Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Ugh
As I said to a friend recently, I’ve been using those 3 letters way too much these days. Is it just me or does it seem like we are all in this cop's shoes with the economy slowly coming to crush us whether we like it or not. I was delusional enough to be hopeful that October would set a bottom and the repair would begin once we have our new President lined up. Not surprisingly, I was wrong.
I have had the ability to catch more than my fair share of CNBC over the past month. What began as a slow bleed, turned to a busted corroded artery, and is now back to those 5 cuts from shaving that just won’t stop. It has been the car wreck I just can’t bring myself to look away from. K2 has nothing on the Dow’s chart the past 8 weeks and even though we had a bit of a bump 2 weeks ago, we’re back down like Heath Ledger after…oh, sorry, too soon?
I’d like to go into a long analysis about how f@*%ed we are, but I don’t have the energy…CNBC has taken it from me. All I know is this.
The banks don’t have money, so they can’t lend to anyone. People don’t have money and they can’t borrow any. Businesses don’t have money and they can’t borrow any either. So the solution? Give the banks money.
Awesome, problem fixed. Only problem is, we got into this whole by giving undeserving people loans…so up go the standards. Great, so give loans only to the people who are worthy. Uh-oh, everyone is losing their job and the value of their greatest asset (their home) is shot. No one is worthy.
How about the businesses loans? Well, since the people don’t have jobs, can’t even pay their mortgages and have lost 50%+ of their investments, they kinda aren’t in the shopping spree mood. Looks like Tiny Tim’s Christmas had nothing on this year’s Christmas. Beyond that, businesses are having trouble collecting their invoices and their market cap has probably dropped 50-80% this year .
In summary...your home is under water, you lost your job and can't get a loan to buy a car from the bankrupt auto company to get to an interview. Your kid's school is closing because your state's budget is out of wack, and you can't pay for the babysitter to go to the job interview. This is alright though because no one is hiring because you also can't afford to go buy anything. Did I mention your 401k is more like a 97k right now? Boy, could we use a war...are there any more Bush's left? There are?! Awesome!!! Oh, Jeb...UGH...let's give Obama first crack at this.
The end result everyone? We’ll be fine…eventually. In the meantime, hold on because for any of you that aren’t 80+ this is new to you and it could take quite a while. Let’s just home my inspirational feelings last week weren’t misplaced.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Got Bush?
Am I the only one wondering why we haven’t seen more from our CURRENT President Bush the past 2 weeks? Obviously we now know that the 12 of 20 years Bush regime is over (for now), but he still hast 2.5 months to go. Besides the weeks following 9/11, has there been any more important period during his 8 year administration?
In President Elect Barack Obama’s first news conference he did his best to instill confidence in the imminent action of the new administration to implement policy to improve our economic conditions, while emphasizing that the current President is still George Bush. The new conference necessary? Yes, confidence of our nation is critical in our recovery. The message comforting? Not to me. Should we really need the reminder?
Often it is said that with adversity comes the opportunity for greatness. In an administration marred by what many view (only 25% approval rating) as poor decisions and lackluster leadership, George Bush has been presented the opportunity to drastically effect his legacy in a positive manner. $700 billion TARP plan? You think your job is done? Fade into the sunset? You’ve got to be kidding me! With so much work to be done I’d really hope that our President stops looking more like the coworker who just turned in their 2 weeks notice than the leader of the free world.
Strategic government spending of approved funds and implementation of essential policy (see: finance industry regulation, stimulus package and employment assistance) cannot wait. Either can I for a new administration.
If I were to be able to deliver W one message, it would be a reminder that the United States of America is a land of opportunity and of second chances. 50 years from now, are my grandchildren going to be reading how you protected a nation in its time of need and then made poor decision after poor decision from that point on? Or will they read about a misunderstood leader, unafraid to make the unpopular decision who ultimately protected our country’s freedom and saved us from crippling economic crisis? Carpe Diem George…you’ve got plenty of time to rest come January 20th.
In President Elect Barack Obama’s first news conference he did his best to instill confidence in the imminent action of the new administration to implement policy to improve our economic conditions, while emphasizing that the current President is still George Bush. The new conference necessary? Yes, confidence of our nation is critical in our recovery. The message comforting? Not to me. Should we really need the reminder?
Often it is said that with adversity comes the opportunity for greatness. In an administration marred by what many view (only 25% approval rating) as poor decisions and lackluster leadership, George Bush has been presented the opportunity to drastically effect his legacy in a positive manner. $700 billion TARP plan? You think your job is done? Fade into the sunset? You’ve got to be kidding me! With so much work to be done I’d really hope that our President stops looking more like the coworker who just turned in their 2 weeks notice than the leader of the free world.
Strategic government spending of approved funds and implementation of essential policy (see: finance industry regulation, stimulus package and employment assistance) cannot wait. Either can I for a new administration.
If I were to be able to deliver W one message, it would be a reminder that the United States of America is a land of opportunity and of second chances. 50 years from now, are my grandchildren going to be reading how you protected a nation in its time of need and then made poor decision after poor decision from that point on? Or will they read about a misunderstood leader, unafraid to make the unpopular decision who ultimately protected our country’s freedom and saved us from crippling economic crisis? Carpe Diem George…you’ve got plenty of time to rest come January 20th.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Inspired
Sitting here watching our President Elect Barack Obama accept his appointment to the 44nd President of the United States. Sitting here listening to the messages our future first black president is delivering from Grant Park in Chicago. Sitting here surprised how emotional the crowd of 125k+ supporters, and myself included, are… hanging on every word.
For the record, I was a McCain supporter…was…
Perhaps it’s the difficult times we’re in. The wars. The housing crisis. Failing corporations that were once mainstays in the US. Job losses that will continue to skyrocket. Whatever the reason, Barack Obama has our attention. And the message? Come together, help thy neighbor, be Americans first and prepare for change. One of hope, promise and inspiration.
Who would have thought…really?!! 150 years ago blacks were enslaved, only 50 years ago did the civil rights movement start to accelerate the righting of years of wrongs. And now we stand as a nation with a black man as our leader. The combination of the tumultuous times we’re in, systemic uncertainty and witnessing history is making it hard for me have the proper perspective to truly understand where our country is headed.
What I do know, is that after listening to our new leader, all I can hope is that this man who has endured so much, risen up against great odds and prejudice, and now become the next President of the United States, uses this strength to follow through on his mission, and not bend to the political pressures that have ruined our system. Should this path be followed I have great confidence our direction will be righted, and together we will build momentum to re-creating the country we hope to live in and to leave for our children. Optimistic? Yes. Overly Utopian? Perhaps. Inspired?? Definitely...
For the record, I was a McCain supporter…was…
Perhaps it’s the difficult times we’re in. The wars. The housing crisis. Failing corporations that were once mainstays in the US. Job losses that will continue to skyrocket. Whatever the reason, Barack Obama has our attention. And the message? Come together, help thy neighbor, be Americans first and prepare for change. One of hope, promise and inspiration.
Who would have thought…really?!! 150 years ago blacks were enslaved, only 50 years ago did the civil rights movement start to accelerate the righting of years of wrongs. And now we stand as a nation with a black man as our leader. The combination of the tumultuous times we’re in, systemic uncertainty and witnessing history is making it hard for me have the proper perspective to truly understand where our country is headed.
What I do know, is that after listening to our new leader, all I can hope is that this man who has endured so much, risen up against great odds and prejudice, and now become the next President of the United States, uses this strength to follow through on his mission, and not bend to the political pressures that have ruined our system. Should this path be followed I have great confidence our direction will be righted, and together we will build momentum to re-creating the country we hope to live in and to leave for our children. Optimistic? Yes. Overly Utopian? Perhaps. Inspired?? Definitely...
Monday, November 3, 2008
Knocked off your game…
So on Election Eve it’s only fitting that MNF is played in our nation’s capital. In fact while writing this we’re only moments away from our Arizona and Illinois senator’s final pleas for your hanging chad.
Pregame discussion surrounded Big Ben’s tough times this year and his sieve of an offensive line. It delved into what one too many hits from the blind side can do to a quarterback and his career. The crew brought up the stories of Jim Everrett(click the link, trust me), Jeff George (troubled in other ways as well admittedly) and now JaMarcus Russell who suffer not from a lack of ability, but the inability to have time to showcase it.
The beauty of football is the teamwork that it demands. Basketball can win with 1-2 superstars, baseball can pull it off with a great pitching performance, but football requires all 22+. Safety blows an assignment? TD. WR slips and allows the CB to intercept? TD. Offensive lineman not able to handle the bull rush resulting in a fumble and a return for a…TD? Yup, not good. No other sport reflects life more accurately.
Where am I going with this? No team is going to win without a team effort, and no team is going to win without their top QB. How do you keep your QB safe? Keep him from getting hit. Allow that backside end in a few too many times…allow Joey Porter to run free on a delayed blitz…here come Brian Dawkins, uh-oh! Get hit enough times and all the sudden your internal the clock is a bit shorter, you start throwing off your back foot, you don’t follow through as well…aka you’re hearing ghosts.
The mental game of sports is just as important as the X’s and O’s. As easy as it is to ask your players to have a short memory, human nature is to flinch…it just is. Hit a good man enough and eventually he’ll break. Some make it back…good job Kurt Warner, and then 5 years later, Kurt Warner…but most don’t. Then again though, life isn’t much different…but that’s a different post all together I guess.
Pregame discussion surrounded Big Ben’s tough times this year and his sieve of an offensive line. It delved into what one too many hits from the blind side can do to a quarterback and his career. The crew brought up the stories of Jim Everrett(click the link, trust me), Jeff George (troubled in other ways as well admittedly) and now JaMarcus Russell who suffer not from a lack of ability, but the inability to have time to showcase it.
The beauty of football is the teamwork that it demands. Basketball can win with 1-2 superstars, baseball can pull it off with a great pitching performance, but football requires all 22+. Safety blows an assignment? TD. WR slips and allows the CB to intercept? TD. Offensive lineman not able to handle the bull rush resulting in a fumble and a return for a…TD? Yup, not good. No other sport reflects life more accurately.
Where am I going with this? No team is going to win without a team effort, and no team is going to win without their top QB. How do you keep your QB safe? Keep him from getting hit. Allow that backside end in a few too many times…allow Joey Porter to run free on a delayed blitz…here come Brian Dawkins, uh-oh! Get hit enough times and all the sudden your internal the clock is a bit shorter, you start throwing off your back foot, you don’t follow through as well…aka you’re hearing ghosts.
The mental game of sports is just as important as the X’s and O’s. As easy as it is to ask your players to have a short memory, human nature is to flinch…it just is. Hit a good man enough and eventually he’ll break. Some make it back…good job Kurt Warner, and then 5 years later, Kurt Warner…but most don’t. Then again though, life isn’t much different…but that’s a different post all together I guess.
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