To Simulate or Not to Stimulate....that is the Question
It just aggravates me to no end when either party has control and feel it's okay to bully the other. This doesn't work because it just causes the other party to dig in their heels and make life miserable. It doesn't work in business, it doesn't work on the playground, and when it's our Federal government the American people end up the losers. Take the latest stimulus package, the democrats added in a bunch of pork to show how great it is to be the big shots on campus, and it caused the republicans to dig in their heels and whine to anyone that would listen.
It's not that the republicans whining is not without merit, but they also seem to forgot that when they were control the democrats and the American people were forced to eat their pork. It also needs to be said I don't care much for pork especially fatty pork and both sides have their history of fatty pork padding. John McCain said he hated republican pork as much as democratic pork, but he voted the republican pork filled bills.
Yesterday and Today
No, I'm not talking about Y&T, but literally lets leave yesterday to historians, and worry about today and tomorrow. The bill the democrats support is full of pork, some fatty, and some lean but pork has no business being in this particular stimulus package. I have to wonder what would the Republicans had said if the bill had been pork free. However we'll never know because the Democrats screwed up a big chance to show the American people that they truly care about these difficult times. Now it appears the Republicans are the caring ones but the truth is they really don't care. I don't think either side does since they have no worries about being laid off.
They need to start acting like neither side has a majority and think about what is best for the American people. Historically speaking when the congress is more narrowly controlled by one side or the other, they are forced to work together more. When one side has a overwhelming majority they become drunk with power and pass whatever they like. If the president happens to be on the other side, then he will become an insignificant president, but if the president happens to be on leading side, then he has big problems.
I think this president is in trouble because the higher they are, the further they will fall.
The Politics of Being Political
I can't be a democrat or republican, because I have to watch both sides closely and listen to what they are both saying. Some of the infrastructure spending is a good thing but I don't think it's enough nor do I think it will solve all our economic problems. Lowering taxes on businesses will help the businesses but I really don't see them expanding much as a result of this. When times are hard people hold onto their pennies more, and it's true for everyone. I don't think a business is going to look at their lower taxes and say let's expand. They are still going to be uncertain that their business will even be around in a few months with or without lower taxes.
It's all a gamble, with the Republicans wanting to fix everything by just cutting taxes alone and the Democrats wanting to spend their way out. Tax cuts for businesses and wealthy people sounds great on the surface but it doesn't wash with the middle and lower middle class people, since with them lies most of the spending power. We already know that alone doesn't work, it hasn't worked for the past 8 years. If a business large or small gets a few paltry tax cuts, but people still don't feel comfortable enough to buy their goods, their business will fail. If the government puts lot of money into infrastructure, which would create jobs, but if people still don't feel comfortable they still won't spend money and businesses will still fail.
I think what bothers me the most is the Republicans are just standing back, saying it won't work and seriously hoping things will just fall apart.
What They Aren't Saying..
I was watching Bill O'Reilly's show after the President spoke and he was talking with Dick Morris, who explained that the Japanese in the 1990's tried to spend their way out of their big recession...both of them and subsequent guests just threw up their hands and said it didn't work. The problem is they didn't mention that the Japanese also cut 2 trillion in taxes too...and it didn't help them in addition to their big spending. What the Japanese did have going for them was the fact they saved their money roughly 13% of their income goes into savings. Roughly 1% of the average American's income goes into savings.
The problem is I don't think either has it right...you can't cut taxes to get out of a recession (at least it's never worked in the past) and you can't spend your way out of it. The only thing you can do is curb your spending, save as much money as possible, and hang on because I think the only cure for a recession truly is time. When goods and services get too expensive too fast recessions are useful. When the stock market starts to nose dive they call it a price correction--over-inflated stocks come down in price more in line with their true value. When houses dropped they called it bubble and the effect is the same, prices came down to where they probably should have been had the boom not occurred. Now the whole economy is going through the same thing. It's going to take a long time but I believe things will get better--it will just take time and probably more time than the next couple presidents will have. And yes you did read that right. We're talking 8-10 years people!
I believe if Obama's stimulus goes through as planned, we will benefit from it but I'll be very surprised if it's within the next four years. If the next president doesn't try to undo everything, then perhaps during that term things will start to turn and they can take credit for it. If they do try to undo everything, then we'll sink deeper but still eventually things will improve. The question is would things improve without all this on it's own in the same amount of time.
That too, I believe is possible, but try to convince Washington of that.
© 2009 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
Showing posts with label election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label election. Show all posts
Monday, February 09, 2009
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Just Another Day
Hodgepodge
For me at least, it's official, I'm finished all I have to do now is wait. I'll be honest, I do kind of suck at waiting; you've probably seen me because I'm the one in line at the grocery store, stuck behind the person who decides at the last moment they are paying by check, or counting pennies. I'm at the bank stuck behind the person that hasn't filled their deposit slip. It's me behind the person at dry cleaners that's lost their slip and is taking FOREVER to describe their clothes. Did you catch me 'waiving' to the person on the freeway that entered doing only 35 instead of freeway speed. Yup that was me.
However, as I said I'm finished, I've done all the research I'm going to do, so for me it's all over, until the Tuesday following the first Monday of November I am effectively finished. I took three hours filling out my ballot and I'm bittersweet about some of the hard choices I had to make. I don't always agree with mandatory sentences for people caught with a controlled substance. I believe it should always be handled in a case by case way. I don't believe that a 18 year old should have to register as a sex offender because his 16 year old girlfriend's father and mother decided they didn't like the fact their daughter had sex. I believe the law should always be applied in a common sense way not because people just want all sex offenders off the streets--so yeah I'm against knee-jerk laws of any type.
The Best Advice
A Long time ago when the first Bush was running for president, there was a young Ranter in line waiting her turn to vote for the first time. An older gentleman in line ahead of her struck up a conversation, and unwittingly handed over the best voting advice she's ever gotten. He said to her, almost never vote to raise your own taxes. It sounds so easy coming from a retired person probably taking full advantage of California's Prop 13*, but I pondered it. I queried, what about school bond issues? He did agree that would be an exception in some cases but he also felt he was paying more than his share in taxes (income tax rates were higher under Reagan than they were under Clinton). He pointed out several things on the ballot that were just wasteful spending or that he felt the private sector could fund. I have done a fairly good job of following that advice with few exceptions.
This election I've found myself asking these questions more and more, but I'm almost certain a tax hike is in our future (at some point) regardless of who is elected. I think all any of us can do is make the best choice we can.
Of Cleaning and Men
It's not a secret, the men living in this house are slobs and that I'm sure anyone could agree if you could see the condition of my house. So I spent 3 hours yesterday cleaning a bathroom my older son, Piss-Boy was supposed to be cleaning. I had fully anticipated cleaning the floor well and cabinet fronts (about an hour) but I had no idea that I also had to scrub the bathtub/shower area AND spend 30 minutes cleaning the toilet! Mind you just the inside! I also spent a while unclogging Fredo's hardened toothpaste filled drain. Today, I'll be spending most of the day cleaning the rest of the house, since the bathrooms are sparkling, the rest of the house needs to.
*For those of you from other states Proposition 13 was overwhelmingly approved by California voters in 1978, which froze their property taxes at whatever level they were currently paying for as long as they owned their home. If you purchased a new home, your property taxes would go up based on the amount you paid for the house (figure around 10%) but remain frozen (meaning they couldn't go up any higher). A majority of the those monies collected go to the school systems in the state. The exception is bond issues, if approved those will increase the property taxes, as would sewer increases, and other miscellaneous items but they never added up to much. So in California it was very possible for a retired person that owned their home for 35 years could be paying around $200 dollars a year for their property taxes while their neighbor that had just purchased their house would be paying $6000 a year, plus those special bond issues.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
For me at least, it's official, I'm finished all I have to do now is wait. I'll be honest, I do kind of suck at waiting; you've probably seen me because I'm the one in line at the grocery store, stuck behind the person who decides at the last moment they are paying by check, or counting pennies. I'm at the bank stuck behind the person that hasn't filled their deposit slip. It's me behind the person at dry cleaners that's lost their slip and is taking FOREVER to describe their clothes. Did you catch me 'waiving' to the person on the freeway that entered doing only 35 instead of freeway speed. Yup that was me.
However, as I said I'm finished, I've done all the research I'm going to do, so for me it's all over, until the Tuesday following the first Monday of November I am effectively finished. I took three hours filling out my ballot and I'm bittersweet about some of the hard choices I had to make. I don't always agree with mandatory sentences for people caught with a controlled substance. I believe it should always be handled in a case by case way. I don't believe that a 18 year old should have to register as a sex offender because his 16 year old girlfriend's father and mother decided they didn't like the fact their daughter had sex. I believe the law should always be applied in a common sense way not because people just want all sex offenders off the streets--so yeah I'm against knee-jerk laws of any type.
The Best Advice
A Long time ago when the first Bush was running for president, there was a young Ranter in line waiting her turn to vote for the first time. An older gentleman in line ahead of her struck up a conversation, and unwittingly handed over the best voting advice she's ever gotten. He said to her, almost never vote to raise your own taxes. It sounds so easy coming from a retired person probably taking full advantage of California's Prop 13*, but I pondered it. I queried, what about school bond issues? He did agree that would be an exception in some cases but he also felt he was paying more than his share in taxes (income tax rates were higher under Reagan than they were under Clinton). He pointed out several things on the ballot that were just wasteful spending or that he felt the private sector could fund. I have done a fairly good job of following that advice with few exceptions.
This election I've found myself asking these questions more and more, but I'm almost certain a tax hike is in our future (at some point) regardless of who is elected. I think all any of us can do is make the best choice we can.
Of Cleaning and Men
It's not a secret, the men living in this house are slobs and that I'm sure anyone could agree if you could see the condition of my house. So I spent 3 hours yesterday cleaning a bathroom my older son, Piss-Boy was supposed to be cleaning. I had fully anticipated cleaning the floor well and cabinet fronts (about an hour) but I had no idea that I also had to scrub the bathtub/shower area AND spend 30 minutes cleaning the toilet! Mind you just the inside! I also spent a while unclogging Fredo's hardened toothpaste filled drain. Today, I'll be spending most of the day cleaning the rest of the house, since the bathrooms are sparkling, the rest of the house needs to.
*For those of you from other states Proposition 13 was overwhelmingly approved by California voters in 1978, which froze their property taxes at whatever level they were currently paying for as long as they owned their home. If you purchased a new home, your property taxes would go up based on the amount you paid for the house (figure around 10%) but remain frozen (meaning they couldn't go up any higher). A majority of the those monies collected go to the school systems in the state. The exception is bond issues, if approved those will increase the property taxes, as would sewer increases, and other miscellaneous items but they never added up to much. So in California it was very possible for a retired person that owned their home for 35 years could be paying around $200 dollars a year for their property taxes while their neighbor that had just purchased their house would be paying $6000 a year, plus those special bond issues.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
Friday, October 17, 2008
Finally Friday
I'm So Glad
Bonus points for anyone that can tell me which trio recorded that song. It's a fantastic Friday and I'm excited, not sure why maybe I'm just overly optimistic about the future or perhaps it's the rose-colored glasses I just got in the mail from Ronco. In just a few more weeks the country will embark on the election and come January good or bad, Dubya will be OUT.
It's no secret I'm not a fan of Dubya, but I was less of a fan of the other choices in the past couple elections. This election I do feel differently, since lets face it neither is gong to be able to do half of what they want to accomplish. I don't feel nearly as fatalistic than I thought I would feel. Maybe the prozac I stole from my mother-in-law is working.
Rose-colored glasses or no, I feel albeit guardedly optimistic our economy will recover without any further meddling from Washington. Maybe I'm insane but it's time to let the investors do what they need to do.
In Other News
My desk chair has finally said that it's had enough and snapped yesterday evening. We've had it a long time, and it a great find at my then local Goodwill Store. An 18 dollar bargain that's lasted nearly a decade. It's held my fat ass, with a child on my lap for years now and I'm kinda sad to see it go. But with the way it is now, with all four wheels firmly on the ground yet the back of the chair on the floor, it's just not going to work, nor is possible to save it.
Husband was home ill yesterday which annoys everyone to no end since we can't do what we want to do. Namely watch what we want on TV in the evenings--after all I gave up MMN the previous night for the debate. I know he's not home at night often but can't he just submit himself to an hour of Survivor without making snarky comments? So, instead we give in, handing over the remote, and exist in a hell that shows everything on the Food Network channel and the Travel Channel. Oh Boy! Me without a safe computer chair, well it just sucks.
The upshot is I get to go to back to Target, our newly remodeled one, the one that is like Disneyland with better prices for a new chair. The downside is that I have to wait until Rainbird gets paid again, since just a couple days ago I made a big deal about him not being able to make an expensive Halloween prop to house Dead Ted, or was it Dead Fred. I don't know I always forget which is which.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
Bonus points for anyone that can tell me which trio recorded that song. It's a fantastic Friday and I'm excited, not sure why maybe I'm just overly optimistic about the future or perhaps it's the rose-colored glasses I just got in the mail from Ronco. In just a few more weeks the country will embark on the election and come January good or bad, Dubya will be OUT.
It's no secret I'm not a fan of Dubya, but I was less of a fan of the other choices in the past couple elections. This election I do feel differently, since lets face it neither is gong to be able to do half of what they want to accomplish. I don't feel nearly as fatalistic than I thought I would feel. Maybe the prozac I stole from my mother-in-law is working.
Rose-colored glasses or no, I feel albeit guardedly optimistic our economy will recover without any further meddling from Washington. Maybe I'm insane but it's time to let the investors do what they need to do.
In Other News
My desk chair has finally said that it's had enough and snapped yesterday evening. We've had it a long time, and it a great find at my then local Goodwill Store. An 18 dollar bargain that's lasted nearly a decade. It's held my fat ass, with a child on my lap for years now and I'm kinda sad to see it go. But with the way it is now, with all four wheels firmly on the ground yet the back of the chair on the floor, it's just not going to work, nor is possible to save it.
Husband was home ill yesterday which annoys everyone to no end since we can't do what we want to do. Namely watch what we want on TV in the evenings--after all I gave up MMN the previous night for the debate. I know he's not home at night often but can't he just submit himself to an hour of Survivor without making snarky comments? So, instead we give in, handing over the remote, and exist in a hell that shows everything on the Food Network channel and the Travel Channel. Oh Boy! Me without a safe computer chair, well it just sucks.
The upshot is I get to go to back to Target, our newly remodeled one, the one that is like Disneyland with better prices for a new chair. The downside is that I have to wait until Rainbird gets paid again, since just a couple days ago I made a big deal about him not being able to make an expensive Halloween prop to house Dead Ted, or was it Dead Fred. I don't know I always forget which is which.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
Friday, September 26, 2008
Question of the Day (Maybe the Month or Year even!)
Are We Capitalists or Socialists?
That is a question that perplexes me and I'm not sure what the answer is anymore, ten years ago I probably could answer that question much quicker. Today, I don't know the answer. Should banks fail (including my bank which I love)? Should the government be bailing out AIG, under the idea that its failure would adversely affect the world economy? As someone that does believe in capitalism I'm finding it difficult to wrap my head around an all out bailout with or without restrictions. Businesses that make poor choices close all the time for example, a restaurant won't thrive even in the best of neighborhoods if the food isn't good or is highly overpriced to what the average person will pay.
If a bank, in the business of lending money, lends money to people they have a good idea won't be able to pay it back (as was the case with most of sub prime mortgages) isn't that a bad business decision? Now I understand that this is a bitter pill to swallow, especially for the thousands of people facing foreclosure and I'm very sorry for them that they might lose their homes. That said, I feel the government's idea of buying those mortgages is a horrible idea for any price.
Breakdown Go Ahead Give it to Me
Lets say someone makes 60K a year or roughly $4600 per month before taxes wants to buy a house, under the old rules they would have to save 20% of the price for a down payment, and pay no more than 1/3 of their monthly income. That means simply put you can afford a house priced around $240,000. Instead with the sub-prime these people were qualifying for a loan for a house double that price, or $480,000. So now that these people have figured out that they can't afford these loans and they don't want to lose their houses the government is trying to work out a deal to buy those bad mortgages from the lenders that issued them. They will work to let the people refinance into a "traditional" loan so they may keep their houses.
So, lets go back to our hypothetical, and lets say that these people can refinance that $480,000 loan. First lets all recognize they put very little or no money down, and have not been paying any principle for the past 4 years so they don't owe $480K. It's more like $520K. Now remember they only make $4600 a month, so where are they going to get the money to pay the new mortgage bill of $3117.66 (that's 30y fixed rate of 6% interest)? A 40 year mortgage wouldn't save them that much about $256 dollars.
So how is this going to help them? Unless they forgive the past four years and offer them a loan at the original $480 at a 40-year rate that is lower than I would pay with excellent credit...they might make it at a little less than half of what they make. However the real question is still unanswered. How is the so-called bailout going to help these people? Short answer is that it won't.
Of Mice and Men
We can't consider ourselves capitalists until the economy goes into the toilet and is being flushed, then say wait a minute, we can't let that happen. We also can afford to bail out everyone, some will fall like WaMu who just late yesterday had their 300 billion dollars in assets seized by the FDIC and sold for 1.9 billion to JP Morgan Chase. Surprisingly I have no problem with this because it was sold, all the depositors money is still there (even those over 100K) and they handed out flyers to customers entering the bank this morning and put a notification on their (Washington Mutual's) website. It won't cost taxpayers anything and the FDIC can return to their jobs of watching other failing banks.
Maybe those people are just lucky they were banking with a bank that the FDIC felt was too big to fail completely and the amount it could have costed taxpayers would have been atronomical.
The bailout is more about global markets so that money can keep moving. If someone owns a business and needs to make an important improvement, they normally need to borrow money to do it. If they can't borrow, the business could fail, employees will lose their jobs. Think of George Bailey and the Building and Loan in holiday classic It's a Wonderful LIfe, when there was a run on the bank, George exclaimed that their money was in 'Sam's house or Dave's house..." you, I'm sure get the idea.
Money has become a virtual thing, no one really sees it anymore but I think that's going to change. Will there be a depression? If there is a bailout probably not but we still can't avoid a deep recession, if there isn't a bailout, then it does become likely.
This all said though, we always want people to be accountable for their actions, right or wrong, and that's not what is going on now. Lenders were irresponsible, the goverment was irresponsible, the brokers and everyone else that lined their pockets instead of doing what was right. If that means things fail, change and hit rock bottom then nothing will change it.
We call a huge downslide on Wallstreet today a Market Correction (meaning stock prices went too high too fast and must come down) maybe what we need is an Economic Correction?
In any event the debates are about to start and I for one am relieved that McCain changed his mind and decided to attend and very interested to see what both have to say.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
That is a question that perplexes me and I'm not sure what the answer is anymore, ten years ago I probably could answer that question much quicker. Today, I don't know the answer. Should banks fail (including my bank which I love)? Should the government be bailing out AIG, under the idea that its failure would adversely affect the world economy? As someone that does believe in capitalism I'm finding it difficult to wrap my head around an all out bailout with or without restrictions. Businesses that make poor choices close all the time for example, a restaurant won't thrive even in the best of neighborhoods if the food isn't good or is highly overpriced to what the average person will pay.
If a bank, in the business of lending money, lends money to people they have a good idea won't be able to pay it back (as was the case with most of sub prime mortgages) isn't that a bad business decision? Now I understand that this is a bitter pill to swallow, especially for the thousands of people facing foreclosure and I'm very sorry for them that they might lose their homes. That said, I feel the government's idea of buying those mortgages is a horrible idea for any price.
Breakdown Go Ahead Give it to Me
Lets say someone makes 60K a year or roughly $4600 per month before taxes wants to buy a house, under the old rules they would have to save 20% of the price for a down payment, and pay no more than 1/3 of their monthly income. That means simply put you can afford a house priced around $240,000. Instead with the sub-prime these people were qualifying for a loan for a house double that price, or $480,000. So now that these people have figured out that they can't afford these loans and they don't want to lose their houses the government is trying to work out a deal to buy those bad mortgages from the lenders that issued them. They will work to let the people refinance into a "traditional" loan so they may keep their houses.
So, lets go back to our hypothetical, and lets say that these people can refinance that $480,000 loan. First lets all recognize they put very little or no money down, and have not been paying any principle for the past 4 years so they don't owe $480K. It's more like $520K. Now remember they only make $4600 a month, so where are they going to get the money to pay the new mortgage bill of $3117.66 (that's 30y fixed rate of 6% interest)? A 40 year mortgage wouldn't save them that much about $256 dollars.
So how is this going to help them? Unless they forgive the past four years and offer them a loan at the original $480 at a 40-year rate that is lower than I would pay with excellent credit...they might make it at a little less than half of what they make. However the real question is still unanswered. How is the so-called bailout going to help these people? Short answer is that it won't.
Of Mice and Men
We can't consider ourselves capitalists until the economy goes into the toilet and is being flushed, then say wait a minute, we can't let that happen. We also can afford to bail out everyone, some will fall like WaMu who just late yesterday had their 300 billion dollars in assets seized by the FDIC and sold for 1.9 billion to JP Morgan Chase. Surprisingly I have no problem with this because it was sold, all the depositors money is still there (even those over 100K) and they handed out flyers to customers entering the bank this morning and put a notification on their (Washington Mutual's) website. It won't cost taxpayers anything and the FDIC can return to their jobs of watching other failing banks.
Maybe those people are just lucky they were banking with a bank that the FDIC felt was too big to fail completely and the amount it could have costed taxpayers would have been atronomical.
The bailout is more about global markets so that money can keep moving. If someone owns a business and needs to make an important improvement, they normally need to borrow money to do it. If they can't borrow, the business could fail, employees will lose their jobs. Think of George Bailey and the Building and Loan in holiday classic It's a Wonderful LIfe, when there was a run on the bank, George exclaimed that their money was in 'Sam's house or Dave's house..." you, I'm sure get the idea.
Money has become a virtual thing, no one really sees it anymore but I think that's going to change. Will there be a depression? If there is a bailout probably not but we still can't avoid a deep recession, if there isn't a bailout, then it does become likely.
This all said though, we always want people to be accountable for their actions, right or wrong, and that's not what is going on now. Lenders were irresponsible, the goverment was irresponsible, the brokers and everyone else that lined their pockets instead of doing what was right. If that means things fail, change and hit rock bottom then nothing will change it.
We call a huge downslide on Wallstreet today a Market Correction (meaning stock prices went too high too fast and must come down) maybe what we need is an Economic Correction?
In any event the debates are about to start and I for one am relieved that McCain changed his mind and decided to attend and very interested to see what both have to say.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
Thursday, August 07, 2008
It's Hot Hot Hot
Everybody's Talking At Me...
About so much stuff these days, I know the media likes to make us feel we should be discussing this or that, but I'm going to talk about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt selling their baby photos for a reported 14 MILLION dollars. That's a lot of lettuce! Yes the money is going to charity and help a lot of needy kids, so, what's the problem? Honestly it's their child and I'd rather see the money go to a charity than to line the pockets of some idiot stalkeratzi. Yes it's much ado about nothing and as is the great debate about them being "allowed" to do so.
Another Thing
I really can't stand the media in general now. I hated the primary election, I especially hated the way the democratic primary was handled by the media. The media picked out Obama as the winner from the beginning. Wolf Blitzer of CNN hammered the point each election, by commenting how Obama voters were college educated, ethnically diverse, young, and wealthy. The poor, white, uneducated voters were for Hilary. I still find it insulting, even though I was for neither. I will say Hilary's appearance on Bill O'Reilly changed my mind about her. It is my college educated opinion that between the two she was much more qualified than he.
Now it's starting to show, he's sounding more and more like a politician willing to say anything needed to get elected, and according to the latest polls, McCain is leading by 5%. It's not a land slide by any stretch but it highlights the fact that our country is still seriously divided. We still need a candidate that will bring us all TOGETHER. The democratic party is a shambles really in thanks to the media who I am now convinced they were starved for drama and figured Hilary would run away with the nomination. They built up the monster Obama to create drama in the election, and now they are left scratching their heads wondering what the hell they're going to do now.
Drill Here? Now??
Here we go again selling our children's future short to fill our pockets today. But now the rallying cry is nearly 10 years away. The US consumes 20 million barrels of oil per day, frankly I don't think there is enough oil anywhere in the US to help ease our own pump prices. In fact historically speaking once prices go up they NEVER go down. Honestly, does anyone really believe that once the price of gas comes down that the airlines will drop their prices, stop charging for checked luggage (which was created by the freaking Federal Government by NOT allowing more than one ounce of liquid), and will start serving food again? Will the grocery stores now lower their prices when consumers have well adapted to paying more? Not on your life! Lets not forget that oil is a NON renewable resource so once it's gone...well, that's it.
I guess what I really have trouble understanding is what the hell has happened to American's can do attitude? This is the same country that in the early 1960's said they would put a man on the moon before the end of the decade and did it. Has our can-do attitude been outsourced to India too? Are we even capable of finding a viable solution, and not a half ass one that involves drilling everywhere, and building Nuclear reactors. Surprisingly enough I'm not against Nuclear energy, but we have to have a decent plan on what to do with waste involved that doesn't include sending it down the Mississippi on a barge. Maybe for each dollar that is spent drilling, two dollars should be on a renewable energy?
And as if there wasn't enough silliness going around GM is bringing back the Camero! Yes! The Camero, will be back with a whopping 8 cylinder Corvette engine! This really cracks me up how the car companies are about a decade too late. I'm sure they'll just fly out of the showroom and probably outsell the Toyota Prius. Right!?
A final note, I don't understand the Newt Gingrich ideal of saying that China and India should going green otherwise there is no point to the US doing it. I don't give a crap about what goes on in India or in China...I do however care about what goes on here, it's time for all of them to stop deflecting, and start actually doing something about it. HERE and NOW.
Tired of Hearing about Tires
Oh my god, someone asks Obama what they can do now to help with the energy problem, so Obama suggests making sure your tires are inflated properly and McCain giggles...fox news giggles. Give me a break! Would McCain have suggested that the guy get a shovel and start digging for oil? Honestly it's not a bad idea, and hell up to a few days ago I didn't know how to check my tire pressure, but I was reading that needs to be done each month. I had NO idea you are supposed to check it that often.
I did something, possibly illegal but nonetheless fun. I copied off the internet the normal average tire sizes and found out what the tire pressure was supposed to be, then went to my local market and checked 50 cars. Yes I did! I actually checked 50 freaking cars! NOT ONE was filled to what they were supposed to be...and it wasn't a little, it was a lot...weird huh? Most were around 13 pounds UNDER inflated. Now some do believe that your tires during the summer are supposed to be under inflated but thats actually wrong. Something else I learned. Under inflated tires are much more likely to blow out in hot weather...go figure.
Then I found this article from 2005 on Good Morning America....which you can read here.
Yes I did finally get my tires properly filled and yeah I'll be checking it every month.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
About so much stuff these days, I know the media likes to make us feel we should be discussing this or that, but I'm going to talk about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt selling their baby photos for a reported 14 MILLION dollars. That's a lot of lettuce! Yes the money is going to charity and help a lot of needy kids, so, what's the problem? Honestly it's their child and I'd rather see the money go to a charity than to line the pockets of some idiot stalkeratzi. Yes it's much ado about nothing and as is the great debate about them being "allowed" to do so.
Another Thing
I really can't stand the media in general now. I hated the primary election, I especially hated the way the democratic primary was handled by the media. The media picked out Obama as the winner from the beginning. Wolf Blitzer of CNN hammered the point each election, by commenting how Obama voters were college educated, ethnically diverse, young, and wealthy. The poor, white, uneducated voters were for Hilary. I still find it insulting, even though I was for neither. I will say Hilary's appearance on Bill O'Reilly changed my mind about her. It is my college educated opinion that between the two she was much more qualified than he.
Now it's starting to show, he's sounding more and more like a politician willing to say anything needed to get elected, and according to the latest polls, McCain is leading by 5%. It's not a land slide by any stretch but it highlights the fact that our country is still seriously divided. We still need a candidate that will bring us all TOGETHER. The democratic party is a shambles really in thanks to the media who I am now convinced they were starved for drama and figured Hilary would run away with the nomination. They built up the monster Obama to create drama in the election, and now they are left scratching their heads wondering what the hell they're going to do now.
Drill Here? Now??
Here we go again selling our children's future short to fill our pockets today. But now the rallying cry is nearly 10 years away. The US consumes 20 million barrels of oil per day, frankly I don't think there is enough oil anywhere in the US to help ease our own pump prices. In fact historically speaking once prices go up they NEVER go down. Honestly, does anyone really believe that once the price of gas comes down that the airlines will drop their prices, stop charging for checked luggage (which was created by the freaking Federal Government by NOT allowing more than one ounce of liquid), and will start serving food again? Will the grocery stores now lower their prices when consumers have well adapted to paying more? Not on your life! Lets not forget that oil is a NON renewable resource so once it's gone...well, that's it.
I guess what I really have trouble understanding is what the hell has happened to American's can do attitude? This is the same country that in the early 1960's said they would put a man on the moon before the end of the decade and did it. Has our can-do attitude been outsourced to India too? Are we even capable of finding a viable solution, and not a half ass one that involves drilling everywhere, and building Nuclear reactors. Surprisingly enough I'm not against Nuclear energy, but we have to have a decent plan on what to do with waste involved that doesn't include sending it down the Mississippi on a barge. Maybe for each dollar that is spent drilling, two dollars should be on a renewable energy?
And as if there wasn't enough silliness going around GM is bringing back the Camero! Yes! The Camero, will be back with a whopping 8 cylinder Corvette engine! This really cracks me up how the car companies are about a decade too late. I'm sure they'll just fly out of the showroom and probably outsell the Toyota Prius. Right!?
A final note, I don't understand the Newt Gingrich ideal of saying that China and India should going green otherwise there is no point to the US doing it. I don't give a crap about what goes on in India or in China...I do however care about what goes on here, it's time for all of them to stop deflecting, and start actually doing something about it. HERE and NOW.
Tired of Hearing about Tires
Oh my god, someone asks Obama what they can do now to help with the energy problem, so Obama suggests making sure your tires are inflated properly and McCain giggles...fox news giggles. Give me a break! Would McCain have suggested that the guy get a shovel and start digging for oil? Honestly it's not a bad idea, and hell up to a few days ago I didn't know how to check my tire pressure, but I was reading that needs to be done each month. I had NO idea you are supposed to check it that often.
I did something, possibly illegal but nonetheless fun. I copied off the internet the normal average tire sizes and found out what the tire pressure was supposed to be, then went to my local market and checked 50 cars. Yes I did! I actually checked 50 freaking cars! NOT ONE was filled to what they were supposed to be...and it wasn't a little, it was a lot...weird huh? Most were around 13 pounds UNDER inflated. Now some do believe that your tires during the summer are supposed to be under inflated but thats actually wrong. Something else I learned. Under inflated tires are much more likely to blow out in hot weather...go figure.
Then I found this article from 2005 on Good Morning America....which you can read here.
Yes I did finally get my tires properly filled and yeah I'll be checking it every month.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Random Musings on a Tuesday Evening
More Questions Than Answers
I'm an answer person, the person everyone asks questions and I seem to know what to say but lately I'm at a loss. Gas prices are out of control, yet the oil companies are registering record…what's it called...Oh yeah profits. I wonder if the oil companies feel awkward explaining this? I know their shareholders are happy but I'm not a shareholder, I'm pissed off. I don't give a crap what they put their profits into; it's still a profit. That means they made more money than they put out, right? So they're making huge profits and they're trying to justify it by saying that they're reinvesting it.
I'd like to know what they're investing it in because I know damn well it's not on technology that would put them out of business.
In the spirit of trying to save money a friend brought this to my attention but hasn't given me permission to link to her blog so I'll just direct you to the main website.
Aren't we all clipping coupons anyway? I will admit I haven't joined, not sure why except I'm a skeptic and a little pissed off I didn't think of this first. I'm not thrilled with the choice of stores in my area, in fact there is only four, two aren't grocery stores and one grocery store I refuse to shop at—which leaves me with only one grocery store and it's a store I prefer not to shop at. I don't care if green beans are a dollar a pound if they all look like garbage—like they do at this particular store. I also don’t buy a lot of processed foods, so a coupon for Mac and Cheese isn't going to cut it. All that said maybe someone else can use this information…and who knows if prices get higher, I might just join.
It's Almost Over
Our election ballots came in the mail today and Husband's was thick while mine was a paltry single page with what I believe was the word loser scribed in the barcode. I filled out my nonpartisan (cough, loser) ballot and already popped a stamp on it and mailed it back with warning label "do not open until election day," upside down, just to annoy. I know I'm like that but at least now when the calls start coming from Hillary and Obama I can just refer to them to my husband. Well that's opposed to just hanging up saying we've already voted, because he hasn't yet. He loves talking to people on the phone anyway, well not really but whatever. The point is it's almost over and it's about time, really this has to be the longest election in history. I don’t think the elections a hundred years ago when they campaigned by train were this long.
It looks like Obama took South Carolina, and Hillary as expected took Indiana no surprise there but I still don't see how she can win. Unless those super delegates do something weird, which I guess they could but I would think it could just piss off democrats. Well, I guess no matter what happens half the democrats are going to be pissed. McCain better start courting them now, pissed off Hillary voters; seriously if I were McCain I'd start strategizing how to get them because they'll be his key to win. I do believe like Hillary Clinton, the election will be his to lose, meaning he can win it, if he doesn't do or say anything stupid. Should be interesting.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
I'm an answer person, the person everyone asks questions and I seem to know what to say but lately I'm at a loss. Gas prices are out of control, yet the oil companies are registering record…what's it called...Oh yeah profits. I wonder if the oil companies feel awkward explaining this? I know their shareholders are happy but I'm not a shareholder, I'm pissed off. I don't give a crap what they put their profits into; it's still a profit. That means they made more money than they put out, right? So they're making huge profits and they're trying to justify it by saying that they're reinvesting it.
I'd like to know what they're investing it in because I know damn well it's not on technology that would put them out of business.
In the spirit of trying to save money a friend brought this to my attention but hasn't given me permission to link to her blog so I'll just direct you to the main website.
Aren't we all clipping coupons anyway? I will admit I haven't joined, not sure why except I'm a skeptic and a little pissed off I didn't think of this first. I'm not thrilled with the choice of stores in my area, in fact there is only four, two aren't grocery stores and one grocery store I refuse to shop at—which leaves me with only one grocery store and it's a store I prefer not to shop at. I don't care if green beans are a dollar a pound if they all look like garbage—like they do at this particular store. I also don’t buy a lot of processed foods, so a coupon for Mac and Cheese isn't going to cut it. All that said maybe someone else can use this information…and who knows if prices get higher, I might just join.
It's Almost Over
Our election ballots came in the mail today and Husband's was thick while mine was a paltry single page with what I believe was the word loser scribed in the barcode. I filled out my nonpartisan (cough, loser) ballot and already popped a stamp on it and mailed it back with warning label "do not open until election day," upside down, just to annoy. I know I'm like that but at least now when the calls start coming from Hillary and Obama I can just refer to them to my husband. Well that's opposed to just hanging up saying we've already voted, because he hasn't yet. He loves talking to people on the phone anyway, well not really but whatever. The point is it's almost over and it's about time, really this has to be the longest election in history. I don’t think the elections a hundred years ago when they campaigned by train were this long.
It looks like Obama took South Carolina, and Hillary as expected took Indiana no surprise there but I still don't see how she can win. Unless those super delegates do something weird, which I guess they could but I would think it could just piss off democrats. Well, I guess no matter what happens half the democrats are going to be pissed. McCain better start courting them now, pissed off Hillary voters; seriously if I were McCain I'd start strategizing how to get them because they'll be his key to win. I do believe like Hillary Clinton, the election will be his to lose, meaning he can win it, if he doesn't do or say anything stupid. Should be interesting.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Back in the Saddle
It's Been A While
I know but I'm Finally feeling like my old Ranty self, actually I've been feeling like my old ranty self for a week now, but I had to take my house back first. Not to mention be able to stay up past nine in the evening.
Yes, I've been spending time cleaning, doing laundry and watching a lot of TV. Weird for me because I don't normally do that…clean? No, watch a whole lot of TV.
Tales of Reverend Dumbass
No my dog wasn't made a spiritual advisor, though he likely could be, I'm speaking of Obama's buddy Reverend Wright or Dumbass I as I like to call him these days. I've remained fairly silent on the whole thing mostly because I felt the story was a big nothing or distraction from the real issues. Though I did have serious issues with how a man can say he's been a friend with someone for 20 years and member of his church, and not know about his views.
Then the Rev Dumbass started talking to the media and basically I feel; threw Obama, who I assume he'd want to see elected, under the bus. This made no sense to me at all, I still don't understand it, why talk at all? Why not just keep silent? Obama did the only thing he could and denounced him and it made him look a very tall jackass, since he should have done it a long time ago.
The Media Builds Them Up and Brings Them Down
For months during this LOOOOONG process Obama has clearly been the media darling and perhaps now the tide is shifting to Hilary but I think it's just a little too late. I doubt she will be able to pull enough delegates, short of Obama doing something incredibly asinine.
Did you happen to catch Hillary on Bill O'Reilly? I think she did a marvelous job and it would have been nice to see her do that from the beginning of this election. While I've said in the past that I don't like her, she was far more likeable than she's ever been in the past to me. Also, I did like some of her ideas, with the exception of illegal immigration. Which no candidate is going to anything about.
What Am I Missing?
What is the big deal with all these mostly radio jock (itch) people, using Obama's whole name? Barack Hussein Obama. What is the deal with that? They don’t do the same for Clinton or McCain. I get the whole Islamic thing, but Hussein is actually a common name. Do these same people have an issue with Cassius Clay Jr changing his name to Muhammad Ali? Are we supposed to hate him now because he picked a Muslim name and forget the fact that he changed it decades ago? It's not that they use [the middle name] it but how they say it, like they're talking about Mark David Chapman or Lee Harvey Oswald. It's creepy.
Obama was named that, as far as I know, back in 1961 he didn't just change his middle name recently. Seems odd to me that it's such an issue. Of course these are the same pundants that claim they're not going to vote for McCain because of some his views. Then again maybe that's for the best.
At Long Last
I'm seeing signs of spring. The azaleas are blooming, the lilac is full of flowers, and everything is coming up with weeds. I'd love to say I'll be spending this weekend doing gardening but I'll be too busy…well, we'll just say that I'll be too busy because I despise all gardening. I love the idea of a perfectly manicured garden, but I don’t want to put any effort into having one.
So, Is There Anything Else?
Let me think for a minute. Um no. Over a month since my last real post and I got nothing.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved
I know but I'm Finally feeling like my old Ranty self, actually I've been feeling like my old ranty self for a week now, but I had to take my house back first. Not to mention be able to stay up past nine in the evening.
Yes, I've been spending time cleaning, doing laundry and watching a lot of TV. Weird for me because I don't normally do that…clean? No, watch a whole lot of TV.
Tales of Reverend Dumbass
No my dog wasn't made a spiritual advisor, though he likely could be, I'm speaking of Obama's buddy Reverend Wright or Dumbass I as I like to call him these days. I've remained fairly silent on the whole thing mostly because I felt the story was a big nothing or distraction from the real issues. Though I did have serious issues with how a man can say he's been a friend with someone for 20 years and member of his church, and not know about his views.
Then the Rev Dumbass started talking to the media and basically I feel; threw Obama, who I assume he'd want to see elected, under the bus. This made no sense to me at all, I still don't understand it, why talk at all? Why not just keep silent? Obama did the only thing he could and denounced him and it made him look a very tall jackass, since he should have done it a long time ago.
The Media Builds Them Up and Brings Them Down
For months during this LOOOOONG process Obama has clearly been the media darling and perhaps now the tide is shifting to Hilary but I think it's just a little too late. I doubt she will be able to pull enough delegates, short of Obama doing something incredibly asinine.
Did you happen to catch Hillary on Bill O'Reilly? I think she did a marvelous job and it would have been nice to see her do that from the beginning of this election. While I've said in the past that I don't like her, she was far more likeable than she's ever been in the past to me. Also, I did like some of her ideas, with the exception of illegal immigration. Which no candidate is going to anything about.
What Am I Missing?
What is the big deal with all these mostly radio jock (itch) people, using Obama's whole name? Barack Hussein Obama. What is the deal with that? They don’t do the same for Clinton or McCain. I get the whole Islamic thing, but Hussein is actually a common name. Do these same people have an issue with Cassius Clay Jr changing his name to Muhammad Ali? Are we supposed to hate him now because he picked a Muslim name and forget the fact that he changed it decades ago? It's not that they use [the middle name] it but how they say it, like they're talking about Mark David Chapman or Lee Harvey Oswald. It's creepy.
Obama was named that, as far as I know, back in 1961 he didn't just change his middle name recently. Seems odd to me that it's such an issue. Of course these are the same pundants that claim they're not going to vote for McCain because of some his views. Then again maybe that's for the best.
At Long Last
I'm seeing signs of spring. The azaleas are blooming, the lilac is full of flowers, and everything is coming up with weeds. I'd love to say I'll be spending this weekend doing gardening but I'll be too busy…well, we'll just say that I'll be too busy because I despise all gardening. I love the idea of a perfectly manicured garden, but I don’t want to put any effort into having one.
So, Is There Anything Else?
Let me think for a minute. Um no. Over a month since my last real post and I got nothing.
© 2008 Whimsical Ranter
All Rights Reserved