Well unless you live under a rock, I am sure you have heard about the 700 BILLION dollar bail out of Wall Street. This is a move that I feel will undermine the core values America was founded on and only serve to further erode what we as a country should stand for. I am opposed to this because if it goes through it will make it ok for people to shirk their responsibilities and have no accountability.
To make it short, my point is, if you make a mistake, no matter how big or small, YOU should be the one to pay for it, not the rest of the country. This point should be pressed for those in Wall Street and Washington. They made the mistake, take the hit. My gut tells me that all they are doing is covering their retirement and investments with taxpayer money.
Shouldn’t they be held accountable for their choices like we have been for years? If I were to go out and charge up every card I can on needless spending and fail to pay my bill, government wouldn't come in and pay it off plus give me a bonus. They would start collections and eventually force me to take out bankruptcy. Shouldn’t Wall Street be held to the same accountability?
I understand that if the bailout doesn’t go through there will be rough times for all of us. Personally I am fine with that because I can live with the situation I am put in if that happens because I can take responsibility for the choices I have made.
I am not from this state but this senator has the right idea.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNlXgzzdJQA
Monday, September 29, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
Neighbors, neighbors, neighbors -
You have to love working in cubes. Today was one of those days your cube neighbors make you hope something catastrophic would happen to take you out of your living hell at work. But alas, it doesn’t.
Aside from the Monday usual moronic morning conversation this is one of the things I heard over the wall.
A cube neighbor was talking about a friend they had in Houston who is still without power as a result of Hurricane Ike. She was commenting on how her friends had gas and water, so they were able shower and make some food, but had no light. She then made the comment about how if that were her she would go out to eat as opposed to making something at home if she didn’t have any power.
The last one boggled my mind! From the way she was talking she didn’t realize that if her friend didn’t have power it’s possible the restaurants wouldn’t have power either. Also the gas stations might not have power to pump the gas she would need to get to the restaurant. Or maybe, just maybe the restaurant owner lost his house in the storm and is more concerned about this family and his staff then making sure he or she was open for business.
Unbelievable
Aside from the Monday usual moronic morning conversation this is one of the things I heard over the wall.
A cube neighbor was talking about a friend they had in Houston who is still without power as a result of Hurricane Ike. She was commenting on how her friends had gas and water, so they were able shower and make some food, but had no light. She then made the comment about how if that were her she would go out to eat as opposed to making something at home if she didn’t have any power.
The last one boggled my mind! From the way she was talking she didn’t realize that if her friend didn’t have power it’s possible the restaurants wouldn’t have power either. Also the gas stations might not have power to pump the gas she would need to get to the restaurant. Or maybe, just maybe the restaurant owner lost his house in the storm and is more concerned about this family and his staff then making sure he or she was open for business.
Unbelievable
Friday, September 19, 2008
The squeaky wheel gets the grease
If you look at the difference between Hurricane Ike and Katrina hopefully you will see that there is not as much coverage on the effects of Hurricane Ike.
Now some will say the reason for that is the economic crap that is hitting the fan right now, and I would agree to some extent. I do however that the citizens of New Orleans whined much more then you see the citizens of Houston whining. From what I can tell, Houstonians are about getting it fixed and back to normal as opposed to who is to blame when Katrina hit.
I also noticed that when the buzz for Ike’s devastation was building it seemed that Katrina came up more and more. On one news report I actually heard the commentator say,
“The damage in Galveston was horrible, but New Orleans has also got flooding they are dealing with again.”
I admit the damage from Katrina was bad. The city was flooded and homes were lost, but for some reason, 3 years later, they are saying that most of the city is still in ruin. If you look at pictures it looks as if Galveston was almost wiped from the face of the earth. I bet 3 years from now Houston, Galveston and the surrounding areas will be rebuilt and you might not even see remnants of Ike.
This isn’t completely a slam on New Orleans but your 15 min of fame should be over. Quit your whining, build your damn city or learn to live under water without the use of levees. Katrina has become a broken record to most of us and hearing about it is getting old.
End of Rant
Now some will say the reason for that is the economic crap that is hitting the fan right now, and I would agree to some extent. I do however that the citizens of New Orleans whined much more then you see the citizens of Houston whining. From what I can tell, Houstonians are about getting it fixed and back to normal as opposed to who is to blame when Katrina hit.
I also noticed that when the buzz for Ike’s devastation was building it seemed that Katrina came up more and more. On one news report I actually heard the commentator say,
“The damage in Galveston was horrible, but New Orleans has also got flooding they are dealing with again.”
I admit the damage from Katrina was bad. The city was flooded and homes were lost, but for some reason, 3 years later, they are saying that most of the city is still in ruin. If you look at pictures it looks as if Galveston was almost wiped from the face of the earth. I bet 3 years from now Houston, Galveston and the surrounding areas will be rebuilt and you might not even see remnants of Ike.
This isn’t completely a slam on New Orleans but your 15 min of fame should be over. Quit your whining, build your damn city or learn to live under water without the use of levees. Katrina has become a broken record to most of us and hearing about it is getting old.
End of Rant
Monday, September 15, 2008
Another Issue with our society that boggles the mind
This past weekend I took my wife to her favorite cupcake store. (Yes a store the sells nothing but cupcakes) In that store the line to purchase these ($3.50 a piece) cupcakes wrapped around like a line to an amusement park ride. Now the thought of standing in line for a cupcake sounds insane but rest assured, once you taste one of these tasty morsels it’s a small sacrifice.
We waited the wait and the clerks waiting on us were pleasant and patient to each customer and despite the packed store the environment was friendly. It was such a good experience we bought 6 cupcakes (for the 2 of us) and I am sure we will frequent the store when we can.
Now since it was incredibly hot that day, I wanted sort of a blizzard from Baskin Robbins. Luckily, there was a Baskin Robbins right across the street. As we entered the store it was extremely empty, for such a hot day. I walked up to the counter and asked if they had something like a blizzard. The man behind the counter really didn’t talk too loud and you could tell he didn’t have the patience for many questions.
So I ordered my (what turned out to be a milkshake with chips of reeces pieces, and watched him make it. I got 4 scoops of French Vanilla Ice cream, 2 teaspoons of reeces pieces, (80 cent addition) and 1 cup of milk. Needless to say I was less then impressed about the amount of reeces pieces added to the mix. I could have bought a much larger bag from the freakin gas station. Once the blend was completed, I was asked if there was anything else, where I then asked for a glass of ice. Once I mentioned the glass of Ice, you would think I was asking him to harvest it off a glacier in Alaska.
Now the total to this milkshake was just under $7.00 and when I paid I had to ask for a copy of my receipt. Once again you would think I asked him to make the papyrus and write the copy in blood. Overall it was a horrible experience and guaranteed that I would not give any business to that Baskin Robbins again. (Since the counter clerk was the owner)
I share the two opposing experiences because in the first, I am gladly paying an insane amount for something that easily costs less then 50 cents to make because it’s what I wanted and the experience was wonderful. The second I paid far more then I should for something I didn’t exactly want and the experience was horrible.
Now you could take several things from this but the one thing I wanted to point out is that if you are in business and treat the customers crappy, please expect your sales to drop at some point. It seems to me that the best businesses out there are customer friendly and aren’t put out because they have to serve their customers. In recent years the decline in customer service has become more apparent and almost blatant. Is it the fact that our society is more self absorbed then we once were? Or does each one of us think we are better then the person standing next to us?
Whatever it is, it makes we wonder if we are really living in the best time. Maybe our parents had a better world to live in? Maybe even our grandparents had it better?
Now if you think times were better before the invention of cars –---well that’s preposterous!
We waited the wait and the clerks waiting on us were pleasant and patient to each customer and despite the packed store the environment was friendly. It was such a good experience we bought 6 cupcakes (for the 2 of us) and I am sure we will frequent the store when we can.
Now since it was incredibly hot that day, I wanted sort of a blizzard from Baskin Robbins. Luckily, there was a Baskin Robbins right across the street. As we entered the store it was extremely empty, for such a hot day. I walked up to the counter and asked if they had something like a blizzard. The man behind the counter really didn’t talk too loud and you could tell he didn’t have the patience for many questions.
So I ordered my (what turned out to be a milkshake with chips of reeces pieces, and watched him make it. I got 4 scoops of French Vanilla Ice cream, 2 teaspoons of reeces pieces, (80 cent addition) and 1 cup of milk. Needless to say I was less then impressed about the amount of reeces pieces added to the mix. I could have bought a much larger bag from the freakin gas station. Once the blend was completed, I was asked if there was anything else, where I then asked for a glass of ice. Once I mentioned the glass of Ice, you would think I was asking him to harvest it off a glacier in Alaska.
Now the total to this milkshake was just under $7.00 and when I paid I had to ask for a copy of my receipt. Once again you would think I asked him to make the papyrus and write the copy in blood. Overall it was a horrible experience and guaranteed that I would not give any business to that Baskin Robbins again. (Since the counter clerk was the owner)
I share the two opposing experiences because in the first, I am gladly paying an insane amount for something that easily costs less then 50 cents to make because it’s what I wanted and the experience was wonderful. The second I paid far more then I should for something I didn’t exactly want and the experience was horrible.
Now you could take several things from this but the one thing I wanted to point out is that if you are in business and treat the customers crappy, please expect your sales to drop at some point. It seems to me that the best businesses out there are customer friendly and aren’t put out because they have to serve their customers. In recent years the decline in customer service has become more apparent and almost blatant. Is it the fact that our society is more self absorbed then we once were? Or does each one of us think we are better then the person standing next to us?
Whatever it is, it makes we wonder if we are really living in the best time. Maybe our parents had a better world to live in? Maybe even our grandparents had it better?
Now if you think times were better before the invention of cars –---well that’s preposterous!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Another political rant
So last night I decided to watch David Letterman since the Democrats nominee for President was a guest. As I was watching and listening, I came across another obvious realization that I suspected but for some reason didn’t click till the candidate spoke.
I think one of the biggest reasons we are in the current situation we are in as a country is because we have severely gotten away from the spirit in which this country was founded. From my understanding, our fore fathers started this country with the thought of freedom, and established a government that would collectively GOVERN the people by the people.
Today, government has become an entity that takes on more roles then just governs the people. Our government is expected to fill a role that we as individual Americans should fill ourselves. It seems that most Americans feel that the government should provide for us, make our decisions and hold all responsibility of our actions. That is just WRONG, we need to take care of ourselves and be responsible for the good and bad decisions we make.
We need to get back to the real roots of democracy and gain the spirit our founding fathers had. If we don’t I am afraid we will end up with a government like the Chinese government. They do what they want and if you oppose or want to say anything opposing you gets a year of “re-education through hard labor.” While this option is appealing to me for some people I know, it’s not the best choice of government for everyone.
Oh, to paraphrase, the candidate on David Letterman spoke about how the government needs to provide everything for the people basically. So they really didn’t support my point.
I think one of the biggest reasons we are in the current situation we are in as a country is because we have severely gotten away from the spirit in which this country was founded. From my understanding, our fore fathers started this country with the thought of freedom, and established a government that would collectively GOVERN the people by the people.
Today, government has become an entity that takes on more roles then just governs the people. Our government is expected to fill a role that we as individual Americans should fill ourselves. It seems that most Americans feel that the government should provide for us, make our decisions and hold all responsibility of our actions. That is just WRONG, we need to take care of ourselves and be responsible for the good and bad decisions we make.
We need to get back to the real roots of democracy and gain the spirit our founding fathers had. If we don’t I am afraid we will end up with a government like the Chinese government. They do what they want and if you oppose or want to say anything opposing you gets a year of “re-education through hard labor.” While this option is appealing to me for some people I know, it’s not the best choice of government for everyone.
Oh, to paraphrase, the candidate on David Letterman spoke about how the government needs to provide everything for the people basically. So they really didn’t support my point.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The real meaning of, “Dog eat Dog”?
We have dogs, and in watching them I have yet to see them eat each other. In corporate America and in some circles you hear “it’s a dog eat dog world out there”. But is it really?
Wikipedia states: "Dog eat dog" is an informal expression that means ruthless competition.
What raises my question is if you look in corporate culture, yes there is some ruthless competition, but more and more there seems to be a lot more butt sniffing or brown nosing.
So really is it a Dog eat Dog world? Or is it more of a “your crap smells good, I’ll hang with you,” type of world?
Something to think about.
Wikipedia states: "Dog eat dog" is an informal expression that means ruthless competition.
What raises my question is if you look in corporate culture, yes there is some ruthless competition, but more and more there seems to be a lot more butt sniffing or brown nosing.
So really is it a Dog eat Dog world? Or is it more of a “your crap smells good, I’ll hang with you,” type of world?
Something to think about.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Americans Today
So I come into work from the long weekend and overhear two other cube neighbors talking about McCain’s choice for Vice President. It was interesting to me to hear them make the same comment as the DJ on the radio made this morning.
Basically the point was made that the Vice President nominees Daughter was 17 and a senior in high school and pregnant. One cube neighbor said “well there goes McCain’s chances.”
Not that I condone pre-marital relations or children out of wedlock but COME ON people, how many of you can say that you don’t know one person who has had a child out of wedlock or at a very young age. I don’t think too many of you can say you do. And if this is the only issue with the VP nomination candidate, then good. In this situation I am sure she can relate to more everyday Americans then any democratic nominee.
Look at all the other politicians, drinking, alleged murder, and the infidelity abounding in politics and people jump on this like it’s the plague.
Maybe the bigger problem is that people think that political leaders should be perfect and that there are some perfect ones out there. The fact is WE ALL have skeletons in our closets and have family members that we don’t want to admit having.
Sorry, I just found it annoying that people bitch and nitpick about stupid stuff. Maybe I can’t understand what impact a pregnant daughter would or should have on a candidate’s capacity to serve in a public office. Maybe I can’t understand why people focus on the non-essential stuff and not the important stuff . . . . . . . end of rant
Disclaimer – I don’t support any political party and have not made a choice on the correct candidate for me.
Basically the point was made that the Vice President nominees Daughter was 17 and a senior in high school and pregnant. One cube neighbor said “well there goes McCain’s chances.”
Not that I condone pre-marital relations or children out of wedlock but COME ON people, how many of you can say that you don’t know one person who has had a child out of wedlock or at a very young age. I don’t think too many of you can say you do. And if this is the only issue with the VP nomination candidate, then good. In this situation I am sure she can relate to more everyday Americans then any democratic nominee.
Look at all the other politicians, drinking, alleged murder, and the infidelity abounding in politics and people jump on this like it’s the plague.
Maybe the bigger problem is that people think that political leaders should be perfect and that there are some perfect ones out there. The fact is WE ALL have skeletons in our closets and have family members that we don’t want to admit having.
Sorry, I just found it annoying that people bitch and nitpick about stupid stuff. Maybe I can’t understand what impact a pregnant daughter would or should have on a candidate’s capacity to serve in a public office. Maybe I can’t understand why people focus on the non-essential stuff and not the important stuff . . . . . . . end of rant
Disclaimer – I don’t support any political party and have not made a choice on the correct candidate for me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)