Well this blog has been very far from active because I thought I could possibly come across as too negative due to not having much to rave about these days. At the same side it is tough to be too positive these days as some people out there are just not in good situations based on the economy and a terrible job market.
Life for me is at a complete standstill. The future is far away and the future seems good but totally foggy as I really not sure what needs to be done to make sure the future does end up bright. Many people in my age bracket don't give much thought to having faith in God. I can tell you unequivocally I am thankful he has always been there and even done a good having bad things happen to me which ended up being great things when all was said and done.
It is not hard to believe many people in the Metro Detroit area would be stagnant in their lives when they don;t know if they will have jobs tomorrow. The impact of this economy is quite staggering when you figure out the number of people who are being impacted by this economy. The amount of time it will take to get to the other side maybe infinite. For others it may just be a blip on the map.
Regardless - I found this story quite remarkable. I have ZERO idea how this happens and I have no idea how you fix this from ever happenning again. All children - regardless of what you think of national health care - should receive complementary health care.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Some Summer Sunday night thoughts
Sheesh .. Two months...
A Summer Sunday night post...
Several things on my mind lately
- The whole health care debate has become ths most popular subject in most groups I interact. The worst part is regardless if I am watching on TV or listening to people no one really knows the heart of the issue. It is nothing but half truths whether the source is the guy behind the counter or the guy who has the title "President of United States".
- Discussions regarding the economy are filled with just as many half truths as well. The "worst economy since teh Great Depression" is something that should NEVER be uttered by any person. I will get to that in a later post.
- One of the things remarkable is not that the President Obama;s poll numbers are going down. That was to be suspected as its the case with most Presidents. The thing that is something to stand up and notice is the poll numbers of those who voted for him. That is where his popularity has taken a real dive.
- As I get older, I am going out much less to the "scene" which I thought was most appropriate. When I have been out there I saw mostly young people at the height of my bar going days. I am nto sure when it happenned though but now there is a club scene for people, ahem, older than me. One place where it is quite noticeable is a restaurant bar in a local outside mall. I have gone in twice. The first time I thought it was funny that everyone was about ten years older than me. I was so sure that had to be an anomaly. I went in again and sure enough the same age group. I have not been there again for some time but did walk by a few nights ago and the same is holding true. I wonder aloud if this is a new thing or have the group who could be grandparents had their version of Tiki Bobs for some time? Of course the place that intrigues me the most is in Royal Oak where people walk in and for sure do not lack confidence. I expect one time to walk in and everyone will be donning a crown of thorns. Saying that I will continue to go there because there are some remarkable moments of human nature that should not be missed.
- The people of the city of Detroit appear to be endorsing a completely new direction. A few months back, they voted in businessman Dave Bing who will bring his business knowledge to an office that needs much of it. The voters followed up this past week by voting in former reporter Charles Pugh, who has been in Detroit all his life. Pugh has made as close to a grass roots effort as a reporter can taking time and talking with the public and finding out what they want and what can be done going forward.It will be interesting to see what can be done between these two men going forward if the results carry over to November.
OK... that is what I have for right now...
A Summer Sunday night post...
Several things on my mind lately
- The whole health care debate has become ths most popular subject in most groups I interact. The worst part is regardless if I am watching on TV or listening to people no one really knows the heart of the issue. It is nothing but half truths whether the source is the guy behind the counter or the guy who has the title "President of United States".
- Discussions regarding the economy are filled with just as many half truths as well. The "worst economy since teh Great Depression" is something that should NEVER be uttered by any person. I will get to that in a later post.
- One of the things remarkable is not that the President Obama;s poll numbers are going down. That was to be suspected as its the case with most Presidents. The thing that is something to stand up and notice is the poll numbers of those who voted for him. That is where his popularity has taken a real dive.
- As I get older, I am going out much less to the "scene" which I thought was most appropriate. When I have been out there I saw mostly young people at the height of my bar going days. I am nto sure when it happenned though but now there is a club scene for people, ahem, older than me. One place where it is quite noticeable is a restaurant bar in a local outside mall. I have gone in twice. The first time I thought it was funny that everyone was about ten years older than me. I was so sure that had to be an anomaly. I went in again and sure enough the same age group. I have not been there again for some time but did walk by a few nights ago and the same is holding true. I wonder aloud if this is a new thing or have the group who could be grandparents had their version of Tiki Bobs for some time? Of course the place that intrigues me the most is in Royal Oak where people walk in and for sure do not lack confidence. I expect one time to walk in and everyone will be donning a crown of thorns. Saying that I will continue to go there because there are some remarkable moments of human nature that should not be missed.
- The people of the city of Detroit appear to be endorsing a completely new direction. A few months back, they voted in businessman Dave Bing who will bring his business knowledge to an office that needs much of it. The voters followed up this past week by voting in former reporter Charles Pugh, who has been in Detroit all his life. Pugh has made as close to a grass roots effort as a reporter can taking time and talking with the public and finding out what they want and what can be done going forward.It will be interesting to see what can be done between these two men going forward if the results carry over to November.
OK... that is what I have for right now...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Why the NHL is clueless...
This article is why the NHL is clueless. NOT allowing for people to get together and watch this as has always been the case in the past is a sad pathetic move from a network losing money on a daily basis and being ordered by their parent company, GE, to pull out all the stops. What is even worse though is the NHL allowing this to even take place.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
After a good night of sports...
OK - A new commitment will be made... We will see how it goes...
- As if I did not know - Article
- I am not the biggest hockey fan in the world but clearly I am spoiled by a few things. The first is we have an awesome team in this town and I spend more time watching the D-Train last night. Secondly, everytime I watch them it just not seem I am dazzled by the effort. When watching sports, I never want to feel like I care more than those participating.
- I think the Wings will win the despite those efforts as they are the most experienced team remaining in this year's playoffs.
- While the Wings won last evening, I believe a more important development took place at Comerica. If Dontrelle Willis has indeed corrected his issues as a pitcher, he has the power to be one of the upper echelon athletes in this town. He has personality, ability and desire to make a difference. He offers more of an openess than your average professional athlete. More important to Mike Illitch and Tiger Management - he can bring the fans down to Comerica unlike anyone else on their team. Sure Verlander is a good guy but he does not have the "it" factor Dontrelle has for whatever reason. He has the ability to bring this town to their feet.
- I am very excited to see what Dave Bing will do in office. I have long proposed that government needs to change their direction and be run like businesses by those who have run a business. There are countless examples of this and I believe the federal government will soon be another example.
- Back to Detroit, I think Bing will be able to balance the needs of maintaining a budget with the needs of the people. He has no personal needs - not the casw with the last elected official.
- If you wonder aloud what the auto companies will look like in say ten years, you might want to view the steel comapnies who went thorugh a similar situation ten years ago. It will not be a cardon copy but some striking similarities. One thing for sure - it will be a subject of many business journal artciles of years beyond my life.
- As if I did not know - Article
- I am not the biggest hockey fan in the world but clearly I am spoiled by a few things. The first is we have an awesome team in this town and I spend more time watching the D-Train last night. Secondly, everytime I watch them it just not seem I am dazzled by the effort. When watching sports, I never want to feel like I care more than those participating.
- I think the Wings will win the despite those efforts as they are the most experienced team remaining in this year's playoffs.
- While the Wings won last evening, I believe a more important development took place at Comerica. If Dontrelle Willis has indeed corrected his issues as a pitcher, he has the power to be one of the upper echelon athletes in this town. He has personality, ability and desire to make a difference. He offers more of an openess than your average professional athlete. More important to Mike Illitch and Tiger Management - he can bring the fans down to Comerica unlike anyone else on their team. Sure Verlander is a good guy but he does not have the "it" factor Dontrelle has for whatever reason. He has the ability to bring this town to their feet.
- I am very excited to see what Dave Bing will do in office. I have long proposed that government needs to change their direction and be run like businesses by those who have run a business. There are countless examples of this and I believe the federal government will soon be another example.
- Back to Detroit, I think Bing will be able to balance the needs of maintaining a budget with the needs of the people. He has no personal needs - not the casw with the last elected official.
- If you wonder aloud what the auto companies will look like in say ten years, you might want to view the steel comapnies who went thorugh a similar situation ten years ago. It will not be a cardon copy but some striking similarities. One thing for sure - it will be a subject of many business journal artciles of years beyond my life.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Unemployed thoughts #1
I pondered while cutting my grass this afternoon - Is there such a thing as having too big of a Virgin Mary Statue in your yard?
Do people work? I did some driving around today and it seems that traffic was terrible and it was either Escalades or BMW's in my way.
Swine Flu? Do you remember anything that kills many more people - like cancer getting this much attention from the news anchors or the government in such a speedy response? The best is they call it Swine - not pig, pork, bacon, or baby back. they did not even use the phrase "pig pen".
I am not much of a TV watcher and I can see it is getting worse. I attempted watching TV twice during the day and found it awful. The talk shows are terrible. Actually the best thing going is the soap operas. They are on daily but I think if you watch your fave twice a year you know exactly what is going on with the plot lines.
Trust me when I say there be more...
Do people work? I did some driving around today and it seems that traffic was terrible and it was either Escalades or BMW's in my way.
Swine Flu? Do you remember anything that kills many more people - like cancer getting this much attention from the news anchors or the government in such a speedy response? The best is they call it Swine - not pig, pork, bacon, or baby back. they did not even use the phrase "pig pen".
I am not much of a TV watcher and I can see it is getting worse. I attempted watching TV twice during the day and found it awful. The talk shows are terrible. Actually the best thing going is the soap operas. They are on daily but I think if you watch your fave twice a year you know exactly what is going on with the plot lines.
Trust me when I say there be more...
The latest auto news...
25% - that is the probability that Chrysler and GM are going to file bankruptcy. I watched/listened to most of Fritz's (Sweet name) speech. With Chrysler coming to an agreement with the CAW and UAW and Daimler optioning out of their share, it seems like everything will be on track for the Fiat deal to go through unless the bond holders really mess with the situation. GM and the unions will work on getting on the same page soon and strike an agreement.
The challenge for both auto companies will be the bond holders. Now I will not sit here and tell you I know how the bonds work and all. It is not the easiest thing to explain and that is coming from someone who has had some schooling with the subject. Fritz was asked by a reporter if GM was any closer to bankruptcy than they were one month ago. He answered the question the only way he could stating they are closer to bankruptcy. He could not afford to say anything else. If he said they were not than he plays into the bondholders hands. In addition, he cannot rationalize closing more plants and dealerships. This is a classic case of chicken and each team will wait for the other to blink with the the bondholders most likely to do so first.
Neither company can "afford" to go into bankruptcy. Despite the several claims by the government that they can push both auto companies through the process, it simply cannot happen. Much of this has to do with the the number of debtors each company has on their list. It would take for ever to figure out how to handle each of those entities that are owed money. It is one thing when small companies owe another small company money and bankruptcy takes care of it. It is quite another thing when you have one company which employs many people who owes another company that has several employees and numerous suppliers. The trickle effect of bankruptcy is too devastating and economically takes too long.
The other reason that bankruptcy is not an option with auto companies is there are few games in town domestically. If a bank goes out of business, it can get gobbled up by one of tons of other entities. The economic domino of all this taking place is limited since the assets and liabilities are absorbed by that financial entity. With an auto company, the company dissipates and there is everyone in that company as well as the suppliers and even non suppliers who benefited from the business of those employee's wages will en up feeling the effects of the company termination.
If anything it has been a very interesting to watch and will prove to be great for MBA students to take all in future classes.
The challenge for both auto companies will be the bond holders. Now I will not sit here and tell you I know how the bonds work and all. It is not the easiest thing to explain and that is coming from someone who has had some schooling with the subject. Fritz was asked by a reporter if GM was any closer to bankruptcy than they were one month ago. He answered the question the only way he could stating they are closer to bankruptcy. He could not afford to say anything else. If he said they were not than he plays into the bondholders hands. In addition, he cannot rationalize closing more plants and dealerships. This is a classic case of chicken and each team will wait for the other to blink with the the bondholders most likely to do so first.
Neither company can "afford" to go into bankruptcy. Despite the several claims by the government that they can push both auto companies through the process, it simply cannot happen. Much of this has to do with the the number of debtors each company has on their list. It would take for ever to figure out how to handle each of those entities that are owed money. It is one thing when small companies owe another small company money and bankruptcy takes care of it. It is quite another thing when you have one company which employs many people who owes another company that has several employees and numerous suppliers. The trickle effect of bankruptcy is too devastating and economically takes too long.
The other reason that bankruptcy is not an option with auto companies is there are few games in town domestically. If a bank goes out of business, it can get gobbled up by one of tons of other entities. The economic domino of all this taking place is limited since the assets and liabilities are absorbed by that financial entity. With an auto company, the company dissipates and there is everyone in that company as well as the suppliers and even non suppliers who benefited from the business of those employee's wages will en up feeling the effects of the company termination.
If anything it has been a very interesting to watch and will prove to be great for MBA students to take all in future classes.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Finally an Idol with Talent...
I never watch "American Idol". I just have no use for the show whether it be the untalented people they have on as contestants or the egotistical hosts that offer little redeeming value to me. This morning at the Doctor's office they had CNN on discussing the British version of the show and specifically a woman whose name is Susan Boyle. I am sure a good number of you saw the story on CNN but if you have nothere is the full clip from YouTube.
People - this woman has talent and I openly ask - has she been living under a rock? Her talent is just not good. It is tremendous and I am sure this is not the last time we will be seeing Susan Boyle.
People - this woman has talent and I openly ask - has she been living under a rock? Her talent is just not good. It is tremendous and I am sure this is not the last time we will be seeing Susan Boyle.
Are there any enaging stars anymore?
This week I have seen a reminder of how things have changed in this world and not for the better. It all came full circle when I heard former Detroit Tiger Mark Fidrych passed away Monday due to an unfortunate accident with his truck. Friday was the last round of the Masters Golf Tournament at the Augusta National in Augusta, Georgia for Gary Player and Fuzzy Zoeller. These two players had a few things in common. They both have engaging personalities and are past champions of the Masters. They both realize their role and that is to entertain the people – the people who made them famous.
Gary Player, from South Africa, was Tiger Woods well before Tiger’s parents were even married. Player was the first preeminent international stars outside of the US and Europe. He was bringing the sports to ends of the earth not even thought possible to even adopt the game, whether it be South America, South Africa, or Australia. He is now 74 years old and is in better shape than most people my age. The most important thing to know about Gary Player though was he realized that without a fan base, the sport could not grow. If fans were not entertained, golf growth would stay stagnant and even Player’s prosperity would not go anywhere. He was always someone who played to the crowd whether it be his engaging personality or unique shot making when a challenge was sitting in front of him. Player is as responsible as anyone with where golf is today in the world’s forefront as anyone in my humble opinion.
Another man who is thought to be finishing his last Masters was Fuzzy Zoeller. His name alone points out that he is someone that plays to the fans. That is exactly the case during his entire career. Zoeller though got hit hard by the politically correctness of the day ten years ago. Tiger Woods was in the process of winning his first Masters and as is tradition, the champion at the Champions dinner the following year gets to pick the menu. Zoeller joked that Tiger would pick fried chicken and collard greens – typically favorites for African Americans. This was a joke but a good one as he lost some sponsorships and friends in the meantime. Those who knew Zoeller realized he made a mistake and meant zero malice by them. Anyone who had watched his career and his empathy for people he knew and did not know alike knew it to be very true. He has always talked to the people in the crowd during a round and much liked Player knew that the fans were the most important thing to the sport. Despite his unfortunate and untimely commentary, Zoeller has regained much of his sponsorship and admiration by the game which is well deserved for sure. For many years, he was kind of lost in the whole sport because of that one moment and stifling one of golf’s best ambassadors.
Monday, we lost a great ambassador for baseball when Mark Fidrych died suddenly due to a mishap with his truck he was fixing that day. Mark was known for being one of the most unusual personalities to step foot on the baseball field. He took the baseball world, and the world as a whole for that matter, in 1976 when he went north with the rest of Detroit Tigers. HE would go on to have one of the most memorable seasons stat wise as well as just plain story wise. He would talk to the baseball when he was on the mound and did plenty of things that separated him from the crowd. He would end up starting the All Star game that season and pack Tiger Stadium every time he took the mound. His career would be cut short and would be out of baseball by 1981. His career though was him entertaining the people in a sports arena.
After I started thinking about it, these three athletes represent a dying age in sports. We no longer are entertained by Sports Stars. Sure Tiger Woods is a great golfer and we will tune in when he is playing well but there is nothing captivating from a personality stand point. This is for sure the case with the rest of golf unless you count the always bombastic John Daly who despite his terrible performance over the past few years does draw big crowds despite not playing often.
The NBA is suffering from the same issues. Sure you have Lebron James but do you think he is 1% as charismatic as say Magic Johnson was considered back in 1988. Please don’t tell me you think this is the case. Magic wowed fans as well as his opponents whether it be the moves or just the sheer enjoyment of playing the game. The game could have been a meaningless middle of the season game but Magic was still out there smiling having fun.
I would challenge the casual baseball fan to name three players they would pay money to go see. Some might say Alex Rodriguez and a few random names but all in all, baseball lacks that star that is engaging with fans and not just on an international platform.
Finish, sports stars are getting more money than ever before but I would argue they are not necessarily as engaging as they have been in the past. Whether it be the fact they are guarded or just completely disconnected with “Joe Fan”, I do not know the answer to the question. One thing is for sure though – we are missing such characters as the Bird, Gary Player, Fuzzy, and Magic.
Gary Player, from South Africa, was Tiger Woods well before Tiger’s parents were even married. Player was the first preeminent international stars outside of the US and Europe. He was bringing the sports to ends of the earth not even thought possible to even adopt the game, whether it be South America, South Africa, or Australia. He is now 74 years old and is in better shape than most people my age. The most important thing to know about Gary Player though was he realized that without a fan base, the sport could not grow. If fans were not entertained, golf growth would stay stagnant and even Player’s prosperity would not go anywhere. He was always someone who played to the crowd whether it be his engaging personality or unique shot making when a challenge was sitting in front of him. Player is as responsible as anyone with where golf is today in the world’s forefront as anyone in my humble opinion.
Another man who is thought to be finishing his last Masters was Fuzzy Zoeller. His name alone points out that he is someone that plays to the fans. That is exactly the case during his entire career. Zoeller though got hit hard by the politically correctness of the day ten years ago. Tiger Woods was in the process of winning his first Masters and as is tradition, the champion at the Champions dinner the following year gets to pick the menu. Zoeller joked that Tiger would pick fried chicken and collard greens – typically favorites for African Americans. This was a joke but a good one as he lost some sponsorships and friends in the meantime. Those who knew Zoeller realized he made a mistake and meant zero malice by them. Anyone who had watched his career and his empathy for people he knew and did not know alike knew it to be very true. He has always talked to the people in the crowd during a round and much liked Player knew that the fans were the most important thing to the sport. Despite his unfortunate and untimely commentary, Zoeller has regained much of his sponsorship and admiration by the game which is well deserved for sure. For many years, he was kind of lost in the whole sport because of that one moment and stifling one of golf’s best ambassadors.
Monday, we lost a great ambassador for baseball when Mark Fidrych died suddenly due to a mishap with his truck he was fixing that day. Mark was known for being one of the most unusual personalities to step foot on the baseball field. He took the baseball world, and the world as a whole for that matter, in 1976 when he went north with the rest of Detroit Tigers. HE would go on to have one of the most memorable seasons stat wise as well as just plain story wise. He would talk to the baseball when he was on the mound and did plenty of things that separated him from the crowd. He would end up starting the All Star game that season and pack Tiger Stadium every time he took the mound. His career would be cut short and would be out of baseball by 1981. His career though was him entertaining the people in a sports arena.
After I started thinking about it, these three athletes represent a dying age in sports. We no longer are entertained by Sports Stars. Sure Tiger Woods is a great golfer and we will tune in when he is playing well but there is nothing captivating from a personality stand point. This is for sure the case with the rest of golf unless you count the always bombastic John Daly who despite his terrible performance over the past few years does draw big crowds despite not playing often.
The NBA is suffering from the same issues. Sure you have Lebron James but do you think he is 1% as charismatic as say Magic Johnson was considered back in 1988. Please don’t tell me you think this is the case. Magic wowed fans as well as his opponents whether it be the moves or just the sheer enjoyment of playing the game. The game could have been a meaningless middle of the season game but Magic was still out there smiling having fun.
I would challenge the casual baseball fan to name three players they would pay money to go see. Some might say Alex Rodriguez and a few random names but all in all, baseball lacks that star that is engaging with fans and not just on an international platform.
Finish, sports stars are getting more money than ever before but I would argue they are not necessarily as engaging as they have been in the past. Whether it be the fact they are guarded or just completely disconnected with “Joe Fan”, I do not know the answer to the question. One thing is for sure though – we are missing such characters as the Bird, Gary Player, Fuzzy, and Magic.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Opening Day edition....
A series of thoughts here in the beginning of spring...
- I have "watched/read/whatever else you can do" analysis of the auto companies. With all the movement and all the analysis it still is amazing me that people don't understand the simple solution to all this - make credit available to the consumer and they will be able to buy cars.They can revamp the auto companies all day long but if there is no money available to finance cars, even the best corp reorg will not help.
- I am fearing the direction of our society. I have seen a few references this week indicating that people would rather text than talk on their phones. Why? Texting is a drawn out process. If talk on the phone, I can be doing something else at the same time.
- It is going to be interesting to watch as time goes along and more people are out of work the popularity of President Barack Obama. For all the talk from Washington, I don't think they have the first clue on what they should be doing.
- Did you happen to see the Congressional hearings with Ben Bernake and Tim G. a few weeks ago when Senator Barney Frank stopped the hearings for a moment to admonish those talking privately during the hearings? It was truly a sixth grade moment - I would expect nothing less from the participants. Oiiii veii...
- What would the people in the City of Detroit do if all suburbs got up one day and moved everything to Grand Rapids? Would they even know?
- A few Detroit sports predictions:
- Tigers will be a bad baseball team this year not going .500
- Even worse - they will not draw flies down at Comerica Park. This will be the same picture across the baseball landscape due to country's economics.
- Detroit Red Wings will not mak it to the Stanley Cup Finals - I am suire I will regret this prediction.
- Put this one in the time machine - Spartans will make the Final Four in men's basketball tomorrow.
- Matt Stafford... Bank on it - and bank on the Lions never winning with him.
- Tiger will win the Masters this weekend.
- I have "watched/read/whatever else you can do" analysis of the auto companies. With all the movement and all the analysis it still is amazing me that people don't understand the simple solution to all this - make credit available to the consumer and they will be able to buy cars.They can revamp the auto companies all day long but if there is no money available to finance cars, even the best corp reorg will not help.
- I am fearing the direction of our society. I have seen a few references this week indicating that people would rather text than talk on their phones. Why? Texting is a drawn out process. If talk on the phone, I can be doing something else at the same time.
- It is going to be interesting to watch as time goes along and more people are out of work the popularity of President Barack Obama. For all the talk from Washington, I don't think they have the first clue on what they should be doing.
- Did you happen to see the Congressional hearings with Ben Bernake and Tim G. a few weeks ago when Senator Barney Frank stopped the hearings for a moment to admonish those talking privately during the hearings? It was truly a sixth grade moment - I would expect nothing less from the participants. Oiiii veii...
- What would the people in the City of Detroit do if all suburbs got up one day and moved everything to Grand Rapids? Would they even know?
- A few Detroit sports predictions:
- Tigers will be a bad baseball team this year not going .500
- Even worse - they will not draw flies down at Comerica Park. This will be the same picture across the baseball landscape due to country's economics.
- Detroit Red Wings will not mak it to the Stanley Cup Finals - I am suire I will regret this prediction.
- Put this one in the time machine - Spartans will make the Final Four in men's basketball tomorrow.
- Matt Stafford... Bank on it - and bank on the Lions never winning with him.
- Tiger will win the Masters this weekend.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Random Job search question
Should you even consider applying for a technical position that requires you to send your resume through snail mail?
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Only a quarter the way through it...
and thought it was a good idea to make sure people read and see this story from the NYT.
An interesting perspective from someone caught in the middle of everything.
An interesting perspective from someone caught in the middle of everything.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Comedy show episode thoughts...
I won’t waste anyone’s time with saying I have not posted and all that jazz. One thing peaked my interest recently when I was watching the clips of CNBC’s “Mad Money” host Jim Cramer on the Comedy Channel’s The Daily Show. I am not going to get into the media fueled feud and state some random points. They talked in three segments discussing Stewart’s complaints that CNBC did not expose the debt to asset ration the banks carried for years on mortgages. Stewart felt they should have done a better job of exposing the leverages and done way less discussing the stocks and showing them off to be good companies. Cramer – who is known for his TV show - used manage a hedge fund and has made more money off the stock market than most of us can imagine doing so in our lifetimes.
Several thoughts…
After watching the interview, I was taken aback how relaxed Cramer took the onslaught from Stewart. The more I thought it though, it made complete sense. Cramer had no way of winning an argument on that show. The only benefit for him is simply attracting some from the “Daily Show” audience.
Stewart makes the same statement I have heard a million times - those banks with large debt to asset ratios should take the responsibility for selling adjustable rate mortgages to homeowners. I am still waiting for someone to clarify the relationship between the two parties. Did someone make those people take mortgages they would eventually not afford? How does the way banks manage their assets and debt impact what people decide they can afford for their living quarters. It does not and never will.
Stewart shows videos from 2006 with Jim Cramer discussing how hedge fund managers can influence prices in the stock market. In short, they can bring down and push up prices by reporting different things that may not be accurate. What is concerning is Jon Stewart’s take shows something significant – he has never done any reading on the stock market or people in general. The reporting of inside information is a very old practice that has been going on for some time – like since the stock market came into play. Stock prices go up and down based on news which a good percentage of it is rumors and speculation. Regardless of what happens now, this practice will never stop and will become more prevalent the more media coverage the stock market receives as well other world news. That is an undeniable fact.
Stewart thinks the media should take responsibility for not exposing the leverages a long time ago. I would like to ask when people are going to start requesting the Big 4 auditing firms take some responsibility for not exposing and stopping the practice of leveraging loans. Most firms claimed the derivatives were tough to account for and these companies are stocked with Ivy League MBA’s, the supposed best and brightest. Everyone looked the other way and had a good time.
One last thing is Stewart is funny because he was so busy pointing the finger except at the man in the mirror. I would be interested in finding out how much Stewart made in the stock market during the uptick years. That was not ever even discussed but his poor mother I guess has lost a lot of money according to the end of the interview. If your mother was completely invested in the stock market and not in conservative investments based on her age… Shame on her. Shame on Stewart because I guess he must be watching his mother be destitute as he continues to host a TV show.
And there you have it.
Several thoughts…
After watching the interview, I was taken aback how relaxed Cramer took the onslaught from Stewart. The more I thought it though, it made complete sense. Cramer had no way of winning an argument on that show. The only benefit for him is simply attracting some from the “Daily Show” audience.
Stewart makes the same statement I have heard a million times - those banks with large debt to asset ratios should take the responsibility for selling adjustable rate mortgages to homeowners. I am still waiting for someone to clarify the relationship between the two parties. Did someone make those people take mortgages they would eventually not afford? How does the way banks manage their assets and debt impact what people decide they can afford for their living quarters. It does not and never will.
Stewart shows videos from 2006 with Jim Cramer discussing how hedge fund managers can influence prices in the stock market. In short, they can bring down and push up prices by reporting different things that may not be accurate. What is concerning is Jon Stewart’s take shows something significant – he has never done any reading on the stock market or people in general. The reporting of inside information is a very old practice that has been going on for some time – like since the stock market came into play. Stock prices go up and down based on news which a good percentage of it is rumors and speculation. Regardless of what happens now, this practice will never stop and will become more prevalent the more media coverage the stock market receives as well other world news. That is an undeniable fact.
Stewart thinks the media should take responsibility for not exposing the leverages a long time ago. I would like to ask when people are going to start requesting the Big 4 auditing firms take some responsibility for not exposing and stopping the practice of leveraging loans. Most firms claimed the derivatives were tough to account for and these companies are stocked with Ivy League MBA’s, the supposed best and brightest. Everyone looked the other way and had a good time.
One last thing is Stewart is funny because he was so busy pointing the finger except at the man in the mirror. I would be interested in finding out how much Stewart made in the stock market during the uptick years. That was not ever even discussed but his poor mother I guess has lost a lot of money according to the end of the interview. If your mother was completely invested in the stock market and not in conservative investments based on her age… Shame on her. Shame on Stewart because I guess he must be watching his mother be destitute as he continues to host a TV show.
And there you have it.
Monday, February 23, 2009
A few Monday thoughts
A few things that have passed my way these days...
- The expected turnout for the City of Detroit Mayoral primary is to be 15%.
This is extremely sad considering how important this vote if for the city. It makes you wonder what is the breaking point for the city and those who live inside the borders.
- Initially I found this clip funny. As I thought about it more it starts to scare the hell out of me. Much like what I asked in the first bullet here, I wonder when the brink will take place and what will happen when that brink occurs. Too many people pay their mortgages on time with no issues then turn around and ask those same people since they are diligent to help those who are not so timely. I will write more on this as time goes on.
- We are for sure in a new world when you see articles like this one. Big Brother seems to be progressively creeping in to our world and making us pay for it.
- Watching the Pistons lately is a test of endurance. It is brutal to watch and has forced me into a position I never thought I wouls find myself in - understanding and respecting the effort that Chauncey Billups put in during his time here. Of course if you just look at the Denver Nuggets - Chauncey's new team - they have been playing very good basketball since Mr. Big Shot's arrival. Sometimes you don't know what you have until you lost it.
- I usually do not get caught up in hype because 9 out of 10 times that is all it is. The results never match the excitement and disappointment ensues. That is what happenned last yar with the Detroit Tigers. Sure if you open the paper these days, you see alot of excitement coming from Spring training - proof warm weather is actually in reach - but that is all it is right now - excitement. I am back to where everyone should be - excitement over results. Tell me when they are winning games.
- The expected turnout for the City of Detroit Mayoral primary is to be 15%.
This is extremely sad considering how important this vote if for the city. It makes you wonder what is the breaking point for the city and those who live inside the borders.
- Initially I found this clip funny. As I thought about it more it starts to scare the hell out of me. Much like what I asked in the first bullet here, I wonder when the brink will take place and what will happen when that brink occurs. Too many people pay their mortgages on time with no issues then turn around and ask those same people since they are diligent to help those who are not so timely. I will write more on this as time goes on.
- We are for sure in a new world when you see articles like this one. Big Brother seems to be progressively creeping in to our world and making us pay for it.
- Watching the Pistons lately is a test of endurance. It is brutal to watch and has forced me into a position I never thought I wouls find myself in - understanding and respecting the effort that Chauncey Billups put in during his time here. Of course if you just look at the Denver Nuggets - Chauncey's new team - they have been playing very good basketball since Mr. Big Shot's arrival. Sometimes you don't know what you have until you lost it.
- I usually do not get caught up in hype because 9 out of 10 times that is all it is. The results never match the excitement and disappointment ensues. That is what happenned last yar with the Detroit Tigers. Sure if you open the paper these days, you see alot of excitement coming from Spring training - proof warm weather is actually in reach - but that is all it is right now - excitement. I am back to where everyone should be - excitement over results. Tell me when they are winning games.
Monday, February 16, 2009
A few notes from driving
When was it custom to always have your bright lights on regardless of what time of day it is? It seems strange but I am encountering this more often these days and obviously wish it was not the case. What reason does someone have to even have them on in the first place unless you going down a dark country road? Trust me when I say I am not on any dark country roads.
On another note - Is it me or are the police officers out and about way more than they have in the past?I feel like I see someone pulled over every day now. This has never been the case. Could it be a shameless way raising funds for the different municipalities that currently have little cash flow? If that is the case, I guess my tax dollars are not enough. Hopefully I stay employed to at least pass those along.
On another note - Is it me or are the police officers out and about way more than they have in the past?I feel like I see someone pulled over every day now. This has never been the case. Could it be a shameless way raising funds for the different municipalities that currently have little cash flow? If that is the case, I guess my tax dollars are not enough. Hopefully I stay employed to at least pass those along.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Yes - There are some good people out there
I ended up seeing CBS "60 Minutes" this evening. Tonight's episode featured an interview with the team that worked Flight 1549. Most of the feature focused on the Captain Chesley "Scully" Sullenberger. It was very refreshing to finally see someone do something so awesome yet be so humble at the same time. He is doing his share of interviews while at the same time there has been no egotistical chest pumping. I think he is treating the series of interviews as a duty and not one for building any of his ego. He realizes as a whole that he saved not only the people on the flight but kept many children from growing up with one less parent.
One significant moment was when there was a reunion between one passenger and Sullenberger. The passenger had lost his brother in 9/11. He thanked Sullenberger for keeping his family from enduring another loss due to a plane crash. IT was a loss the passenger did not think his family could go through again.
One significant moment was when there was a reunion between one passenger and Sullenberger. The passenger had lost his brother in 9/11. He thanked Sullenberger for keeping his family from enduring another loss due to a plane crash. IT was a loss the passenger did not think his family could go through again.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
More than meets the movie eyes
So I see the Detroit area and I See we are looking to be Hollywood's step sister with the opening of not one but two film studios. Much of this is a direct result - gasp! - tax breaks offered to the industry. The papers are reporting close to 6000 new jobs as a result of it.
Follow along if you will. You offer tax breaks and you add jobs. Adding jobs adds to the state's tax base. That means the government has more money than they did before. If they did not offer the film industry such tax advantages, they probably would have not come to Michigan. That would mean there would not be 6000 new jobs ans tax revenue.
Class - If we were to use logic, what should Michigan do across the board with different business sectors? Why is something so damn easy so hard to do?
Follow along if you will. You offer tax breaks and you add jobs. Adding jobs adds to the state's tax base. That means the government has more money than they did before. If they did not offer the film industry such tax advantages, they probably would have not come to Michigan. That would mean there would not be 6000 new jobs ans tax revenue.
Class - If we were to use logic, what should Michigan do across the board with different business sectors? Why is something so damn easy so hard to do?
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The next season is fastly approaching...
Ok...so seriously - my efforts here have left some to be desired... I am looking at posting something... anything... for the next several days. I have ideas but time gets away from me
by the time I get even remotely to sitting down to write them out.
I have all my paper work to do my taxes and will be looking to do sometime in the next week or two. Of course since I expect to get money back, there is a reason to do my taxes in a timely manner.
I bring this up because it seems everyone that Obama is appointing many people who can't do their taxes correctly to the point that they are resigning at the moment they are exposed for their error.
This brings to light the question - why do taxes need to be so difficult? Why do they need someone with a secret decoder ring to do them with any success and limited errors? When is the flat tax - advocated forever by billionaire Steve Forbes - going to be put in and wash all that IRS tax code away?
None of this will take place as long as IRS employs so many people. It will not happen while HR Block and other tax accountants are breathing air. It will not happen while the US government shows a complete disinterest in efficiency at all levels.
All of it is a shame but seems to be a necessary evil. Oh well - buy some software, put in some numbers and hope you do not owe and maybe get back a little more than expected.
by the time I get even remotely to sitting down to write them out.
I have all my paper work to do my taxes and will be looking to do sometime in the next week or two. Of course since I expect to get money back, there is a reason to do my taxes in a timely manner.
I bring this up because it seems everyone that Obama is appointing many people who can't do their taxes correctly to the point that they are resigning at the moment they are exposed for their error.
This brings to light the question - why do taxes need to be so difficult? Why do they need someone with a secret decoder ring to do them with any success and limited errors? When is the flat tax - advocated forever by billionaire Steve Forbes - going to be put in and wash all that IRS tax code away?
None of this will take place as long as IRS employs so many people. It will not happen while HR Block and other tax accountants are breathing air. It will not happen while the US government shows a complete disinterest in efficiency at all levels.
All of it is a shame but seems to be a necessary evil. Oh well - buy some software, put in some numbers and hope you do not owe and maybe get back a little more than expected.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Local TV Channels when there is bad weather...
I have two things with local TV I must complain about right now. The first has to do with their coverage EVERY WINTER. They have to cover snowflake dropping from the sky like a national emergency. The best if they can simply play a news clip from ten years ago and it would be the same damn thing. They will start out with the traffic shots of different streets through out the area. The next thing they do is have someone interviewing various snow plow/salt truck drivers going through the same speech which includes:
- “We will be working sixteen hour shifts”
- We are doing the best we can”
- “We will be doing the main roads and then the side roads”
Of course the reporter goes to some random shopping center just outside the border of Detroit to do some man on the street interviews and see how different people are “dealing with the cold weather” This would be unique if we lived in the south and it got this cold once a blue moon. Folks – if you live in MI you deal with this cold weather a few months a year. This is NOTHING NEW.
Needless to say I turn the channel or simply don’t watch it. I am just not sure how stupid the newscasters look doing such reports. If their market research tells them that this is what the audience wants – shame on them.
One more thing before I leave you – I turned on Channel 4 (WDIV) and 7 (WXYZ) yesterday morning. They were showing the school closings while their respective network morning shows were broadcasting at that time. COULD THEY MAKE THE SCREEN OF THE NATIONAL SHOW ANY SMALLER? Seriously – local channels in both case made the national show maybe 1/3 of the screen while they showed the schools that were closed. Never mind I don’t understand why the schools were closed because you know those kids who could not stand out on bus stops were dropped at the mall at about 10:05 AM. These are the same damn kids that don’t even wear coats. I am not even referring to the poor ones either. Thank god there was not anything I needed to see on any of those network morning shows. A simple scroll across the bottom would work just fine on those TV channels.
I am done with ranting….
- “We will be working sixteen hour shifts”
- We are doing the best we can”
- “We will be doing the main roads and then the side roads”
Of course the reporter goes to some random shopping center just outside the border of Detroit to do some man on the street interviews and see how different people are “dealing with the cold weather” This would be unique if we lived in the south and it got this cold once a blue moon. Folks – if you live in MI you deal with this cold weather a few months a year. This is NOTHING NEW.
Needless to say I turn the channel or simply don’t watch it. I am just not sure how stupid the newscasters look doing such reports. If their market research tells them that this is what the audience wants – shame on them.
One more thing before I leave you – I turned on Channel 4 (WDIV) and 7 (WXYZ) yesterday morning. They were showing the school closings while their respective network morning shows were broadcasting at that time. COULD THEY MAKE THE SCREEN OF THE NATIONAL SHOW ANY SMALLER? Seriously – local channels in both case made the national show maybe 1/3 of the screen while they showed the schools that were closed. Never mind I don’t understand why the schools were closed because you know those kids who could not stand out on bus stops were dropped at the mall at about 10:05 AM. These are the same damn kids that don’t even wear coats. I am not even referring to the poor ones either. Thank god there was not anything I needed to see on any of those network morning shows. A simple scroll across the bottom would work just fine on those TV channels.
I am done with ranting….
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
The new gold?
Here is quick one... I was at the store this evening and walked by the beer aisle. I was not shopping for that at all but I thought I would check to see if there was any good deals. People - right now beer costs an arm and a leg. It has gone up two dollars for a case in the last two weeks. This is not even premium stuff. We are talking weasel piss that you buy because you plan on putting back alot and you need some value. (Please do not confuse "weasel piss" with "raw sewage" which is another level below "weasel piss") Is it transportation costs? Is it because the company that makes its no longer american owned? Did the hops crop fail this year? How about barley?
New year thoughts
A few things coming to my mind as I sit here on a Sunday evening -
Since snow plowing funds in the state of Michiganm come from new cars sales, I hope we have a light snow winter. On that same topic, why is it snow removal is not a privatized operation. Why does the government think it is a good idea to take on the burden of buying trucks, maintaining them at that and having people on their payroll for something that happens so sporadically?
People will talk about new car sales for December but the ones I am looking at will be the ones starting say February when people will be able to get funding due to lower credit requirements - more having to do with GM than the other Big Three due to GMAC getting money from the Federal government. In addition people will begin getting their tax returns that may be bigger for some since they sold stock/mutual funds that lost money which will increase their tax returns.
For all the talk of parties and such for the Inaguration, I am looking forward to seeing the action of Obama in the first few days in office. I hope the people that voted him they are happier than they have been once he gets started with his plan. As for those who did not vote him in that he continues to do things that have so far shown him to be a bit more conservative than previously anticipated by the pundits.
Am I the only one notciing people keeping their Christmas trees up longer than I ever remember in the past? It seems curbs are covered with trees just days from Christmas and I see people with trees still lit up well after New Years?
I do not make New Years resolutions. My feeling is if it something that needs to be done I should have been doing it all along and not waiting until the New Year.
The other night I saw a commercial for the International Auto Show here in Detroit. They had local celebrities inviting the watcher down to the show this year. ONe struck me as strangte - Bill Bonds. He has not been doing much of anything in this area in some time other than Gardner White commercials. It seems strange to me because I thought they could have found a more worthwile celebrity to entice the people down to Cobo Hall for the annual event.
Take care - Midwest Gent
Since snow plowing funds in the state of Michiganm come from new cars sales, I hope we have a light snow winter. On that same topic, why is it snow removal is not a privatized operation. Why does the government think it is a good idea to take on the burden of buying trucks, maintaining them at that and having people on their payroll for something that happens so sporadically?
People will talk about new car sales for December but the ones I am looking at will be the ones starting say February when people will be able to get funding due to lower credit requirements - more having to do with GM than the other Big Three due to GMAC getting money from the Federal government. In addition people will begin getting their tax returns that may be bigger for some since they sold stock/mutual funds that lost money which will increase their tax returns.
For all the talk of parties and such for the Inaguration, I am looking forward to seeing the action of Obama in the first few days in office. I hope the people that voted him they are happier than they have been once he gets started with his plan. As for those who did not vote him in that he continues to do things that have so far shown him to be a bit more conservative than previously anticipated by the pundits.
Am I the only one notciing people keeping their Christmas trees up longer than I ever remember in the past? It seems curbs are covered with trees just days from Christmas and I see people with trees still lit up well after New Years?
I do not make New Years resolutions. My feeling is if it something that needs to be done I should have been doing it all along and not waiting until the New Year.
The other night I saw a commercial for the International Auto Show here in Detroit. They had local celebrities inviting the watcher down to the show this year. ONe struck me as strangte - Bill Bonds. He has not been doing much of anything in this area in some time other than Gardner White commercials. It seems strange to me because I thought they could have found a more worthwile celebrity to entice the people down to Cobo Hall for the annual event.
Take care - Midwest Gent
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