Nov 30, 2008 | 9:22 PM
Category:
News
People like to think that being politically correct is a good thing. Imagine what would happen if your family member should be struck down by a dire disease, but nobody would help because you were seen as a member of a majority and the disease only affected "your kind." Wouldn't that be discrimination? And wouldn't it be viewed as hardhearted? Some people don't think like that. And be warned, there are honestly people-the same folks who think phrases like "Devils Food Cake" are bad-who align themselves with this kind of thinking. This story comes from our good friends in Canada. Also, take note, this is a nation that has nationalized health care....it gives one pause n'est-ce pas?
Story here
Nov 29, 2008 | 11:26 PM
Category:
Entertainment
I have always looked forward to movies during the holidays. They are like good old friends who visit and remind us of happy times and fond memories. I generally prefer the originals of the movies rather than the remakes, although some are okay.
Anyway-here goes and feel free to add your own.
1. White Christmas (Lighthearted, good songs)
2. Holiday Inn (More serious, but some really cool dancing by Fred Astaire-Fourth of July dance is tops in my book!)
3. The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant as an angel-what could be better?)
4. The Lemon Drop Kid (Bob Hope plays his usual character on the make. "Silver Bells" was the signature song)
5. Bells of St. Mary's (something about Bing Crosby's voice just exudes kindness and patience-despite what the tabloids said)
6. A Christmas Story (if you haven't read his books, please do, they are hilarious. Bumpuss dogs.....)
7. It's a Wonderful Life (classic, although it's overplayed and others could be used instead)
8. Miracle on 34th Street (the original please, with young Natalie Wood)
9. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (I think that guy lives around the corner from us...)
10. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Silver and Gold....)
11. Charlie Brown Christmas (I grew up on this.)
12. The Santa Clause (One of the few movies with Tim Allen that I like)
13. Home Alone (oldie but a goodie)
14. Donovan's Reef (John Wayne Christmas....)
15. Scrooge (the older the better-I still shiver when I see the doorknocker turn into Marley's face...)
16. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
17. How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the animated one please-Jim Carrey is just way...too...much....)
18. Frosty the Snowman (a great one for small kids...nice songs, no scary implications)
19. The Miracle of the Bells (Fred MacMurray did have a film career before My Three Sons)
20. Elf ( I laughed in spite of myself)
I hope to see all of these. Maybe that in itself is a gift.
Nov 28, 2008 | 2:01 PM
Category:
News
There was a tee shirt awhile back that said the IQ of any group of people goes down the more people there are or something like that. I posted earlier how utterly stupid and mindless it is to have these silly early shopping hours and hyped up sales the day after Christmas. I mean, when I hear two sisters who talk about shopping for 16 hours like it was a trip to the beach, there is something wrong. Do these people not know how to do anything except consume? At any rate, in the story below, you will see the consequences of all this madness. It's sad that it takes injury or death to bring reality to some people.
Story here.
Nov 28, 2008 | 1:25 PM
Category:
Political
Sure, India is half a world away. It's easy to dismiss these attacks as random or unexpected. But India has had a shooting war with Pakistan along the border for decades. Both sides have nuclear capability. And the Hindu majority in India is getting tired of turning the other cheek. You may not be aware of this, but during the Partition, all Hindus in Pakistan were forcefully returned to India and all Muslims were forced to go to Pakistan even if they were Indian natives. The United States has increased their ties with India as the largest democracy in the region. But we also have ties to Pakistan. Pakistan has used these alliances to bolster their international status, but in reality, the Pakistani government has and can do little to force the tribal regions into compliance. Add the general acceptance of radical madrassas as the education of choice for lower income boys and you have a potential serious incident in the making.
So what is change? We haven't had a major attack on American soil since 9/11. The government has lists of attempted espionage and in the meantime, Americans complain about having to go through security checks at airports. We've been living in a relative dream. So what happens when January 20 rolls around and the ultra-liberals start embracing the systematic dismantling of the security networks as they did during the Clinton years? Will change mean that we have to live like the Brits during their rows with the IRA-reporting explosions and mayhem as a matter of daily business? Folks, no matter who you voted for, we all have a big stake in the outcome. Some of you had better start looking around in this world, because the factions of radical Islamists doesn't include negotiation .Story Here
Nov 26, 2008 | 7:21 PM
Category:
News
Dear Lord,
We thank you for what we have.
We appreciate what you have done for us.
Please, though, Lord, remember that we are weak
We cannot know what tomorrow brings.
We hope, but we also fear.
We aren't asking to get rich, Lord, we are simply asking to get by.
We've been promised hope by politicians and business leaders and evangelists
But that kind of hope is just for show, it's not the substance that we need.
So, Lord, if you can find a way to do it
Please remember us and bless us in spite of our weakness
Or perhaps have mercy on us because of our weakness.
Watch our leader, give them wisdom.
Watch our enemies, and allow them to open their eyes
And watch those who have their own avarice, greed and vanity in the forefront
Before the needs of those who want or suffer.
For this we pray, in Thanksgiving to You.
Amen
Nov 25, 2008 | 6:03 PM
Category:
Sports
I do not feel any sympathy for Jerry Jones' shortfall for his pleasure dome. He took average fans for granted by jacking up the prices on season tickets far beyond the reach of average people. He and his good friend Mayor Cluck, finagled citizens of Arlington into supporting this boondoggle with false promises of economic riches. While all Jones had to do was raise the ticket prices, residents are having to pay every increasing property taxes to provide the infrastructure for this behemoth. I expect them to come to Dallas any day now asking/demanding that DART provide rail lines out there by the Super Bowl for gratis. Most of us will see a far more entertaining and less costly game by staying home and watching in the comfort of our homes. While I am sure there are those who will pay anything, including bankrupting their own families to go to Jerry's pleasure dome, there are many of us who will never ever see da Boys in real life again. And for fan building and economic futures, that should worry Jones very much. So much for taking the fans for granted. Payback....
Nov 25, 2008 | 5:58 PM
Category:
News
So we have this economic "crisis" fueled by the various ogres of loose credit requirements, stupid lenders and a system that wants lenders to be blind to the stark realities of lending money to people who cannot, and sometimes will not, pay. So what do we do?
When the going gets tough, the tough go....shopping? Really? Is that really what we should be doing? Stores are opening at 6 AM, 4AM, Midnight after Thanksgiving in order to lure shoppers in the door. Is this really a cost-effective way of handling this economic problem? Should we really encourage people to rack up more credit card debt by making outrageous offers based on the ability and willingness to wake up early the day after Thanksgiving? Just as a for instance, my daughter works for a well known national retailer. She will have to be at work at 5:45 in the morning. Sure, there will be the usual bevy of kooks, but by and large the need to pay for staffing such an event far outweighs the economic return. The same could be said for "midnight madness" sales. I worked those sales back in the day at Sanger-Harris (now Macy's) and the rule of thumb was after ten you got teenagers looking for entertainment and kooks. If you are having to drastically cut loss leader product prices in order to bring people in at outrageous hours, there's no way that can make economic sense because you are losing money on the product AND on the staffing and energy to run the store. While I don't wish economic misfortune on anyone, I would very much like to see some national chain have some guts and say that they aren't going to play these silly games. And likewise I would like to see people screw their heads on right and refuse to be suckered in by offers that panic them into buying stuff they absolutely
DO NOT NEED.
Folks, it's time to have that discussion about "wants" vs. "needs". Many of us have spent that last ten years accumulating toys that we do not need at the expense of more practical but less sexy purchases like healthy insurance and such. We must change our attitudes.
Nov 25, 2008 | 12:14 AM
Category:
News
I have usually posted daily on this blog.
I just can't seem to manage it anymore.
Things are just too depressing and frankly, I was raised with the idea of simply taking your burden and moving on.
Since I am not sure how all of this will end up, I will simply post when I can.
I don't think I am alone in this because while some people seem elated with the way things are going, there are many of us who are very afraid of what the future will bring.
I just hope that something goes better soon.
Nov 18, 2008 | 11:21 PM
Category:
Political
There have been countless queries of what would Jesus, Ghandi, and other do in various ethical situations. I think in this day and age what we need more in Washington is a true "statesman>" And by that I mean that we need someone who is willing to rise above the party biases and make moves towards truly creating changes in the economic environment that will benefit everyone. And that is not to say a socialist view will make the cut. In regards to the Big Three automakers, this problem is especially vexing. By allowing them to go bankrupt, the nation risks allowing hundreds, perhaps thousands, of smaller suppliers and their companies to go belly up. Most large corporations have enough hard cash and materials that they can sell their way out of bankruptcy. Not so with small manufacturers, specialty suppliers or mom and pop companies that do contract work. So it's not so easy to simply let the Big Three slide. On the other hand, it is foolish to reward bad business practices to be rewarded. The idea that CEO's, higher administration and corporate boards should still make out like bandits in spite of their failure to achieve is the antithesis of what free enterprise is about. That's the one thing that liberals don't seem to grasp-freedom allows you permission to succeed or fail on your own recognizance. It is also problematic that the domestic auto industry has been plagued by the two pronged attack of expensive union contracts and burdensome legal demands and intervention created by the government. This has almost nationalized the auto industry without papers.
So what do we do?
First, let them go bankrupt. A wise executive would be on the phone to the heads of Nissan, Honda and Toyota talking about the opportunity to buy into the American market with a set American profile. Like it or not, there are still folks who are born into Chevy or Ford families. Create the situation where Congress butts out and allows the market to work. As the value of GM, Ford and Chrysler stock dips, help these other manufacturers to see this as a chance to broaden their market with already recognizable brands. Hopefully both President Bush and PE Obama are currently doing this behind the scenes.
By allowing this bankruptcy to proceed, this would negate overpriced American union contracts that have made American cars too costly for their reliability. When Honda can get higher quality for $42 per hour per employee cost while GM stumbles with $71 per hour per employee cost then there is something wrong with the system. Let this streamline and make American auto manufacturers return to their primary status as car makers. This would also cause some overpaid top brass to move onto other lines of business. A bankrupt company can't provide golden parachutes before they pay bills, so that would solve the bloodletting that some CEO's seem to do before they leave.
There is no good way to do this. Frankly, you shouldn't prop up support for products that aren't in demand. That is what we have been doing with corn via ethanol and with cars via bailouts. While there is not a good solution, someone has to be willing to make the hard decision to allow the markets to work. There's a reason why we don't have many farriers and wheelwrights anymore-their services aren't in demand. So why should taxpayers support companies who are too bloated and overcontrolled to make the moves they need to make in order to be profitable? This won't be popular with unions. It won't be popular on Wall Street, but if this truly is a "global economy" as the pundits claim, then it's time to really let it work. and believe me, I say this as someone who has a husband who is job hunting. This isn't a good situation. But I don't see throwing more money at it as being a win-win either.
Nov 16, 2008 | 7:20 PM
Category:
News
Story here
Remember all those union members that supported Barak Obama? I guess they weren't paying attention much when he said it would take EVERYONE participating to bail out the economy. The union reps attitudes are that they want to costly pension and retirement plans that have driven manufacturing out of the country and simply do not care if it drives the companies that employ them into Chapter 7. And for those of you who don't analyze what unions are saying, they are saying this-
We don't care because we don't have to care. We have been promised by the Federal Government that our pensions will be guaranteed. Never mind that the pension guarantee fund is broke. Never mind that there are perhaps a MILLION jobs on the line. Let's just all stick to that union code. And these were the proud supporters of our incoming president. The same folks who think that they are above the law, beyond the finance companies and that they don't have to handle any of their personal obligations just because Barak Obama was elected president. Well whoopie-freaking-do.
Nov 13, 2008 | 7:31 PM
Category:
News
Folks, Washington is playing us again. While we are taxed to the max to payout AIG's woes, they are giving themselves bonuses and hiding at luxury resorts. Excuse me if I do not share their levity. Maybe it is because I am one of the people who works like crazy, pays taxes and tries to do right by others and we seem to get screwed over every time. Here's a clue-it doesn't matter any more who you vote for because it's THEM -the government idiots-against US-the people. I am tired tired tired of having taxes taken out of my check to pay to support those who won't work. I am also tired of executives of corporations and foreign investors raiding companies for their assets, working their employees nearly to death and then complaining about productivity. Frankly, the Harvard Business School model that wants to skim the cream off the top for administrators, pay out dividends to stockholders, placate union members and then screw over the workers who show up and do their jobs without much in the way of support has got to go. I am sick of what this nation has become-a society of navel gazing sycophants more involved in their cell phones and Ipods than the real world. If I thought for one minute that this much purported "change" would really change things, maybe I could reconcile myself to it, but all I have seen from the markets, from the agendas posted on Obama's website and from the DNC ruling class in general is that they are going to let their pet lobbyists get away with what they can steal and allow the unions to gouge corporations and leave the rest of us holding the bag. Excuse me, but I am bitter and I am angry and I don't think I am alone. It may be just a fun game to those who play the social safety net card, but at 52 or 54 or 58, it's damned hard to start over.
I simply can't take it anymore.
Nov 12, 2008 | 11:11 PM
Category:
Political
From the change.gov website:"When I first learned of Barack Obama, I was encouraged by his thoughts
[on] ending the power of lobbyists and the negative effect of the
revolving door on the White House. I'd like to see an agenda that
focuses on promoting transparency and getting people into government
who sincerely want to serve the interests of the nation over their own
careers."From the AP WireWASHINGTON - Aides to
President-elect Obama, who said lobbyists would not work in his White
House, said Tuesday that lobbyists could serve in his transition so
long as their activities do not involve areas of policy they have tried
to influence in the past year.
So boys and girls, is this "change" we can believe in or is this the same old thing all over again? Hey, I am in agreement with the original statement. The "revolving door" of financial aid and interference by lobbyists has to go-it has and is crippling our government. But what does that mean? Does it mean that lobbyists should not be involved at all or that they can be involved when it in the best interest of the executive branch and Congress? Once again we are confronted by a president who says one thing and does another. The media and DNC were all over the Republicans when this happened, so why the deafening silence now? And this is just another example of some people not knowing what the definition of is, is. People, at some point you are going to look in the mirror and know you have been had. And it's going to be a sadder but wiser voter who staggers to the line in 2010.
Nov 12, 2008 | 10:55 PM
Category:
Political
So here we are after an historic election. Many people decided to make it historic as is their right. But what is troubling is the media's unevenness and flat out unwillingness to give Americans all of the news. There are many different ways to lie, but one of the most effective is to just give part of the truth. The media had no rules or limits on their dissection of Palin, McCain, their families, their histories and even items covered by privacy laws. But maybe that is the role of media. Do you feel that Pres. Elect Obama had the same sort of analysis of his history, his family or his associates? Or instead, did the media choose to build up this candidate, now president elect, in order to make Americans do something that they felt was right for the country, no matter what? There's a certain smugness and self-congratulatory nature of the media. And paired with that are some lingering doubts which only now, a week after the election, are coming into play. There are concerns that Pres. Elect Obama views himself as the reincarnation of FDR, but in doing so he only sees the social programs wrought by New Dealers, not the unnecessary prolonging of the Depression through a procession of taxes that removed working capital from the system to the detriment of workers across the board. I am extremely concerned because there seems to be no end in sight. And while in a crisis one would hope an incoming executive would seek out those people who were innovative and who knew how to implement change REGARDLESS OF THEIR PARTY AFFILIATION, he has loaded his potential cabinet and panel of economic experts with more of the same people that have sought handouts from government for decades. Read on and see what can happen if someone sacrifices jobs for international payouts and political paybacks. Is it really a good idea to tax Americans more and then pay that money out in the form of bribery or tribute to other nations? Does it make sense to scuttle our own economy at all costs?
Story hereExcerpt:
"...With one hand the New Dealers gave, spending to stimulate
the economy. In fact, they put through the same kinds of
infrastructure projects that Obama and congressional Democrats
are considering today.
With the other hand the New Dealers took away, by raising
tax rates -- just as the new president and Congress are likely to
do in 2009.
Especially damaging to the prospects of recovery were the
heavy levies of the second half of the 1930s, which, as Krugman
points out, were key in ``precipitating an economic relapse that
drove unemployment back into the double digits.'' President
Franklin D. Roosevelt specialized in persecuting the rich via
taxes, telling the upper class, point blank, that they had ``met
their master...
'...Laffer, Moore and Tanous chart the correlation between tax
cuts and growth in other countries as well. In Ireland,
unemployment began to drop following cuts in the personal income
tax. It rose again before falling dramatically as the Irish
government cut capital-gains taxes and then corporate taxes.
It's worth noting that Ireland was enduring Depression-level
rates of unemployment -- 16 percent to 17 percent -- at the
outset of its tax experiment and managed to get down to the five-
percent range even as the nation found its way to a budget
surplus.."
'
Nov 10, 2008 | 7:17 PM
Category:
Political
Is this what we have to look forward to? Even the most strident of liberal supporters should be highly disturbed at how our freedom of speech is being taken away. As someone who teaches art, expression is important. This is just one step on that slippery slope. "Truth Squads", "Broadcast Councils"-what more indications do you need that our freedoms are under assault?
Nov 9, 2008 | 8:21 PM
Category:
News
Story hereAt what point are the police and law enforcement officials going to get serious about tracking down these people. We have had three assaults on seniors in the southern sectors of Dallas. And what is worse, these are probably perpetrators already well known to the police. If someone knows who these people are, TELL THE POLICE!!!! They are getting money from seniors, assaulting them, making their senior years ones of terror rather than peace. If you know something about who is doing this and you are witholding information due to fear, or worse, due to your own petty greed, then I want you to know that you can contact the police anonymously. This worries me a great deal. My mom values her independence and I don't want to and really cannot be there all the time. There used to be respect for seniors-but now these greedy little pigs think nothing of stealing from old ladies and elderly men. Big ****ing cowards. At least try to steal from someone that will give you a real fight. I hope one of these old WWII vets puts a bullet into you.
