importantly, his own memory.
I feel a deep sadness and hopelessness for a family I know. I toss prayers to the heavens, but I am not sure how these lives can ever be fixed. Life goes on and I look at the closed doors of my neighbors and realize I don't know anything about people or life.
Thursday morning found Sam slumped, drunk behind the wheel of his car at a local grocery. The cops arrived. Sam opened an eye and peered at the person tapping at his window. He could only manage a slurred "Huh?". The officer was saying something, but the vodka translated it to sound like the grown-ups in Charlie Brown...wah wah...to Sam's brain. "Huh?", he again asked.
The officer pulled open the door and Sam slid out of the car. His arm got caught in the steering wheel. Sam found this amusing and offered a lopsided grin.
"Sir, are you OK?"
"Huh?"
"Sir, are you OK?"
"Huh?"
The cop called for backup.
Later that evening Sam was released. His son had posted bail. Linda locked him out of the house. Neighbors saw Sam walking the streets of the subdivision, still in his suit and tie. It was after nine at night.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday morning dawned bright and sunny. Midmorning, I was working at the computer when I heard the sounds of a truck idling outside. I passed it off as a UPS ruck. Sometime later I realized the truck was still outside, it may have been a few minutes or maybe as much as twenty minutes later. I looked out the window and saw a fire truck outside. I went out to see if the neighbor's house was on fire.
I saw an ambulance and two, three, no, five police cruisers parked outside Sam Cassidy's house across the street. I saw the old lady who lived next door to the Cassidys outside on her porch. I crossed to see what was going on. She said she heard on the scanner that Sam had tried to kill himself. "He is off the wagon again, you know", she confided. "He is such a perfectionist" she gossiped.
I moved here in 1989. The town we chose was half-way between my job and my wife's. As we had no intention of putting the kids in daycare in the capital city, we looked for a babysitter in the small town where I worked. A co-worker recommended a lady she knew. After a year or so, the babysitter said she was no longer going to watch kids, but suggested her sister, who had just moved to the city where we lived from North Carolina. She had kids about the same age as mine. Her name was Linda Cassidy. Over time, Linda and my wife became great friends. They shared many of the same tastes. They shopped together, went to the same playgroups and had a great time. Sometimes all of us would go to a movie or to eat. The kids were great friends as well.
As the Cassidy's lifestyle changed, so did their friends. My wife began to quit calling. Subtle hints and never returned calls can ultimately discourage even the best of friends. If we saw each other we would have a nice conversation, but things were never the same. A few years later we moved to a house across the street, by coincidence. We liked the house, it just happened to be near our old friends.
Linda rarely came outside and avoided conversation with everyone after Sam's first arrest. Her only comment on Sam was only that he had changed, but they were trying to make it work after she let him come home. They took a cruise in March. One April Wednesday Sam and I waved a pleasant greeting over the trash cans. The next day, a Thursday, Sam pulled the vodka bottle from his desk and took a fateful swig.
Some weeks later Sam remains in the hospital. His hands will never be the same after the deep cuts through the tendons and muscles of his wrists. His mental state is even more precarious. You see, now his failure to live the perfect life weighs even heavier. Who will trust their money to a crazy man? The shame, the embarrassment, the humiliation, the failure all depress him further. No amount of medication will erase the front page story of his attempted suicide and arrests from the public image or more importantly, his own memory.
I feel a deep sadness and hopelessness for a family I know. I toss prayers to the heavens, but I am not sure how these lives can ever be fixed. Life goes on and I look at the closed doors of my neighbors and realize I don't know anything about people or life.
June 5, 2009
Part Two
Sam Cassidy married his high school sweetheart. After getting his engineering degree he took a job in the Carolinas. After a few years, the plant he worked was slated to close and at the age of 30 he found himself far from home and out of work. Getting back to his small Indiana hometown took all of their savings. They rented a dumpy house in a run-down neighborhood.
He got on with a local plant and just when things were looking bright he was caught in the downturn of the early 1990's and again found himself out of work. Never again he vowed, and his new career began. Sam was driven to succeed. His attention to detail and logical mind made him very good at managing money and seeing market trends. His franchise grew as clients brought in new business and word of mouth spread his reputation.
The day-to-day pressures began to mount. Every minute failure or lack of perfection depressed him. He had to have everything just right in his life. He loved Linda and the kids more than could be imagined, but Linda had to dress the part -- they were important people. Sam decided the needed to go to a different church. When he told Linda she should lose a few pounds they really had a fight! That she could not see the point depressed him further.
The vacations and cruises help mend the fights. New jewelry helped. Sometimes Sam took a drink or two. That drowned the voices in his head that told him he had to do better. A vicious circle took over his life. He would get depressed. He would get drunk. Ashamed at his weakness, he would get depressed...
Shortly before he was arrested for Public Intoxication, Sam and Linda had a huge fight. She loved him, but she said he had changed. He said she was fighting him, all he wanted was for them to be successful. He even moved out for a while. He begged her to take him back, what would people think? Already some clients had asked him if he had a girlfriend? It might hurt his business he begged. She took him back and he promised to change.
Linda paid the bail for the PI charge. He promised to quit drinking. He meant it. Luckily the incident passed the only public report of his arrest a small blurb in the police blotter. For some months there was an uneasy truce in the house. That Linda remained distant depressed him. That he wanted a drink brought his spirits lower. He tried to smile and hid his feelings deep inside.
Fall came and with it the devastating losses in the stock market. he lost money, and more importantly his clients lost money. Some blamed him. He went to visit an important client. The farmer lived out in the outer reaches of the county and Sam took a terrible berating. In the end, the wealthy farmer knew it was not his investment brokers fault, but he was angry over losing more than a third of his wealth in a few weeks.
Sam took it personal, and it was more than he could stand. he stopped at a small liquor store and bought some vodka. He hid it in his desk. A nip here and a nip there and no one will know the difference. Things bounced along for a few months.
One Thursday Sam came to work in a bad mood. he and Linda had fought the night before. He could not remember why, but she knew he had been drinking again. Linda actually cursed at him, he had rarely heard even a 'damn" from her lips in more than20 years of marriage! He was so disappointed in himself. He reached for the vodka in his desk. By nine o'clock he was too drunk to work and told his secretary he was going out for a few hours.
He headed for home. As pulled in the drive he hit the garage opener, but the door did not open. He realized this as he skidded to a stop too late. The door was buckled. He knew Linda was going to be mad when she got home from work. His alcohol riddled brain told him the best recourse was to leave and think it out. He drove to a nearby supermarket and parked. "Think, Sam, think". Instead he passed out.
Customers noticed the BMW parked sideways in the lot and called the police. A man was either dead or passed out behind the wheel. Perfection was now about to be unattainable for Sam Cassidy.
He got on with a local plant and just when things were looking bright he was caught in the downturn of the early 1990's and again found himself out of work. Never again he vowed, and his new career began. Sam was driven to succeed. His attention to detail and logical mind made him very good at managing money and seeing market trends. His franchise grew as clients brought in new business and word of mouth spread his reputation.
The day-to-day pressures began to mount. Every minute failure or lack of perfection depressed him. He had to have everything just right in his life. He loved Linda and the kids more than could be imagined, but Linda had to dress the part -- they were important people. Sam decided the needed to go to a different church. When he told Linda she should lose a few pounds they really had a fight! That she could not see the point depressed him further.
The vacations and cruises help mend the fights. New jewelry helped. Sometimes Sam took a drink or two. That drowned the voices in his head that told him he had to do better. A vicious circle took over his life. He would get depressed. He would get drunk. Ashamed at his weakness, he would get depressed...
Shortly before he was arrested for Public Intoxication, Sam and Linda had a huge fight. She loved him, but she said he had changed. He said she was fighting him, all he wanted was for them to be successful. He even moved out for a while. He begged her to take him back, what would people think? Already some clients had asked him if he had a girlfriend? It might hurt his business he begged. She took him back and he promised to change.
Linda paid the bail for the PI charge. He promised to quit drinking. He meant it. Luckily the incident passed the only public report of his arrest a small blurb in the police blotter. For some months there was an uneasy truce in the house. That Linda remained distant depressed him. That he wanted a drink brought his spirits lower. He tried to smile and hid his feelings deep inside.
Fall came and with it the devastating losses in the stock market. he lost money, and more importantly his clients lost money. Some blamed him. He went to visit an important client. The farmer lived out in the outer reaches of the county and Sam took a terrible berating. In the end, the wealthy farmer knew it was not his investment brokers fault, but he was angry over losing more than a third of his wealth in a few weeks.
Sam took it personal, and it was more than he could stand. he stopped at a small liquor store and bought some vodka. He hid it in his desk. A nip here and a nip there and no one will know the difference. Things bounced along for a few months.
One Thursday Sam came to work in a bad mood. he and Linda had fought the night before. He could not remember why, but she knew he had been drinking again. Linda actually cursed at him, he had rarely heard even a 'damn" from her lips in more than20 years of marriage! He was so disappointed in himself. He reached for the vodka in his desk. By nine o'clock he was too drunk to work and told his secretary he was going out for a few hours.
He headed for home. As pulled in the drive he hit the garage opener, but the door did not open. He realized this as he skidded to a stop too late. The door was buckled. He knew Linda was going to be mad when she got home from work. His alcohol riddled brain told him the best recourse was to leave and think it out. He drove to a nearby supermarket and parked. "Think, Sam, think". Instead he passed out.
Customers noticed the BMW parked sideways in the lot and called the police. A man was either dead or passed out behind the wheel. Perfection was now about to be unattainable for Sam Cassidy.
June 4, 2009
Obama Motors II
Here is another scenario where I need some help. I am not an economist, nor have I run an automotive company. Neither has anyone on the Obama Automotive Task Force, by the way. On the other hand, I have spent a good portion of my life in sales and marketing.
As I understand the automotive retail business, a dealer is given a franchise to sell a brand of vehicles. He buys the cars from the manufacturer at a discount, but the dealer owns the car until he can sell it to me, Joe Consumer. The dealer also owns a parts inventory to repair the cars he sells (the real money maker).
I understand that by having fewer dealerships that allows the surviving dealers to have less competition. By any business model this means he CAN charge a higher price for his car.
Herein lies is my confusion. At any given period in time there are X number of people looking to by a car. That means only X cars will be sold. How does eliminating dealerships sell more cars for the manufacturer? If I am going to buy a car I go first to the local dealer. If he does not have the price or model I want I expand my search. Many people are brand loyal, some are not. The latter will likely buy local, so if there is a Ford dealer in town he gets the business when the GM and Chrysler dealerships go. But in the end, the car market is only what the consumer wants to buy at a given time.
In fact, since the dealer buys the cars from the auto maker, then fewer dealers will mean fewer cars sitting in dealer inventories and the demand on the maker will actually decrease. If there are three GM dealers in a fifty mile range, all have to carry a certain amount of inventory to entice me, Joe Consumer to buy. If I am looking for a Chevy Malibu, then I can price them at each dealer and choose the features and color based on who has the car in stock. I can negotiate a price and order the car if I choose. But I have choices. More importantly GM has sold THREE Malibus to the three dealers. If two of those dealers close, then the remaining one likely makes more money on the sale since there is no competition, but GM only sells one Malibu to one dealer. They have lost two thirds of their sales. But no matter how many dealerships there are, GM will only sold one Malibu to the end consumer. The number of dealerships has no effect on the demand in the marketplace.
I do understand that in a down economy the dealers will not order more cars from the manufacturer until their existing inventory moves. Again, that is a function of the end consumer. Demand will drive those orders and fewer dealers is only a very, very short term fix. As soon as the demand increases the net effect of fewer dealers will do more harm than good. If you cut off your leg at the ankle you no longer have an issue with that rusty nail in your foot, but long-term that may have not been the best solution.
The real driver of the industry is enticing the consumer to buy, not the number of places he can buy. GM and Chrysler's problem arise from the product offering, quality, and price -- not the number of dealers. The two are not related. In fact, from a marketing point of view, the auto makers should want the consumer to have more choices to buy, not fewer (the salesman wants fewer choices so he can command a higher price, but that is a different side of the coin). Every time the consumer sees a new Ram or Durango or Corvette, that is a time that the consumer might think "I sure like that truck or car, maybe I will buy one". One axiom is true in marketing -- out of sight, out of mind. Why do you think companies advertise?
The bottom line is this. How will fewer dealers increase sales for the auto companies? Will GM charge more to the remaining dealers, because that is the only way I can see that makes any sense. That will increase profitability to the maker, but is no guarantee of end sales. If that is the case, the price of a GM product will be passed to the consumer and he will then buy a Ford or Honda or a Toyota.
Either I am wrong on some basics facts, or my 20 years in sales and marketing have been wasted, because I don't know a damned thing. Help me understand, readers.
Edit: here a real writer says it much better
Seriously, those of you who called me crazy and said Iwas paranoid when I claimed Obama would lead us to socialism -- what say you now?
As I understand the automotive retail business, a dealer is given a franchise to sell a brand of vehicles. He buys the cars from the manufacturer at a discount, but the dealer owns the car until he can sell it to me, Joe Consumer. The dealer also owns a parts inventory to repair the cars he sells (the real money maker).
I understand that by having fewer dealerships that allows the surviving dealers to have less competition. By any business model this means he CAN charge a higher price for his car.
Herein lies is my confusion. At any given period in time there are X number of people looking to by a car. That means only X cars will be sold. How does eliminating dealerships sell more cars for the manufacturer? If I am going to buy a car I go first to the local dealer. If he does not have the price or model I want I expand my search. Many people are brand loyal, some are not. The latter will likely buy local, so if there is a Ford dealer in town he gets the business when the GM and Chrysler dealerships go. But in the end, the car market is only what the consumer wants to buy at a given time.
In fact, since the dealer buys the cars from the auto maker, then fewer dealers will mean fewer cars sitting in dealer inventories and the demand on the maker will actually decrease. If there are three GM dealers in a fifty mile range, all have to carry a certain amount of inventory to entice me, Joe Consumer to buy. If I am looking for a Chevy Malibu, then I can price them at each dealer and choose the features and color based on who has the car in stock. I can negotiate a price and order the car if I choose. But I have choices. More importantly GM has sold THREE Malibus to the three dealers. If two of those dealers close, then the remaining one likely makes more money on the sale since there is no competition, but GM only sells one Malibu to one dealer. They have lost two thirds of their sales. But no matter how many dealerships there are, GM will only sold one Malibu to the end consumer. The number of dealerships has no effect on the demand in the marketplace.
I do understand that in a down economy the dealers will not order more cars from the manufacturer until their existing inventory moves. Again, that is a function of the end consumer. Demand will drive those orders and fewer dealers is only a very, very short term fix. As soon as the demand increases the net effect of fewer dealers will do more harm than good. If you cut off your leg at the ankle you no longer have an issue with that rusty nail in your foot, but long-term that may have not been the best solution.
The real driver of the industry is enticing the consumer to buy, not the number of places he can buy. GM and Chrysler's problem arise from the product offering, quality, and price -- not the number of dealers. The two are not related. In fact, from a marketing point of view, the auto makers should want the consumer to have more choices to buy, not fewer (the salesman wants fewer choices so he can command a higher price, but that is a different side of the coin). Every time the consumer sees a new Ram or Durango or Corvette, that is a time that the consumer might think "I sure like that truck or car, maybe I will buy one". One axiom is true in marketing -- out of sight, out of mind. Why do you think companies advertise?
The bottom line is this. How will fewer dealers increase sales for the auto companies? Will GM charge more to the remaining dealers, because that is the only way I can see that makes any sense. That will increase profitability to the maker, but is no guarantee of end sales. If that is the case, the price of a GM product will be passed to the consumer and he will then buy a Ford or Honda or a Toyota.
Either I am wrong on some basics facts, or my 20 years in sales and marketing have been wasted, because I don't know a damned thing. Help me understand, readers.
Edit: here a real writer says it much better
Seriously, those of you who called me crazy and said Iwas paranoid when I claimed Obama would lead us to socialism -- what say you now?
Obama Motors
I am not a lawyer, I never even have played one on TV, so maybe some of you can help me here.
If I were Ford,Toyota, Honda,Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW or any other car manufacturer producing cars in the US, the first time GM or Chrysler placed an ad on TV I would sue. Or if GM offers a rebate to buyers of their cars isn't that using Federal tax dollars to promote one business over the other? Surely there is some kind of statute against that? Isn't there an issue with the Commerce Clause here? If the Commerce Clause can be invoked to promote abortion, surely it is in place to prevent the Government from taking tax dollars and giving it to tax payers who choose to purchase certain cars manufactured by certain companies? The other auto companies played by the rules, pay their taxes, a run a profitable business (or at least absorb the losses). Their reward is to have their competitors propped up by the Government. Loans are one thing, ownership is another.
How will the Government have open and honest bidding when it comes to procuring the millions of vehicles it buys? Can it force GM and Chrysler to offer more competitive bids? How does Ford even compete when they are bidding against the owners of their competitors?
In a final word that will no doubt excite my liberal readers to hyperbole -- when the government takes over the means of production previously held by private enterprise, that is fascism in its purest form. After all, Mussolini only wanted the trains to run on time.
If I were Ford,Toyota, Honda,Mitsubishi, Subaru, BMW or any other car manufacturer producing cars in the US, the first time GM or Chrysler placed an ad on TV I would sue. Or if GM offers a rebate to buyers of their cars isn't that using Federal tax dollars to promote one business over the other? Surely there is some kind of statute against that? Isn't there an issue with the Commerce Clause here? If the Commerce Clause can be invoked to promote abortion, surely it is in place to prevent the Government from taking tax dollars and giving it to tax payers who choose to purchase certain cars manufactured by certain companies? The other auto companies played by the rules, pay their taxes, a run a profitable business (or at least absorb the losses). Their reward is to have their competitors propped up by the Government. Loans are one thing, ownership is another.
How will the Government have open and honest bidding when it comes to procuring the millions of vehicles it buys? Can it force GM and Chrysler to offer more competitive bids? How does Ford even compete when they are bidding against the owners of their competitors?
In a final word that will no doubt excite my liberal readers to hyperbole -- when the government takes over the means of production previously held by private enterprise, that is fascism in its purest form. After all, Mussolini only wanted the trains to run on time.
June 2, 2009
Part One of a semi-true story
Sam Cassidy had it all: a gorgeous wife, smart good-looking kids, a girl and a boy -- exactly two years apart. He owned a successful investment firm, a house in the right neighborhood, good cars. His yard was weed-free and perfect. His roses and flowers looked as if they were in a magazine. His suits fit perfect and even the soles of his shoes were polished. He had everything, including depression and a drinking problem.
Sam was trained as an engineer and to him details were important. He walked a thin tightrope. He believed that when dealing with other people's money one had to be very careful. Sam had to look successful without appearing too successful. He had to be just well-off enough to make others believe he could make money for them. He also had to make sure it did not appear he was getting rich on someone else's money.
A perfectionist, appearances were everything. He had a BMW, but a used one. He put his wife on a diet. He threw out her comfortable sweats she used to wear when she babysat for other kids to make ends meet. Those days were far behind them. The Cassidys quit hanging out with old friends to socialize with mere acquaintances in the right social circles. They moved to a house in one of the better subdivisions, not the best, just successful enough. As the business grew, the money started to pour in. They both liked the idea of being successful, of vacations, of buying all the things they wanted. At first Linda was uncomfortable ditching her old shopping buddies, but in time it became easier to ignore the calls, and soon the phone quit ringing.
Sam set lofty goals in his personal and professional life. He would be a success. Everyone would know. Today marked the end of his stint as president of the local Chamber of Commerce. To top it off, he had just been named to the Platinum Club for by the parent of his successful investment franchise.
Sam decided to go have a drink to celebrate. One turned into three and others followed as the evening turned to night. He talked and drank with people he knew, but one by one they went home to dinner with their friends and families. Deep in his brain Sam knew real friends would stay and celebrate his success. He buried those thoughts under gin and tonic tasting ice cubes. He thumped the table with pride.
As he stood to leave Sam realized he was more than a little drunk. He decided he had better not drive. How would it look to everyone in this small town if he was arrested for DUI? He picked up his briefcase and began the two mile trek towards home. As he walked home in the last days of October's Indian summer the alcohol really kicked in. The sidewalk was bucking like a ship on the ocean. Sam began to list the things in his life that were not perfect. Could he ask the neighbor across the street to kill the weeds and fertilize his raggedy lawn? They were once good friends, now they only talked a quick greeting as they put out the trash on Wednesday mornings. It would be a tricky thing. No power to concentrate, his inebriated brain moved on.
Mandy. His beautiful daughter posed a problem. She was so smart and pretty. She had the world before her. She had made the Dean's List every semester so far at college. medical school was in the future, even though Mandy was but a sophomore she was already studying the MCAT guides. Then there was her infatuation with Greg. Him. To be fair, Sam liked the boy, he was handsome, intelligent and hard-working. But he was in the Army. Raised by a single mom, the military was Greg Fitch's ticket to college. Only now Greg was telling Mandy he actually enjoyed the Army. Sam shook his head in anger, that boy was not right for her. What would people think, her traipsing around the globe with a, what is an E3 anyway?
His son David was in love with a French girl. A foreign exchange student. He was already talking about going with her back to France at the end of his senior year in high school. David had told Sam "I am eighteen. I will graduate in May, there is nothing you can do about it". Sam again lost his train of thought.
Details, details. The list of things to do at work flashed in a disjointed film clip through his brainpan. "Mr. Hovarth..tomorrow I need to transfer for Mr. Hovarth...I am not paying for him to go to France...Mandy will probably have to go to France with that assho..man, I am tired...the best fucking president that Chamber ever had...where is my car...maybe Linda will want to have some sex later, it has been a long time...I have to do something for Mr. Hovarth..."
He sat the briefcase down as it was getting heavy. He swayed on his feet a moment and contemplated taking off his suit coat. He noticed a scuff on his wingtip and frowned. "Those shoes cost $250 and now they are ruined", he mumbled to himself. He scratched the back of his head a minute, already forgetting the shoes in the alcohol fog. Jutting his jaw, he squinted into the night. He sort of recognized where he was. Straight or right turn? He staggered across the street splitting the difference. As he neared the curb he began to see bright flashes of light. "Cool", he thought to himself. Short of the curb he set a zigzag course down the street. The lights began to circle his head, a red, white and blue firework show. Then he heard the woop of the siren as the police car slowed to a crawl behind him.
"Some one's day is fucked", Sam muttered with a half smile. The cop looked out his window at the obvious drunk staggering down the side street carrying a briefcase. He shook his head and hit the siren another short blast.
For Sam Cassidy attaining the appearance of perfection was about to get a lot harder.
Sam was trained as an engineer and to him details were important. He walked a thin tightrope. He believed that when dealing with other people's money one had to be very careful. Sam had to look successful without appearing too successful. He had to be just well-off enough to make others believe he could make money for them. He also had to make sure it did not appear he was getting rich on someone else's money.
A perfectionist, appearances were everything. He had a BMW, but a used one. He put his wife on a diet. He threw out her comfortable sweats she used to wear when she babysat for other kids to make ends meet. Those days were far behind them. The Cassidys quit hanging out with old friends to socialize with mere acquaintances in the right social circles. They moved to a house in one of the better subdivisions, not the best, just successful enough. As the business grew, the money started to pour in. They both liked the idea of being successful, of vacations, of buying all the things they wanted. At first Linda was uncomfortable ditching her old shopping buddies, but in time it became easier to ignore the calls, and soon the phone quit ringing.
Sam set lofty goals in his personal and professional life. He would be a success. Everyone would know. Today marked the end of his stint as president of the local Chamber of Commerce. To top it off, he had just been named to the Platinum Club for by the parent of his successful investment franchise.
Sam decided to go have a drink to celebrate. One turned into three and others followed as the evening turned to night. He talked and drank with people he knew, but one by one they went home to dinner with their friends and families. Deep in his brain Sam knew real friends would stay and celebrate his success. He buried those thoughts under gin and tonic tasting ice cubes. He thumped the table with pride.
As he stood to leave Sam realized he was more than a little drunk. He decided he had better not drive. How would it look to everyone in this small town if he was arrested for DUI? He picked up his briefcase and began the two mile trek towards home. As he walked home in the last days of October's Indian summer the alcohol really kicked in. The sidewalk was bucking like a ship on the ocean. Sam began to list the things in his life that were not perfect. Could he ask the neighbor across the street to kill the weeds and fertilize his raggedy lawn? They were once good friends, now they only talked a quick greeting as they put out the trash on Wednesday mornings. It would be a tricky thing. No power to concentrate, his inebriated brain moved on.
Mandy. His beautiful daughter posed a problem. She was so smart and pretty. She had the world before her. She had made the Dean's List every semester so far at college. medical school was in the future, even though Mandy was but a sophomore she was already studying the MCAT guides. Then there was her infatuation with Greg. Him. To be fair, Sam liked the boy, he was handsome, intelligent and hard-working. But he was in the Army. Raised by a single mom, the military was Greg Fitch's ticket to college. Only now Greg was telling Mandy he actually enjoyed the Army. Sam shook his head in anger, that boy was not right for her. What would people think, her traipsing around the globe with a, what is an E3 anyway?
His son David was in love with a French girl. A foreign exchange student. He was already talking about going with her back to France at the end of his senior year in high school. David had told Sam "I am eighteen. I will graduate in May, there is nothing you can do about it". Sam again lost his train of thought.
Details, details. The list of things to do at work flashed in a disjointed film clip through his brainpan. "Mr. Hovarth..tomorrow I need to transfer for Mr. Hovarth...I am not paying for him to go to France...Mandy will probably have to go to France with that assho..man, I am tired...the best fucking president that Chamber ever had...where is my car...maybe Linda will want to have some sex later, it has been a long time...I have to do something for Mr. Hovarth..."
He sat the briefcase down as it was getting heavy. He swayed on his feet a moment and contemplated taking off his suit coat. He noticed a scuff on his wingtip and frowned. "Those shoes cost $250 and now they are ruined", he mumbled to himself. He scratched the back of his head a minute, already forgetting the shoes in the alcohol fog. Jutting his jaw, he squinted into the night. He sort of recognized where he was. Straight or right turn? He staggered across the street splitting the difference. As he neared the curb he began to see bright flashes of light. "Cool", he thought to himself. Short of the curb he set a zigzag course down the street. The lights began to circle his head, a red, white and blue firework show. Then he heard the woop of the siren as the police car slowed to a crawl behind him.
"Some one's day is fucked", Sam muttered with a half smile. The cop looked out his window at the obvious drunk staggering down the side street carrying a briefcase. He shook his head and hit the siren another short blast.
For Sam Cassidy attaining the appearance of perfection was about to get a lot harder.
June 1, 2009
I want to thank you
I hit 100,000 visitors today. Some of you get that many in a quarter. The really big dogs get that a week. I am pretty proud anyhow. When I started this pig I got three hits a day. Two were me.
After four years and nearly 2200 posts I think I have said all I can. Since March 22, 2005 when I made my un-noticed entrance into the Internet world until now some 1,532 days have passed us by. I have covered my life, politics, and I hope a few jokes in the 2,170 posts (counting this one)I have written in that time. That is a rate of about three posts every two days. That is a lot of words. For you detractors I will be quick to admit often this is a place of quantity, not quality. I never claimed to be a writer, just your Average Joe with something to say. Have I said it well? Probably not. But I have put my life, my sense of humor and my opinion out there for the world to comment and critique -- spelling issues and all.
Since I started typing posts on this insignificant record of my life, my daughter graduated high school and college. She got engaged. My oldest son graduated high school, broke his collarbone and has grown into a fine musician and man. He is in college. My youngest broke his arm played a lot of sports and will get his driver's licence in a few months. He is growing into a fine young man as well. Several great bloggers lived and died. Many more have disappeared from the blogosphere.
In those four years I have changed jobs. We have moved twice. In those four years I have been through some of the lowest points of my life and scaled some personal peaks. This pig helped me through both the highs and lows, even if I did not relate all of the stories here. Your comments and discussions have been my life bouy on more than one occasion.
How long will this place last? I don't know. Another untended site waits in the wings for my new personality to bring it back to life. I have not posted there in months. I barely have anything to say here, let alone on another piece o' crap blog. I feel the pressure of my own making to posts something every day. If I had devoted the words to a novel I have spent here I would be finished with my story. On the other hand I would not have your comments and the joy of reading your blogs each day.
What is the point here? Simply, I want to say thank you to every one of you. I know I sound like a long-ago Sally Field Oscar speech when I write I cannot believe you take time from your life to stop by and read my drivel, my rants, my boring life stories, my jokes. I do not possess the vocabulary or writing skills to adequately express what each and every one of the 100,000 visits means to me.
You are the finest people I have never met, and I am proud to call you my friends.
Thank you, Wapsaw, Baie dankie, Gui lah hui te ha, Saeamat kimo, Faleminderit, Shukran, Merci, Eskerrik asko, Doh je, Yokoke, Tak, Dank u, Tashakkur, Danke schön, Efcharisto, Mahalo, Toda, Köszönöm, Go raibh maith agaibh, Grazie, Arigato, Komapsumnida, Gratiam habeo, Xie xie, Dziekuje, Obrigado, Hvala, Gracias, Cám ơn, Yuscotoya...well, you get the idea.
This is the lucky visitor:
Fat in Indiana
By Details > Visit Detail
Visit 100,000
[<<] [>>]
Domain Name (Unknown)
IP Address 70.103.72.# (Electric Lightwave)
ISP Electric Lightwave
Location Continent : North America
Country : United States (Facts)
State : West Virginia
City : Shady Spring
Lat/Long : 37.741, -81.013 (Map)
Language English (U.S.)
en-us
Operating System Microsoft WinXP
Browser Internet Explorer 7.0
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB6; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Javascript version 1.3
Monitor Resolution : 1280 x 768
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Time of Visit Jun 1 2009 11:06:29 am
Last Page View Jun 1 2009 11:06:29 am
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Referring URL http://ralphd00d.blogspot.com/
Visit Entry Page http://www.hoosierboy.blogspot.com/
Visit Exit Page http://www.hoosierboy.blogspot.com/
Out Click
Time Zone UTC-8:00
Visitor's Time Jun 1 2009 8:06:29 am
Visit Number 100,000
After four years and nearly 2200 posts I think I have said all I can. Since March 22, 2005 when I made my un-noticed entrance into the Internet world until now some 1,532 days have passed us by. I have covered my life, politics, and I hope a few jokes in the 2,170 posts (counting this one)I have written in that time. That is a rate of about three posts every two days. That is a lot of words. For you detractors I will be quick to admit often this is a place of quantity, not quality. I never claimed to be a writer, just your Average Joe with something to say. Have I said it well? Probably not. But I have put my life, my sense of humor and my opinion out there for the world to comment and critique -- spelling issues and all.
Since I started typing posts on this insignificant record of my life, my daughter graduated high school and college. She got engaged. My oldest son graduated high school, broke his collarbone and has grown into a fine musician and man. He is in college. My youngest broke his arm played a lot of sports and will get his driver's licence in a few months. He is growing into a fine young man as well. Several great bloggers lived and died. Many more have disappeared from the blogosphere.
In those four years I have changed jobs. We have moved twice. In those four years I have been through some of the lowest points of my life and scaled some personal peaks. This pig helped me through both the highs and lows, even if I did not relate all of the stories here. Your comments and discussions have been my life bouy on more than one occasion.
How long will this place last? I don't know. Another untended site waits in the wings for my new personality to bring it back to life. I have not posted there in months. I barely have anything to say here, let alone on another piece o' crap blog. I feel the pressure of my own making to posts something every day. If I had devoted the words to a novel I have spent here I would be finished with my story. On the other hand I would not have your comments and the joy of reading your blogs each day.
What is the point here? Simply, I want to say thank you to every one of you. I know I sound like a long-ago Sally Field Oscar speech when I write I cannot believe you take time from your life to stop by and read my drivel, my rants, my boring life stories, my jokes. I do not possess the vocabulary or writing skills to adequately express what each and every one of the 100,000 visits means to me.
You are the finest people I have never met, and I am proud to call you my friends.
Thank you, Wapsaw, Baie dankie, Gui lah hui te ha, Saeamat kimo, Faleminderit, Shukran, Merci, Eskerrik asko, Doh je, Yokoke, Tak, Dank u, Tashakkur, Danke schön, Efcharisto, Mahalo, Toda, Köszönöm, Go raibh maith agaibh, Grazie, Arigato, Komapsumnida, Gratiam habeo, Xie xie, Dziekuje, Obrigado, Hvala, Gracias, Cám ơn, Yuscotoya...well, you get the idea.
This is the lucky visitor:
Fat in Indiana
By Details > Visit Detail
Visit 100,000
[<<] [>>]
Domain Name (Unknown)
IP Address 70.103.72.# (Electric Lightwave)
ISP Electric Lightwave
Location Continent : North America
Country : United States (Facts)
State : West Virginia
City : Shady Spring
Lat/Long : 37.741, -81.013 (Map)
Language English (U.S.)
en-us
Operating System Microsoft WinXP
Browser Internet Explorer 7.0
Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 7.0; Windows NT 5.1; GTB6; .NET CLR 1.1.4322; .NET CLR 2.0.50727; .NET CLR 3.0.4506.2152; .NET CLR 3.5.30729)
Javascript version 1.3
Monitor Resolution : 1280 x 768
Color Depth : 32 bits
Time of Visit Jun 1 2009 11:06:29 am
Last Page View Jun 1 2009 11:06:29 am
Visit Length 0 seconds
Page Views 1
Referring URL http://ralphd00d.blogspot.com/
Visit Entry Page http://www.hoosierboy.blogspot.com/
Visit Exit Page http://www.hoosierboy.blogspot.com/
Out Click
Time Zone UTC-8:00
Visitor's Time Jun 1 2009 8:06:29 am
Visit Number 100,000
Where I cover a miriad of topics
I had a weird weekend.
The avian sector of the ecosystem continues its assault on my house. Saturday morning as I was making my coffee I noticed a disgusting splatter on my kitchen window/screen. Whatever it was had run down the window. I went out see and discovered it was eggs smashed on my window, at least two. They were small bird eggs, not the eating/throwing/baking chicken egg kind. In addition there were eggs smeared across my grill and broken eggshells on my deck. All appeared to have travelled from west to east before being smashed. None were in a place where they could have fallen from a nest. Did a hawk or owl drop them? Did a crazed dove continue its attack and shoot the missile from the egg chute in an all out aerial bombardment of my property? Have you seen such a thing?
I went out to get my paper Saturday morning. As I walked on the porch I heard a loud voice talking. As I reached my mailbox/paperbox, I noticed the neighbor girl standing in her front yard practicing her speech for graduation. It was just strange to see her standing there gesticulating to the empty street.
Sometimes life is bizarre.
The avian sector of the ecosystem continues its assault on my house. Saturday morning as I was making my coffee I noticed a disgusting splatter on my kitchen window/screen. Whatever it was had run down the window. I went out see and discovered it was eggs smashed on my window, at least two. They were small bird eggs, not the eating/throwing/baking chicken egg kind. In addition there were eggs smeared across my grill and broken eggshells on my deck. All appeared to have travelled from west to east before being smashed. None were in a place where they could have fallen from a nest. Did a hawk or owl drop them? Did a crazed dove continue its attack and shoot the missile from the egg chute in an all out aerial bombardment of my property? Have you seen such a thing?
I went out to get my paper Saturday morning. As I walked on the porch I heard a loud voice talking. As I reached my mailbox/paperbox, I noticed the neighbor girl standing in her front yard practicing her speech for graduation. It was just strange to see her standing there gesticulating to the empty street.
Sometimes life is bizarre.