For over a year now, after looking at our collective debt load (gov't and personal), there is only one conclusion: we are in deep doo-doo and will have a Japanese-style 15 year recession / flat growth on our hands. It's the only way the math adds up.
Sorry folks, time to pay the piper. Sooner we are willing to do it, the shorter this recession will be. The longer we put it off, the longer the recession. Our choice.
3.29.2009
Good unintended consequences
I'll bet good money companies will be thinking twice before accepting any more government money. Congress' bumbling of the AIG bonuses to people that earned them pretty much guarantees no company will be going back to Congress for free money, no matter how bad of shape they are in.
I'm sure there's a sociology term for a situation someone screws up so badly its a net gain. The inverse of the Peter Principle.
Now if they can screw something up to make individuals realize that they are morally obligated to pay back their loans.
I'm sure there's a sociology term for a situation someone screws up so badly its a net gain. The inverse of the Peter Principle.
Now if they can screw something up to make individuals realize that they are morally obligated to pay back their loans.
3.28.2009
Catching up
After 4+ years blogging here, I went through my biggest two month post drought ever. Life has been real busy, between ramping up of the little league season (where I have to get everything ready for the TBall season), and picking up a key, highly visible project at work, I haven't had time to even yell at my kids let alone blog.
Work is going very well. I made a smart move making the change to Microsoft, and while all jobs are going to have their challenges, I definitely fit in at the big M. Looking forward to the next six months or so and making a career here.
If it weren't being reported on CNN every three seconds, you'd never know by living in Seattle we are in a recession or that times are tough.
Spencer continues his climb through the Tae Kwon Do belt ranks. His next belt is his bodan, which is one step away from black belt. This is where they really start to ratchet it up and he needs to start putting some extra time in. I work with him the best I can, but if it ain't a video game, I'm not a lot of help.
I've become a Seattle Thunderbirds fan. Six games this year alone, and we will likely get season tix next year. Last time I adopted a new team was the White Sox when I moved to Chicago, so been 15 years since I've followed someone "new." The new ShoWare Center in Kent is awesome for hockey. Free parking, great sightlines, small arena (which means no huge crowds, no huge bathroom lines, etc), and a hockey atmosphere where everyone loves the game and is not there just because some corporation gave them tickets. Spencer and I went to Wednesday's playoff game by ourselves, we sat in the fourth row in the corner (had the row to ourselves), and we had a blast. Good guys lost, but the highlight of the night was Spencer and me getting on the overhead scoreboard.
Am I the only one who doesn't get "Earth Hour"? We only care about energy consumption one hour a year? Is that the message? My God, we as a people (globally) are just stupid. How the hell does our life expectancy continue to increase if we are so incapable of logical thought? The few intelligent folks out there must really have a positive impact on everyone else.
My car is six months and 10k miles past it's normal maintenance cycle. Damn I love German Engineering. Audi, I am sold for life.
I continue to hit the Pro Club 3-4 times a week. Spent three hours there yesterday in fact. Impressed that I am now starting to run without my knees or back killing me, and pretty close to being in good enough shape for a 5k. Amy even bought me smaller clothes as I was starting to swim in my old ones. Folks at work commented... "your wife go shopping for you?" Guess you can tell I am just not one cut out for clothes shopping.
Ironically, as busy as I've been, Amy and I have had the more "dates" in the past three months than we have in any three month period since Spencer has been born. We spent one date at the Pro Club, which while it sounds corny, is a pretty sweet place where some of the wealthiest people in the world (Gates, Allen, Ballmer) are members. Amy liked it so much she wants to go back. Another date we hiked Mount Si, and we both are so damn competitive that we insisted on not stopping so-as not to incur the heckling from the other. And our other date was a rather forgettable (for me) night at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle catching The Lion King. I. Will. Never. Do. That. Ever. Ever. Again. Ever. And I think Amy will make sure of that.
Purdue ended their season Thursday night. As great as last season was, this one was disappointing. A Big Ten tournament victory was nice, but that came after a lackluster big ten season (how do you lose 7 games in this conference?) and before a disappointing showing against UConn in the Sweet Sixteen. UConn all but gift wrapped that game for the Boilers, and they would have none of it. Still, great to see the Boilers back on the scene, and if Painter can find some frontcourt depth they will be tough next year.
The boys have both seemed to have turned a corner from a behavior perspective. Spencer, as hard as I am on him, has really been amazing the last couple of months. Keeping my fingers crossed that he can keep this up for 10 more years. And Garrett seems to be following suit. Still a 4 year old, with 4 year old reponses and tantrums, but he is also "getting in line" as he follows his brother's lead.
After six months of hard work Garrett is fully potty trained. Thank God. I thought he was going to be the first kid ever to wear diapers to Kindergarten.
Spencer is training to be a Jedi. Seriously. He chose not to dress up for "Wacky Wednesday" because "it's not the Jedi way." He also didn't want to sing in his recent school concert because "singing is not the Jedi way." I should have tried that line before decided to go to see The Lion King.
I am going through some inner turmoil on deciding what I am going to do for football season. I canceled NFL Sunday Ticket. I am fed up with the Lions, literally. I don't even know who their new coach is. Nor do I care. I suspect come fall I will be supporting the Seahawks more than the Lions. At least the ownership here seems to care about its fan base.
Now, I have to go turn some more lights on for "Earth Hour."
Work is going very well. I made a smart move making the change to Microsoft, and while all jobs are going to have their challenges, I definitely fit in at the big M. Looking forward to the next six months or so and making a career here.
If it weren't being reported on CNN every three seconds, you'd never know by living in Seattle we are in a recession or that times are tough.
Spencer continues his climb through the Tae Kwon Do belt ranks. His next belt is his bodan, which is one step away from black belt. This is where they really start to ratchet it up and he needs to start putting some extra time in. I work with him the best I can, but if it ain't a video game, I'm not a lot of help.
I've become a Seattle Thunderbirds fan. Six games this year alone, and we will likely get season tix next year. Last time I adopted a new team was the White Sox when I moved to Chicago, so been 15 years since I've followed someone "new." The new ShoWare Center in Kent is awesome for hockey. Free parking, great sightlines, small arena (which means no huge crowds, no huge bathroom lines, etc), and a hockey atmosphere where everyone loves the game and is not there just because some corporation gave them tickets. Spencer and I went to Wednesday's playoff game by ourselves, we sat in the fourth row in the corner (had the row to ourselves), and we had a blast. Good guys lost, but the highlight of the night was Spencer and me getting on the overhead scoreboard.
Am I the only one who doesn't get "Earth Hour"? We only care about energy consumption one hour a year? Is that the message? My God, we as a people (globally) are just stupid. How the hell does our life expectancy continue to increase if we are so incapable of logical thought? The few intelligent folks out there must really have a positive impact on everyone else.
My car is six months and 10k miles past it's normal maintenance cycle. Damn I love German Engineering. Audi, I am sold for life.
I continue to hit the Pro Club 3-4 times a week. Spent three hours there yesterday in fact. Impressed that I am now starting to run without my knees or back killing me, and pretty close to being in good enough shape for a 5k. Amy even bought me smaller clothes as I was starting to swim in my old ones. Folks at work commented... "your wife go shopping for you?" Guess you can tell I am just not one cut out for clothes shopping.
Ironically, as busy as I've been, Amy and I have had the more "dates" in the past three months than we have in any three month period since Spencer has been born. We spent one date at the Pro Club, which while it sounds corny, is a pretty sweet place where some of the wealthiest people in the world (Gates, Allen, Ballmer) are members. Amy liked it so much she wants to go back. Another date we hiked Mount Si, and we both are so damn competitive that we insisted on not stopping so-as not to incur the heckling from the other. And our other date was a rather forgettable (for me) night at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle catching The Lion King. I. Will. Never. Do. That. Ever. Ever. Again. Ever. And I think Amy will make sure of that.
Purdue ended their season Thursday night. As great as last season was, this one was disappointing. A Big Ten tournament victory was nice, but that came after a lackluster big ten season (how do you lose 7 games in this conference?) and before a disappointing showing against UConn in the Sweet Sixteen. UConn all but gift wrapped that game for the Boilers, and they would have none of it. Still, great to see the Boilers back on the scene, and if Painter can find some frontcourt depth they will be tough next year.
The boys have both seemed to have turned a corner from a behavior perspective. Spencer, as hard as I am on him, has really been amazing the last couple of months. Keeping my fingers crossed that he can keep this up for 10 more years. And Garrett seems to be following suit. Still a 4 year old, with 4 year old reponses and tantrums, but he is also "getting in line" as he follows his brother's lead.
After six months of hard work Garrett is fully potty trained. Thank God. I thought he was going to be the first kid ever to wear diapers to Kindergarten.
Spencer is training to be a Jedi. Seriously. He chose not to dress up for "Wacky Wednesday" because "it's not the Jedi way." He also didn't want to sing in his recent school concert because "singing is not the Jedi way." I should have tried that line before decided to go to see The Lion King.
I am going through some inner turmoil on deciding what I am going to do for football season. I canceled NFL Sunday Ticket. I am fed up with the Lions, literally. I don't even know who their new coach is. Nor do I care. I suspect come fall I will be supporting the Seahawks more than the Lions. At least the ownership here seems to care about its fan base.
Now, I have to go turn some more lights on for "Earth Hour."
3.21.2009
Thank you Matt Painter
Great to be excited about Purdue Basketball once again. Headed to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in 9 years. Wow, nine years. And pretty lean since then given Keady only got them to the dance once after that.
I didn't end up going to the game. Was planning on heading down and scalping tickets, but based on prices on the Internet ahead of time, plus Gonzaga and UW playing, I figured cheap tix would be tough to come by, and I would have had the boys with me. So ended up watching here. And of course every time I'd jump up Garrett would give me "Dad what are you dooo-ing?"
Great game, although the officiating in the second half was atrocious. The refs wanted it close, they got it.
This Purdue team is the most fun I've watched since Big Dog was in town. We have a point guard that can penetrate. Can't score, but at least he can break the defense down. We have someone in the middle who can play d, rebound, take the ball to the hoop, and hit a 15 footer. No wonder all Big Ten. We have two players that are capable of carrying the team on offense if they need to. And nice depth that provides 3-pt shooting, solid D, and decent rebounding. Weak in the middle in terms of depth, and I think that will be the achilles heel in the next round.
I didn't end up going to the game. Was planning on heading down and scalping tickets, but based on prices on the Internet ahead of time, plus Gonzaga and UW playing, I figured cheap tix would be tough to come by, and I would have had the boys with me. So ended up watching here. And of course every time I'd jump up Garrett would give me "Dad what are you dooo-ing?"
Great game, although the officiating in the second half was atrocious. The refs wanted it close, they got it.
This Purdue team is the most fun I've watched since Big Dog was in town. We have a point guard that can penetrate. Can't score, but at least he can break the defense down. We have someone in the middle who can play d, rebound, take the ball to the hoop, and hit a 15 footer. No wonder all Big Ten. We have two players that are capable of carrying the team on offense if they need to. And nice depth that provides 3-pt shooting, solid D, and decent rebounding. Weak in the middle in terms of depth, and I think that will be the achilles heel in the next round.
3.17.2009
Yeah, it's been a while...
... and if I'm blogging it probably means I am pissed about something.
Damn politicians. If I hear one more of these idiots whine about AIG I am going to shoot someone. AIG is not the problem. Idiot politicians who dole out ridiculous sums of money from responsible taxpayers and redistribute that money to people who have demonstrated they don't know how to run a successful business is the problem. Plain and simple. Both sides of the aisle, at all levels of government, and the mainstream media that argued for the bailouts and now are whining about AIG bonuses. Duh.
Idiots. Schmucks like me knew this was coming, which is why you don't reward bad behavior in the first place, it begets bad behavior.
As President Reagan said, "Government is not the solution to our problems, government IS the problem!" And he said that when interest rates and unemployment were double digits, making today's economic problems seem trite.
Damn politicians. If I hear one more of these idiots whine about AIG I am going to shoot someone. AIG is not the problem. Idiot politicians who dole out ridiculous sums of money from responsible taxpayers and redistribute that money to people who have demonstrated they don't know how to run a successful business is the problem. Plain and simple. Both sides of the aisle, at all levels of government, and the mainstream media that argued for the bailouts and now are whining about AIG bonuses. Duh.
Idiots. Schmucks like me knew this was coming, which is why you don't reward bad behavior in the first place, it begets bad behavior.
As President Reagan said, "Government is not the solution to our problems, government IS the problem!" And he said that when interest rates and unemployment were double digits, making today's economic problems seem trite.
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